Your local stations

[Matt Deckard]

Do you have a local station which plays 1930's or 40's music?

 

[LizzieMaine]

We actually had *two* such stations not so long ago, an AM and an FM, both locally programmed. (I worked at the AM station in the late '80s, and it's the only radio job I had where I could actually play 78's on the air without dubbing them to carts first.)

But now all the stations in this market are owned by Clear Channel, which programs them with inane satellite formats. I still think there's a market for a vintage-format station here, given the demographic we get at the theatre, but the corporate overlords who own the stations obviously don't agree...

 

[BegintheBeguine]

Legends 990 WLGZ, mixes in new songs too.
Toronto's CHWO AM 740 also mixes in new songs. These are both AM. Nothing on FM. They both have real announcers too!

 

[Rosie]

I think the closest we have is 88.3 which is a jazz station so they sometimes play jazz from that era. There was the CBS channel which played "oldies" from the 30's -50's but they go taken over by Jack Radio which is a "robo dj", totally automated, no on air personality which was met with much protesting in the city. Stations will do anything to make as much money as possible.

 

[Archie Goodwin]

Two, sort of

In New Orleans, we have Martini 106.1 where you can hear Dean, Frank, Ella, Louis, Brian Setzer, Harry Connick Jr., etc. We also have 90.7 WWOZ that does traditional jazz, contemporary jazz, Blues, R&B Blues, New Orleans Music, Jazz Roots, Jazz From the Market, Swing & Big Band, Zydeco, Old Time Country and Bluegrass, etc.

Both stations include 30's and 40's music, but neither do so exclusively.

 

[The Wolf]

not really

When people "know" the kind of music I like they recommend a local jazz station. Whenever i turn it on I get "smooth jazz", Kenny G. or some such thing.[huh]

Sincerely,
The Wolf

 

[Harp]

Big Bands and All That Jazzzzz

WGN Radio here in Chicago had a Sunday nite Big Band/Jazz
program hosted by the late Mike Rapchek, a former US POW held in
Germany. With his passing, the station folded the show and reverted
to another inane talk format.
There is a "Jazz" station on the Chicago FM dial; however, this place
only owns a dozenlol records or so, playing over, over, over, again.
Because there is a market for Big Band/Jazz, I cannot understand
local radio mgt myopia.

 

[John in Covina]

Some old stuff in LA

There was a pretty good station that did some big band and popular music from the early 60's back to the 30's but they got eaten up. Any way there is another station that comes from Mexico on the AM band but it doesn't come in well all over. I think it is either 540 or 560 am and they have another band of the same at 1240 or 1280 am if I remember right. Again, it just doesn't come in all places but maybe you'll be the lucky one.

 

[Harp]

Signals

I'm surrounded by skyscrapers in this concrete and asphalt
neon-lit no big band/jazz radio stations jungle.
I'm lucky that I can pick-up Notre Dame football on WLS 89*.

 

[The Reno Kid]

I do! KWD 1630 AM broadcasts music from the swing era and radio programs from the 30s, 40s, and 50s and nothing else. And it's literally in my backyard. I run the programming off my computer using software available free on the net. Even the news broadcasts are from the golden age. Unfortunately, it only reaches out about a half-mile from my house.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

WKHR

All 30's, 40's, 50's,....hey! Where did this forum come from? [huh]
Just noticed this seperate area and I like it. It's a great idea with the perfect hostess too.

 

[drafttek]

I haven't found any in my area, south of Boston, but I do listen to KCEA on the internet. It's a high school station out of California. I like the mix of songs they play and no commercials either.
http://www.kcea.org/history.html

 

[Mike in Seattle]

KUOW here in Seattle has a show every Saturday evening called The Swing Years and Beyond. It's all music from the 20's through 40's. It's a great show - I know I've mentioned it here on FL on other posts, but here goes again. Here's a link to each week's broadcast repeats. Scroll down and click te "LISTEN" link.

 

[Harp]

Link to Swing Years

Thanks Mike. All I need to do now is fix my computer's
sound system!

 

[Paisley]

Everything from Soup to Nuts

We have an AM station called KEZW, which has been around for ages. It plays 40s to 80s (Everthing from Sinatra to the Karen Carpenter) and has a bunch of talk shows (restaurant show, car guys). The talk is usually on when I want to hear music.

But there is a pretty AM good station that plays 50s through 70s rock that I like. This morning they played "Take a Letter, Maria" and "Papa was a Rolling Stone" within one hour.

 

[Sweet Leilani]

We have an excellent station here in SE Penna. It's WRDV 89.3. They play swing M-F daytime, then a mix of old R&B/jump blues, classic country, doo-wop & 1920's hot jazz on various evening & weekend programs. You can listen to it on the net at: www.wrdv.org Click on the red radio on the top right. The only annoying part is the cheesy PSA's (hey, it's a community radio station).

 

[Elaina]

I'm surprised Dallas hasn't tuned in on this one.

There is a college radio station that plays everything from big band to bepop to rap, out of Denton on 88.1 I don't listen to it.

AM radio has a show, but darned if I remember when it's on, or what channel it's on. I gave up and listen to CDs.

Elaina

 

[funneman]

Local Radio...

One of the Radio Stations I'm currently working on is 640 WJNA in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

It's modeled after the "Jack" stations in California and is home to some of the strangest segues I've ever heard.

They will go from the Andrew Sisters into Air Supply or Kay Star into Abba.

You truly never know from one minute to the next what's going to come out of the speaker!

And that wonderful analog hum of AM Radio really gives those old recordings the fidelity they deserve.

 

[sparrow]

Those Were The Days in Chicago

Today I reaquainted myself with the only Chicagoland broadcast of old time radio. The College of Dupage radio station out of Morton Grove at 90.9 has a Saturday afternoon radio show called Those Were the Days which plays music and shows from the 30s through the 50s from 1 to 5 p.m. It's got a strong signal that I can pick up from the far North Side down to Lakeview (possibly beyond?) They'll be having a special Halloween show in two weeks that's supposedly a real scream!

 

[swankysister]

Australians might like to check if their local community radio station broadcasts Hit Parade of Yesterday which is recorded in Cairns, Queensland, but is broadcast in my local town (within NSW/ACT). The DJ's background is American, so he has links to US-based radio shows. This site also has links for downloadable old school jazz.