WRNS FM 95.1

A commercial FM radio station broadcasting at 95.1 MHz and licensed to Kinston, North Carolina. The station operates a contemporary country music format with a non-directional signal of 100,000 watts, providing coverage described as reaching from the state capital to the coast. Studios are located in New Bern, while the transmitter antenna is situated on WCTI-TV's tower north of Trenton, North Carolina. The station has served Kinston and eastern North Carolina since the 1960s, when it operated under the call letters WFTC-FM. During its early decades, it was the only country-format outlet in the area and commanded one of the highest audience market shares of any station in the region. The station has held an annual radiothon benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and has been ranked the top station in its market by Arbitron. WRNS-FM operated in simulcast with its AM counterpart, WRNS at 960 kHz, until April 2017, when the AM station transitioned to a sports radio format. In September 2017, Dick Broadcasting announced the acquisition of Alpha Media stations across three markets, including WRNS-FM, for a total purchase price of $19.5 million. The transaction was completed on December 20, 2017. Notable on-air talent has included Jim Mantel, who spent 18 years at WGAR-FM in Cleveland and was inducted into the Country Radio Hall of Fame in 2017 before retiring in 2018 after anchoring the morning program since 2010. Bobby Bones subsequently joined the morning show from co-owned WQSL/WQZL.