WXRX
Encyclopedia
WXRX is an FM
radio station
, frequency
104.9, based in Rockford, Illinois
, created by a company called "Radio Works" run by David McAley and Robert Rhea Jr. It is now owned by Maverick Media. Originally a classic rock
station, the X today is a rock station in Rockford, IL.
The station shows include: Bob & Tom in the morning, Captain Jack in midday, Stone and Double T (Jim Stone and Terry Turen) in the afternoon, Steph in the evenings and Driver during the overnight.
Other popular disc jockey
s that have worked for WXRX include Jonathon Brandmeier
, Tim Crull, Sky Drysdale, Alan Cox
, Jamie Markley Mark Zander (as Mark Edwards), and Pete McMurray.
In the 1992
motion picture Batman Returns
, WXRX is a fictional television station
in Gotham City
.
The license was acquired in December, 1974, and the station was rebuilt at the Cherryvale Mall
. It returned to the air in 1976 with the call letters WYBR
(for "Yellow Brick Road"), transmitting from a 300' tower in the Cherryvale parking lot, with studios inside the mall in suite E-114.
The initial format was termed "Theatre of the Mind", and the first airstaff included many people with theatrical background. Actress Susan Saint James
was a frequent visitor and contributor to station programming elements. The format gradually migrated to an Adult Contemporary/MOR format in the late 70s. Jonathon Brandmeier
was the morning show host from 1978 to 1980.
The station changed to Top 40 in 1983, then to Classic rock
in October, 1986.
October 1992 Pete McMurray was hired as morning man, along with Linda Lampert as sidekick, thus "McMurray in the Morning" was born. No morning show in the history of WXRX has achieved higher ratings or a bigger following than "McMurray in the Morning." Lampert left in 1996. In 1998 McMurray exited for WCKG FM Talk Chicago, IL. From 1993-1998 Pete McMurray reigned as the "King of Rockford Radio."
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
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...
, frequency
Frequency
Frequency is the number of occurrences of a repeating event per unit time. It is also referred to as temporal frequency.The period is the duration of one cycle in a repeating event, so the period is the reciprocal of the frequency...
104.9, based in Rockford, Illinois
Rockford, Illinois
Rockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
, created by a company called "Radio Works" run by David McAley and Robert Rhea Jr. It is now owned by Maverick Media. Originally a classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
station, the X today is a rock station in Rockford, IL.
The station shows include: Bob & Tom in the morning, Captain Jack in midday, Stone and Double T (Jim Stone and Terry Turen) in the afternoon, Steph in the evenings and Driver during the overnight.
Other popular disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
s that have worked for WXRX include Jonathon Brandmeier
Jonathon Brandmeier
-Career:Born John Francis Brandmeier to a German father and a Lebanese mother, Brandmeier started his radio career in 1973 at WFON in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin...
, Tim Crull, Sky Drysdale, Alan Cox
Alan Cox
Alan Cox is a British computer programmer who formerly maintained the 2.2 branch of the Linux kernel and continues to be heavily involved in the development of the Linux kernel, an association that dates back to 1991...
, Jamie Markley Mark Zander (as Mark Edwards), and Pete McMurray.
In the 1992
1992 in film
The year 1992 in film involved many significant films. -Top grossing films:-Awards:Academy AwardsGolden Globe AwardsNational Film Awards...
motion picture Batman Returns
Batman Returns
Batman Returns is a 1992 American superhero film directed by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, it is the sequel to Burton's Batman , and features Michael Keaton reprising the title role, with Danny DeVito as the Penguin and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman.Burton originally did not...
, WXRX is a fictional television station
Television station
A television station is a business, organisation or other such as an amateur television operator that transmits content over terrestrial television. A television transmission can be by analog television signals or, more recently, by digital television. Broadcast television systems standards are...
in Gotham City
Gotham City
Gotham City is a fictional U.S. city appearing in DC Comics, best known as the home of Batman. Batman's place of residence was first identified as Gotham City in Batman #4 . Gotham City is strongly inspired by Trenton, Ontario's history, location, atmosphere, and various architectural styles...
.
History
The station went on the air as WKWL on February 27, 1971 playing a "Good Music" format and affiliated with the ABC news network. The 300 foot tower was co-located with the studios on N. Bell School Road in Rockford. A fire in the basement where the transmitter was located burned the entire building to the ground.The license was acquired in December, 1974, and the station was rebuilt at the Cherryvale Mall
CherryVale Mall
Cherryvale Mall is a shopping mall in Cherry Valley, Illinois, serving nearby Rockford, Illinois. Its four anchor stores are Bergner's, J. C. Penney, Macy's and Sears. CBL & Associates Properties, Inc. acquired the shopping center in 2002. Cherryvale mall has 134 stores consisting of a gross...
. It returned to the air in 1976 with the call letters WYBR
WYBR
WYBR is a radio station in Big Rapids, Michigan, broadcasting a hot adult contemporary format. Its signal can Be Heard As far south As Rockford, Michigan, Far North As Cadillac, Michigan And As Far East As Coleman, MichiganThe station began broadcasting in 1981 as WAAQ The Music Machine - Q102,...
(for "Yellow Brick Road"), transmitting from a 300' tower in the Cherryvale parking lot, with studios inside the mall in suite E-114.
The initial format was termed "Theatre of the Mind", and the first airstaff included many people with theatrical background. Actress Susan Saint James
Susan Saint James
Susan Saint James is an American actress and activist, most widely known for her work in television during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.-Early life:...
was a frequent visitor and contributor to station programming elements. The format gradually migrated to an Adult Contemporary/MOR format in the late 70s. Jonathon Brandmeier
Jonathon Brandmeier
-Career:Born John Francis Brandmeier to a German father and a Lebanese mother, Brandmeier started his radio career in 1973 at WFON in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin...
was the morning show host from 1978 to 1980.
The station changed to Top 40 in 1983, then to Classic rock
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
in October, 1986.
October 1992 Pete McMurray was hired as morning man, along with Linda Lampert as sidekick, thus "McMurray in the Morning" was born. No morning show in the history of WXRX has achieved higher ratings or a bigger following than "McMurray in the Morning." Lampert left in 1996. In 1998 McMurray exited for WCKG FM Talk Chicago, IL. From 1993-1998 Pete McMurray reigned as the "King of Rockford Radio."