WSIX-FM

WSIX-FM
City of license	Nashville, Tennessee
Broadcast area	Nashville, Tennessee (FM) United States (SDARS)
Branding	The Big 98
Frequency	97.9 (MHz) (Also on HD Radio) XM 161 97.9-2 FM (WSIXtra New) for New Country
Format	Nashville Country
ERP	100,000 watts
Class	C0 Satellite Radio Station
Callsign meaning	638 ("SIX") Tire Company (home of original WSIX-AM)
Owner	Clear Channel Communications
Sister stations	WLAC, WNRQ, WRVW, WSIX, WUBT
Website	www.wsix.com

WSIX-FM is an FM radio station broadcasting in Nashville, Tennessee on a frequency of 97.9 mHz. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications.

Originally the sister station of a similarly-styled AM station (now WFYN-AM, which simulcasts the Bible Broadcasting Network's religious programming), WSIX-FM pioneered the broadcasting in Nashville (and likely elsewhere in the U.S.) of the "countrypolitan" "Nashville sound" of country music, which developed in the 1960s, adding violins and other stringed instruments (and occasionally horns) to the traditionally fiddle- and guitar-driven sound of country music. During those years (roughly the late 1960s until the late 1970s) WSIX-FM used the tagline, "We're metropolitan country." As such, WSIX-FM became one of the first successful country-formatted stations on the FM dial in the U.S.; country stations were overwhelmingly found on AM until well into the early 1980s.

In 1983, then-owners General Electric sold the AM and FM stations, along with WNGE-TV (now WKRN), to other interests. Around that time, the stations' (both were simulcasting by this point) format turned to a more straightforward country sound (i.e., honkey tonk and "Outlaw" recordings that previously did not fit the more mellow, quieter playlist), Today, as it has been for many years, WSIX-FM sports the highly popular morning show of disc jockey and songwriter Gerry House and a small cast of voices known collectively as the "House Foundation".

The nationally syndicated morning show, Big D and Bubba, is based in the WSIX building and originates from a custom studio down the hall from the WSIX main studios. Their show is heard in afternoon drive on the station.

The station was long the dominant country station in the Arbitron ratings in the Nashville/Middle Tennessee market, but this long dominance has recently been threated by the resurgent WSM-FM. However, WSIX continues to hold its own against WSM-FM.

Despite the longstanding absence of WSIX (AM) and WSIX-TV, the station's callsign still officially bears the "-FM" suffix, largely due to traditional custom.

On May 1, 2006, WSIX-FM began simulcasting on XM Satellite Radio (channel 161). WSIX's local commercial breaks are not aired on XM, but news and traffic reports are. The commercial advertisements are usually filled by a classic country song which is not on the station's over-the-air playlist. The channel still airs 3-4 minutes of commercials an hour which are exclusive to XM. Some of the disc jockeys now mention WSIX simulcast on XM Radio. The station and its staff do not receive any sort of compensation for the XM exposure. In comparison, local blowtorch 650 WSM was paid $500,000 a year by Sirius Satellite Radio to carry the station on their satellite radio platform.

Trivia

Disc jockeys and other station employees from WSM-FM and WSIX play each other every year in a charity softball game at Herschel Greer Stadium. Top country artists are "drafted" to play for both teams alongside the DJs. All proceeds from the game benefit local charities.

Links

• WSIX-FM

Query the FCC's FM station database for WSIX

See also

• List of Nashville media

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