Frequency with Most Call Letters

[OldAkronite]

Re: 97.5 Akron and 94.9 Medina-Akron

> 97.5's call history: WAKR-FM, WAEZ (late 1970s), WONE-FM (in
> 1985).

I have no idea how I forgot WAEZ.

Maybe it's because it was mostly in my teens, and I wasn't exactly listening to easy listening music at that age!

The WAEZ calls, by the way, have resided for some time on a CHR station known as "Electric 94.9" in the Bristol/Johnson City/Kingsport (Tri-Cities), TN/VA market.

-OA<P ID="signature">______________
Ohio Media Watch - <a target="_blank" href=http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com>http://ohiomedia.blogspot.com</a></P>

 

[radiobastij]

>
> For the record, from what I can tell the only Cleveland
> station to keep its original calls the ENTIRE length of its
> existence: WDOK-FM (1950); runner-up is WCRF (1960), and 3rd
> place is WELW (1965?).
> (Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Akron station with
> longevity of uninterrupted calls would be WAKR; runner-up,
> WCUE?)


My brief google search shows that WERE has been WERE since at least 1949.
Does anybody know if those are the original calls?

 

[JohnnyMorganWXJX]

> >
> > For the record, from what I can tell the only Cleveland
> > station to keep its original calls the ENTIRE length of
> its
> > existence: WDOK-FM (1950); runner-up is WCRF (1960), and
> 3rd
> > place is WELW (1965?).
> > (Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Akron station with
> > longevity of uninterrupted calls would be WAKR; runner-up,
>
> > WCUE?)
>
>
> My brief google search shows that WERE has been WERE since
> at least 1949.
> Does anybody know if those are the original calls?
>

Yes.

 

[tpt]

Re: 97.5 Akron and 94.9 Medina-Akron

WDBN---the Quiet Island.

Incidentally, at that time it had a transmitter site near River Styx in Medina County. I suppose an island in the River Styx would be a very quiet island...

What was that song about having a coin for the boatman? Don't think it ever got played on DBN!

 

[dguisinger]

IIRC, WHBC-AM in Canton dates back to 1939.
>
> - nate81
>

WHBC (original call) celebrated 80 years on the air on March 9.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by dguisinger on 07/20/05 11:45 PM.</FONT></P>

 

[gr8oldies]

Re: 97.5 Akron and 94.9 Medina-Akron

Definately..lots of elevator stations in those days. I had DXed WAEZ and WBEA as BFL stations.<P ID="signature">______________
Soon to set the world record for recieving Nigerian scam and phising e-mails!</P>

 

[tpt]

Re: 97.5 Akron and 94.9 Medina-Akron

> WDBN---the Quiet Island.
>
> Incidentally, at that time it had a transmitter site near
> River Styx in Medina County. I suppose an island in the
> River Styx would be a very quiet island...
>
> What was that song about having a coin for the boatman?
> Don't think it ever got played on DBN!
>
Answering my own question...Chris De Burgh, Don't pay the Ferryman (referring to the lengend of Charon, the ferryman over the River Styx). That is why coins are placed on the eyes of a deadman, so his soul can pay for the trip across the River Styx, but if you pay the ferryman before you reach the opposite shore,Charon dumps your soul overboard.

We now return you to your regular thread.

 

[TimL]

Canton/Stark County AM Call Letters

> IIRC, WHBC-AM in Canton dates back to 1939.
> >
> > - nate81
> >
>
> WHBC (original call) celebrated 80 years on the air on March
> 9.
>
Correct..(sorry late to this thread)..Other Canton AM Calls
WINW 1520 While I thought They had the same Call since 1966..Turns out I was wrong..
WINW 1966-February 13, 1989
WRQK AM February 14, 1989-August 15, 1989
WINW August 16, 1989-April 4, 1996
WPGY (barely remember these calls) April 5, 1996-March 26, 1997
WINW March 27, 1997-Present

I know too that there were Off-Air times for WINW as well.


900 AM..WAND 1947-early 1960's
WCNS 1960's
WNYN Late 60's-March 14, 1985
WTOF March 15, 1985-February 29, 1988
WBXT March 1, 1988-September 28, 1992 (May have been off the air between WBXT/WCER)
WCER September 29, 1992-Present
(exact dates from FCC's AM Query)

1060 AM WCMW 1946-Early 1960's
WHOF Early 1960's-1967
WOIO 1967-1976
WQIO 1976-June 13, 1982 (FCC here on out)
WRCW June 14, 1982-December 6, 1998
WTOF December 7, 1998-January 31, 1999 (There was either a clerical error or a sale didnt go through-WTOF was never officially used on 1060)
WRCW (again) February 1, 1999-June 20, 2004
WILB July 1, 2004-Present

WTIG 990 Massillon-same calls since 1957

1310 WFAH 1951-August 31, 1990
WDPN Sept. 1, 1990-Present



<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by TimL on 07/22/05 05:44 PM.</FONT></P>

 

[dab1100]

Re: 97.5 Akron and 94.9 Medina-Akron

The now-WHLO was originally WHKK. To my knowledge, those calls never graced 1350 kHz. WHLO became WTOF(AM) for a while when it was owned by Mortenson. 97.5 was WAKR-FM for years, flipped to WAEZ in the 70's and to WONE-FM sometime in the 80's. 96.5, of course, was WCUE-FM prior to becoming WKDD for many years, and more recently WAKS.

 

[dab1100]

Re: Canton/Stark County AM Call Letters

The WQIO call letters came to 1060 in the fall of 1976. The WTOF reference must have been a mistake. They were WHOF in the early 60's though.... before that WCMW.

Looking at FM....

106.9 was WCNS, WNYN-FM, WHLQ, WOOS, and WRQK. (In 1978, they applied for WHOF, but WTOF fought that assignment and either the FCC turned it down outright or they figured it wasn't worth the fight and withdrew the app.).

98.1 has been WTOF, WTOF-FM, WHK-FM, and WKDD.

As far as I know, 94.1 has always been WHBC-FM.

 

[dab1100]

I beleive your two nominees are correct with 1260 taking the grand prize.

While, I suppose, a technicality... 105.7 has had the most call letter changes in the FM division over the years, having been: WTAM-FM (1948-55, having moved then from the old 40mHz band), KYW-FM (55-65), WKYC-FM (65-73), WWWM (73-82), WMJI (82-87), WMJI-FM (87-88), WMJI (88-pres.). There was also an application filed to change the call letters to WUSU in 1982, but that never went through).

92.3 may have also been been WSRS-FM and WJMO-FM prior to the WCUY calls, but I'm not sure.

The third runners-up in this derby would be 107.9 which has been WNOB, WELW-FM, WDMT, WPHR, and WENZ.... and 106.5, which has been WZAK, WXEN, WZZP, WLTF, and WMVX.


Also, as I beleive has been pointed out elsewhere, 102.1 began life as WEWS-FM.

Other call letter history:

850: WJW, WRMR, WKNR
1000: WSUM, WCCD
1100: WTAM, KYW, WKYC, WWWE, WTAM
1420: WHK, WCLV, WRMR, WHK
1490: WSRS, WJMO
1540: WSRS, WABQ

93.1: WXEN, WZAK
95.5: WDGO, WCLV, WFHM
98.5: WERE-FM, WGCL, WNCX
99.5: WGAR-FM, WNCR, WKSW, WGAR-FM, WGAR
100.7: WHK-FM, WMMS
104.1: WJW-FM, WCJW, WQAL
104.9: WLRO-FM, WZLE, WAKS, WCLV-FM, WCLV
107.3: WEOL-FM, WBEA, WCZR, WNWV.

 

[TimL]

Re: Canton/Stark County AM Call Letters

> The WQIO call letters came to 1060 in the fall of 1976. The
> WTOF reference must have been a mistake. They were WHOF in
> the early 60's though.... before that WCMW.
>
With WTOF on 1060..I remember talking about that on these boards when it happened..Just added the possiblity of a sale going sour and someone maybe jumping the gun..I dont recall WOIO being on 1060 as late as 75-76..I was a big listener in their talk days. Thanks for the correction. The FCC Query has exact Dates of Call Letter changes from at least 1982 on..The earlier dates are somewhat educated guesses..

WRQK 106.9 was WOOS-FM from June 1, 1979-August 2, 1985 WRQK since then<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by TimL on 07/22/05 06:04 PM.</FONT></P>

 

[TimL]

> I beleive your two nominees are correct with 1260 taking the
> grand prize.
>
> While, I suppose, a technicality... 105.7 has had the most
> call letter changes in the FM division over the years,
> having been: WTAM-FM (1948-55, having moved then from the
> old 40mHz band), KYW-FM (55-65), WKYC-FM (65-73), WWWM
> (73-82), WMJI (82-87), WMJI-FM (87-88), WMJI (88-pres.).
> There was also an application filed to change the call
> letters to WUSU in 1982, but that never went through).
>
> 92.3 may have also been been WSRS-FM and WJMO-FM prior to
> the WCUY calls, but I'm not sure.
>
> The third runners-up in this derby would be 107.9 which has
> been WNOB, WELW-FM, WDMT, WPHR, and WENZ.... and 106.5,
> which has been WZAK, WXEN, WZZP, WLTF, and WMVX.
>
>
> Also, as I beleive has been pointed out elsewhere, 102.1
> began life as WEWS-FM.
>
> Other call letter history:
>
> 850: WJW, WRMR, WKNR
> 1000: WSUM, WCCD
> 1100: WTAM, KYW, WKYC, WWWE, WTAM
> 1420: WHK, WCLV, WRMR, WHK
> 1490: WSRS, WJMO
> 1540: WSRS, WABQ
>
> 93.1: WXEN, WZAK
> 95.5: WDGO, WCLV, WFHM
> 98.5: WERE-FM, WGCL, WNCX
> 99.5: WGAR-FM, WNCR, WKSW, WGAR-FM, WGAR
> 100.7: WHK-FM, WMMS
> 104.1: WJW-FM, WCJW, WQAL
> 104.9: WLRO-FM, WZLE, WAKS, WCLV-FM, WCLV
> 107.3: WEOL-FM, WBEA, WCZR, WNWV.
>

There is a page that documents much of the TV-Radio history(To 1995)not sure of it's total accuracy.

http://ech.cwru.edu/Resource/text/RATS.html

<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by TimL on 07/22/05 06:17 PM.</FONT></P>

 

[nate81]

> Other call letter history:

Some technicalities here: Salem kept the WHK calls as part of the 2001 Great Station Swap. You can't lose a three-letter callsign, so the WHK calls were temporarily parked onto AM 1000, FM 98.1, and later, FM 95.5 until AM 1220 could become WHK. (Bonus: from 7-01 to 8-01, the then-silent AM 1440-Warren, now WHKZ, held the WFHM calls before becoming WHKW as a simulcast of 1220...)

Corrections are as noted:

> 850: WJW, WRMR, WKNR

1000: WSUM, WCCD, WHK (6-01 to 8-01), WCCD

> 1100: WTAM, KYW, WKYC, WWWE, WTAM

1220: WGAR, WKNR, WHKC (7-01 to 8-01), WHK, WHKW
1380: WLRO, WRKG, WELL (during a short-lived LMA with WELW), WDLW
1420: WHK, WHKK (6-01 to 7-01), WCLV, WRMR, WHK...

> 1490: WSRS, WJMO
> 1540: WSRS, WABQ
>
> 93.1: WXEN, WZAK

95.5: WDGO, WCLV, WHK-FM (7-01 to 8-01), WFHM
96.5: WCUE-FM, WKDD, WAKS (as of 8-01)
98.1: WTOF, WHK-FM, WAKS (7-01 to 8-01), WKDD

> 98.5: WERE-FM, WGCL, WNCX
> 99.5: WGAR-FM, WNCR, WKSW, WGAR-FM, WGAR
> 100.7: WHK-FM, WMMS
> 104.1: WJW-FM, WCJW, WQAL
> 104.9: WLRO-FM, WZLE, WAKS, WCLV-FM, WCLV

I always thought that 104.9's original calls were WZLE...

> 107.3: WEOL-FM, WBEA, WCZR, WNWV.

- nate81<P ID="signature">______________
Nathan Obral
University Partership Representative
Student Senate
Lorain County Community College, Elyria, Ohio

LCCC Radio - The Duck</P>

 

[JohnnyMorganWXJX]

> I beleive your two nominees are correct with 1260 taking the
> grand prize.
>
> While, I suppose, a technicality... 105.7 has had the most
> call letter changes in the FM division over the years,
> having been: WTAM-FM (1948-55, having moved then from the
> old 40mHz band), KYW-FM (55-65), WKYC-FM (65-73), WWWM
> (73-82), WMJI (82-87), WMJI-FM (87-88), WMJI (88-pres.).
> There was also an application filed to change the call
> letters to WUSU in 1982, but that never went through).

I think the "WMJI-FM" is a technicality, but absolutely correct, per FCC regulations. "-FM" is a separate and distinct call. By the way, in the car yesterday, I was thinking 105.7 may have been the winner, as I thought back to the WTAM-FM days.

And I never knew about that WUSU application. What would the slogan have been then? Not "Majic," which was partially based on the old slogan from then-sister 1260 back in the mid-70s: WMGC "Magic Gold".

> 92.3 may have also been been WSRS-FM and WJMO-FM prior to
> the WCUY calls, but I'm not sure.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure either. Google and the FCC website are only so helpful, and I could get 92.3 back to the early 60s. I will say, though, that WSRS-FM was at 95.3 through the 50s. I didn't include that frequency since it no longer exists as a C-Town allocation, and no one remembers it. I don't think 92.3 was WJMO-FM until the 90s, however, despite what common sense would tell us. Apparently United Broadcasting wanted to keep WJMO and WCUY separate entities: WJMO for the black community, WCUY for the jazz/ethnic community (white Europeans). It was WCUY as early as 1960-61, I do know that.

For the record: Pittsburgh DJ/talk host Jim Quinn (of Quinn & Rose, now on WHLO 640 weekday AM drive) was a student at John Carroll Univ. when he started hanging out at WCUY with its jazz hosts. He got a job there--his first in radio.

> The third runners-up in this derby would be 107.9 which has
> been WNOB, WELW-FM, WDMT, WPHR, and WENZ.... and 106.5,
> which has been WZAK, WXEN, WZZP, WLTF, and WMVX.

107.9 does have a big history, and would be tied for first, if Radio One had changed calls in 1999.

The history of 106.5 and 93.1 are confusing, and there's no history on Google. If Scott Fybush would check back, he helped the last time a WXEN question came up. His Broadcast Yearbook collection would aid us here.

When did 106.5 sign-on, owner, and calls?

When did 93.1 sign-on, owner, and calls?

And when did they change calls?

> Also, as I beleive has been pointed out elsewhere, 102.1
> began life as WEWS-FM.

Yes...a TV and an FM--no AM. Who would have thought?

> Other call letter history:
>
> 850: WJW, WRMR, WKNR
> 1000: WSUM, WCCD
> 1100: WTAM, KYW, WKYC, WWWE, WTAM
> 1420: WHK, WCLV, WRMR, WHK
> 1490: WSRS, WJMO
> 1540: WSRS, WABQ

WJMO was on 1540 when it signed on in 1947. In 1958, it bought WSRS 1490 and switched call letters--WJMO moving to 1490, and assumedly, 1540 becoming WABQ (and 95.3 becoming WCUY).

> 93.1: WXEN, WZAK

95.3 was originally allocated to Cleveland--it was WSRS-FM, then WCUY. It moved to 92.3, and 95.3 was re-allocated.

> 95.5: WDGO, WCLV, WFHM
> 98.5: WERE-FM, WGCL, WNCX
> 99.5: WGAR-FM, WNCR, WKSW, WGAR-FM, WGAR
> 100.7: WHK-FM, WMMS
> 104.1: WJW-FM, WCJW, WQAL
> 104.9: WLRO-FM, WZLE, WAKS, WCLV-FM, WCLV
> 107.3: WEOL-FM, WBEA, WCZR, WNWV.
>

 

[NeilParks]

WMJI with or without suffix is still WMJI

> WMJI (82-87), WMJI-FM (87-88), WMJI (88-pres.).

I'm not sure that should count as 3.

 

[nate81]

Re: WMJI with or without suffix is still WMJI

> > WMJI (82-87), WMJI-FM (87-88), WMJI (88-pres.).
>
> I'm not sure that should count as 3.
>

Actually, they should. Here's the long answer:

The WMJI calls were on two stations then: 105.7 and AM 1260. Jacor was in the process of selling off the former WBBG, and was merely simulcast WMJI on both stations for a few months.

But FCC regs denote that an AM callsign is the primary callsign. No station can legally be registered with an "-AM" prefix, and 1260 applies here. There couldn't be a "WMJI-AM." It's an old antiquated rule.

A few examples: when Storer owned Channel 8, FM 104.1, and AM 850 - the calls had to be "WJW-TV," "WJW-FM" and "WJW," respectively. When WDOK was on both 102.1 and 1260, the calls had to be "WDOK-FM" and "WDOK"... (meaning that 102.1's call history reads as: WEWS-FM, WDOK-FM, WDOK

Therefore, the WMJI calls officially moved from 105.7 to 1260 during this time, then moved BACK over to 105.7 when 1260 changed ownership and calls to WRDZ.

- nate81<P ID="signature">______________
Nathan Obral
University Partership Representative
Student Senate
Lorain County Community College, Elyria, Ohio

LCCC Radio - The Duck</P>

 

[dab1100]

Re: Canton/Stark County AM Call Letters

It was definitely the fall of '76 when 1060 became "The New Q-10" and took the WQIO calls. Since the old call letters were WOIO, all they had to do was cut a little curlique and nail it to the wooden sign on the side of the building.
I think takl went away on WOIO sometime in the late 60's or early 70's. They were also Top 40 as WOIO but the execution was gawdawful.


> WRQK 106.9 was WOOS-FM from June 1, 1979-August 2, 1985 WRQK
> since then
>

I'm pretty sure that 106.9 became WOOS shortly after they dumped Mellow Rock for Top 40, which I beleive was late in the summer of 1978.

 

[TimL]

Re: Canton/Stark County AM Call Letters

> It was definitely the fall of '76 when 1060 became "The New
> Q-10" and took the WQIO calls. Since the old call letters
> were WOIO, all they had to do was cut a little curlique and
> nail it to the wooden sign on the side of the building.
> I think takl went away on WOIO sometime in the late 60's or
> early 70's. They were also Top 40 as WOIO but the execution
> was gawdawful.


It was definitely the early 70's when talk went away because when I was in my early teens 1970-72 I listened to WOIO "2-Way Radio" constantly with Keith London, Ed Scott, Dick Franklin, etc. (still remember the phone numbers) They were also CBS Radio then..A while back I found some MP3 files of WOIO from late 1969 early 1970 on a file sharing program. Kind of an offbeat music show and a Saturday Morning Junior Achievement program with some "Chickenman" episodes. Also some old commercials/Jingles
>
> > WRQK 106.9 was WOOS-FM from June 1, 1979-August 2, 1985
> WRQK
> > since then
> >
>
> I'm pretty sure that 106.9 became WOOS shortly after they
> dumped Mellow Rock for Top 40, which I beleive was late in
> the summer of 1978

That might well be..I am going by FCC files here

<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by TimL on 07/26/05 06:49 PM.</FONT></P>

 

[dab1100]

Re: Canton/Stark County AM Call Letters

>...Kind of an offbeat music show and a Saturday
> Morning Junior Achievement program with some "Chickenman"
> episodes. Also some old commercials/Jingles

Wonder if the Saturday morning show was the infamous "Bargain Auction" that ran in the late 60's and early 70's. Since it was hard to sell spots for cash on the station, the sales guys would take all or part of the schedule in trade which would then be auctioned off on Saturday morning to the highest bidder. The station was actually a licensed used car dealership because they'd occasionally take a beater from one of the local car lots in trade and sell it on the auction. The auction went away in '76 with the advent of Q-10.

Chicken Man aired on Q-10 in the spring of 1979. You can hear the intro on the WQIO segment on reelradio.com .