Bob FM explained

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 signFrequency Notes/websites
103.7 FM Re-branded as Bounce 103.7
91.9 FM Re-branded as Bounce 91.9
99.9 FM Re-branded as Bounce 99.9
96.1 FM Re-branded as Bounce 96.1

Bob FM stations in the United States

LocationCall signFrequency SinceFormatwebsite
92.1 FM Variety hitshttps://921bob.com
103.5 FMJune 1, 2023 Variety hits
93.9 FM April 2010 Classic hitshttps://ilovebobfm.com
103.5 FM September 2004 Adult hitshttp://www.1035bobfm.com
1490 AM October 10th 2021Adult hitshttp://bob1063fm.com
1640 AM October 10th, 2021Adult hits
97.9 FM 2005Adult hitshttps://nowbn.com/bob979/
106.9 FM February 21st 2011Countryhttps://bob1069.com
96.1 FM March 30th 2007Adult hitshttps://961bobfm.com
105.3 FM June 2014Variety hitshttps://bobfm1053.com
95.5 FM December 3rd 2010Alternativehttps://www.955bobfm.com
92.7 FM 2006Adult Hitshttps://927bobfm.com
103.9 FM 2006Adult Hitshttps://www.bobfm1039.com
96.1 FMJuly 1st, 2023Adult Hits
94.7 FM January 5th 2007Adult Hitshttps://947bobfm.iheart.com
Estero, Florida102.9 FM March 16th 2007Adult hitshttps://www.1029bobfm.com
105.5 FM 2004Adult Hitshttps://www.1055bobfm.com
95.1 FM March 12th 2007Countryhttps://www.bob95fm.com
107.5 FM2015 Classic country
95.9 FMFebruary 13th, 2022 Classic country
93.7 FM September 23rd, 2006 Adult hitshttp://www.937bobfm.com/
94.9 FM Countryhttps://bob949.iheart.com/
96.7 FM October 4th, 2018 Variety hitshttps://www.967bob.fm/
Holliday, TexasKWFB100.9 FMJanuary 1st, 2024Adult Hits
95.3 FM December 6th, 2007 Adult hitshttp://www.wbpefm.com/
106.1 FM Classic countryhttp://www.mybobcountry.com/
104.9 FM Variety hitshttp://1049bobfm.iheart.com/
105.1 FM May 2008 Adult hits
96.9 FM November 1st, 2005 Variety hitshttps://www.bobfm969.com/
107.1 FM March 12th, 2010 Adult hitshttp://www.1071bobfm.com/
980 AMAdult hits
103.9 FM Adult hitshttp://www.1039bobfm.com/
96.7 FM October 2nd, 2017 Adult hitshttps://neuhoffmediaspringfield.com/bob-fm/
1300 AMFebruary 13th, 2022 Classic country
105.5 FMClassic country
97.5 FM Variety hitshttp://www.bobplaysanything.com/
104.5 FM Adult hitshttp://www.1045bobfm.com/
104.7 FM September 7th, 2009 Adult hitshttp://1047bobfm.com/
93.3 FM 1999 Contemporary hit radiohttp://www.bob933.com/
97.1 FM February 14th, 2008 Adult hits
95.9 FMJanuary 2022 Variety 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

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bell Media Bounces 25 Stations Across Canada To New Variety Hits Brand. 2021-05-20. RadioInsight. en-US.