WGFB (103.1 FM) 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 ...

broadcasting a

hot adult contemporary Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul ...

format. Licensed to

Rockton, Illinois Rockton is a village in Winnebago County, Illinois. It is located in the Rock River Valley and is part of the Rockford metropolitan area. The population was 7,685 at the time of the 2010 census, up from 5,296 at the time of the 2000 census. Geo ...

, the station serves the Rockford area. WGFB is owned by

Mid-West Family Broadcasting Mid-West Family Broadcasting is an independently owned broadcasting company based in Madison, Wisconsin. The company owns and manages radio stations in Madison, Wisconsin, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, La Crosse, Wisconsin, Benton Harbor/St. Joseph, Mich ...

History

The station began broadcasting in March 1963, and held the call sign WBEL-FM.
1964 Broadcasting Yearbook
',

Broadcasting Broadcasting is the data distribution, distribution of sound, audio audiovisual content to dispersed audiences via a electronic medium (communication), mass communications medium, typically one using the electromagnetic spectrum (radio waves), ...

, 1964. p. B-52. Retrieved August 11, 2018.History Cards for WGFB
fcc.gov. Retrieved August 11, 2018. It was a sister station to WBEL 1380, and simulcast its programming. The station was originally licensed to

South Beloit, Illinois South Beloit, is a city located in Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. It is part of the Rockford Metropolitan Area, but it is also a suburban extension of Beloit, Wisconsin. South Beloit, is directly along the border of smaller cities and towns ...

. In 1967, the station's call sign was changed to WRWC. In 1971, the station's city of license was changed to Rockton, Illinois. In the 1970s, the station aired a format consisting of beautiful music and

big band music A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...

.
1973 Broadcasting Yearbook
',

, 1973. p. B-65. Retrieved August 11, 2018.
1978 Broadcasting Yearbook
',

, 1978. p. C-69. Retrieved August 11, 2018. The station continued airing a beautiful music format into the 1980s.
Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1983
', Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1983. p. B-78. Retrieved August 11, 2018. By 1984, the station's format had been changed to adult contemporary.
Broadcasting/Cablecasting Yearbook 1984
', Broadcasting/Cablecasting, 1984. p. B-83. Retrieved August 11, 2018. In the 1990s, the station aired a

soft AC Adult contemporary music (AC) is a form of radio-played popular music, ranging from 1960s vocal and 1970s soft rock music to predominantly ballad-heavy music of the 1980s to the present day, with varying degrees of easy listening, pop, soul, ...

format, and was branded "Lite 103". The station aired

Delilah Delilah ( ; , meaning "delicate";Gesenius's ''Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon'' ; ) is a woman mentioned in the sixteenth chapter of the Book of Judges in the Hebrew Bible. She is loved by Samson, a Nazirite who possesses great strength and serves as t ...

evenings. In April 2000, the station's call sign was changed to WGFB, and the station's format was shifted to mainstream AC.Format Changes & Updates
, ''The M Street Journal''. Vol. 17 No. 17. April 26, 2000. p. 1. Retrieved August 11, 2018. The station was branded "B 103", with the slogan "Today's Lite Rock". The station continued to air Delilah evenings. By 2006, Delilah was replaced in the evenings with

John Tesh John Frank Tesh Jr. (born July 9, 1952) is an American musician and radio and television presenter. He wrote the '' NBA on NBC'' basketball theme " Roundball Rock", and hosts the ''Intelligence for Your Life'' radio show. In addition, since 20 ...

. On December 26, 2022, after the conclusion of their annual wall to wall

Christmas music Christmas music comprises a variety of Music genre, genres of music regularly performed or heard around the Christmas and holiday season, Christmas season. Music associated with Christmas may be purely instrumental, or in the case of Christmas ...

, WGFB shifted their format to hot AC, dropping their AC format after 22 years.

References

External links

WGFB's website
* {{coord, 42.367, N, 89.087, W, type:landmark_region:US-IL_source:FCC, display=title GFB Hot adult contemporary radio stations in the United States Radio stations established in 1963 1963 establishments in Illinois Winnebago County, Illinois