Editing KDWB-FM (section)

==History==
Between its AM and FM frequencies, KDWB has been an uninterrupted Top 40 outlet since 1959. Originally starting out at 630&nbsp;kHz, in 1976 the station's owner, [[Doubleday Broadcasting Co.]] purchased the 101.3&nbsp;MHz frequency in 1976, later transferring the entire format there.

===63 KDWB===
{{See also|WREY}}
KDWB's origins date back to [[1951 in radio|1951]] on the AM dial at 1590&nbsp;kHz. The station was launched in August 1951, licensed to [[South St. Paul]] by the Tedesco brothers, Al, Vic and Nick,<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://startribune.newspapers.com/image/183409743/?terms=wcow&match=1|title=Aug 12, 1951, page 43 - Star Tribune at The Minnesota Star Tribune - The Minnesota Star Tribune Archive|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> as WCOW. On the air between dawn and dusk, the station played [[country music|country]] western and old-time music and signed on each day with a [[Cowbell (instrument)|cowbell]]. The offices and studios were located at 208 Third Avenue N., and the transmitter was located at 158 White Bear Avenue in North St. Paul.<ref name="auto"/> The Tedesco brothers had attempted to get into television the previous year, on channel 17, but financial backing fell through. (The channel 17 allocation was granted to [[Twin Cities Public Television]] in 1965.)

WCOW was not successful, so the station transitioned to a female-oriented format, with the call letters changing to WISK in May 1956,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://startribune.newspapers.com/image/187733333/?terms=wisk+++wcow&match=1|title=May 11, 1956, page 31 - The Minneapolis Star at The Minnesota Star Tribune - The Minnesota Star Tribune Archive|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> and switched its frequency to 630&nbsp;kHz the next year. Once more, the format proved unpopular, and the station was sold the following year to the Crowell-Collier Broadcasting Company, owners of [[KFWB]] in Los Angeles and [[KNEW (AM)|KEWB]] in San Francisco. The [[top 40]] format of those stations, with strong California/West Coast style influence, was brought to Minnesota, and the call letters changed to KDWB in September 1959.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://startribune.newspapers.com/image/184366760/?terms=kdwb&match=1|title=Sep 16, 1959, page 34 - Star Tribune at The Minnesota Star Tribune - The Minnesota Star Tribune Archive|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> "Channel 63, KDWB" then began its long uninterrupted run as a pop music station, and quickly became a major competitor to the established [[WDGY]], which had been playing a pop music format for three years by that point. KDWB and WDGY were fierce rivals throughout the 1960s and 1970s; during that time, both stations gained more competition, as "Request Radio" AM 950 and FM 104.1 [[KZJK|KRSI]] (1968), [[KSTP (AM)|KSTP]] (1972), and [[KKMS (AM)|WYOO]] (1974) picked up the format.

As KDWB, the station became the first radio station to be fined by the [[Federal Communications Commission]]. In March 1961, six months after a review of the [[Communications Act of 1934]] granted it such power, the agency assessed a $10,000 penalty to the station for repeated willful violations of nighttime broadcast power restrictions on the [[AM band]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1961/1961-03-27-BC.pdf|page=46|work=Broadcasting|date=March 27, 1961|access-date=December 4, 2020|title=FCC throws the book at KDWB: $10,000 fine for power-antenna flub is first test of new law}}</ref>

====On-air staff and other programming====
During the 1960s and 1970s, Program Director Chuck Blore referred to the seven air shifts in 24 hours as "The 7 Swinging Gentlemen". They included:
* [[Don Bleu|"True" Don Bleu]]
* [[Bob Shannon (radio)|Bob Shannon]]
* [[Lou Waters|Lou Reigert]] (Lou Waters)

Other notable On Air Staff included:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://startribune.newspapers.com/image/181507934/?terms=%22rob+sherwood%22&match=1|title=Jan 02, 1973, page 19 - Star Tribune at The Minnesota Star Tribune|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://startribune.newspapers.com/image/184923855/?terms=%22rob+sherwood%22&match=1|title=Jan 01, 1969, page 19 - Star Tribune at The Minnesota Star Tribune - The Minnesota Star Tribune Archive|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://startribune.newspapers.com/image/186137978/?terms=%22kdwb%22&match=1|title=Jan 24, 1974, page 26 - Star Tribune at The Minnesota Star Tribune - The Minnesota Star Tribune Archive|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
* Ron Block
* Charles Brown
* Barry McKenna
* Jonny Matthews
* Adam North
* Chris Roberts
* Jackson Ross
* Rob Sherwood
* Earl Trout

Syndicated and/or non-local originating broadcasts included [[American Top 40]] with [[Casey Kasem]], which aired Sunday evenings, and for over ten years, it was the highest-rated program in the Twin Cities market.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}} Additional syndicated programming included "Jim Ladd's Innerview."

Program directors included Chuck Blore and Bob Shannon.

On April 18, 1994, after 36 years, the 630&nbsp;kHz frequency went dark. The owner, Midcontinent Media, sold the studio and tower site, which by then had been at Radio Drive and Interstate 94 for many years, for development. The regional headquarters of [[State Farm]] Insurance was built in its place.

===History of 101.3 FM===
101.3 FM began broadcasting on July 18, 1960,<ref>{{cite news|first=Will|last=Jones|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63075150/more-fm-on-the-way/|date=July 18, 1960|title=More FM on the Way|page=34|work=Minneapolis Morning Tribune}}</ref> as WPBC-FM, simulcasting daytime-only [[KKMS (AM)|WPBC (980 AM)]] and broadcasting at night.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63075109/|access-date=November 11, 2020|date=July 14, 1960|page=13B|work=The Minneapolis Star|title=A new FM radio station...}}</ref> Four years later, owners Bill and Becky Ann Stewart received approval to move both stations from Minneapolis to Richfield, including an increase of the AM's power to 5&nbsp;kW.<ref name="hc">{{Cite web|url= https://cdbs.recnet.com/corres/?doc=71366 |title= History Cards for KDWB-FM|publisher=[[Federal Communications Commission]]}} ([[Wikipedia:WikiProject Radio Stations/History Cards|Guide to reading History Cards]])<!--Converted from {{FCC letter}}--></ref> In 1969, the stations separated their programming, with the FM retaining the "good music" format, and the AM adopting a middle-of-the-road ("MOR") format.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63075219/|title=WPBC Adult Radio Expands Programming Services|date=August 29, 1969|access-date=November 11, 2020|work=The Minneapolis Tribune|page=19}}</ref> The studios, transmitters (both AM and FM), towers and offices were located at the intersection of Cliff Road and Cedar Avenue (presently "Nichols Road"), in [[Eagan, Minnesota|Eagan]].

The Stewarts sold WPBC-AM-FM in 1972, citing increased competition from larger companies, to [[Fairchild Aircraft|Fairchild Industries]] for $1.5&nbsp;million. Fairchild subsequently dismissed the staff and overhauled both stations. On November 3, 1972, WPBC became WYOO, airing an oldies format, while WPBC-FM went off the air for technical adjustments, to emerge as [[album-oriented rock]] station WRAH<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63075276/|access-date=November 11, 2020|date=November 4, 1972|pages=1A, 7A|work=Minneapolis Tribune|title='Scrapbook' shut by 'Golden Oldies' for WPBC radio}}</ref> on January 23, 1973.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63076152/|access-date=November 12, 2020|first=Forrest|last=Powers|date=January 19, 1973|page=23A|title=WRAH May Start With Hum|work=The Minneapolis Star}}</ref>

After making its debut to middling ratings that continually declined, WYOO pivoted in April 1974, spearheaded by new general manager Mike Sigelman, the former sales manager of KDWB.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63075384/|access-date=November 11, 2020|first=Irv|last=Letofsky|title=WYOO to make nostalgia craze only a memory|work=Minneapolis Tribune|page=10B|date=April 10, 1974}}</ref> A shift to adult contemporary was met with even lower ratings; with management seeing a gap for an FM Top 40 station, both stations flipped<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63075435/|access-date=November 11, 2020|date=October 17, 1974|work=Minneapolis Star|title=Ear tuggers dabble in art|first=Forrest|last=Powers|page=23B}}</ref> on August 26, 1974, while broadcasting from the [[Minnesota State Fair]].{{r|sun}} The market's fourth Top 40 at the time, originally intended to be "Y100" until [[WHYI-FM|WHYI Miami]] sent a cease and desist letter, quickly became a competitive station in the market.

U100 enjoyed a colorful but short life. The AM dial in the Twin Cities was packed with Top 40 stations, with U100, KDWB, [[KFAN (AM)|WDGY]] and [[KSTP (AM)|KSTP]] all fighting for the same audience. AM music stations also desired to transition to the increasingly popular FM dial. In early [[1976 in radio|1976]], Fairchild Industries placed both stations on the market. [[Entercom|Entertainment Communications, Inc.]], the owner of [[easy listening]] station [[KXXR|WAYL (93.7 FM)]], was interested in the AM station to simulcast WAYL's signal, but it could not buy a second FM station in the market under the rules of the time. This meant that Fairchild needed to find a buyer for the FM station; the company contacted owners of standalone AM stations in the area. Doubleday Broadcasting was not actively seeking an FM station at the time, but offered to buy WYOO-FM in February 1976 after it was presented with a generous deal that included the FM station and the building in [[Eagan, Minnesota|Eagan]] that housed both stations for $850,000.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63075543/|access-date=November 11, 2020|date=February 16, 1976|page=9B|title=WYOO-FM is sold to KDWB owner|work=Minneapolis Tribune}}</ref> KDWB's general manager at the time, Gary Stevens, said that it did not buy WYOO-FM to shut down a competitor, but rather to take advantage of what it saw as a good deal.<ref name="sun">{{cite news|title=Playing The Lame Duck Boogie At U100 Radio|first=Dave|last=Hill|pages=9, 10|work=Sun|date=May 27, 1976|url=http://www.radiotapes.com/user/U100%20-%20Sun.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715145329/http://www.radiotapes.com/user/U100%20-%20Sun.pdf |archive-date=July 15, 2011 |url-status=dead|access-date=November 12, 2020}}</ref> The AM station was then sold to WAYL for $625,000.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1976/1976-05-17-BC.pdf|access-date=November 11, 2020|date=May 17, 1976|page=34|title=Changing Hands|work=Broadcasting}}</ref>

"U100" ended at midnight on September 16 [[1976 in radio|1976]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/63075594/|title=WYOO signals taken over by KDWB on FM and by WAYL on AM|access-date=November 11, 2020|date=September 16, 1976|page=4C|work=Minneapolis Star}}</ref> and under KDWB PD John Sebastian, KDWB morning personality Dave Thomson launched the KDWB AM/FM simulcast the following morning at 6:00 with "[[Bad Blood (Neil Sedaka song)|Bad Blood]]" by [[Neil Sedaka]] as the first song played following a pre-recorded announcement introducing the change from U100. Full-time AM/FM simulcasts on stations licensed to large cities (cities with populations over 100,000) had not been allowed by the FCC since 1965. However, KDWB's simulcast was permitted via a conditional waiver and a technicality: while the AM was licensed to St. Paul (a community of over 100,000), the FM's city of license, Richfield, had a substantially smaller population. The FCC deemed the request to be in the public interest; however, KDWB was required by the FCC to broadcast eight hours of separate FM non-simulcast public affairs programming per week, with a portion focused on Richfield. The public affairs programs were broadcast from the former WYOO studio B news room and master control board in Eagan.

Boosted by the FM stereo simulcast and the removal of one of its competitors, KDWB quickly regained its position as the dominant Top 40 station in the Twin Cities. After a brief stint with a [[contemporary hit radio|CHR]]/[[album rock]] hybrid as "Y-11", WDGY switched to a [[country music|country]] format on September 2 [[1977 in radio|1977]]. [[KSTP (AM)|KSTP]] began to lean [[Adult Top 40]] during the late 1970s and evolved into a [[talk radio|talk]] station by the early 1980s (as its music focus shifted to FM sister, [[KS95]]). By the end of the decade, KDWB was the only Top 40 station in the Twin Cities.

===Stereo 101===
[[File:Stereo101 Billboard.jpg|thumb|Stereo 101 FM billboard in 1982]]
With the active competition gone, KDWB-FM split apart from the AM station's Top 40 simulcast in September 1979, and became a pop/rock hybrid as "K101 FM", with a new separate air-staff. K101 FM was met with mixed reviews and less than hoped for ratings in the Fall 1979 Arbitron ratings. KDWB management opted for a change between the last week of December 1979 and New Year's 1980, by replacing the Program Director. The station immediately morphed into "Stereo 101, The Twin Cities Rockin' Best", then "KDWB Twin Cities' 101, The Home Of Rock 'N' Roll", and then "Real Rock 101 KDWB", an [[album rock]] station designed to go up against [[KQRS-FM|KQ92]], which had recently dumped its [[Freeform (radio format)|freeform rock]] presentation and adopted a stricter playlist in reaction to a drop in ratings. Stereo 101 would be successful in its four-year run, topping KQRS in the Arbitron ratings many times, but KQRS would endure and prevail. By the summer 1983, KDWB-FM began to move from [[album rock]] to a pop/rock hybrid again, and eventually evolved into [[contemporary hit radio|CHR]] the following year. KDWB's AM signal continued with the Top 40 format during this time, although it softened to [[adult contemporary]] in 1984.

===Back to Top 40===
In December [[1981 in radio|1981]], a serious new Top 40 competitor arrived in the Twin Cities, when [[WLOL (Defunct)|WLOL]] dropped its [[soft rock]] format and turned itself into a high-profile hit music station (heavy with [[power pop]] and [[new wave music|new wave]]), immediately shooting to the top of the ratings. At the other end of the spectrum, [[KS95]] gravitated toward [[Adult Top 40]]. Around this time, [[WCCO-FM]] also briefly switched to Top 40. Meanwhile, 63 KDWB faded quickly in the ratings, as AM music stations were slowly becoming a thing of the past. To protect its heritage, take a chunk of WLOL's stellar ratings, and finally make the move of its legendary station to the FM dial, in early [[1984 in radio|1984]], KDWB-FM reverted to the Top 40 simulcast as "The New KDWB FM 101", and then as "All Hit 101". Even though the AM station was running its own programming at times, in a role reversal, the FM signal was now deemed the priority, as 630 AM attained secondary status. The AM station aired a [[Contemporary Hit Radio|CHR]] format identical to its FM counterpart from fall [[1984 in radio|1984]] to spring [[1986 in radio|1986]], before it flipped to a separate satellite delivered [[Oldies]] format as "K63" in May [[1986 in radio|1986]]. In August 1991, [[WREY|630 AM]] took on the WDGY call letters of their former Top 40 rival on 1130 AM.

KDWB-FM struggled for years against upstart market leader WLOL, which featured a fresher music selection, more popular DJs, and a highly rated morning show. KDWB was viewed by many as stuffy, stale, boring and misguided, and it went through several unsuccessful morning shows. It was argued by many that its promotions, music selection and on-air presentation paled in comparison to WLOL.

In [[1988 in radio|1988]], newly hired program director Brian Phillips cleaned house, as he dismissed many of the on-air personalities, overhauled the music and brought in [[Steve Cochran (radio host)|Steve Cochran]] to host ''The KDWB Morning Zoo''. He also hired a new air staff, introduced 12-song commercial-free music sweeps, changed the overall on-air presentation, and created a new logo, which is still in use today. As the rechristened "101.3 KDWB", its fortunes changed, with KDWB quickly becoming the dominant [[Mainstream Top 40|Top 40]]/[[Contemporary Hit Radio|CHR]] station in the market. Now, WLOL was playing catch-up, as it tried various minor overhauls and tweaks before moving in a [[Rhythmic Contemporary|Rhythmic]]-oriented direction in [[1990 in radio|1990]].<ref>https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1990s/1990/RR-1990-05-18.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref>

KDWB also gained national attention in 1989 for helping to break "[[The Look]]" by [[Roxette]], the first of four U.S. number-one songs for the Swedish duo. In February 1991, WLOL came to a sudden and premature end, as owner [[Emmis Broadcasting]] experienced financial problems and began to divest of many of its properties. [[Minnesota Public Radio]] purchased WLOL and turned it into the flagship for their [[classical music]] service. Throughout the rest of the 1990s, KDWB had virtually no CHR competition.

In [[2000 in radio|2000]], KDWB got a new rival of sorts when upstart [[KTTB]] ("B96") went on the air with a [[rhythmic Top 40]] format, heavy with [[hip-hop]] and [[urban contemporary]] music. While B96 was not the threat of a major rating, partly due to its rimshot broadcast signal and smaller promotional presence, it did give KDWB the most formidable competition it had in recent years. Later, the competition for the rhythmic/urban audience came from [[KZGO]], sister station to the former B96.

At the other end of the spectrum, [[KS95]] also competes somewhat with its older-leaning [[Hot AC]] format (which has since transitioned to a younger-leaning direction), as does KDWB's own sister station [[KTCZ]], with its own pop/rock-leaning Hot AC presentation. In [[2010 in radio|2010]], KTTB rebranded as KHTC (now [[KMWA]]), leaning more towards KDWB's format, and relocated their transmitter to the heart of the metro area. The battle between KDWB and KHTC lasted until New Year's Day 2012, when KHTC flipped to Modern AC to fill the void left open by [[KMNB|WLTE]]'s flip to Country, thus leaving KDWB as the market's only mainstream Top 40 outlet again.