MOST ENTERTAINING RADIO STATION

MOST ENTERTAINING RADIO STATION
Kiss FM 99.7FM Playing the country’s chart-toppers may be nothing new, but some Top 40 stations in the area tend to leave hip hop behind. Not Kiss FM. Popular hip hop tracks make the rounds during daily airplay, and every Saturday night, DJ Captain rolls out his Bad Boy Hip Hop Show, featuring the best in the genre, from the old school on. The rest of the week sees one of Springfield’s favorite radio personalities, Bondsy, hosting his morning show, The Morning Grind. Our favorite part of The Morning Grind is that if you miss it in the morning because you slept in (you slacker), you can catch it online via their UStream video channel. While you watch the video, you can chat with Bondsy in the window on the right. Music to party to and they’re tech savvy? Genius.

MOST ENTERTAINING RADIO STATION (runner-up)
WDBR 103.7FM In second place, holding its own against the likes of similarly formatted radio stations and tornadoes, WDBR has earned its longstanding claim of “Springfield’s #1 Hit Music Station.” Playing top 40 pop and rock hits, what sets WDBR apart is its array of on-air personalities, such as Dave and Dina in the Morning and Bob Parrish, and its events, often with nonprofits like Children’s Miracle Network. Not into the new pop music the kids today seem to like? Well then ’90s at Noon is for you, a very fun throwback to the ’DBR of the olden times (as in 10 to 19 years ago). Mmm bop!

MOST ENTERTAINING RADIO STATION (runner-up)
Alice 97.7FM Tied for third are Alice and WQNA, so here are some words about each. Alice is hard to define. The standard term is “adult alternative,” but program director Susan Groves says it best. “Alice is just Alice. It’s made just for Springfield, by our listeners for our listeners. It’s not cookie cutter.” In any given car ride, you can hear the latest Death Cab, followed by a live Sister Hazel track, then a Talking Heads tune. It’s as though your own iPod was plugged and broadcast all over Springfield. They even get in “moods” just like the rest of us, with “You Can Call Me Al” or “Under the Milky Way Tonight” playing every single day for a week. This is awesome. Also awesome? Unlike other morning shows, Alice’s Molson & Josie in the Mornings actually play songs in between talking, meaning a full day of music just rockin’ enough to make you dance a bit in your car (yes, we’re “that driver”).

MOST ENTERTAINING RADIO STATION (runner-up)
WQNA 88.3FM And “all hail Metal Chris” was their rally cry. WQNA, operated out of the Capital Area Career Center, is a completely non-commercial station, run chiefly by students and volunteers. Their more open format allows air play for music that other stations largely ignore, such as reggae, folk, real jazz and soul, electronic, classic country, and best of all, according to you, METAL! “WQNA is the only station in central Illinois that plays heavy metal! True underground metal that other radio stations have probably never heard of, and they play local metal bands.” Thrash on, friends, thrash on.