WXLP
Encyclopedia
WXLP is a Quad Cities
area commercial Classic Hits
radio station
, licensed to Moline, Illinois
. The station is owned by Cumulus Media
, with studios located in Davenport, Iowa
(along with the co-owned KQCS
, KBEA-FM
, KBOB-FM
and KJOC
).
WXLP is commonly and currently known as "97X" once again, after being known by the moniker "97 Rock" for a few years. The station's frequency is 96.9 MHz, and broadcasts at a power of 50,000 watts.
-area, 96.9 FM had two early formats before switching to its longtime rock format.
The station signed on in November 1970 as WMDR, a Christian-oriented
station that also formatted beautiful music
. Studios were located in Orion, Illinois
. The station was a stalwart in the market for nearly five years before being purchased by KSTT Broadcasting, owners of the powerhouse Top 40 station KSTT-AM
1170.
The station moved to Davenport in 1975, changed its call letters to WHTT, and introduced an automated adult contemporary format known as Stereo 97 which it maintained for three years before switching to an automated country music
format. WHTT was not able to bill advertising dollars or compete in the ratings with country music rival WHBF-AM
, which had adopted the country format a year earlier. For many years WHBF-AM (aka "Country Sunshine Radio") was among the top-rated stations in the Quad Cities
market, alongside Top 40 hit music stations KSTT-AM (1170) and KIIK 104FM
.
With WHTT underperforming, KSTT Broadcasting decided to make the switch to a live and local album-oriented rock
format that would complement but not directly compete with the company's AM station.
. Then-owner Fred Epstein liked the name "X-97", but "97-X" sounded better, and when the station took on its current WXLP callsign, it became known to a generation of fans as "97X," or simply "The 'X'." Later program director Gabe Baptiste took the station to its highest ratings in the late 1980s.From 1985 through 86 The 97-X lineup included Phil and Jack (mornings),JJ Scott (mid-days), Terry Dugan (afternoons)She was replaced by Gene Olson in the afternoon when Terry became Program Director.Evenings were handled during this period by Steve DeBouvre. JJ Scott brought "The Electric Lunch" to 97-X during his 2 year mid-day run. Gene Olson brought 97-X national attention when he promoted "Shoes for Imelda" gathering thousands of shoes he sent to exiled Imelda Marcos. The station's first newsman was Dave Douglas (Tom Hosmanek) also of KSTT-AM.
Over the years they had many top morning shows including Phil Maicke, Ian Case & the Coach and Dwyer and Michaels
. Dwyer and Michaels (real names Greg Dwyer and Bill Obenauf), who began working for the station in 1990, left to market competitor KCQQ
-FM (Q-106.5) in 1995 after a dispute over a non-compete clause
that kept them off the air for six months. They were followed by a short-lived morning show before "Matt and Homey" took over the morning slot from 1996 until 1999.
Through the years, the station took on more of a classic rock
format, although it still played plenty of album cuts. It was 97X's eclectic blend of rock music and offbeat personalities that made it one of the Quad-Cities' highest rated stations for more than 25 years.
.
, which abandoned the country format it had had since 1994.
in Davenport — where they had worked since 1995 — after their contract expired December 31, 2006. As part of their contract with Clear Channel Communications
(owners of KCQQ), they had to honor a "local air" resctriction, meaning they could not work for a competing station in the Quad Cities for six months. In the interim, the duo worked for KRNA
, an active rock station based in Cedar Rapids
.
Clear Channel sued Dwyer and Michaels in February, 2007 claiming that KRNA was audible in the Quad Cities area and the duo was actively promoting the upcoming show in the Quad Cities. A Scott County
District Court judge, however, ruled that Dwyer and Michaels did not violate the clause since Arbitron
does not consider the Quad Cities part of KRNA's market area.
Quad Cities
The Quad Cities is a group of five cities straddling the Mississippi River on the Iowa–Illinois boundary. These cities, Davenport and Bettendorf and Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline , are the center of the Quad Cities Metropolitan Area, which, as of 2010, had an estimated population of...
area commercial Classic Hits
Classic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
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 Moline, Illinois
Moline, Illinois
Moline is a city located in Rock Island County, Illinois, United States, with a population of 45,792 in 2010. Moline is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring East Moline and Rock Island in Illinois and the cities of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa. The Quad Cities has a population of...
. The station is owned by Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media
Cumulus Media, Inc. is the second largest Owner and Operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States, behind Clear Channel Communications, operating 570 stations in 150 markets as of September 16, 2011. The company also owns Cumulus Media Networks...
, with studios located in Davenport, Iowa
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
(along with the co-owned KQCS
KQCS
KQCS is a radio station licensed to Bettendorf, Iowa, whose format is adult contemporary. The station's frequency is 93.5 MHz, and broadcasts at a power of 6 kW...
, KBEA-FM
KBEA-FM
KBEA-FM is a radio station licensed to Muscatine, Iowa, whose format is Top 40. The station broadcasts at a power of 100 kW....
, KBOB-FM
KBOB-FM
KBOB-FM is a commercial radio station located in DeWitt, Iowa, broadcasting to the Quad Cities, Iowa area on 104.9 FM. KBOB-FM airs an active rock music format branded as "Rock 104.9".-WGEN-FM:...
and KJOC
KJOC
KJOC is a radio station licensed to Davenport, Iowa, and has an oldies format. The station's frequency is 1170 kHz, and broadcasts at a power of 1 kW...
).
WXLP is commonly and currently known as "97X" once again, after being known by the moniker "97 Rock" for a few years. The station's frequency is 96.9 MHz, and broadcasts at a power of 50,000 watts.
Early history (1970-1978)
Serving the Quad CityQuad Cities
The Quad Cities is a group of five cities straddling the Mississippi River on the Iowa–Illinois boundary. These cities, Davenport and Bettendorf and Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline , are the center of the Quad Cities Metropolitan Area, which, as of 2010, had an estimated population of...
-area, 96.9 FM had two early formats before switching to its longtime rock format.
The station signed on in November 1970 as WMDR, a Christian-oriented
Christian radio
Christian radio is a category of radio formats that focus on transmitting programming with a Christian message. In the United States, where it is more established, many such broadcasters play popular music of Christian influence, though many programs have talk or news programming covering...
station that also formatted beautiful music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
. Studios were located in Orion, Illinois
Orion, Illinois
Orion is a village in Henry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,861 at the 2010 census. It is home of the Orion Chargers...
. The station was a stalwart in the market for nearly five years before being purchased by KSTT Broadcasting, owners of the powerhouse Top 40 station KSTT-AM
KJOC
KJOC is a radio station licensed to Davenport, Iowa, and has an oldies format. The station's frequency is 1170 kHz, and broadcasts at a power of 1 kW...
1170.
The station moved to Davenport in 1975, changed its call letters to WHTT, and introduced an automated adult contemporary format known as Stereo 97 which it maintained for three years before switching to an automated country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
format. WHTT was not able to bill advertising dollars or compete in the ratings with country music rival WHBF-AM
WKBF (AM)
WKBF is a radio station licensed to Rock Island, Illinois, and carries a Spanish Regional Music format. The station's frequency is 1270 kHz, and broadcasts at a power of 5 kW...
, which had adopted the country format a year earlier. For many years WHBF-AM (aka "Country Sunshine Radio") was among the top-rated stations in the Quad Cities
Quad Cities
The Quad Cities is a group of five cities straddling the Mississippi River on the Iowa–Illinois boundary. These cities, Davenport and Bettendorf and Rock Island, Moline, and East Moline , are the center of the Quad Cities Metropolitan Area, which, as of 2010, had an estimated population of...
market, alongside Top 40 hit music stations KSTT-AM (1170) and KIIK 104FM
WLLR-FM
WLLR-FM is a radio station licensed to Davenport, Iowa, whose format is modern country music. The station's frequency is 103.7 MHz, and broadcasts at a power of 100 kW....
.
With WHTT underperforming, KSTT Broadcasting decided to make the switch to a live and local album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
format that would complement but not directly compete with the company's AM station.
97X (1978-2004)
In July 1978, program director Jim O'Hara, along with on-air personality John Keith and music director Rick Fields, put together a brand new rock station for the Quad Cities—based at least in part on WLPX in MilwaukeeMilwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
. Then-owner Fred Epstein liked the name "X-97", but "97-X" sounded better, and when the station took on its current WXLP callsign, it became known to a generation of fans as "97X," or simply "The 'X'." Later program director Gabe Baptiste took the station to its highest ratings in the late 1980s.From 1985 through 86 The 97-X lineup included Phil and Jack (mornings),JJ Scott (mid-days), Terry Dugan (afternoons)She was replaced by Gene Olson in the afternoon when Terry became Program Director.Evenings were handled during this period by Steve DeBouvre. JJ Scott brought "The Electric Lunch" to 97-X during his 2 year mid-day run. Gene Olson brought 97-X national attention when he promoted "Shoes for Imelda" gathering thousands of shoes he sent to exiled Imelda Marcos. The station's first newsman was Dave Douglas (Tom Hosmanek) also of KSTT-AM.
Over the years they had many top morning shows including Phil Maicke, Ian Case & the Coach and Dwyer and Michaels
Dwyer and Michaels
Greg Dwyer and Bill Obenauf, aka Bill Michaels, are the radio personalities and website authors known as Dwyer and Michaels. On air together since the late 1980s, they write, host and produce a popular morning show in the U.S. Midwest currently running on WXLP-FM in the Quad Cities. Their show was...
. Dwyer and Michaels (real names Greg Dwyer and Bill Obenauf), who began working for the station in 1990, left to market competitor KCQQ
KCQQ
KCQQ is an FM radio station licensed to Davenport, Iowa with a classic rock format. The station's frequency is 106.5 MHz, and broadcasts at a power of 100 kW, with transmitter located in rural LeClaire in Scott County....
-FM (Q-106.5) in 1995 after a dispute over a non-compete clause
Non-compete clause
A non-compete clause , or covenant not to compete , is a term used in contract law under which one party agrees not to pursue a similar profession or trade in competition against another party . As a contract provision, a CNC is bound by traditional contract requirements including the...
that kept them off the air for six months. They were followed by a short-lived morning show before "Matt and Homey" took over the morning slot from 1996 until 1999.
Through the years, the station took on more of 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, although it still played plenty of album cuts. It was 97X's eclectic blend of rock music and offbeat personalities that made it one of the Quad-Cities' highest rated stations for more than 25 years.
97ROCK: The Quad City Rocker (April 2004 - March 2007)
In April 2004, WXLP's format was altered as part of a series of programming changes at two Quad Cities-area Cumulus Broadcasting stations. While it kept elements of the former 97X's classic rock format, the newly christened "97 Rock" took on the hard rock format of the former "93 Rock" (KORB-FM). KORB, meanwhile, began an adult contemporary format as "Star 93.5" and changed its call letters to KQCSKQCS
KQCS is a radio station licensed to Bettendorf, Iowa, whose format is adult contemporary. The station's frequency is 93.5 MHz, and broadcasts at a power of 6 kW...
.
97X — "Classic Hits" (March 2007-present)
In March 2007, the station switched its focus to "Classic Hits," or a softer rock style. playing Elton John, Boston, Chicago and Journey. The active rock format moved to KBOB-FMKBOB-FM
KBOB-FM is a commercial radio station located in DeWitt, Iowa, broadcasting to the Quad Cities, Iowa area on 104.9 FM. KBOB-FM airs an active rock music format branded as "Rock 104.9".-WGEN-FM:...
, which abandoned the country format it had had since 1994.
The return of Dwyer and Michaels
On July 13, 2007, on-air personalities Greg Dwyer and Bill Michaels returned to 97X after a 12-year absence at the station. Dwyer and Michaels left rival station KCQQKCQQ
KCQQ is an FM radio station licensed to Davenport, Iowa with a classic rock format. The station's frequency is 106.5 MHz, and broadcasts at a power of 100 kW, with transmitter located in rural LeClaire in Scott County....
in Davenport — where they had worked since 1995 — after their contract expired December 31, 2006. As part of their contract with 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...
(owners of KCQQ), they had to honor a "local air" resctriction, meaning they could not work for a competing station in the Quad Cities for six months. In the interim, the duo worked for KRNA
KRNA
KRNA is a radio station licensed to Iowa City, Iowa, with studios in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The transmitter for the station is located west of Oxford, Iowa. The station currently has an active rock format. The station is currently owned by Cumulus Media.-History:...
, an active rock station based in Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
.
Clear Channel sued Dwyer and Michaels in February, 2007 claiming that KRNA was audible in the Quad Cities area and the duo was actively promoting the upcoming show in the Quad Cities. A Scott County
Scott County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 165,224 in the county, with a population density of . There were 71,835 housing units, of which 66,765 were occupied.-2000 census:...
District Court judge, however, ruled that Dwyer and Michaels did not violate the clause since 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...
does not consider the Quad Cities part of KRNA's market area.
See also
- Anderson, Frederick I, editor. "Joined By a River: Quad Cities." Lee Enterprises, 1982. (ISBN 0-910847-00-2)