On 6/25/1991, Kicks 106 (WKXX) changed call letters and formats. After nearly 14 years, the station dropped its heritage Top 40 format and became Real Country 106.9 WBMH. Mercifully enough, the format didn't last very long. It may have been one of the worst stations Birmingham ever saw. Less than six months later, the station reclaimed the old Kicks 106 handle as WIKX, still playing country music. In November of '92 the station changed formats again and became WODL--Oldies 106.9.
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It was 20 years ago tomorrow...
- Thread starter Charles1
- Start date
I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to listen to Kicks before it went away, but as a kid I just wasn't into pop music unless it was oldies. Strange, I know.
My only recollection of Kicks was one of the minders at the after school daycare I was stuck as in about the 3rd or 4th grade put it on her little boombox from time to time. This was in Tuscaloosa and even then I thought it odd that someone would listen to "out of town radio".
Strangely by '92 I was in high school and had moved away from oldies, so WODL didn't get much play for me then, either.
My only recollection of Kicks was one of the minders at the after school daycare I was stuck as in about the 3rd or 4th grade put it on her little boombox from time to time. This was in Tuscaloosa and even then I thought it odd that someone would listen to "out of town radio".
Strangely by '92 I was in high school and had moved away from oldies, so WODL didn't get much play for me then, either.
I remember the day Birmingham's "Real Country" debuted on 106.9. The format change had been kept secret and was to be unveiled on the morning of 6/25...seems like the new format was scheduled to begin at 5 or 6 am that day. I set my alarm clock a few minutes early so I could get up and listen to the format change. When I heard classic country begin to play, I thought the folks at Kicks had lost their minds. They had just filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy a few weeks earlier and this was the solution? What were they thinking??
And the ratings proved that it was a mistake going to classic country. WZZK was the king of country back then, having destroyed US99 a few years back.
I think I saw something showing them drawing a 2.0 share or thereabouts---not quite as shocking today (see also, WNCB, WYDE), but 20 years ago, there was no 92.5, 95.7, 97.3, 97.7, 98.7, 100.5, 101.1, or 105.5 in Birmingham (all were either years away from signing on or moving into Birmingham), and Z-102 and Q-104 were rimshots that didn't promote in the market (although they both covered it pretty well).
It's hard to believe that 25 years ago there were actually four stations in or around Birmingham doing some form of CHR, with a fifth station doing Hot AC (Magic 96). Having made the switch to Kicks from WSGN in the '70's, I was more partial to them, even though I-95 came in and basically cleaned their clocks. Truth be told, by '86 Kicks was the 4th-best of the CHR's in Birmingham. The switch to CHR-Urban hybrid only delayed the inevitable.
I think I saw something showing them drawing a 2.0 share or thereabouts---not quite as shocking today (see also, WNCB, WYDE), but 20 years ago, there was no 92.5, 95.7, 97.3, 97.7, 98.7, 100.5, 101.1, or 105.5 in Birmingham (all were either years away from signing on or moving into Birmingham), and Z-102 and Q-104 were rimshots that didn't promote in the market (although they both covered it pretty well).
It's hard to believe that 25 years ago there were actually four stations in or around Birmingham doing some form of CHR, with a fifth station doing Hot AC (Magic 96). Having made the switch to Kicks from WSGN in the '70's, I was more partial to them, even though I-95 came in and basically cleaned their clocks. Truth be told, by '86 Kicks was the 4th-best of the CHR's in Birmingham. The switch to CHR-Urban hybrid only delayed the inevitable.
Kicks 106. John Shomby's baby. I was listening the day it was born.
Damn I am getting old.
Damn I am getting old.
I remember country 'Kicks 106," but I don't remember "Real Country" 106. Just curious-Was that ABC's satellite fed "Real Country" or did they just happen to have the same name? (or did ABC Real Country even exist at that time?)
Also, were 106.9 and WZZK owned by the same company at that time? I'm trying to remember if Kicks was a "sister" to ZZK or competition. I got a chance to visit WZZK in 1992 (picking up a Western Supermarket Gift Certificate I won playing "Lost Lyric" ) and seem to recall they (ZZK) were in that 10-ish story building on Red Mountain (I think it was the building where CC is now), but it seems they were by themselves on their floor. Does anyone recall if ZZK used to be independent and/or when the COX acquisition happened?
Also, were 106.9 and WZZK owned by the same company at that time? I'm trying to remember if Kicks was a "sister" to ZZK or competition. I got a chance to visit WZZK in 1992 (picking up a Western Supermarket Gift Certificate I won playing "Lost Lyric"
) and seem to recall they (ZZK) were in that 10-ish story building on Red Mountain (I think it was the building where CC is now), but it seems they were by themselves on their floor. Does anyone recall if ZZK used to be independent and/or when the COX acquisition happened?KEVIN Country said:I remember country 'Kicks 106," but I don't remember "Real Country" 106. Just curious-Was that ABC's satellite fed "Real Country" or did they just happen to have the same name? (or did ABC Real Country even exist at that time?)
Also, were 106.9 and WZZK owned by the same company at that time? I'm trying to remember if Kicks was a "sister" to ZZK or competition. I got a chance to visit WZZK in 1992 (picking up a Western Supermarket Gift Certificate I won playing "Lost Lyric"
Real country used the ABC real country feed. ZZK and Kix were owned by different parties (the spelling was changed from the original "Kicks" to "Kix" when 106.9 went country). Cox bought Kix in the early 90s and changed the station to WODL with the oldies format.
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