I lived in Independence and Sugar Creek, Missouri for a few years in the late 1960s. It was an exciting time in radio in my opinion. I not only had the chance to hear WHB in their heyday but experience KUDL 1380 drop talk for a Boss 30, 20-20 News presentation of Top 40 with the more music concept. I also experienced KCJC FM's flip from beautiful music to Album Oriented Rock in 1968. I had the opportunity to hear KEXS 1090 in Excelsior Springs come on the air as well as the topic of this thread, KBIL 1140.
I became aware of KBIL through a TV advertising campaign on Kansas City TV announcing their launch around February 1967. KBIL launched as "The Sound of Town and Country", a blend of what would become adult contemporary with a seasoning of country hits. From my memory there was a country hit about every quarter hour. The remainder of the music was adult contemporary.
As was the case at the time, you had live jocks announcing records and in KBIL's case, doing the 5 minute news summary at :55 and headlines of the half hour (weather at :15 and :45).
KBIL was a 500 watt daytimer then. I don't recall ever being disappointed that they were not on the air at night.
It seems early on the country songs disappeared from KBIL's playlist. I'd say within 3 months of the launch. Somewhere around the first anniversary, the station flipped to country but that didn't last but a few months before going back to adult contemporary. Being a radio nut dreaming of working in radio, in my 12 or 13 year old mind, I knew they were on to something even if KBIL was not the right vehicle to get them where the format needed to be. I was interested enough to monitor the station for hours, writing down every song, commercial and summary of DJ chatter to understand all the formatics. The biggest hits had a 2 hour rotation, much like other hit music stations of the top 40 persuasion.
The music mix is what was of greatest interest. The memories of songs might not match the charts of the time but I recall hearing Pleasant Valley Sunday by The Monkees, lots of Simon and Garfunkel, hits from Hair (Good Morning Starshine but not Aquarius by the 5th Dimension) and even songs like My Cup Runneth Over by Ed Ames to For What It's Worth by Buffalo Springfield. I recall hearing Oh Happy Day by the Edwin Hawkin Singers and KBIL played Color Him Father by The Winstons in a pretty heavy rotation. I figured back then the format was aimed at younger adults that were flocking to the suburbs, starting families and working their way up the ladder in their professions.
The air talent wasn't bad but it was evident to me then, they were the farm team for the Kansas City big boys. These guys were honing their skills for perhaps a gig at WDAF, KMBC or KCMO if they could get that break.
KBIL's AC attempt failed. Say what you want, it was more of an issue of advertising perception. For the universe of advertisers around Liberty, country was an easy sell and understood by advertisers much better than this top 40 format without the rock.
I became aware of KBIL through a TV advertising campaign on Kansas City TV announcing their launch around February 1967. KBIL launched as "The Sound of Town and Country", a blend of what would become adult contemporary with a seasoning of country hits. From my memory there was a country hit about every quarter hour. The remainder of the music was adult contemporary.
As was the case at the time, you had live jocks announcing records and in KBIL's case, doing the 5 minute news summary at :55 and headlines of the half hour (weather at :15 and :45).
KBIL was a 500 watt daytimer then. I don't recall ever being disappointed that they were not on the air at night.
It seems early on the country songs disappeared from KBIL's playlist. I'd say within 3 months of the launch. Somewhere around the first anniversary, the station flipped to country but that didn't last but a few months before going back to adult contemporary. Being a radio nut dreaming of working in radio, in my 12 or 13 year old mind, I knew they were on to something even if KBIL was not the right vehicle to get them where the format needed to be. I was interested enough to monitor the station for hours, writing down every song, commercial and summary of DJ chatter to understand all the formatics. The biggest hits had a 2 hour rotation, much like other hit music stations of the top 40 persuasion.
The music mix is what was of greatest interest. The memories of songs might not match the charts of the time but I recall hearing Pleasant Valley Sunday by The Monkees, lots of Simon and Garfunkel, hits from Hair (Good Morning Starshine but not Aquarius by the 5th Dimension) and even songs like My Cup Runneth Over by Ed Ames to For What It's Worth by Buffalo Springfield. I recall hearing Oh Happy Day by the Edwin Hawkin Singers and KBIL played Color Him Father by The Winstons in a pretty heavy rotation. I figured back then the format was aimed at younger adults that were flocking to the suburbs, starting families and working their way up the ladder in their professions.
The air talent wasn't bad but it was evident to me then, they were the farm team for the Kansas City big boys. These guys were honing their skills for perhaps a gig at WDAF, KMBC or KCMO if they could get that break.
KBIL's AC attempt failed. Say what you want, it was more of an issue of advertising perception. For the universe of advertisers around Liberty, country was an easy sell and understood by advertisers much better than this top 40 format without the rock.