WNZR’s Marcy Rinehart and Olivia Skillings got to talk with Dr. Henry Smith, who was the original WNZR Communication Professor and Station Manager!
Click HERE to listen to the entire conversation, or click the image below!
Henry shares with us what he is doing today! He is in Zambia, Africa, helping to start a Wesleyan University in Zambia. Henry shares a funny story with us about a former student of his that has been helping him. He also talks about the dream that he and others had for the radio station at WNZR. There was a nucleus of people who had already started raising money for the station and he helped them to get it started.
Henry tells how the initial planning was a learning opportunity for him because he didn’t because he really wasn’t a radio guy at that time. There was a lot of learning that was done from other stations and even the FCC!
Henry explains to us what his prayer was at the beginning of WNZR. They had an unexpected obstacle when starting up, which was a local TV station petitioning to deny them starting WNZR due to their conflicting dial positions. The supporters of the radio station prayed for the barriers to be removed so they could make a difference with their radio station.
Henry talks about the 4 year waiting period that they experienced while trying to get an FCC license. The TV station in Columbus was the primary cause of that. The students tried to keep the quality of the station high even though they weren’t on the air yet.
He explains his biggest challenge in it was trying to keep the dream alive for the students.
Henry also explains that the things he remembers most is the people from that time. He has always enjoyed working with students the most and recalls how excited they were when they finally received the permission that they needed from the FCC.
Here are pictures from Dr. Smith’s trip to the top of our radio tower. He talked about taking pictures of the MVNC campus in 1986!
Marcy also shares a funny story that current MVNU Professor Alan Reed has about Dr. Smith on that day!
Dr. Smith details the process of what it took to get 90.9FM WNZR on the air! He talks about what he learned about himself throughout those years. Impact has always been his greatest motivator as a person whether that be as a professor, a university president, or a missionary.
Henry talks about the importance of waiting and being patient. The lessons that he and the students learned while waiting were so important and have stayed with him throughout his life.
Dr. Smith explains how important community support was in starting WNZR. Starting the radio station was something that rallied people in the area and the share-a-thons that they did played a huge role in the station’s birth.
Henry and Marcy joke about a potential trip to Zambia so MVNU Communication students can help with the radio station that he is starting there.
Henry speaks on the importance of students learning about broadcasting while studying Communication. The more experiences you can have will lead to students being better communicators. He says that it helps sharpen your communication skills in ways that you don’t even realize.
WNZR is celebrating a 40th Anniversary on 10/1/26! Today, the spotlight shined on the 3rd decade in radio ministry – 2006 – 2015! Joe and Marcy Rinehart shared stories of some of those big moments: – developing the positioning statement, “The More You Listen, The More You Hear” – the station’s power increase to 1,300 watts – and the debut of the station’s cell phone app
Former MVNU Faculty Member and WNZR Alum, Jayme McMillan talked about the debut of online video streaming for MVNU Sports, experiencing the power increase as a student and the purchase and broadcast debut for Big Blue! A lot of exciting things happened for WNZR in this decade!
Click HERE to hear the conversations or click on the picture link below.
History Highlights from 2006 – 2025 with WNZR.
February 2006 – WNZR hosted the annual Valentines Banquet and welcomed Dove nominated artists Bethany Dillon to Mount Vernon. The event was an intimate dinner and acoustic concert in the MVNU dining commons.
February 2006 – Dove award nominated artist Todd Agnew visited WNZR studios. He talked about his ministry and gave listeners a special treat. He played the song “My Jesus” live for us on the air. This was a pre-release acoustic version.
June 2006 – WNZR debuts a new website address, www.wnzr.fm
July 2006 – Canadian Dove award winning artist Downhere visited WNZR studios. They talked about their ministry and gave listeners a special treat. They played three songs from their new album “Wide Eyed and Mystified” live for us on the air. This was a pre-release acoustic set live on the air.
August 2006 – WNZR and MVNU sponsored Gospel Day at the Dan Emmett Music & Arts Festival. We welcomed Dove award nominated artist Joy Williams to downtown Mount Vernon.
June 2006 – WNZR debuts a new positioning statement, “the more you listen, the more you hear”
October 2007 – WNZR partnered with the Knox Network of Christian Ministries for the Greater Knox County Will Graham Celebration. Over 5,000 people came to these special services held at Kenyon College and 268 people got saved! Marcy Rinehart served as the Communication Chair.
Summer 2008 – The WNZR expansion becomes a reality. The “old Spanish room” is divided into 3 parts: a) WNZR conference room, b) WNZR work area and c) MVNU Video Lab
June 2008 – WNZR receives a construction permit from the FCC to complete the tower work for our power increase. The construction permit is good through June, 2011.
September 2008 – WNZR partnered with Premiere Theaters to bring Fireproof to the Big Screen. Fireproof focused on strengthening marriage. It stayed in the theater for 6 weeks and over 4,000 people came to see the movie!
May 2009 – Big Blue – our station vehicle is purchased from Fredericktown Chevrolet. It took the entire month to get the logo wrap finished and all equipment installed. The debut of our (then white) Big Blue happened at the Utica Ice Cream Festival Parade.
June 2009 – Big Blue has her first official broadcast at the Danville/Howard Turkey Festival.
October 2009 – The equipment for the WNZR Power Increase was ordered. A 2nd floor was built at the tower site, and the electrical portion of the project was completed.
May 21, 2010 – WNZR’s power increase project was completed. 90.9FM was increased to 1,300 watts broadcasting to Knox, Richland, Licking and Morrow counties.
June 2010 – Joe, Marcy and Rachel Rinehart won a contest to visit the movie set of “Courageous” – the new movie from Sherwood Pictures (the makers of Fireproof and Facing the Giants). Joe & Marcy were able to blog about their experience on the station’s website and in the Mount Vernon News.
October 2010 – WNZR debuts a new children’s program for Saturday mornings – Kid’s Playlist. The show features host Rachel Rinehart and a special guest co-host each week. The program showcases the guest’s top 5 favorite songs.
October 2010 – WNZR replaced 6 computers including 3 broadcast computers and the computer for Associated Press service. Listener support covered this expense. The computer upgrade greatly enhanced WNZR’s ministry.
November 2010 – WNZR debuts online video streaming of Cougar basketball. Listeners now have the choice to view the live action of choice home basketball games. MVNU video broadcasting students participate in the video production.
10/7/2011, Friday – October First Friday – WNZR’s 25th Anniversary Cake Contest, in downtown Mount Vernon. We hosted the event in the vacant Woodward Opera House storefront and decorated it for our big Anniversary. We hosted a big birthday party where listeners got to vote on their favorite cake. We showcased t-shirts and promotional products from 25 years at WNZR.
November 2011 – WNZR hosts our 25th Anniversary with a special concert. Dove Award‐winning band Building 429 and three‐time Grammy nominees Leeland joined forces this fall to co‐headline the 30‐city “Sounds of Hope” Tour, which will also feature emerging pop‐rock band Royal Tailor. The concert was part of MVNU’s Homecoming celebration and happened on 11-11-11.
May 10-11, 2012 – WNZR provided live broadcasts of the MVNU baseball team’s play in the 2012 NAIA National Tournament Opening Round in Marion, IN. Joe Rinehart and MVNU Sports Information Director Dave Parsons called the action.
June 29- July 3, 2012 – a massive thunderstorm (derecho) results in the loss of electric power throughout Knox County and many parts of Ohio. WNZR is able to stay on the air due to generator backup and provides updates throughout the entire power outage. The Mount Vernon News does a newspaper story about our coverage on July 14.
October 5, 2012: WNZR broadcasts from First Friday in downtown Mount Vernon and hosts “Dogtoberfest.” This was a dog costume parade around the Public Square.
January 17-18, 2013 – WNZR partnered with Care Net Pregnancy Services of Knox County to host two showings of the film October Baby at MVNU’s R.R. Hodges Chapel/Auditorium.
April 21, 2013 – WNZR and MVNU co-sponsor “Champions for Life” with the Escape Zone in Mount Vernon. The event featured guest speakers Kim and Corwin Anthony speaking to teens and young adults about good life decisions.
June, 2013 – May 2014 – WNZR Radio hosted live remote broadcasts at approximately 30 off-campus community events. WNZR also hosted three community VeggieTales video premieres on campus in July, November and March.
Fall 2013 – Spring 2014 – Under a new partnership with the President’s Office, Athletics and Marketing, WNZR.TV and MVNU.TV provided live video/audio streaming of nearly 60 home athletic events over the course of this year, 23 chapel services, and two special events – the John Knight Theology Conference and the spring Boesger Business Ethics lecture, plus live audio of another 25 or so athletic events off-campus.
February 2015 – Six students were honored by the intercollegiate branch of the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) for placing in the organization’s 2015 student production contests and challenges. The awards were handed out February 25th at the NRB’s annual convention in Nashville, Tennessee. Wesley Boston (junior) won 1st place in the Radio Original Short Form Feature category
July 2015 – WNZR staff (Joe, Marcy and 2015 graduates Rachel Held and Andrew Yoder) drove Big Blue and attended the Nazarene Youth Conference in Louisville, KY during the first week of July. They provided marketing and recruiting support to the university’s enrollment events and admissions staff.
Here are pictures from May 21, 2010 – when WNZR’s power increase project was completed!
Here are pictures from our big 25th Celebration including the winning cake from our contest at October First Friday and our concert with Building 429 on 11/11/11!
WNZR is preparing to celebrate our 40th Anniversary. In honor of this milestone, The Morning Thing hosts decided to focus on music for the Friday Favorites this week. The hosts shared their favorite songs from WNZR’s 40 years on air.
WNZR is saying goodbye to Assistant Station Manager Eric Brown as he, his wife Jenn and step daughter Maddie, who is a sophomore in high school, prepare for a new chapter in Florida.
Eric’s adult son William and his younger son Jonathan, who is also a sophomore in high school, are staying with their mom in Newark while Jenn’s adult sons Alex and Jaden are staying in Zanesville.
As part of Friday’s edition of The Morning Thing, WNZR Station Manager Marcy Rinehart joined Eric for a special Friday Favorites conversation, asking him to look back on five of his favorite memories from his time at the station.
Eric’s connection to Mount Vernon Nazarene University goes back much further than his time at WNZR. He is an MVNU alumnus, earning both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the university.
Before joining the WNZR staff in December 2024, he spent nearly eight years working in MVNU’s College of Adult and Professional Studies (CAPS) as an Academic Services Specialist and Adjunct Professor teaching communications classes.
During Friday Favorites, Eric reflected on several moments that stood out during his time at WNZR.
One involved student Isabel, whose singing could sometimes be heard from the neighboring studio. Eric recalled having to ask her to sing just a little more quietly so he could get his own recording work done.
Another favorite memory came almost immediately after he started at WNZR. Just days into the job, Eric helped host the station’s Food For The Hungry broadcast. He said the experience gave him an early chance to meet people, learn more about the community and understand how important the annual campaign is to WNZR and Knox County.
Eric also looked back on covering the Hartford Fair with WNZR students and on the memorable moments that came with taking the station on location.
Two of his favorite memories came from the Christian Music Broadcasters University conference in Nashville. Eric traveled with WNZR students for the event, giving them the opportunity to learn more about Christian broadcasting while also spending time together outside the station.
The trip itself created plenty of stories, including a cold wait for food and an eventful drive home through winter weather.
Looking back, Eric said what has made leaving WNZR especially difficult is the people. He thanked listeners for the support they have shown him and said the connection between the audience and the WNZR team is unlike what he has experienced elsewhere in broadcasting.
He also reflected on how meaningful it has been to serve the community while helping spread the message of Jesus through WNZR’s ministry.
Although Eric is leaving his full-time role and moving to Florida, listeners will still hear his voice on WNZR. The station plans to continue working with him remotely through a contract arrangement for news coverage. He will also return to teaching as an Adjunct Professor in the CAPS program for MVNU.
Marcy thanked Eric for his leadership, experience and time with WNZR and said the station will continue praying for him as he makes the move and begins a new chapter.
On Wednesday’s edition of the Morning Thing, the Big Blue Crew took a trip down memory lane and shared some of those memorable first days of school — from that very first day of kindergarten, to starting at a new school, to the emotions that come with sending your own child off for their first day.
Starting Monday off with a Christ-centered mindset can be difficult a lot of the time, but it can make the biggest impact for your week. Today, the Big Blue Crew chose one word they want to represent their week. Here are some examples of words you can think of:
Peace
Joy
Patience
Courage
Trust
Hope
Remember Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT): “5Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. 6 Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.“
Hear what words the Big Blue Crew chose for their Monday Mindset here:
A full year of planning goes into one weekend in downtown Mount Vernon.
WNZR’s Daniel Russell spoke with Joe Rinehart, Board Chair for the Mount Vernon Music and Arts Festival, about what it takes to organize the event and what visitors can expect this year.
Rinehart said planning begins almost immediately after the previous festival ends. The board is made up entirely of volunteers, so much of the work comes down to finding time throughout the year to coordinate music, vendors, artists, sponsors, activities and all of the other pieces that make the event possible.
One of the biggest changes this year is the return to a three-day festival. Thursday will no longer be part of the event, which Rinehart said helps reduce the amount of time downtown streets are closed.
Music remains a major part of the weekend. Saturday night will feature Preston Cooper as the headliner, with 615 Collective opening the show. Friday night will have more of a classic rock feel, beginning with Phil Dirt and the Dozers at 6:30 p.m., followed by Forever Seger, a Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band tribute act.
The festival also continues to bring thousands of visitors into downtown Mount Vernon. Rinehart said about 9,300 people came through the downtown area during the event, creating opportunities for local businesses while giving visitors a chance to experience the community.
Several family-friendly attractions are returning. Kidsfest will run from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Sunday.
A new addition this year is BrickFest, giving visitors a chance to build and create with LEGO. It will be held on the second floor of the Woodward Opera House from 3 until 8 p.m. Friday and from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. Saturday.
Other returning favorites include the Car and Motorcycle Cruise-In on Saturday, the Kiwanis Pie Auction, the Wood Challenge, the flower show and the chalk competition.
Rinehart said much of the work happens behind the scenes, from coordinating with artists and vendors to arranging food trucks, local media, promotions, websites and business partnerships. He said the effort is worth it when people come downtown, enjoy themselves and support local businesses.
For anyone who has never attended, Rinehart emphasized that the festival is free. Visitors can come downtown, find something to eat, listen to live music and enjoy the community atmosphere without needing a ticket.
The festival is also still looking for volunteers, especially on Thursday and Sunday, to help welcome visitors, answer questions and support the event.
Rinehart thanked the board of directors and volunteers who have worked throughout the year, along with the City of Mount Vernon, the Woodward Opera House, the Mount Vernon Grand Hotel, Joann and Audry for organizing the flower show, and Sweet Street Candy Shop for hosting the chalk competition.
He also thanked presenting sponsor Ariel Corporation, along with Park National Bank and the Mount Vernon Arts Consortium.
Click HERE to learn more about the Mount Vernon Music and Arts Festival!
Three longtime community volunteers were honored during August First Friday as Mount Vernon’s 2026 Volunteers of the Year.
WNZR Station Manager Marcy Rinehart, Randy Cronk and Jerry Scott were recognized Friday night for the many ways they have given their time and talents to Mount Vernon and Knox County.
WNZR’s Eric Brown spoke with Mayor Matt Starr about the history of the award and how the recognition has changed over the years. Starr explained that what once focused primarily on volunteers serving city boards and commissions has expanded to recognize people making a difference throughout the community.
This year’s recipients represent three very different areas of service.
Jerry Scott has spent decades involved with organizations across Knox County. WNZR’s Ethan Hershberger talked with Scott about his work with Scouting, local churches, Food For The Hungry and more than 40 years of service with The Salvation Army.
Scott also serves with the Mount Vernon Association of Police Chaplains. He explained how chaplains remain available around the clock to respond during some of the most difficult moments families face, including death notifications and other emergencies.
His 51 years in law enforcement helped prepare him for that work. Scott said prayer and his faith play an important role in helping him face difficult situations, including body recoveries and delivering devastating news to families.
He also encouraged others to find a way to become involved in the community. Outside of his chaplain work, Scott is also well known for his longtime role as emcee of the Mount Vernon Music and Arts Festival.
For Randy Cronk, much of his volunteer service can be found along the Kokosing Gap Trail.
Cronk told WNZR’s Ethan Hershberger that he first became involved with the trail in 1988 and eventually became president of the organization.
The 13-and-a-half-mile trail requires year-round work from volunteers who maintain the property, clear storm damage and respond when problems arise. Cronk said that teamwork has helped the trail grow into an important recreational resource and part of a larger transportation network.
A major project is also ahead. The entire trail is scheduled to be repaved for the first time in 35 years, an effort Cronk said has been made possible through several community partnerships.
He also pointed to the trail’s role in bringing visitors into Mount Vernon and encouraged people who enjoy outdoor work to consider volunteering. Trail users can also help by reporting problems through the Kokosing Gap Trail’s Facebook page.
WNZR Station Manager Marcy Rinehart was recognized for more than 30 years of service in Knox County.
Rinehart told WNZR’s Eric Brown that her parents taught her the importance of using her gifts to help others, something that became an important part of both her life and her faith.
Her volunteer work has included longtime involvement with Food For The Hungry, United Way, the Knox Network of Christian Ministries and the OSU Extension Advisory Committee.
Rinehart said volunteering has also led to lasting friendships and encouraged others not to underestimate what even a small amount of time can accomplish when people work together.
She also reflected on how community service has become part of WNZR’s mission, giving students opportunities to learn while serving organizations throughout Knox County.
Together, Rinehart, Cronk and Scott represent different forms of volunteerism, but each has spent years finding ways to serve where they are needed.
Click HERE to find out more about the City of Mount Vernon!
Lacey Filkins, Executive Director for Experience Mount Vernon, stopped by The Morning Thing to talk about tonight’s exciting event – August First Friday.
She shared a highlight of all the fun activities and how the downtown business district will celebrate this theme – Paws On Parde!
Lacey shared details on parking, food, entertainment, the Experience Mount Vernon Passport and how your family can have fun tonight. We also shared all the details of WNZR’s Annual Costumed Paws on Parade.
WNZR will be there tonight! Look for Big Blue near the Dog Fountain on South Main Street. Don’t miss your chance to register for some amazing prizes. We have prizes for humans and DOGS!
Click HERE to hear the full conversation or click on the picture below.
Click HERE to find all the details about tonight’s event.
