WWTN
Encyclopedia
WWTN is a 100 kW, Class C0 FM radio station serving the Nashville
, Tennessee
media market
. Its dial position is 99.7 MHz. Home to many local and national talk radio
shows, the station is marketed as SuperTalk 99.7 WTN (the first W is eliminated for simplicity
). It is owned by Cumulus Media
.
WWTN is licensed to the city of Hendersonville, Tennessee
, a city approximately 15 miles (24 km) northeast of Nashville. Its antenna
(399 meters above ground level, 604 meters above sea level
) is located approximately 25 miles (40 km) SSE of Nashville in Rutherford County, Tennessee
, between the cities of Murfreesboro
and Franklin
.
The station first signed on the air as WMSR-FM, licensed to the city of Manchester, Tennessee
on March 29, 1979. It began focusing on the Nashville market in the early 1990s. Manchester is nearly halfway between Nashville and Chattanooga
, but the Cumberland Plateau
prevents a Manchester signal from penetrating Chattanooga, and vice-versa. Currently, its far-reaching signal covers most of Middle Tennessee
, even venturing into parts of Northern Alabama
and Southern Kentucky
. WWTN's studios are currently located in Nashville's Music Row
area. The city of licence changed to Hendersonville in 2008, as part of a larger project that saw 4 of Cumulus' 5 Nashville stations change cities of license in the process of allowing sister-station WNFN
to move its transmitter and increase power.
The station was mired in bankruptcy
in the early 1990s until being purchased by Gaylord Entertainment Company
in 1995. Within three years of its purchase, WWTN was Nashville's highest-billing radio station, a position it continues to hold as of 2005. It, along with sister station WSM-FM
, was sold to Cumulus Media in 2003 for $65 million http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=CMLS&script=410&layout=-6&item_id=393952.
WWTN is also known for being the station that launched the radio career of nationally-syndicated financial advisor Dave Ramsey
and health coach Asa Andrew.
, an AM talk radio station owned by Clear Channel Communications
.
While formerly known for its sports coverage, WWTN (in reaction to the reformatting of competing station WGFX
) spun off all of its sports programming to a new sister FM station, WNFN
http://www.1067thefan.com/. However, the sports programming was a ratings failure at the new frequency and WNFN (formerly WNPL) was subsequently reformated again and the remaining staff from the sports format were dismissed.
and advice
-based talk show
s with a conservative
perspective.
Monday-Friday
Saturday-Sunday
Steve Gill
was a morning talk personality until June 29, 2006 and is now associated with WLAC
.
WWTN is also the Nashville market's home for ABC News. WWTN also airs The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas
on weekends.
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...
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
media market
Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
. Its dial position is 99.7 MHz. Home to many local and national talk radio
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
shows, the station is marketed as SuperTalk 99.7 WTN (the first W is eliminated for simplicity
Simplicity
Simplicity is the state or quality of being simple. It usually relates to the burden which a thing puts on someone trying to explain or understand it. Something which is easy to understand or explain is simple, in contrast to something complicated...
). It is owned by Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
.
WWTN is licensed to the city of Hendersonville, Tennessee
Hendersonville, Tennessee
Hendersonville is a city in Sumner County, Tennessee, United States, on Old Hickory Lake. The population was 51,372 at the 2010 census. Hendersonville is part of the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located 18 miles northeast of downtown Nashville. The city was settled around 1784 by...
, a city approximately 15 miles (24 km) northeast of Nashville. Its antenna
Radio masts and towers
Radio masts and towers are, typically, tall structures designed to support antennas for telecommunications and broadcasting, including television. They are among the tallest man-made structures...
(399 meters above ground level, 604 meters above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
) is located approximately 25 miles (40 km) SSE of Nashville in Rutherford County, Tennessee
Rutherford County, Tennessee
Rutherford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. As of the 2010 census, it is the state's fifth-largest county by population with 262,604 people, an increase of 44.3 percent over the 2000 population of 182,023. Its county seat is Murfreesboro, which is also the geographic...
, between the cities of Murfreesboro
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Murfreesboro is a city in and the county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 108,755 according to the United States Census Bureau's 2010 U.S. Census, up from 68,816 residents certified during the 2000 census. The center of population of Tennessee is located in...
and Franklin
Franklin, Tennessee
Franklin is a city within and the county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 62,487 as of the 2010 census Franklin is located approximately south of downtown Nashville.-History:...
.
The station first signed on the air as WMSR-FM, licensed to the city of Manchester, Tennessee
Manchester, Tennessee
Manchester is a city in Coffee County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 10,102 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Coffee County...
on March 29, 1979. It began focusing on the Nashville market in the early 1990s. Manchester is nearly halfway between Nashville and Chattanooga
Chattanooga, Tennessee
Chattanooga is the fourth-largest city in the US state of Tennessee , with a population of 169,887. It is the seat of Hamilton County...
, but the Cumberland Plateau
Cumberland Plateau
The Cumberland Plateau is the southern part of the Appalachian Plateau. It includes much of eastern Kentucky and western West Virginia, part of Tennessee, and a small portion of northern Alabama and northwest Georgia . The terms "Allegheny Plateau" and the "Cumberland Plateau" both refer to the...
prevents a Manchester signal from penetrating Chattanooga, and vice-versa. Currently, its far-reaching signal covers most of Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee is a distinct portion of the state of Tennessee, delineated according to state law as the 41 counties in the Middle Grand Division of Tennessee....
, even venturing into parts of Northern Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
and Southern Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. WWTN's studios are currently located in Nashville's Music Row
Music Row
Music Row is an area just to the southwest of Downtown Nashville, Tennessee that is home to hundreds of businesses related to the country music, gospel music, and Contemporary Christian music industries...
area. The city of licence changed to Hendersonville in 2008, as part of a larger project that saw 4 of Cumulus' 5 Nashville stations change cities of license in the process of allowing sister-station WNFN
WNFN
WNFN is a Top 40 formatted radio station in the Nashville, Tennessee market, broadcasting a Top 40 format.Previously licensed to the affluent Nashville suburb of Belle Meade, and recently obtaining a permit for an increased signal, with a new license based in nearby Millersville, WNFN was...
to move its transmitter and increase power.
The station was mired in bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
in the early 1990s until being purchased by Gaylord Entertainment Company
Gaylord Entertainment Company
The Gaylord Entertainment Company operates a number of hotel, resort, and media companies that were built by Edward Gaylord. It was previously a subsidiary of the Oklahoma City-based Oklahoma Publishing Company, which is owned by the Gaylord family and publishes the Daily Oklahoman newspaper...
in 1995. Within three years of its purchase, WWTN was Nashville's highest-billing radio station, a position it continues to hold as of 2005. It, along with sister station WSM-FM
WSM-FM
WSM-FM is an FM radio station in Nashville, Tennessee. The station broadcasts at 95.5 MHz and broadcasts a country music radio format, with an emphasis upon recordings released since the 1990s....
, was sold to Cumulus Media in 2003 for $65 million http://www.corporate-ir.net/ireye/ir_site.zhtml?ticker=CMLS&script=410&layout=-6&item_id=393952.
WWTN is also known for being the station that launched the radio career of nationally-syndicated financial advisor Dave Ramsey
Dave Ramsey
David L. Ramsey III is an American financial author, radio host, television personality, and motivational speaker.Ramsey's syndicated radio program The Dave Ramsey Show is promoted with a tagline that "It's about your life and your money," and it is heard on over 450 radio stations throughout the...
and health coach Asa Andrew.
Market competition
WWTN's primary competition is WLACWLAC
WLAC is a clear channel radio station based in Nashville, Tennessee, operating at 1510 kHz on the AM dial.-Early history:Its first broadcast took place on November 24, 1926. The call letters were chosen to contain an acronym for the first owner of the station, the Life and Casualty Insurance...
, an AM talk radio station owned by Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
.
While formerly known for its sports coverage, WWTN (in reaction to the reformatting of competing station WGFX
WGFX
WGFX is a radio station broadcasting on the FM band at 104.5 MHz licensed to the city of Gallatin, Tennessee, but serving the Nashville market as a whole. It is currently branded as 104.5 The Zone, broadcasting a sports talk format. It is owned by Cumulus Media and operates out of studios on Second...
) spun off all of its sports programming to a new sister FM station, WNFN
WNFN
WNFN is a Top 40 formatted radio station in the Nashville, Tennessee market, broadcasting a Top 40 format.Previously licensed to the affluent Nashville suburb of Belle Meade, and recently obtaining a permit for an increased signal, with a new license based in nearby Millersville, WNFN was...
http://www.1067thefan.com/. However, the sports programming was a ratings failure at the new frequency and WNFN (formerly WNPL) was subsequently reformated again and the remaining staff from the sports format were dismissed.
Programming
WWTN airs a steady lineup of politicalPolitics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
and advice
Advice (opinion)
Advice is a form of relating personal or institutional opinions, belief systems, values, recommendations or guidance about certain situations relayed in some context to another person, group or party often offered as a guide to action and/or conduct...
-based talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
s with a conservative
American conservatism
Conservatism in the United States has played an important role in American politics since the 1950s. Historian Gregory Schneider identifies several constants in American conservatism: respect for tradition, support of republicanism, preservation of "the rule of law and the Christian religion", and...
perspective.
Monday-Friday
- Nashville's Morning News with Ralph Bristol - news
- Michael DelGiornoMichael DelGiornoMichael Howard DelGiorno is a talk radio host on WWTN in Nashville, Tennessee. He is the son of noted New Orleans, Louisiana radio personality Bob DelGiorno...
- politics - Dave RamseyDave RamseyDavid L. Ramsey III is an American financial author, radio host, television personality, and motivational speaker.Ramsey's syndicated radio program The Dave Ramsey Show is promoted with a tagline that "It's about your life and your money," and it is heard on over 450 radio stations throughout the...
- financial advice (national show, originating locally) - Phil ValentinePhil ValentinePhil Valentine is a conservative talk radio show host in Nashville, Tennessee. He broadcasts daily on , a Cumulus Media Station, from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Central Time. His producer and sidekick, Johnny B. Valentine, is probably best known in Tennessee for leading protests against a state...
- politics (national show, originating locally) - Michael SavageMichael Savage (commentator)Michael Savage is a conservative American radio host, author, and political commentator. He is the host of The Savage Nation, a nationally syndicated talk show that airs throughout the United States on Talk Radio Network...
- politics
Saturday-Sunday
- Josh Cary & David Bates - gardening/home improvement advice (local)
- Doug Markham - outdoor life advice (local)
- Paul Winkler - financial advice (local)
- Kim KomandoKim KomandoKim Komando is the host of an American talk radio program based on the popularity of personal computers, the use of the Internet, and the complexities of consumer electronics. The Kim Komando Show is broadcast and syndicated on over 450 radio stations in the U.S. and two stations in Ontario, Canada...
- technology advice - Bill HandelBill HandelWilliam Wolf Handel is the director and founder of the Center for Surrogate Parenting and an AM radio personality in Los Angeles, California....
- legal advice - Neal BoortzNeal BoortzNeal A. Boortz, Jr. is an American Libertarian radio host, author, and political commentator. His nationally syndicated talk show, The Neal Boortz Show, airs throughout the United States on Dial Global . It is ranked seventh in overall listeners, with 4.25+ million per week...
- politics - Bill CunninghamBill CunninghamBill Cunningham is an American talk radio host. His full-time job is hosting The Big Show with Bill Cunningham, a local show on 700 WLW in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cunningham now hosts Live on Sunday Night, it's Bill Cunningham, which is syndicated to over 300 stations by Premiere Radio Networks. He is...
- politics - Doug StephanDoug StephanDoug Stephan is an American radio talk show personality and hosts the nationally syndicated Doug Stephan's Good Day.-Radio Programs:Doug Stephan's Good Day is a "call-in" and interview show airing live Monday through Saturday featuring a fast paced format covering variety of topics...
- politics - Laura IngrahamLaura IngrahamLaura Anne Ingraham is an American radio host, author, and conservative political commentator. Her nationally syndicated talk show, The Laura Ingraham Show, airs throughout the United States on Talk Radio Network...
- politics - Josh Axe - local chiropracticChiropracticChiropractic is a health care profession concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disorders of the neuromusculoskeletal system and the effects of these disorders on general health. It is generally categorized as complementary and alternative medicine...
and healthHealthHealth is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
advice
Steve Gill
Steve Gill
Steve Gill is an American conservative talk radio host based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is currently serving as a political commentator on Nashville television station WKRN, and his radio show, The Steve Gill Show, is broadcast on stations across the state.-Education and personal life:Gill...
was a morning talk personality until June 29, 2006 and is now associated with WLAC
WLAC
WLAC is a clear channel radio station based in Nashville, Tennessee, operating at 1510 kHz on the AM dial.-Early history:Its first broadcast took place on November 24, 1926. The call letters were chosen to contain an acronym for the first owner of the station, the Life and Casualty Insurance...
.
WWTN is also the Nashville market's home for ABC News. WWTN also airs The Twilight Zone Radio Dramas
The Twilight Zone (radio)
The Twilight Zone "Radio Dramas" is a nationally syndicated radio series featuring adaptations of the classic television series The Twilight Zone, launched in October 2002...
on weekends.
External links
- Official site (link to streaming audio included within site)
- Phil Valentine, afternoon show host
- Cumulus Media