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| Broadcast area | New Orleans metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 99.5MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | News Talk 99.5 WRNO |
| Programming | |
| Format | News/talk |
| Subchannels | HD2:Classic hip hop |
| Network | Fox News Radio |
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks Westwood One |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WNOE-FM,WODT,WQUE-FM,WYLD,WYLD-FM,WFFX | |
| History | |
First air date | October 17, 1967; 58 years ago (1967-10-17) |
Call sign meaning | WestbankRadioNewOrleans |
| Technical information | |
| Facility ID | 54890 |
| Class | C0 |
| ERP | 100,000watts |
| HAAT | 306 meters (1004 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 29°58′59″N89°57′11″W / 29.983°N 89.953°W /29.983; -89.953 |
| Translator | HD2: 96.3K242CE (Meraux) |
| Links | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | wrno |
WRNO-FM (99.5MHz) – brandedNews Talk 99.5 WRNO – is acommercialradio station inNew Orleans,Louisiana. It airs anews/talkformat and is owned byiHeartMedia, Inc. Thestudios and offices are on Howard Avenue inDowntown New Orleans.
WRNO-FM has aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 100,000watts, the maximum for most FM stations. Thetransmitter is off Paris Road in the Bayou Bienvenue Central Wetland District nearChalmette.[1]It broadcasts usingHD Radio technology. The HD-2digital subchannel airs "Throwback 96.3," aclassic hip-hop format which feeds 250-wattFM translatorK242CE at 96.3 MHz inMeraux.[2]
WRNO-FM's weekday line up is allsyndicated talk shows, beginning withWalton & Johnson fromKPRCHouston, followed byThe Glenn Beck Radio Program (which is also replayed in the evening hours),The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show,The Sean Hannity Show,The Michael Berry Show,The Jesse Kelly Show,Coast to Coast AM withGeorge Noory andAmerica in the Morning.
Weekend programming features shows on money, health, law and technology, some of which are paidbrokered programming. Syndicated shows includeHandel on the Law withBill Handel,Armstrong & Getty andThe Jesus Christ Show. Most hours begin with an update fromFox News Radio.
On October 17, 1967, WRNO firstsigned on the air.[3] It was a stand-alone FM station, put on the air by Gulf South Broadcasters, with Joseph Costello III as the owner and general manager. The station had its studios at 3230 Patterson Drive. It was anetwork affiliate of theMutual Broadcasting System and aired aProgressive Rock format.
Although its previous slogan was "We're the Rock of New Orleans," the station'scall letters actually stand for "Westbank Radio New Orleans." The station operated a popular business selling rock t-shirts, records and other music related items called the WRNO "Rock Shop" on the ground level of the studio. Since its inception in 1967, WRNO moved from Progressive toAlbum Rock in the 1980s, and switched toClassic Rock in 1997. WRNO was also home to a popularshortwave radio service in the 1980s and 1990s calledWRNO Worldwide, now owned by a Christian broadcaster.
In 1998, WRNO was acquired by Centennial Broadcasting.[4] Then in 2002, the station changed hands again, acquired bySan Antonio-basedClear Channel Communications, the forerunner to today's owner, iHeartMedia, Inc.[5]
In early November, 2006, management planned a major change. WRNO beganstunting by playing the full album version ofWhole Lotta Love byLed Zeppelin for at least a week on 24 hour rotation. On November 13, at 4 AM, after signing off withThe Doors' "The End," WRNO flipped from rock music to atalk radio format as "The New 99.5FM.com." As explained in the official mission statement posted at its website, "The station is committed to providing listeners with everything they need to know on the radio at 99.5 FM and on demand at thenew995fm.com." On the same day,sister station 104.3KHEV became "The Rock of New Orleans," as it flipped fromUrban Gospel toActive Rock.
On April 1, 2008, WRNO changed its slogan to "Rush Radio," with all-day repeats ofThe Rush Limbaugh Show. It also aired a tape loop of Limbaugh's theme song, the instrumental fromMy City Was Gone byThe Pretenders, during times when the show was not playing. Thestunt was to celebrate WRNO's acquisition of the show from longtime affiliate 870WWL. WRNO resumed its regular schedule on April 7, with Limbaugh heard from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays plus a repeat on Saturdays. The Limbaugh program had previously aired on WRNO Worldwide, which Limbaugh called "The EIB World Service" on the air (in joking reference to theBBC World Service). The stations are no longer co-owned.
In September 2014, WRNO re-branded as "News Talk 99.5 WRNO."
Notable station alumni include Bill Burkett, E.Alvin Davis, Joe Clark, Bobby Reno (later onWTIX-FM owned by Michael Costello, Joe's brother), Captain Humble, Doug Christian, and Russ Boney.
WRNO alumni also include former PD Michael Costello ("Michael In The Morning" and brother of late WRNO founder/owner Joseph Costello III), Jim White, DJ-turned-actorJohn Larroquette, Soxless Scott Seagraves, Jeff "JD The DJ" Douglas ("Rock 'n' Roll Flight To Midnight"), Tom Owens, Jimbo Roberts, Mitch McCracken, Johnny Tyler, "Weerd" Wayne Watkins, Mary London, Lyn Taylor and writer-producerVance DeGeneres. Steve Suter (later on Magic 101.9WLMG) did the morning show with sidekick Kevin Carlile, as the "Morning Dudes."