Bob FM

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Radio format

title: "Bob FM" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["radio-formats", "franchised-radio-formats", "adult-hits-radio-stations-in-the-united-states", "adult-hits-radio-stations-in-canada", "bob-fm-stations"] description: "Radio format" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_FM" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Radio format ::

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 1990s, especially those popular during the early days of MTV when music videos made up most of MTV's schedule. However, 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 May 18, 2021, the remaining Bob FM stations in Canada were re-branded as Bounce Radio.

Former Bob FM stations in Canada

::data[format=table]

LocationCall signFrequencyNotes/websites
Brandon, ManitobaCKX-FM96.1 FMRe-branded as Bounce 96.1
Brockville, OntarioCJPT-FM103.7 FMRe-branded as Bounce 103.7, now 103.7 Giant FM
Kawartha Lakes, OntarioCKLY-FM91.9 FMRe-branded as Bounce 91.9, now Y91.9
Ottawa, OntarioCKKL-FM93.9 FMRe-branded as New Country 94, now Pure Country 94
Winnipeg, ManitobaCFWM-FM99.9 FMRe-branded as Bounce 99.9
::

Bob FM stations in the United States

::data[format=table]

LocationCall signFrequencySinceFormatwebsite
Anchorage, AlaskaKBBO-FM92.1 FMVariety hitshttps://921bob.com
Asbury, MissouriKWXD103.5 FMJune 1, 2023Variety hits
Augusta, GeorgiaWDRR93.9 FMApril 2010Classic hitshttps://ilovebobfm.com
Austin, TexasKBPA103.5 FMSeptember 2004Adult hitshttp://www.1035bobfm.com
Bloomington-Normal, IllinoisWBBE97.9 FM2005Adult hitshttps://nowbn.com/bob979/
Bluffton, South CarolinaWUBB106.9 FMFebruary 21, 2011Countryhttps://bob1069.com
Boise, IdahoKSRV-FM96.1 FMMarch 30, 2007Adult hitshttps://961bobfm.com
Cambria, CaliforniaKCJZ105.3 FMJune 2014Variety hitshttps://bobfm1053.com
Carmel-by-the-Sea, CaliforniaKKHK95.5 FMDecember 3, 2010Alternativehttps://www.955bobfm.com
Chico, CaliforniaKBQB92.7 FM2006Adult Hitshttps://927bobfm.com
Edwards, CaliforniaKGBB103.9 FM2006Adult Hitshttps://www.bobfm1039.com
Emporia, KansasKANS96.1 FMJuly 1, 2023Adult Hits
Erie, PennsylvaniaWXBB94.7 FMJanuary 5, 2007Adult Hitshttps://947bobfm.iheart.com
Estero, FloridaWJGO102.9 FMMarch 16, 2007Adult hitshttps://www.1029bobfm.com
Eugene, OregonKEUG105.5 FM2004Adult Hitshttps://www.1055bobfm.com
Fargo, North DakotaKBVB95.1 FMMarch 12, 2007Countryhttps://www.bob95fm.com
Faribault, MinnesotaKBGY107.5 FM2015Classic country
Forest Lake, MinnesotaWLKX-FM95.9 FMFebruary 13, 2022Classic country
Hampton Roads-Norfolk, VirginiaWNOB93.7 FMSeptember 23, 2006Adult hitshttp://www.937bobfm.com/
Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaWRBT94.9 FMCountryhttps://bob949.iheart.com/
Healdsburg, CaliforniaKNOB96.7 FMOctober 4, 2018Variety hitshttps://www.967bob.fm/
Holliday, TexasKWFB100.9 FMJanuary 1, 2024Adult hits
Kansas City, MissouriKCKC102.1 FMDecember 26, 2024Adult hitshttps://1021bobfm.com/
Lafayette, IndianaWBPE95.3 FMDecember 6, 2007Adult hitshttp://www.wbpefm.com/
Minneapolis, MinnesotaKLCI106.1 FMClassic countryhttp://www.mybobcountry.com/
Myrtle Beach, South CarolinaWYNA104.9 FMVariety hitshttp://1049bobfm.iheart.com/
Panama City Beach, FloridaWASJ105.1 FMMay 2008Adult hits
Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaWRRK96.9 FMNovember 1, 2005Variety hitshttps://www.bobfm969.com/
Redding, CaliforniaKESR107.1 FMMarch 12, 2010Adult hitshttp://www.1071bobfm.com/
Russellville, ArkansasKCAB980 AMAdult hits
Salt Lake City, UtahKYMV100.7 FMVariety hitshttps://bobfmutah.com/
San Antonio, TexasKJXK102.7 FMJanuary 5, 2026Adult hitshttps://1027bobfm.com/
Spokane, WashingtonKBBD103.9 FMAdult hitshttp://www.1039bobfm.com/
St. Cloud, MinnesotaWQPM1300 AMFebruary 13, 2022Classic country
St. Cloud, MinnesotaKDDG105.5 FMClassic country
Sterling, ColoradoKSRX97.5 FMVariety hitshttp://www.bobplaysanything.com/
Traverse City, MichiganWZTC104.5 FMAdult hitshttp://www.1045bobfm.com/
Twin Falls, IdahoKIKX104.7 FMSeptember 7, 2009Adult hitshttp://1047bobfm.com/
Washington-Greenville, North CarolinaWERO93.3 FM1999Contemporary hit radiohttp://www.bob933.com/
Wichita, KansasKBOB-FM97.1 FMFebruary 14, 2008Adult hits
Winfield, KansasKSOK-FM95.9 FMJanuary 2022Variety 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 ) .

References

References

  1. "Bell Media Bounces 25 Stations Across Canada To New Variety Hits Brand".

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

radio-formatsfranchised-radio-formatsadult-hits-radio-stations-in-the-united-statesadult-hits-radio-stations-in-canadabob-fm-stations