Not only did I spend a lot of time talking on the CB radio as a kid, I also spent a lot of time (and money) tape recording the antics of myself and others who happened to be on the channel. Whereas most normal people would have erased and/or discarded these cassettes years ago, I… Read More »
50 years ago today, the greatest radio station in Twin Cities history was born. 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… Read More »
It’s that time of year again! The 2023 high school football season has begun. Friday night lights, cheerleaders, popcorn, and, all too often, AM radio stations that stay on their daytime power/directional pattern in order to broadcast the games. I call these “football emergencies.” Many AM stations which are required to drastically reduce power and/or… Read More »
If you’re in the Upper Midwest, you’re no doubt familiar with Holiday Stationstores. If you’re over the age of 50 and grew up in Minnesota, you will also remember Holiday Village. Long before Walmart or even Kmart, Holiday Village was Minnesota’s original superstore! If Holiday didn’t sell it, you didn’t need it. One of the… Read More »
Coronavirus. COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2. Whatever you choose to call it, this pandemic has dramatically transformed life as we know it. Businesses are closed. People are being ordered to remain in their homes. Entire industries have been destroyed, seemingly overnight. Radio is not immune. In fact, radio may prove to be one of COVID-19’s biggest casualties. Terrestrial… Read More »
Rush Limbaugh just announced on his radio show that he has been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. He told his listeners that he hopes to be back on Thursday, February 6th, but would likely be absent on some days due to ongoing treatments. As Rush finished his Monday show, he said “Every day I’m not… Read More »
My friend Jon Ellis reports on Northpine this morning that Saga Communications’ KMYR has changed call letters to KOEZ. This corresponds with a positioning change from “More 104.1” to “104.1 EZ FM.” Ironically enough, this brings 104.1 back to the 1980s when they were KEZT “EZ104”, playing a Beautiful Music format, aka “A Softer Place… Read More »
I’ll bet you didn’t know October 4th was a national holiday! It is, thanks to former President of the United States Jimmy Carter. On October 2, 1978, President Carter proclaimed this date to be forever known as “10-4 Day” by issuing the following statement: “This year marks the 20th anniversary of Citizens Band radio. CB… Read More »
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… Read More »
Let’s talk about PRIZE PIGS! Every station had ’em, but some were worse than others. May, 1991. I had just moved to Florida and needed a gig. Was hired to do 7-Midnight at a country station in Ocala. Nearly every week, I had a Saturday afternoon remote. The station’s “hook” in getting people to come… Read More »
As most of my regular readers know, I am a HUGE fan of the Classic Top 40 format. It’s what I grew up with, listening to radio as a kid in the 1970s and early 80s. The roots of this format trace back to the early 1990s when select stations began playing “The Greatest Hits… Read More »
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… Read More »
Drew’s Radio Site would like to wish a Happy 72nd Birthday to KXXX-AM 790 in Colby, Kansas. KXXX was the original radio station in northwest Kansas, signing on for the first time July 13, 1947. KXXX-FM 100.3 (later KQLS and then KRDQ) was added in 1970. Both stations are currently owned by Rocking M Media,… Read More »
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… Read More »
Did you grow up listening to American Top 40 with Casey Kasem? So did I! Each week, I’d listen to the entire countdown. I’d write down each song, it’s current chart position, and it’s change from last week’s chart position. A few years later, I began recording and archiving these shows. In the 1990s, I… Read More »
One of my radio friends contacted me yesterday. She had just been fired and needed advice as to what she should do next. Those of us who are seasoned vets know that being fired is just a regular part of the business. As one of my favorite PDs in Iowa told me, “You ain’t no… Read More »
On Wednesday, June 13, 1979, the Cars’ second album was released. “Candy-O” was my most eagerly awaited album of that summer. When “Just What I Needed” became popular a year earlier, I bought their first album. Actually, I bought the 8-track tape so that I could play it in Mom’s car as well as at… Read More »
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… Read More »
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… Read More »
If you’re a fan of progressive rock and “deep cuts”, you don’t want to miss The Goat’s A to Z presentation. Every year at this time, WXYG in Sauk Rapids, Minnesota plays their entire music library in alphabetical order. Sure, lots of stations do ‘A to Z’ specials. The difference is that The Goat has… Read More »