WLS AM/FM SOLD

[radioman148]

If I'm correct, Imus was never on in Chicago. Perhaps if Cumulus gets its way, he might be forced on Chicago whether or not the audience there responds to him.

...during the NBC years, Imus was heard a couple of times hosting Monitor over WMAQ. Nobody noticed. He was also audible in most of Chicago when WISN Milwaukee carried his CBS show; again, nobody gave a damn. Larry Lujack was doing the same schtick on WLS and WCFL before Imus ever cracked open a commercial radio microphone...

I used to listen to Imus on WISN. Obviously I was one of the few in the Chicago area who did.

 

[uncamark]

If I'm correct, Imus was never on in Chicago. Perhaps if Cumulus gets its way, he might be forced on Chicago whether or not the audience there responds to him.

...during the NBC years, Imus was heard a couple of times hosting Monitor over WMAQ. Nobody noticed. He was also audible in most of Chicago when WISN Milwaukee carried his CBS show; again, nobody gave a damn. Larry Lujack was doing the same schtick on WLS and WCFL before Imus ever cracked open a commercial radio microphone...

I used to listen to Imus on WISN. Obviously I was one of the few in the Chicago area who did.

I recall that during WJJD's brief Stern-inspired talk format in the 90s (when Cox-owned WCKG dumped him the first time), it seems to me that they ran Imus either before Stern came on the air or on delay after Stern. Ironic, considering that Stern and Imus didnt get along at WNNNNNBC.

 

[Drucifer]

I think I hear Elvis...

"And now the end is near and so I face the final curtain...."

 

[davideduardo]

I don't know if CFZM 740 is making any money with their music format directed toward baby boomers,

As has been posted, 740 is on the air only because a format for an underserved segment was proposed, as is the CRTC's preference. There have been reports that the station is not making much, and the introduction of the PPM to Canada hurt the station even more.

I find it hard to believe that Boomers would like that station. The beginning of the Baby Boom was 1/1/46, meaning that the oldest is 65. And that means that when rock 'n roll Top 40 radio took over youth listening in the 55-59 period the oldest boomer was a pre-teen. I don't know any 65-year-olds who are into Doris Day and Benny Goodman or even Sinatra... or more recent stuff that sounds like those stars of the previous generation.

Standards stations have had a hard time of it; even in the few markets where there is a disproportional amount of 65+ residents (think Palm Springs, not Phoenix) standards has not been a viable format except on very marginal signals that became part of a cluster because they came with an FM that was valuable (KOY Phoenix is an example).

 

[Tom Wells]

I don't know if CFZM 740 is making any money with their music format directed toward baby boomers,

As has been posted, 740 is on the air only because a format for an underserved segment was proposed, as is the CRTC's preference. There have been reports that the station is not making much, and the introduction of the PPM to Canada hurt the station even more.

I find it hard to believe that Boomers would like that station. The beginning of the Baby Boom was 1/1/46, meaning that the oldest is 65. And that means that when rock 'n roll Top 40 radio took over youth listening in the 55-59 period the oldest boomer was a pre-teen. I don't know any 65-year-olds who are into Doris Day and Benny Goodman or even Sinatra... or more recent stuff that sounds like those stars of the previous generation.

Standards stations have had a hard time of it; even in the few markets where there is a disproportional amount of 65+ residents (think Palm Springs, not Phoenix) standards has not been a viable format except on very marginal signals that became part of a cluster because they came with an FM that was valuable (KOY Phoenix is an example).

CFZM may do "standards" in the day, at night they indulge somewhat younger boomers with actual rock-n-roll, especially on
Friday Night Bandstand.

I have read recently that 1946 to 1966 is the considered to be the boom, and there were huge changes in what pop music
was "about" all during that time.

I never could much stomach Doris Day...

 

[davideduardo]

CFZM may do "standards" in the day, at night they indulge somewhat younger boomers with actual rock-n-roll, especially on Friday Night Bandstand.

As I said, standards pretty much have no appeal to the majority of boomers, whose musical formation years (which sociologists state is in early adolescence) began around 1957 or1958 for the youngest of them.

And night radio listening is less than 15% of total Monday to Friday listening, so the audience is limited and small. For AM, it tends to be smaller, even in Canada.

I have read recently that 1946 to 1966 is the considered to be the boom, and there were huge changes in what pop music was "about" all during that time.

Some say it is '46 to '63 (Death of John Kennedy being the benchmark) and others say it is '46 to 70. In any case, MOR / Big Band music as a youth experience was gone by the time the first ones turned 10 or so. Some may have been exposed due to parents who listened to old line station, but what kid growing up in the fifties or sixties liked anything their parents liked?

 

[OKCRadioGuy]

I'm fearful "the cloud people" will indeed make Fagreed look like he wasn't all that bad comparatively. It just gets worse and worse for medium and major market radio...

 

[cyberdad]

I find it hard to believe that Boomers would like that station. The beginning of the Baby Boom was 1/1/46, meaning that the oldest is 65. And that means that when rock 'n roll Top 40 radio took over youth listening in the 55-59 period the oldest boomer was a pre-teen. I don't know any 65-year-olds who are into Doris Day and Benny Goodman or even Sinatra... or more recent stuff that sounds like those stars of the previous generation.

+1.

And I also agree that the CRTC more or less created and doomed CFZM in one stroke.

Now me, I happen to like the station. Listen to it all the time when I'm in and around T-O two or three times a year. But I realiz that my eclectic tastes are VERY atypical. The can segue from Rosemary Clooney to the Beatles and I'm fine with it. But whenever I hear them do this sort of stuff (whch is fairly often), I always find myself wondering "How the (heck) can they attract an audience doing this stuff? And while they do have a lot of great stuff on the station, they also have a couple of lame talk shows inserted for no apparent reason, and things like "The Scottish Hour"....or whatever it is....in the middle of Sunday afternoons, etc.

Back OT, it would be interesting to hear a more focused version of the format (perhaps vintage top 40) on Chicago airwaves, but I don't see it every happening. And if it did, I'd say 560 would be a better place for it than 890. As I said earlier, they could find some old Howard Miller tapes, chop them up, and voicetrack the thing! ;D

 

[radioman148]

I find it hard to believe that Boomers would like that station. The beginning of the Baby Boom was 1/1/46, meaning that the oldest is 65. And that means that when rock 'n roll Top 40 radio took over youth listening in the 55-59 period the oldest boomer was a pre-teen. I don't know any 65-year-olds who are into Doris Day and Benny Goodman or even Sinatra... or more recent stuff that sounds like those stars of the previous generation.

+1.

And I also agree that the CRTC more or less created and doomed CFZM in one stroke.

Now me, I happen to like the station. Listen to it all the time when I'm in and around T-O two or three times a year. But I realiz that my eclectic tastes are VERY atypical. The can segue from Rosemary Clooney to the Beatles and I'm fine with it. But whenever I hear them do this sort of stuff (whch is fairly often), I always find myself wondering "How the (heck) can they attract an audience doing this stuff? And while they do have a lot of great stuff on the station, they also have a couple of lame talk shows inserted for no apparent reason, and things like "The Scottish Hour"....or whatever it is....in the middle of Sunday afternoons, etc.

Back OT, it would be interesting to hear a more focused version of the format (perhaps vintage top 40) on Chicago airwaves, but I don't see it every happening. And if it did, I'd say 560 would be a better place for it than 890. As I said earlier, they could find some old Howard Miller tapes, chop them up, and voicetrack the thing! ;D

560 or 1160--the 2 stations where rock music was first heard in Chicago. Bring back the WJJD calls.

 

[audioguy]

560 or 1160--the 2 stations where rock music was first heard in Chicago. Bring back the WJJD calls.

And the BTA-50F with 30 kHz frequency response!

 

[radioguy39nj]

560 or 1160--the 2 stations where rock music was first heard in Chicago. Bring back the WJJD calls.

I thought WIND was predominantly an MOR station. How much rock 'n' roll did they play during the 50s and early 60s. WJJD probably would've done better if it didn't have to sign off at sunset to protect KSL Salt Lake City!

 

[BOBBY.B]

i miss WJJD also! but because sunrise to sunset= WLS put them under top 40 24/7 where would you go.it was a great station at it's time. have a great day.

 

[radioman148]

560 or 1160--the 2 stations where rock music was first heard in Chicago. Bring back the WJJD calls.

I thought WIND was predominantly an MOR station. How much rock 'n' roll did they play during the 50s and early 60s. WJJD probably would've done better if it didn't have to sign off at sunset to protect KSL Salt Lake City!

WIND was mostly MOR, but they did publish a survey and on Sunday nights played the Top 21 hits.

 

[radioman148]

i miss WJJD also! but because sunrise to sunset= WLS put them under top 40 24/7 where would you go.it was a great station at it's time. have a great day.

Yes their daytime only status really hurt them along with the fact WLS had much better sounding DJs. WLS blew them out of the water pretty quickly in the early 60s & WJJD changed to MOR.

 

[Drucifer]

I used to have a WIND jingle package. Very MOR. "560 W-I-N-D"

 

[radioman148]

I used to have a WIND jingle package. Very MOR. "560 W-I-N-D"

I had those too. They're from later on in the 60s.

 

[radioguy39nj]

560 or 1160--the 2 stations where rock music was first heard in Chicago. Bring back the WJJD calls.

I thought WIND was predominantly an MOR station. How much rock 'n' roll did they play during the 50s and early 60s. WJJD probably would've done better if it didn't have to sign off at sunset to protect KSL Salt Lake City!

WIND was mostly MOR, but they did publish a survey and on Sunday nights played the Top 21 hits.

Was that Sunday night show hosted by Milo Hamilton? ???

I guess since WJJD was daytime only, WIND's top 21 show on Sunday night was the only place in Chicago to hear rock 'n' roll at night until WLS came on the scene.

 

[KeithE4]

I guess since WJJD was daytime only, WIND's top 21 show on Sunday night was the only place in Chicago to hear rock 'n' roll at night until WLS came on the scene.

When did WYNR 1390 first appear? Was it before or after WLS switched to rock?

 

[Drucifer]

Milo Hamilton?

Hall of fame broadcaster and voice of the Houston Astro's Milo Hamilton????

 

[KeithE4]

Milo Hamilton?

Hall of fame broadcaster and voice of the Houston Astro's Milo Hamilton????

Yep. IIRC, he was a Cubs broadcaster when they were on WIND in the '50s. Apparently, he also moonlighted as a DJ.