WNSN

Radio station in South Bend, Indiana
  • South Bend, Indiana
Broadcast areaMichianaFrequency101.5 MHzBrandingSunny 101.5ProgrammingFormatAdult contemporaryAffiliationsPremiere NetworksOwnershipOwner
  • Mid-West Family Broadcasting
  • (WSJM, Inc.)
Sister stations
WSBT, WQLQ, WZOCHistory
First air date
August 1, 1962 (as WSBT-FM)
Former call signs
  • WSBT-FM (1962–1975)
  • WWJY (1975–1981)
  • WTHQ (1981–1984)
Call sign meaning
"Sunny"Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCCFacility ID73984ClassBERP13,000 wattsHAAT296 meters (971 ft)Links
Public license information
  • Public file
  • LMS
WebcastListen liveWebsitesunny1015.com

WNSN (101.5 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station in South Bend, Indiana. It is owned by Mid-West Family Broadcasting and airs an adult contemporary radio format known as Sunny 101.5. WNSN is usually the market's top rated radio station according to the Nielsen ratings. Sunny 101.5 carries Delilah's syndicated love songs show in the evening from Premiere Networks. Most weekends it features 1980s hits. From mid-November to Dec. 26, WNSN switches to all Christmas music.

The studios and offices are on East Douglas Road in Mishawaka.[2] The transmitter is off Ironwood Road, south of downtown South Bend. It is co-located with sister station 960 WSBT's tower.[3]

History

WSBT-FM, WWJY and WTHQ

The station signed on the air on August 1, 1962, as WSBT-FM.[4] At first it simulcast the middle of the road (MOR) format of music, news and sports, on its AM counterpart, 960 WSBT. In the late 1960s, WSBT-FM began separate programming, airing beautiful music.[5] From the mid-1970s until 1981, the station was WWJY, using the Schulke beautiful music package.

In 1981, the station shifted to adult contemporary music as WTHQ, using the Satellite Music Network's StarStation format. In 1984, the station switched to locally programmed AC music, with the call letters WNSN.[6] The SN stands for "Sunny 101.5".

Ownership changes

Longtime owner Schurz Communications announced on September 14, 2015, that it would exit broadcasting and sell its television and radio stations, including WNSN, to Gray Television for $442.5 million. The sale separated WNSN from both the station's longtime co-owned newspaper, the South Bend Tribune (which Schurz kept until 2019), and WSBT-TV 22 (which was sold separately due to Gray's existing ownership of WNDU-TV 16).[7][8]

Gray initially said it would keep Schurz' radio stations. But on November 2, it announced that Mid-West Family Broadcasting would acquire WNSN and Schurz's other South Bend radio stations for $5.5 million.[9][10][11] The purchase by Mid-West was consummated on February 16, 2016.

References

  1. ^ "Facility Technical Data for WNSN". Licensing and Management System. Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^ WSBTradio.com/contact
  3. ^ Radio-Locator.com/WNSN
  4. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1965 page B-56
  5. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1970 page B-73
  6. ^ Broadcasting Yearbook 1985 page B-94
  7. ^ "Schurz Communications to sell WSBT and other TV, radio stations". South Bend Tribune. September 14, 2015. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  8. ^ Kuperberg, Jonathan (September 14, 2015). "Gray Acquiring TV, Radio Stations from Schurz for $442.5 Million". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved September 14, 2015.
  9. ^ "Gray Sells Radio Stations From Schurz Deal". TVNewsCheck. November 2, 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  10. ^ Venta, Lance (November 2, 2015). "Gray Television Divests Schurz Clusters To Three Buyers". RadioInsight. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  11. ^ Allen, Kevin (November 2, 2015). "WSBT Radio Group will have a new owner, again". South Bend Tribune. Retrieved November 2, 2015.

External links

  • Sunny 101.5 website
  • WNSN in the FCC FM station database
  • WNSN in Nielsen Audio's FM station database
  • v
  • t
  • e
Radio stations in the South Bend, Indiana, metropolitan area
This template also includes Elkhart.
By AM frequency
By FM frequency
LPFM
  • 93.5
Translators
Digital radio
by frequency & subchannelBy call signDefunct
  • WDND (1490 AM)
  • WDND (1620 AM)
Nearby regions
Benton Harbor-St. Joseph
Chicago
Fort Wayne
Grand Rapids
Kalamazoo
Muncie–Marion
Northwest Indiana
South Central Michigan
See also
List of radio stations in Indiana
List of radio stations in Michigan
  • v
  • t
  • e
By AM frequency
By FM frequency
LPFM
Translators
Digital radio
by frequency & subchannel
By call sign
Radio stations in West Michigan
Battle Creek
Benton Harbor-St. Joseph
Grand Rapids
Kalamazoo
Muskegon
Other nearby regions
Chicago
Northwest Indiana
South Bend
See also
List of radio stations in Michigan
List of radio stations in Indiana

41°37′01″N 86°13′01″W / 41.617°N 86.217°W / 41.617; -86.217