| Broadcast area | Memphis metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 98.9MHz |
| Branding | News Talk 98.9 |
| Programming | |
| Format | News/talk |
| Network | CBS News Radio |
| Affiliations | Westwood One Memphis Tigers Tennessee Titans |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WGKX,WRBO,WXMX | |
| History | |
First air date | 1948 (1948) (as KTMO inKennett, Missouri) |
Former call signs | KTMO (1958–2001) KXMI (4/2001–5/2001) WJZN (2001–2004) WMPW (2004–2006) |
Call sign meaning | KIM FM (former format) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 33671 |
| Class | C1 |
| ERP | 100,000wattshorizontal 98,100 watts vertical |
| HAAT | 187 meters (614 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 35°09′18″N89°49′19″W / 35.155°N 89.822°W /35.155; -89.822 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | newstalk989.com |
WKIM (98.9FM) is acommercialradio stationlicensed toMunford, Tennessee, and serving theMemphis metropolitan area. It is owned byCumulus Media and airs anews/talkradio format.
Thestudios are located on Murray Road at the Memphis Radio Group building in East Memphis. Thetransmitter site is inCordova, Tennessee, off Raleigh-Lagrange Road.[2] WKIM has aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000watts, the current maximum for American FM stations.
Weekdays on WKIM have local shows in morning and afternoondrive time,Memphis Morning News andNation of Jake. The rest of the schedule isnationally syndicated talk shows, includingThe Dan Bongino Show,The Ben Shapiro Show, andGround Zero with Clyde Lewis. Weekends have programs fromCBS News Radio, in addition toinfomercials and talk show replays.[3]
WKIM carriesTennessee Titansfootball along withUniversity of MemphisTigers football,men's basketball, andwomen's basketball, and theMemphis Showboats of theUFL in addition to seasonal talk shows with the Memphis football and men's basketball coaches.[4][5]
The stationsigned on the air in 1948. It was inKennett, Missouri, and used thecall signKTMO. In 2001, theFederal Communications Commission (FCC) gave it permission to move into the more lucrative Memphisradio market.
After its relocation, it began playingsmooth jazz as "Smooth Jazz 98.9"WJZN. That lasted three years.
In November 2004, the station changed to arhythmic contemporary format asWMPW, "Power 99", putting it in competition withurban contemporaryWHRK, rhythmicKXHT andmainstream top 40WHBQ-FM.
On September 15,2006, at 2 p.m., WMPW flipped to a female-leaningadult hits format as "98-9 Kim FM" under new call lettersWKIM. The first song on "Kim FM" wasLike a Prayer byMadonna. After several books of substandard ratings, about a year later, the station flipped formats toHot AC. The change still did not draw enough listeners.
On March 31,2010, at 5 p.m., the format was flipped to 1990s hits asGen X 98-9. The first song on "Gen X 98.9" wasLosing My Religion byR.E.M.[6] By that autumn, the station added some current hits, making it a 1990s/Hot AC hybrid format.
On April 25, 2011, the station switched to atalk format, branded as "News/Talk 98.9".[7] Because the station is owned byCumulus Media, many of the shows heard on News/Talk 98.9 were from the co-ownedWestwood One Network.
On February 27, 2015, at Noon, WKIM flipped toclassic hip-hop, branded as "98.9 The Vibe." The first song on "The Vibe" was "Hip Hop Hooray" byNaughty by Nature. WKIM was one of two stations in the market airing the format;WIVG was the other. (That station has since flipped back toalternative rock).[8]
On October 31, 2017, at Noon, WKIM beganstunting withChristmas music as "Christmas 98.9." On December 26, at 6 a.m., WKIM flipped toadult contemporary as "98.9 The Bridge." The switch puts WKIM in competition withEntercom-ownedWRVR, one of Memphis' leading radio stations.[9] From early November until theChristmas holidays, WKIM switched to all-Christmas music. Weekday mornings, WKIM carried thesyndicatedBob & Sheri Show fromWLNK inCharlotte.
On May 25, 2021, Cumulus Media announced a five-year agreement to carryUniversity of MemphisTigers athletics on WKIM. The Tigers had previously been heard oniHeartMedia'sWREC600 AM andWEGR102.7 FM. Concurrently, it was also announced WKIM would flip back to a talk radio format as "News/Talk 98.9, The Roar of Memphis".[10]
WKIM also became the Memphis affiliate for theTennessee Titans Radio Network. In addition, WKIM affiliated withCBS Radio News for world and national news coverage.