I do not know the exact history of KFFM as it days not say much according to Wikipedia. I guess it has been around since 1978. I seem to recall hearing Scott Shannon on his own countdown show back in the 1980's mentioning KFFM Yakima. That is all I know. Someone else might know more about KFFM Yakima as it has gone through its Top 40 stages itself including the rhythmic-leaning era.bobdavcav said:
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BEST HERITAGE CHR STATIONS AROUND
- Thread starter JonathanGabel
- Start date
106.1 Dallas was also originally KTKS in the mid-'80s, so that frequency has CHR heritage predating the current format/calls.
According to Pete Battistini's AT40 - The '70s book, WNCI was welcomed as a new station on the March 6, 1971 show. So it's possible that they did start airing it a few weeks earlier.
I'm not sure when they started the format but Lancaster, PA's FM 97 (WLAN-FM) has been around a long time too.
Other smaller-market stations in Michigan that deserve mentions:
- 102.5 WIOG Bay City/Saginaw/Midland/Flint. On 102.5 since 1986, and on 106.3 for several years before that. They did detour into Hot AC for much of the '90s but wasted no time jumping back on the CHR bandwagon when the format started getting hot again around 1999-2000. Today they're one of the few Cumulus-owned (formerly Citadel) stations that the Cloud People haven't completely ruined... and they remain Perez-free (for now).
- 97.1 WGLQ Escanaba/Marquette/Iron Mountain. "Magic 97" has been around since 1982 although I think they also have had their flirtations with Hot AC.
- 99.5 WYSS Sault Ste. Marie, adult-leaning CHR "Yes-FM" since 1986. Although today they're a bizarre mishmash of adult-leaning currents, rhythmic/hip-hop recurrents and some '90s cuts (picture Sheryl Crow and Lil' Wayne in the same hour) that would put even some Cumulus stations to shame in the WTF department. They were a much better station before Sovereign Communications took them over.
- It's another bizarro Cumulus station, but 103.3 WKFR Battle Creek/Kalamazoo. They've been around for probably 30 or so years now on 103.3 FM and they trace their Top 40 heritage to WKFR (later WKNR after the Detroit station changed calls) "Keener 14" starting in the mid-'60s.
- 95.3 WCFX Clare/Mount Pleasant has been playing the hits since 1980. They too lean very adult today, but get points for still being locally owned and operated and super-serving the community.
According to Pete Battistini's AT40 - The '70s book, WNCI was welcomed as a new station on the March 6, 1971 show. So it's possible that they did start airing it a few weeks earlier.
I'm not sure when they started the format but Lancaster, PA's FM 97 (WLAN-FM) has been around a long time too.
Other smaller-market stations in Michigan that deserve mentions:
- 102.5 WIOG Bay City/Saginaw/Midland/Flint. On 102.5 since 1986, and on 106.3 for several years before that. They did detour into Hot AC for much of the '90s but wasted no time jumping back on the CHR bandwagon when the format started getting hot again around 1999-2000. Today they're one of the few Cumulus-owned (formerly Citadel) stations that the Cloud People haven't completely ruined... and they remain Perez-free (for now).
- 97.1 WGLQ Escanaba/Marquette/Iron Mountain. "Magic 97" has been around since 1982 although I think they also have had their flirtations with Hot AC.
- 99.5 WYSS Sault Ste. Marie, adult-leaning CHR "Yes-FM" since 1986. Although today they're a bizarre mishmash of adult-leaning currents, rhythmic/hip-hop recurrents and some '90s cuts (picture Sheryl Crow and Lil' Wayne in the same hour) that would put even some Cumulus stations to shame in the WTF department. They were a much better station before Sovereign Communications took them over.
- It's another bizarro Cumulus station, but 103.3 WKFR Battle Creek/Kalamazoo. They've been around for probably 30 or so years now on 103.3 FM and they trace their Top 40 heritage to WKFR (later WKNR after the Detroit station changed calls) "Keener 14" starting in the mid-'60s.
- 95.3 WCFX Clare/Mount Pleasant has been playing the hits since 1980. They too lean very adult today, but get points for still being locally owned and operated and super-serving the community.
Yep, they were reporting as rhythmic back then. I was riding with some friends over to Idaho in the summer of 2006 when I heard them the first time. We caught them at a commercial break then a rap song came on and we changed the station. A few years later I was back in that area while they were still using that branding and they sounded a lot better than what I remembered from that one time. I've listened to them off and on ever since. I checked one day in May and they were still listed as rhythmic CHR. When I checked in early November, they had added the K back into the branding and changed the slogan from "the Yakima Valley's party station" to "Yakima's #1 hit music station." They've been that way ever since. Another CHR I am surprised hasn't been mentioned yet is Y94 Fargo, which has been CHR since at least the 70s, though I think they were AC for a few years in the early 90s.
the golden boy said:
If you want to give WZYP Huntsville any credit that station is about to eclipse the longevity of Huntsville's legendary AM Top 40 WAAY.
Don't forget Kiss 95.1 (WNKS) Charlotte. With the exception of a brief time as oldies back in early 91 it has been some sort of top 40 since 1984. 95Q 84 til Jan of 90 then it became Gorilla radio then in the fall of 91 returned back to top 40 as 95QQ until Jan of 94 when it became The Edge then finally late may of 96 Kiss 95.1 was born and although has been sputtering since Ace & TJ was hired by Channel 96.1 it is still CHR.
Let's not also forget KKMG, 98.9 Magic FM. They first signed on 30 years ago and originally served pueblo. They were known as Magic 99 before expanding to Colorado Springs and changing to its current Magic FM moniker. They were a Rhythmic CHR during the late 80s and early 90s before returning to its current Mainstream CHR format in 1994.
Forgot to capitalize Pueblo. Typo.
Recently I was in this one website which was the New York Radio Archive as it pertained about New York City Radio history with its archives. One of its archives posted was an AT 40 radio guide from 1971 when it welcomed WPIX New York City as its new (and NYC's first) AT 40 affiliate. When I looked at the AT 40 radio guide from 1971 I noticed that there happens to be not one but TWO radio stations that are still airing AT 40 today. One is of course WNCI Columbus, OH and the other is WKEE in West Virginia. The name of the city escapes me, but I will get back into it.
Alright I found out it is WNCI Columbus, OH and WKEE in Huntington, WV that have been airing American Top 40 since 1971! WNCI-FM since '71 and WKEE AM & FM since 1971 with WKEE-FM going alone as Top 40 in 1980. Nevertheless WNCI and WKEE have been airing AT 40 since 1971. So I have added WKEE Huntington, WV as another best heritage CHR around!
We'll celebrate WWXM's 20th this December.
Which you can add WXXM's predecessor, Power 98/WBPR'S 5 years as a CHR, even though 3 of them were CHR/Dance, the last 2 was Mainstream.
So, 97.7 has been playing hit music for 24 years.
Robyn
Another one that deserves to be on the heritage list is WSSX (95SX) Charleston, SC. They went Top 40 in 1981, later flipped to Hot AC in 1992 (changing their handle to "95 Mix" and later "Mix 95.1" in the process) but came roaring back to CHR under their old name in September, 1995.
Robyn
Robyn
+1 for WSPK / K-104.7 (Hudson Valley, NY) CHR for nearly 30 years, widely popular K-Fest annual concert, stellar ratings, live and local 24/7.
WSPK Poughkeepsie has been Top 40 since the 1970's with various different styles of Top 40/CHR. Though it has been known as K104 since the first half of the 1980's.
Bringing this one back to life...
WWKZ Tupelo: they were on 103.5 from 1983-98, when they moved to 105.3. This was as a result of 103.5 being moved to the Memphis area. They moved again in 2005, this time to 103.9.
WNSL Laurel, MS: SL-100 has been around since 1985. They were a hodgepodge of AC, hot AC and classic rock in the early- to mid-90s, but was steered back to CHR in 1997 and been that way every since.
WJDQ Meridian: I'm not sure when Q101 first became a CHR, but they were for a good portion of the 80s and early 90s. They went hot AC around '94 (maybe even '93) and stayed that way until the early 2000s, when they went back to CHR. In 2006, they switched to 95.1 and became hot AC again, but only to go back to 101.3 and CHR.
WZBQ Tuscaloosa: used to be on 102.5 until the early 90s. Re-emerged on 94.1 in 1996 and been that way since.
WYOY Jackson: debuted late August or early September of '96. Took more of an modern AC sound later, but retreated to a mainstream CHR sound in 2000 after a sudden ratings drop, mainly due to a direct competitor in the market.
WWKZ Tupelo: they were on 103.5 from 1983-98, when they moved to 105.3. This was as a result of 103.5 being moved to the Memphis area. They moved again in 2005, this time to 103.9.
WNSL Laurel, MS: SL-100 has been around since 1985. They were a hodgepodge of AC, hot AC and classic rock in the early- to mid-90s, but was steered back to CHR in 1997 and been that way every since.
WJDQ Meridian: I'm not sure when Q101 first became a CHR, but they were for a good portion of the 80s and early 90s. They went hot AC around '94 (maybe even '93) and stayed that way until the early 2000s, when they went back to CHR. In 2006, they switched to 95.1 and became hot AC again, but only to go back to 101.3 and CHR.
WZBQ Tuscaloosa: used to be on 102.5 until the early 90s. Re-emerged on 94.1 in 1996 and been that way since.
WYOY Jackson: debuted late August or early September of '96. Took more of an modern AC sound later, but retreated to a mainstream CHR sound in 2000 after a sudden ratings drop, mainly due to a direct competitor in the market.
U
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Excuse me, not only Z100 is an heritage station on NYC. There is another one in nearby Long Island. And you have also forgotten 106.1 WBLI.
U
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BLI! BLI! You are forgeting about 106.1 BLI in Long Island, 103.7 The Q in Birmingham, and 103.5 KTU also in NYC. 97.1 ZHT in SLC also counts, since it used to be Rhythymic in 1989. Don't forget WABB/WABD as it was on the air since 1973, and not counting that 5-month stay as K-LOVE, WABB/WABD in Mobile, AL/Pensacola, FL/Biloxi, MS, as they say is their cities that they serve is always "The Tri-State on the Coast's" TOP 40/POP station. Some others are WRMF in West Palm Beach, 107.1 WA1A in Melbourne, B103.9 in SWFL, and last but not least, WYKS Kiss 105.3 in Gainesville, they were on the air since '81 and is the longest-lived Top 40/Pop/CHR formatted station in all of the USA to keep it's TOTH (Top of The Hour) jingle, since possibly 1987? It was like "Hit Radio WYKS, Gainesville." I am not a Gators Fan like them, I am rooting for the Hurricanes and the Dolphins, once college and pro football begins again.
U
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What about 106.1 BLI in Long Island? It has been there since... Forever!
Ok, we get it.
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