There must be at least one Chicago radio historian on this board. Could someone list all the formats the cursed 94.7 frequency has had through the years. I know this is quite a challenge because they have been through so many formats (and variations of formats). My first memories of 94.7 are from the summer of 1981 when Steve Dahl was playing Ozzy's "Crazy Train" (a current at the time) on WLS-FM.
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The history of 94.7
- Thread starter Jay_F
- Start date
R
RadioDoc
Guest
> There must be at least one Chicago radio historian on this
> board. Could someone list all the formats the cursed 94.7
> frequency has had through the years. I know this is quite a
> challenge because they have been through so many formats
> (and variations of formats). My first memories of 94.7 are
> from the summer of 1981 when Steve Dahl was playing Ozzy's
> "Crazy Train" (a current at the time) on WLS-FM.
>
Scott Childers most excellent WLS history site has information about the FM:
http://www.wlshistory.com/<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
> board. Could someone list all the formats the cursed 94.7
> frequency has had through the years. I know this is quite a
> challenge because they have been through so many formats
> (and variations of formats). My first memories of 94.7 are
> from the summer of 1981 when Steve Dahl was playing Ozzy's
> "Crazy Train" (a current at the time) on WLS-FM.
>
Scott Childers most excellent WLS history site has information about the FM:
http://www.wlshistory.com/<P ID="signature">______________
</P>
> There must be at least one Chicago radio historian on this
> board. Could someone list all the formats the cursed 94.7
> frequency has had through the years. I know this is quite a
> challenge because they have been through so many formats
> (and variations of formats). My first memories of 94.7 are
> from the summer of 1981 when Steve Dahl was playing Ozzy's
> "Crazy Train" (a current at the time) on WLS-FM.
>
http://www.wlshistory.com/new/947.htm
or go to http://www.scottchilders.com/timecapsule/
It's pretty interesting.
> board. Could someone list all the formats the cursed 94.7
> frequency has had through the years. I know this is quite a
> challenge because they have been through so many formats
> (and variations of formats). My first memories of 94.7 are
> from the summer of 1981 when Steve Dahl was playing Ozzy's
> "Crazy Train" (a current at the time) on WLS-FM.
>
http://www.wlshistory.com/new/947.htm
or go to http://www.scottchilders.com/timecapsule/
It's pretty interesting.
C
ccr213
Guest
Try here... http://www.wlshistory.com/new/947.htm
> There must be at least one Chicago radio historian on this
> board. Could someone list all the formats the cursed 94.7
> frequency has had through the years. I know this is quite a
> challenge because they have been through so many formats
> (and variations of formats). My first memories of 94.7 are
> from the summer of 1981 when Steve Dahl was playing Ozzy's
> "Crazy Train" (a current at the time) on WLS-FM.
>
> There must be at least one Chicago radio historian on this
> board. Could someone list all the formats the cursed 94.7
> frequency has had through the years. I know this is quite a
> challenge because they have been through so many formats
> (and variations of formats). My first memories of 94.7 are
> from the summer of 1981 when Steve Dahl was playing Ozzy's
> "Crazy Train" (a current at the time) on WLS-FM.
>
Z
Zander_Kelly
Guest
> There must be at least one Chicago radio historian on this
> board. Could someone list all the formats the cursed 94.7
> frequency has had through the years. I know this is quite a
> challenge because they have been through so many formats
> (and variations of formats). My first memories of 94.7 are
> from the summer of 1981 when Steve Dahl was playing Ozzy's
> "Crazy Train" (a current at the time) on WLS-FM.
>
I remember they were WLS in the early 80s, then I forgot about them until about 1988 when they were Z95 I believe they were also HOT 94.7, Talk radio, Kicks Country, CD947, the 80s and beyond, the new alternative, the new rock, and then the hardest rock station in America.....something like that......someone else will have to comment on everything before 1980.
> board. Could someone list all the formats the cursed 94.7
> frequency has had through the years. I know this is quite a
> challenge because they have been through so many formats
> (and variations of formats). My first memories of 94.7 are
> from the summer of 1981 when Steve Dahl was playing Ozzy's
> "Crazy Train" (a current at the time) on WLS-FM.
>
I remember they were WLS in the early 80s, then I forgot about them until about 1988 when they were Z95 I believe they were also HOT 94.7, Talk radio, Kicks Country, CD947, the 80s and beyond, the new alternative, the new rock, and then the hardest rock station in America.....something like that......someone else will have to comment on everything before 1980.
Thanks to everyone for this link. It was very detailed and interesting. I was especially impressed that the format change to oldies was already updated.
Try here... http://www.wlshistory.com/new/947.htm
>
> > There must be at least one Chicago radio historian on this
>
> > board. Could someone list all the formats the cursed 94.7
> > frequency has had through the years. I know this is quite
> a
> > challenge because they have been through so many formats
> > (and variations of formats). My first memories of 94.7 are
>
> > from the summer of 1981 when Steve Dahl was playing Ozzy's
>
> > "Crazy Train" (a current at the time) on WLS-FM.
> >
>
Try here... http://www.wlshistory.com/new/947.htm
>
> > There must be at least one Chicago radio historian on this
>
> > board. Could someone list all the formats the cursed 94.7
> > frequency has had through the years. I know this is quite
> a
> > challenge because they have been through so many formats
> > (and variations of formats). My first memories of 94.7 are
>
> > from the summer of 1981 when Steve Dahl was playing Ozzy's
>
> > "Crazy Train" (a current at the time) on WLS-FM.
> >
>
I actually remember listening to WENR-FM!!
It broadcast from Noon till 6:30Pm Monday through Friday and from 10:00AM till 4:00PM on Saturday. They rode the ABC network with Paul Harvey at Noon and news at :55. The music played was off the network. It was played to assure stations the net was up.
I was a young radio geek before I entered the industry.
I listened to every station on the air then. I remember stations like WSEL, WEAW and WFMF!
It broadcast from Noon till 6:30Pm Monday through Friday and from 10:00AM till 4:00PM on Saturday. They rode the ABC network with Paul Harvey at Noon and news at :55. The music played was off the network. It was played to assure stations the net was up.
I was a young radio geek before I entered the industry.
I listened to every station on the air then. I remember stations like WSEL, WEAW and WFMF!
> Scott Childers most excellent WLS history site has
> information about the FM:
>
> http://www.wlshistory.com/
Most of which seems to be down, so here's a quick timeline (approx. on some dates):
1965: WLS-FM separates as easy listening format, with Clark Weber, "Breakfast Club" and "East of Midnight" simulcast from the AM.
1967: After filling in during AFTRA strikes, Gordon Anderson starts all-night "Spoke" progrock show.
1968: Starts running ABC's "Love" progrock format in the evenings.
1970: Flips to prog fulltime, with Randy Morrison in the evening, Spoke in overnights and ABC automation tapes during the day.
1971: Calls flipped to WDAI and starts all live and local.
1972: Allen Shaw ends free-form prog format and flips all ABC FMs to proto-AOR as "Rock 'n' Stereo." Later known as "Chicago's Best Rock."
January 1978: Steve Dahl starts mornings.
December 1978: 'DAI flips to disco. Dahl quits.
June 1980: Calls change to WRCK ("W-Rock") and flips to proto-hot AC, with mostly same jock staff as in disco and late AOR formats, except for morning man Bob Sirott, who can't go on the air yet because of a non-compete from *WLS-AM.*
October 1980: Five weeks after the non-compete runs out, Sirott gets CBS TV gig and quits. ABC responds by firing the GM and giving the job to John Gehron. Calls flipped to WLS-FM and basically go to slightly harder version of WLS-AM, with still same DJs and Larry Lujack and Brant Miller simulcast.
February 1981: Steve and Garry hired for afternoon drive after they're fired from the Loop.
1984: Steve and Garry moved to the AM as format is tweaked to be more competitive with B96, with separate jingle package from FM (JAM Flamethrower). Lujack and Miller simulcasts end.
1985: Calls flipped to WYTZ ("Z95") and Paul Barsky brought in to morning drive.
1991: Barsky long gone, Randy Michaels brought in to Power Pig Z95. When it doesn't work, the week as "Hell 94.7" before going to "Hot 94.7."
October 1991: Hot 94.7 ends as simulcast of AM begins. Calls back to WLS-FM.
1994: Flip to young-skewing talk format with Robert Murphy in morning, with only Rush Limbaugh simulcast from AM.
1995: Back to simulcast of AM after O.J. trial.
December 1996: Flip to young country and call letter change to WKCK (?) "Kicks Country."
March 1998: Flip to classic rock and call letter change to WXCD "CD 94.7." Bill Gamble brought in as PD.
February 2001: Flip to 80s oldies and call letter change to WZZN "The Zone." Format's tweaked to modern AC before:
September 2001: Flip to modern.
2003: Tweaked to active.
Sept. 26, 2005: Flip to ABC's True Oldies Channel satellite format.
> information about the FM:
>
> http://www.wlshistory.com/
Most of which seems to be down, so here's a quick timeline (approx. on some dates):
1965: WLS-FM separates as easy listening format, with Clark Weber, "Breakfast Club" and "East of Midnight" simulcast from the AM.
1967: After filling in during AFTRA strikes, Gordon Anderson starts all-night "Spoke" progrock show.
1968: Starts running ABC's "Love" progrock format in the evenings.
1970: Flips to prog fulltime, with Randy Morrison in the evening, Spoke in overnights and ABC automation tapes during the day.
1971: Calls flipped to WDAI and starts all live and local.
1972: Allen Shaw ends free-form prog format and flips all ABC FMs to proto-AOR as "Rock 'n' Stereo." Later known as "Chicago's Best Rock."
January 1978: Steve Dahl starts mornings.
December 1978: 'DAI flips to disco. Dahl quits.
June 1980: Calls change to WRCK ("W-Rock") and flips to proto-hot AC, with mostly same jock staff as in disco and late AOR formats, except for morning man Bob Sirott, who can't go on the air yet because of a non-compete from *WLS-AM.*
October 1980: Five weeks after the non-compete runs out, Sirott gets CBS TV gig and quits. ABC responds by firing the GM and giving the job to John Gehron. Calls flipped to WLS-FM and basically go to slightly harder version of WLS-AM, with still same DJs and Larry Lujack and Brant Miller simulcast.
February 1981: Steve and Garry hired for afternoon drive after they're fired from the Loop.
1984: Steve and Garry moved to the AM as format is tweaked to be more competitive with B96, with separate jingle package from FM (JAM Flamethrower). Lujack and Miller simulcasts end.
1985: Calls flipped to WYTZ ("Z95") and Paul Barsky brought in to morning drive.
1991: Barsky long gone, Randy Michaels brought in to Power Pig Z95. When it doesn't work, the week as "Hell 94.7" before going to "Hot 94.7."
October 1991: Hot 94.7 ends as simulcast of AM begins. Calls back to WLS-FM.
1994: Flip to young-skewing talk format with Robert Murphy in morning, with only Rush Limbaugh simulcast from AM.
1995: Back to simulcast of AM after O.J. trial.
December 1996: Flip to young country and call letter change to WKCK (?) "Kicks Country."
March 1998: Flip to classic rock and call letter change to WXCD "CD 94.7." Bill Gamble brought in as PD.
February 2001: Flip to 80s oldies and call letter change to WZZN "The Zone." Format's tweaked to modern AC before:
September 2001: Flip to modern.
2003: Tweaked to active.
Sept. 26, 2005: Flip to ABC's True Oldies Channel satellite format.
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