| Spring
1981 |
The reverb, a part of the
WKBO audio chain since the 1-2-3 Radio KB days is turned off.
WKBO becomes a Philadelphia
Phillies affiliate. |
| Fall
1981 |
Betsy Kaye leaves and is
replaced by Bill Trousdale on the 10 AM - 2 PM shift.
The Larry King Show is picked
up Midnight - 5 AM, becoming WKBO's first talk show. |
| January
1982 |
Harrisburg was changing
as Stephen Reed was first elected "mayor for life".
Russ Small and Heidi Kramer
leave. With Tim Burns now solo, the morning show is now called "Breakfast
With Burns".
|
| Fall
1982 |
The "Harrisburg, A Special
Place to Be" positioner is scrapped. The station is now called: "Radio
1230, WKBO The Best Show in Town" WKBO Weekend Magazine, with themed vignettes,
info pieces and music, is inaugurated.
WKBO picks up NBC's Talknet
with Bruce Williams and Sally Jesse Raphael. WKBO is now talk 8PM - 5 AM,
7 days a week. |
| Early
1985 |
Tim Burns leaves for WNNK
and Chris Andree leaves for Sunny 99, WSFM. The last of the Top Forty staff
is gone.
"Big Ang" is hired as PD
and mornings, but doesn't last long. Kevin Fennessy is hired as PD/mornings
as "Fennessy and Friends" |
| 1985 |
WKBO once again courts civic
pride, buying new jingles that tout: "Harrisburg, The All-American City". |
| 1986 |
1986 R.J. Harris becomes
Al Dame's partner and is named PD/
Mornings. Dan Steele briefly
returns for middays. R.J.purchases TM's "The Winning Score" jingles. |
| 1987 |
1987 WKBO switches format
to Satellite Music Network's "Pure Gold" format. The station, known as
"1230 Gold" is now only live in AM drive with PD Bob Morgan and in PM drive
with Bruce Collins, who had board opped the "Larry King Show" in 1982-83.
Although the station's programming could be automated, live bodies had
to load the spots because KBO had no automation. |
| 1989 |
WKBO switches to all news
as "Headline News 1230", airing the audio feed of CNN Headline plus local
news. |
| 1991 |
1991 KBO gets a ratings
spike with its coverage of the Gulf war. |
| 1992 |
1992 WKBO briefly goes dark
because Al Dame purchases WHP AM and FM and current FCC rules only allow
ownership of one AM and one FM per market. WKBO soon returns as rules are
modified. At first it simulcasts 97.3 WRVV, but then returns to Headline
News as a brand extension of sister WHP, calling itself "WHP 1230". That
identity is short lived. |
| 1995 |
1995 WKBO gets another ratings
spike with its non-stop coverage Of the O.J. Simpson trial. |
| Late
1990's |
WKBO switches format to
Adult Standards with "The Music Of Your Life". Dan Steele returns one more
time as PD and Morning man. |
| 1999 |
1999 Dame media sells WKBO
along with WHP, WRVV, WRBT, WWKL and others to Clear Channel Communications. |
| 2001 |
Clear Channel enters into
a Local Marketing Agreement of WKBO to One Heart Ministries and WKBO becomes
"Fortress 1230" |
| Today |
WKBO continues today as
"Fortress 1230". Ironically, its competition is a station that wasn't on
even on air in 1972 . WWII is called "AM 720:The Rock" |
