97.1 WENS History Question

[Mid West Clubber]

When, if ever was WENS a CHR station. I remember when they were soft AC as Lite Rock 97, and before that they basically what I would call a Hot AC. My Brother claims that WENS was a mainstream chr at one time, even airing AT 40 with Casey Casem. Now I remember when they did AT-40, but they were still what I would call a Hot Ac back then,,, This being before the Lite Rock 97 era. IO just dont believe WENS was ever a straight ahead CHR,,,, maybe a conservative Adult top at the very most. So who is right? Me or my brother? While your at it, what all formats have been on 97.1 over the years, what was before WENS, and what did the station sign on as? When did it sign on? Did it used to have its stick in Shelbyville?

 

[MikeStandardsFromIndiana]

yes the stick was in shelbyville at one time. but i dont ever recall WENS being a mainstream CHR station before or after the soft AC "Lite rock 97" time.

 

[Shadow Catcher]

The stick is still in Shelby County, in Fairland. The race track exit. I believe the COL is still Shelbyville.

 

[ten_four]

I believe the original calls were WSVL-FM. WENS has never been a CHR to my knowledge. Bernie Eagan would be best to ask. He started with ENS about a month or two after they signed on. When they moved the studios to Indy, Emmis still had to provide a certain number of hours of programming from the studio in Shelbyville. If I remember correctly, Glenn Webber would either drive to Shelbyville and go live, or tape a public affairs show that would be played from the studio there. You could tell the differerence in quality.

 

[Shadow Catcher]

I believe the original calls were WSVL-FM. When they moved the studios to Indy, Emmis still had to provide a certain number of hours of programming from the studio in Shelbyville. If I remember correctly, Glenn Webber would either drive to Shelbyville and go live, or tape a public affairs show that would be played from the studio there. You could tell the differerence in quality.

You are right WSVL-FM was sold to Emmis and a tape was run from Shelbyville for many years. As late as 1997. The AM in Shelbyville is under new ownership (3 Towers Broadcasting) as 1520 WSVX The Giant. A play off the WSVL, The Giant of the Blue River Vally. You can still hear that refered to in the drops.

 

[11south]

The stick is still in Shelby County, in Fairland. The race track exit. I believe the COL is still Shelbyville.

THe stick is in Marion County at Southport Rd and Franklin road. Not sure when it was moved there...they had to do a deal with 96.7 in Alexandria I believe to accept the interference (short spacing). It has been at Southport road location for quite some time....mid 80's I bet.

 

[MacOConnor]

The stick is still in Shelby County, in Fairland. The race track exit. I believe the COL is still Shelbyville.

The transmitter site was moved to Franklin Township in Indianapolis on Southport Road in the late 80's (1986?). The move necessitated an addition of a cavity filter to my FM receiver antenna connection because I was less than 3 miles from the Southport Road site. 97.1 was wiping out my DXing of 97X Oxford Ohio among others.

The tower was in Fairland in the early years of WENS.

WE're Ninety Seven fm was never CHR. They were WSVL-FM and broadcasting girls softball games in Mono when Smulyan bought it.

 

[Shadow Catcher]

I stand corrected.



WE're Ninety Seven fm was never CHR. They were WSVL-FM and broadcasting girls softball games in Mono when Smulyan bought it.


[/quote]
WSVL-FM was always treated like the red headed step child. When you think the best you can do is sell spots at $5.00 and you'll discount them to $3 and then some "fool" from the city want to buy the whole thing...well

 

[IndyDan]

The tower was in Fairland in the early years of WENS.

WE're Ninety Seven fm was never CHR. They were WSVL-FM and broadcasting girls softball games in Mono when Smulyan bought it.

And the studios were located at the lovely "Hawthorne Radio Center" off of 22nd and Emerson where they let their music do the talking before moving downtown. The building was the former home to WFMS, then after WENS moved downtown, WTUX occupied the building before it was finally torn down a few years ago. All that remains on the property now is the transmitter building and stick for 100.9, 105.7 and I think a backup for 95.5. Parking there was potentially dangerous whenever ice was melting from the tower guys...we always had to park away from the building near Hawthorne Lane.

 

[BobOnTheJob]

Guess I should chime in on this as I was the first employee of the place. The transmitter at Fairland was placed in service in late June 1981 and broadcast WSVL programming for about a week as a test. WENS signed on at 6AM July 4 1981 with soft AC "We Let Our Music Do The Talking". Over the years, it drifted from soft AC to hotter AC back to mainstream AC with the ratings suffering as the AC got hotter. The studio was at 2255 N Hawthorne Lane. Around 1984, the studios were relocated to 1099 N Meridian St. In mid August 1985, the transmitter was moved to 7802 E Southport Rd (the 5KW Collins moved first, followed by the 20KW Continental a few days later). In the late 1980's or perhaps 1990, the studios moved to 950 N Meridian St where they stayed until the move to the present spot on Monument Circle. Had a lot of good times until the move began being planned to the Circle. That was the point where it stopped being fun & turned in to a job.

 

[ChiefEngineer]

WENS Wadesville Indiana now has the old calls. Hated to see them sitting there doing nothing. Maybe moving to an FM near you in 2008.

I would like to see the original format with the original jingles.

The Fm signal was always good at 97.1 as WSVL. Tower on SR 9 just north of I 70. Then moved to Fairland before making the jump to Southport Road.

Hated to see the calls change but ratings were poor....

 

[gr8oldies]

WENS did carry American Top 40 in the mid-late 80s. The format was very hot A/C around then. Great jocks..sorry to see they went down the crapper years later.

 

[WBDG]

I was an avid WENS fan.

Lite Rock 97 WENS
The Best Mix of the 60's, the 70's, and the 80's.
The Best Mix of the 70's, the 80's, and the 90's.
The Best Mix of the 80's, 90's, and Today
Real 97-1
(There are others that probably know better than me if this is correct.)

I think that covers it until they became WLHK. Obviously, I miss the old 97.1. I can remember the old Jerry Curtis morning show. I actually won a "Mr. Food" contest one time by correctly identifying the ingredients of Grape Nuts cereal.

They lost me during the Real 97-1 era, and I only listen to Hank for the Colts and the Hoosiers.

Jon Easter
WBDG General Manager

 

[bigtime]

For a short time before being "real", they were Mix 97-1. That was at the point they dropped the 80s weekends and lost much of their audience. Sometimes change isn't the best idea.

 

[miketurner]

For a short time before being "real", they were Mix 97-1. That was at the point they dropped the 80s weekends and lost much of their audience. Sometimes change isn't the best idea.

There were people I went to school with at Ball State earlier in the decade who LOVED the 80s weekend. I mean, they were people who either had hip-hop, new rock or country as presets, but as soon as Saturday evening rolled around, it was a beer run with Billy Ocean blaring.

;D