At 6: 00 AM on September 15, 1954, Radio Station WINI signed on the air from studios on the second floor at 1416 Walnut Street, Murphysboro, above the Sawyer Radio and TV store.  The station license was originally owned by two Kentucky men who transferred ownership to Donald Ritter, an announcer at WGGH Radio, Marion, and Evers Mick, an engineer from Kentucky.  By the time the station signed on the air, the license had once again been transferred… to Midwest Broadcasting, Farmington, Missouri.  A single tower was erected and the transmitter was installed near the Missouri Pacific Railroad tracks north of Murphysboro. 

Daily sign on was at 6:00 AM and sign off was at local sunset because of FCC rules regarding interference with other stations on the same frequency. 

In 1956, Midwest Broadcasting, owned by Cecil Roberts, transferred the station license to Robert’s Daughter and son – in – law, Robert and Martha Rapp.

By October 1957, the studios were moved to 1602 Elm.  In 1963, a new studio building was erected at the transmitter site on Business Route 13, north of Murphysboro and all the operations were moved to that location.

In 1968, WINI was sold to Ralph Dunn, James Dunn, Marion Dunn, and Dale Adkins.  At the time of the purchase, the new owners set in motion plans to expand the station’s hours.  The Federal Communications Commission placed a “Freeze” on any expansion by AM radio stations, denying all attempts to expand hours or power.  In 1976, the “Freeze” was lifted and WINI immediately applied for expanded hours.  Four towers and a complex system were installed near the Southern Illinois Airport and on September 14, 1978, one day short of the 26^th anniversary of the original sign on, the new system was placed in operation.  Through state-of-the-art technology, a directional pattern using all four towers is activated at local sundown. 

In 1990 WINI expanded news coverage and instituted the NEWS/TALK format. 

In August, 2000, Dale and Nancy Adkins purchased 100% of the business from other partners.

Forty years of broadcasting service to Southern Illinois is a landmark.  Stability in News and Talk radio programming. Continued technological and programming advances, and response to today’s issues remain WINI’s pledge to the communities and the people it serves.

NEWS COVERAGE

When WINI began broadcasting in 1954, news was a very important part of the station’s programming.  In those days there was only one other station in the county and local news on television was in idea that had not materialized.  In those days, world and national news was printed on a noisy teletype machine from Associated Press, United Press, or International News Service and local news ranged from reports on local meetings to notices of bake sales.

WINI still emphasizes news coverage.  Today, live network newscasts as well as on the scene coverage of braking news is available from satellites 24 hours a day.  WINI’s  two-way radio links and cellular phones make news coverage that only the large networks could have provided in 1954.

Radio is the fastest media during a breaking news story and you can continue to depend on WINI for solid news coverage…. at home or around the world.