WNOR-FM
Encyclopedia
WNOR is a Mainstream Rock
formatted broadcast
radio station
licensed to Norfolk, Virginia
, serving Hampton Roads
. WNOR is owned and operated by Saga Communications
.
station, and at one point employed an all-female air staff, a revolutionary move at the time. In 1969 the station began airing a progressive rock format
from 9pm-6am. They abandoned the "split-format" approach in 1974 and began playing rock full time. The station’s Arbitron
ratings quickly took off, culminating in the station’s rise to #1 – the first time an FM station in the Norfolk market had achieved #1 status.
Del Toro was also known for his charity work with the many organizations in the Hampton Roads area.
He would later go on to work at WROX-FM
, WKLR and finally WOBR before he died in 2002. He was 44 years old.http://www.knotheadradio.com/bull/bull.htm
is dominated by the Rumble in the Morning show, which broadcasts from 5:30AM to 10:00AM. Afterwards, the programming is composed of 20 song marathon, then Shelley's Lunch Box. WNOR also carries the nationally syndicated Sixx Sense
with Nikki Sixx.http://fm99.com/Program-Schedule/2852937
Mainstream rock
Mainstream rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.-Format background:...
formatted broadcast
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
radio station
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...
licensed to Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
, serving Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads is the name for both a body of water and the Norfolk–Virginia Beach metropolitan area which surrounds it in southeastern Virginia, United States...
. WNOR is owned and operated by Saga Communications
Saga Communications
Saga Communications is a broadcasting company that owns and operates stations in 26 markets in the United States. The company, which is based in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, primarily operates radio stations , but it also operates 9 television stations Saga Communications is a broadcasting...
.
History
During the 60s WNOR-FM was an easy listeningEasy 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...
station, and at one point employed an all-female air staff, a revolutionary move at the time. In 1969 the station began airing a progressive rock format
Progressive rock (radio format)
Progressive rock is a radio station programming format that prospered in the late 1960s and 1970s, in which the disc jockeys are given wide latitude in what they may play, similar to the freeform format but with the proviso that some kind of rock music is almost always what is played...
from 9pm-6am. They abandoned the "split-format" approach in 1974 and began playing rock full time. The station’s Arbitron
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
ratings quickly took off, culminating in the station’s rise to #1 – the first time an FM station in the Norfolk market had achieved #1 status.
Henry "The Bull" Del Toro
The station was, for many years, home to the late shock jock Henry "The Bull" Del Toro, who became a legend in Norfolk radio in the 80s. Del Toro, was co-host of the "Reeger and The Bull Show", then "Jimmy and The Bull", and later "Tommy and The Bull" morning show. Del Toro, along with Tommy Griffiths (who left WNOR in 2009), created havoc on April Fools' Day in 1992 by warning listeners that a large build-up of "methadrine" gas was about to cause a fiery explosion at Mount Trashmore, a landfill-turned-park in Virginia Beach. Residents were warned to evacuate the area, causing the local 911 to be flooded with calls.http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=102387&ran=110635http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/worstaprilfools.htmlDel Toro was also known for his charity work with the many organizations in the Hampton Roads area.
He would later go on to work at WROX-FM
WROX-FM
WROX-FM is a Modern Rock formatted broadcast radio station licensed to Exmore, Virginia, serving the Norfolk/Virginia Beach metro area and the Eastern Shore of Virginia.-Format Tweak:...
, WKLR and finally WOBR before he died in 2002. He was 44 years old.http://www.knotheadradio.com/bull/bull.htm
Programming
The station's morning programmingRadio programming
Radio programming is the Broadcast programming of a Radio format or content that is organized for Commercial broadcasting and Public broadcasting radio stations....
is dominated by the Rumble in the Morning show, which broadcasts from 5:30AM to 10:00AM. Afterwards, the programming is composed of 20 song marathon, then Shelley's Lunch Box. WNOR also carries the nationally syndicated Sixx Sense
Sixx Sense
Sixx Sense is a commercial radio channel on XM Satellite Radio, located at channel 164 and playing a mainstream/alternative rock format. The channel is programmed out of Cincinnati, Ohio. Advertising sales are handled by Premiere Radio Networks. It intersperses the music with segments from the...
with Nikki Sixx.http://fm99.com/Program-Schedule/2852937