When someone mentions Bismarck/Mandan radio in the early 1980s, most people immediately think of the mighty KFYR. But KBMR was a major player as well. They were a country powerhouse, covering the North Dakota with 10,000 non-directional watts on 1130 AM. The big drawback of KBMR was that they were a daytime only operation. Even so, they were the #2 station in the market behind KFYR.
On Sunday mornings, KBMR ran a syndicated show called “Country Crossroads.” You’ll hear the promo, followed by the KBMR Legal ID jingle into ABC News with John Grimes.Â
I recorded this from my grandparents’ house in Michigan, ND, using a Pioneer AM/FM/cassette portable unit with built-in antenna. The recording was made onto a TDK D90 tape.
#1 by Dave Golterman on February 1, 2010 - 4:38 pm
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Thanks for sharing these airchecks. That sounds like Jay Price on KBMR. Do you have any other airchecks from KBMR/KQDY in the early to mid-80′s? I worked there back in that era and would love to hear any other airchecks you have.
#2 by Drew on February 4, 2010 - 8:02 am
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One of the CC/Bismarck guys thought it was Jay Price also. I was a big KFYR fan, so that’s mostly what I listened to when I was up in that area. Only 19 at the time, so I hadn’t yet developed an appreciation for country music!
The only other tape I have of KBMR/KQDY is a short overnight clip of the KQDY Legal ID. I’ve included that on the “North Dakota Radio Dial Scan #1″ composite. The weather forecast is actually a bit longer on the original tape. But otherwise, that’s all I have.
BOTH KFYR and KBMR had good, tight jocks in those days. Notice how tight both stations are getting into network news at :00?