Last Progressive Rock station?

[seattlesarchiebunker]

Got thinking that commercial progressive rock as a format is basically completely dead...every station I think of switched to AOR, AAA, or got out of the format completely. With about 2-3 exceptions, I can’t think of too many stations with the format after about 1981-82 or so.

So, who was the last commercial “freeform” rock station? My money is on WHFS in DC/Baltimore which had a very laidback approach where DJs selected the music into the mid 90’s when Infinity bought them.

Note that I’m not counting noncommercial stations or KPIG in Santa Cruz, which I consider more of a AAA than rock

 

[vchimpanzee]

I'm not sure whether they ever had this as a full-time format, but WXRC "95.7 The Ride" Charlotte NC is a classic hits station that is supposedly progressive rock based. At the very least, it is mostly classic rock. But there may have been some special shows that were progressive rock in the tradition of 70s stations.

 

[TheBigA]

Note that I’m not counting noncommercial stations or KPIG in Santa Cruz, which I consider more of a AAA than rock

That's a great example, and there are quite a few college stations around the country that could be described as free form or progressive rock.

The format originally was based on the large amount of music that was released in the late 60s and early 70s that wasn't getting played on the radio. Tom Donohue, a DJ at Top 40 KYA in San Francisco, quit and started playing some of the local bands like the Grateful Dead and Quicksilver Messenger Service on a low rated FM station: KMPX.