DX-midAMerica Bygone Dial Guides
One thing about this neat hobby. It has taken me through most of my life. I began at 13 years old and have been dx'ing, airchecking, QSL'ing, doing this since! Had I known then what I know now I never would have shot out QSL cards/letters, old record surveys collected, or years worth of WOKY-WRIT-WZUU record surveys tossed. But, that is done. I still have some old WOKY-WRIT-WZUU surveys plus old jingles from WRIT, WOKY, WNOV, KFYR, KOIL, WAXX, WSAU, WIFC etc. Once it's in your blood....
THIS page is a listing of several midAMerica radio markets through the years. I'll start slowly and add what I can as time permits. The stuff below is very interesting indeed. If you have anything to add, please drop a note. You will be credited of course.
Shown is freq, call, power /d = daytimer only. Any notes I can muster up. Note the number of AM vs FM outlets. FM surpassed AM in listenership around 1980. Daytimers added pssa (post-sunset authorization) in the mid-80's.
LATEST SUBMISSION: Rapid City SD
Rapid City Journal via Newspapers.com JAN 1986 AM Dial 580 KOBH Hay Springs (nostalgia) 810 KBHB Sturgis (country) 920 KKLS Rapid City (AC) 980 KHSJ Lead/Deadwood (solid gold/oldies Top 40) 1060 KGFX Pierre (country) 1150 KIMM Rapid City (country & western) 1240 KNEY Pierre (AC) 1240 KASL Newcastle (top country/country rock) 1260 KWYR Winner (AC) ABC 1270 KIML Gillette (country) 1300 KOLY Mobridge (format not indicated) Ag America/ABC 1340 KTOQ Rapid City (country) 1380 KOTA Rapid City (MOR/easy listening) 1400 KBJM Lemmon (country & western) 1400 KCOW Chadron (AC) 1450 KBFS Belle Fourche (AC/pop country hits) FM Dial 89.3 KBHE Rapid City (South Dakota Public Radio) 90.1 KILL Pine Ridge (variety) 92.7 KGFX Pierre (rock) 93.1 KRCS Sturgis (country) 93.1(?) KOLL Gillette (rock) 93.7 KWYR Winner (AC) ABC 94.7 KKLS Rapid CIty (CHR) 95.1 KSQY Lead/Deadwood (album-oriented rock) 95.3 KCCR Pierre (AC) 96.7 KOBH Hot Springs (Top 40) 97.9 KVSR Rapid City (gospel) 99.5 KOLY Mobridge (format not listed) ABC 100.3 Hit 100 Rapid CIty (hit radio; what were the calls?) 101.1 KEZV Spearfish (easy listening) 107.3 KSLT Spearfish (AC/Christian)
Ann Arbor,MI November 1975 (Source:McDonald's promotional item)
Sent in by Eric Berger.
An asterisk (*) indicates a daytime-only station, while any of Eric Berger's personal comments are in brackets [ ]
AM
540 - CBEF Widnsor - French
560 - WHND* Monroe - Honey Radio - All Oldies, rock
580 - CKWW Windsor - Popular Music/Talk
590 - WKZO Kalamazoo - MOR
600 - WTAC Flint - Top 40 Hit Music (Big 6)
610 - WTVN Columbus - Popular Music
630 - CFCO Chatham - Popular music
670 - WMAQ Chicago - Modern Country Music 24 hours
700 - WLW Cincinnati - Contemporary-pop
710 - CHYR* Leamington - Top 40 (730 AM at night)
720 - WGN Chicago - MOR, talk, news, sports
760 - WJR Detroit - Pop music/news/talk/sports
780 - WBBM Chicago - All-news
800 - CKLW Windsor - Top 30 (The Big 8)
820 - WOSU* Columbus - Public
840 - WHAS Louisville - Pop
850 - WJW Cleveland - MOR
870 - WKAR* East Lansing - Public
880 - WRFD* Worthington, OH - Solid Gold Oldies (50s & 60s)
890 - WLS Chicago - Top 40 (Musicradio 89) 24 hours
900 - WFRO* Fremont - MOR & Pop
910 - WFDF Flint - Contemporary-pop
930 - WEOL Elyria-Lorain - MOR
950 - WWJ Detroit - All-News & Talk, Sports/Music Nights
970 - WKHM Jackson - Pop
1000 - WCFL Chicago - Top 40 from Super CFL
1050 - WPAG* Ann Arbor - MOR-talk-news-farm
1070 - CHOK Sarnia - Pop
1080 - WOAP* Owosso - Pop-MOR [They spelled it 'Owasso']
1090 - WIID* Garden City - Ethnic-foreign language
1100 - WWWE Cleveland - MOR & Sports
1130 - W-CAR Detroit - Automated Pop-Contemporary Music
1190 - WOWO Fort Wayne - Top 40
1210 - WKNX* Saginaw - Pop Music mixed with oldies
1220 - WGAR Cleveland - Pop-Rock & 1960s Oldies mixed
1230 - WCWA Toledo - Solid Gold Rock, plus pop hits
1240 - WJIM Lansing - Popular Music & Features
1270 - WXYZ Detroit - Top 40 Hits & Oldies, MusicRadio
1290 - WNRS* Saline - Great American Country Music
1310 - WNIC Dearborn - NICe-Music, soft easy listening
1320 - WILS Lansing - Top 40
1340 - WEXL Royal Oak - Inspiration Radio-Gospel Music
1350 - WHMI* Howell - Pop
1370 - WSPD Toledo - Pop/MOR
1390 - WCER* Charlotte - Pop/Contemporary music
1400 - WJLB Detroit - Soul music
1440 - WCHB Inkster - Super CHB; Soul music all the time
1450 - WIBM Jackson - Top 40
1460 - WPON Pontiac - Popular music, soul at night
1470 - WOHO Toledo - Pop music & Talk
1480 - WSDS* Ypsilanti - Modern Country
1490 - WABJ Adrian - MOR
1500 - WDEE Detroit - Modern Country-Radio 15
1520 - WYFC* Ypsilanti - Gospel & Religion [!]
1550 - CBE Windsor - Variety of programs
1560 - WTOD* Toledo - Modern Country
1600 - WAAM Ann Arbor - Top 40 Hit Music, soul at night
--FM--
88.1 - WEMU Ypsilanti - Classical & Rock from EMU
88.7 - CJOM Windsor - Pop-Beautiful Music; automated
89.3 - WSDP Plymouth - Rock & Variety/Sports from Plymouth High School
89.5 - WCBN Ann Arbor - folk-rock-soul-classical from U of M
90.5 - WKAR East Lansing - Classical/fine arts from MSU
90.9 - WDTR Detroit - Detroit Board of Education
91.7 - WUOM Ann Arbor - Classical/fine arts from U of M
92.3 - WCAR Detroit - Automated Popular Music mixed with Oldies
92.5 - WMHE Toledo - Commercial Progressive Rock, familiar LPS, etc.
93.1 - WDRQ Detroit - Hot 40 mixed with soul (93-Q)
93.9 - CKLW Windsor - FM 9/4 Country; Modern Country Music in Stereo
94.1 - WHFI Jackson - Always Beautiful music on w-HI-FI/FM 94
94.7 - WHNE Birmingham - Honey Radio: All Oldies-All the Time!
94.9 - WVIC East Lansing - Top 40 Rock, with Progressive at night (AM-730)
95.5 - WLDM Detroit - Traditional Easy Listening until 2AM daily
96.1 - WHNN Bay City - Top 40 Hits; Super Win Radio
96.3 - WJR Detroit - Beautiful Music around the clock
97.1 - WWJ Detroit - The New Music One; Beautiful Music on FM 97
97.5 - WJIM Lansing - Beautiful Music
97.9 - WMZK Detroit - Ethnic-All foreign language
98.3 - WVMO Monroe - MOR & Country & Western Mix
98.7 - WBFG Detroit - We Broadcast For God; All Gospel Music
99.1 - WFMK East Lansing - New Progressive Rock Albums on 99/FMK
99.5 - WABX Detroit - Semi-free-form Progressive Rock
99.9 - WKLR Toledo - Soul, Blues, Jazz on KooLoR Radio 99
100.3 - WNIC Dearborn - NICe-Music/Easy Listening (1310 AM)
100.7 - WITL Lansing - Stereo Modern Country (AM 1010)
101.1 - WRIF Detroit - Familiar rock-pop-progressive
101.5 - WLQR Toledo - Popular Music presented in soft stylings
101.9 - WDET Detroit - Fine Arts/Classical from WSU
102.3 - WPOS Holland, OH - Religious/Gospel music
102.5 - WGER Bay City - Powerful Beautiful Music
102.7 - WBRB Mount Clemens - Popular-MOR & Talk
102.9 - W-103 Ann Arbor - Album Rock, progressive, semi-free-form in style
103.5 - WMUZ Detroit - Religion/Gospel Music
103.9 - WLEN Adrian - MOR & Country & Western mix
104.3 - WOMC Detroit - Bright contemporary approach to Easy Listening
104.7 - WIOT Toledo - Free-form hard progressive rock
105.1 - WQRS Detroit - Fine Arts & Classical
105.5 - WXEZ Sylvania, OH - Beautiful Music (E-Z On the Mind)
105.9 - WJZZ Detroit - W-JaZZ is full-time jazz
106.1 - WKHM Jackson - Popular music same as AM 970
106.7 - WWWW Detroit - Quadraphonic W/4, familiar progressive rock
107.1 - WPAG Ann Arbor - MOR days, country nights, same as AM 1050
107.5 - WGPR Detroit - Soul & Blues
107.9 - WGMZ Flint - Beautiful Music all the time on FM/108
From the above lists, does anyone remember the 3 Top40's in Toledo? WOHO, WTTO and WTOD with the "Pop-O-Meter" survey. WOHO had the "Good Guys" and the Music Guide. WIBM's survey was the "WIBM Computerized Survey" which looked like an IBM punch card. 1600-WAAM in 1967 had the Top 16 singles and the Top 16 albums!
Bismarck, ND 1974 (Source:Vane Jones Log)
550 KFYR 5000 Top40 "K-Fire" ["K-Firemen" from 1967 KFYR "Torrid 20" survey: Tom Turcotte, Dan Brannan, Brian Bennett, Bob Bitz, Orly Knutson]
1130 KBMR 10000d (here from 1350 w/500d)
1270 KWWB 1000d
92.9 KFYR-FM [EZL in '69, Drake oldies in 72ish, later Top40 as Y93 (KYYY) against co-owned KFYR-AM in 1975]
94.5 KBMR-FM
Bloomington, IL 1983 AM: 560 WIND Chicago (Spanish) 580 WILL Urbana (news/talk) 670 WMAQ Chicago (news) 720 WGN Chicago (full service) 780 WBBM Chicago (news) 890 WLS Chicago (news/talk) 1000 WLUP Chicago (personality rock) 1020 WPEO Peoria (religious) 1080 WPOK Pontiac (nostalgia) 1140 WVEL Pekin (Christian) 1160 WJJD Chicago (nostalgia) 1220 WLPO LaSalle (diverse) 1230 WJBC Bloomington (full service) 1250 WIZZ Streator (MOR) 1290 WIRL Peoria (AC) 1340 WSOY Decatur (AC) 1350 WXCL Peoria (country) 1370 WPRC Lincoln (country) 1400 WDWS Champaign (news/talk) 1470 WMBD Peoria (AC) 1520 WHOW Clinton (country) 1580 WBCP (Black hits & oldies) FM: 88.1 WESN Bloomington (diverse) 88.9 WLNX Lincoln (diverse) 89.1 WGLT Notmal (jazz/blues/classical) 89.9 WCBU Peoria (classical/jazz) 90.9 WILL Urbana (classical) 92.5 WKIO Urbana (golden oldies) 93.1 WXRT Chicago (album rock) 93.3 WKZW Peoria AC KZ93 94.3 WQEZ Chillicothe (beautiful music) 94.5 WLRW Champaign (AC) 95.5 WGLO Pekin (AC) 95.9 WHOW Clinton (easy listening) 96.7 WIHN Normal (AC/oldies) 97.5 WHMS Champaign (light rock) 97.7 WSTQ Streator (country) 98.3 WZOR Farmer City (country) 98.5 WCRI Eureka (MOR) 99.3 WAJK LaSalle (AC) 100.1 WESZ Lincoln (country) 101.5 WBNQ Bloomington (CHR) 102.3 WTAZ Morton (talk/sports/news) 102.9 WSOY Decatur (AC) 103.1 WJEZ Pontiac (easy listening) 104.1 WBWN Bloomington (country) 104.9 WPXN Paxton (oldies) 105.7 WWCT Peoria (classic rock) 106.3 WGCY Gibson City (beautiful music) 106.9 WSWT Peoria (AC) 107.1 WPGU Champaign (diverse)
560 WEBC 5000 610 KDAL 5000 710 WDSM 5000 850 WWJC 10000d 970 WAKX 500d [Top40 "Wax". Old jingles I have have WAKX on 1320!] 1390 KAOH 500d 98.9 KPIR 103.3 WDTH 105.1 WGGR
Houghton-Hancock,MI 1974 (Source:Vane Jones Log)
920 WMPL 1000d
1400 WHDF 1000
93.5 WMPL-FM
Houghton-Hancock,MI 1989 (Source:M Street Radio Directory)
920 WMPL 1000d REL/Talk
1340 WDXW L'Anse CP:never used
1400 WCCY 1000 C&W [Taped]
93.5 WZRK [AoR&. Was Top40 as Z-93 is mid80's]
97.7 WHUH Top40 [Taped. CP for 96.3 never used]
98.7 WTHV Hancock CP:never used UNTIL WGLI built
102.3 WAAH 3000 @ 328' CP:NEW
104.3 WJMY Baraga [CP in 1989]
Louisville,KY Louisville Courier-Journal TV pull-out section of April 15, 1979. I copied them exactly as they appeared in the paper (no point on 107 WVEZ's freq). Many of them, as late as 1979, still signed off overnights. -sent in by Tom Sanders
AM stations:
620 WTMT 6 AM-7:15 PM, local news on the hour, :20 and :40.
650 WSM Nashville, 24 hours, NBC News on the hour.
700 WLW Cincinnati, 24 hours, NBC News on the hour.
790 WAKY 24 hours; news on the hour and :30.
840 WHAS 24 hours, CBS, local news on the hour, sports at :30.
900 WFIA 6 AM-7:15 PM, news :30.
970 WAVE 24 hours, NBC, local news on hour, sports at 3:30,
4:30, 5:15, 5:45 PM. (Reds baseball)
1080 WKLO 24 hours, news on the hour.
1240 WINN 24 hours, ABC News at :30.
1300 WDGS New Albany IN, 6 AM-7:15 PM, UPI News on the hour,
Local news at :30. (Cubs baseball)
1350 WLOU 6 AM-7:15 PM, news on the hour.
1400 WIEL Elizabethtown, 6 AM-1 AM, ABC News at :54.
1570 WOBS 6 AM-7:15 PM, news on the hour.
FM stations:
89.3 WFPL Public Radio 6 AM-midnight.
90.5 WUOL Stereo music, public radio, 6 AM-midnight.
91.9 WFPK Stereo classical music, 6 AM-midnight.
93.5 WMMG Brandenburg, Country stereo 6 AM-1 AM, KNIS News
periodically.
95.7 WQHI Jeffersonville/Louisville, Rock In Quad 24 hours,
news on the hour.
97.5 WAMZ Country stereo 24 hours, news at :15 and :45.
99.7 WCSN Stereo music 24 hours; news on the hour.
100.1 WQXE Elizabethtown, 24 hours, news periodically.
100.9 WMPI Scottsburg, Country 6 AM-11 PM, MBS News :30.
101.7 WZZX Jeffersontown, Stereo rock 24 hours, news :50.
102.3 WLRS Stereo quad rock 24 hours.
103.1 WNUU Stereo music 24 hours, news :56.
103.9 WFIA 24 hours, music daytime, religious programs evening;
news on the hour.
105.5 WSAC Fort Knox, Stereo rock 5 AM-midnight, news on the
hour.
106.3 WKMO Hodgenville, Country stereo 6 AM-midnight, news at
:30.
107 WVEZ Stereo music 24 hours, news :58.
Marquette,MI 1974 (Source:Vane Jones Log)
970 WUPY 5000d
1240 WJPD 1000
1320 WDMJ 1000
100.1 WUUN 300w/300' [Ran Drakes Hitparade, a HotAC taped format. Would move to 103.3 as WRUP "We'Re up on the UP" (HotAC) then be WFXD Oldies and is now B-103.3 with C&W.]
Marquette,MI 1989 (Source:M Street Radio Directory)
970 WMVN 5000d REL
1240 WJPD 1000 //FM C&W
1320 WDMJ 5000/1000
92.3 WJPD-FM 100000 470' C&W
95.7 WHWL 100000 @ 530' REL
103.3 WRUP 100000 @ 544' HotAC "U-P 1-0-3"
107.5 WMQT 100000 @ 530' Top40 "Q107"[here from 107.1 in '84]
Minot,ND 1974 (Source:Vane Jones Log)
910 KCJB 5000
1320 KHRT 1000d
1390 KLPM 5000/-
1430 KTYN 5000d
93.7 KMOT-FM
97.1 KCJB-FM
Minot,ND 1989 (Source:M Street Radio Directory)
910 KCJB 5000/1000 C&W
1320 KHRT 2500/310 REL
1390 KRRZ 5000/1000 Oldies& [EX:KKOA Top40]
1430 KTYN 5000/- NOS&
93.7 KIZZ 10000 600' "Z94" Top40
97.1 KHHT 100000 985'"K-Hit 97" Top40 [calls/format changed in '84. Again in '91]
99.9 KBQQ 100000 AdCon&
105.1 KZPR 100000 579' C&W
Wausau-Stevens Point,WI 1974 (Source:Vane Jones Log)
550 WSAU 5000 ["Solid Gold 55" ran a HotAC format w/every other song an oldie in 1974]
1010 WSPT 1000d [//FM Top40 - "Super SPT"]
1230 WXCO 1000 [dropped Top40 in 1970 I believe]
1400 WRIG 1000 ["Big Rig" was Top40 in 1974, would move to 1390 in 1981, I believe]
95.5 WIFC 100000/990' [Top40 since inception in '70. EX:WSAU-FM. Calls stood for WIsconsin Forward Communications. Former owners.]
97.9 WSPT-FM 50000/340'
101.9 WDEZ 100000/480' [Former WRIG-FM Top40//. EZL in '74. Later went C&W. C&W since.]
*** This area had three Top40s with WRIG AM, WSPT-AM/FM and WIFC which leaned AoRish at night, but still played jingles. Who would play 8 minutes of "Slow Ride" on a Top40? WIFC did then! Anyone remember the "Midnight Tracker" where WIFC tracked an entire album? Jocks: Tom Hudson, BJ Crocker, David Shane Arrowood. Aside, BJ Crocker was a brilliant pd of both WIFC and co-owned WKAU later. Printed survey:WIFC Big 30]