KDWB
Encyclopedia
KDWB-FM is an American commercial radio station broadcasting in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota
, the radio format
was known for over fifty years as a major contemporary hit radio
Top 40 pop music
outlet. Its transmitter is located in Shoreview
, Minnesota
. It broadcasts in 5.1 cinema-quality Dolby Surround
audio sound. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications
.
, at 1590 kHz. The big station began as a collaboration between three brothers who named it WCOW, and it played country
and old-time music. Vic, Nick, and Al Tedesco, who had previously put together a station in Stillwater
, Minnesota, attempted to get into television on channel 17 the next year, but financial backing fell through. The channel 17 allocation was taken by Twin Cities Public Television
in 1965. In the early days, WCOW signed on with a cowbell.
WCOW was not very successful, so the station transitioned to being a female-oriented station with the call sign WISK in 1957
, and switched its frequency to 630 kHz the next year. Again, the format was not popular, and the station was soon sold to Crowell-Collier Broadcasting Company, who owned KFWB and KEWB
in California
. The top 40 format of those stations was brought to Minnesota, and the station was dubbed KDWB in 1959
. It quickly became a major competitor to the established WDGY
, which had been playing a pop music format for three years by that point. With the 630 kHz frequency, KDWB, calling itself "Channel 63", began its long uninterrupted run as a pop music station. KDWB and WDGY were fierce rivals throughout the 1960s and 1970s. During the 1970s, both stations gained even more competition, as KSTP and WYOO
(U100) picked up the format.
, Rob Sherwood, Charlie Fox, Bob Lange, Bob Shannon, Barry McKinna (Siewert), "True" Don Bleu, "Ugly" Del Roberts, Don K. Martin and Bobby Wayne.
Program Directors included, Chuck Blore, Ted Randall, Sam Sherwood, Deane Johnson, Chuck Buell, Bob Shannon, and John Sebastian
(FCC). It apparently had to pay $10,000 because of repeated willful violations of nighttime broadcast power restrictions on the AM band. A fire at the station knocked it off the air for a few days later that decade.
. The station was owned by the People's Broadcasting Company, founded by former WCCO announcer Bill Stewart and his wife Becky Ann. In contrast to WCCO and KSTP, WPBC carried no network programming, and wwas broadcast live and local all day. The station in the early years played a variety of MOR pop music and standards, and was even considered an innovator in the concept of singing jingle
s.
As it was limited by its then-daytime only license at 980 AM, it started up WPBC-FM at 101.3 MHz in August 1959
, simulcasting the AM station.
The Stewarts sold the stations in 1972
to Fairchild Industries for $1.5 million. Fairchild subsequently dismissed the entire staff and overhauled both stations. On November 3, 1972
, the AM station was relaunched as WYOO, picking up an oldies
format (with rock 'n roll included). A few days later, WPBC-FM became WRAH and programmed an automated Album oriented rock (AOR) format. When the oldies format of WYOO started to slide in the ratings, more middle of the road (MOR) music was added, but ratings slid even further. Fairchild contemplated selling the station. The general manager and program director, both hired from established Top 40 station KDWB
, felt a major change needed to be made.
Station management decided to flip to a Top 40 format. The new station was christened "U100" and debuted on August 26, 1974
during a remote broadcast from the Minnesota State Fair
. The new U100 quickly became the topic of conversation throughout the area with its rowdy, outrageous mix of Top 40 and hard rock
. Though neither station's frequency had anything to do with the number 100, the placement on the dial at 980 AM and 101.3 FM, close enough to the big "100" on the dial, gave management enough of a reason to call the simulcast U100, since all radios at the time were analog
and showed the number "100" on the dial near where both stations were located.
During the next two years, U100 quickly became one of the most talked-about radio stations in town. Competition was fierce in Top 40 radio at the time, and compared to U100, WDGY
, KDWB
and KSTP seemed a bit tame in their on-air presentation. As an added advantage, U100 was the first Twin Cities Top 40 station to broadcast on the FM dial in stereo (in addition to 980 AM).
and KSTP all fighting for the same audience. AM music stations also desired to transition to the increasingly popular FM dial. In early 1976
, Fairchild Industries decided to put both stations on the market. The owner of easy listening
FM station WAYL
was interested in the AM operation, to simulcast WAYL's signal for greater exposure to listeners. Since one company could not own more than one AM or more than one FM station in the same market at the time, it needed to find a buyer for the FM station, and sought out the owners of various AM stations in the area. Doubleday Broadcasting, owner of KDWB, wasn't actively seeking an FM station at the time but offered to buy 101.3 FM in February 1976 after it was offered a rather generous deal for $750,000 that included WYOO-FM and the building in Eagan that housed both stations. KDWB's general manager at the time, Gary Stevens, claimed that it did not buy WYOO-FM to shut down a competitor, but rather to take advantage of what it saw as a good deal.
U100 signed off for the last time at midnight on Wednesday, September 15, 1976
, and KDWB morning personality True Don Bleu launched the new KDWB-FM simulcast the following morning at 6 am. The simulcast was permitted under the FCC rules of the time because the FM station was licensed to Richfield, a community with a population of less than 100,000. An FM licensed to Minneapolis or Saint Paul would have had to air at least 50% non-simulcast programming.
Helped by the stereo simulcast on 101.3 FM, KDWB quickly regained its position as the dominant Top 40 station in the Twin Cities. Their fierce young rival, U100, was now gone. After a brief stint with a CHR
/AOR hybrid as “Y-11," WDGY switched to a country
format on September 2, 1977
. KSTP began to lean Adult Top 40 during the late 1970s and evolved into a talk
station by the early 1980s (as its music focus shifted to FM sister, KS95
). By the end of the decade, KDWB was the only ongoing Top 40 station in town.
presentation and adopted a stricter playlist. "Stereo 101" would be mildly successful in its four year run, even topping KQRS in the ratings several times, but never became a serious long term competitor to KQRS. By summer 1983, "Stereo 101" began to move from active rock
to mainstream rock
, and eventually evolved into its current CHR
format the next year. KDWB's AM signal continued with the Top 40 format during this time.
, a serious new Top 40 competitor arrived in the Twin Cities. WLOL dropped its soft rock
format and turned itself into a high-profile hit music station (heavy with power pop
and new wave
), immediately shooting to the top of the ratings. And at the other end of the spectrum, KS95
was competing somewhat with its older-leaning soft rock
format. WCCO-FM
also briefly switched to Top 40. Meanwhile, 63 KDWB faded quickly in the ratings, as AM music stations were slowly becoming a thing of the past. To protect its heritage, take a chunk of WLOL's stellar ratings and finally make the move of its legendary station to the FM dial, KDWB-FM dropped AOR in early 1984
and reverted back to the Top 40 simulcast, though the AM station was running its own programming at times. In a role reversal, the FM signal was now deemed the priority, as 630 AM attained secondary status. The AM station continued with Top 40 through 1985
, before it flipped to a separate oldies
format in early 1986
. In the 1990s, 630 AM would take on the WDGY call sign
of former Top 40 rival.
The new 101 KDWB struggled for years against upstart market leader WLOL, which featured a fresher music selection, more popular DJs, and a highly-rated morning show. KDWB was viewed by many as stuffy, stale, boring and misguided, and it went through several unsuccessful morning shows. It was argued by many that its promotions, music selection and on-air presentation paled in comparison to WLOL.
Finally, in 1988
, newly-hired program director Brian Phillips cleaned house, as he dismissed many of the air personalities, overhauled the music, and brought in Steve Cochran
to host the station's new morning show. He also hired a new air staff, introduced 12-song commercial-free music sweeps, changed the overall on-air presentation, and created a new logo, which is still in use today. As the rechristened 101.3 KDWB, its fortunes changed. KDWB quickly became the top CHR
station in the market, starting a dominance that continues to this day. Now WLOL was playing catch-up, as ity tried various minor overhauls and tweaks before moving in a rhythmic
-oriented direction in 1990
.
KDWB also gained national attention in 1989 for helping to break "The Look
" by Roxette
, the first of four US number-one songs for the Swedish duo. In February 1991, WLOL came to a sudden and premature end, as owner Emmis Broadcasting experienced financial problems and began to divest of many of its properties. Minnesota Public Radio
purchased WLOL and turned it into the flagship for their classical music service. Throughout the rest of the 1990s, KDWB had virtually no CHR competition.
In 2000
, KDWB got a new rival of sorts when upstart KTTB (B96) went on the air with a rhythmic Top 40 format, heavy with hip-hop
and urban contemporary
music. While B96 hasn't been a major ratings threat, partly due to its rimshot broadcast signal and smaller promotional presence, it has given KDWB the most formidable competition it has had in recent years. At the other end of the spectrum, KS95
also competes somewhat with its older-leaning Hot AC format. Since 2010
, KTTB was rebranded as KHTC, leaning more toward KDWB's format and relocating their transmitter to the heart of the metro area.
Jeopardy!
, included an announcer using a fake South Asian accent introducing contest categories such as "infamous infidels
" and "potent portables." The skit also included a threat to behead a female host (Corey Foley) when she got an answer wrong. Many, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR), a Muslim advocacy group, thought otherwise. After receiving complaints about the skit, it demanded an apology from KDWB.
On October 2, 2006, the station's website contained a short apology: "KDWB does not condone making light of Islam and Muslims. We regret that listeners found the 'Muslim Jeopardy!' comedy skit of one of our on-air hosts to be insensitive."
will carry a format focusing on dance hits
. The HD2 signed the following July as the Party Zone. "Party Zone" is also the name of the Friday and Saturday night show on KDWB simulcasted from local clubs that in the past has been hosted by the likes of Tone E. Fly, Gerry Dixon, Jeremiah Kubiak and Michael Knight. After six months of running jockless, the subchannel began to add announcers (from KDWB) to its programming.
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, the radio format
Radio format
A radio format or programming format not to be confused with broadcast programming describes the overall content broadcast on a radio station. Radio formats are frequently employed as a marketing tool, and constantly evolve...
was known for over fifty years as a major contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
Top 40 pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
outlet. Its transmitter is located in Shoreview
Shoreview, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there are 25,377 people, Males: 12,303 , Females: 13,074 , 9,965 households, and 7,021 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,315.9 people per square mile . There are 10,127 housing units at an average density of 919.2 per square mile...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
. It broadcasts in 5.1 cinema-quality Dolby Surround
Dolby Surround
Dolby Surround was the earliest consumer version of Dolby's multichannel analog film sound decoding format Dolby Stereo introduced to the public in 1982 during the time home video recording formats were introducing Stereo and HiFi capability...
audio sound. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
.
History
Between its AM and FM frequencies, KDWB has been an uninterrupted Top 40 outlet since 1959. Originally starting out at 630 kHz, the station's owners purchased the 101.3 MHz frequency in 1976, later transferring the entire format there.63 KDWB
KDWB's origins on the AM dial date back to 19511951 in radio
The year 1951 in radio involved some significant events.-Debuts:*1 January: The Archers begins its production run on BBC.*1 April: Paul Harvey News and Comment begins its 59-year-long run on the ABC Radio Network....
, at 1590 kHz. The big station began as a collaboration between three brothers who named it WCOW, and it played country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
and old-time music. Vic, Nick, and Al Tedesco, who had previously put together a station in Stillwater
Stillwater, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,143 people, 5,797 households, and 4,115 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,340.0 people per square mile . There were 5,926 housing units at an average density of 915.7 per square mile...
, Minnesota, attempted to get into television on channel 17 the next year, but financial backing fell through. The channel 17 allocation was taken by Twin Cities Public Television
Twin Cities Public Television
Twin Cities Public Television is a non-profit organization based in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States, that operates the Twin Cities' two Public Broadcasting Service member Public television stations, KTCA-TV and KTCI-TV...
in 1965. In the early days, WCOW signed on with a cowbell.
WCOW was not very successful, so the station transitioned to being a female-oriented station with the call sign WISK in 1957
1957 in radio
The year 1957 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting history.-Events:*WCOW in St. Paul, Minnesota becomes WISK.*KNOC in Dallas, Texas becomes a full time Rhythm and blues station, the first station in the market to exclusively do so....
, and switched its frequency to 630 kHz the next year. Again, the format was not popular, and the station was soon sold to Crowell-Collier Broadcasting Company, who owned KFWB and KEWB
KNEW (AM)
KNEW is a radio station in San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, CA, USA. The station is owned by Clear Channel. Prior to the format change, the station operated as CNET Radio, offering business and technology news 24 hours a day...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The top 40 format of those stations was brought to Minnesota, and the station was dubbed KDWB in 1959
1959 in radio
The year 1959 saw a number of significant happenings in radio broadcasting history.-Events:*3 February: A small-plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa kills three musicians: Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and KTRM-Beaumont, Texas deejay JP "The Big Bopper" Richardson, Jr., in addition to the pilot...
. It quickly became a major competitor to the established WDGY
KFAN (AM)
* See also KFXN-FMKTCN —branded News/Talk 1130—is a commercial radio station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, broadcasting a conservative news/talk format. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications, and serves the Twin Cities market. KTCN's main studios are in St...
, which had been playing a pop music format for three years by that point. With the 630 kHz frequency, KDWB, calling itself "Channel 63", began its long uninterrupted run as a pop music station. KDWB and WDGY were fierce rivals throughout the 1960s and 1970s. During the 1970s, both stations gained even more competition, as KSTP and WYOO
KKMS
KKMS is a Salem Communications-owned radio station licensed to Richfield, Minnesota, United States and serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Studios are located in Eagan, Minnesota...
(U100) picked up the format.
7 Swingin' Gentlemen
An array of outstanding DJs, "the 7 Swinging Gentlemen" graced the airwaves of KDWB during the early to mid 1960s and 1970s including Hal Murray, James Francis Patrick O'Neil, Don Duchene, Randy Cook, Lou ReigertLou Waters
Lou Waters was one of the original anchors of Cable News Network an American cable news station when it first aired in the summer of 1980. He remained one of the network's primary anchors until September 2001, adding to a journalism career spanning nearly 40 years. For much of his tenure with the...
, Rob Sherwood, Charlie Fox, Bob Lange, Bob Shannon, Barry McKinna (Siewert), "True" Don Bleu, "Ugly" Del Roberts, Don K. Martin and Bobby Wayne.
Program Directors included, Chuck Blore, Ted Randall, Sam Sherwood, Deane Johnson, Chuck Buell, Bob Shannon, and John Sebastian
The FCC
KDWB allegedly was the first station to have been fined by the Federal Communications CommissionFederal Communications Commission
The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...
(FCC). It apparently had to pay $10,000 because of repeated willful violations of nighttime broadcast power restrictions on the AM band. A fire at the station knocked it off the air for a few days later that decade.
History of 101.3 FM
After two years of wrangling and obtaining start-up funds, WPBC officially signed on the air on October 18, 19491949 in radio
The year 1949 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting history.-Events:*1 April – The facilities and staff of the Broadcasting Corporation of Newfoundland are transferred to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation....
. The station was owned by the People's Broadcasting Company, founded by former WCCO announcer Bill Stewart and his wife Becky Ann. In contrast to WCCO and KSTP, WPBC carried no network programming, and wwas broadcast live and local all day. The station in the early years played a variety of MOR pop music and standards, and was even considered an innovator in the concept of singing jingle
Jingle
A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...
s.
As it was limited by its then-daytime only license at 980 AM, it started up WPBC-FM at 101.3 MHz in August 1959
1959 in radio
The year 1959 saw a number of significant happenings in radio broadcasting history.-Events:*3 February: A small-plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa kills three musicians: Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and KTRM-Beaumont, Texas deejay JP "The Big Bopper" Richardson, Jr., in addition to the pilot...
, simulcasting the AM station.
The Stewarts sold the stations in 1972
1972 in radio
The year 1972 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*Bill and Becky Ann Stewart sell WPBC and WPBC-FM, both of Richfield, Minnesota, to Fairchild Industries. Later that year, both stations become WYOO....
to Fairchild Industries for $1.5 million. Fairchild subsequently dismissed the entire staff and overhauled both stations. On November 3, 1972
1972 in radio
The year 1972 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*Bill and Becky Ann Stewart sell WPBC and WPBC-FM, both of Richfield, Minnesota, to Fairchild Industries. Later that year, both stations become WYOO....
, the AM station was relaunched as WYOO, picking up an oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
format (with rock 'n roll included). A few days later, WPBC-FM became WRAH and programmed an automated Album oriented rock (AOR) format. When the oldies format of WYOO started to slide in the ratings, more middle of the road (MOR) music was added, but ratings slid even further. Fairchild contemplated selling the station. The general manager and program director, both hired from established Top 40 station KDWB
KDWB
KDWB-FM is an American commercial radio station broadcasting in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota, the radio format was known for over fifty years as a major contemporary hit radio Top 40 pop music outlet. Its transmitter is located in Shoreview, Minnesota. It broadcasts in 5.1 cinema-quality...
, felt a major change needed to be made.
Station management decided to flip to a Top 40 format. The new station was christened "U100" and debuted on August 26, 1974
1974 in radio
The year 1974 in radio involved some significant events.-Debuts:*January 6 - CBS Radio Mystery Theater debuts and is broadcast on 218 stations.* February 19 - BRMB begins broadcasting to the Birmingham area...
during a remote broadcast from the Minnesota State Fair
Minnesota State Fair
The Minnesota State Fair is the state fair of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Its slogan is "The Great Minnesota Get-Together." It is the 2nd largest fair in the United States, and the largest state fair in the United States in terms of average daily attendance, though the State Fair of Texas runs...
. The new U100 quickly became the topic of conversation throughout the area with its rowdy, outrageous mix of Top 40 and hard rock
Hard rock
Hard rock is a loosely defined genre of rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage rock, blues rock and psychedelic rock...
. Though neither station's frequency had anything to do with the number 100, the placement on the dial at 980 AM and 101.3 FM, close enough to the big "100" on the dial, gave management enough of a reason to call the simulcast U100, since all radios at the time were analog
Analog signal
An analog or analogue signal is any continuous signal for which the time varying feature of the signal is a representation of some other time varying quantity, i.e., analogous to another time varying signal. It differs from a digital signal in terms of small fluctuations in the signal which are...
and showed the number "100" on the dial near where both stations were located.
During the next two years, U100 quickly became one of the most talked-about radio stations in town. Competition was fierce in Top 40 radio at the time, and compared to U100, WDGY
KFAN (AM)
* See also KFXN-FMKTCN —branded News/Talk 1130—is a commercial radio station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, broadcasting a conservative news/talk format. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications, and serves the Twin Cities market. KTCN's main studios are in St...
, KDWB
KDWB
KDWB-FM is an American commercial radio station broadcasting in the Twin Cities region of Minnesota, the radio format was known for over fifty years as a major contemporary hit radio Top 40 pop music outlet. Its transmitter is located in Shoreview, Minnesota. It broadcasts in 5.1 cinema-quality...
and KSTP seemed a bit tame in their on-air presentation. As an added advantage, U100 was the first Twin Cities Top 40 station to broadcast on the FM dial in stereo (in addition to 980 AM).
KDWB-FM
U100 was not to last forever. The AM dial in the Twin Cities was crowded with top 40 stations, with U-100, KDWB, WDGYKFAN (AM)
* See also KFXN-FMKTCN —branded News/Talk 1130—is a commercial radio station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, broadcasting a conservative news/talk format. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications, and serves the Twin Cities market. KTCN's main studios are in St...
and KSTP all fighting for the same audience. AM music stations also desired to transition to the increasingly popular FM dial. In early 1976
1976 in radio
The year 1976 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting.-Events:*September - Fairchild Industries sells WYOO-FM and AM in Minneapolis, Minnesota...
, Fairchild Industries decided to put both stations on the market. The owner of easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
FM station WAYL
KXXR
KXXR is an active rock radio station broadcasting to the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. It is owned by Cumulus Media, which also owns KQRS-FM and the three station trimulcast known as "Love 105"...
was interested in the AM operation, to simulcast WAYL's signal for greater exposure to listeners. Since one company could not own more than one AM or more than one FM station in the same market at the time, it needed to find a buyer for the FM station, and sought out the owners of various AM stations in the area. Doubleday Broadcasting, owner of KDWB, wasn't actively seeking an FM station at the time but offered to buy 101.3 FM in February 1976 after it was offered a rather generous deal for $750,000 that included WYOO-FM and the building in Eagan that housed both stations. KDWB's general manager at the time, Gary Stevens, claimed that it did not buy WYOO-FM to shut down a competitor, but rather to take advantage of what it saw as a good deal.
U100 signed off for the last time at midnight on Wednesday, September 15, 1976
1976 in radio
The year 1976 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting.-Events:*September - Fairchild Industries sells WYOO-FM and AM in Minneapolis, Minnesota...
, and KDWB morning personality True Don Bleu launched the new KDWB-FM simulcast the following morning at 6 am. The simulcast was permitted under the FCC rules of the time because the FM station was licensed to Richfield, a community with a population of less than 100,000. An FM licensed to Minneapolis or Saint Paul would have had to air at least 50% non-simulcast programming.
Helped by the stereo simulcast on 101.3 FM, KDWB quickly regained its position as the dominant Top 40 station in the Twin Cities. Their fierce young rival, U100, was now gone. After a brief stint with a CHR
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
/AOR hybrid as “Y-11," WDGY switched to a country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
format on September 2, 1977
1977 in radio
In the year 1977, significant events in radio broadcasting included the President of the United States participating in a call-in radio program.-Events:*KSTP-FM in St...
. KSTP began to lean Adult Top 40 during the late 1970s and evolved into a talk
Talk radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often feature interviews with a number of different guests. Talk radio typically includes an element of listener participation, usually by broadcasting live...
station by the early 1980s (as its music focus shifted to FM sister, KS95
KSTP-FM
KSTP-FM is a radio station serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota area. It is one of the flagship stations of Hubbard Broadcasting, which also owns several other TV and radio stations across the United States, along with other properties...
). By the end of the decade, KDWB was the only ongoing Top 40 station in town.
Stereo 101
With the active competition gone, KDWB-FM split apart from the AM station's Top 40 simulcast in September 1979 and became a pop/rock hybrid as "K101." The station soon morphed into "Stereo 101", an AOR station designed to go up against KQRS-FM, which had recently dumped its freeform rockFreeform (radio format)
Freeform, or freeform radio, is a radio station programming format in which the disc jockey is given total control over what music to play, regardless of music genre or commercial interests. Freeform radio stands in contrast to most commercial radio stations, in which DJs have little or no...
presentation and adopted a stricter playlist. "Stereo 101" would be mildly successful in its four year run, even topping KQRS in the ratings several times, but never became a serious long term competitor to KQRS. By summer 1983, "Stereo 101" began to move from active rock
Active rock
Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock plays contemporary rock artists with a mix of songs common in the classic rock radio format.-Format background:...
to mainstream rock
Mainstream rock
Mainstream rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.-Format background:...
, and eventually evolved into its current CHR
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
format the next year. KDWB's AM signal continued with the Top 40 format during this time.
Back to Top 40
Late in 19811981 in radio
The year 1981 in radio involved some significant events.-Debuts:* September 22 - WCAU-FM in Philadelphia debuts a new Hot Hits format called "98 Now!" which sweeps the local ratings and inspires parent company CBS to look at converting its other FM stations to similar formats.* October — "The...
, a serious new Top 40 competitor arrived in the Twin Cities. WLOL dropped its soft rock
Soft rock
Soft rock is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock music to compose a softer, more toned-down sound. Soft rock songs generally tend to focus on themes like love, everyday life and relationships. The genre tends to make heavy use of acoustic guitars, pianos, synthesizers and sometimes...
format and turned itself into a high-profile hit music station (heavy with power pop
Power pop
Power pop is a popular musical genre that draws its inspiration from 1960s British and American pop and rock music. It typically incorporates a combination of musical devices such as strong melodies, crisp vocal harmonies, economical arrangements, and prominent guitar riffs. Instrumental solos are...
and new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
), immediately shooting to the top of the ratings. And at the other end of the spectrum, KS95
KSTP-FM
KSTP-FM is a radio station serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota area. It is one of the flagship stations of Hubbard Broadcasting, which also owns several other TV and radio stations across the United States, along with other properties...
was competing somewhat with its older-leaning soft rock
Soft rock
Soft rock is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock music to compose a softer, more toned-down sound. Soft rock songs generally tend to focus on themes like love, everyday life and relationships. The genre tends to make heavy use of acoustic guitars, pianos, synthesizers and sometimes...
format. WCCO-FM
WLTE
WLTE is a radio station in Minneapolis-St. Paul that carries a "Lite rock" adult contemporary format and has done so for more than two decades. WLTE is owned by CBS Corporation, which also owns WCCO radio today...
also briefly switched to Top 40. Meanwhile, 63 KDWB faded quickly in the ratings, as AM music stations were slowly becoming a thing of the past. To protect its heritage, take a chunk of WLOL's stellar ratings and finally make the move of its legendary station to the FM dial, KDWB-FM dropped AOR in early 1984
1984 in radio
The year 1984 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:* June 18 - Controversial KOA/Denver radio talk show host Alan Berg gunned down in driveway of his home.* Sports writer Ralph Barbieri joined KNBR to host his own sports talk show....
and reverted back to the Top 40 simulcast, though the AM station was running its own programming at times. In a role reversal, the FM signal was now deemed the priority, as 630 AM attained secondary status. The AM station continued with Top 40 through 1985
1985 in radio
The year 1985 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*January 1 - CKLW Windsor, Ontario adopts the Music of Your Life format.*March 28 - A Roger Waters concert is broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall...
, before it flipped to a separate oldies
Oldies
Oldies is a term commonly used to describe a radio format that concentrates on music from a period of about 15 to 55 years before the present day....
format in early 1986
1986 in radio
The year 1986 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting.-Events:*January 18 – The syndicated "American Country Countdown" expands from three to four hours. Much like "American Top 40" had more than seven years earlier, several new features are added, including a weekly recap of three...
. In the 1990s, 630 AM would take on the WDGY call sign
Call sign
In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign is a unique designation for a transmitting station. In North America they are used as names for broadcasting stations...
of former Top 40 rival.
The new 101 KDWB struggled for years against upstart market leader WLOL, which featured a fresher music selection, more popular DJs, and a highly-rated morning show. KDWB was viewed by many as stuffy, stale, boring and misguided, and it went through several unsuccessful morning shows. It was argued by many that its promotions, music selection and on-air presentation paled in comparison to WLOL.
Finally, in 1988
1988 in radio
The year 1988 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*August 13 — Los Angeles radio personality Shadoe Stevens takes over as host of "American Top 40." He replaces Casey Kasem, who had hosted since the show's debut in 1970...
, newly-hired program director Brian Phillips cleaned house, as he dismissed many of the air personalities, overhauled the music, and brought in Steve Cochran
Steve Cochran (radio host)
Steve Cochran is an American radio broadcaster. Steve presently hosts a radio show from 10am-12pm and 6pm-9pm on KTRS 550 AM in St. Louis. He previously worked for WGN radio in Chicago from 2000 to 2010.- Childhood :...
to host the station's new morning show. He also hired a new air staff, introduced 12-song commercial-free music sweeps, changed the overall on-air presentation, and created a new logo, which is still in use today. As the rechristened 101.3 KDWB, its fortunes changed. KDWB quickly became the top CHR
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
station in the market, starting a dominance that continues to this day. Now WLOL was playing catch-up, as ity tried various minor overhauls and tweaks before moving in a rhythmic
Rhythmic Contemporary
Rhythmic contemporary, also known as rhythmic top 40, rhythmic contemporary hit radio or rhythmic crossover, is a music radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip-hop and R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary rarely uses rock music or country music in its airplay, but it may...
-oriented direction in 1990
1990 in radio
The year 1990 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*KJJO in Minneapolis, Minnesota transitions from active rock to alternative rock.*KBLN in Dallas, Texas becomes KXEB.*Daytimer KKDA in Dallas, Texas begins nighttime broadcasting....
.
KDWB also gained national attention in 1989 for helping to break "The Look
The Look
"The Look", written by Per Gessle and performed by Roxette, was released as a single in early 1989 from the album Look Sharp!. The song became Roxette's international "breakthrough" song, finally exposing the duo to music consumers outside of the duo's native Sweden and Europe after more than one...
" by Roxette
Roxette
Roxette are a Swedish pop music duo, consisting of Marie Fredriksson and Per Gessle . Formed in 1986, the duo became an international act from the late 1980s, when they released their breakthrough album Look Sharp!...
, the first of four US number-one songs for the Swedish duo. In February 1991, WLOL came to a sudden and premature end, as owner Emmis Broadcasting experienced financial problems and began to divest of many of its properties. Minnesota Public Radio
Minnesota Public Radio
Minnesota Public Radio , is the flagship National Public Radio member network for the state of Minnesota. With its three services, News & Information, Classical Music and The Current, MPR operates a 42-station regional radio network in the upper Midwest serving over 8 million people...
purchased WLOL and turned it into the flagship for their classical music service. Throughout the rest of the 1990s, KDWB had virtually no CHR competition.
In 2000
2000 in radio
The year 2000 in radio involved some significant events.-Events:*The Real Radio & Century Radio networks become active on - air, through the United Kingdom....
, KDWB got a new rival of sorts when upstart KTTB (B96) went on the air with a rhythmic Top 40 format, heavy with hip-hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
and urban contemporary
Urban contemporary
Urban contemporary is a music radio format. The term was coined by the late New York DJ Frankie Crocker in the mid 1970s. Urban contemporary radio stations feature a playlist made up entirely of hip hop/rap, contemporary R&B, pop, electronica such as dubstep and drum and bass and Caribbean music...
music. While B96 hasn't been a major ratings threat, partly due to its rimshot broadcast signal and smaller promotional presence, it has given KDWB the most formidable competition it has had in recent years. At the other end of the spectrum, KS95
KSTP-FM
KSTP-FM is a radio station serving the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota area. It is one of the flagship stations of Hubbard Broadcasting, which also owns several other TV and radio stations across the United States, along with other properties...
also competes somewhat with its older-leaning Hot AC format. Since 2010
2010 in radio
The following events occurred in radio in 2010.-Events:*Date Unknown: CHOI/Quebec City flips from Alternative Rock to News/Talk.*January 4: KJCS/Lufkin, Texas goes silent....
, KTTB was rebranded as KHTC, leaning more toward KDWB's format and relocating their transmitter to the heart of the metro area.
"Muslim Jeopardy!" controversy
In late September 2006, KDWB-FM's Dave Ryan, Corey Foley and Steve-O performed a comedy skit based on radical Islamic ideas and behaviors that dominate the news. The skit, modeled on the popular TV game showGame show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!
Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
, included an announcer using a fake South Asian accent introducing contest categories such as "infamous infidels
Infidels
Infidels is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's 22nd studio album, released by Columbia Records in October 1983.Produced by Mark Knopfler and Dylan himself, Infidels is seen as his return to secular music, following a conversion to Christianity and three evangelical, gospel records...
" and "potent portables." The skit also included a threat to behead a female host (Corey Foley) when she got an answer wrong. Many, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations
Council on American-Islamic Relations
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is America's largest Muslim civil liberties advocacy organization that deals with civil advocacy and promotes human rights...
(CAIR), a Muslim advocacy group, thought otherwise. After receiving complaints about the skit, it demanded an apology from KDWB.
On October 2, 2006, the station's website contained a short apology: "KDWB does not condone making light of Islam and Muslims. We regret that listeners found the 'Muslim Jeopardy!' comedy skit of one of our on-air hosts to be insensitive."
KDWB HD2
On April 25, 2006, Clear Channel announced that KDWB's HD2 subchannelHD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
will carry a format focusing on dance hits
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
. The HD2 signed the following July as the Party Zone. "Party Zone" is also the name of the Friday and Saturday night show on KDWB simulcasted from local clubs that in the past has been hosted by the likes of Tone E. Fly, Gerry Dixon, Jeremiah Kubiak and Michael Knight. After six months of running jockless, the subchannel began to add announcers (from KDWB) to its programming.
Dave Ryan in the Morning Show
The Dave Ryan in the Morning Show is KDWB's morning broadcast, it has been broadcasted on KDWB for 15 years. It broadcasts Monday through Friday from 6 to 10 am. Current hosts of the show are Dave Ryan (Host), Steve-O (Producer), and Crisco (Stuntman)Skits, bits and quizzes
Here is a list of things performed on The Dave Ryan in the Morning Show.- War of the Roses: This is a scripted skit that uses actors alleging to be standard callers, since the FCC prohibits radio stations from broadcasting a person without the person's consent. The skit includes a person in a committed relationship - the initiator - who believes that he or she is being cheated on. With the initiator silent on the phone, the host of the show calls the suspected party using a ruse to get them to talk - usually claiming that the suspect has just won a free dozen roses as part of a promotion to be delivered to anyone of his or her choice,
- Gary SpiveyGary SpiveyGary Spivey claims to be a psychic, medium, spiritual healer and spiritual teacher. He has made appearances on radio programs, TV shows, and in live casino shows and also conducts personal readings, seminars, workshops, and hosts retreats.- Radio shows :...
: a psychic that you can call into to ask questions to. - Blind Luck: an on-air activity that has all four hosts given the decision to choose between something that will taste good and something that will taste bad. Only thing is, they're all blindfolded.
- Parodies of hit songs: such as the song "GlamorousGlamorous (song)"Glamorous" is a R&B single taken from R&B singer Fergie's solo debut album, The Dutchess. In March 2007, the song became Fergie's second number-one single in the United States. The single was released on March 19, 2007 in the UK and was the second single taken from the album...
" by Fergie, replaced with the words HollisterHollister-Places:* Hollister, California* Hollister, Florida* Hollister, Idaho* Hollister, Missouri* Hollister, Oklahoma* Hollister, Wisconsin* Hollister Ranch, a ranch north of Santa Barbara, California...
, and sung by Dave Ryan's daughter, Allison. - KDWB Pays Your Bills: an event when the radio station pays for something expensive that you have purchased. Often at 7:20.
- What Are You Nervous About?: an activity when people call in, telling the hosts what they're nervous about over the weekend. Later, on Monday, the people are required to call the show back, otherwise they will give out your cell phone number on the air.
- KDWB's Gas Pump Payoff: an event where a caller will be given the chance to have the radio station pay for their gas bills. But, ask for too much, and you won't get anything at all.
- The One That Got Away: callers will ask the radio station to track down a past boyfriend or girlfriend of theirs to see what they're up to.
- Cheaters club: An activity where a person who has been cheated on describes his or her past relationship (the one that was unfaithful) and others call in who have been part of it. This bit is a put on, or faked, as well.
- Man Panel: an activity where three men are asked questions about men that have been asked by women across the Twin Cities.
- Hiram: Dave Ryan pranks people on the phone as "Hiram" and "Hiram Jr."
- "30 HmongHmong peopleThe Hmong , are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand. Hmong are also one of the sub-groups of the Miao ethnicity in southern China...
s in a House": a parody of Eric ClaptonEric ClaptonEric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
's "Tears in HeavenTears in Heaven"Tears in Heaven" is a ballad written by Eric Clapton and Will Jennings about the pain and loss Clapton felt following the death of his four-year-old son, Conor. Conor fell from a window of the 53rd-floor New York apartment of his mother's friend on March 20, 1991. Clapton, who arrived at the...
" that aired on March 22, 2011. Local community groups reacted to the with song with protest.
Former morning show staff
Former morning show staff include:- Lee Valsvik: (1993–1998) — now at Cities 97
- Angi Taylor: (1998–2003)
- Corey Foley: (2003–2007)
- Lena Svenson (2007-2011)
- Intern John (2007-2011)
- Pat Ebertz (Producer)
- Jackson
- Jamie Guse ("Extreme" Jamie)
- Kelly Doherty (Imaging)
Former on-air staff
- Jon London
- Rich Davis- Now OM/PD CC Nashville/107.5 The RiverWRVWWRVW is a radio station broadcasting on the FM band at 107.5 MHz, licensed to the city of Lebanon, Tennessee, but serving the nearby Nashville market. It is currently branded as 107.5 The River, broadcasting a Top 40 format, and has become something of a heritage station for Top-40 music in middle...
- Derek Moran
- Kevin Kollins-President, Off the Chart Music, Inc.
- Tone E Fly- Now at 96.3 NOW Twin Cities
- Gerry Dixon- Most recently on HOT 107.1KDHT-FMKGSR is an Adult Album Alternative formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Cedar Park, Texas, serving the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area. KGSR is owned and operated by Emmis Communications and has undergone changes over time in its music selection and signal...
Denver, CO - Scotty Davis
- Spyder Harrison
- Greg Thunder
- Humble Billy Hayes
- Cadillac Jack
- Mr. Ed
- Hollywood Henderson
- Bobby Wilde
- JJ Kincaid- Now at Z100WHTZWHTZ — branded Z100 — is a commercial pop/contemporary hit radio radio station licensed to Newark, New Jersey serving the New York metropolitan area. The station is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications...
New York - JJ Pado aka KADEN- Now at HOT 95.7 Houston
- Jeremiah Kubiak - Retired 8-2009
- Tyler-Now engineering Clear Channel/Milwaukee
- Jesse Mitchell- Now at 97.3 Radio Now Milwaukee
- Rob Sherwood
- Barry McKinna (Siewert)
- Special Ed- Now at 99.9 Virgin RadioCKFM-FMCKFM-FM, branded as 99-9 Virgin Radio , is a Canadian radio station, broadcasting at 99.9 on the FM dial in Toronto, Ontario. The station is owned by Astral Media...
Toronto, Ontario
External links
- KDWB-FM officia website
- Radiotapes.com Historic Minneapolis/St. Paul airchecks dating back to 1924 including KDWB AM & FM and other Twin Cities radio stations.
- Rick Burnett's Twin Cities Radio Airchecks' KDWB page Historical recordings and photos of KDWB from the 1960s and 1970s.
- KDWB-HD2's "Party Zone"
- Oldiesloon.com, featuring historical information of Twin Cities Top 40 stations