WXLW is an AM radio station owned by Pilgrim Communications LLC serving the greater Indianapolis, Indiana area. The station operates on the AM radio frequency of 950 kHz. In the fall of 2006, the studios were moved from Monument Circle in downtown Indianapolis to a different location along US 31 in Franklin. The WXLW transmitter and antenna are located between Georgetown and Moller Roads on West 56th Street on the northwest side of Indianapolis. Previously known as "ESPN 950" from 2002 until January 2008, the station now airs a mix of local and national talk shows.
History
WXLW went on the air on August 18, 1948 at 1590 kHz with 1 kW power with a non-directional single tower at its studio location on Kessler Blvd. at West 30th Street in Indianapolis. In January 1955, the station moved to its current allocation at 950 kHz with an increase in power up to 5,000 watts with a 3-tower directional antenna. The station was Adult MOR with local news and known announcers Howard Dorsey, Greg Smith, Art Roberts and Bob Morrison. WXLW also held an annual Watermelon Festival which featured musical acts like singing duo Homer and Jethro. In the 1960s, the station featured a mobile studio, "The Traveler", that traveled in central Indiana promoting events for clients. Bill Shirk from Muncie, Indiana owned WXLW in the 1970s through most of the 1980s. In the early to mid-1970s, the station programmed a high-energy hit music format and the station was known as "Super XL" doing promotions with voices like the late Gary Gears from Chicago and jingles. One contest involved giving away Indiana Pacers basketballs, with the slogan "WXLW has balls!" In the mid-1970s Super XL had a higher market share than other full-time AM stations like WIFE and WNDE and WNAP-FM. By 1976, the station changed to adult contemporary format with Indianapolis presenters such as Joe Pickett, K.C. Jones, and Lou Sherman. Steve Miller was program director through most of the period. For a brief time in 1979, WXLW tried a Sunday-only disco music format called "Space Station Shirk", which was hosted by Mark Edwards and Steve Miller. WXLW was a daytime-only radio station from sign-on until 1986, when the US Federal Communications Commission granted it limited-power nighttime operations and a small coverage area. WXLW's last format before changing to a simulcast of sister stationWFDM-FM was sports, which lasted from 2002 to 2012.
WXLW-FM
Sister station WXLW-FM began broadcasting August 27, 1948, on 94.7 MHz. It duplicated the AM station's programs but continued to broadcast after sunset. Both stations were owned by Radio Indianapolis, Incorporated.
Station broadcasting information
WXLW broadcasts using 1,000 watts of power between sunrise and sunset. Between sunset and sunrise, it broadcasts with 13 watts of power. The station uses a non-directional system recently downgrading from 5000 watts daytime 3 tower directional. More information is available at the FCC query for .
Programming
WXLW changed from its religious programming to ESPN Radio on July 8, 2002, shortly after WNDE switched from ESPN to Fox Sports Radio. On January 7, 2008, ESPN Radio switched from WXLW to the newly-created Emmis Communications sports station, WFNI. In the aftermath of ESPN's switch, WXLW became a Sporting News Radio affiliate and immediately re-branded as "XL 950". In August of 2011, WXLW briefly became part of the Yahoo! Sports Radio network, which it remained until the format change/simulcast with WFDM in September of 2012. Past local hosts on WXLW include Greg Rakestraw, now part of the Indianapolis Colts Radio Network, Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame Executive Director Chris May, and Derek Schultz, who has hosted afternoons on former rival station WNDE since his departure in 2011. On September 10, 2012 WXLW changed their format to talk, simulcasting sister station WFDM-FM/95.9 Franklin, Indiana, branded as "Freedom 95".
