By Katie Northcott, News Director
Thunder Radio WMSR is rolling out an updated afternoon lineup designed to deliver more local depth, flexibility, and listener engagement across the 3 to 6 p.m. window, beginning on Monday, January 12.
The revamped block will feature a clear structure that blends news, sports, interviews and community coverage with lighter, interactive elements as the afternoon progresses.
The show will be called “Thunder News and Grooves” – financed by Peoples Bank & Trust Company. It takes the place of Connecting Coffee County interview program that aired for the past 2.5 years.
The 3 p.m. hour will focus on in-depth local content, including expanded news coverage, deeper explanations of local stories, sports updates and highlights of upcoming community events. Listeners can also expect quick interviews with community leaders and timely updates designed to keep them informed as they head home for the afternoon.
The 4 p.m. hour will shift gears, leaning into some music, fun, and audience engagement with games and trivia, creating a more relaxed and entertaining drive-home feel. Local birthdays will continue to be announced in the 4 pm hour with daily prizes.
The 5 p.m. hour will serve as a replay of the 3 p.m. hour, giving listeners in a different time slot another opportunity to catch the day’s most important local stories and interviews.
“Thunder Radio WMSR is all about community and the history of our station and there is some of that embedded in our new show,” said Josh Peterson, co-owner of Thunder Radio. “The title itself, ‘Thunder News and Grooves,’ lends itself to the old ‘News and Views’ program that aired for many years. And the ‘grooves’ portion is an ode to the former name of WMSR: ‘1320 The Groove’ that listeners knew for decades before WMSR rebranded to Thunder Radio.”
The new afternoon block will be hosted by personalities Billy Levengood during the 3 p.m. hour and Brian Marcrom during the 4 p.m. hour. The lineup will also feature daily visits with News Director Katie Northcott, along with interviews featuring area leaders, organizations, and community groups.
Station leadership says the changes are designed to strengthen local coverage while keeping the afternoon hours fresh, informative, and listener-focused.
“We’re excited about this transition and the opportunity it gives us to better serve our community,” added Peterson. “This new structure allows us to go deeper on the stories that matter, spotlight what’s happening locally, and still have fun along the way. I think a community station should be just that – a community station. This new show allows us to rework the afternoon drive and make for more informative, quick-hitting segments for the afternoon ride home.”
ABOUT THUNDER RADIO WMSR
Thunder Radio WMSR can be heard on the FM dial in Manchester and rural Coffee County at 107.9 and in Tullahoma at 106.7. The entire area can listen in at 1320 AM and worldwide at thunder1320.com or by clicking here.
Owned and operated by Peterson Media Group, Inc. WMSR has been licensed and broadcasting in Coffee County since 1957.
