Weekend programming includes a line-up on various topics such as gardening, home maintenance and mortgages and health, as well as syndicated programming like Kim Komando and ABC's Radio Perspective. The station is an affiliate of the Tennessee Titansradio network.
Station's heyday and history on previous frequencies
WOKI-FM, previously on the 100,000-watt 100.3 FM frequency, began in the mid-1970s with a progressive rock format and automated programming pre-recorded by the DJs, but by the late 1970s had switched to a very successful Top-40 format mixed with some southern and hard rock, and live radio personalities. WOKI-FM was started and owned by local Knoxville radio broadcaster Johnny Pirkle. During the late 1970s WOKI-FM also carried University of Tennessee Volunteersfootball games and for two years sponsored the "Ramblin' Raft Race" on the Clinch River. The station has several popular air personalities including Mike Beverly, "The Brothers", Shotgun Stevens, and Brother John St. John who held court each evening with the raunchy "Boogie Check" call-in program. Meanwhile, WOKI broadcast on 1550 kHz on the AM dial with an adult contemporary format. WOKI became WORI and eventually ceased broadcasting altogether, while WOKI-FM after its switch to the Top-40 format was in heavy competition with WRJZ, and later WIMZ for the Knoxville market's top rock station. After the early 1980s WOKI dropped the hard and southern rock and sports, and became strictly a Top-40 pop station thru 1993, broadcasting as "FM 100", "Hits 100", and "I-100". The station became known as "The Hitkicker," in 1993 broadcasting a country format until 1997 when they briefly became “Outlaw Country 100.3” followed by a classic hits format, known as “Eagle 100”. In 1998 they changed to an Adult Album Alternative format as "100.3 The River", which was later "98.7 The River" when the WOKI call letters moved to 98.7. The 100.3 frequency is now occupied by WNOX, whose talkradio format moved to WOKI July 19, 2010; on July 7, 2010 Oak Ridge FM announced plans for WNOX to stay news/talk but with different hosts. WOKI's tower, while on 100.3, was located on Cross Mountain north of Briceville, Tennessee, and accordingly, its signal could be received throughout east Tennessee as well as significant parts of southeastern Kentucky, and in small portions of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Georgia.
History of the 98.7 frequency
WOKI was named from its license city Oak Ridge by taking every other letter OKI. WXVO played country music in 1989 and later switched to active rock as "98.7 The X". From 1999 to 2002 the station was WSMJ, with a smooth jazz format. As WYIL "Wild 98.7", the station was Rhythmic CHR until WOKI moved from 100.3 to 98.7. Starting in 2007 the station was known as "98.7 Earl-FM" with an oldies format using The True Oldies Channel. After filing for bankruptcy, Citadel Broadcasting ended its lease agreement with Oak Ridge FM, Inc. for the 100.3 WNOX frequency two years early. On July 19, 2010 WNOX moved its former programming to 98.7 WOKI, with 100.3 FM airing nothing but reminders that former WNOX listeners should turn to 98.7. The switch came 14 days earlier than they had originally announced. The True Oldies Channel programming has since moved to a simulcast with WMTY AM 670 and WMTY-FM Citadel merged with Cumulus Media on September 16, 2011.
