Jump to content

WKRU

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
WKRU
Broadcast areaGreen Bay, Wisconsin
Frequency106.7MHz
Branding106.7 The Big Dog
Programming
FormatClassic rock
AffiliationsWestwood One
Ownership
Owner
WDUZ(AM/FM),WOGB,WQLH
History
First air date
December 1996 (as WJLW)
Former call signs
WJLW (1996–2007)
WZNN (2007–2010)
Call signmeaning
Derived from the station's former "KRUz "format
Technical information[1]
Licensing authority
FCC
Facility ID31912
ClassC3
ERP25,000watts
HAAT100 meters (328 feet)
Transmitter coordinates
44°29′03″N87°56′12″W/ 44.48417°N 87.93667°W/44.48417; -87.93667
Links
Public license information
WebcastListen live
Websitewww.bigdog1067

WKRU(106.7FM) is aclassic rockradio stationlicensedtoAllouez, Wisconsin,United Statesand serving theGreen Bayarea. The station is owned byCumulus Media.WKRU's studios are located on Victoria Street in Green Bay. while its transmitter is located in the eastern part of Green Bay.

History

[edit]

The station began broadcasts in December 1996, when Jack LeDuc resurrected theWJLWcall letters and itscountry musicformat one year after selling its previous home at95.9 FM.[2]LeDuc ran WJLW until March 1998, when he decided to sell a second time. The new owners,Cumulus Media,changed the station to "106.7 The Eagle," airing aclassic rockformat.[3]By the mid 2000s, some current rock songs would be inserted into the format, with the station billing themselves as "The Rock of Green Bay."

Major changes would occur at the station in March 2007, as Cumulus changed the call letters to WZNN and dismissed the on-air staff. "The Eagle" ended on the night of March 5 when, after an hour of music fromThe Eagles(ending with "Hotel California"), the station beganstunting[4]with construction site noise. At precisely 1:06 p.m. the next day, WZNN relaunched as "106-7 The Zone," withNirvana's"Smells Like Teen Spirit"andGreen Day's"Holiday"being the first two songs played. In billing themselves as" Green Bay's only true alternative ", WZNN's move was aimed to set the station apart from the traditionalmainstream/classic rockstations in the area.[5][6]"The Zone" would also air the syndicatedMancow's Morning Madhouseprogram during morning drive time.

On December 9, 2010, WZNN changed its call sign to WKRU, rebranded as "KRUZ @ 106.7," and adopted a newadult album alternativeformat. The format of "KRUZ" (pronounced on-air as "cruise" ) was similar to that of stations inMadison(WMMM-FM) andChicago(WXRT-FM).[7]

At midnight on November 17, 2017, after playing "It's the End of the World as We Know It"byR.E.M.,WKRU beganstuntingwith Christmas music as "Christmas @ 106.7." The holiday music lasted until 6 p.m. on December 25, whenclassic rockreturned to the frequency, this time under the "106.7 The Big Dog" branding, with "Move it On Over"byGeorge Thorogood and the Destroyersbeing the first song played (which was preceded byThe Singing Dogs' version of "Jingle Bells,"a hint of the new format's branding)." The Big Dog's "on-air schedule featuresThe Bob & Tom Showin morning drive;Bob & Tom,which is distributed by Cumulus-ownedWestwood One,had aired in Green Bay on the rock-formatted WOZZ/WRQE (93.5 FM) before that station's 2014 flip to classic country asWGEE.[8]

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^"Facility Technical Data for WKRU".Licensing and Management System.Federal Communications Commission.
  2. ^Warren Gerds, "Can't get enough country? WJLW will return,"The Green Bay Press-Gazette,April 26, 1996.
  3. ^Warren Gerds, "Local radio isn't done with format changes,"The Green Bay Press-Gazette,March 20, 1998.
  4. ^WZNN Starts Stunting.Archived fromthe originalon 2007-09-27.
  5. ^"Changes taking place at WJLW Radio,"The Green Bay Press-Gazette,March 6, 2007.
  6. ^Warren Gerds, "Former WJLW Radio goes alternative,"The Green Bay Press-Gazette,March 7, 2007.
  7. ^"Broadcasting News-December 2010".
  8. ^"WKRU Green Bay To Debut New Format Monday; Adds Bob & Tom,"from RadioInsight (originally reported 11/19/2017 and updated 12/22/2017)
[edit]
Audio files