CHUM FM Toronto
What were the radio stations of your youth that helped you on your music/audio journey?
I am older so my radio stations of influence were in their prime during the British invasion and many, many American singers and groups.
The stations I listen to the most were WLS out of Chicago, KIOA out of Des Moines, KAAY out of Little Rock, Arkansas and KOMA out of Oklahama. When I was in the Air Froce I had a few stations near the main base I was stationed at outside of Rapid City, S.D.
Of course systems and better and better systems and FM became the dominate source for broadcast/online music. I did learn much of what I liked and eventually purchased through early radio listening.
I still listen to radio mainly for Jazz stations and NPR news.
The stations I listen to the most were WLS out of Chicago, KIOA out of Des Moines, KAAY out of Little Rock, Arkansas and KOMA out of Oklahama. When I was in the Air Froce I had a few stations near the main base I was stationed at outside of Rapid City, S.D.
Of course systems and better and better systems and FM became the dominate source for broadcast/online music. I did learn much of what I liked and eventually purchased through early radio listening.
I still listen to radio mainly for Jazz stations and NPR news.
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Grew up in Queens, NYC. Mostly listened to WLIR, WNEW, and to a lesser extent WPLJ. Listened to thousands of hours of Jazz on WRVR in NYC, until it mysteriously disappeared one day...poof! Listened to a lot of Classical music while driving in the car with my father on WQXR. In college was a DJ at WPBX at Southampton College. I would sometimes do 8hr overnight shifts just cranking tunes all night long. Moved to San Francisco and did shows as a DJ at KSFS SF State University Radio. Radio certainly played a huge role in my lifetime musical education/passion |
All in L.A. KFAC 1330 AM Classical. Later they simulcast on FM, but they still sometimes had commercials in between symphony movements. KFWB AM. "Channel 98" -- Where I'd listen for hours for The Beatles and other British Invasion bands. While waiting for the Brit tunes, I got to appreciate a whole cornucopia of rock/pop/soul/country music -- from the Beach Boys to the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Otis Redding, the Byrds, the Stones, Them, Roger Miller and the Bobby Fuller Four. It truly turned this classical kid's head upside down. In time, KFWB went to M.O.R and then all news. G'bye! There was also KNOB, the "Jazz Knob," both on AM and FM. KROQ (called KCBA the early days?) opened my ears more than a tad, too. Velvet Underground. Lou Reed. |
Growing up in the lower eastern shore of MD (Del-Mar-Va Peninsula) was somewhat isolated, especially for R&R music in the 50's & 60's. Any radio station which changed its genre to R&R usually lasted no more than 6 mos. if that. yes, we got some top 40 which was a mixed bag with some "softer rock" which didn't disturb the cattle or the chickens and the older citizens (advertisers) the good stuff usually came by word of mouth. Because the AM signal can carry 1000 miles under the right weather conditions, we could often get WLS or WKBW at night. And having my 1st car at 16 I spent many miles listening to WKBW at night since it seemed to come in more than others http://wkbwradio.com/ |
- CFTR AM station in Toronto when I was under 13 (the hits) - Q107 FM station in Toronto after 13 (rock statio) - CFNY FM (I should have listened to this station instead of the POS Q107, new wave) - KCRW FM today out of Santa Monica, CA. The very best station I have ever heard. I bought a Magnum Dynalab 108T last month just to hear this station. Last week I also bought a Accuphase T-101 for my headphone system. Tomorrow I get a Sansui 9900 tuner for my living room system. I like hearing great music from all over the world that I have never heard before. |
Detroit Michigan rock stations-WKNR Keener 13. And, CKLW I think from Windsor Canada. Keener played a lot of Bob Seger back then as he roamed the area. "Heavy Music" I also remember the Underdogs-"Loves Gone Bad" , MC5- "Kick Out The Jams", and the Question Mark and the Mysterians "96 Tears". A lot of real rock music during those days... ozzy |
Houston stations, KILT AM (My introduction to the beginnings of the British Invasion thru Post-Woodstock/Pre-Donny and Marie), KLOL 101 FM “The Air Corps” (Aforementioned Post-Woodstock thru rehab “aka the aftermath of the late ‘70s into some indeterminate point-in-time involving the 1980s”), and KPFT Pacifica 90.1 (My intro to music genres beyond Top 40 Pop/AOR with emphasis on the Austin Scene) |
All Detroit area CKLW-the big eight, AM800, out of Windsor Canada, jingles sung by Johnny Mann Singers, Robin Seymour-dj, also hosted TV show-Swingin Time, something like American Bandstand WKNR-keener 13, AM1300, Detroit A bit later on WXYZ, 1270AM Detroit, had tv dance show called Club 1270WABX 99.5FM, free form or undergroundWRIF 100.3FM, slightly more formatted rockWXYZ 101.1 for a short time similar to WRIF |
Don’t remember the station but on late nights with Wolfman Jack was classic , Casey Kasum , and even talk show host like Paul Harvey , and Howard Stern when he was starting out entertainment which I would listen to , and in New England Stone man at WPLR, and WCCC at midnight stairway to heaven would be on every weekend . I lived in the suburbs and would Blast it where People coming to our keg parties + other party goods could hear over 1/4 mile away which speaks for it self 1970s,Great memories If I were only young again! |
audioman58 Thanks for sharing your memories. I remember all the people you mentioned, it was a very good time to be young. And as one of them would say....."Good Day" |
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Glad to see quite a few members influenced by Chicago radio stations. In the early and mid 70s, a time brokered station in Chicago, WXFM, had a show on Monday through Friday, 8 PM to midnight, called Triad Radio. The music was way beyond the rock and pop of the early 70s. I got my first taste of The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Frank Zappa, Can, Kraftwerk, Babe Ruth, IF, Aphrodites Child, PFM, Heartsfield, Faust, Magma and so much more. Each month a "schedule" was published showing some of what would be played each day. The schedule was called the Triad Radio Guide and it was available at sponsors of Triad Radio. I still have a few copies of the Triad Guide and they are pushing almost 50 years old. It's fun to look at them every now and then. My musical appreciation and tastes were certainly shaped by Triad. Someone asked about Terri Hemmert from WXRT in Chicago. She retired after 40+ years at the station. "Aunt Terri" does fill in work once in a while. WXRT had one of the most loyal followings in radio and the jocks built 25+ year careers at WXRT. It is still a great rock station. |
"I grew up in Florida, so I used to surf the late night airwaves of pirate radio hundreds of miles away. Don't remember any of the call letters." One of those might have been WMUM (Mother) in Lake Worth. Around 1970. First night I listened to them they played the just released "In The Wake Of Poseidon" in its entirety, no breaks. Awesome. |
I was lucky to in the late 1960’s live within reception of the San Francisco stations. On AM were KYA and KEWB (it’s sister station in Los Angeles was KFWB). Then in 1967 Tom Donahue---one of the KYA disc jockeys and co-owner of Autumn Records, home of The Beau Brummels---launched the first "underground" FM Rock ’n Roll station in the U.S.A.---KMPX. The station was staffed by renegades (as opposed to the fast-talking "Key kids!" AM jockeys), the playlist not 45 RPM singles, but LP cuts, or whole LP sides, or even entire LP’s. When Sgt. Pepper was released they played the complete LP non-stop. In 1968 (iirc) some problem developed between the station owner(s) and Donahue, who took his staff and relocated to KSAN radio, which continued the free-form programming style. A VERY influential station, copied all over the U.S.A. |
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KISW-FM 99.9, seattle- progressive rock station that veered amazingly far into frothy pop. this was back in the glory days of album-oriented rock and they would play the whole album. it was where i first heard the rick wakeman album, "rhapsodies" [very late-70s cheesy synths]. KING-FM 98.1, seattle- back in the 70s a "progressive" classical and jazz station, at night they’d play jazz. it is where i was first exposed to Canadian bandleader rob mcconnell. KLAY-FM 106.1, tacoma- a progressive/new-wave station where i first heard those kinds of tunes, where i first heard punk, late 70s. KNBR-680AM- san francisco, late 70s then a progressive news station, where i first heard left-wing politics. i heard this station via atmospheric "skip" for the first time. KSL-AM 1160, back in the 70s the originator of a late night call-in talk show called "Nightcaps" hosted by herb jepko. very laid-back informal format, adult in a very calm way. reasoned discourse. i miss it. |
Not a radio station but a Philadelphia program called Folklore with Gene Shay began in the mid 1960s on Sunday evenings although it moved from station to station over the decades. I aleays loved folk music and Gene was at the forefront of the genre often introducing later to be great performers before they ever recorded. How many of you knew about the duo Chuck and Joanie Mitchell and the list goes on and on. |