95-5FM WSM "The 90s to Now"

[DJOnAStick]

To DJOnAStick, before Beaver changed to country they were CHR KQ-101 (WAKQ). As "The Beaver" was CHR ever played? If I recall the format break was clean from hits KQ to country Beaver, circa 1982 (?). Summer '89 I worked at Russellville studios and we were live including overnights.

Lee Irwin hired me for first radio job, weekends at "Privately owned and operated WABD-FM Fort Campbell, Clarksville, Hopkinsville". Great guy. He had some funny Swap & Shop horror stories from his Dickson radio days.

WABD and WCVQ have been some variation of AC since 1977 or '78. Before that they were rock format. If I recall correctly David Hall the late Steve Henderson worked there during 108's rock days.

To answer your question, no it never played CHR as The Beaver. It did, however, play an Urban AC mix in the days prior to it becoming KQ-101. After the flip from KQ-101 to The Beaver, it went straight country with Scooter, Alan Austin, Radio Rusty, and a couple more covering the shifts there. It was then known as "The Beaver 101-FM". If you remember back, they actually sponsored the ZZ Top concert at Municipal I believe! The majority of the staff from when it went to the 100.3 frequency are now over at the smaller, less popular, more "live & local", Bowling Green "Beaver". That includes Scooter (his bibbed overalls) & Myla Thomas.

Do you remember Hal King?

 

[firepoint525]

WAKQ is now KQ-105 (CHR) in the Paris/Paris Landing area. Isn't it a bit unusual for call letters to stay in the same general listening area, unless they are "heritage" calls? And they have been KQ-105 since the late '80s, I believe.

Meanwhile, I am still seeing "the Wolf" on one of those electronic billboards down on West End.

 

[DJOnAStick]

WAKQ is now KQ-105 (CHR) in the Paris/Paris Landing area. Isn't it a bit unusual for call letters to stay in the same general listening area, unless they are "heritage" calls? And they have been KQ-105 since the late '80s, I believe.

Meanwhile, I am still seeing "the Wolf" on one of those electronic billboards down on West End.

Paris isn't considered a part of the metro though so it's okay in that regard. Paris is considered more in the "Paducah-Murray-Clarksville" listening area as most Nashville stations start to fade out around there.

I noticed the "Wolf" billboard as well and would expect it to be changed soon. They won't leave it up there for too much longer.

 

[firepoint525]

WAKQ is now KQ-105 (CHR) in the Paris/Paris Landing area. Isn't it a bit unusual for call letters to stay in the same general listening area, unless they are "heritage" calls? And they have been KQ-105 since the late '80s, I believe.

Paris isn't considered a part of the metro though so it's okay in that regard. Paris is considered more in the "Paducah-Murray-Clarksville" listening area as most Nashville stations start to fade out around there.

By "same general listening area," I was not referring to Nashville. World does not revolve around us, y'know! I was referring to that rural area to the north and west of Nashville. I seriously doubt that the "WAKQ" call letters mean anything to Nashville residents, as 101.1 did not become a "move-in" until after they shed those calls. Meanwhile, if you lived in Clarksville, or maybe just a bit west, you could have picked up both KQ-101 and KQ-105.

 

[jetfli]

Meanwhile, if you lived in Clarksville, or maybe just a bit west, you could have picked up both KQ-101 and KQ-105.

I lived south and could pick them both up. Or was that just me, because I tried.

 

[DJOnAStick]

WAKQ is now KQ-105 (CHR) in the Paris/Paris Landing area. Isn't it a bit unusual for call letters to stay in the same general listening area, unless they are "heritage" calls? And they have been KQ-105 since the late '80s, I believe.

Paris isn't considered a part of the metro though so it's okay in that regard. Paris is considered more in the "Paducah-Murray-Clarksville" listening area as most Nashville stations start to fade out around there.

By "same general listening area," I was not referring to Nashville. World does not revolve around us, y'know! I was referring to that rural area to the north and west of Nashville. I seriously doubt that the "WAKQ" call letters mean anything to Nashville residents, as 101.1 did not become a "move-in" until after they shed those calls. Meanwhile, if you lived in Clarksville, or maybe just a bit west, you could have picked up both KQ-101 and KQ-105.

101.1's old tower was a 600+ footer on the southern edge of Russellville, KY back then. It sat high up on relatively flat ground so its signal covered Nashville, Clarksville, and Bowling Green quite well. I doubt it was a preset on most Nashville radio's but I wouldn't say that they didn't mean anything. The station was one of the most powerful urban AC stations in this area early on under the branding "KISS FM" (WQKS). That's a direct result of their coverage envelope extending into metro Nashville. During its time on the old tower formerly located in Russellville, the station did show up on regular Arbitron samples in metro Nashville. Back in the early 90's, Forever Communications purchased the 100.3 frequency and then sold the old 101.1 frequency to AM/FM (Clear Channel) who put jazz on it and called it "Jazzy 101". Forever built a new 1,000 foot tower in Christian County, KY (near Cerulean) for "The Beaver", and AM/FM built a 1,289 foot tower north of Springfield, TN for their "Jazzy 101", "101.1-The One", and now "101.1 The Beat". The Beaver, while it was on 101.1 was a full 100,000 watt station. When AM/FM purchased that frequency and built a new tower, the power was then dropped down dramatically from 100,000 watts to what it is today, 48,000 watts with a 60dbu extending out over 70 miles in all directions. They just recently powered back up from a transmitter issue that lasted two weeks there. They were broadcasting at about 20,000 watts for that period.

When I worked at Clear Channel Nashville, I can remember two times that "The Beat" was essentially "limping" along on the old transmitter in Springfield. Sorry for the drawn out response my friend.

 

[K4WRF]

For the record:

The new'er 101.1 (current) tower near Cross Plains was built in 1991 by Keymarket then they paired that with WLAC-AM/FM after they purchased those in 1994 under Keymarket (Kirby Confer, Donald Alt, et'al) ownership. Following the sale to River City then Sinclair, that cluster was then sold to SFX in early 1998 uniting those stations with WSIX and WRVW under common ownership. The merger with Clear happened shortly thereafter but I am not sure; I departed in April of 1998 with the close of the sale from Sinclair to SFX, Robert F.X. Sillerman. The beaver programming (with a BIG slap of the beaver tail) was moved to the Hopkinsville station 100.3 when the 101.1 operations were moved into the 10 Music Circle east facilities and what was "The Beaver" became "The Juice", an ill-fated Satellite product known as Touch then Jazz "jazzy-101" from the same provider followed that a couple years later. All that happened under Keymarket/River City/Sinclair sequential ownerships. Prior to all this, WRUS and WAKQ was owned by the late Roth E. Hook with "Winky" and Lon Sosh being minority owners.

We now return you the the already hijacked 95.5FM WSM thread.....

 

[romer979fm]

The station was one of the most powerful urban AC stations in this area early on under the branding "KISS FM" (WQKS).

see Watt's post above...but 101.1 never branded as "KISS"...it was "The Juice" WJCE as an urban AC (right around the OJ Simpson arrest and trial...bad timing). Never had the WQKS calls.

 

[K4WRF]

Chris,: I wonder if he is confusing that with 96-KISS, 96.3 owners prior to Dick Oppenheimer. It consisted of several investors from Phoenix (KOOL) that came here to show us how radio is done?

 

[DJOnAStick]

Chris,: I wonder if he is confusing that with 96-KISS, 96.3 owners prior to Dick Oppenheimer. It consisted of several investors from Phoenix (KOOL) that came here to show us how radio is done?

Indeed I was! My apologies for that fellas. I took a look at the FCC records and it shows the call signs of WVVR, WZZF, & WKOA. Thanks for that gentlemen. Trying to think back that far with complete accuracy is a bit of a stretch for me I suppose.

I also remember, but initially forgot, "The Juice". How in the world could I have forgotten that I don't know!! LOL!

 

[firepoint525]

The station was one of the most powerful urban AC stations in this area early on under the branding "KISS FM" (WQKS).

see Watt's post above...but 101.1 never branded as "KISS"...it was "The Juice" WJCE as an urban AC (right around the OJ Simpson arrest and trial...bad timing). Never had the WQKS calls.

I have lived in middle Tennessee since 1992, and I remember the Beaver at 101.1 when I first moved here. I also recall that they split into those two smaller "beavers" in 1994 or so. (They spent an entire weekend playing "What's Going On" at 101.1 stunting the changeover.)

I also briefly lived in Clarksville, so I remember 100.3 out of Hopkinsville as "Kool 100" or something like that.

I collect radio station bumper stickers, and I have one for both "the Juice" and what I think was "Kool 100." I don't remember any controversy attached to the "juice" name directly connected with O.J. Simpson. As I recall, his "juice" nickname went the way of the wind back in the '70s. I hardly ever heard him being referred to as "juice" once he was arrested.

 

[firepoint525]

I also briefly lived in Clarksville, so I remember 100.3 out of Hopkinsville as "Kool 100" or something like that.

The sticker that I have (that I referenced in the above reply) was actually for a "Z-100." Was there ever a station by that name in Hopkinsville? There are no clues (like a coupon on the back of the sticker or anything like that) to remind me of where I got that sticker. I know that it is NOT SL-100 of Dyersburg, and definitely NOT FM-100 from Memphis.

 

[Nock]

I collect radio station bumper stickers,

Firepoint, Do you by chance have a 91 ROCK sticker from RVU back in the 80's. Know a few people that are trying to get ahold of a good scan of one.

Nock

 

[firepoint525]

I collect radio station bumper stickers,

Firepoint, Do you by chance have a 91 ROCK sticker from RVU back in the 80's. Know a few people that are trying to get ahold of a good scan of one.
Nock

No, I have only lived in the midstate since the mid '90s. Does the "nashradio" Yahoo group have one on their site? Good place to look, if you haven't already.

 

[DJOnAStick]

I also briefly lived in Clarksville, so I remember 100.3 out of Hopkinsville as "Kool 100" or something like that.

The sticker that I have (that I referenced in the above reply) was actually for a "Z-100." Was there ever a station by that name in Hopkinsville? There are no clues (like a coupon on the back of the sticker or anything like that) to remind me of where I got that sticker. I know that it is NOT SL-100 of Dyersburg, and definitely NOT FM-100 from Memphis.

In the 80's there was a Z-100 in Hopkinsville. That was what the 100.3 frequency was prior to it becoming The Beaver.

 

[courier37027]

Z-100 Hopkinsville calls were WZZF-FM during their CHR days. I am certain that was format in 1989. Hunter James mornings, Bill Porter middays, AT40 weekends, Paul Harvey three programs. Hunter James (on air name) later worked weekends and fill in at WSM-AM briefly, and is now a Kentucky state (commonwealth) representative.

 

[tubessoundbetter]

We now return you the the already hijacked 95.5FM WSM thread.....

i almost had coffee come out of my nose. i was thinking the same thing.

 

[spew]

merely a wolf in sheep's clothing