WOKI

WOKI is a United States FM radio station serving the Knoxville, Tennessee area with an News/Talk format. It is an ABC Radio O&O station through Cumulus Media.

WOKI operates at 8,000 watts at 98.7 MHz with a tower twenty miles northwest of Knoxville, TN. Its city of license is Oliver Springs, Tennessee.

On June 14, 2010, it was announced that on July 9, sister station WNOX would move its talk radio format to WOKI's frequency.^[2]

Programming

Starting at 5:30 am, the "Hallerin Hilton Hill Show" is on the air until 10:00 am. From 10:00 am until 12:00 pm Glenn Beck's The Glenn Beck Program is broadcast. At noon the station picks up the "Rush Limbaugh Show" and broadcasts it until 3:00 pm. At that time, the "Phil Show" hosted by Phil Williams is broadcast until 6:00 pm. Sean Hannity begins at that time, and continues until 9:00 pm. At 9:00 pm Mark Levin airs.

Weekend programming includes a line-up on various topics such as gardening, home maintenance and mortgages and health, as well as syndicated programming like The Mutual Fund Show with Adam Bold, Kim Komando and ABC's Radio Perspective.

The station is an affiliate of the Tennessee Titans radio network.^[3]

WOKI history on previous frequencies

WOKI-FM, previously on the 100,000-watt 100.3 FM frequency (Oak Ridge, Tennessee license), began in the mid 1970s with a progressive rock format and automated programming pre-recorded by the DJs, but by the late 1970s had switched to a very successful Top-40 format mixed with some southern and hard rock, and live radio personalities. During the late 1970s WOKI-FM also carried University of Tennessee Volunteers football games and for two years sponsored the "Ramblin' Raft Race" on the Clinch River.

Meanwhile, WOKI broadcast on 1550 kHz on the AM dial with an adult contemporary format. WOKI became WORI and eventually ceased broadcasting altogether, while WOKI-FM after its switch to the Top-40 format was in heavy competition with WRJZ (620 AM), and later WIMZ (103.5 FM) for the Knoxville market's top rock station.

After the early 1980s WOKI dropped the hard and southern rock and sports, and became strictly a Top-40 pop station thru 1993, broadcasting as "FM 100", "Hits 100", and "I-100". The station became known as "The Hitkicker," in 1993 broadcasting a country format until 1997 when they briefly became “Outlaw Country 100.3” followed by a classic hits format, known as “Eagle 100”. In 1998 they changed to an Adult Album Alternative format as "100.3 The River", which was later "98.7 The River" when the WOKI call letters moved to 98.7.^{[citation needed]} The 100.3 frequency is now occupied by WNOX, whose talk radio format moved to WOKI July 19, 2010; on July 7, 2010 Oak Ridge FM announced plans for WNOX to stay news/talk but with different hosts.^[4]

WOKI's tower, while on 100.3, was located on Cross Mountain^[5](elevation 3534 ft.) north of Briceville, Tennessee, and accordingly, its signal could be received throughout east Tennessee as well as significant parts of southeastern Kentucky, and in small portions of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Georgia.

History of the 98.7 frequency

WXVO played country music in 1989 and later switched to active rock as "98-7 The X". From 1999 to 2002 the station was WSMJ, with a smooth jazz format. As WYIL "Wild 98.7", the station was Rhythmic CHR^[6][7] until WOKI moved from 100.3 to 98.7. Starting in 2007 the station was known as "98.7 Earl-FM" with an oldies format using The True Oldies Channel.

After filing for bankruptcy, Citadel Broadcasting ended its lease agreement with Oak Ridge FM, Inc. for the 100.3 WNOX frequency two years early.^[8] On July 19, 2010 WNOX moved its former programming to 98.7 WOKI, with 100.3 FM airing nothing but reminders that former WNOX listeners should turn to 98.7.^[9] The switch came 14 days earlier than they had originally announced.^[8] The True Oldies Channel programming has since moved to a simulcast with WMTY AM 670 and WMTY-FM^[10] Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.^[11]

Former Logo

(Former WOKI logo prior to 2010)

Format History

Country 98.7 WXVO 1989-mid 90s WXVO Active Rock 98.7 The X mid 90s-1999 WXVO Smooth Jazz Smooth Jazz WSMJ 98.7 1999-2002 WSMJ Rhythmic CHR Wild 98.7 2002-2005 WYIL Talk 98.7 WOKI 2005-2007 WOKI Oldies The True Oldies Channel 98.7 Earl FM 2007-2010 WOKI News/Talk News/Talk 98.7 WOKI 2010-present WOKI

References

External links

• Query the FCC's FM station database for WOKI
• Radio-Locator information on WOKI
• Query Nielsen Audio's FM station database for WOKI