WLBJ-AM & "Natural 97 FM"

[Sgt Preston]

Hey anyone remember WLBJ AM (1410) & FM (96.7fm) in Bowling Green,KY?

Loved the days of "Natural 97 FM"(WLBJ-FM) one of the pioneering radio stations in Progressive/Alternative radio format programming.

 

[bassassassin]

I attended (sort of) WKU my first year of college shortly after the Civil War. Natural 97 as new at the time, and although I hadn't started in radio yet I was fascinated by the station. It prolly had much to do with my dropping out of school and beginning a long stretch in AOR.

 

[bassassassin]

Sadly, my account doesn't allow responses to personal messages, Sarge. I'll try to straighten it out and get back with you!

 

[A#1]

Yes, I remember WLBJ. I think it was a Top 40 station back around 1970 going up against WBGN 1340. Sounded pretty good from what I remember. Seems like it had a pretty weak signal at night towards the west and what is now the Natcher Parkway. 5kw day and 1kw at night, I think? That one went dark back in the 70's, didn't it? Not sure, but wasn't it owned by Bahakel?

 

[Sgt Preston]

Yes, I remember WLBJ. I think it was a Top 40 station back around 1970 going up against WBGN 1340. Sounded pretty good from what I remember. Seems like it had a pretty weak signal at night towards the west and what is now the Natcher Parkway. 5kw day and 1kw at night, I think? That one went dark back in the 70's, didn't it? Not sure, but wasn't it owned by Bahakel?

Your memory serves you well, young radio grasshopper!

WLBJ-AM 1410 was COUNTRY ("before Country was KOOL") & the FM was pretty much simulcast w/ a little bit of Gospel music in middays...til the summer of 1974 when we started programming Light Jazz & lighter Rock album cuts from 12noon til midnight....& (as the old saying goes) by popular demand...we extended the hours til it became a FULL TIME AOR (Album Oriented Rock)/Progressive station...
it had a short life-span...ending in early 1980 when Bahakel Broadcasting decided to "save money" & bought automation equipment & it became AC format as "BJ-97"

The AM signal was a POWERHOUSE 5,000 watts...but you are correct...it dropped to a very directional 1k @ nightitme...with a very strange pattern.

"The BEAVER" bought both AM & FM...kept the FM (96.7) & re-CALL LETTERED it...& let WLBJ AM go "DARK"...very SAD!

 

[A#1]

Sarge...I could of sworn I heard the long cut of Inagaddadivida on WLBJ one night in the late summer of 70'. Maybe I had BGN' on or maybe it coulda been the beer. Whatever, it was a pretty good station. When was the conversion to country?

 

[Sgt Preston]

Sarge...I could of sworn I heard the long cut of Inagaddadivida on WLBJ one night in the late summer of 70'. Maybe I had BGN' on or maybe it coulda been the beer. Whatever, it was a pretty good station. When was the conversion to country?

In those days...you could've heard just abt anything on WLBJ-AM even tho it was billed as a "COUNTRY" station ("Kentucky Kountry King")...most of the DJs were HI skool kids or WKU students...in those days...
OR it couldve been WBGN

 

[Sgt Preston]

If you remember WLBJ AM & FM ("Natural 97FM") ...you'll be sad to know that the former Chief Engineer & General Manager of the stations for many years, R. DEAN MAGGARD, passed away this past summer.

In my 7 years working with him...he always put on a ROUGH & tumble exterior...but, he had a "HEART OF GOLD".
I enjoyed helping in the installation of the NEW audio console for "NATURAL 97FM" years ago with "DEAN-O"...
he was also an avid AMATEUR RADIO operator in Southern KY...in fact i had talked to him via 2-meter ham band many nights from my Springfield,TN home.

...a true "PIONEER" in the Bowling Green,KY broadcasting/radio market.

He will be missed.