WRNO-FM

Infobox Radio Station
name = WRNO


city = New Orleans, Louisiana
area = New Orleans metropolitan area
branding = "Rush Radio 99.5 FM"
slogan =
airdate = October 17, 1967
frequency = 99.5 (MHz) HD Radio
format = talk radio
classic alternative (HD2)
erp = 100,000 watts
haat = 306 meters
class = C0
facility_id = 54890
owner = Clear Channel Communications
sister_stations = KYRK, WNOE, WODT, WQUE, WYLD (AM), WYLD-FM
webcast = [http://www.thenew995fm.com/cc-common/streaming_new/index.html?refreshed=yes Listen Live]
website = [http://www.thenew995fm.com/main.html WRNO's website]
callsign_meaning = Westbank Radio New Orleans
affiliations = Fox News Radio
Premiere Radio Networks

WRNO-FM (99.5FM.com) is an Interactive Talk radio station serving New Orleans, Louisiana. The Clear Channel Communications station broadcasts at 99.5 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW.

History

Although its previous slogan was "We're the Rock of New Orleans," the station's call letters stand for "Westbank Radio New Orleans." The station operated a popular business selling rock t-shirts, records and other music related items called the WRNO "Rock Shop" on the ground level of the studio. Since its inception in 1967, WRNO endured many incarnations with different rock music formats, finally adopting the Classic rock format in 1997. WRNO was also home to a popular shortwave radio service in the 1980s and 1990s called WRNO Worldwide, now owned by a Christian broadcaster.

On November 13, 2006 at 4:00 AM (CST), after signing off with The Doors' "The End," WRNO flipped to an interactive Talk radio format as the "The New 99.5FM.com." As explained in the official mission statement posted at its website, "The station is committed to providing listeners with everything they need to know on the radio at 99.5 FM and on demand at thenew995fm.com." On the same day Sister station KHEV would pick up "the Rock of New Orleans" slogan and use it as their new slogan for their flip from gospel to Active Rock.

On April 1, 2008, the station switched to "Rush Radio," all day repeats of "The Rush Limbaugh Show" and a tape loop of Rush's theme song, the instrumental from "My City Was Gone" by The Pretenders, during times when the show was not playing. The stunt was to celebrate the acquisition of the show from longtime affiliate WWL. The station resumed its regular schedule on April 7 and now only plays Limbaugh live except for one Saturday replay.

When the station made the switch to "Rush Radio," it dropped its post-Katrina advertising pledge to provide "a positive voice for New Orleans." Some New Orleans residents [http://peoplegetready.jockamofeenanay.com/?cat=77 questioned] whether the station was fulfilling it's mission to a city recovering from disaster, a city starved for civil discourse on a number of challenging issues, such as levee rebuilding and coastal restoration, Corps of Engineers reform, greater government transparency, criminal justice reform, racial tensions, immigration, and plans for public housing demolition, among a host of other issues.

Among the most offensive remarks thrust upon New Orleans listeners, Rush Limbaugh and other partisan hosts on 99.5 FM commonly ridicule without scientific substantiation the overwhelming evidence of climate change, ignoring the devastating impact that sea level rises will undoubtedly have on southeast Louisiana.

Doubts about the station's responsibility and accountability to the New Orleans market were brought into sharp focus in June 2008 when Rush Limbaugh exploited the occasion of the Midwest floods to [http://www.crooksandliars.com/2008/06/17/rush-limbaugh-attacks-black-katrina-victims-and-praises-whites-as-the-floods-hit/ disparage] New Orleans flood victims.

Given the lack of accountability to the New Orleans market, [http://freeradioneworleans.org/ critics] have called for the FCC to open up a special investigation of how well New Orleans broadcasters are serving the needs of a market still recovering from disaster, and to provide special concessions for community-operated radio stations to be created.

Lineup

*Jim Bohannon's America in the Morning, 4-5 AM
*Michael Castner and Robyn Walensky, 5-9 AM
*Glenn Beck Program, 9-11 AM
*The Rush Limbaugh Show, 11 AM-2 PM
*The Sean Hannity Show, 2-5 PM
*John Osterlind, 5-8 PM
*Mark Levin, 8-10 PM
*Dennis Miller, 10 PM-12 Midnight
*Dave Ramsey, 12 Midnight-4 AM

Former airstaffers

WRNO alumni include former PD Michael Angelo "Michael In The Morning"/"M&M" Costello (kid brother of late WRNO founder/owner Joseph Mark Costello III); Jim White; DJ-turned-actor John Larroquette; Soxless Scott Seagraves; Jeff "JD The DJ" Douglas, famous for his "Rock 'n' Roll Flight To Midnight"; Tom Owens; Johnny Tyler; "Weerd" Wayne Watkins; and writer-producer Vance DeGeneres. (Douglas and Costello are currently jocks at WTIX-FM, which Costello is owner.)

Former Engineers

* Kevin Duplantis - Of WWL and WEZB fame. Now with WJXB & WIMZ in Knoxville
* Joe Pollet - Still with Entercom New Orleans
* Tom Courtney - Clear Channel.

External links

* [http://www.thenew995fm.com WRNO's website]
*FMQ|WRNO
*FML|WRNO
*FMARB|WRNO
* [http://www.wrnoworldwide.org The new website of WRNO Worldwide Short Wave Radio, which was formerly a part of WRNO-FM]