WATO (FM)
Radio station in Oliver Springs, Tennessee, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
WATO (106.1 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station licensed to Oliver Springs, Tennessee, and serving the Knoxville metropolitan area.[2] It is owned by Loud Media and broadcasts an alternative rock format branded as "Atomic 106".
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Broadcast area | Knoxville metropolitan area |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 106.1 MHz |
| Branding | Atomic 106 |
| Programming | |
| Format | Alternative rock |
| Affiliations | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Loud Media LLC |
| History | |
First air date | 2009 (as WJRV) |
Former call signs |
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Call sign meaning | "Atomic" |
| Technical information[1] | |
Licensing authority | FCC |
| 170987 | |
| Class | A |
| ERP | 190 watts |
| HAAT | 532.4 meters (1,747 ft) |
Transmitter coordinates | 36°6′29″N 84°20′8″W |
| Repeater | 1400 WGAP (Maryville) |
| Links | |
Public license information | |
| Webcast | Listen live |
| Website | www |
WATO is a Class A station, with an effective radiated power of 190 watts. The studios are on the fifth floor of the Sunsphere in Knoxville.
As of December 2025[update], the weekday presenter lineup consists of The TJ Show, Woodhouse, and Dave Kelly.[3]
History
The station signed on the air in 2009 as WJRV. The station aired a hot adult contemporary music format branded as "106.1 The River".
On May 27, 2020, it was announced that the station was to be acquired by Loud Media.[4] On June 26, 2020, Loud Media launched "106.1 VLZ" with an active rock format.[5] The station changed its call sign on July 1, 2020, to WVLZ.[6]
On October 21, 2024, WVLZ dropped its active rock format, which moved to WSMM (850 AM), and began stunting towards a new format to be launched on October 25, 2024, under new WATO call letters.[7] At 1:06 pm that day, WATO launched an alternative rock format branded as "Atomic 106".[8]