KWUL-FM (101.7

MHz The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base u ...

) is a

radio station Radio broadcasting is the broadcasting of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based rad ...

licensed A license (American English) or licence (Commonwealth English) is an official permission or permit to do, use, or own something (as well as the document of that permission or permit). A license is granted by a party (licensor) to another part ...

Elsberry, Missouri Elsberry is a city in Lincoln County, Missouri, Lincoln County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,937 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History Elsberry was laid out in 1871, and named after one of its founders, Robert T ...

, and serving Lincoln County and the Metro West suburbs of

St. Louis St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a populatio ...

. It is owned by Louis Eckelkamp, with the license held by East Central Broadcasting. KWUL-FM airs a

classic rock Classic rock is a radio format that developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, it comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the early-1990s, primarily focusing on comm ...

format Format may refer to: Printing and visual media * Text formatting, the typesetting of text elements * Paper formats, or paper size standards * Newspaper format, the size of the paper page Computing * File format, particular way that informatio ...

, simulcasting

KBDZ KBDZ (93.1 FM) is a commercial radio station broadcasting a classic rock radio format. Licensed to Perryville, Missouri, it serves the southern suburbs of St. Louis and also serves Cape Girardeau. It is owned by Donze Communications. Weekd ...

93.1 FM Perryville. KWUL-FM is a Class A station with an

effective radiated power Effective radiated power (ERP), synonymous with equivalent radiated power, is an IEEE standardized definition of directional radio frequency (RF) power, such as that emitted by a radio transmitter. It is the total power in watts that would ha ...

(ERP) of 3,100

watt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of Power (physics), power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantification (science), quantify the rate of Work ...

History

Since Spring 2018, KWUL-FM has played its "Rock 'n Americana" format. Previous to that, for nearly a year, the format was a variety of

Adult Album Alternative Adult album alternative (also triple-A, AAA, or adult alternative) is a radio format. See pages 9 and 10Mills, Joshua. "A New Radio Music Format: Rock for Prosperous Adults" New York Times, Feb 28 1994, p. 2. ProQuest. Web. Accessed September 4, ...

rock music (AAA) since returning to the air after being dark for several years. The station was silent after it was repossessed from its former owner Randy Wachter and put into the court-ordered

receivership In law, receivership is a situation in which an institution or enterprise is held by a receiver – a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights" – especia ...

of Dennis Wallace, a Maryland-based TV and radio engineer. The station was originally KLPW-FM, licensed to

Union, Missouri Union is a city in and the county seat of Franklin County, Missouri, United States. It is located on the Bourbeuse River, southwest of St. Louis. The population was 12,348 at the 2020 census. History Union was founded in 1826 and designate ...

. It went on the air in 1966 as the FM counterpart to KLPW

1220 AM The following radio stations broadcast on AM frequency 1220 kHz: 1220 AM is a Mexican clear-channel frequency. XEB Mexico City is the dominant Class A station on 1220 kHz. In Argentina * Eco Medios in Buenos Aires In Canada * CJRB in B ...

.''Broadcasting Yearbook 1977'' page C-125. Retrieved Jan. 3, 2025.
/REF> For its first couple of years was a

classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be #Relationship to other music traditions, distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical mu ...

station broadcasting with 1,000 watts of power. In 1968, it changed to

country music Country (also called country and western) is a popular music, music genre originating in the southern regions of the United States, both the American South and American southwest, the Southwest. First produced in the 1920s, country music is p ...

, and it aired that format for the next 42 years. In 2008, the 101.7 FM frequency was relocated from Union in

Franklin County, Missouri Franklin County is located in the U.S. state of Missouri. At the 2020 census, the population was 104,682. Its county seat is Union. The county was organized in 1818 and is named after Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. Franklin County is p ...

. It moved over to the northeast. Its tower was put on a site overlooking the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

bluffs near Elsberry, where it better serves the St. Louis Metro West area. In 2010, the station changed its call sign to KXQX, airing adult album alternative rock music (AAA) as "101.7 FMX". Poor health and a difficult financial situation affected Randy Wachter, who had owned the station since 2008. He took KXQX

off the air In broadcasting, a dark television station or silent radio station is one that has gone off the air for an indefinite period of time. Usually unlike dead air (broadcasting only silence), a station that is dark or silent does not even transmit a ...

in 2014. It was able to maintain its license by broadcasting once a year until the radio station was forced into

in 2016. The station returned to the air in July 2017 under a court-appointed receiver with the new

call sign In broadcasting and radio communications, a call sign (also known as a call name or call letters—and historically as a call signal—or abbreviated as a call) is a unique identifier for a transmitter station. A call sign can be formally as ...

KWUL-FM, at first returning to its previous AAA rock format. It later started calling itself "K-Wulf 101.7" using the positioner "Rock 'n Americana." It began playing a mix of

Americana music Americana (also known as American roots music) is an amalgam of Music of the United States, American music formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the musical ethos of the United States of America, with particul ...

and Southern-influenced

. Effective May 3, 2021, KWUL and two

sister station In broadcasting, sister stations or sister channels are radio or television stations operated by the same company, either by direct ownership or through a management agreement. Radio sister stations will often have different formats, and somet ...

s were sold to Louis Eckelkamp's East Central Broadcasting, LLC. The cost was $2,500 and forgiveness of the outstanding debt. On March 17, 2023, the station changed its call sign to KWUL-FM. On March 19, 2025, KWUL-FM changed their format from Americana to a simulcast of classic rock-formatted

93.1 FM Perryville.KBDZ Adds Second Signal in Suburban St. Louis
Radioinsight - March 19, 2025

References

External links

* WUL-FM Radio stations established in 1966 1966 establishments in Missouri Classic rock radio stations in the United States {{Missouri-radio-station-stub