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WIRL (AM)
Encyclopedia
WIRL is a radio station
broadcasting a classic country
music format. Licensed to Peoria, Illinois
, USA, the station serves the Bloomington and Peoria areas and broadcasts in AM stereo
. The station is currently owned by Monterey Licenses, LLC which is known locally as JMP Radio.
baseball and University of Illinois football and basketball. Chicago Bears
coverage, formerly heard on 1290, is now heard on sister station "Max FM" at 102.3 FM.
1020 AM. Popular disc jockeys were Robyn Weaver, Lee Ranson, Bill McCluggage, Lee Malcolm, Wayne R. Miller, Howard Taylor, Pete Stewart, and Mark Wainwright. For many years WIRL broadcast Bradley University
basketball games with Mort Cantor as the play by play man.
In the late 1970s, FM station WKZW 93.3 (now WPBG
) began programming a Top 40 format and siphoned away many listeners from WIRL. WIRL then evolved into a full service personality and adult contemporary station. Personalities included Lee Malcolm, Gene Konrad, Kurt Schaeffer, Denise Henley, Steve Larson and Darryl Parks. The adult contemporary format lasted until the early 1990s; the station also programmed oldies, standards, and sports talk. In November 2000, the station changed to all-sports "Fox Sports 1290" with the callsign WWFS. The station returned to the WIRL call sign when it adopted the classic country
format in March 2005. A station from New York now uses the callsign "WWFS".
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...
broadcasting a classic country
Classic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country hits from past decades.This genre generally follows one of two formats: those specializing in hits from the 1920s through the early 1970s, and focus primarily on innovators and artists from country music's Golden...
music format. Licensed to Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
, USA, the station serves the Bloomington and Peoria areas and broadcasts in AM stereo
AM stereo
AM stereo is a term given to a series of mutually incompatible techniques for wireless radio broadcasting stereo audio in the AM band in a manner that is compatible with standard AM receivers...
. The station is currently owned by Monterey Licenses, LLC which is known locally as JMP Radio.
Current Programming
WIRL features local air personalities Courtney Lynne in the morning and Mike Sabol in the afternoon. The station has a noon farm and agri-business show weekdays. The station features ABC network news on the hour and carries Chicago CubsChicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
baseball and University of Illinois football and basketball. Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
coverage, formerly heard on 1290, is now heard on sister station "Max FM" at 102.3 FM.
History
WIRL was most famous as a Top 40 radio station from 1960 until approximately 1984. WIRL was successful immediately as a Top 40 station, as the only competition was daytime-only WPEOWPEO
WPEO is a daytime-only AM radio station licensed for Peoria, Illinois. One of the oldest stations in Peoria, it was once a top 40 radio station before switching to Christian radio...
1020 AM. Popular disc jockeys were Robyn Weaver, Lee Ranson, Bill McCluggage, Lee Malcolm, Wayne R. Miller, Howard Taylor, Pete Stewart, and Mark Wainwright. For many years WIRL broadcast Bradley University
Bradley University
Bradley University, founded in 1897, is a private, co-educational university located in Peoria, Illinois. It is a small institution with an enrollment of approximately 6,100 undergraduate and postgraduate students and a full-time faculty of approximately 350....
basketball games with Mort Cantor as the play by play man.
In the late 1970s, FM station WKZW 93.3 (now WPBG
WPBG
WPBG is an FM broadcasting station with a Classic Hits format. Licensed for Peoria, Illinois, USA, the station serves the Bloomington, Peoria, LaSalle-Peru area...
) began programming a Top 40 format and siphoned away many listeners from WIRL. WIRL then evolved into a full service personality and adult contemporary station. Personalities included Lee Malcolm, Gene Konrad, Kurt Schaeffer, Denise Henley, Steve Larson and Darryl Parks. The adult contemporary format lasted until the early 1990s; the station also programmed oldies, standards, and sports talk. In November 2000, the station changed to all-sports "Fox Sports 1290" with the callsign WWFS. The station returned to the WIRL call sign when it adopted the classic country
Classic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country hits from past decades.This genre generally follows one of two formats: those specializing in hits from the 1920s through the early 1970s, and focus primarily on innovators and artists from country music's Golden...
format in March 2005. A station from New York now uses the callsign "WWFS".
External links
- The Big 1290 — tribute site with pictures and soundclip archives