WFYR (97.3 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 ...

broadcasting a

country music Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ...

format Format may refer to: Printing and visual media * Text formatting, the typesetting of text elements * Paper formats, or paper size standards * Newspaper format, the size of the paper page Computing * File format, particular way that informatio ...

and licensed for

Elmwood, Illinois Elmwood is a city in Peoria County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,097 at the 2010 census. Elmwood is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area. History The settlement is named after the mansion of William J. Ph ...

, United States, in the Peoria area. The station is owned by

Cumulus Media Cumulus Media, Inc. is an American broadcasting company and is the third largest owner and operator of AM and FM radio stations in the United States behind Audacy and iHeartMedia. As of June 2019, Cumulus lists ownership of 428 stations in 87 ...

, which purchased the station from

Townsquare Media Townsquare Media, Inc. (formerly Regent Communications until 2010) is an American radio network and media company based in Purchase, New York. The company started in radio and expanded into digital media toward the end of the 2000s, starting wi ...

History

Ever since the station signed on on August 2, 1993, it has always aired a

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 ...

format. At first, WFYR used the branding "Fire 97”, while using the Jones Satellite Networks’ CD Country format on the air. The first local personality on the station was Program Director/Morning Host Dr Chris Michaels (now at competitor WXCL). The second air talent added locally in 1996 was Robb Rose to Afternoon Drive/Promotions Director. In the early-2000s, it was changed to "97.3 River Country". From September 6, 2013, to February 2, 2020, it used the nationally syndicated "Nash FM" branding. Today, they are known for boosting local country music artists, with a weekly feature. From 2013 to 2020, the station competed in the Nash Next National Competition. On February 3, 2020, WFYR rebranded back to its previous identity as "97.3 River Country."WFYR Returns To River Country Identity
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On Air Personalities

Previous logo

References

External links

* 1993 establishments in Illinois Radio stations established in 1993 Country radio stations in the United States FYR Elmwood, Illinois Cumulus Media radio stations {{Illinois-radio-station-stub