From the beginning until now, WMNF has had a paid staff but most of the programming is by volunteers.WMNF has aired a wide variety of music shows. They include programs featuring Adult Album Alternative (AAA), Blues, Bluegrass, [(Folk)], Alternative Rock, Rockabilly, R&B, Soul music, Urban Gospel, Celtic music, Jazz, Salsa and Experimental music.

WMNF airs several progressive talk and news programs. Shows are focused on LGBTQ issues, animal and environmental preservation and civil rights. Each weekday morning, it carries the nationally syndicated Democracy Now! with Amy Goodman and Juan González.

Among the long-running music shows are: The Sixties Show, Gospel Classic Hour, The Soul Party and The Freak Show”. Past public affairs programs included RadioActivity and 'The Women's Show, touching on feminist issues that first started running in the 1980s. Current long running PA shows include 'Art in Your Ear, Talking Animals, and True Talk, which focuses on the Middle East and the global issues Muslims face.

In 1986 WMNF began the first hip hop show in the area, The Kenny K Wax Attack, Saturday midnight. An Arbitron rating showed 42% of radio listeners under 25 were listening to Kenny K. Saturday late night remains hip hop,programming today.

In 2014 WMNF added to the schedule “The Rhythm Revival”, hosted by nationally known recording artist/music historian Reverend Billy C. Wirtz. In 2021, Marvelous Marvin, a longtime popular DJ on Tampa Bay commercial radio, joined the show as a cohost. The Friday drive-time high-energy presentation of post WW2 blues, country and gospel is a station highlight.

In 2022 WUSF discontinued evening and overnight jazz programming to the dismay of area jazz fans. WMNF recruited WUSF’s longtime former jazz director Bob Seymour to present a Monday evening jazz show on WMNF. Jazz fans have embraced the new show show “Jazz in the Night”. https://www.tampabay.com/life-culture/music/music-news/2022/10/31/all-night-jazz-ends-wmnf-announces-new-jazz-radio-show/

Before going on the air the station conducted a door to door campaign to raise startup funds. The station signed on the air on September 14, 1979; 44 years ago (September 14, 1979).^[3] It was established by the Nathan B. Stubblefield Foundation, a non-profit organization started solely for this purpose. The Board of Directors comprises programmers, volunteers, staff, and community members. The first WMNF studios were in an old house in south Tampa, moving to a vacated church on Nebraska Avenue in Tampa in 1981.

WMNF was originally powered at 70,000 watts but on a much shorter tower. When its tower tripled in height in 2007, its power was reduced but still with better coverage.

WMNF holds periodic on-air fundraisers and seeks donations and volunteers on its website. Its supporters account for approximately 70% of its funding.^[4] There are three pledge drives each year. The station has paid operations staff, but most of the hosts and pledge drive workers are volunteers.

In 2005, WMNF moved into new state of the art studios and production space financed by listener donations. The facility is located adjacent to the old studio which was demolished and now serves as a parking lot. The new facility is over 12,000 square feet (1,100 m²) with three broadcast studios, two production studios and a live performance studio named in memory of Mike Eisenstadt, longtime host of the Sunday Simcha, a Jewish music and public affairs show that still airs on Sundays at 2pm. The music library can store approximately 100,000 CDs, and has about 8,000 record albums.^{[citation needed]}

In 2007, WMNF moved to a higher antenna tower at 469 meters (1539 feet) in height above average terrain (HAAT). The signal stretches from Clearwater and Bradenton to Lakeland and Fort Meade.

In 1997, Florida State Senator John Grant zeroed out $104,000 in state funding from the annual budget, citing his displeasure at the lyrics of a song he had heard broadcast (Iris DeMent's "Wasteland of the Free"). In response to the shortfall, the station staged an emergency fund-raiser that took in $122,000 in a day and a half.^[5] Then Program Director, Randy Wynne indicated his belief that such difficulties arose after WMNF aired several criticisms against State Senator Grant's opposition to Olympic gold medalist diver, and outspoken LGBTQ activist Greg Louganis attending a speaking engagement at the University of South Florida.^[6]

In 2021, 43-year station veteran Rob Lorei was terminated by WMNF.^[7] Lorei, the public affairs director and show host said he was not given a reason. He told the Tampa Bay Times "No community radio station has been as consistently successful as WMNF. You'll have to ask the general manager why he terminated me." The station told the newspaper that Lorei was given the reason by the general manager and a member of the board. It would be his choice to disclose this. Lorei had been the host of Radioactivity with Rob Lorei, which aired weekdays at 11 a.m.

WMNF broadcasts four HD Radio channels which are also online streams and accessible on the WMNF app.

• HD-1 simulcasts the main WMNF signal.
• HD-2 The Urban Cafe featuring classic soul, R&B, blues, reggae and rap.
• HD-3 The Source, which airs news, public affairs, and arts programming.
• HD-4 Classic Live featuring new Indie music and music shows featuring new releases.

• List of community radio stations in the United States

8. ==References==

https://www.tampabay.com/life-culture/music/music-news/2022/10/31/all-night-jazz-ends-wmnf-announces-new-jazz-radio-show/

• Official website  
• The Source HD-3

• WMNF in the FCC FM station database
• WMNF in Nielsen Audio's FM station database

27°49′12″N 82°15′40″W / 27.820°N 82.261°W / 27.820; -82.261