Twin Cities Radio Wars

March 20, 2020 6

The Great Twin Cities Radio Wars of the 1970s: When Stations Fought for Every Last Listener

By Mark Miller

There was a time when the Twin Cities lived and breathed radio—when your loyalty to a station meant something, when you didn’t just listen, you committed. It was the era of radio battles, where every station fought for your ear, and the Twin Cities became one of the most competitive radio markets in America.

From the booming news giant of WCCO to the Top 40 slugfest between WDGY and KDWB, and the rise of FM rockers like KQRS and KSTP, the 1970s were a golden age for radio in Minneapolis-St. Paul. It wasn’t just about playing music—it was about winning hearts, minds, and dial positions.

If you were there, you remember. And if you weren’t? Let’s take a ride back through one of the greatest radio battles ever fought.

THE TITANS OF AM RADIO: THE TOP 40 WARS

In the early ‘70s, AM radio was still king, and if you were young, you were likely flipping between two stations:

WDGY (1130 AM): The Original Rock ‘n’ Roll Giant

For years, WDGY (“WeeGee”) was the station for rock and pop. If it was on the Billboard charts, WDGY was spinning it. The station had deep roots in Twin Cities radio, having been a major player since the 1950s.

WDGY’s sound was tight, polished, and fast-paced, designed to hit you with music, energy, and personality in a way that made sure you never tuned out.

Some of the legendary voices of WDGY included:

Johnny Canton – The smooth, confident jock who defined the sound of WDGY in its prime.
Scott Burton – Midday host with a sharp wit and a great ear for the hits.
Bobby Rivers – The night guy who kept teenagers locked in after dark.
True Don Bleu – Before heading to San Francisco radio fame, he was one of the final WDGY morning show legends.

For years, WDGY owned the Top 40 audience. But then came KDWB—and they weren’t playing around.

KDWB (630 AM): The Rebellious Challenger That Wouldn’t Quit

KDWB was the young, aggressive upstart that refused to be outdone. They did everything faster, bigger, and louder.

Rob Sherwood – One of the most electrifying voices ever to hit the Twin Cities airwaves.
Machine Gun Kelly – A high-energy, full-throttle DJ who later became a major national radio name.
Tac Hammer – Afternoon drive time that felt like a party on the air.

If WDGY was the established king, KDWB was the rock ‘n’ roll outlaw. They threw massive contests, made their jocks into larger-than-life personalities, and slowly started pulling listeners away.

Then, in 1976, KDWB did something that changed the game—they fully embraced FM.

With 101.3 FM carrying the KDWB brand, the station had one foot in the future while WDGY was stuck on AM. The writing was on the wall, and by 1977, WDGY dropped Top 40 altogether, flipping to country music.

KDWB had won the war.

THE FM REVOLUTION: ROCK GETS LOUDER

While KDWB was securing its future, a new battle was brewing—one that would move beyond AM’s tinny speakers and into the stereo superiority of FM radio.

KQRS (92.5 FM): The Rise of Album Rock

In the early ‘70s, KQRS was still finding its identity, but by the middle of the decade, it had fully embraced album-oriented rock (AOR). This meant longer songs, deep cuts, and music for people who saw themselves as more than just “Top 40 listeners.”

KQRS built its identity around a deeper connection with the music, featuring artists like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Yes, while letting the songs breathe. It wasn’t just about playing what was popular—it was about playing what mattered.

KSTP-FM (94.5 FM): The Challenger

KSTP was the FM version of a radio Swiss Army knife. It tried a little bit of everything throughout the ‘70s—progressive rock, a hybrid Top 40 format, and even some AOR elements.

While it never achieved the iconic album rock status of KQRS, KSTP played a key role in FM’s rise and forced every station in the market to stay on their toes.

THE UNTOUCHABLE GIANT: WCCO (830 AM)

While the young crowds were fighting over music stations, WCCO was ruling the Twin Cities in a completely different way.

This wasn’t just a radio station. This was the voice of Minnesota.

WCCO wasn’t trying to compete with rock radio. It didn’t have to. The station’s news, talk, sports, and community connection made it a daily essential for hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans.

The Names That Defined WCCO in the ‘70s

Boone & Erickson – The morning duo that made waking up in Minnesota feel like having coffee with an old friend.
Roger Erickson – The voice of authority, a presence that made you trust what you were hearing.
Steve Cannon – The drive-time talk king, running one of the most engaging and irreverent talk shows in the country.
Sid Hartman – The Twin Cities’ sports guru, a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is icon.

When a blizzard hit, WCCO was where you turned. When the Twins were playing, WCCO had the call. When anything happened in Minnesota, WCCO was the first place people flipped their dials.

It may not have played Led Zeppelin or The Eagles, but it ruled the ratings like no other station in town.

THE FINAL DAYS OF THE WAR

By the end of the ‘70s, the radio landscape had changed completely.

AM Top 40 was dead. KDWB survived by moving to FM, while WDGY shifted to country.
FM was the future. KQRS was building a rock empire, and stations like KSTP were fighting for market share.
WCCO remained untouchable. No station could challenge it in its own space.

And while the music changed, the formats evolved, and new stations emerged, one thing was clear—the 1970s had been a war like no other.

For the listeners, it wasn’t just about radio—it was about loyalty. Your station wasn’t just where you got your music; it was part of your identity. And if you were a Twin Cities kid in the ‘70s, you remember the battle for your ears like it was yesterday.

“Two dials. One city. A war for every last listener. And if you were there, you’ll never forget it.”

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