1920KDKA-AM signs on in Pittsburg PA 1931WBHS issued Construction Permit-May,1931 and signs on April 22,1932 1200 AM The station was owned by "The Hutchens Company" WBHS=Worlds Best Hardware Store (went off air by 1935)
1933WNRA(National Recovery Act) (later WMSD/WLAY) signs on in Muscle Shoals
1935WMSL in Decatur signs on 1937WBHP-AM starts on 1200AM on May 20,1937 call letters=Wilton (Benny) H. Pollard
FM(low band) starts in larger US cities 1941The Big Switch-Most AM stations move to a new frequency to accommodate AM band being expanded to 1600 AM (from 1500 AM) (WBHP moves from 1200 to 1230AM) 1945The FCC announces NEW FM band 88-108 Mhz. All existing stations must move. 1946WHBS-AM starts on 1490 AM on November
10,1946 (The Huntsville
Times)
WFUN-AM starts on 1450 AM on November 26,1946 (later WFIX/WKGL/WHOH/WTKI)
1957 ad original station was in this building. Tower in the '50's from Memorial Parkway
1947WHOS-AM 800 starts in Decatur 1948WJMW-AM 730 starts in Athens (after moving
from Pulaski TN)
WHBS-AM starts FM service on 95.1 FM Florence FM station on in 1950's on 98.3 1952WHBS-AM moves to 1550 with more power.
1953Conelrad Emergency Broadcast System rolled
out 640AM/1240 AM WAJF/1490 starts in Decatur (vacated by WHBS) 1955 WMSL-FM starts on 92.5. does not last long WHRT-AM goes on the air (Hartselle) later WYAM/890-AM 1957WHBS drops FM on 95.1 after 10 years of FM not catching on 1958WEUP starts as a daytimer on 1600 AM
WFUN becomes WFIX (WFUN's call-letters go to Miami FL "FUN in the sun") WJOF-FM signs on in Athens 104.3 WHBS-AM is sold and becomes WAAY-AM and goes Rock and Roll
1959WAHR-FM starts on 99.1 FM (classical and
jazz)
WHOS-FM starts on 102.1 FM the station is a variety of formats over the years
,later
1960WNDA starts on 92.9,moves to 95.1 in 1964(WHBS-FM's old frequency) 1961FM STEREO approved by FCC 1962WVNA-100.3 in Sheffield AL goes on (Huntsville gets this station in 2006) 1964WKAC-AM signs on in Athens 1965WRSA-FM signs on from Brindlee Mountain 1968WVOV-AM signs on AM1000 1970WIXC-AM 1140 signs on 1973WBGY-FM 93.3 FM signs on in Tullahoma TN
(Boogie 93) Radio Flashback from
the "Great American WAAY Boombox"(click to play)
from the "WVOV Jukebox/8 Track player" (click to play) WVOV sing
ads from WEUP,WVOV,WBHP,WAHR and WBHP. WBHP radio's (and later WHNT-TV) Grady Reeves
1976WLRH-FM 89.3 signs on (owned by the
Huntsville Public Library) (first NPR station in state!)
WQEN (Q-104)(Top
40) in Gadsden moves it's tower and goes 100,000 watts. Has many
listeners in Huntsville
WAAY radio takes over Huntsville Christmas Parade as many of the Downtown Huntsville
Merchants close because of
1977WLRH-FM starts Radio Reading service on subcarrier 1978WZYP goes Top 40 with 50,000 watts
WLRH starts Radio Reading Service
WQLT-FM 107.3 (Florence) goes 100,000 watts 1979WOCG-FM 90.1 signs on Oakwood college
WAAY-AM goes 50,000 watts (500 night still) EZ98 starts on Group W Cable (FM easy) 98.1 WLRH goes to NPR satellite programming listen 1981WTAK starts on AM 1000 as a MOR station (later Oldies, Urban Fusion and Rock again)
MTV starts nationally 1982WABT-AM 1360 starts in Madison MTV starts in Huntsville 1983WJMW moves to 770 AM STEREO and goes 24 hours 1984WDRM goes country 102.1
WAAY-AM/WBHP-AM/WLAY-AM/WMSL-AM go AM STEREO WIXC becomes WKZF WJRA-Priceville goes on the air-1310
1985WKZF becomes WIXC again 1986WABT/1360 becomes WDKT/730 D-73 1987WBGY 93.3 moves transmitter to Elora TN and covers Huntsville with a Top 40 format and becomes WKQD "Power 93"
1988WJMW becomes WVNN-AM 770 and goes all-news WHOS-AM 800 goes all-Elvis WAAY-AM goes silent 1989WAAY-AM becomes WAAJ-1550 with Gospel format
several translators come online in Huntsville running WKDF-FM Nashville TN WBHP/WHOS begin simulcasting WDRM-FM 1990WFIX 1450 goes Cool-Gold as WKGL
WAY-FM translators start,later launch local station on 88.1
WYAM-FM signs on 106.1 FM 93.3 goes country WHVK 1992WAZK-FM starts on 92.5 in Decatur with
Classic Rock
AM 1450 goes talk as WTKI WTAK-AM 1000 becomes
WDJL and goes religious
730 becomes WBBI and goes all-news 1994WEUP/1600 gets a FM 92.1 in Minor Hill TN
and gets FM translators in Huntsville 1995WWXQ starts on 94.1 93.3 tries country with "The Twister" and WPZM (The 'Possom)
AM 730 becomes "The UMP" (Sports) WUMP 199692.5/94.1 "WXQ"simulcast starts with mix and later oldies
A different WYAM-FM starts on 105.7 (later WQAH) 1997WBHP/WHOS begin simulcast with
News 1998WLOR signs on 1550 AM (after several years of dead air) as daytimer 1999WKDF translators switch to WBUZ (KDF changes format) 2000WNDA is sold and becomes country for 2 weeks
and then WRTT/Rocket 95 WEUP
starts AM1700 frequency and buys a station in Moulton and starts 103.1 branding 200193.3 goes Country again as WUSX (US93) 2002XM and Sirius Satellite Radio sign-On in US. This changes
some radio habits. 93.3 becomes "The Mix" with '80's hits WMXR
WLOR/1550 rebrands as 'Jammin 1550 (and starts night operation again) 2003WHRP starts on 93.3 with R&B/Rap 2005WBUZ translators begin carrying WQPR
programming (APR) 2006100.3 comes from Florence and 92.5/94.1
combo rebrands as "The River" on 100.3
92.5 becomes WVNN-AM simulcast
94.1 becomes WHRP-FM simulcast (and later takes the format)
WEUP-AM goes to 1700 only, 1600 goes off air
HD Radio launches on WTAK/WDRM/WQRV 2007WOCG becomes WJOU (Oakwood College becomes
Oakwood University)
AM 1600 becomes WHIY with Urban Blues and Oldies 1550 WLOR goes to "True Oldies Channel" Format The UMP(730) gets FM translator at 103.9 FM 2009WLOR-AM gets FM Translator at 98.1 FM
1490(Decatur)/1450(HSV) go silent WKZD starts translator on 105.3 (Priceville/Oldies) new WTKI-1450/WEKI-1490 signback on Fox Sports/CBS News 2010WTKI/WEKI translators begin 92.9(HSV)
94.7(DEC) WBHP-AM goes FM on 106.5 (old WTAK-FM translator) (technically WQRV-HD2)
WZZN/97.7 moves from Oneonta "The Zone" 2011HD Radio launches on WLRH
93.3 drops Country for the 6th time and becomes "Journey 93.3"
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