Here’s a quick snapshot of Fargo/Moorhead radio as it sounded in the summer of 1983. My grandparents purchased their first AM/FM radio in the early 1980s. Not because they needed or wanted FM, but because that’s what was available. They noticed the “FM” and asked what it was for. The salesperson said “I don’t know. I think it’s Fargo-Moorhead!” True story.
This tape was recorded in two different locations at two different times: June, 1983 from my family’s cabin northeast of Park Rapids, Minnesota and July, 1983 from my grandparents’ house in Michigan, North Dakota. Even though FM was starting to take hold, AM radio was still very much alive in this market. All of the AM stations are included, but Y-94 is the lone FM. The reason is because WDAY was the only Fargo-Moorhead FM that was strong enough to be received from either of my locations. For many years, WDAY-FM transmitted from the WDAY-TV tower near Amenia which gave it a huge coverage area. To receive Y-94 from the cabin, I climbed up on the roof and turned our Archer V-185 TV antenna around so that it pointed towards Fargo. It worked pretty well, as you will hear. The antenna was connected to my trusty Pioneer AM-FM-cassette stereo boombox (one of the few boomboxes with provisions for an external FM antenna connection) and TDK-D90 tape.
In order of appearance, you will hear WDAY-AM, KVOX-AM, KQWB-AM, KFGO, KFNW-AM, and WDAY-FM. If you can name the jocks heard here, please let me know. Thanks!