WMSB (FM)

Last updated
WMSB
City Byhalia, Mississippi, US
Frequency 88.9 MHz
Programming
Format Christian
Network American Family Radio
Ownership
OwnerAmerican Family Association
History
First air date
January 4, 1971 (1971-01-04)
Former call signs
  • WNJC-FM (1971–1992)
  • WKNA (1992–2007)
Technical information
Licensing authority
 FCC
Facility ID 42060
Class C1
ERP 52,000 watts
HAAT 145 meters (476 ft)
Transmitter coordinates
 34°39′30.4″N89°37′32.3″W / 34.658444°N 89.625639°W / 34.658444; -89.625639
Links
Public license information
Profile
LMS
Webcast Listen live
Website afr.net

WMSB is a radio station on 88.9 FM licensed to Byhalia, Mississippi, United States. It is a full-time repeater of the American Family Radio (AFR) network and is owned by the American Family Association, broadcasting from a tower in Chulahoma.

Contents

Prior to being sold to AFR in 2007, this station was Mississippi's first public radio station as WNJC-FM, a service of Northwest Mississippi Junior College (NMJC) in Senatobia. After 16 years, the college shuttered the station in 1988 in order to reallocate its funds for classroom expenses. It was then acquired and operated for nearly two decades by WKNO-FM in Memphis, Tennessee.

History

WNJC-FM

Northwest Mississippi Junior College applied on April 15, 1969, for a new noncommercial educational radio station to be located on the college campus. [1] The application specified 89.9 MHz, but this was amended to 90.1 before being granted on January 28, 1970. A September 28 launch date was promoted, [2] but this was missed, and WNJC-FM made its debut on January 4, 1971. [3] Listeners to Mississippi's first noncommercial radio station heard music, news, and coverage of the college's athletic events. After resolving some issues that caused interference to television reception, the station was found eligible for Corporation for Public Broadcasting grants—and for membership in the new NPR. [4] In addition, WNJC-FM also served as a training ground for student announcers and maintained a local news operation covering northern Mississippi; on one occasion, the news director was gathering a livestock report when they were chased by a bull. [5] In 1976, the transmitter site was moved to a college-owned farm and the power increased to 18,000 watts. [1] A construction permit was issued at the end of 1981 to move to 88.9 MHz. [1]

Even though WNJC-FM had gone on the air in 1971, it was the only Mississippi-based public radio station for more than a decade. In the early 1980s, this began to change. The J. C. Maxwell Broadcasting Group was formed to build a minority-oriented public station in Jackson, [6] which went on the air as WMPR in late 1983. Simultaneously, the Mississippi Authority for Educational Television began planning and securing funds for an eight-transmitter network to carry NPR programming across the state; [7] the first seven transmitters in Public Radio Mississippi, comprising the entire network save Jackson, began that November. [8]

Purchase by WKNO

In 1988, the community college opted to close WNJC-FM and reallocate its budget to classroom and curricular needs, effective August 1; the college's president called the decision "difficult". [9] By November, the Memphis Community Television Foundation, parent of Memphis public radio station WKNO-FM, had filed to purchase the facility from NMJC. [9]

Some changes were made in the WKNO-FM lineup coinciding with the integration of the new transmitter, with Performance Today and Monitoradio dropped to add Fresh Air . [10] The station returned as a nearly full-time repeater of WKNO-FM on April 3, 1989; the only opt-outs from the parent station were to air normal programming while WKNO-FM aired Shelby County, Tennessee, commission and Memphis city council meetings. [11] After initially contemplating a sale of the Senatobia station in 1991, WKNO-FM changed tactics and split daytime weekday programming, with WNJC-FM becoming WKNA and adding several new news and talk offerings. [12] The next year, the WKNA audio was added to the Secondary Audio Program channel of WKNO television. [13] The amount of talk programming was increased in 1996, at which time WKNQ in Dyersburg, Tennessee, also began airing the speech-based opt-outs. [14] In 2003, this was changed to a fully separate service using NPR and BBC World Service programming. [15]

Sale to AFA

WKNO, however, was frustrated in its efforts to pursue further facility improvements for WKNA and WKNQ in Dyersburg. As a result, at the end of 2006, it opted to sell both facilities, with Christian broadcasters purchasing each one. The Educational Media Foundation acquired the Dyersburg outlet, while WKNA was sold to the American Family Association of Tupelo for integration into its network. [16] The sale closed on April 13, 2007, and the station was taken silent while it was relocated; Northwest Mississippi Community College, as the former junior college had renamed itself, had refused to allow AFA to use its tower site. [17] WKNO earned $1 million from the sale of the two stations. [17]

In 2008, AFA was approved to change the city of license from Senatobia to Byhalia, which allowed that city to retain one primary aural service as K-Love transmitter WKVF moved north toward Memphis. [18]

Related Research Articles

KNHC Radio station in Seattle, Washington

KNHC is a Class C1 high school radio station based in Seattle, Washington. It is the world's oldest, still remaining, dance music station.

KCMP Radio station in Northfield, Minnesota

KCMP is a radio station owned by Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) that broadcasts a AAA music format including a significant rotation of songs by local artists. Licensed to serve Northfield, Minnesota, the station's studios are located at the MPR Broadcast Center on Cedar Street in downtown St. Paul, while its transmitter is located atop the Vermillion Highlands near Coates. KCMP is rebroadcast on KMSE in Rochester at 88.7 MHz, KZIO in Duluth at 104.3 MHz and 94.1 MHz, and on translators around the state. The station broadcasts worldwide via Internet radio streams in the MP3 and Windows Media Audio formats, and is carried on The HD2 of KPCC 89.3 FM in Pasadena, California.

WMC-FM Hot adult contemporary radio station in Memphis

WMC-FM is a commercial hot adult contemporary radio station licensed to Memphis, Tennessee, serving the Memphis metropolitan area and much of surrounding West Tennessee, northern Mississippi, and eastern Arkansas. Owned by Audacy, Inc. The WMC-FM studios are located in Memphis' Colonial Acres neighborhood, while the station transmitter resides in northeast Memphis. Besides a standard analog transmission, WMC-FM is also available online via Audacy.

WKNO, virtual channel 10, is a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) member television station licensed to Memphis, Tennessee, United States. The station is owned by the Mid-South Public Communications Foundation, a non-profit organization governed by a board of trustees composed of volunteers, and is operated alongside National Public Radio (NPR) member radio station WKNO-FM (91.1). The two stations share studios on Cherry Farms Road with the TV station's transmitter on Raleigh LaGrange Road, both in the Cordova section of unincorporated Shelby County.

WBTJ Urban radio station in Richmond, Virginia

WBTJ – branded as 106.5 The Beat – is a commercial mainstream urban radio station licensed to serve Richmond, Virginia. Owned by Audacy, Inc., the station services the Greater Richmond Region and the Petersburg area. The WBTJ studios are located just north of Richmond proper in unincorporated Henrico County, while the station transmitter resides in the Richmond suburb of Bon Air. Besides a standard analog transmission, WBTJ broadcasts over three HD Radio channels, and is available online via Audacy.

KNKL is a contemporary Christian music radio station in Tremonton, Utah. The station is owned and operated by the Educational Media Foundation (EMF) and broadcasts EMF's K-Love programming.

KSUA is a student-run college radio station licensed to Fairbanks, Alaska, United States. Broadcasting from the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) campus with 3,000 watts effective radiated power (ERP,) it serves the Alaska Interior area. When first on the air in 1984, it was one of a few commercially licensed college stations. Reorganized in 1993, KSUA now operates under the FCC non-commercial educational license public radio rules. KSUA has won statewide and national broadcasting awards.

WMEB-FM is a non-commercial radio station owned and operated by the University of Maine, broadcasting on 91.5 FM from its campus in Orono and a transmitter located in Old Town. The station is run by university students and programs an alternative rock music format.

WLJT-DT, virtual channel 11, branded on-air as West TN PBS, is a Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) member television station licensed to Lexington, Tennessee, United States and serving western and northwestern Tennessee. The station is owned by the West Tennessee Public Television Council. WLJT's studios are located in Martin on rented space at the University of Tennessee at Martin; its transmitter is located on U.S. Route 412 midway between Jackson and Lexington.

WKNO-FM Public radio station in Memphis, Tennessee

The WKNO FM Stations is a pair of public radio stations based in Memphis, Tennessee, that serve the "Mid-South" region with local fine arts and classical music programs, as well as news and information programs from the National Public Radio, Public Radio International, and American Public Media networks.

Mississippi Public Broadcasting Public broadcaster of the state of Mississippi, United States

Mississippi Public Broadcasting (MPB) is the public broadcasting state network serving the U.S. state of Mississippi. It is owned by the Mississippi Authority for Educational Television (MAET), an agency of the state government that holds the licenses for all of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR) member stations in the state. MPB's headquarters is located on Ridgewood Road in northeast Jackson.

KXJZ is a public radio station in Sacramento, California. It airs programming from National Public Radio (NPR) and other public radio producers and distributors, as well as locally produced news and public affairs programs. It also offers a continuous 24-hour commercial-free classical music radio format on its HD2 subcarrier. KXJZ's sister station in Sacramento is KXPR, which broadcasts classical music and a few non-classical programs at the weekend. The two stations are known as CapRadio. Both stations are owned by Sacramento State and share studio operations on campus, and KXJZ's transmitter is located near Rio Linda.

WMC (AM) ESPN Radio affiliate in Memphis

WMC is a commercial radio station in Memphis, Tennessee, broadcasting a sports radio format. It is one of the city's oldest radio stations, and still uses its original three-letter call sign. WMC maintains studios in the Audacy, Inc. complex in Southeast Memphis, and has its transmitter towers in Northeast Memphis.

WPSU (FM) Radio station in State College, Pennsylvania

WPSU-FM is central Pennsylvania's only National Public Radio member radio station licensed to the Pennsylvania State University Board of Trustees as a part of WPSU Penn State. The over-the-air and digital signal reaches 13 counties in central and north central Pennsylvania. The station is rebroadcast on WPSX 90.1 FM in Kane. Both the 91.5 and 90.1 signals transmit in HD.

WNJR (FM) Noncommercial educational radio station

WNJR is a noncommercial FM radio station broadcasting a freeform radio format. Licensed to Washington, Pennsylvania, it serves Greater Pittsburgh's Southwest suburbs. The station is owned by Washington & Jefferson College.

WFCI is a radio station in Franklin, Indiana, owned by Franklin College. It primarily rebroadcasts public radio station WFYI-FM in Indianapolis.

WNUB-FM is a radio station licensed to serve Northfield, Vermont. It is the radio station of Norwich University, airing a college radio format from studios and transmitter on the university campus.

KWAM is a commercial AM radio station in Memphis, Tennessee. The station airs a talk radio format and is owned by Todd Starnes’ Starnes Media Group, LLC. The studios and offices are on Murray Road in Memphis. The transmitter is located off Bridgeport Road in Marion, Arkansas.

KUCA is the student-run radio station of the U.S. University of Central Arkansas (UCA) in Conway. It broadcasts from studios in the basement of UCA's student center and a transmitter site on a ridge southwest of downtown Conway.

KWEM-LP is a low-power FM radio station in West Memphis, Arkansas, United States, owned by Arkansas State University Mid-South. The station airs a format of blues and gospel music and is also used as a training ground for students in the community college's digital media program.

References

  1. 1 2 3 FCC History Cards for WMSB
  2. ↑ "Junior College Radio Station To Go On Air". The Clarion-Ledger. June 28, 1970. p. 10. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Northwest Miss. Junior College Starting Station WNJC-FM". The Sumner Sentinel. December 31, 1970. p. 1. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  4. ↑ "Radio Station WNJC-FM Now On Permanent Broadcasting". The Sumner Sentinel. April 15, 1971. p. 1. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  5. ↑ "FM 90: WNJC serves wide audience". The Mississippi Sun. May 17, 1973. p. Northwest Junior College 4. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  6. ↑ Nichols, Bill (September 8, 1982). "First public radio station in Jackson due in early 1983". The Clarion-Ledger. p. 1D. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  7. ↑ Nichols, Bill (January 6, 1983). "Mississippi's public radio choices grow". The Clarion-Ledger. p. 1D. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Public radio station is on-the-air". The Enterprise-Tocsin. November 24, 1983. p. 1. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  9. 1 2 Smith, Whitney (November 16, 1988). "WKNO acts to add WNJC as affiliate". The Commercial Appeal. pp. C1, C4. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  10. ↑ Walter, Tom (February 4, 1989). "Broadcasting by WNJC-FM will resume". The Commercial Appeal. p. C5. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  11. ↑ "WNJC airs classics". The Commercial Appeal. April 3, 1989. p. C6. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  12. ↑ Walter, Tom (February 22, 1992). "WKNO-FM marks 20 years by adding programming". p. C5. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  13. ↑ "WKNO explains how to untangle radio/TV signals". The Commercial Appeal. June 10, 1993. p. D14. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  14. ↑ Walter, Tom (June 20, 1996). "WKNO's radio affiliates add more talk to lineup". The Commercial Appeal. p. D8. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  15. ↑ Anderson, Scott (February 27, 2003). "WLJT-11 to honor young volunteers in 'ZOOM Into Action' program". The Jackson Sun. p. WP 9. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
  16. ↑ Lollar, Michael (December 21, 2006). "WKNO selling affiliates in Senatobia, Dyersburg". The Commercial Appeal. p. B1, B2. Archived from the original on November 24, 2021. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  17. 1 2 Blank, Christopher (April 28, 2007). "Senatobia's WKNA-FM 88.9 silenced". The Commercial Appeal. p. M1.
  18. ↑ "BMPED-20070830ADY Application for Construction Permit for Reserved Channel Noncommercial Educational Broadcast Station". Federal Communications Commission. August 30, 2007. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved November 18, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.