1974-1995: 'Country Sunshine' Era
The station's signature format for many years was country music. WHBF was known as "Country Sunshine Radio" and brought current and classic country music to listeners 24 hours a day.
WHBF first adopted the country format in 1974, and for years was among the top-rated stations in the Quad Cities market, alongside powerhouses KSTT and KIIK 104.
But by the mid-1980s and the explosive growth of FM radio, WHBF's listenership began to wane. WLLR-FM, which began broadcasting its country format at the Quad-Cities market's 101.3 MHz in 1983, began to erode WHBF's listenership and by the end of the 1980s, WLLR was the overall top-rated overall station in the market. Meanwhile, 1270 kHz - which changed to WKBF in 1987 - would never regain its former popularity.
WKBF's country format struggled through the early 1990s, getting most of its programming from the ABC Radio Networks' "Real Country" satellite service. In 1994, management was in negotiations with Steve Bridges of 99.7 KFMH to move its progressive music format and its staff to 1270 after that station was sold, but nothing ever came of it. By 1995, with WKBF at the bottom of the ratings for several years, station managers finally decided to lay the country station to rest.
Read more about this topic: WKBF (AM), History of 1270 KHz
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