WIRL
| City | Peoria, Illinois |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Peoria, Illinois |
| Branding | Good Time Oldies 1290 & 102.7 |
| Frequency | 1290 kHz C-QUAM AM stereo |
| Translator(s) | 102.7 W274BM (Peoria) |
| First air date | August 18, 1948[1] |
| Format | Oldies |
| Audience share | 2.6 (Fall 2007, R&R[2]) |
| Power |
5,000 watts day 5,000 watts night |
| Class | B |
| Facility ID | 13040 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 40°37′24.00″N 89°35′27.00″W / 40.6233333°N 89.5908333°W |
| Former callsigns |
WIRL (1948–2000) WWFS (2000–2005) |
| Affiliations | ABC Radio |
| Owner |
Alpha Media (Alpha Media Licensee LLC) |
| Sister stations | WSWT (traditional); WMBD (AM), WPBG, WNGY, WXCL |
| Website | 1290wirl.com |
WIRL (1290 AM, nicknamed "Good Time Oldies 1290 & 102.7") is a radio station broadcasting an oldies music format. Licensed to Peoria, Illinois, USA, the station serves the Peoria area and broadcasts in AM stereo. The station is currently owned by Alpha Media.
Current programming
WIRL features local air personalitiy Lee Malcolm in the morning. The station has a noon farm and agri-business show weekdays. The station carries St. Louis Cardinals baseball.
History
WIRL began broadcasting February 18, 1948, on 1290 kHz with 5 KW power (full-time). It was licensed to Illinois Valley Broadcasting Company with studios in the Jefferson Building in Peoria.[3]
WIRL was most famous as a Top 40 radio station from 1960 until approximately 1984. WIRL was successful immediately as a Top 40 station, as the only competition was daytime-only WPEO 1020 AM. Popular disc jockeys were Robyn Weaver, Lee Ranson, Jerry Barr, Jim French, "Old Weird" Tim West, Bill McCluggage, Lee Malcolm, Wayne R. Miller, Howard Taylor, Pete Stewart, VLJ, Charlie O'Day, John Sebastian Bachman,Ann Holub, Dave Phillips, Steve Young, Scott Robbins, Ron Thorn,Mark Wainwright and many more. For many years WIRL broadcast Bradley University basketball games with Mort Cantor as the play by play man.
In the late 1970s, FM station WKZW 93.3 (now WPBG) began programming a Top 40 format and siphoned away many listeners from WIRL. WIRL then evolved into a full service personality and adult contemporary station. Personalities included Lee Malcolm, Gene Konrad, Kurt Schaeffer, Denise Henley, Steve Larson, Marc Truelove, Steve Young and Darryl Parks. The adult contemporary format lasted until the early 1990s; the station also programmed oldies, standards, and sports talk. In November 2000, the station changed to all-sports "Fox Sports 1290" with the callsign WWFS. The station returned to the WIRL call sign when it adopted the classic country format in March 2005. A station from New York now uses the callsign "WWFS".
On March 15, 2013 WIRL changed their format to oldies, branded as "Good Time Oldies" and began simulcasting on FM translator W274BM 102.7 FM.[4][5]
Previous logo
(WIRL's logo from 2005 to 2013 under classic country format)
References
- ↑ "1290 WIRL Airchecks, Jingles and Photos". thebig1290.com. 2008-01-14. Retrieved 2008-09-10.
- ↑ "Peoria Market Ratings". Radio & Records.
- ↑ "Jones Heades WIRL's Executive Personnel" (PDF). Broadcasting. March 8, 1948. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
- ↑ "Format Changes". Your Midwest Media.
- ↑ http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/81213/wirl-peoria-adds-translator-flips-to-oldies/
External links
- Query the FCC's AM station database for WIRL
- Radio-Locator Information on WIRL
- Query Nielsen Audio's AM station database for WIRL
- The Big 1290 — tribute site with pictures and soundclip archives
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