History
Commercial years
The station began broadcasting as news/talk outlet WQTX on 105.1 MHz on December 17, 1990. It was leased from original owner Judith Selby by the Kovas family, owners of WGL (1250 AM), and simulcast that station.[3] The station did not remain on 105.1 long; it was ordered to move to 94.1 MHz in 1991 to make way for an upgrade to WQTZ, which had been at 92.7 MHz.[4]
By mid-1992, however, Selby had taken WQTX silent.[5] It was acquired for $100,000 by Frank Kovas, making it an outright sister to WGL,[6] and became WGL-FM from its present 94.1 MHz dial position at the start of 1993, resuming the simulcast of the AM station.[7]
In 1997, WGL-FM moved to 102.3 MHz, and 94.1 relaunched as adult contemporary WYSR "Star 94.1". It then flipped to rhythmic oldies in 1999 as "Y-94".[8] Another shuffle of formats in the Kovas cluster changed WYSR to urban adult contemporary WCKZ "The Wiz", previously on 102.3 in 2001;[9] this was revised further to classic rock as "Z-94" by 2007.
Classical years
In February 2007, Northeast Indiana Public Radio (NIPR) announced plans to acquire WCKZ for $2.5 million and a fundraising drive to make the change possible.[10] The change took place on May 1, 2007, providing a stronger signal for the classical music programming that had been carried only on a transmitter in Orland (which took the WCKZ call sign, with 94.1 becoming WBNI-FM) and a translator in Fort Wayne.[11]
On January 20, 2009, citing low financial support, the Great Recession and the debt load on the 2007 purchase of the former WCKZ, NIPR announced its intention to sell the transmitters associated with the classical service and move it exclusively to HD Radio and streaming.[12]
On April 15, 2010, NIPR announced the sale of WCKZ and the 10-watt Fort Wayne translator to Star Educational Media Network, owner of WLAB (88.3 FM), which was concluded in June.[13]
In July 2016, NIPR purchased a two-story building on Jefferson Boulevard in downtown Fort Wayne to serve as the future headquarters for WBNI and WBOI, with fundraising to cover the costs of major renovations.[14]
Sale to Taylor University
In June 2021, NIPR announced its sale of WBNI-FM to Taylor University, owner of contemporary Christian music station WBCL in Fort Wayne, with the $350,000 proceeds going to fund digital equipment upgrades; as had been planned a decade prior, the classical service would continue on HD radio and streaming.[15] The new frequency would carry the "Rhythm & Praise" gospel format that had been on WBCL's HD2 subchannel. The sale closed on September 1, at which time 94.1 became WRNP and began broadcasting the gospel music programming.[16]