WNRP
Encyclopedia
WNRP is a radio station
licensed
to Gulf Breeze, Florida
, USA and serving the Pensacola
area. The station is owned by ADX Communications of Escambia.
/talk radio
format to the greater Pensacola, Florida
, area. The station features hourly news programing from Fox News Radio
around the clock and has local news twice an hour on weekdays from 6am to 9pm.
NewsRadio 1620 has live local talent including Rob Williams, Wendi Summers, and Branden Rathert. The station features daily commentary from comedian, humorist, and political insider T. Bubba Bechtol in mornings and afternoons. Notable syndicated hosts include comedian Dennis Miller
on mid-days, financial adviser Dave Ramsey
on early afternoons, and Roger Hedgecock.
NewsRadio 1620 also carries live sports including Florida State University
football and basketball, plus seasonal local high school prep sports. The station previously aired the games of the Pensacola Pelicans baseball team and of the Pensacola Ice Pilots
hockey team until the ECHL
terminated the team's franchise after the 2007-2008 season.
, broadcasting with 250 watt
s of power on 1580 kHz. The station, owned by the Southland Broadcasting Company, moved to 1590 kHz to accommodate a power increase to 1,000 watts in 1956. Southland Broadcasting was owned by local broadcaster Tom Miniard and his wife Ernestine. In 1959, the station upgraded to a 5,000 watt signal. This frequency, signal power, and ownership would be maintained unchanged for another two decades.
The station was sold in the early 1980s and changed callsigns to WSKR on May 5, 1986. The "Kicker" changed callsigns again on December 7, 1987, this time to WIZD, and began simulcasting its FM sister station.
Months later, the station was sold off to a religious group, the Maranatha Ministries Foundation, who had the FCC change the callsign to WGYJ on March 2, 1988. The new callsign was said to stand for "We Give You Jesus".
from the Federal Communications Commission
on October 6, 1997
. The new station, with Atmore, Alabama, as its community of license, was assigned the call letters WPHG by the FCC on November 12, 1997. The callsign was said to stand for "We Proclaim His Glory". By February 1998, the station had begun broadcast operations while its license application was pending. With the expanded band station on the air, WGYJ handed in its broadcast license
on September 11, 1998, and went off the air forever.
In September 2000, Maranatha Ministries Foundation, Inc., reached an agreement to sell this station to ADX Communications of Escambia LLC. (WPHG-FM, the FM sister station, was sold to a different group at the same time.) The deal was approved by the FCC on November 16, 2000, and the transaction was consummated on March 5, 2001.
, so that it could better serve the more lucrative Pensacola, Florida
, area. The FCC finally granted a construction permit for this move on July 10, 2002. With the move approved, the station applied to the FCC for new call letters and on August 19, 2002, was assigned WPNS to reflect the new Pensacola orientation. On March 21, 2003, the station switched callsigns to WBUB then again on July 27, 2004, to the current WNRP.
After a move across state lines, an ownership change, several formats and callsign changes, and more than eight years, WNRP finally received its license to cover
from the FCC on August 3, 2005. In late 2005, Dave and Mary Hoxeng debuted "Classic Country AM1620" with live personalities including Pensacola native and Nashville legend Larry Butler.
in the 1970s. As a country station, WATM on-air personality Cindy Welch was nominated for a Country Music Association Award as "Small Market Broadcast Personality of the Year" in 1980.
sports broadcaster Mike Roberts
began his broadcasting career at WATM on December 6, 1951. Roberts' first stint at WATM ended in 1952 when he joined the United States Air Force
. After his tour of duty, Roberts returned to WATM in 1956 where he stayed until moving on for good in 1960. Roberts, now a member of the Albuquerque Sports Hall of Fame, served as the radio voice of the New Mexico Lobos
for more than four decades. New Mexico
governor Bill Richardson proclaimed May 8, 2008, as "Mike Roberts Appreciation Day" in honor of his "legendary broadcasting career".
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...
licensed
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
to Gulf Breeze, Florida
Gulf Breeze, Florida
Gulf Breeze is a city located on the Fairpoint Peninsula in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States and is a suburb of Pensacola which lies to the north, across Pensacola Bay. The population was 5,665 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,455. ...
, USA and serving the Pensacola
Pensacola
Pensacola is a city in the western part of the U.S. state of Florida.Pensacola may also refer to:* Pensacola people, a group of Native Americans* A number of places in the Florida:** Pensacola Bay** Pensacola Regional Airport...
area. The station is owned by ADX Communications of Escambia.
Programming
WNRP broadcasts a newsNews Radio
News Radio can refer to:* NewsRadio, the NBC sitcom which aired from 1995–1999.* News radio, the all-news or news/talk radio format....
/talk radio
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 to the greater Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
, area. The station features hourly news programing from Fox News Radio
Fox News Radio
Fox News Radio is an American radio network programmed by Fox News Channel.- History :In 2003, Fox News began syndicating one minute radio updates to radio stations via syndication service Westwood One. On June 1, 2005, Fox News Radio employed 60 people and provided five minute newscasts at the top...
around the clock and has local news twice an hour on weekdays from 6am to 9pm.
NewsRadio 1620 has live local talent including Rob Williams, Wendi Summers, and Branden Rathert. The station features daily commentary from comedian, humorist, and political insider T. Bubba Bechtol in mornings and afternoons. Notable syndicated hosts include comedian Dennis Miller
Dennis Miller
Dennis Miller is an American stand-up comedian, political commentator, actor, sports commentator, and television and radio personality. He is known for his critical assessments laced with pop culture references...
on mid-days, financial adviser Dave Ramsey
Dave Ramsey
David L. Ramsey III is an American financial author, radio host, television personality, and motivational speaker.Ramsey's syndicated radio program The Dave Ramsey Show is promoted with a tagline that "It's about your life and your money," and it is heard on over 450 radio stations throughout the...
on early afternoons, and Roger Hedgecock.
NewsRadio 1620 also carries live sports including Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
football and basketball, plus seasonal local high school prep sports. The station previously aired the games of the Pensacola Pelicans baseball team and of the Pensacola Ice Pilots
Pensacola Ice Pilots
The Pensacola Ice Pilots were a minor league ice hockey team located in Pensacola, Florida. The team was previously affiliated with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Islanders , and the Chicago Blackhawks. They have also had a working agreement with the Houston Aeros of the...
hockey team until the ECHL
ECHL
The ECHL is a mid-level professional ice hockey league based in Princeton, New Jersey with teams scattered across the United States...
terminated the team's franchise after the 2007-2008 season.
The beginning
This station was first constructed at WATM in Atmore, AlabamaAtmore, Alabama
Atmore is a city in Escambia County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 7,676. According to the 2005 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 7,530. The city was named for Mr. C.P. Atmore....
, broadcasting with 250 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:...
s of power on 1580 kHz. The station, owned by the Southland Broadcasting Company, moved to 1590 kHz to accommodate a power increase to 1,000 watts in 1956. Southland Broadcasting was owned by local broadcaster Tom Miniard and his wife Ernestine. In 1959, the station upgraded to a 5,000 watt signal. This frequency, signal power, and ownership would be maintained unchanged for another two decades.
The station was sold in the early 1980s and changed callsigns to WSKR on May 5, 1986. The "Kicker" changed callsigns again on December 7, 1987, this time to WIZD, and began simulcasting its FM sister station.
Months later, the station was sold off to a religious group, the Maranatha Ministries Foundation, who had the FCC change the callsign to WGYJ on March 2, 1988. The new callsign was said to stand for "We Give You Jesus".
Expanded band
The Maranatha Ministries Foundation, licensee of WGYJ in Atmore, Alabama, applied for an expanded band frequency at 1620 kHz in June 1997 and this station received its original construction permitConstruction permit
A construction permit or building permit is a permit required in most jurisdictions for new construction, or adding on to pre-existing structures, and in some cases for major renovations. Generally, the new construction must be inspected during construction and after completion to ensure compliance...
from the Federal Communications Commission
Federal 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...
on October 6, 1997
1997 in radio
The year 1997 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*February 15 - After 5 years of Alternative Rock, WDRE flips into Rhythmic AC as Philly 103.9, the station, began to play Pearl Jam's Alive while crowding the live stage....
. The new station, with Atmore, Alabama, as its community of license, was assigned the call letters WPHG by the FCC on November 12, 1997. The callsign was said to stand for "We Proclaim His Glory". By February 1998, the station had begun broadcast operations while its license application was pending. With the expanded band station on the air, WGYJ handed in its broadcast license
Broadcast license
A broadcast license or broadcast license is a specific type of spectrum license that grants the licensee the privilege to use a portion of the radio frequency spectrum in a given geographical area for broadcasting purposes. The licenses are generally straddled with additional restrictions that...
on September 11, 1998, and went off the air forever.
In September 2000, Maranatha Ministries Foundation, Inc., reached an agreement to sell this station to ADX Communications of Escambia LLC. (WPHG-FM, the FM sister station, was sold to a different group at the same time.) The deal was approved by the FCC on November 16, 2000, and the transaction was consummated on March 5, 2001.
Move to Florida
In October 2000, with the sale pending, the permit holder petitioned the FCC to change the station's community of license to Gulf Breeze, FloridaGulf Breeze, Florida
Gulf Breeze is a city located on the Fairpoint Peninsula in Santa Rosa County, Florida, United States and is a suburb of Pensacola which lies to the north, across Pensacola Bay. The population was 5,665 at the 2000 census. As of 2005, the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 6,455. ...
, so that it could better serve the more lucrative Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
, area. The FCC finally granted a construction permit for this move on July 10, 2002. With the move approved, the station applied to the FCC for new call letters and on August 19, 2002, was assigned WPNS to reflect the new Pensacola orientation. On March 21, 2003, the station switched callsigns to WBUB then again on July 27, 2004, to the current WNRP.
After a move across state lines, an ownership change, several formats and callsign changes, and more than eight years, WNRP finally received its license to cover
Broadcast license
A broadcast license or broadcast license is a specific type of spectrum license that grants the licensee the privilege to use a portion of the radio frequency spectrum in a given geographical area for broadcasting purposes. The licenses are generally straddled with additional restrictions that...
from the FCC on August 3, 2005. In late 2005, Dave and Mary Hoxeng debuted "Classic Country AM1620" with live personalities including Pensacola native and Nashville legend Larry Butler.
WNRP today
In September 2007, NewsRadio 1620 was created with priorities of live talk and local talk as well as Fox Radio News twice an hour.Awards and honors
WATM aired a diverse format over the years before settling on a full-service country musicCountry 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...
in the 1970s. As a country station, WATM on-air personality Cindy Welch was nominated for a Country Music Association Award as "Small Market Broadcast Personality of the Year" in 1980.
Notable alumni
Longtime University of New MexicoUniversity of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
sports broadcaster Mike Roberts
Mike Roberts (sports broadcaster)
Mike Roberts is an American radio sportscaster in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he provides play-by-play for University of New Mexico Lobo basketball and football games on KKOB ....
began his broadcasting career at WATM on December 6, 1951. Roberts' first stint at WATM ended in 1952 when he joined the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
. After his tour of duty, Roberts returned to WATM in 1956 where he stayed until moving on for good in 1960. Roberts, now a member of the Albuquerque Sports Hall of Fame, served as the radio voice of the New Mexico Lobos
New Mexico Lobos
The New Mexico Lobos are the athletic teams representing the University of New Mexico. The university's athletic program fields teams in 19 varsity sports. The Lobos participate in the NCAA Division I and is a charter member of the Mountain West Conference...
for more than four decades. New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
governor Bill Richardson proclaimed May 8, 2008, as "Mike Roberts Appreciation Day" in honor of his "legendary broadcasting career".