History of B96 (Revised Version)

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Disman00911
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Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2022 11:09 pm

Re: History of B96 (Revised Version)

Post by Disman00911 »

The Street Mix (1993)
In February 1993, the name of the B96 mix show was changed from "The B96 Bud Light Dance Party" to “the New B96 Bud Light Street Mix” with Frankie "Hollywood" Rodriguez as the host. Rodriguez also hosted a Monday thru Thursday night program called "Street Buzz" which showcased the latest news in the Chicago club scene and even play a few dance cuts that were normally not part of the station's playlist. The addition of hip hop mix sets, alongside the usual house, techno, & freestyle product, was a possible factor on why B96 changed the title of its mix show from the “Dance Party” to the “Street Mix”. In March of 1993, B96 added mixes done by guest DJs and held a contest "The Final Six" in search for a new mixmaster. The finalists consisted of Alan "Baddmixx" Boyd, Rustin "Jammin" Harris, Bobby D, Joe "Naw-T-Boy" Nardi, Phil K Swift, and Paul B. Although Alan "Baddmix" Boyd was the winner of the "Final Six" contest, it was the 3rd Place finisher, Bobby D, who was known for his “Edit Crazy” mix-tapes and had previously done guest mixes on WGCI, that eventually became the newest B96 mixmaster.

Veterans of the Chicago house scene were also doing guest mixes on B96 during this period, such as Tyree Cooper and Mike “Hitman” Wilson, who had previously done guest mixes on B96 in 1989 and 1990. However, the guest mixers weren't limited to those who represented the Chicago club scene. Mixers and producers representing other cities would occasionally do guest mixes on B96 during this time, such as Todd Terry, Roger Sanchez, Frankie Knuckles, Junior Vasquez, and Kevin Saunderson, all of whom represented New York except for Saunderson, who represented Detroit. The addition of the New York-based house mixes was largely due to B96 airing a syndicated program called "Sounds of The New York Underground", which was hosted by Deborah Rath & Jeff Romanowski, on-air personalities on New York’s Rhythmic Top 40 station WQHT "Hot 97". Besides B96, other rhythmic top 40 stations, such as KWPR "Power 106" in Los Angeles and 106.1 KMEL in San Francisco, also aired the syndicated mix show. Despite the name change from "Dance Party" to "the Street Mix", the addition of guest mixers, newcomer Bobby D., and the syndicated "Sounds of the New York Underground", B96's original mixmaster lineup of Frankie "Hollywood" Rodriguez, Julian "Jumpin'" Perez, Bad Boy Bill, Brian Middleton, and Tim "Spinnin'" Schommer remained intact.

The main style of B96 mixers had also changed throughout 1993 as the techno and rave sound that dominated much of the airways in 1992 was being phased out in favor of returning to house music. However, the style of house music differed from the hip house style that was prominent from 1989 to 1991. A new wave of Chicago house artists was growing in popularity, such as Cajmere ("Percolator"), Dajae ("U Got Me Up", "Brighter Days"), DJ Sneak ("Work It"), and DJ Funk ("Pump It"). House records and remixes from New York-based artists, such as Todd Terry ("Jumpin'", "Sum Sum Sigh" under the alias House of Gypsies), Masters at Work ("I Can't Get No Sleep" with vocalist India, "Love & Happiness (Yemaya Y Ochùn)" under the alias River Ocean), Erick Morillo ("I Like to Move it" and "Go On Move" as a member of Reel 2 Reel), David Morales ("In De Ghetto", the def club remix of Mariah Carey's "Dreamlover") and Armand Van Helden ("Witch Doktor", "Donkey") were also featured heavily in the B96 mix sets during the early-to-mid 1990s.

Each B96 mixer was also developing a distinct sound in the mid-1990s as Bad Boy Bill had a rawer house sound, while Bobby D combined a mixture of sounds ranging from house, commercial euro-dance, and booty bass music. Perez experimented with deep house and garage cuts, although he would revert to a style much like what both Bad Boy Bill and Bobby D were doing at the time. Tim “Spinnin’” Schommer remained loyal to freestyle, although he would also do hip hop sets during this time. Frankie “Hollywood” Rodriguez would often mix flashbacks varying from 1970s disco to the 1980s-dance sound of defunct 102.7 WBMX although by 1994 he would stop providing mixes. Middleton would slowly evolve into a more disco-based underground house sound after the rave and techno sound had ran its course. Occasionally, some of the B96 mixers would briefly mix Hip Hop alongside the house sound those it would be a few years before B96 would gain a regular mixmaster who specifically mixed hip hop sets when DJ Speed became a regular mixer in 1997.

Although the B96 mixes were never syndicated to air in other markets, there would be a rare occasion where one of the B96 mixers would do a guest spot on an out-of-market radio station's mix show, such as Bad Boy Bill doing guest mixes on Power 106 Los Angeles' "Powertools" mix show. Bill and longtime "Powertools" mixer Richard "Humpty" Vission later teamed up in a pair of mix CDs called "The House Connection" from 1997 to 1998. In addition, several of Vission’s remixes and releases in the mid to late 1990s, such as 1995’s “The Feeling” by Sugar and 1996’s “Energy” by Devone, were often heard in the B96 mix sets.

The B96 Lunch Party, Traffic Jam, & 10 O'Clock Remix
In February 1993, the B96 10 O'Clock Remix premiered and was a special project of mixes engineered by Hot Tracks, Ultimix, X-Mix, Powerhouse, and other remix services, although most were engineered by 1 individual, usually syndicated mixers, such as Dave Rajput and C.L. McSpadden of Phoenix-based Hot Mix Productions. The 10 O'Clock Remix was a 1-hour mix that aired every Monday thru Thursday at 10:00 PM consisting of contemporary music during the era in dance/house/pop formats. Unlike the B96 Dance Party/Street Mix sets, there was usually no DJ Identification other than a station ID throughout the mix although Brian Middleton, who also did some of the remixes on Hot Mix Production’s now-defunct remix label Powerhouse Records, handled some of the mixes that aired on B96. Many tracks featured in the mixes were DJ-only mix compilations and thus were rarely heard outside of the FM dial. For example, there would a dance remix of a popular R&B or pop song of the period, such as "Dreamlover" by Mariah Carey, that was heard only during these mix sets whereas the LP or single version would normally be heard outside the mix shows.

The 12 O'Clock Lunch Party and the 5 O’Clock Traffic Jam, which were both identical to the 10 O'Clock Remix, were also introduced around the same time, although it is unknown exactly when B96 added those mixes to its schedule. By 1994, the 10 O'Clock Remix would evolve away from just remixes of what was popular on the station at the time and more towards sets done by one of the B96 mixmasters, such as Bad Boy Bill or Bobby D, that were normally be heard every Friday and Saturday night. In 1996, the 12 O'Clock Lunch Party was expanded into four hours and renamed “The B96 At Work Dance Party.” The first hour mix would usually consist of flashbacks from the 1970s and 1980s while the rest of the mixes consisted of then-current dance remixes, although occasionally there would be mix sets consisting of pop, R&B, and hip-hop songs that have a BPM ranging from around 90 to 105. Beforehand, a flashback hour was added between the morning show programming and the “At Work Dance Party”, playing older tracks roughly between 1977 and 1992, ranging from disco, synthpop, freestyle, house, R&B, and hip-hop. By the end of the 1990s, the flashback hour and flashback-based mixes would be dropped entirely.

The B96 Street Flava (1994-1999)
In late 1994, Julian “Jumpin'” Perez created a broad-based, personality-heavy radio show that would represent the music evolution occurring on the streets and in the night clubs of Chicago. That show was called "the B96 Street Flava" and it aired every Sunday night. The "Street Flava" was an immediate hit and sounded even more rhythmic than what the station normally sounded like during the non-mix show hours. Each hour contained a 10 to 15-minute mix ranging from house, hip hop, freestyle, and old school. The house mixes were usually the harder, tech house sound that both Bad Boy Bill and Bobby D were playing rather than the soulful garage house sound that would be heard on rival WGCI. The hip hop mixes were self-explanatory, playing the hottest rap cuts of the moment. The freestyle mixes contained both newer freestyle cuts and old school favorites. Lastly, the old school mixes were a combination of classic house and dance cuts heard on defunct 102.7 WBMX in the 1980s and the 1989-1992 period of B96. Old school freestyle cuts were rarely heard in the old school sets as they were already featured in the main freestyle sets.

The mixes were done by guest DJs rather than the regular B96 mixmasters. Some of these guest mixers would eventually become regular B96 mixmasters in the future, such as DJ Speed, Mixin’ Marc (aka Marc Stout), DJ Flipside, and Dan Morell, who mixed under the name "DJ Smurf" before going under his real name. Long-time Chicago house DJ and producer Mike Dunn was the voice-over announcer during the "Street Flava" and sometimes did the hip hop mixes presented on the program. The success of the "Street Flava" prompting B96 management to promote Julian as a weekday overnight on-air personality in 1995. Teaming with fellow mixmaster Tim "Spinnin'" Schommer and later a female co-host Candi Gomez (known on-air simply as "Candi"), Julian "Jumpin'" Perez enjoyed the success of hosting the highly-rated "Street Flava" for the next several years until the show's cancellation in late 1999.

The B96 Mixmaster Throwdown Series (1996-2001)
In 1996, B96 released a series of mix CDs called the “B96 Mixmaster Throwdown” containing 10-minute mixes from each of the B96 Mixmasters. There were six CDs total in the series lasting from 1996 to 2001. Prior to the "Mixmaster Throwdown" series, B96 had released a mixed CD called "Summer '95" in the summer of 1995 as a contest prize exclusive but the format was the same as the “Mixmaster Throwdown” as it featured a short mix from Julian “Jumpin’” Perez, Bad Boy Bill, Bobby D, Tim “Spinnin’” Schommer and Brian Middleton, who also provided an introduction to the mixes. Overall, the “Summer ‘95” CD was primarily a prototype of the Mixmaster Throwdown CDs.

The same year B96 released its Mixmaster Throwdown series, the station also gained added two new mixers to its mixmaster lineup: DJ Markski and To Kool Chris. DJ Markski would focus primarily on Euro-dance as prior to his arrival, only Bobby D would occasionally mix Euro-dance records in an otherwise house-dominated mix show. Before joining B96, DJ Markski previously had done mix sets for dance-leaning college radio station WLUW-FM "Energy 88.7." To Kool Chris, meanwhile, mixed a wide range of styles, such as hard house, euro-dance, freestyle, and old school cuts of the 1980s and early 1990s. During this period, hard house records from local labels, such as Underground Construction, to Los Angeles-based labels like Aqua Boogie, would be the most prominent style of house that was being featured on the B96 mixes.
Disman00911
Posts: 554
Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2022 11:09 pm

Re: History of B96 (Revised Version)

Post by Disman00911 »

Mix Show Shake Up (1998-2006)
By the end of the 1990s, the once-dominant mix shows on B96 were growing stale and lacked diverse styles as most of the DJs were mixing hard house and tech house records. Bad Boy Bill had left the station in 1998 to focus more on his worldwide DJ tours. Furthermore, the "Street Flava" Sunday night show would be shortened from four hours to three as the popular sex advice show "Private Lives" was expanded by an hour. The “B96 Street Flava” would later be cancelled as 1999 ended. The same year, new members of the B96 mixmaster team were introduced. One such mixer was Mixin Marc, who mixed progressive house, tech house & trance records. He would remain on B96 until 2012 but returned just two years later mixing under his real name, Marc Stout. Another addition to the B96 Street Mix lineup in the late 1990s was famed house producer Maurice Joshua, known for the 1988 house anthem "This is Acid”. Jousha was also known doing house remixes of songs by various R&B and pop artists, such as Destiny’s Child, Mary J. Blige, and N’Sync. His style of house music was more deep and soulful (much like what the DJs on rival WGCI were mixing at the time), contrasting greatly with the hard house style done by most of the other B96 mixers. B96 also added hip hop mixers DJ Speed and Dan Morell (formerly known as "DJ Smurf") to its lineup for more musical diversity. Both DJs had previously been guest mixers on B96's "Street Flava" show before becoming the station's regular hip hop mixers.

By 2003, new rival WSKC 103.5 Kiss FM would also create a mix show called "Klub Kiss" and even managed to lure Julian “Jumpin’” Perez away from B96 after his contract was not renewed on October 28, 2002. However, Julian "Jumpin'” Perez would return to B96 just one year later and brought along his new team of mixers, such as Josh “The Funky One”, DJ Boogie Boy, Billy the Kid, DJ Nonstop, and Double Impact, a duo consisting of Louie Loop & Greg the Groove. As a result, Bobby D, To Kool Chris, and DJ Markski would be tossed from B96 to make room for Perez and his team or mixers, who were collectively known as the "Super Mix 6" during their time at 103.5 Kiss FM. In additional to his return to B96, Perez became the station's new mix show director. However, he was soon criticized by some of his long-time fans for his shift away from house music and the heavy emphasis on hip hop in his mix sets. Another member of the B96 mixmaster team during this period was DJ Spin. It was also around this time that “B96 Street Mix" was rebranded as the "B96 Afterparty."

In 2005, Tim "Spinnin" Schommer was gone from B96. By 2000, Schommer had focused more on house music rather than freestyle, which was finally dead as a genre after a mid-1990s revival, although he would occasionally still mix older tracks from the classic freestyle artists, such as TKA, the Cover Girls, George LaMond, Safire, etc., alongside the classic house and dance tracks from the 1990s. However, by 2003, he stopped doing mixes on B96, likely due to the return of Julian “Jumpin’” Perez and his team of mixers from 103.5 Kiss FM joining the B96 mix team. Schommer remained on B96 as an on-air personality until his 2005 release. Long-time personality and mixer Brian Middleton, who also had stopped providing mixes by 2003, remained at B96 until his release in 2006.

The weekend shows wouldn't be the only ones suffering as the 12 p.m. Lunch Party and the 5 p.m. Traffic Jam mixes were also losing a lot of their luster compared to where it was in the 1990s as the sets now focused mainly on hip hop and R&B rather than dance remixes of popular songs. By this time, the four-hour "At Work Dance Party" format would ultimately be dropped and would be reverted to one hour at noon. The traffic jam mixes, often provided by Hot Mix Productions, continued until 2001, when JamTraxx media took over and by 2006, the Traffic Jam mixes were discontinued. After the cancellation of the 5 O’Clock Traffic Jam, B96 mixer DJ Flipside had taken over duties as the 5 p.m. hour, bringing some life back to the once-stall mixes. Flipside’s mix show “Flipside at 5” would be a staple on B96 until its cancellation in 2018.

Current Era & Demise (2007-2020)
The B96 Street Mix was re-introduced after phasing out the "Afterparty" brand in late 2007. DJ Flipside remains a member of the B96 mixmaster team, in addition to newer mixers in recent years, such as DJ Spin, DJ Metro, DJ Josh R., DJ Trentino, DJ Simone, and DJ Meg, the latter being the station’s first female mixer. In 2009, veteran DJ Bad Boy Bill returned to B96 to provide guest mixes, which he would continue to do throughout much of the 2010s. In 2010, B96 introduced Noon Ka-Boom, mixing classic 1980s and 1990s dance, R&B and rap songs from the original “Killer Bee” & "Party Radio" eras as well as rap, r&b, and even dance hits of the early 2000s. However, the mixes have since been discontinued. In 2014, Marc Stout, previously known as Mixin' Marc, returned to the B96 Street Mix lineup after a two-year absence.

On August 03, 2018, The B96 Street Mix was cut back from seven hours to four hours, airing on 12:00am instead of 10:00pm. It is not exactly known why the Street Mix hours were cut back, though rumors suggested that Entercom executives considered the show not to be Portable People Meter (PPM)-friendly. The Street Mix itself also faced some criticism among some fans as the mixers were regulated to a tighter playlist of Top 40 remixes instead of playing what they want, resulting in a staler product. In addition, DJ Flipside's 5:00pm mix hour "Flipside @ 5" was also cancelled. As a result, B96 offers no mix show hours outside the Friday and Saturday night Street Mix. In August of 2020, the B96 Street Mix was unceremoniously cancelled and replaced with jockless programming known as the “After Hours”. As a result, B96 no longer featured mixes of any kind since 1986. Three of B96’s mixers, DJ Metro, DJ Nonstop, and DJ Flipside would continue to mix at sister station WBMX 104.3 Jams.

Where Are They Now?
On May 19, 2006, former B96 mixer To Kool Chris leased time for a Saturday night music show called "Dance Factory FM" that aired on the same frequencies that was once home to Cyber Radio and Energy 92.7 & 92.5. After the demise of Energy 92.7 in January 2003, there had been a desire for dance music to return to the Chicago airways. Aside from To Kool Chris, other DJs featured on Dance Factory FM's lineup included former B96 mixers Bobby D and DJ Markski, in addition to other mixers such as Erik K, DJ Caffeine, and Danny V. Luis "2Live" Lopez, who worked at the old Energy 92.7 & 92.5, was Dance Factory FM's host. On May 14, 2007, Dance Factory was expanded to seven nights a week from 9 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. The weekday shows carry a dance CHR format with live mixes several times nightly while the weekend shows remained a DJ mix format. However, there would be no plans for Dance Factory FM to air 24/7 as the "Nine FM" variety hits format that aired during the rest of the hours on the 92.7 frequency was retained. Nine FM would since be abandoned and replaced with a simulcast of its sister station, liberal talk radio WCPT 820 AM in 2008. In addition, Dance Factory FM's hours would be trimmed back in recent years, airing only on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights.

After leaving B96 in 2006, Brian Middleton would join WILV (now WSHE) 100.3 "Love FM", which was a rhythmic-leaning Adult Contemporary station at the time. In 2007, WILV introduced a Saturday Night mix show, playing primary disco and pop records of the 1970s and 1980s. Middleton was featured as one of WILV's mixers as was Tim "Spinnin'" Schommer, who departed from B96 a year before Middleton did. Other mixers included Martin "Boogieman" Luma and DJ JM3. However, by the end of 2008, WILV would cancel the Saturday night mix show. Middleton would remain at 100.3 FM, even as the station shifted its focus to 1980s-based AC hits and again to current-based AC hits until his firing in 2020 due to Hubbard Radio reducing the number of its staff.

In 2011, Q101, which was now suffering from poor ratings, flipped formats to an all-news format and changed its call letters from WKQX to WIQI. As a result, WIQI was now competing against B96’s sister station WBBM-AM Newsradio 780, which was also simulcast on WCFS 103.5 FM. However, the all-news approach was hugely unpopular and WIQI flipped formats to a 1990s-based adult hits format on July 12, 2012, which was the format that WCFS used prior flipping to a simulcast of WBBM-AM Newsradio 780. By 2013, the station slowly became more rhythmic and added a weekend night mix show, “The History of House Party”, hosted by former B96 mixer and personality Frankie Hollywood Rodriguez. Other mixers included White Knight, Teri Bristol, and former B96 mixer Tim "Spinnin'" Schommer. The music featured on the mix show consisted of both new dance hits and the classics dance tracks of the late 1980s and 1990s. However, ratings were still poor and station owner Merlin Media sold the station to Cumulus Media on January 10, 2014, which flipped WIQI back to alternative rock and restored the call letters “WKQX”. However, the station did not have the rights to the name “Q101” and was a separate entity rather than a continuation of the original Q101 brand from 1992 to 2011 until April 28, 2022, when Cumulus Radio (WKQX's owner) bought the Q101 branding rights back.

On June 10, 2017, WBMX.com, a website that was dedicated to the original 102.7 WBMX Chicago, began airing classic dance songs every Saturday on suburban Elmhurst-based WCKG 102.3 FM, which featured a brokered format ranging from conservative-skewing talk shows during the weekday and heavy metal-based Rebel Radio at night. The Rhythmic AC/Dance format focuses mostly on 1970s disco, classic 1980s dance hits that were popular on the original WBMX, and 1990s dance music that was originally popular on B96 back when they were new. Occasionally, dance classics from the 2000s and more recent dance-pop hits would be played as well. In addition, the nightly mix show, "Saturday Night Live Ain’t No Jive Chicago Dance Party", a staple of the original WBMX, also made a return featuring mixes by many veteran Chicago-based DJs, such as original Hot Mix 5 member Mickey "Mixin'" Oliver and former WBMX & B96 mixer Frankie "Hollywood" Rodriguez. Other featured DJs would include Martin "Boogieman" Luna, Tony "Boom-Boom" Badea, DJ Al Mooshey, Quick Mix Mike, DJ Tony Cano, DJ Triple H, DJ Perry, and DJ Quick Vic. Weekly guest mixers, such as former B96 mixer Tim "Spinnin'" Schommer, and even DJs based outside Chicago such as England’s Graeme Park and Ben Liebrand would also be featured. The mixes largely consist of dance classics of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and newer dance records consisting of both original records and remixes of older songs. A Friday night mix show would later be added, named "Friday Night Jams" much like the original WBMX.

By December 2017, direct references to the call letters WBMX would be dropped when Entercom-owned 104.3 WMJK flipped formats from classic hits of the 1970s & 1980s to classic hip hop/R&B of the 1990s & 2000s and changed their call letters to WBMX. As a result, WBMX.com was eventually rebranded as "The Beat Chicago" launching an online-only 24/7 radio station without WCKG's unrelated brokered programming. On April 23, 2018, WGCK flipped formats from brokered talk to an affiliate of Fox Sports, becoming a sports talk radio station. For a while, the Friday and Saturday night mix show hours presented on The Beat Chicago continued to air on WCKG but would ultimately be dropped from the station’s lineup. Currently, "The Beat Chicago" continues to live on as online-only radio station and while their format varies between classic R&B of the 1960s to the early 2000s and classic hits of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s during the weekdays, on the weekend the station provides a classic dance format of the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s, reminiscent of the dance years of B96 during the 1990s and long-defunct Energy 92.7 & 92.5, in addition to continuing Friday and Saturday night mixes.

On November 18, 2017, 1970s/1980s-based classic hits station WJMK 104.3, one of B96's sister stations, changed formats to a classic hip hop/R&B format, playing songs from the 1990s, 2000s, and early 2010s. On December 04, 2017, the newly-minted 104.3 Jams would change its call letters to WBMX, the very call letters used by new rival 102.7 V103 (WVAZ) from 1973 to 1988 before the latter's change from mainstream urban to urban AC, a format that 102.7 FM still has today. Between 1988 and 2017, the call letters WBMX had been used by sister station Mix 104.1 FM in Boston, which carries a Hot AC format. The station in Boston would change its call letters to WWBX as the WBMX call letters came to 104.3 FM in Chicago. On December 29, 2017, 104.3 Jams announced a new mix show team, "the BMX Four", which consisted of former and current B96 mixers DJ Flipside, DJ Nonstop, DJ Metro, and Julian "Jumpin'" Perez, who was also a mixer at the original WBMX as well as his time at B96. The BMX Four would make its on-air debut on New Year’s Eve 2017. In addition to his mixing duties, Julian "Jumpin'" Perez would also become an on-air personality, doing nights on 104.3 Jams. In July 2022, Julian Perez left 104.3 and retired from DJ mixing. Succeeding him on the "BMX Four" roster was DJ Meg, who was one of the final mixers at B96 before the station abruptly stop providing mixes in 2020.
Last edited by Disman00911 on Mon May 01, 2023 7:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Disman00911
Posts: 554
Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2022 11:09 pm

Re: History of B96 (Revised Version)

Post by Disman00911 »

Eddie and Jobo
Although B96's heavily blend of dance, R&B, and Hip-Hop music played a massive role in catapulting the station into becoming one of Chicago's top-rated radio stations in the early 1990s, perhaps the biggest trademark of the Killer Bee/Party Radio era of B96 was the popular morning duo Ed Volkman and Joe Bohannon, better known as Eddie & Jobo.

Pre-Eddie & Jobo (1982-1988)
When WBBM-FM launched its Top 40 format in 1982, the station would go through a cycle of morning show hosts throughout most of the decade. Steve Davis was WBBM-FM’s first morning show host when the station was known as Hot Hits 96 Now. In January 1983, Davis left the station and Tomm Rivers was hired to replace him. In August 1983, Dick Biondi replaced Rivers as B96’s new morning show host. In May 1984, Biondi left B96 and Don Geronimo, who was doing evenings at B96 at the time, was moved to the morning shift. A year later, Geronimo left B96 over creative differences with upper management. In May 1985, Chuck Evans, who went by the on-air name “Chuck Nasty” was B96’s new morning show host. However, Evans only lasted a few months on the air and by October 1985, he was replaced by Mark Sebastian. A year later in August 1986, Sebastian left B96 for crosstown rival WYTZ 94.7 “Z95” and was replaced by Ed Volkman.

First stint (1988-1994)
Joe Bohannon first signed on at B96 in 1984 hosting evening as “JoBo In Chicago”. Bohannon was also the station's music director from 1984 to 1989. Ed Volkman started at B96 in 1986 hosting the morning drive along with Karen Hand and Mike Elston. On October 25, 1988, Elston was gone from B96 and Bohannon would be moved to the morning drive alongside Volkman and Hand, thus “Eddie & JoBo” show was born. The duo enjoyed success and contributed greatly to B96’s increase in the ratings for the next seven years before the duo’s controversial firing in May 1994. They invited their listeners, who they dubbed “The World’s Most Dangerous Audience”, to assist in some classic radio bits such as confession Wednesdays, cold water wake-up calls, the daily Twinkie check, and the infamous mattress attacks.

Eddie & Jobo were known for their pranks. Case in point to an "April Fool's Day" broadcast in 1993, where the duo tricked listeners into believing that B96 was flipping formats from top 40/dance to a classical format similar to actual classical stations WFMT 98.7 FM and WNIB 97.1 FM (now WDRV "The Drive" with a classic rock format since 2001), using the moniker "The Classic Sounds of Classical 96." Although Eddie & Jobo were not exactly shock jocks in the style of Howard Stern or Steve Dahl, their antics would often give B96 the wrong type of attention. On May 4, 1991, the duo was suspended four days without pay by B96 after airing a hoax during a "Confessions Wednesdays" feature, in which a female caller, claiming to be the wife of a WLS-TV Channel 7 executive, confessed that her family had been selected as a Nielsen family participant, which violated the ratings service's rules. It should also be noted that WLS-TV was owned by CapitalCities/ABC Inc. (now Cumulus Media), the same ownership that also owned B96's then arch-rival WYTZ 94.7 FM.

Controversy & Firing (1993-1994)
In September 1993, B96 endured controversy when Eddie and Jobo found themselves in a multimillion-dollar defamation lawsuit filed against them by then-WMAQ-TV NBC 5 newsanchor Joan Esposito. On a March 23, 1993 broadcast, JoBo falsely aired a statement that Esposito had been impregnated by a member of the Chicago Bulls basketball team instead of her then-late husband, Bryan Harwood, prompting Esposito to sue. In addition to Esposito's lawsuit, Eddie & Jobo found themselves in more trouble on March 4, 1994, when they were hit with a libel suit by William P. O'Malley, a Cook County Circuit Court judge, when the duo suggested on air that the judge had taken a bribe by Major League Baseball slugger Jose Canseco, who was acquitted by O'Malley on April 22, 1993 after hearing a case where Canseco, who played for the Texas Rangers at the time, was accused of hitting a man at a nightclub in Chicago.

On May 10, 1994, Eddie and Jobo were fired after leaking classified details of the $1 million settlement in Esposito's defamation suit against them to Chicago Sun-Times columnist Bill Zwecker. Esposito eventually won $1 million and a public apology from B96, which aired on July 1994. There was also growing tension between Eddie and Jobo as Eddie felt that he should have not been blamed for JoBo's statement that got the duo in trouble in the first place. The duo was rumored to be splitting up yet on October 27, 1994, Eddie and Jobo would be hired by WIOQ-FM, a Top 40 station in Philadelphia which had shifted away from a rhythmic format similar to B96 on to a more mainstream format, playing rock-leaning pop artists such as Gin Blossoms, Melissa Etheridge, the Pretenders, and Bon Jovi. However, the duo would last only a year in their new city as Eddie, a proud Chicagoan who was hesitant to work in another city, left WIOQ on September 1995 and Jobo was fired in January 1996. The absence of Eddie and Jobo would ultimately hurt B96, especially in the morning show slot for the next two years.

Morning Show Woes (1994-1997)
After the firing of Eddie and Jobo in May 1994, "Private Lives" host Karen Hand and Gary Spears, who was temporary rehired by B96 after being released in September 1993, briefly took over morning on B96. The station soon decided to move the morning drive in a new direction, asking the listeners to "choose" the new morning drive in what was known as "the B96 Morning Show Open Auditions" which ran through the summer of 1994. Terry Jacobs and Bill Cody were eventually chosen by B96 listeners to be the successors of Eddie & JoBo and would make their on-air debut on September 12, 1994. However, very few people warmed up to “T.J. & Wild Bill” and the number of listeners dropped sharply when compared to Eddie & JoBo's show. B96 began to suffer in the morning ratings as Eddie & JoBo’s 5.7 share in the ratings plummet to a 1.9. T.J. & Wild Bill lasted just 10 months at B96 and were fired. In a 1995 Billboard interview, B96 PD Todd Cavanah conceded that the T.J. and Wild Bill morning show was like a bad blind date with little chance of working. In addition, both men had lacked direct ties to the Chicagoland area and could not connect to the core B96 audience.

On July 24, 1995, B96 evening host George McFly, and overnight host Frankie "Hollywood" Rodriguez, who at this point stopped providing mixes on the B96 Street Mix, were moved to the morning drive in hopes to offset the drastic ratings slide. Unlike T.J. and Wild Bill, George and Frankie were familiar to B96 listeners and were not random outsiders. However, this also proved to be very unpopular as “George & Frankie” could only deliver a 2.1 share. McFly would ultimately leave B96 on July 1996 and joined now-defunct top 40 station WXTR "Z104" in Washington, DC. Compared to 1990-1994, B96’s overall ratings during 1995 and 1996 were lower due to the aftermath of firing popular morning duo Eddie and Jobo and their hugely unpopular replacements, TJ and Wild Bill. B96 would now find themselves struggling to maintain its 3rd place position among all Chicago radio stations against adult contemporary WLIT 93.9 "Lite FM", country WUSN 99.9 FM, Urban AC 102.7 WVAZ (V-103), alternative WKQX "Q101" and sister station all-news WBBM AM 780. At this point, B96 was never going to leapfrog WGCI or WGN-AM as Chicago’s overall #1 radio station.

In August 1996, B96 once again took morning drive in a new direction by "splitting up" the time slot and airing 2 separate shows. Frankie’s morning show aired from 5 a.m.-8 a.m., followed by B96’s hugely popular Sunday night sex talk show "Private Lives" hosted by Karen Hand and Dr. Kelly Johnson. "Private Lives" aired from 8 a.m.-10 a.m. Finally, B96 began to see marked improvement in the ratings, but only in the 8 a.m.-10 a.m. slot as Frankie’s ratings continued to suffer severely. Caving into pressure from a campaign lead by former co-workers and on-air host Karen Hand, plus a relentless barrage of phone calls and letters sent by Eddie and JoBo loyalists, B96 announced on December 12, 1996 that Eddie & JoBo had been re-hired, and would return to host morning drive along with Frankie “Hollywood” Rodriguez on January 13, 1997 from 5 a.m.-8 a.m. Reaction to B96's decision to bring back Eddie & Jobo was so positive that the duo had won the Silver Dome Award for "Best Personality of the Year 1996" by the Illinois Broadcasters Association even though the duo was only on the air in commercials airing on December 1996 to promote their return to the station.

B96 began to see significant improvements in their morning drive ratings as the combo “Eddie & JoBo And Frankie” show and “Private Lives” as ratings slowly went upward, although Frankie "Hollywood" Rodriguez would be gone from the program. Afraid of another possible lawsuit, station management had strict control over the show. They made on-air staff changes and imposed a taped delay, at times as long as 20 minutes. Every word spoken by the duo was closely monitored and had to be approved by a member of management prior to airing. In addition, a member of management always had to be in the studio with Eddie & JoBo or else they could not broadcast. Eddie & JoBo adapted to the changes, and ratings continued to climb back to their former glory.

Second Stint (1997-2008)
At first, the Eddie and Jobo show remained popular on B96 upon returning to the station in January 1997. The “Private Lives” show would be dropped from morning drive in 1999 although the Sunday night show would remain on B96 until 2002. Eddie & JoBo hosted from 5 a.m.-10 a.m. under tight restrictions until May 29, 2002. Rival station WKSC-FM 103.5 Kiss FM made an offer to them to do morning drive unrestricted on their station. B96 pulled the show as a negotiation tactic in the hopes of keeping the show. Negotiations continued until July when B96 announced at an on-air press conference that Eddie & JoBo had signed on with the station in a seven-year, $21 million deal to begin immediately in addition to ending all restrictions on the show. B96 no longer felt a tape delay was needed, and Eddie & JoBo resumed a live show on July 22, 2002.

Unfortunately, Eddie and JoBo would start to decline in the ratings as the years went by. Many observers attributed this to B96’s steady decline in ratings ever since deemphasizing its heavy dance music format in favor of a hip-hop and R&B-leaning format starting in the late 1990’s. The station went from #1 in 1998 among younger radio listeners, all the way down to #9 by the mid-2000s. In addition, Eddie and Jobo were getting older and did not fit B96’s key demographic of 18 to 34-year-old females. Erica Cobb, a younger female co-host, was added to the program in October 2005 to provide a better fit in the station’s demographics. In an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, B96 PD Todd Cavanah had described the Eddie and Jobo Show prior to Cobb’s arrival as a “Sausage-Fest”, referring a lack of female presence after Karen Hand’s departure from B96 in 2002. On November 21, 2008, Eddie & Jobo were fired by B96 for the second and final time. Cobb was also fired alongside Eddie & Jobo.

Eddie & Jobo After B96 (2011-2012)
After being fired by B96 in 2008, Eddie & Jobo were hired by B96's sister station 104.3 WJMK on March 14, 2011. WJMK had re-branded as a classic hits format “K-Hits” after dumping its polarizing variety hits format “Jack-FM”. Other former B96 alumni George McFly and Gary Spears also worked at K-Hits. However, WJMK played rock-based classic hits of the 1970s and 1980s rather than the dance and R&B based hits of the 1980s and 1990s that B96 was once known for when those DJs were there. On December 12, 2012, Eddie and Jobo were fired from WJMK due to low ratings. In late 2017, WJMK flipped formats from classic hits to classic hip hop & R&B of the 1990s and 2000s, playing many of the songs once featured on B96 when Eddie & Jobo were there.

Post-Eddie & Jobo Era (2008-present)
On December 31, 2008, it was announced that Julian Nieh and Jamar "J Niice" McNeil would replace the Eddie & JoBo & Erica Show. "J Niice & Julian on the Radio" made its debut January 5, 2009 in the 5:30 a.m.-10 a.m. slot, where B96 saw its ratings go up. On November 28, 2012, Julian Nieh left B96 and the show was renamed "The J. Show with Showbiz Shelly" with J. Niice as the main host and Michelle "Showbiz Shelly" Menaker as the co-host. In April 2018, B96 hired Kevin “DreX” Buchar, who was the morning host for rival 103.5 Kiss FM from 2003 to 2010, as the station's new morning show host, replacing J Niice and Showbiz Shelly, the latter jumping ship to 103.5 Kiss FM not too long after being let go by B96. However, ratings were not impressive at all as DreX debuted in 22nd place among all Chicago radio morning shows. On February 08, 2019, DreX was gone from B96 after just 10 months with the station. His co-hosts, Gabe Ramirez and Nina Hajian, were retained and promoted as B96's new morning hosts. On August 2021, Hajian left B96 and Ramirez became a solo host. On April 4, 2022, B96 featured a new morning show based in Phoenix, called "the Morning Mess", consisting of Joey Rodriguez, Jeana Shepard, Aneesh Ratan, and Karla Hernandez. The previous morning host, Gabe Ramirez, left the role but remains on B96 in another role.
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Re: History of B96 (Revised Version)

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Concerts

Since the 1990s, B96 has sponsored annual concerts featuring artists whose music is featured on the station’s playlist. Perhaps the most popular of the concerts is the Summer Bash which is usually held every June since its debut in 1992. Since 2016, the Summer Bash is held at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont. From 2006 to 2015, the Summer Bash was held at Toyota Park (now known as SeatGeek Stadium since 2018) in Bridgeview, which was also the home stadium of the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer (MLS) at the time. Prior to 2006, the venue of the Bash has varied throughout the Chicagoland area such as the First Midwest Bank Amphitheater in Tinley Park (1994-1998), Route 66 Raceway in Joliet (1999-2003), and Maywood Park in Melrose Park (2004). In 2005, the Summer Bash was not held and instead there was a "Bee-Kini" Bash held at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, which featured a much smaller lineup of performers. Noted for featuring several marquee performers in a day-long series of sets, the B96 Summer Bash is one of the most premier radio station concerts in the U.S., alongside other such events like 102.7 KIIS-FM's "Jingle Ball" and "Wango Tango" in Los Angeles, WHTZ-FM Z100's "Jingle Ball" in New York, and rock station KPNT 105.7's "Point Fest" in St. Louis.

The Summer Bash concert series proved so successful that B96 also began adding other concert series such as the Halloween Bash that debuted around 1996 and the Jingle Bash around the Christmas holiday season since 2000. Both concert series are often held at the Allstate Arena (formerly known as the Rosemont Horizon until 1999) as opposed to outdoor venues like the Summer Bash due to the colder weather Chicago experiences during the fall and winter months. Since 2016, the Summer Bash has also been held at the Allstate Arena. In addition, the Halloween Bash has since been discontinued as the most recent Bash occurred in 2002.

Summer Bash Lineups
Year Date Venue Town Performers Notes
1992 n/a n/a n/a n/a the first Summer Bash held; Was known as "Eddie & Jobo’s Summer Jam" and was hosted by Eddie and Jobo Note: The original lineup from the 1992 event is unknown at this time;
1993 n/a n/a n/a RuPaul, Silk, Snow, & 5 other acts that are unknown at this time. known as "Summer Jam '93" and was hosted by Eddie and Jobo
1994 June 26 New World Music Theatre Tinley Park K7, Color Me Badd, Jocelyn Enriquez, Gabrielle, Chantey Savage, Zhane, Stevie B, DJ Miko, 2 in a Room, Jon Secada, Salt N Pepa known as "Summer Jam '94"
1995 June 24 New World Music Theatre Tinley Park K7, Real McCoy, Da Brat, Crystal Waters, 69 Boyz, Cynthia, Technotronic, George Lamond, 20 fingers ft Gillette, and Fun Factory. Known as Summer Jam '95; Paula Abdul arrived in helicopter, but did not perform.
1996 June 29 New World Music Theatre Tinley Park White Knight, J'son, Big Sister, Buffy, Monica, Planet Soul, Lime, Shannon, Max-a-Million, 3T, 2 Unlimited, Real McCoy, Amber, Coolio, Too Kool Chris, Tony Rich Project, the Outhere Bros., All 4 One, and the Quad City DJs. known as Summer Bash '96
1997 June 29 New World Music Theatre Tinley Park Wild Orchid, 3rd Party, Le Click, Real McCoy, Jon Secada, AZ Yet, Freak Nasty, Salt N' Pepa, Erasure, DJ Company
1998 June 29 New World Music Theatre Tinley Park Boyz II Men, Destiny's Child, 'N Sync, Savage Garden, Mase, Voices of Theory, and K.P. & Envyi. Mariah Carey made a surprise appearance and performed "One Sweet Day" with Boyz II Men
1999 July 19 Route 66 Raceway Joliet N'Sync, 98 Degrees, Shanice, Tyrese, Venga Boys, Busta Rhymes, Keith Sweat, and Ricky Martin. Britney Spears was scheduled to perform but had cancelled her appearance.
2000 June 17 Route 66 Raceway Joliet Sisqo, Brian McKnight, Pink, LFO, Mandy Moore, Joe, Eiffel 65, Ice Cube, Enrique Iglesias, Destiny's Child, Eve, Hanson, and Faze 4
2001 June 30 Route 66 Raceway Joliet Jay-Z, Faze4, Willa Ford, Trick Daddy, K-Ci & JoJo, Dream, Tyrese, Ricky Martin, 3LW, O'Town, Eden's Crush, ATC and Sisqo
2002 June 22 Route 66 Raceway Joliet Nelly, Brian McKnight, Fat Joe, Shakira, P. Diddy, Paulina Rubio, Mary J. Blige, Naughty By Nature, Nick and Aaron Carter, Ja Rule and Ashanti
2003 July 26 Route 66 Raceway Joliet Lil' Kim, Ginuwine, Da Brat, Sarai, Ludacris, Smilez and Southstar, Frankie J, Mya, Nick Cannon, and Fabolous.
2004 August 24 Maywood Park Melrose Park R. Kelly, D12, Twista, Ma$e, J-Kwon, Houston, Jojo, the Ying Yang Twins, and Nina Sky.
2005 June 12 Six Flags Great America Gurnee Frankie J, Baby Bash, and Natalie The Summer Bash was not held that year. Instead, B96 held the "Teeny Weeny Bee-Kini Bash" which featured a much smaller lineup of performers
2006 June 24 Toyota Park Bridgeview Mary J Blige, Sean Paul, Pink, Ray-J, T-Pain, Chameleon Pin, Ne-Yo, Rihanna, the first SummerBash held at Toyota Park
2007 June 14 Toyota Park Bridgeview Akon, Rihanna, T-Pain, Ciara, Ne-Yo, Hilary Duff, MIMS, Gym Class Heroes, Paula Deanda, & Dude N Nem
2008 June 13 Toyota Park Bridgeview Nastasha Bedingfield, Flo Rida, Pitbull, Jesse McCartney, Danity Kane, Ray-J, & T-Pain
2009 June 13 Toyota Park Bridgeview Akon, Kelly Clarkson, The Black Eyed Peas, Flo Rida, LMFAO, Kid Cudi, Twista also known as "B96 Summerbash XV"
2010 June 12 Toyota Park Bridgeview Charice, JLS, Travis Garland, B.O.B., Taio Cruz, Cascada, New Boyz, Jason Derulo, Lyaz, T-Pain, Ludacris
2011 June 11 Toyota Park Bridgeview Joe Jonas, Far East Movement, Lupe Fiasco, Jay Sean, Big Time Rush, Keri Hilson, New Boyz, Chris Brown, Pitbull
2012 June 16 Toyota Park Bridgeview Flo Rida, Gym Class Heroes, The Wanted, Big Time Rush, Sean Paul, Dev, Mike Posner, Karmin and more DJ Flipside and Bad Boy Bill provided DJ mixes
2013 June 15 Toyota Park Bridgeview Zedd, Avril Lavigne, Demi Lovato, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Timeflies, Ne-Yo, Afrojack, Cher Lloyd, Sammy Lloyd, and Miley Cyrus Sammy Adams was a replacement for Ariana Grande, who was one of the original performers but cancelled.
2014 June 14 Toyota Park Bridgeview G.R.L., Hot Chelle Rae, Icona Pop, Little Mix, Jason Derulo, Austin Mahone, Iggy Azalea, Jennifer Lopez, and Pitbull
2015 June 20 Toyota Park Bridgeview Usher, Axewell InGrosso, Nick Jonas, Flo Rida, Walk the Moon, Fifth Harmony, R5, Tove Lo, Natalie La Rose, Jake Miller
2016 June 26 Allstate Arena Rosemont Ariana Grande, Daya, BeBe Rexha, Mike Ponser, Charlie Puth, Calvin Harris, Meghan Trainor, & Frankie Bebe Rexha filled in for Iggy Azalea, who was originally supposed to attend; The Bash would be moved from Toyota Park to the Allstate Arena from this point forward.
2017 June 24 Allstate Arena Rosemont Cheat Codes, Dua Lipa, Noah Cyrus, Hailee Steinfeld, Liam Payne, Camila Cabello, Niall Horan, Zedd, Jason Derulo, & Kygo
2018 June 23 Allstate Arena Rosemont 5 SOS, Bebe Rexha, Bazzi, Laim Payne, Why Don't We, Dua Lipa, Alessia Cara, Meghn Trainor, & Hasley
2019 June 22 Allstate Arena Rosemont 5 Seconds of Summer, Why Don't We, Bazzi, CNCO, Ava Max, Ally Brooke, Bryce Vine, Loud Luxury, and The Drax Project
2020 n/a n/a n/a n/a cancelled due to Covid-19 Pandemic
2021 n/a n/a n/a n/a not held due to Covid-19 Pandemic
2022 n/a n/a n/a n/a not held

Halloween Bash Lineups
Year Date Venue Town Performers Notes
1996 October 31 Rosemont Horizon Rosemont The Fugees, Bayside Boys, Love Tribe, Rob Base, Jocelyn Enriquez, Stevie B., Donna Lewis, No Mercy, La Bouche and Quad City DJ's. Culture Beat was scheduled to perform but cancelled
1997 October 30 Rosemont Horizon Rosemont En Vogue, Hanson, Le Click, Backstreet Boys, Roybn, Aaliyah,
1998 October 29 Rosemont Horizon Rosemont Usher, Monica, Pras, Mya, Nicole, Inoj, Sweetbox, Tantaya Ali
1999 October 27 Allstate Arena Rosemont 98 Degrees, Britney Spears, Lou Bega, L.F.O., Blaque, Christina Aguilera, and Tracie Spencer. Rosemont Horizon was renamed Allstate Arena on June 09, 1999
2000 October 27 Allstate Arena Rosemont R. Kelly, Pink, Mikalia, Ruff Endz, and Kandi, Faze 4, & Christina Aguilera
2001 October 27 Allstate Arena Rosemont Fabolous, Lil Mo, Eve, P Diddy, Afroman, Vi3, Craig David, & Toya
2002 October 24 Allstate Arena Rosemont Christina Aguliera, Kelly Rowland, LL Cool J, Missy Elliot, Shaggy The final Halloween Bash held

Jingle Bash Lineups
NOTE: The Jingle Bash lineups from 2002 and between 2004 and 2007 are currently unknown at this time. In more recent years, the Jingle Bash has been sponsored by Pepsi.

Year Date Venue Town Performers Notes
2000 December 9 Allstate Arena Rosemont 98 Degrees, Boyz II Men and Shaggy This was the 1st held Jingle Bash
2001 n/a Allstate Arena Rosemont Alicia Keys, Vi3, 112, Missy Elliot, & Tweet
2002 n/a n/a n/a n/a
2003 December 13 House of Blues Chicago Wyclef Jean, Baby Bash, Frankie J., Avant, & Murphy Lee
2004 n/a n/a n/a n/a
2005 n/a n/a n/a n/a
2006 n/a n/a n/a n/a
2007 n/a n/a n/a n/a
2008 December 16 Allstate Arena Rosemont Rihanna, Chris Brown, David Archuleta, Jesse McCartney, Shontelle, Kevin Rudolf, and Brody Jenner
2009 December 13 Allstate Arena Rosemont Justin Beiber, Pitbull, Jump Smokers, Jerehim, Livvi Franc, Jay Sean, David Guetta, Sean Kingston, Keri Hilson,
2010 December 11 Allstate Arena Rosemont Justin Beiber, Far East Movement, Mike Posner, Bruno Mars, Nelly, Jason Derulo, Auburn, and Jump Smokers
2011 December 17 Allstate Arena Rosemont Enrique Iglesias, Joe Jonas, Selena Gomez, Jason Derulo, Cobra Starship, LMFAO, and others
2012 December 15 Allstate Arena Rosemont PYS, Justin Bieber, Pitbull, Carly Rae Jepsen, Calvin Harris, Austin Mahone, and Afrojack
2013 December 14 Allstate Arena Rosemont Avicii, Ariana Grande, Austin Mahone, Armin van Buuren, Jason Derulo, Jonas Brothers, and Pitbull
2014 December 6 Allstate Arena Rosemont Ariana Grande, 5 Seconds of Summer, Rixton, MKTO, Lil Jon, Martin Garrix, Pharrell Williams
2015 December 12 Allstate Arena Rosemont Demi Lovato, 5 Seconds of Summer, Jason Derulo, Shawn Mendes, Pentatonix, Omi, and Hailee Steinfeld
2016 December 10 Allstate Arena Rosemont Britney Spears, Shawn Mendes, Fifth Harmony, the Chain Smokers, G-Easy, One Republic, DNCE, and Alessia Cara.
2017 December 7 Allstate Arena Rosemont Taylor Swift, Backstreet Boys, Fifth Harmony, Khalid, Logic, and Sabrina Carpenter
2018 December 8 Allstate Arena Rosemont Camila Cabello, Shawn Mendes, Cardi B, Mike Ponser, Why Don't We, & Lauv
2019 December 7 Allstate Arena Rosemont Katy Perry, Camila Cabello, Marshmello, Normani, Monsta X, Lil Tecca, NCT127, and AJ Mitchell.
2020 n/a n/a n/a n/a cancelled due to Covid-19 Pandemic
2021 n/a n/a n/a n/a cancelled due to Covid-19 Pandemic
2022 n/a n/a n/a n/a not held

The B-Bash and Other Concerts
Listed below are other concerts B96 has sponsored over the years, such as the B-Bash.

Year Date Venue Town Performers Notes
1990 May n/a n/a Louie Louie, Perfect Gentlemen, Linear, and George Lamond. Known as the "B-Bash" and was held around May 1990 to celebrate WBBM-FM's Top 40 format debut on May 02, 1982. Eddie & Jobo are the hosts and Julian "Jumpin'" Perez & Bad Boy Bill provided mixes.
1990 November 09 UIC Pavilion Chicago Stevie B, George Lamond, TKA, Sweet Sensation, Joey Kid, & 2 In A Room. Annual "B-Bash" also known as "THE B96 KILLER BEE BASH". Was also broadcast on B96 live.
1991 December 31 n/a Chicago Icy Blu, Kym Sims, Ce Ce Peniston & Boyz II Men. B96 Bud Light New Years Eve B-Bash. Was also broadcast on WBBM-TV Channel 2 as part of the station's New Years Eve coverage.
1993 March China Club Chicago Chicago Expose, Cajmere The station also held its "Final 6" DJ search
1993 November n/a n/a Shai, Collage, Fast Eddie, White Knight, and Reality (Bad Boy Bill and Kool Rock Steady) Known as the "Turkey Jam" and was held sometime around the Thanksgiving holiday.
1994 March n/a n/a CeCe Peniston, Jocelyn Enriquez, Gabrielle, and Domino a spring break concert held around late March that year
1994 November 26 n/a n/a Ini Kamoze, Crystal Waters, Jade, Rochelle, Miranda, Fast Eddie, & DJ Sneak Annual "B-Bash"
1995 July 15 Soldier Field Chicago Boyz II Men and TLC Known as the "B96 Superfest"
2002 December 20 n/a Chicago TKA, K7 & George Lamond Known as the "B96 Flashback Reunion"
2003 February 7 n/a Chicago Cynthia, Johnny O, Lidell Townsell Known as "Eddie & Jobo's Flashback Party 2"
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Re: History of B96 (Revised Version)

Post by Disman00911 »

Awards
Since finding success as a Rhythmic Top 40 station in the 1990s, B96 has been nominated multiple times for awards given by key media companies, such as Billboard. Below are some of the known awards the station has won during its Rhythmic period.

Station of the Year
1991 Billboard Radio Awards major- market Top 40 station of the year
1991 Gavin Seminar: Top 40 Major Market Station of the Year
1992 FMQB "CHR/Top40" Station of the Year
2000 Radio Station of the Year by Ted Cox (Daily Herald TV/Radio Columnist of the Daily Herald)
2003 Billboard Airplay Monitor Radio Awards - Rhythmic Top 40 Radio Station of the Year-Major Market
2008 Radio & Records (R&R) Rhythmic Station of the Year (markets 1 -15)

Program Director of the Year
1991 Billboard Radio Awards Major Market Program/Operations Director of the Year - Dave Shakes
1991 Gavin Seminar: Top 40 Major Market Program Director/Operations Manager of the Year - Dave Shakes
2002 Billboard Radio Awards - Major Market Rhythmic Top 40 PD (Todd Cavanah)

Music Director of the Year
1991 Billboard Radio Awards Major Market Music Director of the Year - Todd Cavanah
1994 Gavin Top 40 Large Market Assistant Program Director /Music Director Of The Year - Erik Bradley (shared with WCKZ "Kiss 102" Charlotte as Bradley worked at the station before joining B96)
1995 FMQB "Street Beat Best Ears" - Erik Bradley
1996 Gavin Top 40 Major Market Assistant Program Director/Music Director of the Year - Erik Bradley
1998 Gavin Top 40 Major Market APD/MD - Erik Bradley
1998 Radio & Records (R&R) Rhythmic MD of the Year (Erik Bradley)
1999 Radio & Records (R&R) Rhythmic MD of the Year (Erik Bradley)
2000 Billboard Airplay Monitor Radio Seminar & Awards - Music Director (Erik Bradley)
2000 Radio & Records (R&R) Rhythmic MD of the Year (Erik Bradley)
2001 Radio & Records (R&R) Rhythmic MD of the Year (Erik Bradley)
2002 Radio & Records (R&R) Rhythmic MD of the Year (Erik Bradley)
2002 Billboard Radio Awards - Major Market Rhythmic Top 40 assistant PD /music director (Erik Bradley)
2006 Radio & Records (R&R) Rhythmic MD of the Year (Erik Bradley)
2007 Radio & Records (R&R) Rhythmic MD of the Year (Erik Bradley)
2008 Radio & Records (R&R) Rhythmic MD of the Year (Erik Bradley)

Personality of the Year
1996 Best Personality of the Year - Eddie & Jobo (Silver Dome Awards by the Illinois Broadcasters Association)
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Re: History of B96 (Revised Version)

Post by Disman00911 »

B96 Chicago Staff History

Notable DJs and on-air personalities during the last 35 years.

The original B96 "Hot Hits" staff in 1982
Bob Lewis (1982-1983)
Dave Robbins (1982-1985)
Frank Foster (1982-1984)
Gary Spears (1982-1984, 1990-1994)
Joe Dawson (1982-1986)
Steve Davis (1982-1983)
Tony Taylor (1982-1984)

1980s (misc.)
Brian Middleton (1985-2006) (was also a DJ mixer from 1986 to circa 2003)
Bubba The Love Sponge (1989-1990)
Carla Box (1984-1989)
Christopher Randolph (1988-1989)
Chuck “Chuck Nasty” Evans (1985)
Dick Biondi (1983-1984)
Don Geronimo (1983-1985)
Ed "Eddie" Volkman (1986-1994, 1996-2008)
Geno Jones (1986-198?)
Joe "Jobo" Bohannon (1984-1994, 1996-2008)
Jose Solis (circa 1989)
Karen Hand (circa 1984-2002)
Mark Sebastian (1985-1986)
Mark Windsor (1982-198?)
Mike Eltson (circa 1984-1988)
Pat Reynolds (1988-1990)
Paul Donovan (1986-1990)
Tomm Rivers (1982-1983)
Tony "Wild Child" Hamilton (1985)
William “Bud” LaTour (1987-1990)
Zach Harris (circa 1986-1988)

1990s
Alan Kabel (1992-1994)
Baltazar (1991-1992)
Bill "Wild Bill" Cody (1994-1995)
Candi Gomez (circa 1995-2008)
Coco Cortez (1990-1991, 1993-1996)
Dana Loudon (1990-199?)
Dr. Kelly Johnson (1993-2002)
Frankie "Hollywood" Rodriguez (1992-1997) (was also a DJ mixer from 1989 to 1994)
George McFly (1990-1991, 1994-1996)
Greg Murray (1990-199?) (was also a voiceover from 1990 to 2010)
Jeff Andrews (1993-199?)
Jennifer Keiper (circa 1992-199?)
Julian "Jumpin’" Perez (1994-2002, 2003-circa 2006) (was also a DJ mixer from 1989 to 2002)
Mark Sullivan (circa 1993)
Rich Scott a.k.a. Scott Childers (B96 traffic reporter - 1992-1998)
Roxanne Steele (1996-2008)
Terry Foxx (1993-1999)
Terry "TJ" Jacobs (1994-1995)
Tim "Spinnin’" Schommer (1995-2005) (was also a DJ mixer from 1989 to 2003)
Todd Cavanah (1990-1993) (was also the Music Director and later Program Director)

2000s & 2010s
DJ Flipside (200?-2018) (was also a DJ mixer)
Dougie Stylz (of Stylz & Roman) (2004-2016)
Erica Cobb (2005-2008)
Gabe Ramirez (2008-present)
Jamar “J Niice” McNeil (2008-2018)
Jason Cage (2011-2016)
Jerzy (200?-2011)
Julian "the Night Ninja" Nieh (2006-2012)
Justin "J Roman" Roman (of Stylz & Roman) (2004-2016)
Nikki (circa 2009-present)
Nina Hajian (2018-present)
Rebecca Ortiz (2008-present)
Michelle “Showbiz Shelly” Menaker (2005-2018)
Kevin “DreX” Buchar (2018-2019)

Announcers & Voice-Overs
David Lee (198?-1988)
Mitch Craig (1988-2003)
Greg Murray (1990-2010)
Mike Dunn (circa 1995-1999) (only during the Sunday night Street Flava show)
Michael Horn (1995-2013)
Pat Garrett (2003-200?)

Program Directors
Buddy Scott (1982-1989)
Dave Shakes (1990-1993)
Todd Cavanah (1993-2023)
Molly Cruz (2023-present)

Music Directors
Dave Robbins (1982-1984)
Joe “JoBo” Bohannon (1984-1989)
Paul Donavon (1989-1990)
Todd Cavanah (1990-1993)
Erik Bradley (1993-present)

Syndicated Programs
List of nationally syndicated programs that aired on B96 over the years:

"American Top 40" with Casey Kasem (1979-1982) (program aired while WBBM-FM was an adult contemporary station and was dropped just a month before WBBM-FM flipped to a Top 40 format)
"Top 40 Satellite Survey" with Dan Ingram (1984-1986)
"Countdown America" with John Leeder (circa 1985)
"Future Hits" with Joel Denver (circa 1985-1993) (program began from 1984 to 1995 but B96 dropped the program in July 1993)
"Casey's Top 40 Countdown" with Casey Kasem (1989-1993) (program lasted from 1989 through 1998 but B96 dropped the program in July 1993)
"Rockin' America Top 30 Countdown" with Scott Shannon (Circa 1989-1991) (program began in 1984 and ended in 1992, although B96 dropped the program in 1991)
"Hotline USA" with Shadoe Stevens (circa 1989-1990)
"Direct Hits" with Bill Lee (circa 1989-1990)
"American Dance Traxx" with Jeff Wyatt, Deborah Rath & "Downtown" Julie Brown (circa 1991-1993) (program started in 1987 but B96 did not pick up the program until 1991)
"American Top 40" with Shadoe Stevens (circa 1992-1993) (New Year’s Day 1992 and New Year’s Day 1993 AT40 year-end countdowns only)
"On the Radio" with Gary Spears (1992-1993)
"The Retro Show" with Gary Spears (1993-1994)
"Sounds of the New York Underground" with Deborah Rath & Jeff Romanowski (1993-1994)
"Dance Connection" with Kim Farley (circa 1997)
"Perez Radio" with Perez Hilton (2008-present)
"Cannon's Countdown" with Nick Cannon (2011-2013)

Slogans
"Hot Hits 96 Now" (1982-1983)
"B96...Music" (1983-1985)
"Most Music" (1983-1986)
"Chicago's Hot Music" (1983-1984)
"Nothing But the Hits" (1984-1985)
"Chicago Rocks to B96" (1985)
"Station of the 80s" (1986-1988)
"Chicago's No. 1 Hit Music Station" (1988-1991)
"The Killer Bee" (1990-1993)
"Party Radio" (1993-1997)
"Different Types of Music, All Types of People" (circa 1993)
"Chicago's Dance Party" (circa 1993)
"Chicago's Dance Beat" (1996-2002)
"The New Killer Bee 96.3" (2002-2005)
"Hits & Hip Hop" (2005-2008)
"Chicago's #1 Hit Music Station" (2008-present)
"Chicago's #1 Hit Music Channel" (2008-present)
"Chicago's New Hit Music" (2018-2023)
"The Music You've Always Loved and the Best of What's New" (2023-present)
“Chicago’s Favorite Radio Station is Back" (2023-present)

B96 Chicago Famous Performing Chicago Area Clubs in Illinois
Warehouse - Birthplace of house music
Zero Gravity
Todos
Club 123
Eric's North
The Riviera
China Club
Club XL - 766 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60661
Rapture - 730 N Green St, Chicago, IL 60642
Baja Beach Club
Hob Nob - PR 14 Crystal Lake, IL 60014
Jaguar Club - 630 E Golf Road Schaumburg, IL 60014
Shelter
Avalon
Kaboom!
Crobar
Jedynka Night Club - 22 W 613 75th Naperville, Illinois, 60565. Tribute video here
Galaxy Night Club - 9225 East Gold Road, Des Plains IL 60016 (torn down 2003)
Mars 2112 - Schaumburg, WoodField Mall. Opened 03/10/2000 It closed temporarily in November 2001, with no official word on the reason for closing. It never reopened at that location. Tribune Article
Last edited by Disman00911 on Sat Apr 22, 2023 9:10 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Disman00911
Posts: 554
Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2022 11:09 pm

Re: History of B96 (Revised Version)

Post by Disman00911 »

References
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"Amusement Business." Billboard. 15 Jul 1995. P. 15. [External Link Removed for Guests]
Flick, Larry. " Club- Rooted Hi -NRG Sound Finds Transatlantic Success." Billboard. 12 Aug 1995. [External Link Removed for Guests]
Carter, Kevin. "PD Cavanah Sees Success By Broadening B96's List" Billboard 23 Sep 1995. [External Link Removed for Guests]
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Novia, Tony. "B96 ... Still Consistent After All These Years." Radio & Records. P. 34. 14 Nov 1997. [External Link Removed for Guests]
Novia, Tony. "Mixing It Up In The Windy City." Radio & Records. P. 38. 21 Nov 1997. [External Link Removed for Guests]
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Neyfakh, Leon. "Getting Juicy" The Harvard Crimson 30 Sep 2004. [External Link Removed for Guests]
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"WBBM (B96)/Chicago Announces Lineup For Pepsi Jingle Bash". All Access. 6 Oct 2017. [External Link Removed for Guests]
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[External Link Removed for Guests]
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