93KYS & The Great 98

Anyway, The Great 98 was getting bounced from the AM band thanks to Jack Thayer who just about single handedly destroyed NBC. Instead he let General Electric finish it off. With Gordon Peil as PD and Harold Green as GM you were never really sure what was happening next. Promos on the air talked about DOUBLE MONDAY: "See how much better your music sounds in Stereo!" This was a two week simulcast to get Great 98 listeners to make the big switch.

WRC was knocked off of the AM band when the hapless NBC News and Information Service hit the airwaves. Since The Great 98 format was gaining success, it was to be moved to FM. The frequency was 93.9 and had been neglected by NBC which threw any format on the air...usually every couple of months. The original calls were WRC-FM and in its early days was simulcast with the AM. This was prior to The Great 98. WRC-AM was, what many may call, Middle Of The Road (MOR). But of course the FCC had restrictions on how much of each broadcast day could be simulcast. So when the FM side was not carrying AM programming it was playing automated classical. Around 1968 the format on FM was changed to something called Contempo, we called it elevator music. At this time it was still simulcasting AM 50% of the day but would be broken up into day-parts. The next format to be tried was jazz. This was more of a full time format breaking away from the simulcasting and staying with the automation system. There were a couple of live shows each day hosted by Paul Anthony and Dale Naylor. When jazz ran its course the format was switched to Acid-Rock. This was probably the shortest lived format of them all. The FM station was turning into a red-headed step child. Management at NBC Washington really could care less about the station and, at this point, much of it was being kept afloat, and even programmed, by the Nabet engineers. The next format du jour was easy listening. This was also automated with 10 inch reels of music on several decks kicking on one after another. Not by cue tones...Not by computer...but by the engineer (after recording a reel of music) taking alcohol and rubbing the oxide off the tape. There was a photo-cell sensor located near the pinch roller so that when the beam of light shown through the tape, it would stop the deck thus cueing up the next cut. Spots were played from two Carousel Cart decks. The format itself was purchased from Shulke who also suggested the change in call letters. Since the format was easy listening, the tag line 'Soft as a Kiss' was to be used. A quick search of the FCC's database showed that WKYS was available...the change was made. The success of the station at this time should go to an engineer by the name of Shenton. Bob spent many hours fine tuning the automation and (you didn't hear it here) programmed various cuts that slipped through Mr Shulke's music library.

Here’s The ‘Double Monday’ Promo

SURPRISE!...After the two weeks, a format change to Disco Stereo KYS! Within a period of about 1 month two stations were destroyed by NBC management. You can read more about the evolving formats on KYS on the ON AIR Page. Here are some of those who held WKYS together: