Back in 1988, a black radio station targeting adult demos was practically unheard of – but it took a radio consultant named Barry Mayo to change all that.
He took an under-performing WBMX-FM – a station languishing behind its arch-rival WGCI-FM – and flipped it to Urban Adult Contemporary WVAZ-FM, or V103 -and turned it into a adult demo powerhouse. Shortly thereafter, the success of V103 help spur the format in other markets such as Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and St. Louis.
In Monday’s edition of the Tribune, those who reguarly contributed to V103’s success: radio personalities Troi Tyler, Ramonski Luv (who was formerly at WGCI), Radio Hall of Famer Herb Kent, and PD Derrick Brown look back at how it all came to be – including the rivalry between the outlet and WGCI before they became co-owned sister stations – and how V103 became a Chicago radio success story and how the station is preparing for the future.
V103 carries daily syndicated shows featuring Tom Joyner in the morning and Doug Banks in the afternoon – both of which have done time in local Chicago radio before hitting the big time.