KMEC

KMEC is a 75-watt low-power FM station licensed to Ukiah, California. It's part of the Mendocino Environmental Center which "works through educational outreach, nonviolent direct action and the legal system to uphold and promote environmental and social justice in Mendocino County and beyond." This odd sticker looks like something out of a children's coloring book and almost begs to be filled in with a few magic markers.

Monkey Day

Today and every December 14th is Monkey Day. Unlike most unofficial novelty holidays, this one has an actual website.

WMHD is a format-free/block programmed station run by the students at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana. Rose-Hulman's mascot is a pachyderm named Rosie but, for unknown reasons, WMHD wisely went with "The Monkey" branding rather than "The Elephant." Everybody loves monkeys.

An earlier, pre-simian WMHD sticker circa 1998.

Sunday Sticker - KHMG

KHMG (K Harvest Ministries Guam) is a Religious Teaching station licensed to Barrigada, Guam. Next to the tropical flower is a poorly drawn Stanley Cup latte stone which are two-piece pillars of ancient houses generally made out of limestone. These popular icons of Guam culture are also found throughout other Marianas Islands including Saipan, Tinian and Rota. The main latte construction period began around 1100 A.D. and ceased in the 1600s when the Spanish barged in and did what they always did--devastate everything.

Radio SydhavsØerne

Radio SydhavsØerne is a CHR station from Nykøbing, Denmark. They also have specialty programming for 80s, disco and rock music as well as a daily afternoon talk show. I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure there aren't any palm trees or tropical flowers growing anywhere in this Scandinavian country. The images on the second sticker might be a cheeky refererence to Nykøbing being located on one of what are called the "South Sea Islands" of Denmark, in this case, the island of Falster.

Listening live while making this post I heard:

Pink "Please Don't Leave Me"
Sanne Salomonsen "Det Var Hvad Det Var"
Robbie Williams "You Know Me"
Maria Montell "Bang Bang Boogie"
Creed "With Arms Wide Open"
Inner Circle "Sweat (A La La La La Long)"
Chris Rea "Driving Home For Christmas"

CFPL

CFPL (C Free Press London--after the newspaper that originally owned it) is an Active Rock station in London, Ontario. They're Canada's third-oldest FM station having gone on the air in 1948 with a mostly Classical format. According to the web site I regularly steal from research, CFPL pumps out the rock and roll with an astounding 179,000 watts.

WSM and the Grand Ole Opry

WSM (We Shield Millions-the slogan of previous owner the National Life and Accident Insurance Company) is a Country music station in Nashville, Tennessee. Their 50,000-watt clear channel signal reaches a huge chunk of the United States and other countries, especially at night. The Saturday night WSM Barn Dance began in 1925, the same year the station went on the air. The Barn Dance immediately followed Music Appreciation Hour which consisted of classical music and selections from the Grand Opera genre. On today's date in 1927 the Barn Dance changed its name to the Grand Ole Opry after host George D Hay said, "For the past hour, we have been listening to music taken largely from Grand Opera. From now on we will present the Grand Ole Opry." The name stuck and the show has gone on to be the longest running radio program in history

WSM originally played country music only at night and carried an MOR format during daylight hours. It wasn't until 1979 that "The Air Castle of the South" adopted a 24-hour country format.

WRNF

WRNF was a Rock station licensed to Whitehall, Michigan circa the early 1980s. 95.3 FM was eventually donated to Grand Valley State University and is currently WGVS, a simulcast of the NPR/Talk/Jazz station WGVU.

WQSB

WQSB is a Country music station licensed to Albertville, Alabama.

KUCD

KUCD is a Modern Rock station licensed to Pearl City, Hawaii. They signed on the air in 1991 with a Smooth Jazz format as "CD 101.9"...

...before switching to Adult Contemporary as "Star 101.9" in 1997. The flip to Alternative Rock came in 2001.

On this date in 1941, Japan conducted a surprise attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor. The strike killed more than 2,400 military personnel and civilians as well as destroying or damaging hundreds of aircraft, ships and submarines. Pearl City, Hawaii is located along the north shore of Pearl Harbor.

Sunday Sticker - KHLL

KHLL is a Contemporary Christian station licensed to Richwood, Louisiana.

Radio in the Movies #2 - "FM"

I watched a beat-up VHS copy of the movie “FM” yesterday. It’s about Los Angeles rock station QSKY who are doing great in the ratings but aren’t making enough money. Enter the weasly new sales manager Regis Lamar who tries to get program director Jeff Dugan to air commercials for the United States Army. Dugan doesn’t think the spots fit the style of the station and ends up quitting or getting fired (I forget) at which point the other DJs “go on strike” and barricade themselves in the QSKY building, start a riot, fend off police and eventually triumph over management (with a little help from the owner.) There are various subplots involving the ensemble cast of DJs including the horny Eric Swan (Martin Mull) and "Mother" (Eileen Brennan) the old female jock who's bored with her job and leaves, then returns without explanation.
The movie is pretty terrible and steeped in a druggy, late-70s, post-hippie, Los Angeles haze. Linda Ronstadt and Jimmy Buffett appear in extended live concert scenes. Tom Petty, looking almost exactly the same as he does today, i.e., old, makes an in-studio appearance and REO Speedwagon is seen at a Tower Records meet and greet. It’s odd to see the plot of “us against The Man” revolve around boring, corporate-rock dinosaurs like the Eagles, Bob Seger, Foreigner and the Doobie Brothers which make up the station’s playlist. (The kind of music that punk rose up against a year or two earlier.)
The weirdly call-lettered QSKY is, of course, a fictional radio station. (They’re even located at “7-11 on your FM dial.” Huh?!) I’m not sure why they didn’t just go with KSKY or any other more believable set of calls. QSKY’s main competition in the movie is the more regularly-named KLAX.
I have a sticker from KLAX which is an actual Spanish language station in Los Angeles but I stuck it to some poster board years ago. Here's a couple from KSKY instead...

KSKY is a conservative News/Talk station in Dallas, Texas and licensed to Balch Springs, TX.

This is from when they carried a Christian format which lasted from 1963 until 2004.

WILDs

Top-40 WWYL from Binghamton, New York (licensed to Chenango Bridge, NY)

KTFM was a Rhythmic Top-40 in San Antonio, Texas. KTFM moved to 94.1 FM and became a Hot Adult Contemporary station. 102.7 FM is now Southern Gospel KTXJ.

CKEY was an Rhythmic Top-40 station in Buffalo, New York and licensed to Niagara Falls, Ontario. "Wild 101" existed from 2002-2007 and is now a CHR outlet known as "Z101" while maintaining the CKEY calls.

WISM

WISM was a long-time Top 40 station in Madison, Wisconsin. "Wizz-um" was on the air from the 1950s all the way to 1983 when they became WTDY. 1480 AM is currently WLMV, "La Movida Radio" carrying a Spanish language format.

WBEL

WBEL was an Adult Standards station licensed to Beloit, Wisconsin. Somewhere along the way 1380 AM changed their COL to South Beloit, Illinois. They are currently WTJK, an ESPN Radio affiliate.

KNCT

KNCT is a non-commercial Easy Listening station licensed to Central Texas College in Killeen, TX.

KCLQ

KCLQ "107.9 The Coyote" is a Country music station licensed to Lebanon, Missouri.

Bills vs Dolphins

After the Sabres big win over Carolina last night, surely it would be too much to ask for a Bills win this afternoon against the hated Dolphins. The Bills are having a pathetic season and stand at 3-7. They fired their head coach a couple weeks ago and are having major problems hanging with teams in the 4th quarter. It'll be the 88th time these two teams have played in the regular season.

WQAM is a Sports Talk station in Miami, Florida. They claim to be that state's first radio station going on the air in 1921. In the 1960s they carried a hugely popular Top-40 format then switched to Country in 1980. The change to Sports came in 1992. WQAM (We're Quality AM Radio) is the flagship station of the Miami Dolphins.

UPDATE: The Bills shock the Dolphins 31-14!! Rian Lindell kicked a 56 yard field goal to break a 14-14 tie with under 4 minutes to go in the game. Then the Bills made a couple interceptions and piled on two more touchdowns at the end to squish the fish!


Ian in front of The Ralph.

Hurricane Season Is Over - WGR/WRBZ

We're driving to western New York this morning for the Buffalo Sabres game against the Carolina Hurricanes. First stop though is Dave & Adam's store in Williamsville to pick up a couple of Sabres jerseys. They're about 40 bucks cheaper than buying them at the arena. It's a six and a half hour trip but the weather is clear so it should be a good drive.

 

550 AM WGR carries an all-sports format and is the flagship station of the Buffalo Sabres. 

WRBZ was a Sports Talk station in Raleigh, North Carolina. They were formerly the flagship station of the Carolina Hurricanes hockey team.

UPDATE: SABRES WIN 5-1!!

After two periods the Sabres trailed 1-0 then exploded for 5 unanswered goals.

Ian shows off his gear.

National Electric Guitar Day

Today is National Electric Guitar Day. It's also, not-so-coincidentally, Jimi Hendrix's birthday.

WXKE is a Classic Rock station in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. They signed on in 1976 as "Album 104" and was the rock station of choice when I lived in west central Ohio. The sticker shows the distinctive Flying V guitar which I thought came about in the 1980s with people like Zakk Wylde and the Scorpions but which actually dates back to 1958 and the first model manufactured by Gibson. Here's Hendrix himself playing a Flying V.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Voice of Turkey is the external radio service of TRT--Turkish Radio and Television. They've been broadcasting internationally via shortwave since the 1930s. Cultural, music and news programming are heard in over 25 different languages.

Listening live while making this post the voice of turkey was heard to say "Gobble gobble. I'm delicious with cranberry sauce. Gobble gobble." I'm just guessing, though. The static was pretty heavy.