45 years ago today, the greatest radio station in Twin Cities history pulled the plug and went dark. Now of course, that’s my personal opinion and many will disagree. But in my mind, U100 aka “The Supah Yeww” will always be the ultimate radio station to ever grace the Minneapolis/St. Paul airwaves.

U100 was actually two stations simulcasting as one: 980 AM and 101.3 FM. These stations began life as WPBC, the People’s Broadcasting Company. Husband and wife team Bill and Becky Ann Stewart owned the stations. The format was best described as Easy Listening. Or, as WPBC put it in their promotional announcements: “Playing more of the prettier, popular music for easier listening.” The Metropolitan Opera was broadcast on Saturdays. Rock and roll was absolutely forbidden on WPBC. It was rumored that Becky Ann even went as far as to scratch out album cuts which were “too loud” with the point of a compass in order to keep the airstaff from playing them.

In 1972, WPBC AM/FM were sold to Fairchild Industries. The stations were split and both formats were flipped. WYOO-AM 980, “The New YOO in the Twin Cities”, broadcast a mix of mostly 1950s oldies and nostalgia programming. WRAH-FM 101.3 “Rah-dio for the Twin Cities” was automated, focusing on rock album cuts. The results were disappointing, both in terms or ratings and advertising revenue. Less than 2 years later, management made the decision to flip both stations to an AM/FM simulcast hybrid Rock/Top 40 format.

U100 was born on August 26, 1974. Live at the Minnesota State Fair, Program Director Rob Sherwood abruptly brought an end to WYOO’s Oldies format. Upon throwing a music cart across the trailer, he promised not to play any more “turkey records.” Rob then played Joe Cocker’s “With a Little Help from My Friends”, announcing that since he had left KDWB five months earlier with this song, “I guess I’ll come back with this song. A new era in Twin Cities broadcasting…as we introduce you to boogie! Are you ready to boogie?” This was followed by a montage of the entire U100 jingle package. Which in turn was followed by the J. Geils Band’s “Give it to Me.”

In many ways, U100 was an innovative station, far ahead of it’s time. For starters, they broadcast in FM Stereo as well as standard AM. This was a big deal in 1974. All of WYOO’s competitors were available on AM only. The format was “Rock 40”, more than 10 years before Dan Kieley coined the term at KKRC/Sioux Falls. Sure, U100 played the current Top 40 hits by KC & the Sunshine Band, Wild Cherry, Hall & Oates, and Elton John. But they also played album cuts from Led Zeppelin, Yes, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and many others. They also played the longer album versions of current hits, rather than the short “45 versions.” Two that immediately come to mind are “She’s Gone” by Hall & Oates and “Miracles” by Jefferson Starship. The latter was somewhat controversial due to it’s racy lyric content.

Which leads me to the most important reason I loved U100: their DJs were radical. Always pushing the envelope. The station even billed itself as “OUTRAGEOUS!” in their promotional literature. Drug references were subtle but frequent. The infamous “U100 Grabs Me” T-shirt had a pair of hands strategically placed right where a female’s ‘special features’ would be. Afternoon jock Chucker Morgan called himself “The Mother Chucker”, a play on words for you-know-what. He also hosted “Chucker’s Leak Line” where kids could call and leak test answers to other students. Parents and teachers hated that feature. Teenagers loved it! Each weeknight at 10:30, “Boogie Check” allowed listeners to call in and speak their mind, tell a joke, or whatever. I had just started the 7th grade at Valley Middle school when U100 went off the air. It was an absolutely huge deal around school. Many kids wore their U100 T-shirts backwards or inside-out in protest. It was like losing a friend. More than any other radio station, it was U100 that inspired me to pursue a career of my own behind the microphone. John Records Landecker of WLS was the jock who had the most influence on me, but WYOO was my most influential station.

Why did U100 die? Depends on who you ask. Some claim it was simply impossible for them to compete against 3 other well-established stations. Minneapolis/St. Paul was unique in that it was the only market at the time with FOUR Top 40 outlets. KDWB-AM 630 and WDGY AM-1130 had been playing rock and roll since the 1950s. KSTP AM-1500 was a fairly recent convert to the format but had the money and the muscle of Stanley S. Hubbard’s Hubbard Broadcasting behind them. All 3 of U100’s competitors had bigger budgets and larger promotional warchests. Others claim that Doubleday (KDWB’s parent company) made Fairchild an offer for their FM frequency that was simply too good to pass up. By this time, it was early 1976. Top 40 stations had begun migrating from AM to FM in select markets. Smart programmers and owners knew the future of this format was in high fidelity FM stereo, not scratchy AM mono. In any case, the FM station was sold to Doubleday and would become KDWB-FM 101.3. Since FCC rules prohibited a company from owning more than one AM and one FM per market, the AM facility was sold to local Beautiful Music broadcaster WAYL-FM.

Just before midnight on Wednesday, September 15, 1976, U100 night DJ JoJo Gunne played the station’s signature song: Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven.” At it’s conclusion, JoJo thanked the audience, saying “Remember, I love ya”, kissing the microphone, and then “We gone, bye bye” into Joe Cocker’s “With a Little Help from My Friends.” At the song’s conclusion, just a hurried Legal ID: “WYOO AM and FM stereo Richfield now leaves the air.” The transmitter was quickly turned off, presumably to comply with the 12:00:00 deadline. Just like that, the greatest radio station in Twin Cities history was gone forever. Across town, KDWB overnight DJ Mark Ranier gleefully announced “and they just went down for the last time!”

At 6:00AM on September 16, KDWB began their 101.3 FM simulcast as “The All New KDWB, FM-101 and AM-63.” On Monday, September 20, WAYL assumed control of the 980 AM frequency. I find it amazing how a station that was on the air for barely 2 years had such a profound effect on Twin Cities radio and it’s listeners. To this day, people in Minnesota still remember and reminisce about “The Boogie Station”, “Fun Lovin’ Super U”, “The Acapulco Gold Countdown”, and of course “Boogie Check.” For those of us lucky enough to grow up in that time and place, the day the music died was exactly 40 years ago today. Right On, Supah Yeww!

Leave it to Allan Sniffen to come up with another great Rewound Radio special for Labor Day weekend! As you may recall, Rewound Radio brought us a full July 4th weekend of Dan Ingram airchecks. Not to mention the WABC Memorial Day weekend special!

For Labor Day, Allan is presenting the glory days of WOR FM Stereo in New York City. “The Big Town Sound” on 98.7. Original WOR-FM shows from 1967 to 1971. You’ll hear the original WOR DJ’s, music, and the distinct sound of Drake/Chenault Top 40 Radio in the 1960s and 70s. This special presentation lasts 3 full days: Saturday, Sunday, and Labor Day Monday. Don’t miss Rewound Radio’s Labor Day weekend tribute to WOR-FM!

I wanted to give a shoutout to my friend Jeanne Andersen and her most excellent Twin Cities Music Highlights website. Jeanne covers the history of live music acts and venues in Minneapolis/St. Paul up to 1974. Special emphasis is given to her hometown of St. Louis Park, Minnesota.

Of particular interest to Drew’s Radio Site readers is her extensive section on Twin Cities radio stations and disc-jockeys. As you would expect, the powerhouse stations are included here: KDWB-AM 630 and FM-101.3, WCCO-AM 830 and FM-102.9, WDGY-AM 1130, KSTP-AM 1500 and FM-94.5. As you might not expect, history of the market’s smaller stations are also provided. Even long-defunct operations like KDAN-AM 1370 and WJSW-AM 1010 are covered here.

If you ever wondered what happened to the Request Radio format on KRSI or Polka Power on WMIN, this is the place to find out! Lots of rare photos and original newspaper ads are also included. Check out Jeanne’s site when you have a chance.

What are you listening to this 4th of July Weekend? If you’re surfing the streams (the modern day equivalent of “scanning the dial”), don’t forget about the Dan Ingram Electric Radio Theater on Allen Sniffen’s Rewound Radio.

Dan is probably the greatest DJ that I never got to hear live. Because I grew up in Minneapolis, there was no way I could hear WABC-AM 770 during the afternoon hours. By the time it got dark enough at my location, it was already after 6PM New York City time and Dan’s show was over. Needless to say, it’s great to be able to hear him all these years later on Rewound Radio.

Besides WABC, Dan’s years on WCBS-FM 101.1 are also featured here. These are not scoped airchecks. All of the original music and commercials are included. You will hear Dan Ingram’s shows just as they originally aired. In cases where the source audio is an aircheck that had originally been scoped down, Allen has added the music back in. No doubt, this took a lot of time to do correctly. Definitely a labor of love, much appreciated by us radio geeks!

Whatever you’re doing this July 4th weekend, make sure you give a listen to this annual broadcasting extravaganza. The Dan Ingram Electric Radio Theater, airing Thursday, July 4th through Sunday, July 7, 2019 on Allen Sniffen’s Rewound Radio.

Back in the day, if you had a cabin in central or northern Minnesota, KCMT and KNMT were what you watched. Before the advent of satellite TV, you could receive just one channel. Actually, if you happened to be located between the two transmitters, you could receive two channels, but both aired identical programming. Channel 7 and/or Channel 12 was what you watched. Hence, the name “7/12 Television.”

KCMT Channel 7 was licensed to Alexandria with transmitter near Westport. KNMT Channel 12 was licensed to Walker with transmitter near Hackensack. Originally NBC affiliates, they switched to CBS in 1982. Five years later, WCCO-TV in Minneapolis purchased the stations, changing the call letters to KCCO (7) and KCCW (12.) In 2002, both stations ceased local programming to become 100% rebroadcasters of WCCO. This was the beginning of the end of 7/12 Television. Here is their final local newscast:

KCCO fell silent in 2017. On April 18, 2019, the 1,000 foot transmission tower and 138 foot antenna were taken down by Controlled Demolition, Inc. It was truly the end of an era. Strangely enough, KCCW Channel 12 (originally a satellite of KCMT) continues to serve northern Minnesota as a satellite rebroadcaster of WCCO.

I should mention that KCMT also had an FM station. KCMT-FM 100.7’s transmitter was co-located on the same tall tower. It was a full Class C with 100,000 watts of effective radiated power. Before the FM band became junked up with drop-in stations and translators, you could carry KCMT-FM on a car radio from the northwest Twin Cities suburbs to Fargo! Today, this station is KIKV, owned by Hubbard Broadcasting and transmitting from the KSAX-TV 42 tower which Hubbard also owns. At 876 feet above average terrain, the signal contour is not quite as large as it was previously. Furthermore, fringe coverage is limited by KLDQ-FM 100.7 north of Fargo, the KUOM 100.7 FM translator in Minneapolis, and the KPRM 100.5 FM translator at Park Rapids. Still, KIKV provides an impressive signal across most of central Minnesota.

Farewell, Channel 7. Thank you for being our “TV lifeline” to all of us at the cabin or when we were camping in the area. Even though we now have over 200 channels on our portable satellite dish, it’s just not the same. I’ll always miss watching “Adam 12”, “Jeopardy”, “Sanford and Son”, and the 7/12 News on my 9″ Wards Airline black & white portable.

1. If you know who did his show “stone blind and out of my mind”, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.

2. If you knew “The Catman” before he became one of the premier morning and voice talents in the nation, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.

3. If you were aware that “The Catman” was NOT a black man, but rather, a young white dude from North Minneapolis, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.

4. If you remember 93X from when the place was owned by Entercom, not ABC>Disney>Citadel>Cumulus, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.

5. If you know who “THE CHUCKER” is, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.

6. If you still tell stories about how WDGY used to cause the lights on a Bloomington baseball field to flicker in time to the music, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.

7. If you remember when WDGY was on 1130 and their subsequent frequency (630) was owned by arch-rival KDWB, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.

8. If you have can name all the formats which have graced the 104.1 frequency over the years, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.

9. If you know what Ruth Koscielak is doing these days, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.

10. If you know why KUXL-AM 1570 had to sign off at local sunset, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.

11. If you can still hear the RF bleedthrough of WLOL-AM 1330 underneath John Hines and Bob Berglund, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.

12. If you’re aware that the Stereo 101 audio was sent from the Woodbury studios to the transmitter on the IDS via telephone lines, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.

13. If you know what the Shoreview Combiner Project is, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.

14. If you can recall the date, time, and place where “U100” was born, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.

15. If you “get” the inside joke where WYOO’s Rob Sherwood gives a Minnesota State Fair shoutout to Rick Kelleher shortly before the birth of U100, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.

16. If you ever listened through the static and co-channel interference to hear KDAN and/or WJSW, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.

17. If you knew who “Boogie Dave” was in 1975 and why he later became famous, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.

18. If you used to switch back and forth between Bobby Wilde and Alan Kabel, trying to aircheck both of them, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.

19. If you still own a “U100 Grabs Me” T-shirt or a KDWB “The Rock and Roll Bich” patch, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.

20. If you realize that KTCR-FM 97.1 played country on FM long before K102 coined the phrase “The FM Country”, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.

21. If you can remember request line numbers from before the ‘989’ common exchange was allocated, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.

22. If you know which FM stations do NOT transmit from Shoreview and the reasons why, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.

23. If you recall which station Rod Trongard worked for before coming to KSTP-AM, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.

24. If you remember the station which branded it’s midday show as “Wifeline” and it’s evening program as “Nightline”, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.

25. If you can name the TWO stations which shared ONE AM frequency for many years, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.

26. If you knew from the beginning that Ma Linger, Morgan Mundane, and Backlash LaRue were not real people, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.

27. If you have fond memories of the times and situations described in this article, you may have worked in Twin Cities radio.