Radio Back Then This Week: Week Ending February 3
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This week’s trip back in time revisits top 40 outlets KHYI “Y95” Dallas/Fort Worth, KKBQ “93Q” Houston, KZBS “Z99” Oklahoma City, KMYZ “Z104.5” Tulsa, KZBB/KMCK “The Power Station” Fort Smith/Northwest Arkansas, WDJQ Canton, and WKXJ “97 Kicks” and WSKZ “KZ106” Chattanooga.
The late 1980s and early 1990s was a time where hair bands still existed, “Fast Car” was not a country song, Tammy Waynette and KLF was a team up you didn’t know you needed, and Michael Bolton and Kenny G was a team up you wanted to forget.
Aircheck: KHYI 94.9 Dallas/Fort Worth “Y95” February 3-4 1989
Our audio trip back in time starts in Big D on an abnormally frigid Friday evening in early February 1989. Nationally, the top 40 format was splintering as “churban” — stations between CHR (Contemporary Hit Radio/top 40) and what was then referred to as urban contemporary (R&B and hip hop) — became a fast spreading format. In D/FW, KEGL 97.1 “All Hit 97.1 KEGL the Eagle” was rock-skewing, KHYI was the mainstream CHR (“not just rock, not just rap” was once a liner), and new entrant KJMZ 100.3 “100.3 Jamz” signed on about 6 weeks before on Christmas day 1988 as one of those newer hybrids between R&B and CHR. JD Ryan is the DJ manning the late night shift on this aircheck.
Def Leppard/“Love Bites”
Paula Abdul/“Straight Up”
Journey/“Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’”
Bon Jovi/“I’ll Be There For You”
The Beach Boys/“Kokomo”
Legal ID: KHYI 94.9 Arlington-Fort Worth-Dallas
White Lion/“When The Children Cry”
Van Halen/“Finish What Ya Started”
Sheriff/“When I’m With You”
Debbie Gibson/“Lost In Your Eyes”
Was (Not Was)/“Walk The Dinosaur”
Current format: contemporary Christian KLTY, on its second incarnation on the 94.9 facility. KLTY was the format proceeding KHYI’s debut in 1986. The KLTY calls resurfaced on two other signals in D/FW (the present day regional Mexican KLNO 94.1 and then to what is now religious KWRD-FM 100.7) before returning to 94.9 in 2000 in a swap of formats with KWRD-FM.
Aircheck: KKBQ-FM/AM 92.9/790 Houston “93Q” February 08 1988
Correction: I found that the aircheck was actually recorded February 8 1988, not February 2 1988 as published.
Next up is an aircheck from 93Q Houston in its top 40 days from this week in 1988. This is a Tuesday night aircheck with DJ Boomer that includes part of the nightly “Boomer’s Top 8” countdown. KKBQ sparred with cross-town top 40 rival KRBE-FM 104.1 for much of the decade; see last week’s edition for audio from KRBE from this era.
One clear change from top 40 radio then versus today is that the evening jock was live and local and interacting with a lot of teens — shout-outs to high schools in the area, teens calling in to be on the air (dedication shows, introducing songs on the countdown), etc. Evening jocks often were talented and could eventually be promoted to morning or PM drive shifts. KRBE’s evening jock during this time was a young Elvis Duran, now a long-time fixture in mornings at top 40 WHTZ “Z100” New York and with a syndicated national morning show. During this era, up the road in Dallas/Fort Worth, KEGL evening jock Kidd Kraddick was ruling the evening airwaves and later moved to PM drive and then to mornings. Eventually, that led to mornings at top 40 KHKS 106.1 “106.1 Kiss FM” there that grew into a syndicated morning show that still lives on with his name following his passing.
Then and now: The top 40 format started out on the AM as “79Q” first. The FM simulcast came about a half year later on December 27 1982 when easy listening KYND became KKBQ-FM. On August 17 1991, 93Q shifted to top 40-rock as “93Q, Houston’s Rock Hits” that was filler until the evening of September 18 1991, when it went into stunting mode playing sounds of ocean waves crashing ashore. The next morning, it changed formats to classic country “92.9 Easy Country.” That didn’t prove to be successful against long time incumbents KIKK-FM 95.7 and KILT-FM 100.3, and the following year, it relaunched as “93Q Country, Houston’s Fresh Country Hits.” The FM continues with the country “93Q” format today. The AM became adult standards KBME and later spun off to separate ownership. For the last two decades, it has been sports talk.
Timex Social Club/“Rumors”
Rock Astley/“Never Gonna Give You Up”
Whitney Houston/“So Emotional”
Pet Shop Boys/“Always On My Mind”
A-ha/“Take On Me”
Madonna/“Causing A Commotion”
Legal ID: KKBQ-FM 92.9 Pasadena / KKBQ 790 Houston
Depeche Mode/“Never Let Me Down Again”
Boomer’s Top 8
8) The Bangles/“Hazy Shade Of Winter”
7) INXS/“Need You Tonight”
6) Keith Sweat/“I Want Her”
5) Patrick Swayze/“She’s Like The Wind”
4) Salt-N-Pepa/“Push It”
3) Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield/“What Have I Done To Deserve This?”
Aircheck: KZBS 98.9 Oklahoma City “Z99, Oklahoma’s Fresh New Music Mix” January 31 1990
At this point, KZBS was less than two years into the top 40 format. In 1988, it evolved from hot AC “99FM” to top 40 “Z99.” It’s primary target was incumbent top 40 KJYO 102.7 “KJ103.” The early 1990s, top 40 radio was going through a rough patch — the format was still fragmenting and new trendy formats (hot AC and modern rock, in particular) had emerged. Many markets went from 2 or 3 CHRs down to 1. Oklahoma City was typical: KZBS would flip to hot AC “98.9 Kiss FM” (with calls later to KYIS) on August 28 1991, leaving KJ103 as the sole top 40. Three decades later, both KYIS and KJYO are still with us.
This an aircheck from a Wednesday evening that features DJ Eric Mitchell in studio and Cliff Davis on remote at a local bar. It was a pretty good station at this point and there are a lot mixes — it evolved to be more rhythmic/dance during 1990 as the format splintered nationally — and a lot of now obscure songs in this aircheck. Note also quite a few big contests…none of them national.
Richard Marx/“Right Here Waiting”
Janet Jackson/“Alright” (Remix)
The Cover Girls/“We Can’t Go Wrong”
The Cure/“Just Like Heaven”
Technotronic/“Get Up (Before The Night Is Over)”
Tears For Fears/“Head Over Heels”
Legal ID: KZBS 98.9 Oklahoma City
A’me Lorain/“Whole Wide World” (Wingate House Dub Remix)
Michael Damian/“Was It Nothing At All”
Michel’le/“Nicety”
Babyface/“Whip Appeal”
Entouch/“All Nite”
Exposé/“Tell Me Why”
Tony Terry/“She’s Fly”
Inner City/“Good Life” (Club Mix)
Madonna/“Into The Groove” (Club Mix)
Tommy Page/“I’ll Be Your Everything”
The Cure/“Lovesong” (Extended Mix)
Jody Watley/“Friends” (Extended Mix With Eric B and Rakim)
Legal ID: KZBS 98.9 Oklahoma City
Janet Jackson/“Escapade” (Remix)
Skyy/“Real Love”
Aircheck: KMYZ-FM/AM 104.5/1570 Tulsa “Hot New Z104.5” February 2 1992
I recorded this one on a Sunday afternoon drive up into Oklahoma. As someone who grew up with a rock-leaning CHR in KEGL Fort Worth-Dallas, I always loved the rock-leaning CHRs back then. As mentioned above in the KZBS section, top 40 radio was fragmenting in the early 1990s. Tulsa was another example: Z104.5 shifted from top 40 to top 40-rock and then moved to modern rock “Z104.5, the Edge,” which it remains today. It’s top 40 rival, KAYI 106.9 “K107” had shifted to hot AC for a couple of years, but did find its way back to top 40 as KHTT “K-Hits” after that, which it remains today.
The DJs for this Sunday afternoon are Randy Young and Curtis Ford.
Robert Palmer/“Addicted To Love”
Michael Bolton/“When A Man Loves A Woman”
Kiss/“Rock and Roll All Nite”
Scorpions/“I Can’t Explain”
The Tubes/“She’s A Beauty”
Aerosmith/“Sweet Emotion”
Chicago/“Hard Habit To Break”
Guns N’ Roses/“Live And Let Die”
Legal ID: KMYZ 1570 / KMYZ-FM 104.5 Pryor OK-Tulsa
Huey Lewis & The News/“The Heart Of Rock and Roll”
Warrant/“Blind Faith”
Van Halen/“Panama”
FireHouse/“All She Wrote”
Skid Row/“18 And Life”
Aircheck: KMCK-FM 105.7 Fayetteville/KZBB 97.9 Fort Smith “The Power Station” February 2 1992
On the same Sunday afternoon road trip above when I taped KMYZ, I also taped this aircheck via KZBB. For a brief period in the early 1990s, KMCK-FM 105.7, then licensed to Siloam Springs AR and serving the Fayetteville and Northwest Arkansas radio market, and KZBB 97.9, licensed to Poteau OK and serving the Fort Smith radio market, simulcasted a top 40 format as “The Power Station.” Listeners on KZBB heard the 97.9 frequency references, while KMCK-FM listeners got the 105.7 inserts. Both stations were licensed at 100,000 watts, so the imaging referred to being America’s “first 200,000 watt power station.” KZBB does have an enormous signal as a maxed out full class C; from a tower on top of a big hill 26 miles SW of Fort Smith, it has the facilities equivalent of 100 kw at tower height of 610m/2001’.
Bazooka Joe is the DJ on deck in this aircheck.
U2/“Mysterious Ways”
Michael Bolton (Featuring Kenny G)/“Missing You Now”
Heart/“What About Love?”
Tammy Wynette & The KLF/“Justified and Ancient”
L.A. Guns/“It’s Over Now”
FireHouse/“Love Of A Lifetime”
Stacy Earl/“Love Me All Up”
Journey/“Separate Ways”
Boyz II Men/“Uhh Ahh”
Loverboy/“Turn Me Loose”
Karyn White/“The Way You Love Me”
Current format: Now owned by iHeart, KZBB is now hot AC “B98.” Now owned by Cumulus Media, KMCK-FM is still top 40 as “Power 105.7,” though the 105.7 facility changed city of license from Siloam Springs to Prairie Grove AR to enable co-owned KRMW 94.9 to relicense from Prairie Grove to Cedarville AR. Although no technical facilities changes were made, the city of license shuffle technically moved KRMW into the Fort Smith radio market and out of the Fayetteville market to enable Cumulus to stay under ownership caps in both markets. Otherwise, Cumulus would have 5 FMs in Northwest Arkansas.
Aircheck: WDJQ 92.5 Canton February 3 1987
Leaving the South, next up is Ohio. Licensed to Alliance OH, WDJQ targets Canton and this aircheck is morning drive with Jerry Vincent In The Morning.
Luther Vandross/“Stop To Love”
Wang Chung/“Let’s Go”
Bruce Springsteen/“I’m Going Down”
Benjamin Orr/“Stay The Night”
Culture Club/“Karma Chameleon”
Madonna/“Open Your Heart”
Nu Shooz/“I Can’t Wait”
Current format: Top 40 “Q92,” but there have been several format changes between. In the 1990s, WDJQ changed to oldies WZKL “Kool 92.” Later it switched to hot AC before returning to top 40 as “Q92” in 2002. The WDJQ calls were reclaimed on March 7 2008.
Aircheck: WSKZ 106.5 Chattanooga “KZ106” January 28 1991
We finish off with two stations in the same format (top 40) in the same market (Chattanooga) on the same day. Up first is KZ106, which differs from its competitor, WKXJ below, with a rock-leaning tilt. It would evolved from top 40-rock to rock in 1993.
Presently, “throwbacks” making up half the playlist of a top 40 station, like WBBM-FM 96.3 Chicago is currently doing, has been making the radio trade news. In radio, what is new is often recycled. KZ106 was doing just that 30 years ago with half the songs in this aircheck throwbacks — two even from 1981. Cooper is the DJ on duty.
Cheap Trick/“The Flame”
Styx/“Show Me The Way”
Slaughter/“Spend My Life”
Tesla/“Love Song”
Legal ID: WSKZ 106.5 Chattanooga
Mr. Mister/“Kyrie”
Janet Jackson/“Love Will Never Do (Without You)”
Bruce Hornsby & The Range/“The Way It Is”
INXS/“Disappear”
REO Speedwagon/“Take It On The Run”
ZZ Top/“Give It Up”
Journey/“Don’t Stop Believing” (1981)
Current format: Classic rock, but still with the “KZ106” handle.
Aircheck: WKXJ 97.3 Chattanooga “All Hit 97 Kicks” January 28 1991
Next, Mike Gibson is the DJ on deck on KZ106’s competitor on the same Monday evening. WKXJ was at a major disadvantage — it was a weak class A facility, while KZ106 was 100 kw. When was the last time you heard a news break in the evening on a top 40 outlet?
Bell Biv DeVoe/“Poison”
George Michael/“Praying For Time”
Vanilla Ice/“Ice Ice Baby”
INXS/“Disappear”
Gloria Estefan/“Coming Out Of The Dark”
New Kids On The Block/“Games”
Legal ID: WKXJ 97.3 South Pittsburg TN-Chattanooga
Aerosmith/“Rag Doll”
Will To Power/“I’m Not In Love”
Whitney Houston/“All The Man That I Need”
After 7/“In The Heat Of The Moment”
Mariah Carey/“Someday”
Current format: Classic country WUUQ “Q97.3.” The WKXJ calls now live on in the market on 103.7 Walden TN, which is top 40 “103.7 Kiss FM.”
As always, the logos and other intellectual property belong to the stations. The recordings were made from over the air broadcasts.