SPECIAL THANKS TO SAMMY REED FOR ALLOWING US TO POST THIS AIRCHECK.
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For most Memphians who remember listening to Country music over the years, the stations most remembered are today’s WGKX “Kix 106”, 790 WMC and a station known for seven years as “Froggy 94” – WOGY. The Frog notwithstanding, a radio station at 94.1 actually didn’t exist before Froggy 94. There WAS, however, a radio station at 94.3 with a bit less coverage.
94.3 WLVS was owned, at the time of this aircheck, by Sun Records mogul Sam Phillips. Given his ties to Elvis Presley, his radio station got the call letters WLVS. WLVS signed on the air as a Rock station in 1978, but flipped to Country in 1979. It’s main competition was 790 WMC (AM). WGKX wouldn’t arrive for another couple of years, as 105.9 FM was playing Easy Listening music as WEZI. So, Phillips’ FM station found its niche, and for a while was a good sounding alternative to WMC.
in 1983, 105.9 flipped to Country as WGKX and at that time (with a far more powerful signal than 94.3), WLVS was converted into a Beautiful Music outlet, taking the calls that had been in use on 105.9, WEZI and remained that way through most of the 1980s, flipping to oldies as WODZ. In 1992 WODZ changed frequencies to 94.1 FM, and flipped back to Country as WOGY “Froggy 94” in 1993. Sometime in this time period, Sam Phillips sold the station. Sinclair, which also owned a number of television stations around the country, was owner until mid-1999. The Froggy Country format lasted until April 23, 2000, When new owner Entercom flipped the station to Modern AC as WMBZ “The Buzz” (Listen to the flip of Froggy 94 to The Buzz HERE, courtesy of Steve West). The station did two more format changes, finally landing on the current Classic Hits format as 94.1 – KQK.
Here’s the George Allen afternoon show. I have to wonder if George Allen is any relation to my old friend Charlie C. Allen? Perhaps he’ll check in 🙂
Note, years before Capt. Pat Adams did traffic reports on Kix, Sgt. Mark Hopper is doing traffic here on WLVS. Yep, some programming elements are STILL great!
Thanks VERY MUCH for choosing this aircheck for your site, and for the additional input on the station! I’ll put a link to this page where I have the aircheck on mine. Again, thanks!
Wow! You’re fast! Sammy, I don’t think I know you, but I sure have a special place in my heart for Memphis radio, having been on the air there from 2000-2005 and again in 2007. I really miss it there at times! Thanks for letting me put that up!
I was on the air at LVS from 1979-83. We were the first stereo country station in the region. George Allen, Ron Jordan, John Hernandez, George Klien and Kimberly VanScoy and myself were the regulars. A whopping 6000 watts at the time. KIX106 came in and killed us with 100K watts. BOY! Great times at that station!!
George Kline?!! I shouldn’t be surprised, though. The station reaked of Elvis from the calls right down to the owner. Ain’t nobody left alive who remembers more about the King than George. How’s he doing? Talk to him lately? I haven’t seen him since he had his Elvis show on the old WSRR… George is good people, he is!
WLVS is where Klein’s “Elvis Hour” got started. Now he’s on XM19 with the same show he’s been doing for the past 35 years. I would REALLY like to hear a Ron Jordan aircheck if anyone has one. He did some things at LVS that Dees never would have dared to try. Of course, Jordan did get in a lot of trouble back then, too. RIP, RJ.