WGNZ

Infobox Radio station
name = WGNZ


city = Fairborn, Ohio
area = Daytime Only
slogan =
branding =
frequency = 1110 kHz
repeater =
airdate =
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format =
power = 1,700 watts critical hours
2,500 watts day
erp =
haat =
class = D
facility_id = 36075
coordinates = coord|39|41|15.00|N|83|57|55.00|W|region:US_type:city
callsign_meaning = Good Newz 1110 [ cite web|url=http://www.oldradio.com/archives/nelson/origins.call-list.html |title=Call Letter Origins |work=Radio History on the Web ]
former_callsigns = WMMX (1984-1993)
owner = L&D Broadcasters Inc.
licensee =
sister_stations =
webcast =
website =
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WGNZ "Good News 1110" is an AM broadcasting station operating at 1110 kHz with studios in Fairborn, Ohio and transmitter in Xenia (the original city of license.) It airs a southern gospel format. Its power output is 2,500 watts with a critical hours authorization of 1700 watts in addition to internet audiostreaming.

History

WGNZ was founded in 1968 as 250 watt daytimer WELX,the AM sister to WHBM-FM in Xenia also founded by Harry B. Miller just a few years earlier. WELX and WHBM (owned by Miller's company West Central Ohio Broadcasters Inc.) aired a mix of progressive jazz and soul gospel music throughout much of the 1970s. Both stations miraculously survived the April 3,1974 tornado which ravaged both Xenia and nearby Beavercreek. However, a fire destroyed the transmitter building which also housed its makeshift studio in 1977,hence both stations going silent. Both WELX and WHBM along with sister station WERM-FM in Moulton(near Wapakoneta) were all sold to separate owners. WELX was sold in 1979 to L&D Broadcasters Inc.(for Larue and Darnelle Turner)and returned to the air in 1980 airing soul gospel in the morning and early evenings and southern gospel in the afternoons. It was during the afternoon drive time when Rev. Norman Livingston of Dayton, a local independent church pastor who doubled as a southern gospel concert promoter took interest in the station,He became the afternoon co-host and eventually moved into managing and promoting the station in 1981 when soul gospel music was dropped in favor of full time southern gospel music. WELX also competed head-on for several years with crosstown rival WGIC.(now classic country WBZI.)

WGNZ Today

In 1984, the station switched the call sign from WELX to WMMX "Message Music Xenia." Eventually that call sign was moved to 107.7 FM which is now Clear Channel-owned "Mix 107.7." The call sign once again changed to the present-day WGNZ in 1993 with the studios moved to Fairborn. Its transmitter and two towers(later three)still stand in Xenia adjacent to U.S. Route 35. Although the southern gospel genre has slightly lost some popularity in recent years in favor of the recent emergence of Progressive Southern Gospel, Christian country music and Contemporary Christian music WGNZ has solidified its southern gospel following in the Miami Valley and in Southwestern and West Central Ohio. Rev. Livingston and his son Tim Livingston continue to operate the station successfully on behalf of its owners.

References

* [http://home.cinci.rr.com/cincyradio/history.html Greater Cincinnati Radio Guide]

External links

* [http://www.wgnz.com Official WGNZ site (with streaming audio)]
* [http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?call=WGNZ Query the FCC's AM station database for WGNZ.]
* [http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?call=wgnz&sr=Y&s=C WGNZ technical information from Radio-Locator website.]
* [http://www.good-news.org Website of Greenview Calvary Tabernacle]