WLQT
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WLQT (99.9 FM), known as "Lite 99.9", is a soft adult contemporary formatted radio station licensed to Kettering, Ohio serving the Dayton area and is part of the Dayton cluster of Clear Channel Communications which also broadcasts in High Definition.
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[edit] Early history
WLQT was originally given the call sign WKET in 1962 airing classical music from a basement studio at the former Hills and Dales Shopping Center. The station failed to attract a sizable listening audience (AM was the dominant band at that time) and was later sold to the University of Dayton in 1964 and changed the call letters to WVUD (for the Voice of the University of Dayton).
[edit] FM-100 WVUD "The Radio Station"
In the 1970s WVUD became Dayton's first album oriented rock station providing an alternative to Top 40 -formatted WING. The airstaff was comprised of U.D. students. In the late 60's through mid-1970s, General Manager was University of Dayton Communication Arts Department Chairman George Biersack. Biersack hired back former WVUD staffer and UD grad Chris Cage Caggiano from WING-AM. Biersack's marching orders for Cage were to "grab the 18 to 34 year olds" but to "avoid that WING sound". Music Director was Dan Covey, who later landed at WING. Cage was succeeded by Geoff Vargo.
In its' heyday (mid-1970s), WVUD-FM competed with WTUE-FM for dominance of the Dayton market. Utilizing a strategy of first-to-market "breaking" of new songs, a vast collection of record albums, and a lengthy song-rotation schedule (to keep the sound "fresh"), the station competed on its diversity of music and knowledge of artists and bands by disc jockeys. The station enjoyed stature and cache sufficient that touring major rock acts, such as Jackson Browne, Shawn Phillips, and Billy Joel, were interviewed live in-studio. Students staffed on-air slots, and personalities such as Patty Spittler, Dan Covey, Art Farkas, Alan McConnell, Dan Pugh (aka Dan Patrick), Mary Kuzan, Jim Tobin ("Yost"), Keith Wright, and Dan Ross, competed successfully with much more experienced radio pros. After graduation, many WVUD "alumni" went on to attain significant professional career success in radio nationwide. On April 1, 1978, the station spoofed listeners claiming it had, overnight, changed formats to big-band 1940s music. Complaints to station management, from loyal, if disgruntled, listeners, were counted into the hundreds. So convincing was the transformation, that many did not realize it was an "April Fool's" joke. Normal operations resumed the next day.
Eventually, through the 1980s, WTUE won the ratings war. The University sold WVUD-FM in 1992, and the WVUD call sign was, subsequently, adopted by another college radio station in Delaware.
One of WVUD's favorite programs was "Wax Museum" playing a complete rock album from beginning to end without interruption. DJs hosting "Wax" encouraged listeners to record the album off-air, and provided calibration tones, and signals to begin and pause recording. (The signal was a guitar strum taken from Yes' song, "Roundabout".) Another popular jingle ("It's a real nice way to spend a day in Dayton, Ohio") came from Randy Newman. In addition, a popular talk program for young married couples moderated by Father Robert Burns,a long time U.D. instructor and professor now retired. Inexplicably, though, at least through 1979, the station provided Saturday and Sunday morning air time to ethnic music: "Music of Hungary" (with Al Kertez) and "Music of India" (with Parmada Singh Sihoda) played for years.
Eventually, its competitor WTUE (then owned by Group One Broadcasting)abandoned its Top 40 format in favor of a similar album format in 1976 and eventually won the ratings war with WVUD in the 1980s.
[edit] LITE 99.9
WVUD was eventually sold by UD in 1992 becoming WLQT (Lite 100)after a brief stint as a contemporary hit station before competitor WGTZ-FM(Z-93)emerged in 1985. It changed its name to Lite 99.9 in 1993 under the direction of veteran programmer Scott Barrett. WLQT subsequently became part of the Jacor Dayton cluster(later merging with Clear Channel.)Aside from its light rock and HD oldies frequency, WLQT has aired Christmas music from the week prior to Thanksgiving to a few days after Christmas every year since 1993. In 2007, the 24-hour Christmas music begins Nov. 15 at 5 PM EST.
As of June 2007, Dayton's own Kim Faris is now the morning show host of LITE 99.9. The rest of linup includes Jeff Shade on Middays and Assistant Program Director Brian Michaels in the afternoon drive. LITE 99.9 is also an affiliate of Delilah, which is on Sunday - Friday evenings from 7p - 12mid.
WLQT-FM along with WTUE-FM and WONE (AM) now make up a major portion of the Clear Channel Dayton cluster.
The University of Dayton now has a newer student-ran station: "Flyer Radio" (originated by WUDR at 98.1 and simulcast on a repeater at 99.5).
The WVUD call sign is now assigned to a station at the University of Delaware. [1].
The original WKET calls are now used at 98.3 FM in Kettering.[2]
[edit] Source
[edit] External links
- Official site of WLQT "Lite 99.9" (with streaming audio)
- Query the FCC's FM station database for WLQT
- Radio Locator information on WLQT
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