1971 in radio

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The year 1971 in radio involved some significant events.

Events

• 2 January: A ban on radio and television cigarette advertisements goes into effect in the United States.
• 14 February: All of ABC Radio's FM stations change call letters, all on the same day:
  • WABC-FM in New York becomes WPLJ, for White Port & Lemon Juice.
  • KABC-FM in Los Angeles becomes KLOS, for Los Angeles.
  • KGO-FM in San Francisco becomes KSFX, for San Francisco (now KKSF).
  • KQV-FM in Pittsburgh becomes WDVE, for a D o V E, the symbol of peace.
  • WXYZ-FM in Detroit becomes WRIF, for a guitar "R I F F" (legend goes that the calls were meant for WLS-FM to symbolize the cities' jazz scene).
  • WLS-FM in Chicago becomes WDAI (supposedly meant for WXYZ-FM to celebrate the Detroit Auto Industry; it had no meaning in Chicago).
  • KXYZ-FM in Houston becomes KAUM (today KHMX), meaning unknown.
• 20 February: The U.S. Emergency Broadcast System sends an erroneous warning; many radio stations just ignore it, while WOWO in Fort Wayne takes it seriously and interrupts programming for 20 minutes.
• December: WNBC in New York lures Don Imus and his Imus in the Morning program away from WGAR (AM) in Cleveland (now WHKW); WGAR replaces him with fellow shock jock John Lanigan.

Undated

• WLOL-FM and KSJN, both in Minneapolis, Minnesota, participate in "quadcast" (quadraphonic) experiments.

Debuts

• May 3 - All Things Considered, NPR's flagship news program, broadcasts for the first time.
• November 7 – WCCI-FM in Savanna, Illinois signs on at 100.1 FM. The station will later move to 100.3 FM.
• December – KOEL-FM, licensed to Oelwein, Iowa, signs on the air at 92.3 FM. Its initial format is country music.
• Bill Ballance begins hosting the Feminine Forum radio show on KGBS in Los Angeles

Births

• April 16 - High Pitch Eric, member of the Wack Pack from radio's The Howard Stern Show
• May 20 - Chris Booker, American radio and television personality.
• May - Frank Brinsley, host of The Frank Show
• June 23 - Alan Cox, American comedian and radio personality, currently on WMMS in Cleveland, Ohio
• July 21 - Nuno Markl, Portuguese comedian and radio host
• August 23 - Hugh Douglas, former NFL player, regular personality on Philadelphia sports radio station WIP
• October 13 - Billy Bush (born ) radio personality, co-host of TV show Access Hollywood, first cousin of George W. Bush
• December 17 - Alan Khan, South African radio DJ

Deaths

• January 7 - Richard Kollmar, 60, actor and Broadway producer.
• Carleton G. Young, 64, American radio and television actor