WXTU
Encyclopedia
WXTU is a Country music
formatted radio station
which is broadcast in the Philadelphia area. It is the largest country radio station in the United States based on listener cume
(WUSN
in Chicago is the second largest). The station plays a variety of country music, including current hits, as well as older hits. WXTU is owned by Beasley Broadcast Group
, and is Philadelphia's only country radio station. Its transmitter is located in the Roxborough
section of the city. WXTU also broadcasts commercial free country music on one of its HD Radio
channels, which is separate from the main programming. The WXTU studios and offices are located in the "555 Building" in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania
.
Since the advent of the Portable People Meter
by Arbitron
in Philadelphia, WXTU has become the most listened to country station in the United States (based on listener cume). This distinction was formerly held by WUSN
in Chicago
, owned by CBS Radio
. Although, since PPM service is not yet available in Chicago, this is in dispute.
and neighboring communities in Montgomery County
, broadcasting MOR music and talk along with some specialty music shows and local high school sports. WIFI at the end of the 1960s brought some of the first "progressive" or "underground" rock programming to the airwaves with Johnny Devereaux and other hosts. By 1970, WIFI had dropped locally originated programming in favor of the syndicated automated format "Hit Parade '70".
's evolution into an Adult Contemporary format in the late 1970s. After WCAU-FM
debuted its Hot Hits
format in October 1981, WIFI's ratings fell as WCAU-FM quickly grabbed most of the teen audience. A move to a new-wave rock format, branded as "I-92" and "Rock of the Eighties" (1982), attracted more press attention than listenership. A flip to an Urban Contemporary format as "Studio 92", with a call sign change to WXTU (reminiscent of New York City's
WKTU), followed. That format failed to find an audience and was gone in a matter of months.
.
In 2007, the station was nominated for the top 25 markets Country music
Radio & Records magazine
station of the year award . Other nominees included WUSN
Chicago, KYGO-FM Denver, WYCD
Detroit, KEEY-FM Minneapolis, and KSON-FM
San Diego.
ACM Awards
Industry Achievement Awards
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
formatted radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
which is broadcast in the Philadelphia area. It is the largest country radio station in the United States based on listener cume
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
(WUSN
WUSN
WUSN is an FM radio station in Chicago, Illinois, The station broadcasts on 99.5 MHz and is a country radio station owned by CBS Radio. The station focuses on country music from the '90s, along with current product and some classic country from the '70s and '80s.-99.5 WEFM/99-"We" FM:Until 1978,...
in Chicago is the second largest). The station plays a variety of country music, including current hits, as well as older hits. WXTU is owned by Beasley Broadcast Group
Beasley Broadcast Group
Beasley Broadcast Group, Inc. , based in Naples, Florida, is an owner/operator of radio stations in the United States. As of January 2011, the company owned 17 AM stations and 28 FM stations. -History:...
, and is Philadelphia's only country radio station. Its transmitter is located in the Roxborough
Roxborough, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Roxborough is a neighborhood in the Northwest Philadelphia section of the United States city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is bordered to the southwest, along the Schuylkill River, by the neighborhood of Manayunk, along the northeast by the Wissahickon Creek section of Fairmount Park, and to...
section of the city. WXTU also broadcasts commercial free country music on one of its HD Radio
HD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
channels, which is separate from the main programming. The WXTU studios and offices are located in the "555 Building" in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania
Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania
Bala Cynwyd is a community in Lower Merion Township which is located on the Main Line in southeastern Pennsylvania, bordering the western edge of Philadelphia at US Route 1 . It was originally two separate towns, Bala and Cynwyd, but is commonly treated as a single community...
.
Since the advent of the Portable People Meter
Portable People Meter
The Portable People Meter is a system developed by Arbitron to measure how many people are listening to individual radio stations and television stations, including cable TV. The PPM is worn like a pager, and detects hidden audio tones within a station or network's audio stream, logging each...
by Arbitron
Arbitron
Arbitron is a consumer research company in the United States that collects listener data on radio audiences. It was founded as American Research Bureau by Jim Seiler in 1949 and became national by merging with L.A. based Coffin, Cooper and Clay in the early 1950s...
in Philadelphia, WXTU has become the most listened to country station in the United States (based on listener cume). This distinction was formerly held by WUSN
WUSN
WUSN is an FM radio station in Chicago, Illinois, The station broadcasts on 99.5 MHz and is a country radio station owned by CBS Radio. The station focuses on country music from the '90s, along with current product and some classic country from the '70s and '80s.-99.5 WEFM/99-"We" FM:Until 1978,...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, owned by CBS Radio
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
. Although, since PPM service is not yet available in Chicago, this is in dispute.
WIFI/Hit Parade '70
The first Philadelphia station on 92.5 was Westinghouse's KYW-FM. Westinghouse ultimately decided not to continue operating this station and relinquished its license. The original call sign of the current 92.5 was WIFI. Although it was always licensed as a Philadelphia station, WIFI in its early years was essentially a local station serving Norristown, PennsylvaniaNorristown, Pennsylvania
Norristown is a municipality in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, northwest of the city limits of Philadelphia, on the Schuylkill River. The population was 34,324 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Montgomery County...
and neighboring communities in Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
Montgomery County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010, the population was 799,874, making it the third most populous county in Pennsylvania . The county seat is Norristown.The county was created on September 10, 1784, out of land originally part...
, broadcasting MOR music and talk along with some specialty music shows and local high school sports. WIFI at the end of the 1960s brought some of the first "progressive" or "underground" rock programming to the airwaves with Johnny Devereaux and other hosts. By 1970, WIFI had dropped locally originated programming in favor of the syndicated automated format "Hit Parade '70".
I-92/Studio 92
After two or three years of Hit Parade, its companion oldies format "Solid Gold Rock and Roll" and other automated programming, WIFI instituted a high-energy Top 40 format. For a couple of years, WIFI was the only true Top 40 station in Philadelphia following WFILWFIL
WFIL is a radio station and a former television station serving the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its transmitter is located in Lafayette Hill, Pennsylvania....
's evolution into an Adult Contemporary format in the late 1970s. After WCAU-FM
WOGL
WOGL is an FM radio station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.The station plays mostly post 1964 pop leaning Oldies positioned Classic Hits music, including Motown, soul and rock and roll spanning roughly 1964–1985. An occasional pre-1964 song is played. WOGL is owned by CBS Radio...
debuted its Hot Hits
Hot Hits
Hot Hits was a radio format created by consultant Mike Joseph in the 1970s. That concept, which helped spur the birth of what is now known as CHR, also revitalized the Top 40 format and would play a role in bringing the format to the FM band throughout the 1980s.The concept was to play only the...
format in October 1981, WIFI's ratings fell as WCAU-FM quickly grabbed most of the teen audience. A move to a new-wave rock format, branded as "I-92" and "Rock of the Eighties" (1982), attracted more press attention than listenership. A flip to an Urban Contemporary format as "Studio 92", with a call sign change to WXTU (reminiscent of New York City's
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
WKTU), followed. That format failed to find an audience and was gone in a matter of months.
92.5 WXTU
On March 1, 1984 at 1pm ET the station switched to the current country format. The very first country song on WXTU was "Are You Ready For The Country" by Waylon JenningsWaylon Jennings
Waylon Arnold Jennings was an American country music singer, songwriter, and musician. Jennings began playing at eight. He began performing at twelve, on KVOW radio. Jennings formed a band The Texas Longhorns. Jennings worked as a D.J on KVOW, KDAV and KLLL...
.
In 2007, the station was nominated for the top 25 markets Country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
Radio & Records magazine
Radio & Records
Radio & Records was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It originally started out as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006, up until its final issue in 2009.-History:The company was founded in 1973 and...
station of the year award . Other nominees included WUSN
WUSN
WUSN is an FM radio station in Chicago, Illinois, The station broadcasts on 99.5 MHz and is a country radio station owned by CBS Radio. The station focuses on country music from the '90s, along with current product and some classic country from the '70s and '80s.-99.5 WEFM/99-"We" FM:Until 1978,...
Chicago, KYGO-FM Denver, WYCD
WYCD
WYCD is a radio station in Detroit, Michigan. The station is the only country music station in the Detroit area. WYCD's offices and studios are located on Woodward Heights . near Interstate 75 in Ferndale, Michigan...
Detroit, KEEY-FM Minneapolis, and KSON-FM
KSON-FM
KSON is a radio station licensed to serve San Diego, California, USA. The station, founded in 1964, is owned by Lincoln Financial Media and the broadcast license is held by Lincoln Financial Media Company of California....
San Diego.
Airstaff
The current lineup (as of January 4, 2011) is as follows- Morning Show (5 a.m - 10 a.m): Doc & Andie - Ken "Doc" Medek, Andie Summers and Kevin Crockett
- Mid-Days (10 a.m - 1 p.m): Brian McKay
- Early Afternoons (1 p.m - 3 p.m): XTU On Demand - Shelly Easton
- Afternoon Drive (3 p.m - 7 p.m): Razz On The Radio - Mark Razz
- Nighttime (7 p.m - 12 a.m): Ken Anderson
- Overnights (12 a.m - 5 a.m): After Mid-Nite with Blair GarnerBlair GarnerBlair Garner is an American radio personality. According to his After MidNite with Blair Garner show website, he purchased his first car at age 12. He is the host of the syndicated radio programs After MidNite with Blair Garner and The Blair Garner Show...
- Weekend's/Fill-ins: Rick Edwards, Frank Michaels, Jeff Ryan and Christy Springfield
- Program Director: Shelly Easton
- Assistant Program Director/Music Director: Mark Razz
- Station Voice: John Willyard
Awards and nominations
CMA Awards- 2002 Radio Station (Major Market) (Nominated)
- 2005 Radio Station (Major Market) (Nominated)
- 2006 Radio Station (Major Market) (Nominated)
- 2007 Radio Station (Major Market) (Nominated)
- 2008 Radio Station (Major Market) (Nominated)
ACM Awards
- 2007 Radio Station (Major Market) (Nominated)
- 2008 Radio Station (Major Market) (Nominated)
Industry Achievement Awards
- 2007 Radio Station (Major Market) (Nominated)
- 2007 Personality (Bob Marly) (Nominated)