WRVF
Encyclopedia
WRVF is an American soft adult contemporary music formatted radio station
in Toledo, Ohio
, owned by Clear Channel Communications
. The station boasts a signal that covers most of northwestern Ohio and southeastern Michigan and can be heard well in parts of the Detroit area, as far east as Sandusky, Ohio
, westward almost to the Indiana state line, and almost as far south as Lima, Ohio
. The 101.5 frequency has featured some form of soft music format for decades, evolving from easy listening
into mainstream AC.
The River is locally well known, some might say infamous, for playing non-stop Christmas music
between mid-November through Christmas day, one of the first AC stations in the country to do so. This tradition began in 1995 (the year the station's calls changed from WLQR-FM), several years before the practice became commonplace for AC stations around North America. The morning show of WRVF featured Toledo radio legend Jack "Mitch" Mitchell until March 31, 2006.
WRVF's studios and offices are located at Superior and Lafayette in downtown Toledo. The station's transmitter is located at North Wynn Road at Cedar Point
Road in Oregon, Ohio
.
format using Drake-Chenault's "Hit Parade" package. In 1971 the station was sold to Susquehanna Broadcasting and became a beautiful music
station, known as "Stereo 101 - WLQR". It played half-hour music tapes mastered at Susquehanna's studios in York PA with local announcers Steve Kendall, Mike Stanley, Larry Weseman and Bill Stewart. The station retained this format until 1987 when it became "Soft Rock 101.5 WLQR"; by this time the station was again co-owned with WSPD.
A few years later the station began stunting by playing "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks
with a man with a southern voice
announcing that something new was coming to WLQR on Monday. The following Monday the station kept its soft AC format and became "101.5 The River", changing its call letters to WRVF. The WLQR
calls are now used on AM 1470 in Toledo (the former WOHO and WWWM-AM), and over 106.5 FM as of June 2009.
Since 2007, WRVF-FM has been broadcasting in IBOC "HD RADIO". The "HD1" programming is the digital version of its analog audio, while the "HD2" 'channel' broadcasts Clear Channel's nationwide "Premium Choice" Hot AC format, also streamed over iHeartRadio
as "Today's Mix." WRVF is also the (LP) Local Primary (EAS) Emergency Alert Station in Northwestern Ohio. The station broadcasts with an effective radiated power of 33,000 watts.
WRVF became the new home of the popular "Friday Night '80s" feature in May 2007 after crosstown competitor WWWM
(Star 105) dropped it in favor of Delilah
six nights a week. (Delilah has since been dropped from Star 105.5 in favor of Billy Bush, leaving Toledo without a Delilah affiliate.) However, from 7 p.m. to midnight on Friday nights, the show consists of John Tesh's show with '80s music played in place of the normal AC format. The River also airs the '80s version of Casey Kasem
's American Top 40
Saturday nights from 6 to 10 p.m.
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...
in Toledo, Ohio
Toledo, Ohio
Toledo is the fourth most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Lucas County. Toledo is in northwest Ohio, on the western end of Lake Erie, and borders the State of Michigan...
, owned by Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
. The station boasts a signal that covers most of northwestern Ohio and southeastern Michigan and can be heard well in parts of the Detroit area, as far east as Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....
, westward almost to the Indiana state line, and almost as far south as Lima, Ohio
Lima, Ohio
Lima is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Ohio, United States. The municipality is located in northwestern Ohio along Interstate 75 approximately north of Dayton and south-southwest of Toledo....
. The 101.5 frequency has featured some form of soft music format for decades, evolving from easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
into mainstream AC.
The River is locally well known, some might say infamous, for playing non-stop Christmas music
Christmas music
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...
between mid-November through Christmas day, one of the first AC stations in the country to do so. This tradition began in 1995 (the year the station's calls changed from WLQR-FM), several years before the practice became commonplace for AC stations around North America. The morning show of WRVF featured Toledo radio legend Jack "Mitch" Mitchell until March 31, 2006.
WRVF's studios and offices are located at Superior and Lafayette in downtown Toledo. The station's transmitter is located at North Wynn Road at Cedar Point
Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a 364 acre amusement park located in Sandusky, Ohio, United States on a narrow peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. Cedar Point is the only amusement park with four roller coasters that are taller than...
Road in Oregon, Ohio
Oregon, Ohio
Oregon is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States. It is a suburb of Toledo, located on Lake Erie, just east of the city. The population was 20,291 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Oregon is located at ....
.
History
What is now WRVF began as WSPD-FM, signing on the air on August 11, 1946. The station served as a partial simulcast of WSPD-AM until the late 1960s when the station adopted a MORMiddle of the road
Middle of the road music is a commercial radio format which encompasses several styles. MOR music is broadly popular music, but not technically avant-garde; generally, it is strongly melodic and often features vocal harmony technique and orchestral arrangements...
format using Drake-Chenault's "Hit Parade" package. In 1971 the station was sold to Susquehanna Broadcasting and became 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...
station, known as "Stereo 101 - WLQR". It played half-hour music tapes mastered at Susquehanna's studios in York PA with local announcers Steve Kendall, Mike Stanley, Larry Weseman and Bill Stewart. The station retained this format until 1987 when it became "Soft Rock 101.5 WLQR"; by this time the station was again co-owned with WSPD.
A few years later the station began stunting by playing "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks
Garth Brooks
Troyal Garth Brooks , best known as Garth Brooks, is an American country music artist who helped make country music a worldwide phenomenon. His eponymous first album was released in 1989 and peaked at number 2 in the US country album chart while climbing to number 13 on the Billboard 200 album chart...
with a man with a southern voice
Southern English
Southern English may refer to:*British English in Southern England, spoken in southern England*Southern American English, spoken in the southern USA...
announcing that something new was coming to WLQR on Monday. The following Monday the station kept its soft AC format and became "101.5 The River", changing its call letters to WRVF. The WLQR
WLQR
WLQR is a sports/talk radio station on 1470 kHz in Toledo, Ohio. It is the Toledo affiliate of ESPN Radio and is owned by Cumulus Media. Since June 2009 the station has been simulcast on 106.5 MHz as WLQR-FM, calling itself "106-5 The Ticket"....
calls are now used on AM 1470 in Toledo (the former WOHO and WWWM-AM), and over 106.5 FM as of June 2009.
Since 2007, WRVF-FM has been broadcasting in IBOC "HD RADIO". The "HD1" programming is the digital version of its analog audio, while the "HD2" 'channel' broadcasts Clear Channel's nationwide "Premium Choice" Hot AC format, also streamed over iHeartRadio
Iheartradio
iHeartRadio is a Clear Channel Radio network to aggregate local radio brands, personalities and on-demand content. It is best known as a mobile application...
as "Today's Mix." WRVF is also the (LP) Local Primary (EAS) Emergency Alert Station in Northwestern Ohio. The station broadcasts with an effective radiated power of 33,000 watts.
WRVF became the new home of the popular "Friday Night '80s" feature in May 2007 after crosstown competitor WWWM
WWWM
WWWM-FM 105.5 FM is an American radio station licensed to Sylvania, Ohio and broadcasting as part of the Toledo market."Star 105.5", as the station is known, carries a hot adult contemporary format.-History:...
(Star 105) dropped it in favor of Delilah
Delilah Rene
Delilah Rene Luke , almost always known mononymously as Delilah, is an American radio personality, author, and songwriter, best known as the host of a nationally syndicated nightly U.S...
six nights a week. (Delilah has since been dropped from Star 105.5 in favor of Billy Bush, leaving Toledo without a Delilah affiliate.) However, from 7 p.m. to midnight on Friday nights, the show consists of John Tesh's show with '80s music played in place of the normal AC format. The River also airs the '80s version of Casey Kasem
Casey Kasem
Kemal Amin "Casey" Kasem is an American radio personality and voice actor who is best known for being the host of the nationally syndicated Top 40 countdown show American Top 40, and for voicing Shaggy in the popular Saturday morning cartoon franchise Scooby-Doo.Kasem, along with Don Bustany and...
's American Top 40
American Top 40
American Top 40 is an internationally syndicated, independent radio program created by Casey Kasem, Don Bustany, Tom Rounds and Ron Jacobs. Originally a production of Watermark Inc...
Saturday nights from 6 to 10 p.m.