WNNF
City | Cincinnati, Ohio |
---|---|
Broadcast area | Cincinnati, Ohio |
Branding | Nash FM 94.1 |
Slogan | Cincinnati's Hit Country |
Frequency | 94.1 MHz (also on HD Radio) |
First air date | 1955 |
Format | Country |
ERP | 16,000 watts |
HAAT | 264 meters |
Class | B |
Facility ID | 59593 |
Transmitter coordinates | 39°6′59.00″N 84°30′7.00″W / 39.1163889°N 84.5019444°W |
Callsign meaning | W NiNety-Four-One |
Former callsigns |
WSAI-FM (1976-1983) WKXF (1983-1985) WWNK (1985-1997) WVMX (1997-2007) |
Owner |
Cumulus Media (Cumulus Licensing LLC) |
Sister stations | WGRR, WOFX, WRRM, WFTK |
Webcast | Listen Live |
Website | NASH 94.1 |
WNNF (94.1 FM) is a radio station with a country music format in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. The station is owned by Cumulus Media. Its studios are located in North Cincinnati and the transmitter site is just northeast of downtown.
History
The station started in 1955, and in the early 1970s, switched to a Top 40/Oldies format. In 1976, the station became WSAI-FM and played Rock n Roll. In 1981, the station changed to a country format, and became WKXF ("Kix 94.1"). In 1985, the station briefly changed to a Top 40 format as "K-Rock 94" before switching to Adult Contemporary WWNK ("Wink 94.1") in 1986. This lasted until September 1997, when WVMX ("Mix 94.1") made its debut with a hot adult contemporary format that was patterned after then-sister station WMVX in Cleveland.[1] In 2006, the station started leaning towards Rhythmic AC after the station had begun carrying Whoopi Goldberg's Wake Up With Whoopi show. The station became "Radio 94.1" at Noon on September 10, 2007, changed call letters to WNNF and dropped Goldberg's show as the station flipped to Modern AC. The first song on "Radio" was "Possession" by Sarah McLachlan.[2][3] On August 1, 2008, then-owners Clear Channel put WNNF up for sale, along with sister station WOFX, to settle regulatory issues involved with the company's sale to private equity firms. On January 3, 2009, Cumulus Media was chosen as a buyer and swapped 5 of their radio stations in Wisconsin to make this transaction complete.[4]
On March 8, 2009, the station began calling itself "Renew 94.1", asking listeners' input on what path the station should take on its website.[5] Later that month, it relaunched its format as "Frequency 94.1", but with a slight difference than what it was as "Radio".[6][7] The station had a slight adult album alternative (AAA) lean, patterned from Cumulus's recently launched AAA stations in Houston and Nashville, which later evolved into a full-fledged AAA in late 2009 according to the station's playlist on Mediabase, dropping most pop acts and leaving competitor WKRQ as the only hot AC station in Cincinnati. It was one of two commercial AAA stations in Ohio, the other being WNWV in Cleveland. The station's ratings began falling during this time.
In 2010, Nielsen BDS reported WNNF as an adult album alternative station, although it remained on hot adult contemporary per Mediabase reports until January 2011.
On May 18, 2011, at noon, after playing "Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town" by Pearl Jam, WNNF began stunting with a "wheel of formats" that was predominantly classic country, oldies, all Michael Jackson, CHR, smooth jazz, urban oldies and urban AC, as well as playing news and history bits from Cincinnati history. The station promoted a new format that would be launched on May 20 at 9:41 AM.[8] At exactly the promised time, the station flipped back to Hot AC as "Journey 94-1: 90's, 80's, & Now!" with a heavy emphasis on 1980s and 1990s music. The first song aired on "Journey" was "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey.[9][10] Throughout its run as "Journey", the station's ratings were not satisfactory, usually peaking below a 2 share (#18).
On New Year's Day, 2012, at Noon, without warning, WNNF changed its format to country, branded as "Great Country 94.1".[11] The final song on "Journey" was "I Gotta Feeling" by The Black Eyed Peas, while the first song on "Great Country" was "This Is Country Music" by Brad Paisley.
On February 7, 2014, at 5 PM, after playing "Friday Night" by Eric Paslay, WNNF rebranded as "Nash FM 94.1", following a trend established by other Cumulus-owned country music stations.[12] The first song on "Nash" was "Radio" by Darius Rucker.
Other logos
- Logo used from 1997 until September 2007 during the "Mix" era.
- Logo used from September 2007 until March 2009.
- Logo used as "Journey 94.1" from May 2011 to January 2012.
References
- ↑ http://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1997/RR-1997-09-26.pdf
- ↑ https://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/57/wvmx-cincinnati-becomes-radio-941/
- ↑ http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/29847/cincinnati-change-mix-94-1-morphs-to-radio-94-1
- ↑ Ownership swap is in the works for 5 area radio stations - Green Bay Press-Gazette (released January 3, 2009)
- ↑ http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/54406/wnnf-asks-for-listener-input-on-renew-94-1?ref=search
- ↑ https://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/803/whats-the-frequency-cincinnati/
- ↑ http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/55135/wnnf-becomes-frequency-94-1?ref=search
- ↑ http://fmairchecks.com/2011/05/31/94-1-wnnf-cincinnati-stunt-loop-5192011/
- ↑ https://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/32922/cumulus-changes-the-frequency-in-cincinnati/
- ↑ http://formatchange.com/wnnf-becomes-journey-94-1/
- ↑ http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/55108/journey-94-1-cincinnati-flips-to-great-country/#.TwDMzZiqC70
- ↑ Nash Comes to Cincinnati
External links
- NASH 94.1
- Query the FCC's FM station database for WNNF
- Radio-Locator information on WNNF
- Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for WNNF