WIFA (AM)

WIFA (1240 AM, "Faith 1240 AM") is a commercial radio station in Knoxville, Tennessee.^[2] It airs a mix of Christian Contemporary music and Christian talk and teaching shows. It is owned by Progressive Media, Inc.^[3]

WIFA

Knoxville, Tennessee
Broadcast area	Knoxville metropolitan area
Frequency	1240 kHz
Branding	Faith 1240 AM
Programming
Format	Contemporary Christian - Christian talk and teaching
Affiliations	Salem Radio Network
Ownership
Owner	Progressive Media, Inc.
Sister stations	WIJV
History
First air date	January 21, 1941; 84 years ago (1941-01-21)
Former call signs	WEZK (1993–1994) WZEZ (1994) WEZK (1994–1995) WIMZ (1995–2000) WTXM (2000–2002) WJXB (2002–2004)
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority	FCC
Facility ID	61041
Class	C
Power	1,000 watts
Transmitter coordinates	35°57′17.00″N 83°57′4.00″W
Links
Public license information	Public file LMS
Website	Faith1240.com

WIFA is powered at 1,000 watts, using a non-directional antenna. The transmitter is on Painter Avenue SW near South Concord Street.^[4]

Programming

WIFA plays Christian Contemporary music part of the day. It also carries preaching programs from national religious leaders, including Adrian Rogers, Joyce Meyer, Tony Evans, Jim Daly and Jay Sekulow.

In afternoon drive time, WIFA carries the syndicated comedy and talk show Rick & Bubba. It also airs the 6pm newscast from Knoxville NBC network affiliate WBIR-TV. WIFA is affiliated with the Salem Radio Network.

History

The station signed on the air on January 21, 1941; 84 years ago (1941-01-21).^[5] Its original call sign was WBIR. The station's call letters came from Jesse W. "Jay" Birdwell, who founded the station. Birdwell sold WBIR in 1944. In 1949, it added an FM sister station, WBIR-FM at 103.5 MHz. At first, the two stations simulcast most of their schedules. But by the 1970s, WBIR-FM had its own Top 40 format and today is classic rock WIMZ-FM.

In 1956, WBIR added a television station, WBIR-TV channel 10. WBIR-AM-FM-TV were owned by a consortium headed by J. Lindsay Nunn and his son, Gilmore Nunn. The Nunn Family bought WBIR in 1944. In January 1961, WBIR-AM-FM-TV were sold to the News-Piedmont Company of Greenville, South Carolina. Soon afterward, News-Piedmont changed its name to Multimedia, Inc.

The company sold off most of its radio stations including WBIR-AM-FM, while keeping its television stations. WBIR-TV kept its original call letters but the radio stations were required to get new call signs. Through the years, 1240 AM has been called WEZK, WZEZ, WIMZ (call letters still found on 103.5 FM), WTXM and WJXB. In 2004, the station took its current call sign, WIFA.