WDKF (99.7
FM) is a
radio station
Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...
licensed to
Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Sturgeon Bay is a city in and the county seat of Door County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 9,646 at the 2020 Census. The city is well-known regionally for being the largest city of the Door Peninsula, after which the county is na ...
, United States. The station serves the Green Bay area simulcasting co-owned
WGEE with a
classic country
Classic country is a music radio format that specializes in playing mainstream country and western music hits from past decades.
Repertoire
The radio format specializes in hits from the 1950s through the early 1980s, and focus primarily on innov ...
format as ''Duke FM''. The station is currently owned by Midwest Communications, with studios in
Bellevue Bellevue means "beautiful view" in French. It may refer to:
Placenames
Australia
* Bellevue, Western Australia
* Bellevue Hill, New South Wales
* Bellevue, Queensland
* Bellevue, Glebe, an historic house in Sydney, New South Wales
Canada ...
, and its main transmitter located near the town of
Lincoln
Lincoln most commonly refers to:
* Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the sixteenth president of the United States
* Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England
* Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S.
* Lincol ...
in
Kewaunee County
Kewaunee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,563. Its county seat is Kewaunee. The county was created in 1852 and organized in 1859. Its Menominee name is ''Kewāneh'', an arch ...
.
History
The station that would become WDKF launched in the early 1980s at 100.1 FM (eventually moving to 99.7 by 1986). Compared to its simulcast partner in the Fox Valley, WDKF's format history has been mostly unstable. The station started out in the early 80s under the WSBW call sign (not to be confused with
the current WSBW in
Sister Bay
Sister Bay is a village in Door County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 876 at the 2010 census.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Demographics ...
) and aired a locally originated
adult contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...
format through studios in downtown
Sturgeon Bay. An ownership change in 1989 would see WSBW become WQZZ, with the station now using a satellite-fed
AC format, the same service used by its sister station in the Fox Cities, the similarly-callsigned but separately-operated
WOZZ
WOZZ (94.7 FM, "94.7 / 102.9 Jack FM") licensed to Mosinee, Wisconsin, is an adult hits formatted station in the Wausau, Wisconsin, market. The station is owned and operated by Duke Wright's Midwest Communications and operates at an ERP of 5 ...
. In the fall of 1990, WQZZ became WHET-FM and adopted a new satellite-fed
top 40 (CHR) format as "99.7 The Heat" to compete with
Top 40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...
station
WIXX
WIXX (101.1 FM) is a Top 40/ CHR radio station licensed to and serving Green Bay, Wisconsin, along with Appleton, Oshkosh, and much of Northeast Wisconsin. The station is owned and operated by Wausau, Wisconsin-based Midwest Communication ...
; the station would go to an all-local
Top 40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...
operation 2 years later.
By 1993, new FCC rules allowed companies to own a 2nd FM frequency in a market, and WHET's owners would sell the station to Midwest Communications that year. Midwest planned to replace the "Heat" format to avoid direct competition with its heritage
Top 40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...
station,
WIXX
WIXX (101.1 FM) is a Top 40/ CHR radio station licensed to and serving Green Bay, Wisconsin, along with Appleton, Oshkosh, and much of Northeast Wisconsin. The station is owned and operated by Wausau, Wisconsin-based Midwest Communication ...
, plans that were furthered along by severe storms that twice knocked WHET off the air in June and July 1993; the second storm permanently ended "The Heat," as Midwest used the outage to repair the signal and begin its transition to
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...
. By August 1993, the station became "99 Country," using the WGEE-FM call sign (mirroring that of its heritage
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...
sister station
In broadcasting, sister stations or sister channels are radio or television stations operated by the same company, either by direct ownership or through a management agreement.
Radio sister stations will often have different formats, and somet ...
, the current
WTAQ
WTAQ (1360 AM) and WTAQ-FM (97.5 FM) are conservative news/talk-formatted radio stations, licensed to Green Bay, Wisconsin (AM) and Glenmore, Wisconsin (FM), that serve the Green Bay and Appleton- Oshkosh areas. The stations are owned by M ...
) and using a 24/7 local operation in comparison to its mostly satellite-fed competitor,
WJLW.
WGEE-FM remained as "99 Country" until September 1996, when FCC ownership rules were further loosened, allowing Midwest Communications to purchase
WNCY-FM
WNCY-FM (100.3 FM, "Y100") is an American commercial country music formatted radio station licensed to Neenah- Menasha, Wisconsin, that serves the Green Bay and Appleton- Oshkosh areas. WNCY is owned and operated by Midwest Communications, whi ...
"Y100", which by then surpassed WJLW and WGEE-FM to become the dominant
country
A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...
station in the area. Midwest would keep country on WNCY and change WGEE-FM to an
adult contemporary
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quie ...
station under the WLTM call sign. In 1998, Midwest would move WLTM to a simulcast with its similarly-formatted WROE (see above), a simulcast that would last until March 19, 2001, when WLTM adopted a more upbeat
hot AC
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet s ...
format as "Magic 99.7", with a schedule featuring
Rick Dees' syndicated morning show.
On March 25, 2002, at 3 p.m., 99.7 switched formats again to a brand new (for Northeast Wisconsin)
Rhythmic Rhythmic may refer to:
* Related to rhythm
* Rhythmic contemporary, a radio format
* Rhythmic adult contemporary, a radio format
* Rhythmic gymnastics, a form of gymnastics
* Rhythmic (chart)
The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and ...
format as WLYD ("Wild 99-7"), while sister heritage Top 40 sister station
WIXX
WIXX (101.1 FM) is a Top 40/ CHR radio station licensed to and serving Green Bay, Wisconsin, along with Appleton, Oshkosh, and much of Northeast Wisconsin. The station is owned and operated by Wausau, Wisconsin-based Midwest Communication ...
gravitated to a
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
-leaning
top 40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...
format. The first song on "Wild" was "
Rollout (My Business)
“Rollout (My Business)” is a song by American rapper Ludacris. It was the second single released from his 2001 album '' Word of Mouf''. The song, on whose writing and composition Ludacris collaborated with music-producer Timbaland, who also ...
" by
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive.
Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...
. Although designed to be a flanker station for
WIXX
WIXX (101.1 FM) is a Top 40/ CHR radio station licensed to and serving Green Bay, Wisconsin, along with Appleton, Oshkosh, and much of Northeast Wisconsin. The station is owned and operated by Wausau, Wisconsin-based Midwest Communication ...
, "Wild 99-7" and its unique format for Green Bay would soon become one of the better-rated stations in the Green Bay market. "Wild 99-7" forced
top 40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...
station
WKSZ
WKSZ (95.9 FM, "Kiss FM") is a Top 40/CHR radio station licensed to De Pere, Wisconsin, serving Green Bay and Appleton- Oshkosh and owned by Woodward Communications. WKSZ's studios are located on College Avenue in Appleton, while its trans ...
"95.9 Kiss FM" (WIXX's competition) to flip to
Hot AC
Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, R&B, quiet s ...
as "Mix 95.9" in April 2003.
On February 18, 2006, at Midnight, "Wild 99-7" would end as 'poor advertising sales' on the station forced Midwest to flip WLYD to a more advertiser-friendly
adult hits format under the new call sign of WZBY ("99.7 The Bay"). One month later in March 2006,
WKSZ
WKSZ (95.9 FM, "Kiss FM") is a Top 40/CHR radio station licensed to De Pere, Wisconsin, serving Green Bay and Appleton- Oshkosh and owned by Woodward Communications. WKSZ's studios are located on College Avenue in Appleton, while its trans ...
reverted to "Kiss FM" and the
Top 40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or " con ...
format, this time with a
rhythmic Rhythmic may refer to:
* Related to rhythm
* Rhythmic contemporary, a radio format
* Rhythmic adult contemporary, a radio format
* Rhythmic gymnastics, a form of gymnastics
* Rhythmic (chart)
The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and ...
lean to pick up on former "Wild 99-7" listeners. WZBY would evolve to
classic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes songs from the top 40 music charts from the late 1960s to the early 2000s, with music from the 1980s serving as the core of the format. Music that was popularized by MTV in the early 1980s ...
by September 2008, and in early 2009, began a simulcast on
translator
Translation is the communication of the Meaning (linguistic), meaning of a #Source and target languages, source-language text by means of an Dynamic and formal equivalence, equivalent #Source and target languages, target-language text. The ...
W270AJ (101.9 FM) to help with 99.7's signal issues in the immediate Green Bay area. On September 15, 2009, WZBY and its "Bay" format would give way with a second simulcast with the Fox Valley's WROE, this time under the similar call sign of WRQE.
At 5 PM on September 3, 2010, Midwest Communications dropped the
AC format a second time. The stations became
WYDR
WYDR (94.3 FM, "94.3 Jack FM") is a radio station broadcasting a variety hits music format, licensed to both Neenah and Menasha, Wisconsin (giving it and sister station WNCY-FM a rare dual cities of license situation) and transmitting from H ...
(94.3) and WZDR (99.7/101.9), and adopted a
classic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes songs from the top 40 music charts from the late 1960s to the early 2000s, with music from the 1980s serving as the core of the format. Music that was popularized by MTV in the early 1980s ...
/
classic rock
Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, primar ...
hybrid format as "The Drive," a format similar to that of
WDRV
WDRV (97.1 FM, "The Drive") is a commercial radio station licensed to serve Chicago, Illinois. The station is owned by Hubbard Radio and broadcasts a classic rock format. Its studios were originally located in the John Hancock Center. On May 11, ...
in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
and sister
classic rock
Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, primar ...
station WOZZ, which adopted a
mainstream rock
Mainstream rock (also known as heritage rock) is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada.
Format background
Mainstream rock stations represent the middle ground between classic rock and active rock ...
format at the same time and date as "The Drive's" debut (and using 99.7's former WRQE call sign).
On March 16, 2015, WZDR and translator W270AJ switched from a simulcast of
WYDR
WYDR (94.3 FM, "94.3 Jack FM") is a radio station broadcasting a variety hits music format, licensed to both Neenah and Menasha, Wisconsin (giving it and sister station WNCY-FM a rare dual cities of license situation) and transmitting from H ...
94.3 FM ("The Drive") to a simulcast of classic country-formatted
WGEE-FM 93.5 FM, branded as "Duke FM" (under new calls, WDKF).
Duke Expands in Green Bay
/ref> W270AJ later switched to a translator for WNFL
WNFL (1440 AM) is an American all-sports radio station located in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The station is locally owned and operated by Midwest Communications, which owns six other stations in Northeast Wisconsin. WNFL simulcasts the programming of ...
.
Previous logo
References
External links
*
{{Midwest Communications
DKF
Country radio stations in the United States
Radio stations established in 1982
Midwest Communications radio stations
1982 establishments in Wisconsin