Kingsport/Tri-Cities Retro Dial, May 1980

[Bluenoser]

from Times-News Weekender via Newspapers.com
Network affiliations were only indicated for the AM stations

AM DIAL
690 WZAP Bristol (Modern Country; Mutual)
790 WETB Johnson City (Top 40; Mutual)
910 WJCW Johnson City (Adult Country; CBS)
980 WFHG Bristol (Top 40; ABC)
1050 WGAT Gate City (Bluegrass/Country; Mutual/Virginia Radio Network)
1090 WGOC Kingsport (Gospel)
1260 WMCH Church Hill (Country/Gospel)
1320 WKIN Kingsport (Top 40; RKO)
1350 WNVA Norton (Country/Rock)
1400 WKPT Kingsport (Top 40; ABC)
1490 WOPI Bristol (AC; NBC)
1550 WKYE Bristol (AC; ABC)
1570 WSWV Pennington Gap (Country/Rock)
1590 WJSO Johnson City (Contemporary; AP)

FM DIAL
* frequencies listed as indicated in Weekender
89.5 WETB Johnson City (Public)
93.5 WLSO Big Stone Gap (Country/Rock)
94.9 WOFM Greeneville (Country)
95 WROQ Charlotte (AOR)
95.9 WOZI Morristown (Contemporary Top 40)
96.9 WXBQ Bristol (Modern Country)
98 WKPT Kingsport (Easy Listening)
99.3 WIDD Elizabethton (Gospel)
99.5 WLOS Asheville (Easy Listening)
100 WOKI Oak Ridge/Knoxville (AC)
101.5 WQUT Johnson City (AOR)
103.5 WMIZ Knoxville (Rock)
104.9 WGAT Gate City (Country)
105.5 WSWV Pennington Gap (Country/Rock)
106.3 WNVA Norton (Country/Rock)
108 WIVK Knoxville (Modern Country)

 

[gr8oldies]

We of course know that WOKI was 100.3, WLOS was 99.9 and WIVK was 107.7, and 103.5 was WIMZ.

 

[Pratte4Life]

Admittedly this is a bit before my time, but:

I remember 1090 WGOC as WJTZ and then they moved to 640. It is now WXSM and WGOC is a business format on 1320.

But I don't recall WGOC being "WGOC" until they changed to a classic country format in the 1990s on 640. The call letters were WJTZ- taken I believe after the initials of the North Carolina-based owner.

I always thought WGOC stood for something like "Good Ol' Country" or "Great Ol' Country." I know they went by "Top Gun Country" for awhile, but things around here often don't make any sense.

Therefore it doesn't make sense to me that these would be their call letters in 1980.

Do you know something I don't?

 

[Pratte4Life]

from Times-News Weekender via Newspapers.com
Network affiliations were only indicated for the AM stations

AM DIAL
690 WZAP Bristol (Modern Country; Mutual)
790 WETB Johnson City (Top 40; Mutual)
910 WJCW Johnson City (Adult Country; CBS)
980 WFHG Bristol (Top 40; ABC)
1050 WGAT Gate City (Bluegrass/Country; Mutual/Virginia Radio Network)
1090 WGOC Kingsport (Gospel)
1260 WMCH Church Hill (Country/Gospel)
1320 WKIN Kingsport (Top 40; RKO)
1350 WNVA Norton (Country/Rock)
1400 WKPT Kingsport (Top 40; ABC)
1490 WOPI Bristol (AC; NBC)
1550 WKYE Bristol (AC; ABC)
1570 WSWV Pennington Gap (Country/Rock)
1590 WJSO Johnson City (Contemporary; AP)

FM DIAL
* frequencies listed as indicated in Weekender
89.5 WETB Johnson City (Public)
93.5 WLSO Big Stone Gap (Country/Rock)
94.9 WOFM Greeneville (Country)
95 WROQ Charlotte (AOR)
95.9 WOZI Morristown (Contemporary Top 40)
96.9 WXBQ Bristol (Modern Country)
98 WKPT Kingsport (Easy Listening)
99.3 WIDD Elizabethton (Gospel)
99.5 WLOS Asheville (Easy Listening)
100 WOKI Oak Ridge/Knoxville (AC)
101.5 WQUT Johnson City (AOR)
103.5 WMIZ Knoxville (Rock)
104.9 WGAT Gate City (Country)
105.5 WSWV Pennington Gap (Country/Rock)
106.3 WNVA Norton (Country/Rock)
108 WIVK Knoxville (Modern Country)

Something else- was WQUT really AOR in 1980?

I didn't even know the format existed until 1989 when I moved away from the area.

My memories of WQUT- and admittedly this would have been in 1986-89 or so- was that of a Top 40 station and it really kicked ass- winning the ratings wars and the like.

But while rock was very much a part of the Top 40 then, so you might hear Guns and Roses or Bon Jovi or something like that, I also remember pop songs- Paula Abdul, Bruce Hornsby, etc. being played.

Are you sure WQUT was an AOR station in 1980?