WGKC
Encyclopedia
WGKC is a heritage Classic rock
radio station
licensed to Mahomet, Illinois
and broadcasting in the Champaign-Urbana, Illinois radio market. The station is owned by RadioStar, Inc. and features Bob and Tom in the morning and Nights with Alice Cooper
.
, grandson of former presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson II, in 1990. WHZT was later owned and operated by Odyssey Communications, Inc. Oddyssey ran the syndicated Z-Rock format. Z-Rock was known as the station in Champaign-Urbana with the hearse.
Odyssey Communications sold WHZT in 1996 to Liberty Radio II, Inc. The new owners dropped the Z-Rock format and the WHZT call letters. On November 15, 1996 WHZT became Classic Rock 105.9 WGKC. The station gained its name from WCKG
in Chicago, which was a classic rock station at the time. The first song played on WGKC was "Start Me Up
" by The Rolling Stones
.
WGKC was mostly jockless minus a live and local morning show hosted by Dennis Miller (not the comedian). In 1999, Liberty Radio moved syndicated morning duo Bob and Tom from sister station, WZNF
"Rock 95-3", to WGKC.
In March 2000 Liberty Radio II, Inc. sold WGKC along with sister stations WQQB
, WZNF
, and WEBX to AAA Entertainment, LLC. The stations were subsequently purchased by one of the principals of Liberty Radio II, Jim Glassman under his new company (RadioStar, Inc.) in 2006.
On May 21, 2010 it was announced that RadioStar, Inc. was in the process of selling WGKC to SJ Broadcasting LLC. SJ Broadcasting is operated by Steve "Stevie Jay" Khachaturian and Clint Atkins. SJ Broadcasting LLC will be operating WGKC and its affiliated stations, WQQB
, WEBX, and WLFH
under a local marketing agreement
until the sale is approved by the FCC.
Classic rock
Classic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
licensed to Mahomet, Illinois
Mahomet, Illinois
Mahomet is a village in Champaign County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,258 at the 2010 census. Mahomet is located approximately ten miles west of Champaign at the junction of Interstate 74 and IL 47.-Geography:...
and broadcasting in the Champaign-Urbana, Illinois radio market. The station is owned by RadioStar, Inc. and features Bob and Tom in the morning and Nights with Alice Cooper
Nights with Alice Cooper
Nights with Alice Cooper is a radio show hosted by rock and roll artist and shock rock pioneer Alice Cooper. It is syndicated by United Stations Radio Networks and broadcast on over 100 radio stations in the US, seven in Canada, and is also available in the UK , Germany , Ireland, Australia ,...
.
History
WGKC was originally WHZT and was started by Adlai Stevenson IVAdlai Stevenson IV
Adlai Ewing Stevenson IV is a business executive and a former television and print journalist.Stevenson was a television reporter at WTNH, New Haven, WMBD, Peoria, and WMAQ, Chicago and media analyst for a newspaper chain....
, grandson of former presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson II, in 1990. WHZT was later owned and operated by Odyssey Communications, Inc. Oddyssey ran the syndicated Z-Rock format. Z-Rock was known as the station in Champaign-Urbana with the hearse.
Odyssey Communications sold WHZT in 1996 to Liberty Radio II, Inc. The new owners dropped the Z-Rock format and the WHZT call letters. On November 15, 1996 WHZT became Classic Rock 105.9 WGKC. The station gained its name from WCKG
WCKG
WCFS-FM , known on-air as "WBBM Newsradio 780 & 105.9", is a radio station licensed to Elmwood Park, Illinois and serving the Chicago, Illinois market...
in Chicago, which was a classic rock station at the time. The first song played on WGKC was "Start Me Up
Start Me Up
"Start Me Up" is a song by The Rolling Stones featured on the 1981 album Tattoo You. Released as the album's lead single, it reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #7 on the UK Singles Chart.-Writing and recording:...
" by The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
.
WGKC was mostly jockless minus a live and local morning show hosted by Dennis Miller (not the comedian). In 1999, Liberty Radio moved syndicated morning duo Bob and Tom from sister station, WZNF
WZNF
WZNF , is a classic rock formatted radio station based in Gulfport–Biloxi-Lumberton, Mississippi. The station is owned by Coast Radio Group, Inc, and they broadcast with an effective radiated power of 100 kW.-History:...
"Rock 95-3", to WGKC.
In March 2000 Liberty Radio II, Inc. sold WGKC along with sister stations WQQB
WQQB
WQQB is a mainstream CHR radio station broadcasting in the Champaign/Urbana, Illinois, radio market. The station is a class A licensed station transmitting from Rantoul, Illinois, at 3,800 watts and is owned by RadioStar, Inc....
, WZNF
WZNF
WZNF , is a classic rock formatted radio station based in Gulfport–Biloxi-Lumberton, Mississippi. The station is owned by Coast Radio Group, Inc, and they broadcast with an effective radiated power of 100 kW.-History:...
, and WEBX to AAA Entertainment, LLC. The stations were subsequently purchased by one of the principals of Liberty Radio II, Jim Glassman under his new company (RadioStar, Inc.) in 2006.
On May 21, 2010 it was announced that RadioStar, Inc. was in the process of selling WGKC to SJ Broadcasting LLC. SJ Broadcasting is operated by Steve "Stevie Jay" Khachaturian and Clint Atkins. SJ Broadcasting LLC will be operating WGKC and its affiliated stations, WQQB
WQQB
WQQB is a mainstream CHR radio station broadcasting in the Champaign/Urbana, Illinois, radio market. The station is a class A licensed station transmitting from Rantoul, Illinois, at 3,800 watts and is owned by RadioStar, Inc....
, WEBX, and WLFH
WLFH
WJEK is a radio station broadcasting a talk radio format. Licensed to Rantoul, Illinois, USA, the station serves the Champaign area. The station is currently owned by Radiostar, Inc..-History:The station went on the air as WRTL-FM on 1979-07-30...
under a local marketing agreement
Local marketing agreement
In U.S. and Canadian broadcasting, a local marketing agreement is an agreement in which one company agrees to operate a radio or television station owned by another licensee...
until the sale is approved by the FCC.
On-Air Lineup
| On-Air Personality | Time Slot |
|---|---|
| Bob and Tom | 5:00 AM – 9:00 AM |
| Rob Stone | 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM |
| Ken Cunningham | 2:00 PM – 7:00 PM |
| Nights with Alice Cooper Nights with Alice Cooper Nights with Alice Cooper is a radio show hosted by rock and roll artist and shock rock pioneer Alice Cooper. It is syndicated by United Stations Radio Networks and broadcast on over 100 radio stations in the US, seven in Canada, and is also available in the UK , Germany , Ireland, Australia ,... |
7:00 PM - midnight |
| House of Hair House of Hair The House of Hair is a nationally syndicated radio program, airing weekly in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Dee Snider, Twisted Sister frontman, serves as the show's host. The House of Hair features heavy metal, glam metal and hard rock, mostly from the 1980s and early 90s, though... with Dee Snider Dee Snider Daniel "Dee" Snider is an American singer-songwriter, screenwriter, radio personality, and actor. Snider is most famous for his role as the frontman of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister... |
9:00 PM - MIDNIGHT Saturday |
| The Deep End with Nick Michaels The Deep End with Nick Michaels The Deep End with Nick Michaels is a four-hour long radio show hosted by voice talent Nick Michaels that premiered in 2005. Its goal is to play music of the 1960s to the 1980s which has not been heard by the current younger generation... |
7:00 AM – 11:00 AM Sunday |
| Carol Miller's Get The Led Out | 11:00 AM - NOON Sunday |
| Flashback | 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM Sunday |
| Little Steven's Underground Garage | 9:00 PM – 11:00 PM Sunday |