WNIR (FM)
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| WNIR | |
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| City of license | Kent, Ohio |
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| Broadcast area | Akron, Ohio |
| Branding | WNIR 100FM |
| Slogan | "The Talk of Akron" |
| Frequency | 100.1 (MHz) |
| Format | Talk |
| ERP | 4,200 watts |
| Class | A |
| Callsign meaning | "WINneR 100" (an early slogan) |
| Affiliations | ABC Radio Westwood One Salem Radio Network |
| Owner | Media-Com, Inc. |
| Sister stations | WJMP (1520 AM) |
| Website | http://www.wnir.com/ |
WNIR (100.1 FM) is a talk radio station in Akron, Ohio, USA, licensed to Kent, Ohio. The station, along with sister station WJMP, and low power television station "The CAT" (WAOH-LP channel 29 Akron and W35AX channel 35 Cleveland), is locally owned by Media-Com, Inc.
When WNIR became a talk station in the 1970s, it was unusual in that it is an FM talk station, whereas most talk stations were AM. Now, with the emergence of the Free FM format, talk stations on FM are fairly common. However, WNIR has always operated as more of a traditional, AM-style talk radio station with hourly newscasts and an affiliation with ABC Radio (oddly enough, WNIR now serves as ABC Radio's main Cleveland affiliate).
WNIR's weekday schedule consists primarily of locally-hosted programming.
The station airs The Morning Show during morning drive time with Stan Piatt, Steve French, Jim Midock and Maggie Fuller, longtime personality Howie Chizek at midday, and former NFL player Bob Golic in late afternoon and Tom Erickson in the evenings. In the late evening there is syndicated programing. The station's weekday personalities also host Saturday programs until 7 PM.
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[edit] History
The station began as WKNT-FM. It shared the call letters with AM station WKNT (now WJMP), and most programming was simulcast on both stations. The stations primarily served the Portage County area with an adult contemporary format.
The stations were purchased in 1972 by Media-Com, Inc., a family owned business headed by Richard Klaus. Klaus lured a young Howie Chizek from Youngstown to man a five-hour midday talk show. The call sign for the FM station was changed to WNIR on April 19, 1979, and it was called "Winner 100." Eventually, the AC music was dropped, and the station became all talk, adding Joe Finan in late afternoons in 1985 to replace a "GameRadio" afternoon drive show. Finan was the "Living Legend" that has done it all and seen it all. From his color announcing of Denver Bronco's football in the 1960s to his work with AA, Finan would take calls and also defend liberal causes in Akron and around the country. Klaus obtained authorization to increase power to 4,200 watts, so that the station's signal covered the Akron market, and it eventually became a ratings leader in the market as the only station offering local talk.
A cult favorite of the late 1980s and early 1990s was WNIR's "Dating Show". The program was hosted nightly by Jim Albright. Albright would pick one "contestant" from the phone lines and talk to that person about their life for about 10 minutes. At the end of the conversation, Albright would ask late-night listeners of the opposite sex if they would like to meet the contestant. He would then answer, often live on the air, potential "date" calls. Jim Albright would sort through the prank calls and pick three potential dates for the contestant. After some talking back and forth, the contestant would pick a date and exchange phone numbers off the air. Today, Jim Albright is a talk show host on Canton, Ohio based News - Talk 1480 WHBC . He has a show weekdays from 3:00 to 7:00pm and on Saturdays from 6:00 to 10:00 AM. You can hear him live on streaming audio at www.whbc.com.[1]
Joe Finan "retired" in December 2004 and was replaced by former Cleveland Browns player Bob Golic. Finan came out of retirement on February 13, 2006 to host a two-hour midday talk show on rival WARF, but was released that November. He died on December 20, 2006. It is said that Finan's son, author Christopher Finan is working on a book about his father to tell about his career in television and radio.
The 100.1 frequency was used in the early 1950s by a station identified as WIKH licensed to Shaker Heights, Ohio[1]. It is not known whether this station was actually on the air or, if it had been, how long it broadcast.[citation needed]
[edit] Kent State athletics
The station is the flagship for the Kent State University Radio Network.
[edit] Ownership
One of the last family owned media outlets, original owner and president of MediaCom, Richard "Dick" Klaus died on January 28, 2006 at the age of 86. Mr. Klaus is survived by his wife of 58 years, Virginia, a daughter, Susan, and sons Robert and William who continue with the family ownership and management of the station.
[edit] Programming
Notable Monday-Saturday programming includes a morning show featuring Stan Piatt, Steve French, Jim Midock and Maggie Fuller, plus Howie Chizek on mid-days, Bob Golic on afternoon drive, and Tom Erickson in evenings. Lars Larson and the syndicated Jim Bohannon (Westwood One) on overnights, and the syndicated Mike Gallagher (Salem Radio Network) on early mornings.
The station's weekday local hosts also do live Saturday editions of their programs, on a modified schedule.
Notable Sunday programming includes "The Advice Line" with Bob Lewis.
[edit] Coverage area
 Coverage area of WNIR |
[edit] External links
- Query the FCC's FM station database for WNIR
- Radio Locator information on WNIR
- Query Arbitron's FM station database for WNIR
- Aerial photo of WNIR transmitter from Google Local
Official websites for the station's on-air personalities
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