WLIF
Encyclopedia
WLIF is a radio station
located in Baltimore
, Maryland
, in the United States
. It is currently owned and operated by CBS Radio
. Its studios are located in the Mount Washington section of Baltimore, while its transmitter is located two miles northeast in Hampton, Maryland
. The station features an adult contemporary format during the week and a classic hits
format on the weekends.
The station's origins date back to the Beautiful music
era, which was popular during the late 1950s and early 1960s. At that time, the station's call letters were WTOW. Its frequency was at 1300 AM, which was later full service WFBR-AM for many years (that station was later WLIF-AM, and later WJFK-AM, simulcasting sister Washington station WJFK-FM
. It is now ESPN
-1300 WJZ, an all-sports station).
Over the years, this station was one of the highest-rated stations in Baltimore, playing mostly smooth soothing instrumental reneditions of popular songs. Featured artists included Percy Faith
, John Fox
, Chet Atkins
, Richard Clayderman
, Frank Mills
, Henry Mancini
, Ray Anthony
, Floyd Cramer
, and many others. The station played four vocal selections per hour and they were only smooth vocal stylings of artists like Frank Sinatra
, Ray Charles
, Nat King Cole
, Neil Diamond
, Tony Bennett
, Patti Page
, Dionne Warwick
, Barbra Streisand
, and others. It was called "The Beautiful Place In Your Life" FM-102. On December 31, 1971, the station became known as WLIF. By the 1980s, WLIF began playing more soft rock
hits, such as those by Linda Ronstadt
, The Beatles
, The Temptations
, Elton John
, along with the previously played artists. During morning and afternoon drives, the station was about half instrumental and half vocal, while other times the station continued to play one vocal every quarter hour. In the late 1980's, the station shifted to roughly half vocalists and half instrumentals. Early in 1991, WLIF shifted to a soft adult contemporary format; at this point, it also became known as "Lite 102". By 1993, WLIF began playing current product mixed in.
In 2001, the station changed nicknames again, and it is now known as "101.9 Lite FM." Today its lineup consists of soft rock hits during the day and love songs at night. On the weekends, WLIF features "The Flashback Weekend" featuring former WQSR
announcers Dave Alan, John Summers and Dianne Lyn playing the greatest hits of the sixties and seventies, reaching into the Oldie market that was left without a local radio station once WQSR
switched over to a Jack FM
format.
In addition, WLIF (along with Magic 95.9 WWIN
) also played jazz music during the weekends for many years. WLIF continued to play jazz until 2004, when WSMJ 104.3 became Baltimore's full-time Smooth Jazz station.
programming. For decades, WLIF began mixing in Christmas music the week before Thanksgiving and went to wall to wall Christmas music about 2 weeks before Christmas. They would remain all Christmas music until the middle of December 26 or later and would keep mixing in Christmas music until New Years Day.
Beginning in 2001, every year, starting the week before Thanksgiving, the station plays nothing but Christmas music, well into December 26 or 27. There are no commercials all day on Christmas Day. Since 2007, WLIF has played wall to wall Christmas music not only before Thanksgiving but all the way until New Years Eve. They are the last station left playing Christmas music at New Years. Most stations in this market that feature Christmas music continue mixing it in throughout the last week of the year, unlike many places that end cold turkey on the 26. In 2010, WLIF dropped Christmas Music early on December 27 but continued mixing a few in rather than remaining wall to wall until January 1.
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...
located in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is currently owned and operated by CBS Radio
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
. Its studios are located in the Mount Washington section of Baltimore, while its transmitter is located two miles northeast in Hampton, Maryland
Hampton, Maryland
Hampton is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland. The population was 5,004 at the 2000 census. Hampton is often considered a subdivision of the nearby community of Towson and is located just north of Baltimore City, Maryland, about twenty minutes...
. The station features an adult contemporary format during the week and a classic hits
Classic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
format on the weekends.
The station's origins date back to the Beautiful music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
era, which was popular during the late 1950s and early 1960s. At that time, the station's call letters were WTOW. Its frequency was at 1300 AM, which was later full service WFBR-AM for many years (that station was later WLIF-AM, and later WJFK-AM, simulcasting sister Washington station WJFK-FM
WJFK-FM
WJFK-FM, known on-air as 106.7 The Fan, is a sports radio-formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Manassas, Virginia, serving the metro Washington DC area...
. It is now ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
-1300 WJZ, an all-sports station).
Over the years, this station was one of the highest-rated stations in Baltimore, playing mostly smooth soothing instrumental reneditions of popular songs. Featured artists included Percy Faith
Percy Faith
Percy Faith was a Canadian-born American bandleader, orchestrator, composer and conductor, known for his lush arrangements of pop and Christmas standards. He is often credited with creating the "easy listening" or "mood music" format which became staples of American popular music in the 1950s and...
, John Fox
John Fox
John Fox may refer to:* Tinker Fox, Colonel John Fox , English Parliamentarian Soldier*John Fox * John Fox , pitcher for Major League Baseball* John Fox , comedian...
, Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
, Richard Clayderman
Richard Clayderman
Richard Clayderman is a French pianist who has released numerous albums including the compositions of Paul de Senneville and Olivier Toussaint, instrumental renditions of popular music, rearrangements of movie soundtracks, ethnic music, and easy-listening arrangements of most popular works of...
, Frank Mills
Frank Mills
Frank Mills , is a Canadian pianist and recording artist, best known for his solo instrumental hit "Music Box Dancer"....
, Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini was an American composer, conductor and arranger, best remembered for his film and television scores. He won a record number of Grammy Awards , plus a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award posthumously in 1995...
, Ray Anthony
Ray Anthony
Ray Anthony is an American bandleader, trumpeter, songwriter and actor.- Biography :...
, Floyd Cramer
Floyd Cramer
Floyd Cramer was an American Hall of Fame pianist who was one of the architects of the "Nashville sound." He popularized the "slip note" piano style where an out-of-tune note slides effortlessly into the correct note...
, and many others. The station played four vocal selections per hour and they were only smooth vocal stylings of artists like Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
, Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
, Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
, Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
, Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett
Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....
, Patti Page
Patti Page
Clara Ann Fowler , known by her professional name Patti Page, is an American singer, one of the best-known female artists in traditional pop music. She was the best-selling female artist of the 1950s, and has sold over 100 million records...
, Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
, Barbra Streisand
Barbra Streisand
Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...
, and others. It was called "The Beautiful Place In Your Life" FM-102. On December 31, 1971, the station became known as WLIF. By the 1980s, WLIF began playing more 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...
hits, such as those by Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
, The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, The Temptations
The Temptations
The Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, along with the previously played artists. During morning and afternoon drives, the station was about half instrumental and half vocal, while other times the station continued to play one vocal every quarter hour. In the late 1980's, the station shifted to roughly half vocalists and half instrumentals. Early in 1991, WLIF shifted to a soft adult contemporary format; at this point, it also became known as "Lite 102". By 1993, WLIF began playing current product mixed in.
In 2001, the station changed nicknames again, and it is now known as "101.9 Lite FM." Today its lineup consists of soft rock hits during the day and love songs at night. On the weekends, WLIF features "The Flashback Weekend" featuring former WQSR
WQSR
WQSR is a radio station broadcasting on 102.7 FM. The station is licensed to Baltimore and serves that market. Its transmitter is located in Pikesville, next to the Pikesville Reservoir. It is under ownership of Clear Channel Communications. The station offers an adult rock hits format known as...
announcers Dave Alan, John Summers and Dianne Lyn playing the greatest hits of the sixties and seventies, reaching into the Oldie market that was left without a local radio station once WQSR
WQSR
WQSR is a radio station broadcasting on 102.7 FM. The station is licensed to Baltimore and serves that market. Its transmitter is located in Pikesville, next to the Pikesville Reservoir. It is under ownership of Clear Channel Communications. The station offers an adult rock hits format known as...
switched over to a Jack FM
Jack FM
JACK FM is the alternative name and on-air brand of 60 radio stations in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia. Jack stations play a mix of 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s hits with some current hot adult contemporary singles. Jack's slogan "playing what we want" can also be...
format.
In addition, WLIF (along with Magic 95.9 WWIN
WWIN-FM
WWIN-FM is an urban adult contemporary radio station in Baltimore owned by Radio One. It is known as "Magic 95.9", playing a great variety of urban adult contemporary music from the 1960s to present. Its transmitter is located along I-695 near Curtis Bay....
) also played jazz music during the weekends for many years. WLIF continued to play jazz until 2004, when WSMJ 104.3 became Baltimore's full-time Smooth Jazz station.
Commercial-free Christmas
WLIF is well known for its ChristmasChristmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
programming. For decades, WLIF began mixing in Christmas music the week before Thanksgiving and went to wall to wall Christmas music about 2 weeks before Christmas. They would remain all Christmas music until the middle of December 26 or later and would keep mixing in Christmas music until New Years Day.
Beginning in 2001, every year, starting the week before Thanksgiving, the station plays nothing but Christmas music, well into December 26 or 27. There are no commercials all day on Christmas Day. Since 2007, WLIF has played wall to wall Christmas music not only before Thanksgiving but all the way until New Years Eve. They are the last station left playing Christmas music at New Years. Most stations in this market that feature Christmas music continue mixing it in throughout the last week of the year, unlike many places that end cold turkey on the 26. In 2010, WLIF dropped Christmas Music early on December 27 but continued mixing a few in rather than remaining wall to wall until January 1.