WIRL

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WIRL

City of license	Peoria, Illinois
Broadcast area	Bloomington, Peoria
Branding	Classic Country 1290
Frequency	1290 kHz
First air date	August 18, 1948
Format	Classic Country
Audience share	2.6 (Fall 2007, R&R)
Power	5,000 watts day 5,000 watts night
Class	B
Facility ID	13040
Transmitter coordinates	40°37′24.00″N 89°35′27.00″W
Former callsigns	WWFS (2000–2005) WIRL (1948–2000)
Affiliations	ABC Radio
Owner	Triad Broadcasting JMP Media Group (Monterey Licenses, LLC)
Sister stations	WSWT (traditional); WMBD (AM), WPBG, WDQX, WXCL
Website	1290wirl.com

WIRL (1290 AM, nicknamed "Classic Country 1290") is a radio station broadcasting a classic country music format. Licensed to Peoria, Illinois, USA, the station serves the Bloomington and Peoria areas and broadcasts in AM stereo. The station is currently owned by Monterey Licenses, LLC which is known locally as JMP Radio.

Current Programming

WIRL features local air personalities Courtney Lynne in the morning and Mike Sabol in the afternoon. The station has a noon farm and agri-business show weekdays. The station features ABC network news on the hour and carries Chicago Cubs baseball and University of Illinois football and basketball. Chicago Bears coverage, formerly heard on 1290, is now heard on sister station "Max FM" at 102.3 FM.

History

WIRL was most famous as a Top 40 radio station from 1960 until approximately 1984. WIRL was successful immediately as a Top 40 station, as the only competition was daytime-only WPEO 1020 AM. Popular disc jockeys were Robyn Weaver, Lee Ranson, Bill McCluggage, Lee Malcolm, Wayne R. Miller, Howard Taylor, Pete Stewart, and Mark Wainwright. For many years WIRL broadcast Bradley University basketball games with Mort Cantor as the play by play man.

In the late 1970s, FM station WKZW 93.3 (now WPBG) began programming a Top 40 format and siphoned away many listeners from WIRL. WIRL then evolved into a full service personality and adult contemporary station. Personalities included Lee Malcolm, Gene Konrad, Kurt Schaeffer, Denise Henley, Steve Larson and Darryl Parks. The adult contemporary format lasted until the early 1990s; the station also programmed oldies, standards, and sports talk. In November 2000, the station changed to all-sports "Fox Sports 1290" with the callsign WWFS. The station returned to the WIRL call sign when it adopted the classic country format in March 2005. A station from New York now uses the callsign "WWFS".

External links

• Query the FCC's AM station database for WIRL
• Radio-Locator Information on WIRL
• Query Arbitron's AM station database for WIRL
• The Big 1290 — tribute site with pictures and soundclip archives