WOAM

Infobox Radio station
name = WOAM


city = Peoria, Illinois
area = Peoria, Illinois
slogan = America's Best Music
branding =
frequency = 1350 kHz
repeater =
airdate = 1940s
share = 2.3
share as of = Sp'08
share source = R&Rcite news | first= | last= | coauthors= | title=Peoria Market Ratings | date= | url=http://www.radioandrecords.com/RRRatings/DefaultSearch.aspx?MarketName=Peoria&MarketRank=%20 | work =Radio & Records | pages = | date = | language = ]
format = Adult Standards/MOR
power = 1,000 watts
erp =
haat =
class = B
facility_id = 33878
coordinates = coord|40|35|41.00|N|89|35|40.00|W|region:US_type:city
callsign_meaning =
former_callsigns = WTAZ (1999—2001)
WOAM (1994–1999)
WXCL (1966–1994)
WAAP (1950s?–1966)
WEEK (1940s–1950s?)
owner = Kelly Communications, Inc.
licensee =
sister_stations = 94.3 WPMJ (since 1990s)
104.9 WXCL (traditional, until 1990s)
webcast =
website = [http://www.1350woam.com 1350woam.com]
affiliations = America's Best Music (music)
CNN Radio (news)

WOAM (1350 AM) was a radio station broadcasting an Adult Standards/MOR format. Licensed to Peoria, Illinois, USA, the station served the Peoria area. The station is currently owned by Kelly Communications, Inc. but is dark following its closure on October 2, 2008.

The news was fed from CNN Radio, [cite web|url=http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/fmq?call=WOAM |title=WOAM Facility Record |work=United States Federal Communications Commission, audio division ] [cite web|url=http://www1.arbitron.com/sip/displaySip.do?surveyID=SU08&band=fm&callLetter=WOAM|title=WOAM Station Information Profile|publisher=Arbitron] and the local morning show was hosted by Roger Monroe and Royce Elliot. At other times, the programming was provided by syndication service.

History

The station signed on as WEEK in the 1940s. Peoria's TV channel 25 was started by the owners of 1350, and to this day channel 25 retains the callsign WEEK-TV, but 1350 itself has since switched callsigns several times.

Other call letters have included WAAP, WXCL (still retained by a former sister station), and WTAZ. The station was most successful as WXCL (AM) with a country music format adopted in 1965. Eventually WXCL was simulcast on 104.9, a Pekin, Illinois station that changed its callsign to WXCL-FM. In 1994 the simulcast was dropped, with WXCL-FM 104.9 keeping the callsign and country format, and 1350 becoming WOAM with the Music of Your Life format. Veteran Peoria native/broadcaster Cliff Shell hosted a highly rated morning drive show for its first two years. WOAM also became the highest rated AM station in Peoria during its second year on the air. In 1999 the station flipped to talk as (then) sister station WTAZ in Morton, Illinois) was moved from 102.3 FM to 1350 AM. In 2001 the WTAZ call letters and format were dropped and WOAM returned using the Timeless Classics syndicated adult standards format. In 2007 WOAM switched to Dial Global's Adult Standards syndicated format.fact|date=October 2008 By the time of WOAM's closing, its only local show was morning show "Breakfast with Royce and Roger".

Personalities when the station was country WXCL included Don Elliot, Lee Ranson, Chuck Urban, Bill Bro, Paul Jackson, (Part Timer Arlen Horn), and Jim Crowley, Steve Young, Doug Adams, Tweed Scott, Dave Hinkley etc..

On October 2, 2008, WOAM along with sister station 94.3 WPMJ Chillicothe, Illinois went dark after owner Kelly Communications declared bankruptcy. Company owner Bob Kelly said he is still seeking funding and expects the stations to be off the air for "probably" 6 to 12 months.cite news | url=http://www.pjstar.com/homepage/x282356814/Peoria-radio-stations-to-close |title=WOAM 1350 and WPMJ-FM 94.3 go off the air |last=Tarter |first=Steve |work=Peoria Journal Star |date=2008-10-02 |accessdate=2008-10-02]

References

External links

*AM station data|WOAM