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WPLN (AM)
Encyclopedia
WPLN is a National Public Radio-affiliated radio station
licensed to Madison, Tennessee
. The station serves the Nashville, Tennessee
, area along with sister station WPLN-FM
.
WPLN-AM is an effort by the directors of Nashville Public Radio to find a place to program such NPR features as Talk of the Nation
and similar fare that have a definite audience but a lesser one than public radio standbys such as NPR's All Things Considered
and Morning Edition
, American Public Media's
A Prairie Home Companion
and classical music programming. These are programmed on WPLN-FM
, 90.3 mHz, while the alternative programs are aired on the AM. A few features are aired by both at different times.
, 'PLN' standing for Public Library of Nashville. Although the library and the radio station had developed separate operations and boards of directors
well before the addition of the AM station, the FM radio had retained the 'PLN' moniker and it was deemed to be less potentially confusing for the AM station likewise to use it in preference to any other.
-AM (unrelated to an AM station that operated on another frequency from the 1940s through the 1990s). Following many years of relative success as pioneering country music
station WENO
, 1430 AM had numerous owners and several formats, and shortly before the sale, it had been simulcasting the news programming of local television
station WTVF
and its affiliated cable
outlet. The station was generally considered to be financially marginal, which is why the frequency was available for sale to the local public radio board. In general, the AM frequency is part of a trend for radio markets of 1 million people or more to have multiple public outlets carrying distinct formats.
However, with Nashville Public Radio's acquisition of the former Vanderbilt University
student station WRVU
and its subsequent conversion to an all-classical format, WPLN-FM's format was changed on June 8, 2011 to an all-news-and-talk format, practically identical to the AM schedule. This likely means that Nashville Public Radio will eventually discontinue the AM signal, by either selling it to another broadcaster or simply shutting it down, as it is not likely that listeners would prefer an AM signal over an FM one with similar programming. As of yet, Nashville Public Radio has not announced the fate of WPLN-AM.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed to Madison, Tennessee
Madison, Tennessee
Madison, Tennessee is a neighborhood in northeast Nashville, Tennessee in the United States. It is incorporated as part of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County....
. The station serves the Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, area along with sister station WPLN-FM
WPLN-FM
WPLN-FM , is a National Public Radio-affiliated station in Nashville, Tennessee. Since June 2011, the station has employed exclusively a news and talk format; up until then, the station carried at least some classical music...
.
WPLN-AM is an effort by the directors of Nashville Public Radio to find a place to program such NPR features as Talk of the Nation
Talk of the Nation
Talk of the Nation is a talk radio program based in the United States, produced by National Public Radio, and is broadcast nationally from 2 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time. Its focus is current events and controversial issues....
and similar fare that have a definite audience but a lesser one than public radio standbys such as NPR's All Things Considered
All Things Considered
All Things Considered is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio. It was the first news program on NPR, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets...
and Morning Edition
Morning Edition
Morning Edition is an American radio news program produced and distributed by National Public Radio . It airs weekday mornings and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 05:00 to 09:00 ET, with feeds and updates as required until noon...
, American Public Media's
American Public Media
American Public Media is the second largest producer of public radio programs in the United States of America after NPR. Its non-profit parent, American Public Media Group, also owns and operates radio stations in Minnesota, California, and Florida. Its station brands are Minnesota Public Radio,...
A Prairie Home Companion
A Prairie Home Companion
A Prairie Home Companion is a live radio variety show created and hosted by Garrison Keillor. The show runs on Saturdays from 5 to 7 p.m. Central Time, and usually originates from the Fitzgerald Theater in Saint Paul, Minnesota, although it is frequently taken on the road...
and classical music programming. These are programmed on WPLN-FM
WPLN-FM
WPLN-FM , is a National Public Radio-affiliated station in Nashville, Tennessee. Since June 2011, the station has employed exclusively a news and talk format; up until then, the station carried at least some classical music...
, 90.3 mHz, while the alternative programs are aired on the AM. A few features are aired by both at different times.
Callsign
The callsign 'WPLN' comes from the original status of public radio in Nashville as a subsidiary of the public libraryPublic library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
, 'PLN' standing for Public Library of Nashville. Although the library and the radio station had developed separate operations and boards of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
well before the addition of the AM station, the FM radio had retained the 'PLN' moniker and it was deemed to be less potentially confusing for the AM station likewise to use it in preference to any other.
History
WPLN-AM began broadcasting on April 1, 2002 shortly after Nashville Public Radio acquired the frequency of the former WKDAWKDA
WKDA is a radio station broadcasting a Spanish format. Licensed to Lebanon, Tennessee, USA, the station serves the Nashville area. The station is currently owned by Wilson County Broadcasting, Inc.-History:...
-AM (unrelated to an AM station that operated on another frequency from the 1940s through the 1990s). Following many years of relative success as pioneering country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
station WENO
WENO
WENO is an AM radio station operating in the Nashville, Tennessee market on the frequency of 760 kHz. It is currently programmed with a gospel music format and has a power of 1,000 watts; currently operation is limited to daytime hours.-History on 1430 kHz:...
, 1430 AM had numerous owners and several formats, and shortly before the sale, it had been simulcasting the news programming of local television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
station WTVF
WTVF
WTVF is the CBS-affiliated television station for Middle Tennessee that is licensed to Nashville. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 5 from a transmitter north of downtown along I-24. Owned by Landmark Media Enterprises, the station has studios on James Robertson Parkway...
and its affiliated cable
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
outlet. The station was generally considered to be financially marginal, which is why the frequency was available for sale to the local public radio board. In general, the AM frequency is part of a trend for radio markets of 1 million people or more to have multiple public outlets carrying distinct formats.
However, with Nashville Public Radio's acquisition of the former Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
student station WRVU
WRVU
WRVU is a college radio station broadcasting a Variety radio format; though it originally broadcast on 91.1 FM, the station now broadcasts over an HD Radio subchannel and streams to internet radio listeners. Licensed to Nashville, Tennessee, USA, the station serves Vanderbilt University...
and its subsequent conversion to an all-classical format, WPLN-FM's format was changed on June 8, 2011 to an all-news-and-talk format, practically identical to the AM schedule. This likely means that Nashville Public Radio will eventually discontinue the AM signal, by either selling it to another broadcaster or simply shutting it down, as it is not likely that listeners would prefer an AM signal over an FM one with similar programming. As of yet, Nashville Public Radio has not announced the fate of WPLN-AM.