WLS AM/FM SOLD

[howardm]

I was in Tennessee last night and caught a show on the Memphis PBS TV station narrated by Garrison Keilor about the early history of WLS in the pre-top 40 days.  The program was focused on the 34-year run of the "National Barn Dance", which was a very serious competitor to WSM's "Grand Ole Opry".

Great stuff, and I highly recommend watching for it on your local PBS station.  It was produced by WTTW in Chicago, so it may have already aired there and/or other markets.  But for whatever reason, I wasn't aware of it, and I came across it for the first time last night.  Very well done, and a great illustration of the power of the original class 1-A clear channel stations. 

WLS' days as a top-40 powerhouse was actually "Act 2" of what the station was able to accomplish at night.
Great info,  WLS barn dance, Red Blanchard, Ray King, Beaver Valley Sweethearts, Little Genevieve, Bob Atcher & others. Wasn't it from the 8th St Theater off of S. Michigan?

[cyberdad]

Yes, they mentioned the 8th street theater during the broadcast.  I'm not at all familiar with the venue (or whatever became of it). But according to Keilor's narration, seating capacity was a little over 9,000, and they still regularly had to turn people away.

[cyberdad]

Here are about 20 issues of the WLS Family Album from the time when it was owned by The Prairie Farmer magazine and publishing company...

http://www.americanradiohistory.com/WLS-Family-Album-Master-Page.htm

Thanks, David.  I had already perused some of these on your site, and was thinking about them during the show.  They showed the albums at a few points during the show.

[Going back to Nashville]

While I was driving thru Ohio the other night, I turned on WLS, they are calling it 89 WLS now, no 890?

When did they start this, do they do in the day with the local shows?

[Dr Wayne]

I noticed the last few weeks of WLS referring to "89" instead of 890. I actually like it better as it reminds me of the days of the Big 89. Wasn't WLS originally 8 9 0 in their jingles back in the 60's? 890 Chicago!!!

[Tom Wells]

I noticed the last few weeks of WLS referring to "89" instead of 890. I actually like it better as it reminds me of the days of the Big 89. Wasn't WLS originally 8 9 0 in their jingles back in the 60's? 890 Chicago!!!

Yes, but it's so much more fun to say eighty nine.

[Mark Jeffries]

While I was driving thru Ohio the other night, I turned on WLS, they are calling it 89 WLS now, no 890?

When did they start this, do they do in the day with the local shows?

Started this year, this year being their 89th anniversary. 

[cyberdad]

I think the "890" branding had to do with the advent of digital readouts in car radios and other tuners.  Those of us who grew up with the station typically in its top 40 days remember it as "channel 89" and "the big 89".  I have a number of PAMS series 12 sonovox jingles rotating on my iPod and computer.  All of those use either "channel 89" or "89". 

[Mark Jeffries]

I think the "890" branding had to do with the advent of digital readouts in car radios and other tuners.  Those of us who grew up with the station typically in its top 40 days remember it as "channel 89" and "the big 89".  I have a number of PAMS series 12 sonovox jingles rotating on my iPod and computer.  All of those use either "channel 89" or "89". 

But the Anita Kerr jingles sang the frequency as "8-9-0"--and those were on LS for the first seven years of the format, while the first PAMS packages they bought came and went.  (I believe there was the original package and Kerr did another package in the mid-60s with the "The Station with Personality" slogan--this also included what was WLS-FM's one-and-only jingle until "Love.")  It wasn't until the beginning of '68 and John Rook's streamlining or "Drakeing" of everything--including the a capella jingles--that "89" became the reference for the frequency.

[cyberdad]

Point taken, Mark. 

I only have a few Anita Kerr jingles in my computer/iPod playlists.  As it happens, none of these mentions the frequency.  But I do remember other Kerr jingles do use 8-9-0.  OTOH, "89" was used in the majority of the PAMS cuts (but not all of them.   And, yes, I was actually going to mention the "Drake-esque" late '60s jingles that heavily use "89" in my earlier post.

Additionally, my memory is the same as yours in that there was a second generation of Kerr Jingles with the "Personality" them that came into use in the mid-60s.  I remember these, but I don't have any in my collection, and don't have a feel for how often the frequency was used.  Or how it was identified.

Bottom line is I'm glad to see the "89" back in use.  And I have to say, for all the changes through the years, WLS has been consistent about acknowledging its rich history.