WLIL
Encyclopedia
WLIL "The Legendary AM
730" is a radio station
broadcasting "East Tennessee's Country Classics
." Licensed to Lenoir City, Tennessee
, it serves the Knoxville, Tennessee
area.
and could see inside a radio station from where he was working. Finding that interesting, he went to the station after work and sat in the audience of live broadcasts. Wilkerson pondered whether his home town of Lenoir City, Tennessee could support a radio station. In 1949 he applied for a license, and WLIL-AM went on the air at 730, a clear channel, on May 27, 1950, with 1000 watts during the day.
Although few people had FM
radios, Wilkerson also applied for an FM station at 100.3. In 1956, WSM
in Nashville, Tennessee
closed its FM station, and Wilkerson did the same, believing that if such a big station couldn't succeed, he had no chance.
Knoxville got its first FM station in 1966, and Wilkerson realized he may have made a mistake. WLIL-FM
signed on at 93.5 in 1967.
In addition to his radio station, Wilkerson owned a lumber mill and built custom homes. He served as president of the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters. He was also a pilot
and he ran a restaurant
.
After Wilkerson died in 1998, BP Broadcasters purchased the station.
In 2006, Progressive Media, owner of WIFA
, purchased WLIL from BP Broadcasters LLC. BP kept the FM station, which had simulcast
the AM through its entire history. Dwight Wilkerson, son of Arthur, kept WLIK
in Newport, Tennessee
.
Fowlers Holdings Lllp now owns WLIL. Don Fowler owns furniture stores in Tennessee
and Georgia
.
AM broadcasting
AM broadcasting is the process of radio broadcasting using amplitude modulation. AM was the first method of impressing sound on a radio signal and is still widely used today. Commercial and public AM broadcasting is carried out in the medium wave band world wide, and on long wave and short wave...
730" is a radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
broadcasting "East Tennessee's Country Classics
Classic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country hits from past decades.This genre generally follows one of two formats: those specializing in hits from the 1920s through the early 1970s, and focus primarily on innovators and artists from country music's Golden...
." Licensed to Lenoir City, Tennessee
Lenoir City, Tennessee
Lenoir City is a city in Loudon County, Tennessee, United States. Its population was 8,642 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Knoxville Metropolitan Area....
, it serves the Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
area.
History
WLIL has been "serving east Tennessee since 1950." Arthur Wilkerson, who worked in construction, traveled a lot. One day he was working in Louisville, KentuckyLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
and could see inside a radio station from where he was working. Finding that interesting, he went to the station after work and sat in the audience of live broadcasts. Wilkerson pondered whether his home town of Lenoir City, Tennessee could support a radio station. In 1949 he applied for a license, and WLIL-AM went on the air at 730, a clear channel, on May 27, 1950, with 1000 watts during the day.
Although few people had FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
radios, Wilkerson also applied for an FM station at 100.3. In 1956, WSM
WSM (AM)
WSM is the callsign of a 50,000 watt AM radio station located in Nashville, Tennessee. Operating at 650 kHz, its clear channel signal can reach much of North America and various countries, especially late at night...
in Nashville, Tennessee
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...
closed its FM station, and Wilkerson did the same, believing that if such a big station couldn't succeed, he had no chance.
Knoxville got its first FM station in 1966, and Wilkerson realized he may have made a mistake. WLIL-FM
WKZX-FM
WKZX-FM WKZX-FM WKZX-FM (93.5 FM is a radio station broadcasting a Regional Mexican format. Licensed to Lenoir City, Tennessee, it serves the Knoxville, Tennessee area.-History:...
signed on at 93.5 in 1967.
In addition to his radio station, Wilkerson owned a lumber mill and built custom homes. He served as president of the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters. He was also a pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
and he ran a restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
.
After Wilkerson died in 1998, BP Broadcasters purchased the station.
In 2006, Progressive Media, owner of WIFA
WIFA
WIFA is a radio station broadcasting a Contemporary Christian music format. Licensed to Knoxville, Tennessee, USA, the station serves the Knoxville area. The station is currently owned by Progressive Media, Inc. and features programing from Salem Radio Network....
, purchased WLIL from BP Broadcasters LLC. BP kept the FM station, which had simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
the AM through its entire history. Dwight Wilkerson, son of Arthur, kept WLIK
WLIK
WLIK is a radio station licensed to Newport, Tennessee with an oldies format, broadcasting on 1270 AM. Its programming includes high school and University of Tennessee sports as well as religious and community-oriented news and information for Cocke County, Tennessee...
in Newport, Tennessee
Newport, Tennessee
Newport is a city in Cocke County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 7,242 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Cocke County.-Geography:...
.
Fowlers Holdings Lllp now owns WLIL. Don Fowler owns furniture stores in Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
and Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.