WCIL-FM

Infobox Radio station
name = WCIL-FM


city = Carbondale, Illinois
area =
slogan =
branding = "Todays Hit Music 101.5"
frequency = 101.5 MHz
airdate =
share = 6.4
share as of = Fa'06
share source = R&R [cite news |title=Marion-Carbondale (IL) Market Ratings |url=http://www.radioandrecords.com/RRRatings/DefaultSearch.aspx?MarketName=Marion-Carbondale&MarketRank=%20 |work =Radio & Records]
format = Pop Contemporary Hit Radio
erp = 28,500 watts
haat = 199.0 meters
class = B
facility_id = 65949
coordinates = coord|37|42|4.00|N| 89|22|18.00|W|region:US_type:city
callsign_meaning = Carbondale, Il linois [cite web |url=http://www.oldradio.com/archives/nelson/origins.call-list.html |title=Call Letter Origins |work=Radio History on the Web]
former_callsigns =
owner = River Radio
licensee = MRR License LLC
sister_stations = WCIL, WUEZ, WJPF, WOOZ-FM, WXLT
webcast =
website = [http://www.cilfm.com cilfm.com]
affiliations =

WCIL-FM (101.5 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a Pop Contemporary Hit Radio format. Licensed to Carbondale, Illinois, USA, the station serves the Marion-Carbondale (IL) area. The station is currently owned by Mrr License LLC. [ cite web|url=http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=WCIL-FM |title=WCIL-FM Facility Record |work=United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division ]

History

WCIL-AM signed on the air in 1946 as a daytime only station with personalities such as Jim Bowen, Bluegrass Roy and others in a second floor studio at about 215 W. Main St. in Carbondale [http://www.leonardsview.com/wcilpast.html] . At that time, to get the AM license, they were pressured by the FCC to also sign on an FM station. They kept the FM on the air for about a year and then signed it off the air since, at the time, nobody listened to FM. Later, WCIL-AM moved the studios to a house at a location that is now the parking lot for the First United Methodist Church in Carbondale. In 1964 WCIL-AM moved again, this time to new studios at 211 W. Main in Carbondale, right across the street from the church. Paul F. McRoy, the station's owner foresaw the potential of FM and applied for an FM license. The license was approved and WCIL-FM signed on in 1968 and allowed broadcasting after local sunset when WCIL-AM was required to sign off. WCIL AM/FM simulcasted the same programming on both stations [http://www.leonardsview.com/wcilpast.html] . The format was easy listening music and news. A year or so before CIL-FM was born, Top 40 music was played at night after 10pm. The FCC required AM/FM simulcasts to split programming. So, plans were made to split WCIL-AM and FM. The AM and FM split programming and became separate stations on August 16th,1976. Before this split of the stations, they would sign off the air at 2am and sign back on at 6am. Once the stations split, CIL-FM Rockinradio was born and was on the air 24 hours a day [http://www.leonardsview.com/wcilpast.html] and hasn't signed off since except for technical problems. The first song played on CIL-FM that morning at 6am was "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles, played by morning host Dennis Lyle. McRoy would go on to sell both WCIL-FM and AM to Lyle, now the President of the Illinois Broadcasters Association.

CIL-FM dominated ratings in the heyday of Top 40/CHR radio. The air-personalities were well known throughout the area. In the 1980s and 1990s, Programming Director Tony Waitekus propelled the station to national prominence [http://www.leonardsview.com/wcilmemories.html] . After Lyle purchased the station, John Riley took over mornings and had a successful run. Riley was charismatic about the Carbondale community and had a close connection to SIU Athletics.

Later, in 1997, Lyle sold the stations to the Zimmer Radio Group. Soon after the sale, CIL-FM had a 1997 relaunch as "Today's Hit Music" and WCIL-AM became a daytime-only simulcast of News/Talk WJPF.

Jon E. Quest has been broadcasting on WCIL for over a decade and now hosts the CIL-FM Morning Show with Lia Mira. Previous to Quest and Mira, the morning show was hosted by Kato, along with Mira. Prior to that, mornings were hosted by the Steve and DC Morning Show from 1997 (taking over from John Riley) until 2006.

In 2004, Zimmer Radio Group sold their stations in southern Illinois (including WCIL-FM), along with Cape Girardeau, Poplar Bluff and Sikeston, MO, to Mississippi River Radio, Max Media, LLC.

Programming

WCIL-FM has been a home for many years for Southern Illinois University football and basketball featuring Mike Reis, now a member of the SIU Athletics Hall of Fame.The station is also an affiliate of the syndicated American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest, along with Dawson McAllister Live.

Ownership

In December 2003, Mississippi River Radio, acting as Max Media LLC (John Trinder, president/COO), reached an agreement to purchase WCIL, WCIL-FM, WJPF, WOOZ-FM, WUEZ, WXLT, KCGQ-FM, KEZS-FM, KGIR, KGKS, KJEZ, KKLR-FM, KLSC, KMAL, KSIM, KWOC, and KZIM from the Zimmer Radio Group (James L. Zimmer, owner). [cite news |work=Southern Illinoisan |title=Zimmer sells 17 radio stations |date=2003-12-19 |first=John D. |last=Homan |quote=The Zimmer Radio Group, a family-owned media company, announced Wednesday it will sell 17 of its 32 stations [...] to Mississippi River Radio.] The reported value of this 17 station transaction was $43 million. [cite news |work=Broadcasting & Cable |title=Changing Hands - 1/12/2004 |url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA373841.html |date=2004-01-12]

CIL-FM Jocks:John E QuestLia MiraIvyElrodBrit

References

External links

* [http://cilfm.com/home.php WCIL-FM official website]
* [http://www.leonardsview.com/wcilpast.html History of WCIL]
*http://siualumni.com/s/664/index.aspx?sid=664&gid=1&pgid=15&cid=292&newsid=50