FM
KKFR (Power 92) – Phoenix – 10/21/01 – Charlie Huero & DJ Shy (Aquanet Set)
Since June of 1997, KKFR — both at its former home on 92.3 FM, and at its current home on 98.3 & 96.1 FM — has made hip-hop and R&B the primary (if not exclusive) focus of its Rhythmic CHR format. However, in the early 2000’s, it would offer a return to its dance-oriented roots for a brief period each Sunday night. A portion of the “Lowrider Oldies Show” (also known as the “Sunday Night Old School Show”) was known as the “Aquanet Set”. This program — whose name refers to the hairspray-laden members of freestyle acts in the 1980’s — originated (?) and was made famous by KKFR’s former sister station, KPWR (Power 106) in Los Angeles. As heard on the audio, this aircheck was recorded on the night the MLB’s Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the Atlanta Braves in the 2001 National L...
WJTW (Star 93.5) – Joliet, IL – 8/26/02
Per Wikipedia – this is a sample of 93.5 FM during the final year (or so) of its nearly two decade run as an English-language Adult Contemporary station. This aircheck was recorded during overnight hours.
KOY-FM (Y95) – June 18, 1993 – Phoenix – Steve Douglas, Elvis Medina, Bo Reynolds, Jamie White
In 1993, the NBA’s Phoenix Suns had a magical season that captivated their hometown fans, featuring run to the Finals round against the defending champion Chicago Bulls. In this aircheck, CHR Y95 (95.5 KOY-FM) was giving away courtside tickets to the 6th game of the series (contigent upon the Suns winning the 5th game, which took place a few hours following the aircheck). Listeners were asked to keep track of songs for several hours. Throughout the day, the station would start taking callers (beginning with #95) and the first person to correctly recite the titles of the songs in the correct order would win the tickets. All three times that this occurred throughout the day are featured on the aircheck. Included are Suns/NBA/sports-themed songs that were in rotation on Y95, along with ...
WIXX (101.1) – Green Bay, WI – 1/5/99 – Dan The Man
Recorded at one of the peak eras for pure pop music, this is a sample of Green Bay’s longtime Mainstream CHR outlet. Per Wikipedia, the station adopted this approach in February 1977 and is therefore regarded as a heritage station for its format. Many thanks to Blaine Thompson of Indianaradio.net for contributing this aircheck!
DYUR (UR105) – Cebu City, Philippines – 4/20/98 – Mac Haley
Per Wikipedia, DYUR was branded as “UR105 Ultimate Radio” from 1993 to 2010. This aircheck, recorded about 5 years into that era, showcases the station at a time when it offered what (in the United States) would be classified as an Adult Contemporary format (although it was presumably considered Mainstream Top 40 in the Philippines). For those familiar with jingles, the ones heard on this montage should ring a bell.
Scott Shannon’s Rockin’ America Top 30 Countdown (Year-End 1989)
Recorded from Chicago’s WBBM-FM (B96), this is a very brief snippet of Scott Shannon’s Rockin’ America Countdown, highlighting the Top 4 songs of 1989. Included is a portion of a B96 jingle. Per Wikipedia, this program ran from 1984 through mid-1990 before going through a name and format change.
WZEE (Z104) – Madison, WI – 12/31/98 – Tommy BoDean
From New Year’s Eve 1998, this is a montage of Madison’s long-running hit music station. This station was (and presumably still is) the textbook definition of pure Midwestern Mainstream CHR. Many thanks to Blaine Thompson of Indianaradio.net for contributing this aircheck!
WMEE (Mix 97.3) – Fort Wayne, IN – 2/23/96 – Charly Butcher
Recorded on a foggy morning in late February 1996, this is a sample of the morning show (hosted by the late Charly Butcher) on Fort Wayne’s longtime Hot AC outlet. NOTE: The logo shown was taken from an archive of WMEE’s website dated December 1996. It does not reflect the “Mix 97.3” branding heard on the montage. Many thanks to Scott Fybush of Fybush.com for contributing this aircheck!
WTWR (Tower 98) – Monroe, MI – 12/23/95 – Jim Shafer
Per Wikipedia, Tower 98 (eventually known as Tower 98.3 – the logo shown is taken from the latter era) had a life spanning nearly three decades, launching with an Adult Contemporary format in 1982 and ending as a Mainstream CHR in 2010. This montage of the station from the mid-90’s represents a hybrid of the two aforementioned formats: Adult CHR. Many thanks to Scott Fybush of Fybush.com for contributing this aircheck!
WIOQ (Q102) – Philadelphia – 3/17/96 – Bob Burke
From St. Patrick’s Day 1996, this is a sample of WIOQ during its Dance-leaning CHR days. The station was a favorite among U.S. dance radio enthusiasts (such as yours truly) at this time. Voiced by the late Keith Eubanks.
WRZE (96.3 The Rose) – Cape Cod, MA – 4/14/96 – OD
96.3 the Rose was a fun, upbeat station offering a well-rounded playlist and excellent imaging. Per Wikipedia, it debuted with a Mainstream CHR format in January 1993 – a time when the format was disappearing in many markets nationally – and survived until late March 2009, when it became a simulcast of Sports-formatted WEEI in Boston. Many thanks to Scott Fybush of Fybush.com for contributing this aircheck!
WDJB 106.3 (The Killer Bee, B-106) – Fort Wayne, IN – 2/23/96 – Scotty-T and Susan Morning Show
Per Wikipedia and YouTube, B-106 launched in September 1990 and enjoyed a 6.5+ year run as a largely successful CHR/Top 40 competitor to heritage WMEE 97.3. As heard on this aircheck, the station still sounded awesome, just a little over a year before its demise in April 1997. Many thanks to Scott Fybush of Fybush.com for contributing this aircheck!
