1971 in radio
Encyclopedia
The year 1971 in radio involved some significant events.
Undated
Events
- 2 January: A ban on radio and television cigaretteCigaretteA cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
advertisements goes into effect in the United States. - 14 February: All of ABC Radio's FM stations change call letters, all on the same day:
- WABC-FM in New York becomes WPLJWPLJWPLJ is a radio station in New York City owned by the broadcasting division of Cumulus Media. WPLJ shares studio facilities with sister station WABC inside 2 Penn Plaza in midtown Manhattan, and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building. The station currently plays a Hot Adult...
, for White Port & Lemon Juice. - KABC-FM in Los Angeles becomes KLOSKLOSKLOS is an FM rock music radio station based in Los Angeles, California, that debuted in 1969. The station is owned by Cumulus Media. It is home to the nationally broadcast Mark & Brian radio show, and Off The Record host Uncle Joe Benson.-History:...
, for Los Angeles. - KGO-FM in San Francisco becomes KSFX, for San Francisco (now KKSFKKSFKKSF, known as "Oldies 103.7", is a classic hits radio station in San Francisco, California. The station is owned and operated by Clear Channel Communications.-History:...
). - KQV-FM in Pittsburgh becomes WDVEWDVEWDVE is a mainstream rock music formatted radio station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA at 102.5 MHz. It is often referred to by Pittsburghers as simply "DVE." WDVE's transmitter is located on Pittsburgh's North Side...
, for a D o V E, the symbol of peace. - WXYZ-FM in Detroit becomes WRIFWRIFWRIF — branded 101 WRIF: The RIFF — is a commercial active rock radio station licensed by the FCC to operate in Detroit, Michigan serving surrounding Metro Detroit. The station is currently owned by Greater Boston Radio, Inc. WRIF is a grandfathered Class B station with a signal equivalent to...
, for a guitar "R I F F" (legend goes that the calls were meant for WLS-FM to symbolize the cities' jazz scene). - WLS-FM in Chicago becomes WDAI (supposedly meant for WXYZ-FM to celebrate the Detroit Auto Industry; it had no meaning in Chicago).
- KXYZ-FM in Houston becomes KAUM (today KHMX), meaning unknown.
- WABC-FM in New York becomes WPLJ
- 20 February: The U.S. Emergency Broadcast SystemEmergency Broadcast SystemThe Emergency Broadcast System was an emergency warning system in the United States, used from 1963 to 1997, when it was replaced by the Emergency Alert System.-Purpose:...
sends an erroneous warning; many radio stations just ignore it, while WOWOWOWOLocated in Fort Wayne, Indiana, WOWO is an independent news/talk radio station transmitting on 1190 kHz at 50,000 watts during the daylight hours and 9,800 watts during the nighttime hours. An application is on file with the Federal Communications Commission to add a fourth tower to the three...
in Fort Wayne takes it seriously and interrupts programming for 20 minutes. - December: WNBC (AM)WNBC (AM)WNBC was a radio station that operated in New York City from 1922 to 1988. For most of its history, it was the flagship station of the NBC Radio Network...
in New York lures Don ImusDon ImusJohn Donald "Don" Imus, Jr. is an American radio host, humorist, philanthropist and writer. His nationally-syndicated talk show, Imus in the Morning, is broadcast throughout the United States by Citadel Media and relayed on television by the Fox Business Network.-Personal life:Imus was born in...
and his Imus in the MorningImus in the MorningImus in the Morning is an American radio show hosted by Don Imus on Cumulus Media Networks , and simulcast for television on Fox Business Network....
program away from WGAR (AM) in Cleveland (now WHKWWHKWWHKW is an AM radio station in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, operating on 1220 kHz. The station is owned by Salem Communications and carries religious programming from the company's radio network. The bulk of WHKW's programming is simulcast on WHKZ in Warren, Ohio.The 1220 frequency in Cleveland was the...
); WGAR replaces him with fellow shock jock John Lanigan.
Undated
- WLOL-FM and KSJNKSJNKSJN is the flagship station of Minnesota Public Radio's classical music network, serving the Twin Cities region. Prior to 1991, 99.5 was known as WLOL, best known as a top-rated CHR station during the 1980s.-KSJN intellectual unit:...
, both in Minneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis, MinnesotaMinneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, participate in "quadcast" (quadraphonicQuadraphonicQuadraphonic sound – the most widely used early term for what is now called 4.0 surround sound – uses four channels in which speakers are positioned at the four corners of the listening space, reproducing signals that are independent of one another...
) experiments.
Debuts
- May 3 - All Things ConsideredAll Things ConsideredAll Things Considered is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio. It was the first news program on NPR, and is broadcast live worldwide through several outlets...
, NPRNPRNPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
's flagship news program, broadcasts for the first time. - Bill BallanceBill BallanceWillis "Bill" Ballance , was an American radio talk show host.Ballance studied journalism at the University of Illinois before serving in the United States Marines. He had radio station stints in Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Honolulu and San Diego. Ballance was the evening personality late...
begins hosting the Feminine Forum radio show on KGBSKTNQKTNQ is a radio station licensed to Los Angeles, California, with a Spanish News/Talk format. It is owned by Univision. on June 13, 1925 until 1955 it was called . From August 1, 1955 until 1960 it was called KPOP. From June 29, 1960 until 1976, it was called KGBS...
in Los AnglelesLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
Births
- April 16 - High Pitch Eric, member of the Wack Pack from radio's The Howard Stern Show
- May 20 - Chris BookerChris BookerChris Booker is an American radio and TV personality.-Career:Chris Booker is a TV/radio personality. He has worked as a correspondent for TV Guide Channel covering red carpet events such as "Live at the Grammys with Joan and Melissa Rivers," and "Live at the Kids Choice Awards." He also served as...
, American radio and television personality. - May - Frank BrinsleyFrank BrinsleyFrank Brinsley is a self-proclaimed small market “shock jock”.As the son of a preacher, his family moved a lot for his father’s work. Brinsley spent time in places like Colorado Springs, Cincinnati, and the small town of Ashland, Kentucky in northeastern Kentucky. The latter is where he spent most...
, host of The Frank ShowThe Frank ShowThe Frank Show pronounced is a morning talk radio show that originates from KLPX in Tucson, Arizona. The show broadcasts mornings from 6 AM to 10 AM Mountain Standard Time time on Classic rock station 96.1 KLPX in the Tucson area, which is owned by Lotus Communications... - June 23 - Alan Cox, American comedian and radio personality, currently on WMMSWMMSWMMS — branded 100.7 WMMS: The Buzzard — is a commercial radio station licensed to Cleveland, Ohio, widely recognized as one of the most influential rock stations in America throughout much of the history of FM broadcasting...
in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, OhioCleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border... - July 21 - Nuno MarklNuno MarklNuno Frederico Correia da Silva Lobato Markl is a Portuguese comedian, writer, radio host, television host and screenwriter. He was born in Lisbon.-Radio:...
, PortuguesePortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
comedian and radio host - August 23 - Hugh Douglas, former NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
player, regular personality on Philadelphia sports radioSports radioSports radio is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A popular format with an almost exclusively male demographic in most areas, sports radio is characterized by an often-boisterous on-air style and extensive debate and analysis by both hosts and...
station WIP-AMWIP-AMWIP is a Philadelphia radio station with an all-sports format. Located at 610 AM, the station adopted its current all-sports format in 1986, making it the first all-sports radio station in the United States... - October 13 - Billy Bush (born ) radio personality, co-host of TV show Access HollywoodAccess HollywoodAccess Hollywood is a weekday television entertainment news program covering events and celebrities in the entertainment industry. It was created by former Entertainment Tonight executive producer Jim Van Messel, and is currently directed by Robert Silverstein. In previous years, Doug Dougherty and...
, first cousin of George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000.... - December 17 - Alan KhanAlan KhanAlan Khan , is a media & radio personality in South Africa. Alan is currently the Senior Director of Corporate Affairs at the Durban University of Technology in Durban, South Africa. He is a former Chief Executive Officer of Jacaranda 94.2 and Jacaranda RMFM...
, South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n radio DJ