WNZE

The station, which was the first radio station to be licensed in Clarksville by the Federal Communications Commission,{{cite news|url=https://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2012/08/15/wjzm-radio-transfers-ownership/|title=WJZM Radio transfers ownership|work=Clarksville Online|date=August 15, 2012|access-date=June 16, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240616174207/https://www.clarksvilleonline.com/2012/08/15/wjzm-radio-transfers-ownership/|archive-date=June 16, 2024}} was granted a construction permit as WJZM on February 19, 1941. It was originally slated to broadcast at 1370 kilocycles, but the permit was modified to reassign the station to 1400 kilocycles as part of the North American Regional Broadcasting Agreement.{{Cite web|url= https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=12495 |title= History Cards for WJZM (covering 1941–1980)|publisher=Federal Communications Commission}} (Guide to reading History Cards) WJZM signed on the air as Clarksville's pioneer station at 9 a.m. on the morning of October 14, 1941. The station offered a wide variety of programming in its early years, broadcasting a 17-hour schedule each day.{{r|cn20201106}} For much of its first 60 years on the air, the station had an affiliation with the Mutual Broadcasting System.{{Cite book|title=Radio Annual|date=1942|publisher=The Radio Daily|editor-last=Alicoate|editor-first=Jack|edition=5th|location=New York City|pages=559–560}}{{cite book|title=Broadcasting Yearbook|edition=1959|year=1959|page=B-230|publisher=Broadcasting Publications, Inc.|location=Washington, D.C.}}

Local businessman Hank Bonecutter, who started his radio career at WJZM in 1973, purchased the station in 1994 under the business name Cumberland Radio Partners, Inc., which he sold to a group of other local businessmen in 2012.{{r|clarksvilleonline}}

In 2018, the station's callsign was changed to WVWB, and became a country music station after many years serving as a News/Talk station. The station launched FM translator W288DQ (105.5 MHz) to simulcast the AM signal for FM users. Two more callsign changes occurred; the station became WWNZ in 2019, and then WVWF in January 2020. After the station was sold to Saga Communications, Inc., the station's callsign was changed to WBQL in 2020.{{r|cn20201106}}

On March 17, 2021, WNZE changed its format from country to conservative talk, branded as "NewZee 105.5".{{cite news|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/206129/saga-launches-newzee-in-clarksville/|title=Saga Launches NewZee In Clarksville|work=Radioinsight|date=March 17, 2021}} On January 8, 2024, WNZE rebranded as "105.5 The Patriot".{{cite news|url=https://radioinsight.com/headlines/263105/wnze-relaunches-as-the-patriot/|title=WNZE Relaunches as The Patriot|work=Radioinsight|date=January 8, 2024}}

Two local programs are broadcast: Good Morning Clarksville (Monday-Friday, 6-9 AM) and SportsTalk with Justin Swallows (Monday-Friday, 3-6 PM). The station also carries most Clarksville Academy high school football and boys' basketball games. In addition to local offerings, WNZE serves as an affiliate of the University of Tennessee Vol Network for football and both men's and women's basketball.{{cite web |url=http://utsports.com/sports/2017/6/14/volnetwork-affiliates.aspx |title=University of Tennessee Athletics |publisher=University of Tennessee |access-date=2018-02-01}} For decades, the station was an affiliate of the Atlanta Braves Radio Network but dropped the affiliation before the 2018 baseball season.

200px

200px

{{Reflist}}

• {{AM station data|12495|WNZE}}
• {{FCC-LMS-Facility|201671|W288DQ}}
• {{FXL|W288DQ}}

{{Clarksville-Hopkinsville Radio}}

{{News/Talk Radio Stations in Tennessee}}

{{Saga Communications}}

NZE

Category:Radio stations established in 1941

Category:1941 establishments in Tennessee

Category:News and talk radio stations in the United States

Category:Conservative talk radio

{{Tennessee-radio-station-stub}}