WNAX-FM (104.1

MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose expression in terms of SI base units is s−1, meaning that one he ...

, "The Wolf") is a

radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...

broadcasting a

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

format. Licensed to

Yankton, South Dakota Yankton is a city in and the county seat of Yankton County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 15,411 at the 2020 census, and it is the principal city of the Yankton Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes the entirety of Y ...

, it serves the Yankton,

Vermillion Vermilion (sometimes vermillion) is a color, color family, and pigment most often made, since antiquity until the 19th century, from the powdered mineral cinnabar (a form of mercury sulfide, which is toxic) and its corresponding color. It is ...

, and

Sioux City Sioux City () is a city in Woodbury and Plymouth counties in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 85,797 in the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Iowa. The bulk of the city is in Woodbury County, ...

areas. The station is currently owned by Saga Communications, Inc.

History

The station's original

construction permit Planning permission or developmental approval refers to the approval needed for construction or expansion (including significant renovation), and sometimes for demolition, in some jurisdictions. It is usually given in the form of a building perm ...

was granted to Oyate, Inc. on March 16, 1973; the

call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally assigne ...

KQHU was issued on April 20, and the station signed on August 9. KQHU was formally licensed on June 11, 1974. In its early years, KQHU programmed

popular standard The Great American Songbook is the loosely defined canon of significant early-20th-century American jazz standards, popular songs, and show tunes. Definition According to the Great American Songbook Foundation: The "Great American Songbook" is ...

s and

beautiful music Beautiful music (sometimes abbreviated as BM, B/EZ or BM/EZ for "beautiful music/easy listening") is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in North American radio from the late 1950s through the 1980s. Easy listening, elevator musi ...

; by 1976, it had pivoted to a blend of

top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...

and

oldies Oldies is a term for musical genres such as pop music, rock and roll, doo-wop, surf music (broadly characterized as classic rock and pop rock) from the second half of the 20th century, specifically from around the mid-1950s to the 1980s, as we ...

and was affiliated with the ABC Contemporary Network. The station evolved to

adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...

by 1984. Following regulatory issues with the

Federal Communications Commission The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that regulates communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, and cable across the United States. The FCC maintains jurisdiction ...

(FCC) regarding Oyate's ownership (which resulted in the FCC initiating license revocation proceedings), as well as the bankruptcy of Oyate, KQHU was sold to Flagship Communications for $599,000 in 1988. Flagship's principal owner, Lawrence S. Magnuson, already held an interest in KSCJ in

Sioux City, Iowa Sioux City () is a city in Woodbury and Plymouth counties in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 85,797 in the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Iowa. The bulk of the city is in Woodbury County, ...

; that station would come under the Flagship banner in 1989. KQHU's call sign was changed to KBCM on August 20, 1990. Flagship Communications sold KBCM, which had become a

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

station, to

Park Communications Roy Hampton Park (15 September 1910 – 25 October 1993) was an American media executive and entrepreneur. He is known for creating the Duncan Hines brand of packaged food products, and for his television/radio/newspaper conglomerate, Park Commun ...

for $675,000 in 1991; the deal, which paired the station with WNAX, was required because of Flagship's concurrent purchase of

KSUX KSUX (105.7 FM, "The Super Pig") is a radio station broadcasting a country format. The station is licensed to Winnebago, Nebraska, and serves Sioux City, Iowa. KSUX is owned by Powell Broadcasting. History After receiving its construction perm ...

in Winnebago, Nebraska. Park renamed the station WNAX-FM on November 20, 1991, and changed its format to oldies. Saga Communications purchased the WNAX stations from Park for $7 million in 1996. WNAX-FM changed its call sign to KMXH on September 1, 1998; it then became KCLH on September 25, coinciding with a format shift to

classic hits Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes songs from the top 40 music charts from the late 1960s to the early 2000s, with music from the 1980s serving as the core of the format. Music that was popularized by MTV in the early 1980s ...

and the addition of ''

Bob & Tom ''The Bob & Tom Show'' is a syndicated US radio program established by Bob Kevoian and Tom Griswold at radio station WFBQ in Indianapolis, Indiana, March 7, 1983, and syndicated nationally since January 6, 1995. Originally syndicated by Premier ...

''. Though the format was successful in the Sioux City radio ratings and had no issues in attracting advertisers, financial considerations led KCLH to begin simulcasting WNAX's

full service Full service or Full Service may refer to: * Full-service radio, a wide range of programming * Full Service Network, a communications company Entertainment * "Full Service", a song by the New Kids on the Block from their album ''The Block'' * F ...

blend of news, farm information, and country music on August 21, 2000; also carried were some

sports Sport pertains to any form of competitive physical activity or game that aims to use, maintain, or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants and, in some cases, entertainment to spectators. Sports can, th ...

programming and

Bill Mack William or Bill Mack may refer to: * William Mack (Ontario politician) (1828–1897), Ontario businessman and political figure * William L. Mack (1924–2009), provincial level politician from Alberta, Canada * William Mack (judge) (1904–1979), ...

. The WNAX-FM call sign returned on August 30. By 2001, while still simulcasting WNAX in morning drive, WNAX-FM had moved to a full-time country music format the remainder of the day. In June 2007, the station rebranded from "Big Country 104-1" to "The Wolf 104.1".

WNAX-HD2

On August 31, 2018, WNAX-FM launched a second country format, utilizing Saga's "Outlaw"

classic country Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country and western music hits from past decades. Repertoire The radio format specializes in hits from the 1950s through the early 1980s, and focus primarily on innov ...

branding, on its HD2 subchannel. The subchannel is branded "99.9 & 104.5 The Outlaw" to reflect its simulcasts on translator stations K260BO (99.9 FM) in Yankton, South Dakota (which previously simulcast WNAX), and K283AG (104.5 FM) in Sioux City (which had previously served as a translator for WNAX-FM's primary programming).Outlaw Launches in Sioux City and Yankton
Radioinsight - August 31, 2018

References

External links

The Wolf 104.1 website
* * * * * µWNAX-FM Country radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1973 1973 establishments in South Dakota {{SouthDakota-radio-station-stub