WGFX
Encyclopedia
WGFX is a radio station broadcasting on the FM band at 104.5 MHz licensed to the city of Gallatin, Tennessee
, but serving the Nashville
market as a whole. It is currently branded as 104.5 The Zone, broadcasting a sports talk
format. It is owned by Cumulus Media
and operates out of studios on Second Avenue South in Nashville. Its transmitter is located just north of downtown Nashville.
-FM on December 1, 1960 in Gallatin, Tennessee
, about 30 miles (47 km) northeast of Nashville
, with a big band
format. In 1971, Sumner Country Broadcasting Co., which owned WHIN
in Gallatin, purchased WFMG and changed call letters to WHIN-FM. During the early years of WHIN-FM, the format was easy listening
. In 1974, the station switched to an all oldies
format. In July 1978, WHIN-FM switched formats to contemporary hit radio
(CHR). Just over one month later, the call letters were changed to WWKX using the moniker Kix 104.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the station was very popular and featured morning DJ
Coyote McCloud
. Its 100,000 watt
signal broadcasting from "Music Mountain", one of the highest points on the northern Highland Rim
north of Gallatin and the site of several broadcasting facilities, boomed far into the rural
areas of northern Tennessee and southern Kentucky
. By the mid 1980s, Kix 104 was faced with competition from two new area CHRs, "96 Kiss" (WZKS, now WCJK
) and "Y107" (WYHY, now WRVW
). Additionally, McCloud defected to WYHY in 1985 to host its morning show. To try to differentiate itself, WWKX segued into a rock-leaning Top 40 format calling itself "Rock Hits 104, Kicks FM". This move proved unfruitful, and the station returned to mainstream CHR a year later in 1986. Faced with the success of Y107, this would not last.
In the summer of 1987, WWKX moved its tower from Music Mountain into Nashville and downgraded power, noticeably affecting signal strength in rural areas north of the city. The call letters changed to WGFX on August 13, 1987 and the moniker became 104.5 The Fox with a classic rock
format. In the late 1980s, Dick Broadcasting Company (DBC) took over operations of the station through a local marketing agreement, and paired it with its popular rock and roll
station WKDF
(now a country music
station) to form "Nashville's Rock Network". In the early 1990s, the station became known as "Arrow 104.5" (with Arrow originally standing for "All Rock n' Roll Oldies"). This format was somewhat successful and endured until the late 1990s. Although the station went through several position and moniker changes from 1987 to the early 2000s, the station's format mostly involved variations on 1970s rock music (except for 15 months from late 1998 to early 2000 when the station featured rhythmic oldies
). The call letters, however, have not changed since 1987.
The station was purchased outright by DBC following the Telecommunications Act of 1996
, and then Citadel Broadcasting
purchased the station (along with all of DBC's assets outside the Greenville, South Carolina
market) in September 2000.
Its current format, "104.5 The Zone" (sports talk), began its life on August 11, 2003 after hiring popular personality George Plaster
away from WWTN
(99.7 FM), though because of a contract dispute, he did not appear on the station until two months after its launch. In the past, WGFX has been the host to popular syndicated morning show personalities John Boy and Billy
and Rick and Bubba
. It is currently the Nashville affiliate for The Dan Patrick Show
and ESPN Radio
.
WGFX was the flagship station
for the Tennessee Oilers/Titans
of the National Football League
from 1997 until the completion of the 2001 season, when the rights were shifted to WGFX's sister station, WKDF. (WGFX returned as an "affiliate" station of the team's network for the 2004 season only). WGFX also aired the franchise's games in 1996, the final year the team was located in Houston, Texas
. WGFX returned as the full time flagship station of the Titans in 2010. WGFX also broadcast many of the games of the NHL
's Nashville Predators
until the 2010-11 season.
WGFX is currently the flagship for the Triple-A Nashville Sounds
of the Pacific Coast League
. It is also the main Nashville-area affiliate for the Tennessee Vols
football and men's basketball and carries selected Belmont Bruins
men's basketball games which do not conflict with the aforementioned teams.
Citadel merged with Cumulus Media
on September 16, 2011.
regulations.
Gallatin, Tennessee
Gallatin is a city in and the county seat of Sumner County, Tennessee, United States, along a navigable tributary of the Cumberland River. The population was 23,230 at the 2000 census. Named for U.S...
, but serving the Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
market as a whole. It is currently branded as 104.5 The Zone, broadcasting a sports talk
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
format. It is owned by Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
and operates out of studios on Second Avenue South in Nashville. Its transmitter is located just north of downtown Nashville.
History
The station signed on as WFMGWFMG
WFMG is a radio station licensed to Richmond, Indiana, located at 101.3 MHz on the FM dial. WFMG broadcasts at an effective radiated power of 25,000 watts with its studios, offices, and tower located on West Main Street in Richmond.-History:...
-FM on December 1, 1960 in Gallatin, Tennessee
Gallatin, Tennessee
Gallatin is a city in and the county seat of Sumner County, Tennessee, United States, along a navigable tributary of the Cumberland River. The population was 23,230 at the 2000 census. Named for U.S...
, about 30 miles (47 km) northeast of Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, with a big band
Big band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
format. In 1971, Sumner Country Broadcasting Co., which owned WHIN
WHIN
WHIN , licensed to Gallatin, Tennessee, is a radio station broadcasting a country music format. The station is owned by Whin, Inc..-History:...
in Gallatin, purchased WFMG and changed call letters to WHIN-FM. During the early years of WHIN-FM, the format was easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
. In 1974, the station switched to an all oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
format. In July 1978, WHIN-FM switched formats to contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
(CHR). Just over one month later, the call letters were changed to WWKX using the moniker Kix 104.
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the station was very popular and featured morning DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
Coyote McCloud
Coyote McCloud
Coyote William McCloud was a popular radio disc jockey in Nashville, Tennessee. For over 30 years, he was a drive-time personality at several Nashville radio stations. He first became well-known in the early 1970s on WMAK-AM, then a market-dominant rock and roll station, as host of its 7...
. Its 100,000 watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
signal broadcasting from "Music Mountain", one of the highest points on the northern Highland Rim
Highland Rim
The Highland Rim is a geographic term for the area in Tennessee surrounding the Central Basin. Nashville is largely surrounded by higher terrain in all directions....
north of Gallatin and the site of several broadcasting facilities, boomed far into the rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
areas of northern Tennessee and southern Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
. By the mid 1980s, Kix 104 was faced with competition from two new area CHRs, "96 Kiss" (WZKS, now WCJK
WCJK
WCJK is an FM radio station broadcasting to the Nashville, Tennessee market on a frequency of 96.3 mHz. WCJK-FM is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast with a power of 39,000 watts to serve the community of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.- History :In the early and mid 1980s,...
) and "Y107" (WYHY, now WRVW
WRVW
WRVW is a radio station broadcasting on the FM band at 107.5 MHz, licensed to the city of Lebanon, Tennessee, but serving the nearby Nashville market. It is currently branded as 107.5 The River, broadcasting a Top 40 format, and has become something of a heritage station for Top-40 music in middle...
). Additionally, McCloud defected to WYHY in 1985 to host its morning show. To try to differentiate itself, WWKX segued into a rock-leaning Top 40 format calling itself "Rock Hits 104, Kicks FM". This move proved unfruitful, and the station returned to mainstream CHR a year later in 1986. Faced with the success of Y107, this would not last.
In the summer of 1987, WWKX moved its tower from Music Mountain into Nashville and downgraded power, noticeably affecting signal strength in rural areas north of the city. The call letters changed to WGFX on August 13, 1987 and the moniker became 104.5 The Fox with a classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
format. In the late 1980s, Dick Broadcasting Company (DBC) took over operations of the station through a local marketing agreement, and paired it with its popular rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
station WKDF
WKDF
WKDF is a Country music radio station broadcasting on a frequency of 103.3 MHz from Nashville, Tennessee. WKDF is owned by Cumulus Media.-History:...
(now a country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
station) to form "Nashville's Rock Network". In the early 1990s, the station became known as "Arrow 104.5" (with Arrow originally standing for "All Rock n' Roll Oldies"). This format was somewhat successful and endured until the late 1990s. Although the station went through several position and moniker changes from 1987 to the early 2000s, the station's format mostly involved variations on 1970s rock music (except for 15 months from late 1998 to early 2000 when the station featured rhythmic oldies
Rhythmic oldies
Rhythmic Oldies is a radio format that concentrates on the rhythmic, disco or dance genres of music. Playlists may span from the 1970s through the early 1990s...
). The call letters, however, have not changed since 1987.
The station was purchased outright by DBC following the Telecommunications Act of 1996
Telecommunications Act of 1996
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 was the first major overhaul of United States telecommunications law in nearly 62 years, amending the Communications Act of 1934. This Act, signed by President Bill Clinton, was a major stepping stone towards the future of telecommunications, since this was the...
, and then Citadel Broadcasting
Citadel Broadcasting
Citadel Broadcasting Corporation was a Las Vegas, Nevada-based broadcast holding company. Citadel owned 243 radio stations across the United States and was the third-largest radio station owner in the country...
purchased the station (along with all of DBC's assets outside the Greenville, South Carolina
Greenville, South Carolina
-Law and government:The city of Greenville adopted the Council-Manager form of municipal government in 1976.-History:The area was part of the Cherokee Nation's protected grounds after the Treaty of 1763, which ended the French and Indian War. No White man was allowed to enter, though some families...
market) in September 2000.
Its current format, "104.5 The Zone" (sports talk), began its life on August 11, 2003 after hiring popular personality George Plaster
George Plaster
George Plaster is the former host of The Sports Zone, a daily afternoon sports talk radio program broadcasting on WGFX-FM in Nashville, Tennessee. Plaster had hosted the show since shortly after its 2003 inception, and for ten years prior, hosted SportsNight, a similar program on WWTN-FM...
away from WWTN
WWTN
WWTN is a 100 kW, Class C0 FM radio station serving the Nashville, Tennessee media market. Its dial position is 99.7 MHz. Home to many local and national talk radio shows, the station is marketed as SuperTalk 99.7 WTN...
(99.7 FM), though because of a contract dispute, he did not appear on the station until two months after its launch. In the past, WGFX has been the host to popular syndicated morning show personalities John Boy and Billy
John Boy and Billy
John Isley and Billy James, known as John Boy & Billy, named after "John-Boy Harris and brother Bross Harris", are American radio hosts based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Their comedic morning program The John Boy & Billy Big Show broadcasts from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m...
and Rick and Bubba
Rick and Bubba
Rick Burgess and Bill "Bubba" Bussey are cohosts of The Rick & Bubba Show—a syndicated comedic radio program based in Birmingham, Alabama...
. It is currently the Nashville affiliate for The Dan Patrick Show
The Dan Patrick Show
The Dan Patrick Show is a syndicated sports talk show hosted by former ESPN personality Dan Patrick. It is currently produced by DirecTV Sports Group and is syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks. The three-hour program broadcasts live every day beginning at 9 a.m. Eastern/6 a.m. Pacific time on Fox...
and ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio
ESPN Radio is an American sports radio network. It was launched on January 1, 1992 under the original banner of "SportsRadio ESPN." ESPN Radio is located at ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut...
.
WGFX was the flagship station
Flagship station
In broadcasting, a flagship is the broadcast which originates a television network, or a particular radio show or TV show, primarily in the United States and Canada. This includes both direct network feeds and broadcast syndication, but generally not backhauls...
for the Tennessee Oilers/Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
from 1997 until the completion of the 2001 season, when the rights were shifted to WGFX's sister station, WKDF. (WGFX returned as an "affiliate" station of the team's network for the 2004 season only). WGFX also aired the franchise's games in 1996, the final year the team was located in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. WGFX returned as the full time flagship station of the Titans in 2010. WGFX also broadcast many of the games of the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
's Nashville Predators
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
until the 2010-11 season.
WGFX is currently the flagship for the Triple-A Nashville Sounds
Nashville Sounds
The Nashville Sounds are a minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League , and the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the city's association with the music industry...
of the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
. It is also the main Nashville-area affiliate for the Tennessee Vols
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
football and men's basketball and carries selected Belmont Bruins
Belmont Bruins men's basketball
The Belmont Bruins men's basketball team is the basketball team that represent the Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. The school's team currently competes in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The team's most recent appearance in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament was in 2011...
men's basketball games which do not conflict with the aforementioned teams.
Citadel merged with Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
on September 16, 2011.
Breaks in current format
The station also broadcasts an hour block of public affairs programming on Sunday morning in accordance with FCCFederal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
regulations.
Prior formats
- Rockin' Hits 104.5 WGFX - Classic HitsClassic hitsClassic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
, 2002–2003 - The New 104 The Core (briefly known as The New 104—That 70's Station) - Classic rockClassic rockClassic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
, 2000–2002 - Groovin' Hits 104.5 (briefly known as Hot 104.5 and Jammin' Oldies 104.5) - R&B Oldies, 1998–2000
- Arrow 104.5 - Classic Hits, 1993–1998
- 104.5 The Fox - Classic Rock, 1988–1993 (call letters changed to WGFX, which stood for Gallatin's FoX)
- KX104 - Top 40, 1986–1987
- Rock Hits 104, Kicks FM - Rock/Top 40, 1985–1986
- Kix 104 - Top 40, 1978–1985 (as WHIN-FM and WWKX)
- WHIN-FM - Oldies, 1974–1978 / Easy Listening, 1971–1974
- WFMG-FM - Big Bands, 1960–1971.
Notable personalities
- Mike "The Duke" Donegan - 2003–2004
- Hallerin Hilton Hill - 2003–2005
- Carl P. Mayfield - 2003
- Coyote McCloudCoyote McCloudCoyote William McCloud was a popular radio disc jockey in Nashville, Tennessee. For over 30 years, he was a drive-time personality at several Nashville radio stations. He first became well-known in the early 1970s on WMAK-AM, then a market-dominant rock and roll station, as host of its 7...
- 1980s - George PlasterGeorge PlasterGeorge Plaster is the former host of The Sports Zone, a daily afternoon sports talk radio program broadcasting on WGFX-FM in Nashville, Tennessee. Plaster had hosted the show since shortly after its 2003 inception, and for ten years prior, hosted SportsNight, a similar program on WWTN-FM...
- 2003–2011 - Rich "Brother" Robbin - 2002–2003
- Frank WycheckFrank WycheckFrank John Wycheck is a former American football tight end in the National Football League. Wycheck attended Archbishop Ryan High School in Northeast Philadelphia. Drafted in sixth round of the 1993 NFL Draft out of the University of Maryland by the Washington Redskins...
- 2004–present - Clay TravisClay TravisRichard Clay Travis is an American sports journalist and writer. He is also a columnist and editor for Outkickthecoverage.com as the co-host of sports radio talk show "3HL" on Nashville's 104.5 The Zone. He also previously worked worked as a lawyer in the U.S...
- 2009–present - Blaine BishopBlaine BishopBlaine Elwood Bishop is a former professional American football safety in the National Football League.Bishop attended and played at Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, IN. He then attended and played college football at Ball State University in Muncie, IN. Bishop was drafted in the eighth...
- 2010–present