WKRD (AM)
Encyclopedia
WKRD is a sports talk formatted radio station
in the Louisville, Kentucky
metropolitan area. It is currently owned by Clear Channel Communications
, and is known as My Sports 790. The station is best known for being a Top 40 powerhouse in the 60s and 70s as WAKY.
With the exception of some sports play-by-play, the WKRD programming is also broadcast on WKRD-FM
, 101.7 MHz, licensed to Shelbyville, Kentucky
.
, a Top 40 radio pioneer best-known for his legendary KLIF
in Dallas, Texas
, purchased WGRC. After stunting with the novelty record "The Purple People Eater", WGRC became WAKY
on July 7, 1958, and immediately shot to the top of the Louisville ratings as the market's first Top 40 music station. WAKY (known affectionately to its listeners as "Wacky") competed with 1080 AM WKLO
during the 1960s and 1970s, with WAKY usually being the dominant station of the two. The station's popular personalities included Bill Bailey ("The Duke of Louisville"), Dude Walker, Gary Burbank
(later of CKLW, WHAS
, and WLW), Mason Lee Dixon, and the late Bert Markert (known on the air as "Weird Beard"). The station solidified its mass appeal by playing a great deal of country
and R&B product mixed in with the mainstream pop and rock, owing to the large audiences for both genres of music in the Louisville market and the lack of a 24-hour R&B/soul station at the time (1350 WLOU
, the area's primary black-oriented station, was a daytimer).
Having lost listeners during the 1970s to FM rock stations such as WQMF
and WLRS
, WAKY softened its music format to a more adult contemporary sound in about 1978, declaring, "The station you grew up with has grown up with you." This was followed by format changes to oldies
in 1982, to automated beautiful music
in June 1986, to automated country music
, back to adult-contemporary in March 1988 as WVEZ-AM (dropping the heritage WAKY calls to reflect its simulcast with 106.9 FM
), to classic country
in 1989 as WWKY, and then to a talk
format in the early 1990s. In 2001 WWKY changed to the current sports-talk format as WXXA ("Xtra Sports 790") before changing to the current WKRD call.
The legendary WAKY calls, which had been used by a station in Springfield, Kentucky
, returned to the Louisville market on May 11, 2007, as oldies station WASE (103.5 FM), licensed to Radcliff, Kentucky
with studios in Elizabethtown
, became WAKY. The new station includes many nods to the original WAKY, including original and re-sung versions of "The Big 79"'s classic jingles.
Sports programming that airs on WKRD include NASCAR Nextel Cup, Busch Series
and Craftsman Truck Series
, Cincinnati Bengals
football, plus University of Louisville
women's basketball and volleyball. Beginning in August 2007, University of Louisville football and men's basketball will air on WKRD when their games conflict with University of Kentucky
football and men's basketball on WHAS
radio. On April 16, 2007, WKRD began simulcasting on WKRD-FM 101.7 (formerly WLPP).
Cincinnati Reds
games were broadcast on AM 790, before they were moved to 101.7 in favor of Louisville Bats
games.
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
in the Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
metropolitan area. It is currently 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...
, and is known as My Sports 790. The station is best known for being a Top 40 powerhouse in the 60s and 70s as WAKY.
With the exception of some sports play-by-play, the WKRD programming is also broadcast on WKRD-FM
WKRD-FM
WKRD-FM is a radio station broadcasting a Sports radio format. Licensed to Shelbyville, Kentucky, USA, the station serves the Louisville area. The station is owned by Aloha Station Trust....
, 101.7 MHz, licensed to Shelbyville, Kentucky
Shelbyville, Kentucky
As of the census of 2000, there were 10,085 people, 3,822 households, and 2,549 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,333.5 people per square mile . There were 4,117 housing units at an average density of 544.4 per square mile...
.
History
790 AM in Louisville was originally WGRC and featured a variety of programming typical of radio in the pre-rock era. In 1958, broadcaster Gordon McLendonGordon McLendon
Gordon Barton McLendon was a radio pioneer and pirate radio broadcaster. He has been coined the Maverick of Radio. McLendon is widely credited for perfecting, with great commercial success, the Top 40 radio format during the 1950s and 1960s which was first invented by Todd Storz and for developing...
, a Top 40 radio pioneer best-known for his legendary KLIF
KLIF
KLIF is a commercial radio station licensed to serve Dallas, Texas, USA. The station is owned by Cumulus Media. KLIF broadcasts a conservative-leaning news/talk radio format to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.-Call sign history:...
in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
, purchased WGRC. After stunting with the novelty record "The Purple People Eater", WGRC became WAKY
WAKY
For the original WAKY-AM Top 40 music station in Louisville, see WKRD .WAKY is a radio station licensed to Radcliff, Kentucky, USA, the station serves the Louisville area. The station is currently owned by W & B Broadcasting, Inc.. The station's studios are located in Elizabethtown,...
on July 7, 1958, and immediately shot to the top of the Louisville ratings as the market's first Top 40 music station. WAKY (known affectionately to its listeners as "Wacky") competed with 1080 AM WKLO
WKJK
WKJK is a radio station broadcasting a News Talk Information format. Licensed to Louisville, Kentucky, USA, the station serves the Louisville area...
during the 1960s and 1970s, with WAKY usually being the dominant station of the two. The station's popular personalities included Bill Bailey ("The Duke of Louisville"), Dude Walker, Gary Burbank
Gary Burbank
Gary Burbank is an American radio personality. He was heard daily on WLW in Cincinnati, Ohio, from June 15, 1981 until December 21, 2007, when he signed off for the last time.-Career in Radio:...
(later of CKLW, WHAS
WHAS (AM)
WHAS, known by the on air branding as "84 WHAS", is an AM radio station broadcasting in Louisville, Kentucky. It is a 50,000 Watt clear channel radio station assigned to frequency 840 kHz. With clear channel status, its nighttime signal can be heard in most of the continental U.S...
, and WLW), Mason Lee Dixon, and the late Bert Markert (known on the air as "Weird Beard"). The station solidified its mass appeal by playing a great deal of 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 R&B product mixed in with the mainstream pop and rock, owing to the large audiences for both genres of music in the Louisville market and the lack of a 24-hour R&B/soul station at the time (1350 WLOU
WLOU
WLOU is a radio station broadcasting a Gospel music format. Licensed to Louisville, Kentucky, USA, the station serves the greater Louisville area...
, the area's primary black-oriented station, was a daytimer).
Having lost listeners during the 1970s to FM rock stations such as WQMF
WQMF
WQMF is a Classic rock radio station located in Louisville, Kentucky. The station is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to the nearby city of Jeffersonville, Indiana and broadcasts on 95.7 FM with a effective radiated power of 28.5 kW.-Station history:95.7 signed on as WQHI in...
and WLRS
WLRS
WLRS is a commercial radio station located in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, broadcasting to the Louisville, Kentucky area on 105.1 FM Broadcasting....
, WAKY softened its music format to a more adult contemporary sound in about 1978, declaring, "The station you grew up with has grown up with you." This was followed by format changes to 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....
in 1982, to automated beautiful music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
in June 1986, to automated country music
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...
, back to adult-contemporary in March 1988 as WVEZ-AM (dropping the heritage WAKY calls to reflect its simulcast with 106.9 FM
WVEZ
WVEZ is a radio station broadcasting a Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to St. Matthews, Kentucky, USA, the station serves the Louisville area. The station is currently owned by Cox Radio, Inc....
), to classic country
Classic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country hits from past decades.This genre generally follows one of two formats: those specializing in hits from the 1920s through the early 1970s, and focus primarily on innovators and artists from country music's Golden...
in 1989 as WWKY, and then to 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...
format in the early 1990s. In 2001 WWKY changed to the current sports-talk format as WXXA ("Xtra Sports 790") before changing to the current WKRD call.
The legendary WAKY calls, which had been used by a station in Springfield, Kentucky
Springfield, Kentucky
Springfield is a city in and county seat of Washington County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 2,634 at the 2000 census. It was established in 1793 and probably named for springs in the area.-Geography:...
, returned to the Louisville market on May 11, 2007, as oldies station WASE (103.5 FM), licensed to Radcliff, Kentucky
Radcliff, Kentucky
Radcliff is a city in Hardin County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 21,961 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Elizabethtown, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area....
with studios in Elizabethtown
Elizabethtown, Kentucky
Elizabethtown is a city in and the county seat of Hardin County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 28,531 at the 2010 census, making it the eleventh-largest city in the state...
, became WAKY. The new station includes many nods to the original WAKY, including original and re-sung versions of "The Big 79"'s classic jingles.
Sports programming that airs on WKRD include NASCAR Nextel Cup, Busch Series
Busch Series
The NASCAR Nationwide Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. It is promoted as NASCAR's "minor league" circuit, and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization's "big leagues"; the Sprint Cup circuit...
and Craftsman Truck Series
Craftsman Truck Series
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing...
, Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
football, plus University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
women's basketball and volleyball. Beginning in August 2007, University of Louisville football and men's basketball will air on WKRD when their games conflict with University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
football and men's basketball on WHAS
WHAS (AM)
WHAS, known by the on air branding as "84 WHAS", is an AM radio station broadcasting in Louisville, Kentucky. It is a 50,000 Watt clear channel radio station assigned to frequency 840 kHz. With clear channel status, its nighttime signal can be heard in most of the continental U.S...
radio. On April 16, 2007, WKRD began simulcasting on WKRD-FM 101.7 (formerly WLPP).
Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
games were broadcast on AM 790, before they were moved to 101.7 in favor of Louisville Bats
Louisville Bats
The Louisville Bats, which play in Louisville, Kentucky, are the AAA minor league baseball affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. The team, formerly known as the Louisville RiverBats, plays in the International League...
games.