New Orleans Radio Shrine - History of New Orleans Radio Stations & Frequencies

HISTORY OF NEWORLEANS
RADIO FREQUENCIES
& STATIONS
(Thanks to Alex Bowab)

AM FREQUENCIES:
600 WVOG
I remember it was WMRY in the late 50's, a daytime R&B station. They bought the 940 frequency from WTPS to go fulltime, and changed calls to WYLD. 600 then became WWOM, Dave Wagenvoord's "Wonderful World Of Music." It later gave birth to WWOM FM 98.5,and WWOM TV 26, the Wonderful World Of Movies. Once beautiful music on AM became a bad idea, 600 became a religious outlet, WVOG, the Voice Of Gospel.
690 WTIX
I remember it from 1956-58 as WWEZ, a top 40 station. Jack the Cat, Charlie Stanton, and Woody Hooper were DJs on the station. Studio was at 614 N Rampart. Their playlist was the High Rider Survey. WTIX, then a weak signal 1450 with 250 watts, bought the mighty 690 in early 1958. (More) Now a talk station.
750 KKNO
A 250 watt daytimer licensed to Gretna, formatting black gospel. Fairly new station.
800 WSHO
I remember it in the late 50's as WBOK, a daytime R&B station - owned by Jules Paglin and Stanley Ray. They had a chain of R&B stations (WGOK Mobile, WLOK Memphis, WXOK Baton Rouge, KYOK Houston). Around 1962, they bought the 1230 frequency which enabled them to go fulltime. WSHO on 1230 moved down to 800. The original WSHO was an easy listening station, featuring Broadway SHOw tunes. Once this format died on AM, the station went country (owned by Don Kern), having identified a country format void in the market. It stayed country until FM competition made it impossible for a daytimer to survive in the format. Around 1978, it went to the nostalgia format "Music of Your Life," where it remained for about 3 years. By then, it became apparent that one of the few viable formats for an AM Daytimer was religion, so SHO finally settled into that niche. Under new FCC rules, it can now stay on the air with low power at night.
830 WFNO
Came on the air in the 80's licensed to Norco-LaPlace as adult contemporary WADU for a few years. Then switched to Spanish as WFNO, Radio Fabulosa.
870 WWL
Dates back to about 1922. Owned by Loyola University, CBS affiliated, with "Studios in the Roosevelt Hotel" for most of its history. Daytime programming has always been adult-oriented; Middle-of-the-Road (MOR) formatted in the 50's and 60''s - later more news/talk oriented. Taking advantage of its clear-channel status with night coverage of virtually the entire US, it has done an overnight country music show aimed at truckers for about 30 years.
940 WYLD
I remember it was WTPS (owned by Times Picayune/States) in the mid-50's, affiliated with Mutual Network. I believe studios were on Lee Circle. The newspaper got out of the radio business, sold the frequency to daytimer WYLD 600, enabling the station to go fulltime, although the 940 frequency has a poor (500 watt, highly directional) night signal. Day power increased from 1 kw to 10 kw. WYLD, broadcasting from 2945 Tulane, was an R&B powerhouse thru the 60's and 70's. It acquired 98.5 FM, and eventually moved the format (by then known as Urban Contemporary) to FM. WYLD AM then found new life with Black Gospel.
990 WGSO
My earliest memory is of WJMR, 250 watt daytimer, studio in the Jung Hotel. Their mainstays were Tony Almerico's jazz show and Poppa Stoppa. Owned by George Mayoral, an eccentric genius who put WJMR TV-20 on the air when no one could pick up UHF on TV. Later, around 1965, it tried the impossible and went top 40 as WNNR (WiNNeR) as a daytimer up against two powerful format competitors (NOE/TIX). In the early 70''s it was Spanish, and later all-oldies. Bought by Ed Muniz, it tried a black-oriented talk format. As WYAT (for the local street expression "Where y'at") it featured oldies with 1950's emphasis. Increased day power to 1000 watts and got 400 watt night power. Around 1988, it went nostalgia as Star 990 (up against 1450 WBYU). Sold again, it went to news, mostly carrying CNN Headline News audio, as WGSO, a set of calls formerly on 1280.
1060 WLNO
Prior to 1955, it was WNOE, located in the St Charles Hotel (later Sheraton Charles), with a non-descript variety format. Then it became one of the first top 40 stations. Owned by former governor James A. Noe. The Top 40 idea may have come from the fact that Noe was related by marriage to Gordon McLendon, who, with Todd Storz, is credited with being the co-founder of top 40 radio. (McLendon had KLIF Dallas, KILT Houston, KTSA San Antonio, WAKY Louisville, KEEL Shreveport.) Was the dominant station in the market until overtaken in the early 60's by format competitor WTIX. In the late 60's, it dabbled in MOR and oldies. Calling itself "Real Rock WNOE," it returned to Top40 with a vengeance in 1973, with WNOE-FM as a companion. In the 80's, it went country, following its FM sister, simulcasting at times. Once it was no longer an asset to its more successful FM outlet, it was sold to a religious organization who renamed the 1060 frequency WLNO. Station has excellent 50 kw coverage day; drops to 5 kw night, directional to the NW.
1230 WBOK
Remembered in the late 50's as WJBW, a top 40 station with DJs like Rocking Richard and Chubby Buddy. Studio in the Cigali Building on Common St. 1230 is a Class IV frequency, then maxed at 250 watts, so its fate was not to compete with more powerful stations. It then became WSHO, an easy listening station. Before long, it swapped frequencies with 800 daytimer WBOK, and 1230 became the new home of WBOK, an R&B outlet at 3301 Tulane. The R&B format remained until its viability was undermined by FM, at which time it was sold to Bishop Levi Willis, who owned a large group of black gospel stations. Studio moved to 1639 Gentilly, once the home of WSHO, and later WLTS.
1280 WODT
For most of its history, 1280 was WDSU, which spawned WDSU FM and WDSU TV.An NBC affiliate, it was a Middle of the Road station. Dabbled in top 40 at times, tho neverfulltime (Larry Wilson dj'ed there, and they had a daily "top 20" show). Around 1972, the TVstation was to be sold, and then-current FCC rules called for the breakup of radio/TV combos. New Owners changedto WGSO AM and WQUE FM. WGSO (Gulf SOuth) became what was then known as pop-adult (now adult contemporary)with heavy news/info. It adopted the strange slogan "Gut Radio, where New Orleansgets the message." Later GSO
stood for "Gentle SOund" with a mixture of beautiful music anddrive-time news blocks. Later it was all news/talk, competing against WWL and WSMB. This being an expensive formatto execute, it finally ended in the 80's. For a while, 1280 was WMKJ (pronounced Magic), airing Heart& Soul, a syndicated R&B oldies format. Then it became WQUE AM, as a stepchild of its FM. A brief returnto news/talk went nowhere in the 90's. It now airs blues, as WODT (originally a reference to local expression "who dat").
1350 WSMB
Calls stood for Saenger-Maison Blanche, the studio location for many years. Was an ABC-affiliated variety station in the 50's. During the 60's and 70's, it became a ratings & revenue phenomenon with a lineup of talk shows hosted by native New Orleanians deeply involved in the community. According to Bob O'Brien, who worked there and later at GSO/QUE, the first NO station ever to bill $1 million in a year was WSMB. I remember in 1973 Keith Rush had a 16 Arbitron share in midday. This was typical of their ratings back then. Station began to slip in the ratings late in the 70's, and its older audience became less saleable. A new, out-of-market owner failed to sustain the station's local flavor, and by 1988 WSMB endured the disgrace of being sold at auction. New life was breathed into the station when it became LMA'ed [which also stands for Losing My Ass] with WWL, airing programs and sports events that did not fit into WWL's schedule. In 1999, it got new identity as an all-sports station as "The Game." That lasted until 2001 when it reverted back to local and satellite talk shows.
1450 WBYU
I used to have a Times Picayune radio log from 1953 that showed WTIX-1450 as classical, with such programs as "Candlelight Concert" at 6 pm. Then it went top 40, but needing a better signal than this class IV (250 watt) frequency afforded, bought 690 from WWEZ in 1958. WTIX donated the 1450 frequency to the city of New Orleans, and it became non-commercial WNPS (for New Orleans Public Schools). In the early 70's, it was operated commercially as a country music outlet, a fairly good idea given the fact that the only country outlet at the time was a daytimer (WSHO). [Airstaff then included Dan Diamond.] Later in the decade, the station was sold and became WWIW (for the "Way It Was"), widely acclaimed as one of the nation's first nostalgia-formatted stations. That format continued, although the calls changed to WBYU (for "Bayou") around 1988 when those calls were surrendered by WBYU-FM. Station changed format to satellite health talk and infomercials in Spring 2001.
1540 KGLA
Call letters stand for Gretna LA. Was an English-language station that played Top-40 in the 70's but later went Spanish.
1560 WSLA
Was originally WBGS, a locally oriented Slidell station, owned by Bill Garrett Chevrolet. Station has been off the air at times, between owners, and has also had the call letters WSDL. Has been through various formats. Under the owenership of George Mayoral in the late 70's, it became the last home of the Poppa Stoppa afternoon oldies show in the late 70's. Went to all news for a few years under the direction of pre-CNN Charles Zewe.

FM FREQUENCIES:
92.3 WCKW
Originally an FM companion to WCKW 1010 AM Garyville, it was locally programmed to the western suburbs. In the late 80's, it went on a 2,000 foot tower betwen N.O. and Baton Rouge, and became a coverage monster. At one time, the station showed up simultaneously in four Arbitron markets - Lafayette, Baton Rouge, New Orleans, and Biloxi. As a classic rocker, it has had poor ratings in recent years. Recast itself as "The Point" around 1999.
93.3 WQUE
Originally remembered as WDSU-FM, a highbrow outlet subsidized by WDSU AM and TV. When sold off separately from the TV around 1971, it became WQUE, one of four beautiful music stations in the market (others being WWL FM, WEZB, and WBYU). Became an automated top 40 station around the mid-70's, later going live. Has since become an urban contemporary station and is dominant in the market. It is interesting that it has had the same call letters, WQUE, as a beautiful music, top 40, and urban station.
94.3 WTIX
Original call letters were KLEB-FM and simulcast with KLEB-AM. Originally a class A (3kw) licenced to Galliano. Going back to the late 70's early 80's, it was in Golden Meadow, LA. It was owned by at first by KLEB Inc. (Dick Egle owner) before being sold to Harold Callias (owner of the local cable company as well as KLEB-AM). In the late 70's-mid 80's it was a rock format as KZZQ. It then went Top 40 as KBAU (Bayou 94), then to a Country station as KLEB-FM in early 90's. In the mid-90's it was sold and became WTIX-FM. The transmitter was in Larose, LA but was moved to Pointe a la Hache to allow WTIX to go from 3000 watts to 100,000 watts.
94.9 WSJZ
Originated as WADU, Class A (3 kw) FM companion to WADU 830 AM. Remained with beautiful music long past the time when all other stations across the nation abandoned that format. Spent several years doing a home-brew nostalgia format. Recently was country, simulcasting another suburban Class A. Now playing Smooth Jazz with call letter change in July 2000.
95.7 WTKL
Originated in 50's as a stand-alone FM (unheard of at the time) classical station WWMT. In 60's and 70's, it was WBYU, and enjoyed phenomenal success airing the Schulke beautiful music format, beating out three other format competitors. As the beautiful format faded nationwide (it no longer attracted 25-54 saleable demographics), the format competitors went away, leaving it the only game in town. All this notwithstanding, around 1987, the owners shut it down one Sunday and turned it back on the next day with no advance notice, as WQXY, Country Y-96, creating a storm of outrage from a devoted, though older, audience. The country format put them up against WNOE FM, now well established in the country format. After about a year, it became apparent that New Orleans, never a strong country market, was not going to support two such stations. 95.7 changed again, this time to WMXZ, an adult contemporary station called "Mix." Local broadcaster Ed Muniz bought it, and changed it to WTKL. It is interesting that the WQXY call letters were once on a Baton Rouge station (100.7 FM), and the same is true of WTKL (1260 AM, where it was called "Tickle").
97.1 WEZB
Originally (late 50's) this was WRCM, the FM simulcast of WJMR AM 990, owned by George Mayoral. Later it became WEZB, part of a chain of Beautiful Music stations (WEZC Charlotte, WEZR Washington, et al). Was never very successful against formidable competition in that format. When the disco craze hit, about 1978, it became Disco 97. When disco died (seemingly about 2 weeks later), it went on to top 40 and became known as B-97. It has been B-97 ever since, except for a brief, failed experiment with FM Talk in the mid-90's (based upon advice from some moron consultant) which cost them the strong #1 ratings they had, and from which they have never recovered.
98.5 WYLD
I remember it earliest as easy listening WWOM FM, companion to WWOM AM. In the late 60's, a new owner (Larry Gutter, as I remember) had the then-novel idea to go top 40 on FM, and it became WIXO ('98.5 - a little cooler than normal"). I'm told they tried to get call letters as close to TIX as they could get away with. But the idea was ahead of its time, and the station's signal was not adequate (short tower). By 1973 the station was off the air. WYLD AM picked it up, and treated it as a stepchild of its successful AM, airing jazz and other narrow-appeal fare. Eventually as FM came into its own, the AM's format evolved over to FM, first as an urban contemporary sound. Was even black-owned, by InterUrban Broadcasting. Once it came under same ownership with similarly formatted WQUE FM, WYLD became more of an adult black sound, to differentiate it from its sister station.
99.5 WRNO
The call letters, for the Rock of New Orleans, date back to at least the late 60's. Station seems to have always been a rock station, but has vacillated somewhat over the years between album rock, hard rock, classic rock, and top 40 rock - and at times a hybrid mixture of each. Owned and operated by Joe Costello, it also came up with the unique concept of putting RNO on the air on shortwave, to broadcast worldwide (this was before you could do the same thing on the internet). There were also WRNO Movie Theaters. For a period of time in the late 90's, new owners changed its identification to "The River 99.5."
101.1 WNOE
Came on the air in the mid-60's as the FM companion of WNOE AM. Tried various formats until 1973, when both AM and FM went back to rocking as "Real Rock." In the 80's, the lack of a country FM in the market became an obvious void, so the station went there, became a ratings success, and has remained ever since.
101.9 WLMG
Was the FM stepchild of clear channel AM WWL in the 60's and early 70's, airing beautiful music. Around 1973, station went to automated top 40 music, calling itself "Rampart 102" (apparent reference to its studio location at 1024 N Rampart?). Later in the decade, it went back to easy listening, this time with vocal-based, rather than mostly instrumental, syndicated Schulke II format, as WAJY, Joy 102. In the late 80's, station changed to WLMG, for Louisiana Magic, or Magic 101.9. For a while it was up-tempo adult contemporary, then settled back to the softer sound. As such, it was in competition with similar sounding WLTS, Lite Rock 105. Once the two stations came under common ownership, WLTS was changed to avoid competing with its sister station, and WLMG became the market's exclusive provider of soft rock for in-office listening.
102.9. KMEZ
Came on the air in the late 80's, licensed to suburban Belle Chasse, as a Class A (3 kw) station. Later upgraded to C3 (25 kw equivalent). Though not as powerful as the other market stations, it has become a ratings success with R&B oldies, recently adopting the slogan "Old School."
104.1 KUMX
In its early years, this was KHOM, a station serving only the Houma area, with varied formats, including a nightly nostalgia program. In the late 80's, it went on a 2000 foot tower (shared with WCKW) in Vacherie, enabling it to put decent signal into New Orleans and Baton Rouge. Station wavered between oldies and adult contemporary sound, then changed to KUMX with more of a CHR lean. In June 2001 station changed to "The Fox" and played 60's, 70's and 80's.
105.3 WKZN
Originally an FM companion to WBGS-AM in Slidell, it was on a short tower and unable to compete effectively in New Orleans. Nonetheless, in the early 70's it dabbled in various formats including progressive (then known as underground) rock. Its closest attempt at success was as WSDL, then WXEL, the first FM in the market airing "soul" music, aimed at the large black population. Later acquired by local broadcaster/ politician Ed Muniz, station was able to move its transmitting facility to a higher tower, closer
in to New Orleans (by what is known as a C1 downgrade). In the early 80's, it became WLTS, Lite Rock 105. Format was highlighted by the introduction of legendary Robert Mitchell in morning drive, previously known for having been on WTIX AM for many years. City of license changed from Slidell to Kenner in the 90's. Format remained in place until new owners dropped it in favor of a hotter, more contemporary sound in 1999. The move was apparently to differentiate it from the other soft adult contemporary station (WLMG) which had come under the same ownership. The new identifier, Star 105, lasted only briefly, because of an apparent infringement with another station in the area. Changed to WKZN "The Zone" in 2000.
106.1 WKSY
Was a local 3 kw Class A station in Picayune, Miss. on 106.3. With a frequency change to 106.1, station was able to increase power to 50 kw and move tower toward New Orleans. Signal good on north shore, but spotty in the city. First tried album rock as WZRH, The Zephyr. Then country.
106.7 KKND
Originally a local Port Sulphur station in the 80's, it sought and got permission to erect a taller tower closer to New Orleans. Its first attempt was as KHAA, airing black gospel. Later, KQLD, as oldies, the first oldies station on FM in the New Orleans area. Owned by Beasley Broadcasting at the time and sacrificed due to Beasley's purchase at the same time of KRTH in Los Angeles. Ratings tied for #1 in New Orleans with Bob Walker, "Skinny" Tom Cheney and other New Orleans radio veterans. Changed ownership and format in July 1993 and became "The Gator" with country music, a move that lasted six months. Opened the door for oldies on WTKL in August 1993. Its latest incarnation is as rock station KKND, The End, perhaps because it's near the top end of the dial?

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