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by | Mar 16, 2018 | Hosta

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WLND (98.1 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Signal Mountain, Tennessee, and serving the Chattanooga metropolitan area. The station is owned by Audacy, Inc., and broadcasts an adult hits radio format, using the moniker "98.1 The Lake - We Play Anything!" As with many Adult Hits stations owned by Audacy, WLND operates with no disc jockeys. The radio studios and offices are on Old Lee Road in Chattanooga.

WLND has an effective radiated power (ERP) of 1,000 watts, compared with several other FM stations in the Chattanooga area powered at 100,000 watts. The transmitter is on Skillet Gap Road in Chattanooga.[2]

History

WKXJ and WZST

This station first went on the air in 1990 at 97.3 FM with the call letters WKXJ. The station played a Rhythmic Contemporary format and was branded as "97 Kicks".[citation needed] By 1997, "Kicks FM" was adult contemporary and simulcasting on 103.1 FM.[3] In 1998, Cumulus Media began operating WKXJ under a local marketing agreement, later completing the $3 million purchase from Marson Broadcasting in 1999.[4][5]

WZST "Star 98", a Top 40 Mainstream station at 98.1 FM,[3] took the WKXJ letters and relaunched as "98.1 KISS-FM".[citation needed] The 97.3 frequency switched to rhythmic oldies as WLOV-FM.[6] WKXJ did well during its six and a half years as KISS-FM.[citation needed]

Cumulus Ownership

In 2000, Cumulus announced it would buy 11 radio stations in 4 markets from Clear Channel Communications (now iHeartMedia) in exchange for 25 radio stations in 5 markets plus cash as a part of that company's merger with AMFM Incorporated.[7]

On June 13, 2007, at 10 a.m., WKXJ flipped to a classic country-formatted station, which moved from WNGA following a sale of that station to 3 Daughters Media. Shortly after the change, the station changed call letters to WLND to match the "Legend" branding.[8]

"The Legend" logo (2007–2009)

On November 17, 2008, the format switched to Christmas music. There was word that there might be a format change after that ended, but the station returned to its classic country format after the holiday format concluded. On September 4, 2009, WLND's former Top 40 format and "KISS-FM" branding returned to the Chattanooga airwaves, this time at sister station WURV (now WKXJ).

Hot AC

On November 1, 2009, the format again switched to Christmas music as "Chattanooga's Christmas Station". At around 11:45 P.M. on December 25, 2009, after playing "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, the station switched to a hot AC format, with the branding "Your Life, Your Music, 98.1 LND".

The first song on LND was "Sweet Child o' Mine" by Guns N' Roses.[9] On September 2, 2010, WLND rebranded as "My 98.1".

The Lake

On September 2, 2011, at Noon, WLND relaunched as adult hits "98.1 The Lake".

On November 1, 2017, iHeartMedia announced that WLND, along with all sister stations in Chattanooga and Richmond, would be sold to Entercom as part of that company's merger with CBS Radio.[10] The sale was completed on December 19, 2017.[11]

Chattanooga Lookouts

As of April 2019, WLND is the flagship station of the Minor League Baseball AA Chattanooga Lookouts (Affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds).[12]

References

  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WLND". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ Radio-Locator.com/WLND
  3. ^ a b "Tennessee Airchecks". Retrieved 2010-12-13.
  4. ^ "Cumulus Media Continues Expansion". Business Wire. 1998-08-20. Retrieved 2010-12-13.
  5. ^ "Cumulus Media Starts New Year by Completing SeveralAcquisitions". Business Wire. 1999-01-25. Retrieved 2010-12-13.
  6. ^ "Tennessee Radio Stations". SHG Resources. Retrieved 2010-12-13.
  7. ^ "Clear Channel/Cumulus Swap". Yahoo News. 2000-05-30. Retrieved 2010-12-13.
  8. ^ "Top 40 WKXJ Goes Country Gold With WNGA Programming". All Access.
  9. ^ 98.1 The Legend Becomes 98.1 LND
  10. ^ "Entercom Trades Boston & Seattle Spin-Offs to iHeartMedia for Richmond & Chattanooga". November 2017.
  11. ^ "Consummation Notice". CDBS Public Access. Federal Communications Commission. December 19, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  12. ^ https://www.local3news.com/98-1-the-lake-to-broadcast-chattanooga-lookouts-games/article_8905f733-f979-5bc8-803d-c2ef77e93f45.html

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