"Small Station Wears Big Shoes, Leaves Huge Tracks"

by Harold L. Lawder
(Ava, IL) On January 11, 1982 at 6:00 a.m. a small FM (3,000 watts) radio station, licensed to the equally small community of Ava, IL went on the air. Years before that, Ava had an even smaller AM station that in less than a year moved to DuQuoin, IL. It was predicted by many that a similar fate would await this venture.
But lo and behold, some 21 years later WXAN 103.9 is still on the air, and with doubled power from the original 3,000 watts to 6,000 watts.
Well, what about the big shoes and huge tracks? Throughout the 80's and 90's and into the 2000's WXAN was responsible for bringing into the area top national Southern Gospel music groups to include Gold City, The Cathedrals, The Kingsmen, J.D. Sumner & The Stamps, The Isaacs, Jeff & Sheri Easter, Legacy Five, The Crabb Family, Chonda Pierce, Dennis Swanberg and on and on.
In 1990 at the Southern Gospel National Quartet Convention in Nashville, TN WXAN was selected as the 2nd best Southern Gospel music station in the nation. The following year in 1991 at the same convention, WXAN, among hundreds of other Southern Gospel stations, was selected as the #1, the very best.
In 1997 the Southern Illinoisan conducted a contest among its readers as to Southern Illinois' Top DJ. WXAN's afternoon driver personality Carolyn Cremeens placed in the Top 5. Then in 1998 she was voted the Southern Illinoisan's Top Jock. Carolyn and other WXAN announcers have also won the Singing News Golden Mic Award.
For many years WXAN has opened the Apple Festival activities in downtown Murphysboro, IL. And each year the stature of the lead performers has increased. Such notables as John Starnes, Anthony Burger, Mark Bishop, 'N Harmony, The New Hinsons, The Hemphills, LuLu Roman, and many more have thrilled Southern Illinois audiences. 
As a Christian radio station, WXAN's goal is not to be the most popular radio station in Southern Illinois, but to be faithful to the calling of God for their particular broadcast ministry.
More History
1982 - Current WXAN morning DJ Bill McCarty helps WXAN sign on the air
1986 - Current WXAN & KMHM General Manager Doug Apple comes on board as Music Director and evening on-air announcer
1989 - WXAN switched to an all-Southern Gospel format, becoming the “Home of Southern Gospetality”
1990 - “Southern Gospetality News” begins publishing
1991 - Current WXAN afternoon DJ Carolyn Cremeens begins her “Top Jock” performance.
1995 - WXAN’s sister station KMHM 104.1 FM signs on in Marble Hill, Missouri