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Atlanta Radio Dial April 1969

J

jabba17

From the AJC:
AM:
WPLO (590) - Country
WRNG (680) - Talk
WSB (750) - Popular
WQXI (790) - Top 40
WERD (860) - Gospel
WGST (920) - Popular
WIIN (970) - Popular
WGUN (1010) - Country/Gospel
WBIE (1080) - Popular
WGKA (1190) - Standards (what the AJC called BM/EZ)
WFOM (1230) - Top 40
WTJH (1260) - Country
WOMN (1310) - Classical
WIGO (1340) - R&B
WAOK (1380) - Soul
WAVO (1420) - Religious
WYZE (1480) - Country/Gospel
WYNX (1550) - Town & Country
WSSA (1570) - Country
WACX (1600) - Popular

FM:
WABE (90.1) - Educational/Classical
WREK (91.1) - Top 40
WGKA (92.9) - Popular/Classical
WQXI (94.1) - Popular/Finance
WAVO (94.9) - Religious
WKLS (96.1) - Standards (Stereo)
WSB (98.5) - Popular (Stereo)
WLTA (99.7) - Standards (Stereo)
WBIE (101.5) - Country
WPLO (103.3) - Rock

  • WRNG (Ring Radio, original home of Neal Boortz who started there in 1969) and WREK both came on the air the previous year. WREK's original power, IIRC, was 10 watts, and WRNG was a daytimer until about 1980 when they opened their 8-tower array in Peachtree Corners.
  • I'm surprised that WPLO is not listed as having the "Town & Country" format like WYNX, since WPLO pioneered the new, more urbane, less cornpone country format.
  • WQXI-FM and WAVO-FM had recently been allowed to change their callsigns from WKXI and WAVQ, respectively. They originally had to have different callsigns from their AM sisters because the cities of license were different.
  • WPLO-FM "Progressive 103.3" was being run by Ga. State students in the days before WRAS and during the time the FCC would not allow AM/FM simulcasts (so Plough couldn't simply put WPLO-AM on it). They were Atlanta's first AOR station, preceding 96 Rock by about 6 years. As soon as the FCC dropped that rule, Plough (yes, the Plough in the Schering-Plough drug company) kicked out the students and put WPLO-AM on it, until they flipped to a disco format as V-103.
 
That's very interesting information, Jabba.

One thing I do want to mention is the FCC's non-duplication rule did not go into effect until 1965 and wasn't repealed until 1986. But stations in major markets were still allowed to simulcast 50% of the time. So WPLO-FM had to be simulcasting the AM during only half its hours.
 
RoddyFreeman said:
That's very interesting information, Jabba.

One thing I do want to mention is the FCC's non-duplication rule did not go into effect until 1965 and wasn't repealed until 1986. But stations in major markets were still allowed to simulcast 50% of the time. So WPLO-FM had to be simulcasting the AM during only half its hours.
Click to expand...
I found out on the FB page where I got this that the 50% rule was in effect, but no information from the poster about what WPLO was actually doing.

I'd like to know if, how, and when WPLO-FM was simulcasting with the AM. In all the historical radio-dial listings I have seen for WPLO-FM, they only had one format listed--Rock, Popular, or Country--nothing that would indicate a split format (not to say it wasn't happening). They were listed as country in the mid-70s before the flip to V-103, which would still be during the time of simulcast restrictions, and after WRAS went on the air and the students could program a radio station of their own full-time. So maybe they were originating (automated?) programming during the time they were legally required to, during their "time as a country station".

Maybe I need to dig into the Broadcasting Yearbooks for clues here.

I'm guessing that WQXI-FM simulcasted Quixie 790 when they could, and were running automated finance news when they couldn't. WGKA-FM was probably also simulcasting the AM when they could; or, since 1190 was (and still is) a daytimer, maybe they moved the pop format to the FM after dark.

While I have no evidence of this, I often wonder if the WGKA pair was doing simulcast AM/FM stereo (one channel on AM, one on FM) in the days before FM stereo in the late 50s into the early 60s. Many stereos from the late 50s until c. 1961 when the FCC approved the FM stereo standard have this capability. While this sounds like a kludge, with a decent AM signal and no RFI you can't tell which channel is AM and which is FM. Keep in mind GlenKaren Associates was a stereo dealer.
 
Last edited:
RoddyFreeman said:
That's very interesting information, Jabba.

One thing I do want to mention is the FCC's non-duplication rule did not go into effect until 1965 and wasn't repealed until 1986. But stations in major markets were still allowed to simulcast 50% of the time. So WPLO-FM had to be simulcasting the AM during only half its hours.
Click to expand...
And, IIRC, Midnight to 6 AM was exempted from the non-duplication requirement.
 
What was the market size "limit" on duplication? IIRC some small town stations were simulcasting AM and FM especially if the AM was a day timer. IIRC FM mostly was a financial "drain" on a lot of stations until car radios had FM.
 
secondchoice said:
What was the market size "limit" on duplication? IIRC some small town stations were simulcasting AM and FM especially if the AM was a day timer. IIRC FM mostly was a financial "drain" on a lot of stations until car radios had FM.
Click to expand...
From what I understand, cities of 100000. FM in small towns was handy for those high school games.
 
briancraig said:
WFOM’s adds and biggest movers were listed by Billboard in the mid to late 1970s.
Click to expand...
More important, they reported to Rudman and Hamilton and then to R&R.
 
jabba17 said:
I found out on the FB page where I got this that the 50% rule was in effect, but no information from the poster about what WPLO was actually doing.

I'd like to know if, how, and when WPLO-FM was simulcasting with the AM. In all the historical radio-dial listings I have seen for WPLO-FM, they only had one format listed--Rock, Popular, or Country--nothing that would indicate a split format (not to say it wasn't happening). They were listed as country in the mid-70s before the flip to V-103, which would still be during the time of simulcast restrictions, and after WRAS went on the air and the students could program a radio station of their own full-time. So maybe they were originating (automated?) programming during the time they were legally required to, during their "time as a country station".

Maybe I need to dig into the Broadcasting Yearbooks for clues here.


While I have no evidence of this, I often wonder if the WGKA pair was doing simulcast AM/FM stereo (one channel on AM, one on FM) in the days before FM stereo in the late 50s into the early 60s. Many stereos from the late 50s until c. 1961 when the FCC approved the FM stereo standard have this capability. While this sounds like a kludge, with a decent AM signal and no RFI you can't tell which channel is AM and which is FM. Keep in mind GlenKaren Associates was a stereo dealer.
Click to expand...


DavidEduardo said:
More important, they reported to Rudman and Hamilton and then to R&R.
Click to expand...
And Bobby Poe
 
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