WWDV

Infobox Radio station
name = WWDV


city = Zion, Illinois
area = Southeast Wisconsin, Extreme Northeast Illinois
branding = "The Drive"
slogan = "The Soundtrack of Our Lives"
airdate = January 1, 2003
frequency = 96.9 MHz HD Radio 96.9-2 FM (WWDV-2 - Deep Tracks)
format = Timeless rock
erp = 50,000 Watts (vertical) 38,000 Watts (horizontal)
haat = 148 meters (486 feet)
class = B
facility_id = 49547
coordinates = coord|42|30|36|N|87|53|11|W
callsign_meaning = WW The Drive
former_callsigns =
owner = Bonneville International
licensee = Bonneville Holding Company
sister_stations = WDRV, WILV, WTMX
webcast = [http://www.wdrv.com/live/wdrv.asx Listen Live]
website = http://www.wwdv.com
affiliations =

WWDV (96.9 FM) is a radio station in Zion, Illinois, known as "The Drive". The station is currently owned by Bonneville International, and simulcasts with WDRV (97.1 FM). "The Drive" programs a broad-based classic rock format called "Timeless Rock" (similar to the early days of WLUP).

History

WAXO first signed on the air at 96.9 FM on November 4, 1962; the first voice heard was that of Paul Weyrich. The station's effective radiated power then was 3,500 Watts, broadcasting from a transmitter and 143-foot tower at 6400 67th Street and studios in the Isermann Building at 616 56th Street in downtown Kenosha. In 1966, WAXO built new AM-FM studios at the transmitter/tower location, and moved operations there. (The building is now a medical facility, though the WAXO tower supports remain on the grounds.)

WAXO was Kenosha's second modern-day radio station after WLIP and was billed as "The new voice of a new and greater Kenosha". WAXO's first station manager was longtime broadcaster Roy Ambrose of Manitowoc, Wisconsin; Paul Weyrich was the first program director and Don Jensen was the first news director. Subsequent station managers included Richard Blaha and Darrell Gorr. In a late-1968 promotional stunt, WAXO announcer Gary Anderson held a record for constant on-air broadcast duties by performing an air shift of 96.9 hours.

Service Broadcasting Corporation owned WAXO between 1962 and June 14, 1969. Arnold Johnson was president, Dr. Robert Heller was executive vice-president, and John E. Malloy Esq. was secretary-treasurer.

The company had always intended to operate an AM radio station, and there was an unused local Federal Communications Commission AM frequency allocation at 1500 kilohertz. However, there were competing interests for the AM license, most notably from neighboring Zion, Illinois which had lost its 50,000-Watt radio station in a 1930s fire. After lengthy testimony the FCC decided to grant the AM 1500 license to the Zion-Benton Broadcasting Association of Zion, and the station became WZBN, signing on the air on September 19, 1967. After that, Service Broadcasting decided to sell WAXO, and competition developed for the licensed 96.9 FM frequency from broadcasting interests in both Zion and Racine, Wisconsin. The owners of WZBN in Zion were the successful applicants, and paid $250,000 for WAXO. Within weeks a lightning strike destroyed the transmitter and WAXO's new owners were granted permission for an increase in power to 10,000 Watts horizontal and 8,100 Watts vertical and a new 500-foot antenna tower at Dexter's Corner, Wisconsin.

By autumn of 1969 the new owners had changed the call letters to WKZN (for "Waukegan Kenosha Zion Newport"). They referred to themselves on-air as "KZ97". The new ownership had ordered and installed a new Schafer automation system, then sold the three-year-old building and moved the WKZN studios to 2219 63rd Street in uptown Kenosha, which was built as a fire station. By 1974 WKZN was moved from Kenosha to combined WZBN-WKZN studios at 2700 Sheridan Road in Zion.

The WAXO call letters were later issued to 1220 AM in Lewisburg, Tennessee, where they are still in use. WAXO's 1969 tower at Dexter's Corner is still in use by the station.

Typical WAXO programming

*"Sundial" with Paul Weyrich
*"The Mike is Yours" with Larry Taylor
*"Home Executive Club" with Lida Hindley
*"The Noon Report" and "Showtime" with Don Jensen
*"The Chuck Presley Show" - Chuck Presley
*"The Lou Rugani Show" - Lou Rugani
*"Sentimental Journey" with Augie Gnorski (Gus Gnorski)
*"Moondial" with Jay Wells
*"Passport to Italy" with Mario Capponi
*"Your Opinion Please" with Roy Ambrose
*"The Big Bands" with Lew Strangberg
*"Play By Play" with Jim Wynne
*"Invitation to Music" with Wayne Blackmon
*"The Frank Carmichael Show" - Frank Carmichael
*"The Hammond Organ Show" with Lillian Crawford (and later, Lillian Gildenstern)

WNIZ

In 1983, WKZN was sold to Northern Illinois Broadcasting, the owners of WNIB (97.1 FM), which had been experiencing interference problems from WKZN's adjoining frequency. WKZN then became WNIZ, and simulcast nearly all of WNIB's programming until both stations were sold in 2000 for $158 million to the Bonneville broadcasting interests.

On April 2, 2001, WNIB became WDRV ("The Drive"), and WNIZ became a simulcast of WDRV's sister station, WTMX. Call letters for 96.9 were changed to WTNX. This simulcast did very little for WTMX's ratings, and management felt it would be more appropriate to be paired up with its neighbor at 97.1. On January 1, 2003, 96.9 became the north metro frequency for "The Drive", and the call letters were changed to WWDV.

WDRV 97.1 FM

*"See also WDRV"

The 97.1 frequency signed on as WNIB (NIB=Northern Illinois Broadcasting, original owner) in 1957, playing classical music. Later, the company purchased the station at 96.9 FM in Zion, changing the call letters to WNIZ and serving as a simulcast for communities north of Chicago. The stations were sold in 2000 to Bonneville International.

WNIB then became WDRV "The Drive" on April 2, 2001. It began as a classic hits format, but has slowly evolved into a broad-based classic rock format. Many of The Drive's personalities have had long histories at other Chicago radio stations. The on-air staff includes morning host Steve Downes (the voice of the Master Chief in the "Halo" video games), Bob Stroud (middays), Bobby Skafish (afternoons), Phil Manicki (evenings), and Greg Easterling (overnights). Current weekend personalities include Ryan Arnold, "Crazy" Ray Styles, Allie Ellison, Jim Foster, Carla Leonardo, Steve Seaver, Marc Vernon and Mitch Michaels. On Sunday mornings Bob Stroud hosts his famous "Rock 'N Roll Roots" show, which debuted in 1980 at WMET. Steve Downes' nationally syndicated show, "The Classics", is aired every Sunday night.

HD Radio

In September 2006, WWDV's HD-2 station signed on simulcasting with WDRV HD-2 featuring Deep Tracks.

External links

* [http://www.wdrv.com "The Drive" official website]
*FMQ|WWDV
*FML|WWDV