Meanings behind Mississippi call letters

[pobryan]

>OK. Here's one to think about:

>WKNZ/Collins. Your initial reaction will be "KNZ? Collins, right?" Well, not quite.

>Anyone? Anyone?

I can help with this one since my brother Larry and I put that station on the air.

If I remember correctly KNZ doesn't really stand for anything. We looked at WCOL but I
think it was taken.
Really we just wanted some cool call letters like those in major market stations
and Z was just getting used at some stations and we thought it sounded nice.
First we came up with WKZN but I think that was taken so KNZ was just a variation on that.
We copied KIOI (K101) in San Francisco and called it K-101.
But after a while somebody turned us in and we got a C&D letter so we changed it
to 101-KNZ.

Here's one. 1510 WLAC Nashville = "LIFE AND CASUALTY INSURANCE COMPANY OF TENNESSEE"

Mike Blakeney

 

[pobryan]

As good as those calls were, WKNZ is now WLVZ. Nothings stays the same.

 

[flytrap]

In the bonus trivia dept. . . prior to WSTZ, 106.7 was WKYV, a Vicksburg move-in that actually operated in Jackson for several months as a country station. However, at that time, Jackson was a “one book” market and WKYV never had the chance to compete in an Arbitron sweep.

WKYV was around way before anyone played country on FM in Jackson. If you wanted country you had to tune to Fun 14 WJQS or WCCL 1590. So you could say WKYV was country when country wasn't cool. Remember Hillbilly Willie on KY 107?

 

[J Alex Bowab]

WKYV 106.7 was a good idea ahead of its time. Tower was in Vicksburg, about 500 ft, so it was listenable in Jackson but not a city-grade signal. As I recall it was a partnership of 4 people, two of whom I recall - Bill Hoisington (aka Bill Keith) and Bob Bishop, both veterans of Jackson radio. Called itself "KY" on the air ... I don't suppose the pharmaceutical product was on the market then. At the time I was operating an independent FM (WKXI 94.7) and there were very few indie FMs in existence (time frame 1970 to 1974) tho both of Vicksburg's FMs were stand-alone, the other being WQMV 98.7 (easy listening).

 

[J Alex Bowab]

To modify flytrap's post (one above mine), WCCL 1590 came along later in the 70s. For the first 5-6 years WKYV was on the scene, WJQS and WJXN were the country outlets, both class IV (low power), and neither could break a 3 share in the ratings. WKYV should have located its tower a little closer to Jackson; it would have helped.

 

[jboyd]

Was'nt Morris Currie, (later WJQS) one of the original owners?...I think they were too
enginering and programming oriented, and not so much sales that led to their demise...JBI

 

[J Alex Bowab]

Boyd I think your analysis is on target. Yes, Morris C was one of the four (can't remember the fourth, maybe a non-broadcaster silent partner). Hoisington was first and foremost an engineer - was a broadcast equipment salesman at one time, and later built and operated stations in Andalusia AL and Milton FL.

I remember hearing this post-game analysis: someone came to the stark realization that in 1973 a Vicksburg-based independent FM could not generate enough revenue to sustain three executive salaries, so one by one, they left. In retrospect, this is obvious.

(I posted this comment earlier, but it did not seem to take, so apologies if it is duplicated)

 

[J Alex Bowab]

Another problem: the spot rate in Vicksburg ... four stations on the street selling against each other (1420 1490 98.7 106.7). A merchant could always beat the salesman down to a rate below the card. The revenue just wasn't there.

 

[Ken38654]

Didn't See WVIM Coldwater/Hernando Mentioned- For What It's Worth=
When I was At WVIM- Alot Of Promotional Material Listed Were Very Involved In Mississippi.