THE HISTORY OF WIVK

In December, 1952, the FCC granted James A. Dick a license to build a daytime only, 1000-watt AM radio station, and Dick Broadcasting was born. On March 20, 1953 WIVK-AM-860 signed on the air with a mixture of country (with the legendary “Cas Walker Live Country Music Show”), jazz, and gospel music, and such future stars as the Everly Brothers and Dolly Parton.

As the 50’s neared an end, radio was undergoing a massive change. Programming became more “formatted.” WIVK continued to air a broad range of music until 1961, when a strictly “Top 40” format was adopted. It was during these days that a young DJ named Bobby Denton started his career at WIVK.

In 1964, it was decided that Top 40 would be dropped in favor of country music, which seemed to have a much broader appeal throughout East Tennessee. The next year, Dick Broadcasting was granted a license to build an FM radio station. In December 1965, WIVK-FM signed on the air at 107.7 and an application was made to upgrade the signal of WIVK-AM. In November, 1966, WIVK-AM boosted its power from 1000 to 50,000 watts and moved to 850 on the dial. WIVK-AM became known as the “Jolly Green Giant.” The on-air lineup on WIVK at this time included Kenny Dearstone, Norman Majors, Claude Tomlinson, Bobby Denton (now our VP of Community Relations), Ed Brantley, Mike Hanes, and Terry Womack.

Mornings in East Tennessee changed in 1972, as the Great Day Show with Claude “The Cat” Tomlinson, Lester Longmire and “Old Man Schultz” was born. The show would go on to dominate local ratings and remain virtually unchanged until Claude’s retirement in 1992. WIVK’s unique mix of country music, community involvement, personality, and of course, University of Tennessee sports, would make it one of the most-listened-to radio stations in America from the late 70’s to present day.

Another part of WIVK’s success came in the form of a giant frog. An employee was recording a commercial one day in 1976, and started saying the call letters as a word, “WIVICK, WIVICK.” It sounded like a frog’s croak. Soon after, “WIVICK the Frog” was born. The big frog with the big smile is always a crowd-pleaser, and is probably one of the most recognized figures in East Tennessee.

In 1988, Dick Broadcasting purchased WNOX-AM 990, and donated the old WIVK-AM 850 to the University of Tennessee. The new 990 frequency had the advantage of being a 24-hour channel. WIVK-AM 990 soon started adding its own programming, and by 1992 had become its own entity as “NewsTalk 990.”

The 1990’s were a time of great change at WIVK. Wilhite & Wall started as only the 2nd morning show in station history in 1992. The man who drove everybody home for two decades, Ed Brantley, moved off the air in late 1996. Wilhite & Wall took an offer to move back to their hometown in 1997, bringing Andy & Alison to the morning airwaves of WIVK. They’re the latest addition to the current lineup, which includes Colleen, Gunner, Jack Ryan and Hoss.

For over 50 years, WIVK has sought to serve listeners with the best in music and entertainment, and the most up-to-date news and information. When a severe blizzard hit the area in 1993, WIVK was the only radio station on the air. Literally generations of East Tennesseans have come to depend on WIVK night and day, and even though things change, one thing will not: WIVK’s commitment to its faithful listeners.