WIRL

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WIRL
City Peoria, Illinois
Broadcast area Peoria, Illinois
Branding Goodtime Oldies 1290 & 102.7
Frequency 1290 kHz C-QUAM AM stereo
Translator(s) 102.7 W274BM (Peoria)
Repeater(s) 93.3 HD2 WPBG
First air date August 18, 1948[1]
Format Oldies
Audience share 2.6 (Fall 2007, R&R[2])
Power 5,000 watts day
5,000 watts night
Class B
Facility ID 13040
Transmitter coordinates 40°37′24.00″N 89°35′27.00″W / 40.6233333°N 89.5908333°W / 40.6233333; -89.5908333
Former callsigns WIRL (1948–2000)
WWFS (2000–2005)
Affiliations ABC Radio
Owner Alpha Media
(Alpha Media Licensee LLC)
Sister stations WSWT (traditional); WMBD (AM), WPBG, WNGY, WXCL
Website 1290wirl.com

WIRL (1290 AM, nicknamed "Good Time Oldies 1290 & 102.7") is a radio station broadcasting an oldies music format. Licensed to Peoria, Illinois, USA, the station serves the Peoria area and broadcasts in AM stereo. The station is currently owned by Alpha Media.

WIRL can also be heard in HD on sister station WPBG HD2. WIRL itself is not licensed to broadcast in HD.[3]

Current programming

WIRL features local air personalitiy Lee Malcolm in the morning. The station has a noon farm and agri-business show weekdays. The station carries St. Louis Cardinals baseball.

History

WIRL began broadcasting February 18, 1948, on 1290 kHz with 5 KW power (full-time). It was licensed to Illinois Valley Broadcasting Company with studios in the Jefferson Building in Peoria.[4]

WIRL was most famous as a Top 40 radio station from 1960 until approximately 1984. WIRL was successful immediately as a Top 40 station, as the only competition was daytime-only WPEO 1020 AM. Popular disc jockeys were Robyn Weaver, Lee Ranson, Jerry Barr, Jim French, "Old Weird" Tim West, Bill McCluggage, Lee Malcolm, Wayne R. Miller, Howard Taylor, Pete Stewart, VLJ, Charlie O'Day, John Sebastian Bachman,Ann Holub, Dave Phillips, Steve Young, Scott Robbins, Ron Thorn,Mark Wainwright and many more. For many years WIRL broadcast Bradley Braves basketball games not aired on WMBD (AM).

In the late 1970s, FM station WKZW 93.3 (now WPBG) began programming a Top 40 format and siphoned away many listeners from WIRL. WIRL then evolved into a full service personality and adult contemporary station. Personalities included Lee Malcolm, Gene Konrad, Kurt Schaeffer, Denise Henley, Steve Larson, Marc Truelove, Steve Young and Darryl Parks. The adult contemporary format lasted until the early 1990s; the station also programmed oldies, standards, and sports talk. In November 2000, the station changed to all-sports "Fox Sports 1290" with the callsign WWFS. The station returned to the WIRL call sign when it adopted the classic country format in March 2005. A station from New York now uses the callsign "WWFS".

On March 15, 2013 WIRL changed their format to oldies, branded as "Good Time Oldies" and began simulcasting on FM translator W274BM 102.7 FM.[5][6]

(WIRL's logo from 2005 to 2013 under classic country format)

References

  1. ↑ "1290 WIRL Airchecks, Jingles and Photos". thebig1290.com. 2008-01-14. Retrieved 2008-09-10.
  2. ↑ "Peoria Market Ratings". Radio & Records.
  3. ↑ http://licensing.fcc.gov/cgi-bin/ws.exe/prod/cdbs/pubacc/prod/sta_det.pl?Facility_id=13040 WIRL licensing page
  4. ↑ "Jones Heades WIRL's Executive Personnel" (PDF). Broadcasting. March 8, 1948. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
  5. ↑ "Format Changes". Your Midwest Media.
  6. ↑ http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/81213/wirl-peoria-adds-translator-flips-to-oldies/
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