| WRNS-FM | |
| City: | Kinston, North Carolina |
| Country: | US |
| Area: | Kinston, North Carolina |
| Branding: | "95.1 WRNS" |
| Airdate: | [1] |
| Frequency: | 95.1 MHz |
| Format: | Country |
| Erp: | 100,000 watts |
| Haat: | 459m (1,506feet) |
| Class: | C |
| Facility Id: | 36950 |
| Licensing Authority: | FCC |
| Owner: | Dick Broadcasting |
| Licensee: | Dick Broadcasting Company, Inc. of Tennessee |
| Sister Stations: | WERO, WQSL, WQZL, WRNS, WXQR-FM |
WRNS-FM (95.1 MHz) is a radio station located in Kinston, North Carolina, in the United States. Its format is contemporary country.
The station has a non-directional signal of 100,000 watts, that reaches "from the capital to the coast". The station has served Kinston and eastern North Carolina since the 1960s, when it was WFTC-FM. At one time, it was the only country station in the area and had one of the highest market shares of any station.[2] Known for its generosity, the station has held a radiothon for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital annually for the past 5 years. The station is constantly ranked as the #1 station in its market by Arbitron.
The WRNS-FM transmitter antenna is located on WCTI-TV's tower north of Trenton, North Carolina. Studios are located in New Bern.
In September 2017, Dick Broadcasting announced the purchase of Alpha Media stations in three markets — 18 stations and two translators in total, at a purchase price of $19.5 million.[3] The acquisition of WRNS-FM by Dick Broadcasting was consummated on December 20, 2017.
Jim Mantel, who spent 18 years on WGAR-FM in Cleveland and was named to the Country Radio Hall of Fame in 2017, retired in 2018 after hosting the morning show since 2010, joined by Crystal Legends in 2012.[4] Bobby Bones moved from co-owned WQSL/WQZL to replace Mantel, and Legends, also program director, moved to middays.[5]