WIIL
Encyclopedia
WIIL is a radio station in Kenosha, Wisconsin
that plays Active Rock
music and serves Kenosha, Racine, and Milwaukee Counties in Wisconsin, and northern suburbs of Chicago
. The call letters stand for Wisconsin
and Illinois
, as Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin
, the station's transmitter location, is located on the border of the two states. WIIL is owned and operated by NextMedia
and operates at 50,000 watts of power.
In April 2010 the station received FCC approval to change their city of license
from Kenosha to the Racine County community of Union Grove
. This is to allow NextMedia to meet ownership caps with their Chicago cluster, as Kenosha is classified in that radio market by Arbitron
; moving the city of license to Racine County allows NextMedia to continue their ownership of the radio station by placing it in the Milwaukee Arbitron market instead. However the transmitter and studio facilities will remain unchanged in the Kenosha area.
1050 AM. The station eventually separated from a simulcast and began running its own music programming from 6 a.m. to midnight. The station offered a beautiful music
format but in the mid-1970s, it began playing progressive
-unto-AOR format in the evenings, and was known as "Rock 95 LIP-FM". By the late 1970s, the station had converted to an all album oriented rock format and changed its call letters to WJZQ. In the early 1980s, "Rock 95" morphed into a top 40 format. In 1990 it became dance
CHR
as "95 WJZQ" later "Power 95" and gradually returned to mainstream top 40 by 1991-1992. The transition to "Power 95" was marked by playing a continuous loop of Snap's "The Power
" for 24 hours without interruption or explanation. In September 1992 it became 95 WIIL ROCK with a classic rock
format. For a short period in the summer of 2003 or 2004 WIIL was renamed "95-1 THE Rock Station" but returned to WIIL Rock not long after. In 2004 it took a more active rock
direction, while continuing a mainstream rock
format. In November 2009, the station shifted to a full active rock format.
created and produced by Lakeside Productions, Inc, and sponsored by WIIL and held in the month of August
in 2007 and 2008, both times at the Lake County
Fairgrounds in Grayslake, Illinois
. The all day festival featured two stages and multiple bands.
, Shinedown
, Crossfade
, and PreZence.
, Filter
, Alter Bridge
and Black Stone Cherry
as headliners, with 12 Stones
performing on a second stage.
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Kenosha is a city and the county seat of Kenosha County in the State of Wisconsin in United States. With a population of 99,218 as of May 2011, Kenosha is the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Kenosha is also the fourth-largest city on the western shore of Lake Michigan, following Chicago,...
that plays Active Rock
Active rock
Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock plays contemporary rock artists with a mix of songs common in the classic rock radio format.-Format background:...
music and serves Kenosha, Racine, and Milwaukee Counties in Wisconsin, and northern suburbs of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. The call letters stand for Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, as Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin
Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin
Pleasant Prairie is a village in Kenosha County, Wisconsin located between Milwaukee and Chicago. The population was 16,136 at the 2000 census. The neighborhoods of Carol Beach, Dexter's Corner, Ranney, and Tobin are located within the village.-Geography:...
, the station's transmitter location, is located on the border of the two states. WIIL is owned and operated by NextMedia
NextMedia Group
NextMedia Group is an out-of-home media company headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado. NextMedia owns and operates 33 AM and FM stations , 5,700 outdoor advertising display across several regions and markets , as well as an interactive division ....
and operates at 50,000 watts of power.
In April 2010 the station received FCC approval to change their city of license
City of license
A city of license or community of license, in American and Canadian broadcasting, is the community that a radio station or television station is officially licensed to serve by that country's broadcast regulator....
from Kenosha to the Racine County community of Union Grove
Union Grove, Wisconsin
Union Grove is a village in Racine County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,322 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Union Grove is located at ....
. This is to allow NextMedia to meet ownership caps with their Chicago cluster, as Kenosha is classified in that radio market by Arbitron
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
; moving the city of license to Racine County allows NextMedia to continue their ownership of the radio station by placing it in the Milwaukee Arbitron market instead. However the transmitter and studio facilities will remain unchanged in the Kenosha area.
History
WIIL began in 1961 as WLIP-FM, a simulcast of its parent sister station WLIPWLIP
WLIP is a radio station located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S. serving the Chicago-Milwaukee metropolitan region along the west shore of Lake Michigan with 250 watts effective radiated power, and also streams worldwide at www.wlip.com...
1050 AM. The station eventually separated from a simulcast and began running its own music programming from 6 a.m. to midnight. The station offered a beautiful music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
format but in the mid-1970s, it began playing progressive
Progressive rock (radio format)
Progressive rock is a radio station programming format that prospered in the late 1960s and 1970s, in which the disc jockeys are given wide latitude in what they may play, similar to the freeform format but with the proviso that some kind of rock music is almost always what is played...
-unto-AOR format in the evenings, and was known as "Rock 95 LIP-FM". By the late 1970s, the station had converted to an all album oriented rock format and changed its call letters to WJZQ. In the early 1980s, "Rock 95" morphed into a top 40 format. In 1990 it became dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
CHR
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
as "95 WJZQ" later "Power 95" and gradually returned to mainstream top 40 by 1991-1992. The transition to "Power 95" was marked by playing a continuous loop of Snap's "The Power
The Power (Snap! song)
"The Power" is an electronic pop hit song by the German music group Snap! from their album World Power. It was released as a single in 1990 and reached No. 1 in the Netherlands, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, as well as the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play and Hot Rap charts...
" for 24 hours without interruption or explanation. In September 1992 it became 95 WIIL ROCK with a classic rock
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...
format. For a short period in the summer of 2003 or 2004 WIIL was renamed "95-1 THE Rock Station" but returned to WIIL Rock not long after. In 2004 it took a more active rock
Active rock
Active rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations across the United States and Canada. Active rock plays contemporary rock artists with a mix of songs common in the classic rock radio format.-Format background:...
direction, while continuing a mainstream rock
Mainstream rock
Mainstream rock is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.-Format background:...
format. In November 2009, the station shifted to a full active rock format.
On Air Personalities
- Steve Salzman - Overnights
- Tom Kief & Lisa Tyler - Mornings
- John Perry - Middays
- Marija - Afternoons
- Stu James (On Crack Stu) - Evenings
AugustFest
AugustFest was an annual music festivalMusic festival
A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. They are commonly held outdoors, and are often inclusive of other attractions such as food and merchandise vending machines,...
created and produced by Lakeside Productions, Inc, and sponsored by WIIL and held in the month of August
August
August is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with a length of 31 days.This month was originally named Sextilis in Latin, because it was the sixth month in the original ten-month Roman calendar under Romulus in 753 BC, when March was the first...
in 2007 and 2008, both times at the Lake County
Lake County, Illinois
Lake County is a county in the northeastern corner of the state of Illinois, on the shore of Lake Michigan. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 703,462, which is an increase of 9.2% from 644,356 in 2000. Its county seat is Waukegan. The county is part of the Chicago metropolitan area...
Fairgrounds in Grayslake, Illinois
Grayslake, Illinois
Grayslake is a village in Lake County in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is located in the Chicago metropolitan area, about north of Chicago’s downtown, west of Lake Michigan, and south of the Wisconsin border....
. The all day festival featured two stages and multiple bands.
2007
The 2007 AugustFest was held on August 25 and featured performances from Chevelle, SalivaSaliva (band)
Saliva is an American rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in September 1996 and currently under Island Records. Saliva released their self-titled debut album on August 26, 1997, under Rocking Chair Records....
, Shinedown
Shinedown
Shinedown is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida, formed in 2001 and founded by members Brent Smith , Brad Stewart , Jasin Todd , and Barry Kerch . A few line-up changes followed, and the band's current line-up consists of Smith and Kerch, the band's only two remaining original...
, Crossfade
Crossfade (band)
-Studio albums:-Singles:...
, and PreZence.
2008
The 2008 AugustFest took place on August 9. This iteration featured performances from Shinedown, P.O.D.P.O.D.
Payable on Death is an American Christian metal band formed in 1992. The band's line-up consists of vocalist Sonny Sandoval, drummer Wuv Bernardo, guitarist Marcos Curiel, and bassist Traa Daniels. Their Christian faith is an important part of their music.They have released seven studio albums and...
, Filter
Filter (band)
Filter is a rock group formed in 1993 in Cleveland by singer Richard Patrick and guitarist/programmer Brian Liesegang. Filter has released five studio albums, the most recent being The Trouble with Angels, which was released on August 17, 2010....
, Alter Bridge
Alter Bridge
Alter Bridge is an American rock band that was formed in 2004 in Orlando, Florida by lead guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall, and drummer Scott Phillips, who are all also members of Creed. Lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Myles Kennedy, formerly of The Mayfield Four and the frontman...
and Black Stone Cherry
Black Stone Cherry
Black Stone Cherry is an American rock band formed in 2001 in Edmonton, Kentucky. They are signed to Roadrunner Records. The band consists of Chris Robertson , Ben Wells , Jon Lawhon , and John Fred Young...
as headliners, with 12 Stones
12 Stones
12 Stones is a rock band that was formed in 2000 in Mandeville, Louisiana. They have collectively sold more than 2 million records.-History:The four band members met in Mandeville, Louisiana, a small suburb north of New Orleans, and within 15 months were signed to a record deal with Wind-up Records...
performing on a second stage.