WJZM began in the early 1940s, when radio included everything from serialized dramas and weekly sermons to news and live sports.

The premiere broadcast on Sunday, Oct. 14, 1941, began at 9 a.m. with a Sunday School lesson from First Baptist Church by Pastor Richard N. Owen, then a sermon by the Rev. W.L. McColgan of First Presbyterian Church, according to Leaf-Chronicle archives. Then followed addresses by Montgomery County Judge John T. Cunningham; Charles V. Runyon, representing Mayor William Kleeman; and H.D. Pettus and C.W. Bailey, representing the Clarksville Chamber of Commerce.

From there, the station offered a wide variety of daily programming, starting at 6 a.m. and signing off at 11 p.m., according to 1941 listings. Local programs included shows such as “Clarksville Calling” and “Sports Spotlight,” supplemented by syndicated shows from the Mutual Broadcasting System such as “White House Conference,” “Ned Jordan, Secret Agent” and “Morton Gould’s Orchestra.”