WFNR-FM

Infobox Radio station
name = WFNR-FM


city = Christiansburg, Virginia
area = Virginia Tech
Blacksburg, Virginia
Radford, Virginia
New River Valley
Radford University
branding = Hot 100
slogan = All The Hits
airdate = 1987; Hot 100 since 2004
frequency = 100.7 MHz
format = Top 40
power = 820 Watts
erp = 5,000 watts
class = A
callsign_meaning = Todays' "Hottest" hits on 100
former_callsigns = WFNR-FM Kool 100, WBNK Kool Country, WBNK The Fox, WBZV The Buzz, WFNR-FM News/Talk Radio, WFNR-FM Hot 100
owner = Cumulus Media
webcast =
website = [http://www.allthehitshot100.com/ Hot 100 Online]
affiliations =
sister_stations = WBRW, WFNR-AM, WPSK, WRAD, WWBU

WFNR-FM / Hot 100 is a Top 40 music radio station serving the Christiansburg and the New River Valley areas of Virginia, in the United States broadcasting on 100.7 FM with an ERP of 5,000 watts.

WFNR-FM is owned by Cumulus Media, along with 107 Country WPSK-FM, 105.3 The Bear WBRW-FM, Supertalk 101.7 WWBU-FM, Sports Radio 1460 WRAD-AM, and News/Talk 710 WFNR-AM. The studios are located at 7080 Lee Highway in Radford, Virginia, but the physical broadcast antenna is located along Tower Road in Christiansburg, Virginia and can be seen next to exit 118C off Interstate 81.

Currently

Hot 100 features Kidd Kraddick in the Morning, JJ Ryan mid-days, program director Don Walker in the afternoon, and Anthony Quinn at night. Saturday night from 8pm-Midnight Don Walker does a live broadcast from Attitudes Bar & Cafe in Blacksburg for "Sinsational Saturdays" during the "Saturday Night BPM" mix-show that runs on the station. Sunday afternoons from Noon-4pm Hot 100 features Ryan Seacrest hosting American Top 40--a countdown of the 40 most popular songs of the week.

History

Bluegrass & Kool 100

Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s WFNR-FM simulcast with sister station 710 WFNR-AM which broadcast a mix of country, bluegrass, and southern gospel music. In September 1992, new owners Travis Broadcasting changed the format and call letters to adult contemporary WBNK-FM (the call letters were an acronym for new owners' first names Bob and Karen). The new format was launched with the name Kool 100. (Less than one year later, WFNR-AM was changed from country & bluegrass to a news/talk format, which is still on WFNR-AM today.) The station's change from country & bluegrass to adult pop music received initial criticism from loyal listeners, but the ratings quickly increased proving the popularity of the new format.

Kool Country

One year later, in September 1993, Travis Broadcasting, while enjoying mild success with the format, decided to go back to a country music format, only this time going in the direction of mainstream country music, as opposed to the heavy bluegrass and religious direction the station was going a year prior. Though the market already had two established country music stations in WPSK-FM Eagle Country 107 (now 107 Country PSK) and WRIQ-FM CD Country 101.7 (now SuperTalk 101.7), the Travis's believed the New River Valley could not just sustain a third country music station, but one that would thrive. WBNK-FM was now Kool Country 100.7 and the new format was immediately embraced and the station enjoyed great success for the next two years.

The Fox

In the spring of 1995, Travis Broadcasting purchased competitor 101.7 CD Country WRIQ and sister station 1460 WRAD-AM. Not wanting to compete with themselves, the Travis's decided to leave 101.7 broadcasting as CD Country and to change WFNR-FM yet again. Days after the purchase of WRIQ and WRAD were finalized, WBNK became 100.7 FM The Fox, playing classic rock. The station fittingly launched the new format with AC/DC's "For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)". The station's new lineup was anchored by Lee Gillette in the morning, program director Jeff Gonzer in mid-days, Mackenzie Rae in the afternoon, and former Rock 105 WVVV DJ The Axe at night.

The Buzz

The Fox was on the air until the fall of 1997 when again, feeling the crunch of acceptable but not overpowering ratings, the Travis's took WBNK in another direction. With the emergence of successful east coast alternative rock stations like WHFS in Washington DC and WNNX in Atlanta, WBNK became WBZV 100.7 The Buzz in September 1997. Thanks to having two major universities in the area, the new modern rock format saw ratings success the station hadn't enjoyed since the initial switch to Kool Country in 1993. The Buzz was programmed by then-high school student, and son of owners Bob & Karen, Greg Travis, and featured a wide music library encompassing everything from New Order to Metallica to Tori Amos--a music mix that was truly unique to listeners of the New River Valley. Travis left in December 1998 to program Roanoke's new modern rock station WZZI-FM 101.5 FM Z101. After spending two years working for Open House Party and Premiere Radio Networks, Travis returned to the New River Valley, this time not working for 100.7 but for WFNR's sister station WBRW 105.3 The Bear.

Talk/Sports

The new owners of the group of stations of which WBZV was a part, Root Communications, changed sister station WVMJ from 1960's oldies to rock formatted WBRW The Bear in March 1999. After a year of drastic music changes on WBZV, as so not to compete with themselves on WBRW, WBZV was changed to a sports talk format in the spring of 2000. In 2004, After cumulus media took over, the sports & talk formats were split up & moved to sister stations 101.7 WWBU-FM & 1460 WRAD-AM and the station became WFNR-FM again taking on the name Hot 100 and broadcasting a contemporary hit music format.

Hot 100

Hot 100 was first programmed by CJ, but when he left in September 2005 to continue his career in Georgia, nighttime DJ Don "Gizmo" Whitman took over programming duties until June of 2007. On August 20, 2007, Don Walker, former program director and afternoon DJ for Z101 WZZI-FM in Roanoke, was brought back to the New River Valley from Fort Wayne, Indiana where he was program director and afternoon DJ for modern rock X102 WXTW-FM for 3 years. He is now on Hot 100 from 3-7pm weekdays, anchoring an airstaff which features nationally syndicated Kidd Kraddick in the morning, Top 40 veteran JJ Ryan, and local comedian Anthony Quinn.

External links

* [http://www.allthehitshot100.com Official Hot 100 Website]
*FMQ|WFNR
* [http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?call=WBRW&x=15&y=9&sr=Y&s=C WFNR-FM on Radio-locator.com]
* [http://www.cumulusmedia.com Cumulus.com]