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History Of WIRK 107.9

T

thebeach33445

Hey Guys And Gals:

Does anybody know the History of WIRK before it was country in 1973? The only thing I know is that is signed on August 1, 1965 and it had a automated system before it became country.

THANKS AGAIN!!

T.J.
 
t.j. said:
Does anybody know the History of WIRK before it was country in 1973?
Click to expand...

Wow, if only I could find the article now. I had it someplace, straight off of Billboard not too long after they had signed on with Country...I *think* (not sure) that it was Solid Gold, and yes, automated, like you say. Whether it was the Drake version of Solid Gold or something locally done, I'm not sure....I believe the first PD for the Country format was Barry Grant, who was last I knew (or very well still may be) at WRMB/89.3.

Oh yeah, and previous to WIRK-FM, the call letters were WPBF, yes, like the TV station today.
 
Hey radio Sanchez:

THANKS DUDE!!!! for the info. That was something I did not know. Espescally about the call letters!!

Do you happen to know if when they were WPBF, they were sister stations to WIRK 1290?

Did they have the WPBF calls since the sign on? And do you know any info on WIRK 1290 when it was top 40,
like when the format started?

THANKS AGAIN!!!

T.J.
 
Hey T.J.

When WPBF (Wonderful Palm Beach Florida) went on the air. Owned by Joe Field and Rome Hartman (father of the famous CBS News producer Rome J. Hartman). Joe had built and operated the first UHF TV station in W. Palm more than a decade previous, but there just weren't enough UHF sets, and no cable distribution, to support the effort at that time.

The old newsroom at WIRK on S. Flagler Drive was relocated and two large tape machines were moved in to complete the new FM station's on-air studio. George Barber (later with the Mutual Network) was the guy that ran it all day. George would play easy listening records from 6a-6p and tape that 12 hour period. Those tapes were then played back to provide programming for the 6p-6a hours that same evening and overnight. Classical and some opera were featured on Sunday nights. The station was far below it's potential at the time. However, there were not a lot of FM receivers in the market and the owners knew they had to go for the monied folks in Palm Beach whose tastes would fit the new FM's format.

The studios on S. Flagler were on the third floor of a small office building directly across the street from the middle bridge that connects W. Palm to Palm Beach. There is now a huge performing arts center there now, I think.

WIRK AM was the King of Top-40 radio in Palm Beach County during that time in the mid 60's, even though WQAM from Miami garnered some pretty good numbers in the county.
 
Hey jtkeys:

WOW!! THANKS FOR THAT INFO!! It was very informative of things I did not know!! Would you happen to know what years the top 40 format was on 1290 WIRK-AM??

T.J.
 
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