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Bloomington/Peoria Retro Dial: Bloomington, January 1993

T

TR1968

from The Pantagraph via Newspapers.com

AM Dial
560 WIND Chicago (Spanish)
580 WILL Urbana (news/talk)
670 WMAQ Chicago (news)
720 WGN Chicago (full service)
780 WBBM Chicago (news)
890 WLS Chicago (news/talk)
1000 WLUP Chicago (personality rock)
1020 WPEO Peoria (religious)
1080 WPOK Pontiac (nostalgia)
1140 WVEL Pekin (Christian)
1160 WJJD Chicago (nostalgia)
1220 WLPO LaSalle (diverse)
1230 WJBC Bloomington (full service)
1250 WIZZ Streator (MOR)
1290 WIRL Peoria (AC)
1340 WSOY Decatur (AC)
1350 WXCL Peoria (country)
1370 WPRC Lincoln (country)
1400 WDWS Champaign (news/talk)
1470 WMBD Peoria (AC)
1520 WHOW Clinton (country)
1580 WBCP (Black hits & oldies)

FM Dial
88.1 WESN Bloomington (diverse)
88.9 WLNX Lincoln (diverse)
89.1 WGLT Notmal (jazz/blues/classical)
89.9 WCBU Peoria (classical/jazz)
90.9 WILL Urbana (classical)
92.5 WKIO Urbana (golden oldies)
93.1 WXRT Chicago (album rock)
94.3 WQEZ Chillicothe (beautiful music)
94.5 WLRW Champaign (AC)
95.5 WGLO Pekin (AC)
95.9 WHOW Clinton (easy listening)
96.7 WIHN Normal (AC/oldies)
97.5 WHMS Champaign (light rock)
97.7 WSTQ Streator (country)
98.3 WZOR Farmer City (country)
98.5 WCRI Eureka (MOR)
99.3 WAJK LaSalle (AC)
100.1 WESZ Lincoln (country)
101.5 WBNQ Bloomington (CHR)
102.3 WTAZ Morton (talk/sports/news)
102.9 WSOY Decatur (AC)
103.1 WJEZ Pontiac (easy listening)
104.1 WBWN Bloomington (country)
104.9 WPXN Paxton (oldies)
105.7 WWCT Peoria (classic rock)
106.3 WGCY Gibson City (beautiful music)
106.9 WSWT Peoria (AC)
107.1 WPGU Champaign (diverse)
 
Huge omission on the FM dial. WKZW Peoria was still AC with KZ93 (93.3) and would have delievered at least a good signal into Bloomington.

Also I would think some of the stronger Springfield stations (the then WSSR-91.9 NPR; WNNS 98.7 AC, and WFMB 104.5 country might have at least had a fair signal into the Twin Cities. Maybe WDBR 103.7 (CHR) as well (Although not too far north of Bloomington the then-KUUL 103.7 oldies "KUUL FM" from the Quad Cities would likely have started appearing as you entered Woodford County on I-39/US-51).
 
When did the former AM 1440 in Normal go dark?

Another station that might have had a chance in B-N both then and now (but especially then) is heritage Country/Farm outlet WAAG 94.9 Galesburg. On air since 1966, country since '73 and for a time served as a de facto FM country station for Peoria in the late 80s, during a period when the only Peoria country station was the former WXCL AM 1350 (now WOAM and mostly dark AFAIK). Prior to when WXCL changed its then sister station WKQA-104.9 (Pekin/Peoria) to WXCL-FM in fall 1989. WXCL remains on 104.9 to this day and is strong in the Peoria ratings but is only 6kw and its signal isn't all that great in much of the metro (hence WAAG keeps a strong listener following for country in the areas immediately west of Peoria city proper).

FWIW the Radio-locator map for WAAG has the fringe signal reaching at least halfway between Peoria and Bloomington: WAAG-FM Radio Station Coverage Map
 
No WSCR 820 Chicago? I remember being able to hear them in my car when driving south of Springfield on I-55 in that era.
 
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