March 1, 1984, at 1 pm WXTU switched from 92XTU urban contemporary to Country 92 WXTU (with "Are You Ready For The Country", Waylon Jennings). Articles in Billboard & the Inquirer that week questioned if a country station could make it in Philadelphia after WUSL & WFIL dropped the format in 1982 & 1983. Not only did they make it, but they have lasted longer than any country station in town (surpassing-doubling WRCP at 14 years, 1967-1981) & have had higher ratings than those other stations generated. I have other country stations I personally prefer, but have to give them credit for becoming a 'mainstream' top 10 station in a town where some said it could never work or never last.
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WXTU is 29 Today
- Thread starter John1
- Start date
josh said:
It was a very WELL-TIMED move. The stations that dumped the format didn't foresee the huge transition from hillbilly twang to contemporary country that was just a couple years off. By the late 80s, the format was getting regular listening from people who a few years earlier would have said they'd never listen to country. Almost overnight, George Jones was gone and Garth Brooks was all over the radio.
WUSL switched to country around the time of the "Urban Cowboy" craze but never seemed committed to the format. Same for co-owned WFIL, thay tried playing a mix of crossover older & newer songs, then added more sports & features. The WUSL 'continuous country' presentation was bland, WXTU first went with that handle but quickly went to a more uptempo, jock oriented format. Beasley already had country stations and brought in people who knew how to do country for a city audience, bringing in veteran morning jock Larry Coates. Through it for many years the big survivor was Leigh Richards, going from WRCP to WTTM to WFIL and then WXTU.
Interesting listening online to Nash 94.7 trying to re-invent country radio in New York City after 12 years with no city-wide station in the format. WXTU only had to make up 6 months without a country station (Labor Day weekend 1983-Leap Day 1984). We were fortunate there were other stations around, like WXKW-FM Allentown, WTTM Trenton, WJIC Salem, & WAMS Wilmington to fill in the gaps. I had an antenna strategically placed in my bedroom to pick up WXKW 104.1 while blocking 103.9 from nearby Jenkintown, then still mono ethnic programming. WTTM was good weekdays but had ethnic/religious programming most of the weekend & there was always a 'buzz' on that 920 frequency in my area!
Interesting listening online to Nash 94.7 trying to re-invent country radio in New York City after 12 years with no city-wide station in the format. WXTU only had to make up 6 months without a country station (Labor Day weekend 1983-Leap Day 1984). We were fortunate there were other stations around, like WXKW-FM Allentown, WTTM Trenton, WJIC Salem, & WAMS Wilmington to fill in the gaps. I had an antenna strategically placed in my bedroom to pick up WXKW 104.1 while blocking 103.9 from nearby Jenkintown, then still mono ethnic programming. WTTM was good weekdays but had ethnic/religious programming most of the weekend & there was always a 'buzz' on that 920 frequency in my area!
Yes, that urban format lasted a short time but the call letters that had no symbolism to with a country format have survived 29 years. In a similar way, the WUSL calls were selected for the US1 MOR/adult contemporary format which ran a few years on 98.9 survived a year on a country format & now 30 years on the Power 99 urban format (briefly Kiss 99, another story) without having any meaning to the format! Intersting examples that you don't always have to change call letters to match a new format - right, WPAZ? And even as I listen to the Eagles in the Fall I still think I'm listening to WYSP!cingram said:
dad is always saying 94 WYSP. hell, even for me and I know its WIP-FM, its just it had been WYSP for so long.
The music lives on, but its sad to see what WYSP has become.
CBS is pretty good with personalities on there stations I think. but HD radio isn't so good for personality's. strayign off topic a lil bit I know, but yeah... if WMMR ever changed calls, that'll live on in people's memories for ages.
The music lives on, but its sad to see what WYSP has become.
CBS is pretty good with personalities on there stations I think. but HD radio isn't so good for personality's. strayign off topic a lil bit I know, but yeah... if WMMR ever changed calls, that'll live on in people's memories for ages.
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