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| Broadcast area | Louisville metropolitan area |
| Frequency | 98.9MHz (HD Radio) |
| Branding | 98.9 Kiss FM |
| Programming | |
| Format | Top 40 (CHR) |
| Affiliations | Premiere Networks |
| Ownership | |
| Owner |
|
| WAMZ,WHAS,WKJK,WKRD,WQMF,WSDF,WTFX-FM | |
| History | |
First air date | 1967 (as WSLM-FM) |
Former call signs |
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Call sign meaning | "Radio Now"; letters are transposed (former branding) |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| Facility ID | 60706 |
| Class | C2 |
| ERP | 43,000watts |
| HAAT | 157 meters (515 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 38°11′31″N85°31′11″W / 38.19194°N 85.51972°W /38.19194; -85.51972 |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen Live |
| Website | kisslouisville.iheart.com |
WNRW (98.9FM) - branded as98.9 Kiss FM - is aTop 40 (CHR)radio stationlicensed toProspect, Kentucky, and serving theLouisville metropolitan area. It is owned byiHeartMedia, with studios on South 4th Street in the Louisville neighborhood ofWatterson Park. On weekdays, WNRW carries twonationally syndicated programs:The Jubal Show from co-ownedKBKS-FMSeattle in morningdrive time andOn Air with Ryan Seacrest in middays.
WNRW is aClass C2 station. It has aneffective radiated power (ERP) of 43,000watts. Thetransmittertower is in east Louisville, off Tucker Station Road nearInterstate 265.[2]
The station was originally based inSalem, Indiana, about 35 miles (56 km) northwest of Louisville. Itsigned on the air in 1962; 63 years ago (1962).[3] The originalcall sign was WSLM-FM, thesister station toWSLM1220 AM.
At first the two stationssimulcast, with WSLM-FM developing some of its own programming by the late 1970s. WSLM-FM was powered at only 3,000 watts. It aimed its programming at listeners in the Salem area and could not easily be heard in Louisville.
By the 1990s, the station sought and got permission from theFederal Communications Commission (FCC) to increase its antenna height and power. That allowed it to target the lucrative Louisvilleradio market. It tried several formats, includingclassic country,modern AC, andhot AC.
Around 2000, the station changed to playing top 40 hits, calling itself "KISS-FM". It switched its call letters to WZKF. The station became a major competitor to Louisville's longtime top 40 leader 99.7WDJX. WZKF aired arhythmic-leaningplaylist while WDJX was more mainstream top 40.
WZKF moved itscity of license fromSalem, Indiana, to the Louisville suburb ofProspect, Kentucky, on April 26, 2010. A few months later, on July 12, 2010, WZKF rebranded from "98.9 Kiss FM" to "98.9 Radio Now".
According to PD Mike Klein, "The name change and new look comes along with a signal upgrade and updated top 40/mainstream music mix with a rhythmic-leaning". He added that "the station is being re-branded with the 'NOW' moniker to give a fresh new approach delivering hit music to the people who need it 'NOW'".[4] On July 19, 2010, WZKF changed its call sign to WNRW, to represent the "Radio Now" image.
On January 14, 2020, WNRW reverted to "KISS-FM" branding, with no other major format changes.[5] This brings WNRW in line with many of iHeart's Top 40 stations around the U.S., includingKIIS-FMLos Angeles,WKSC-FMChicago andWXKS-FMBoston, which also call themselves "KISS-FM".
In 2008, WNRW began airing anHD Radiodigital subchannel. The HD2 service began by carrying the Dance Top 40Club Phusion format.[6] It was replaced with iHeart'sEvolution channel in late 2012.
In 2023, the HD2 subchannel was turned off.[citation needed]