AM radio?
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baran_erik — 10 years ago(August 23, 2015 12:06 AM)
In addition to WOW, there was KOIL, the low power daytimer across the river in Council Bluffs, KRCB and, on good nights, KLMS in Lincoln, at least for us in SW Omaha. KRCB-FM was the first FM station in the Omaha metro area that I remember broadcasting rock 'n' roll, at first just a simulcast of the AM signal. Remember when the Nebraska games were broadcast on both KFAB and WOW?
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pt100 — 11 years ago(March 06, 2015 06:47 AM)
As I mentioned in another thread, FM had been around since after WWII, and we had an FM radio in the early 1960s. By the end of the 1970s, 50.1% of radio listeners were tuned to FM, ending AM's historical prevalence. By 1982, FM commanded 70% of the global audience and 84% among the 12-24 year old demographic.
It is better to be kind than to be clever or good looking. Derek -
WarpedRecord — 13 years ago(September 04, 2012 11:27 PM)
Generally speaking, until the early '80s most AM rock stations were "top 40" and most FM rock stations were AOR, album-oriented rock. WKRP strikes me more as AOR, and the DJs are usually playing albums, not singles, so it would more than likely be on the FM dial. On the other hand, the radio contests that WKRP had also seemed more in keeping with AM stations at the time.
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WarpedRecord — 10 years ago(August 23, 2015 09:42 AM)
Very observant! Good points about the wattage. The map points to WKRP as being an AM station, though the pilot contradicts that.
I wonder if any of the dialogue referred to whether this was an AM or FM station? -
awhite2600 — 10 years ago(August 25, 2015 12:00 PM)
I wonder if any of the dialogue referred to whether this was an AM or FM station?
When Herb started his sales pitch to Del he said something like, "Let's tune to WKRP AM radio where your advertising dollar works it's hardest." -
JohnQ1127 — 13 years ago(September 05, 2012 06:40 AM)
In the 1970's, AM radio stations played mostly a top 40 format which was pretty crappy music by the late 1970's. You could also find "easy listening" stations which basically played elevator music. I think WKRP was basically this format before Travis changed it to R&R. You could also find stations that played "big band era" type music from the 40's-mid 50's.
The rock station featured in WKRP was really more like a F.M. station of the time period. The format was called "AOR" or Album Oriented Rock. Basically DJ's would play a wide assortment of songs from rock bands not just the hits. You would also find Jazz & R&B stations on F.M. You could also find "Oldies" stations that played music from the mid50's early 60's, basically pre Beatles Rock and Roll.
F.M. radios were kind of expensive in the 1970's and you could rarely find a F.M. radio in a car. Also the F.M. signals back then were kind of weak so the reception wasn't always great.
Around the early to mid 80's as the availability and technology got better, you started seeing more F.M radios. The top 40 format switched to FM stations and rock AOR stations slowly devolved into what's now called "classic rock". Classic Rock basically plays greatest hits packages from the big groups of the mid 60's to early 80's.
Because AM stations were now available and rather cheap, the mid-late 80's saw the rise of Right Wing talk shows and all sports formats. -
jefgg — 11 years ago(April 20, 2014 03:27 PM)
I was ten years old when WKRP began in 1978. I had assumed it was an FM station. I grew up listening to New York radio stations. By 1978 rock and roll was played on FM radio. AM radio was for pop music, talk, news and ethnic programming. Maybe it was different in other markets.
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Catnip86 — 11 years ago(April 21, 2014 07:15 AM)
It was pretty much the same for me. I remember my older brother listening to a New York FM station, and liking the music, so that was what I listened to. I never listened to AM radio unless it was in someone's car, usually an older person (parent, etc) who just wanted to hear the news, oldies, etc.
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darryl-tahirali — 11 years ago(May 14, 2014 01:22 PM)
Back in the day some cars had only AM radio. My father drove a Plymouth with an AM only radio. - jefgg
My first car, which I got in 1980, was a 1973 Chevy Malibu with the old factory-installed AC Delco AM-only radio. The previous owner had added an 8-track player. I put in a couple of rear speakers but I never did get around to installing an AM-FM stereo before I got rid of it. Those were the days.
"If life's for living, what's living for?" - Ray Davies -
grendelkhan — 11 years ago(September 15, 2014 03:37 PM)
I grew up near Decatur, IL, and if you wanted rock, you listened to WDZ AM (though it changed formats once or twice) or tuned in WLS, from Chicago (which could be heard across most of the state). My mother had an FM-capable clock radio and the station played easy listening, with stuff like Ray Coniff, Andy Williams, the Carpenters, and the like. It would be a few years before Y103 (the FM version of WSOY AM radio) would switch to rock.
The ironic thing is that Gordon Jump was once a DJ in Decatur (I believe it was at WDZ).
Fortunately, Ah keep mah feathers numbered for just such an emergency! -
Doug-Oh — 9 years ago(July 31, 2016 07:52 PM)
In the mid-1980s, WLS was a combo of music and talk.
It was music until later in the evening, say around 9 p.m., when the station aired local talk programs like advice shows.
I vividly recall hearing the station play Toto or other artists in the evening and then moving to talk.
Later, like most other prominent AM stations, it went totally talk.