Bob FM

BOB FM is the on-air brand of a number of FM radio stations in the United States and formerly in Canada. The BOB FM format mostly concentrates on album rock, alternative rock and pop hits from the 1980s and 90s, especially those popular during the early days of MTV when music videos made up most of MTV's schedule. But BOB FM also features a smattering of oldies from the 1970s or earlier and classic hits from the 1990s or later.

Once or twice an hour, an unexpected song will get played, sometimes a dance hit or novelty song. BOB FM stations are quite similar to those using the moniker Jack FM. On many BOB FM and JACK FM stations, disc jockeys are not used or are only heard in morning drive time. Instead of a live DJ, a prerecorded voice will make sarcastic or ironic quips between songs.

BOB FM stations in Canada were all owned by Bell Media. Those in the United States are owned by a variety of companies. Bob FM stations are officially classified as variety hits or adult hits by radio research companies.

Origins

It was originally named for the "Best of the Best", and subsequently associated with an everyday character named "Bob." It proved very successful in its first implementation on Winnipeg, Manitoba's CFWM. It inspired Rogers Communications to license the JACK FM format at many of its stations, Corus Entertainment's subsequent Joe FM and Dave FM brands, and comparable moves at other stations. Currently a syndicated version of the format is offered by Envision Radio Networks. As with Jack FM, Bob FM stations have playlists of over 1000 songs as opposed to most other commercial stations which play about 500 songs or less.

The format was largely conceived and created by Howard Kroeger, a former programming executive at CHUM Group Radio, after attending a friend's 40th birthday party in 2000. He took the "Bob" moniker from a country music station (then WBOB, today KFXN-FM) that had broadcast in the Minneapolis-St. Paul market of Minnesota to the south several years earlier.

Slogans

Many BOB FM stations use the catch phrase "We Play Anything!" or "We Play Everything!" Most stations market themselves with the slogan "Turn your knob to BOB!" This was parodied in a Mystery Science Theater 3000 skit in which TV's Frank creates his own radio station and exhorts viewers to "Turn your crank to Frank", satirizing commercials for BOB 100 FM that were playing in the Minneapolis area at the time.

Many Bob-FM stations are imaged by Digital Sound & Video, Inc, located in Daytona Beach, Florida and voiced by Sean Caldwell.

Country Music

At least two non variety-hits Bob FM outlets exist, WRBT in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and KLCI in Minneapolis-St. Paul, both of which run a country music format. Kroeger created a similar format and brand for country stations, using Hank FM (named for Country and Western legend Hank Williams) and DUKE FM (named for actor John Wayne).

HANK FM and DUKE FM can currently be heard in over twenty U.S. markets. The majority of these HANK FM and DUKE FM branded stations use the positioning statement of "Playing the Legends of Country" and are also distributed by Envision Radio Networks.

Stations Calling Themselves "BOB FM"

CHUM Limited's CKLY in Kawartha Lakes, Ontario, adopted the format on August 21, 2005, while WLFF in Lafayette, Indiana, jettisoned its country format to introduce Bob to its listeners on December 6, 2007.

The newest Bob FM station in the United States is WCVS-FM in Springfield, Illinois, replacing its classic rock format.

The newest Bob FM station in Canada was CKX-FM in Brandon, Manitoba, replacing its mainstream rock format.

The first international (Non American or Canadian) Bob FM launched in early 2016 in George Town, Grand Cayman in The Cayman Islands. 94.9 BOB FM, Grand Cayman ZFBB-FM of Hurley's Media Ltd.

On March 18, 2021, the remaining Bob FM stations in Canada were re-branded as Bounce Radio.[1]

Bob FM stations in Canada

LocationCall signFrequencyNotes/websites
Brockville, OntarioCJPT103.7 FMRe-branded as Bounce 103.7
Kawartha Lakes, OntarioCKLY91.9 FMRe-branded as Bounce 91.9
Winnipeg, ManitobaCFWM99.9 FMRe-branded as Bounce 99.9
Brandon, ManitobaCKX96.1 FMRe-branded as Bounce 96.1

Bob FM stations in the United States

LocationCall signFrequency SinceFormat website
Anchorage, AlaskaKBBO-FM92.1 FM Variety hits https://921bob.com
Asbury, MissouriKWXD103.5 FM June 1, 2023Variety hits
Augusta, GeorgiaWDRR93.9 FM April 2010Classic hits https://ilovebobfm.com
Austin, TexasKBPA103.5 FM September 2004Adult hits http://www.1035bobfm.com
Biloxi, MississippiWANG1490 AM October 10th 2021Adult hits http://bob1063fm.com
Biloxi, MississippiWTNI1640 AM October 10th, 2021Adult hits
Bloomington-Normal, IllinoisWBBE97.9 FM 2005Adult hits https://nowbn.com/bob979/
Bluffton, South CarolinaWUBB106.9 FM February 21st 2011Country https://bob1069.com
Boise, IdahoKSRV-FM96.1 FM March 30th 2007Adult hits https://961bobfm.com
Cambria, CaliforniaKCJZ105.3 FM June 2014Variety hits https://bobfm1053.com
Carmel-by-the-Sea, CaliforniaKKHK95.5 FM December 3rd 2010Alternative https://www.955bobfm.com
Chico, CaliforniaKBQB92.7 FM 2006Adult Hits https://927bobfm.com
Edwards, CaliforniaKGBB103.9 FM 2006Adult Hits https://www.bobfm1039.com
Emporia, KansasKANS96.1 FM July 1st, 2023Adult Hits
Erie, PennsylvaniaWXBB94.7 FM January 5th 2007Adult Hits https://947bobfm.iheart.com
Estero, FloridaWJGO102.9 FM March 16th 2007Adult hits https://www.1029bobfm.com
Eugene, OregonKEUG105.5 FM 2004Adult Hits https://www.1055bobfm.com
Fargo, North DakotaKBVB95.1 FM March 12th 2007Country https://www.bob95fm.com
Faribault, MinnesotaKBGY107.5 FM 2015Classic country
Fayetteville, North CarolinaWFLB96.5 FM March 14th 2011Classic hits https://965bobfm.com
Forest Lake, MinnesotaWLKX-FM95.9 FM February 13th, 2022Classic country
Hampton Roads-Norfolk, VirginiaWNOB93.7 FM September 23rd, 2006Adult hits http://www.937bobfm.com/
Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaWRBT94.9 FM Country https://bob949.iheart.com/
Healdsburg, CaliforniaKNOB96.7 FM October 4th, 2018Variety hits https://www.967bob.fm/
Lafayette, IndianaWBPE95.3 FM December 6th, 2007Adult hits http://www.wbpefm.com/
Minneapolis, MinnesotaKLCI106.1 FM Classic country http://www.mybobcountry.com/
Myrtle Beach, South CarolinaWYNA104.9 FM Variety hits http://1049bobfm.iheart.com/
Panama City Beach, FloridaWASJ105.1 FM May 2008Adult hits
Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaWRRK96.9 FM November 1st, 2005Variety hits https://www.bobfm969.com/
Redding, CaliforniaKESR107.1 FM March 12th, 2010Adult hits http://www.1071bobfm.com/
Russellville, ArkansasKCAB980 AM Adult hits
Spokane, WashingtonKBBD103.9 FM Adult hits http://www.1039bobfm.com/
Springfield, IllinoisWCVS-FM96.7 FM October 2nd, 2017Adult hits https://neuhoffmediaspringfield.com/bob-fm/
St. Cloud, MinnesotaWQPM1300 AM February 13th, 2022Classic country
St. Cloud, MinnesotaKDDG105.5 FM Classic country
Sterling, ColoradoKSRX97.5 FM Variety hits http://www.bobplaysanything.com/
Traverse City, MichiganWZTC104.5 FM Adult hits http://www.1045bobfm.com/
Twin Falls, IdahoKIKX104.7 FM September 7th, 2009Adult hits http://1047bobfm.com/
Washington-Greenville, North CarolinaWERO93.3 FM 1999Contemporary hit radio http://www.bob933.com/
Wichita, KansasKBOB-FM97.1 FM February 14th, 2008Adult hits
Winfield, KansasKSOK-FM95.9 FM January 2022Variety hits

The first BOB FM outside of The U.S. or Canada launched in early 2016, broadcasting from George Town, Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands. '94.9 BOB FM Grand Cayman' - ZFBB FM ( http://www.BobFm.Ky ) .

See also

References

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