38-407: WLLR may refer to: WLLR-FM , a radio station (103.7 FM) licensed to Davenport, Iowa, United States KUUL , a radio station (101.3 FM) licensed to East Moline, Illinois, United States, which held the call signs WLLR or WLLR-FM from January 1983 to March 1998 WFXN (AM) , a radio station (1230 AM) licensed to Moline, Illinois, United States, which held
76-491: A USB connector for use with a removable USB drive , slots for various flash memory media such as SD , MMC , SmartMedia , and Memory Stick , or even a CD drive capable of reading MP3s directly from a CD, thus allowing for a relatively cheap and large music storage to be carried and played back at full volume. Starting in mid-2010, there are new lines of boomboxes that use Bluetooth technology known as Stereo Bluetooth, or A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile). They use
114-412: A minidisc player/recorder, or a (typically black-and-white) television screen , although the basic radio/cassette models have historically been by far the most popular. The boombox quickly became associated with urban society, particularly black and Hispanic youth. The wide use of boomboxes in urban communities led to the boombox being coined a "ghetto blaster", a nickname which was soon used as part of
152-1081: A 12-volt sealed lead-acid battery , or can be a portable enclosure for a car audio head unit. Audio quality and feature sets vary widely, with high-end models providing features and sound comparable to some home stereo systems. Most models offer volume , tone and balance (left/right) controls. More sophisticated models may feature dual cassette decks (often featuring high-speed dubbing , or sometimes even digitally controlled servo cassette mechanics), separate bass and treble level controls, five- or ten-band graphic equalizers , Dolby noise reduction , analog or LED sound level ( VU ) meters or even VFD, larger speakers , 'soft-touch' tape deck controls, multiple shortwave (SW) band reception with fine tuning, digital tuner with PLL ( phase-locked loop ), automatic song search functions for cassettes, line and/or phono inputs and outputs, microphone inputs, loudness switches , and detachable speakers, full function infrared remote control. A handful of models even featured an integrated record turntable , an 8-track tape player,
190-475: A CD player compatible with CD-R and CD-RW , which allows the user to carry their own music compilations on a higher fidelity medium. Many also permit iPod and similar devices to be plugged into them through one or more auxiliary ports. Some also support formats such as MP3 and WMA . Some models, typically higher-end, are able to display metadata such as title, artist, album (known as " ID3 tag " on MP3 specifically), file name, and parent folder or file path, on
228-659: A backlash against the boombox and hip hop culture. The character Radio Raheem in Spike Lee 's drama film Do the Right Thing (1989) personifies the connotations associated with "ghetto blasters" and is a prominent example of the boombox's use by urban youth in American media. Cities began banning boomboxes from public places, and they became less acceptable on city streets as time progressed. The boombox became intrinsically linked to hip hop culture and, as Fab Five Freddy puts it,
266-416: A carrying handle. Beginning in the mid-1990s, a CD player was often included. Sound is delivered through an amplifier and two or more integrated loudspeakers . A boombox is a device typically capable of receiving radio stations and playing recorded music (usually cassette tapes or CDs usually at a high volume). Many models are also capable of recording onto cassette tapes from radio and other sources. In
304-449: A turning point for the boombox in popular culture. The rise of the Walkman and other advanced electronics eliminated the need to carry around such large and heavy audio equipment, and boomboxes quickly disappeared from the streets. As boombox enthusiast Lyle Owerko puts it, "Towards the end of any culture, you have the second or third generation that steps into the culture, which is so far from
342-580: Is modern country music . The station broadcasts at a power of 100 kW. WLLR is owned by iHeartMedia , with studios located in Davenport. Its transmitter site is located in Bettendorf . The Davenport allocation for 103.7 FM – representing the second FM station in the Quad Cities – dates to October 1948, when the station signed on as WOC-FM, a companion to its AM sister station, WOC (1420 AM). The station
380-421: The segment display itself or a separate character row. The simplest way to connect an older boombox to an MP3 player is to use a cassette adapter , which interfaces an MP3 player's output directly to the cassette player's heads. The 'Line In' (also known as 'Aux In') can be used if the boombox has one. Some modern boombox designs provide other connections for MP3 (and sometimes other digital formats) such as
418-774: The 1990s, and modern designs are typically characterized by a rounded, curved appearance instead of sharp angles. However, the designs of the older models are a source of much interest among boombox enthusiasts and collectors, who frequently seek the larger feature-packed models that represented the cutting edge of portable music technology in their day. Today most boomboxes have replaced the cassette player with iPod docks to access MP3 technology, and some even come equipped with integrated or removable satellite radio tuners. Boombox designs vary greatly in size. Larger, more powerful units may require 10 or more size- D batteries , may measure more than 76 centimetres (30 in) in width, and can weigh more than 12 kilograms (26 lb). Some take
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#1732883739036456-606: The 1990s, some boomboxes were available with MiniDisc recorders and players. Designed for portability, boomboxes can be powered by batteries as well as by line current. The boombox was introduced to the American market during the late 1970s. The desire for louder and heavier bass led to bigger and heavier boxes; by the 1980s, some boomboxes had reached the size of a suitcase . Some larger boomboxes even contained vertically mounted record turntables . Most boomboxes were battery-operated, leading to extremely heavy, bulky boxes. The boombox quickly became associated with urban society in
494-498: The HD2 and began broadcasting a classic rock format. On August 21, 2015, at 1:04 p.m., WLLR-FM HD2 switched to an alternative rock format, branded as "ALT 104.5" (also broadcast on FM translator K283BV 104.5 FM Davenport). On April 17, 2022, Radio By Grace , a religious broadcaster and owner of translator K296GZ (107.1 FM; originally licensed to Muscatine , now licensed to Davenport), announced that they had applied to upgrade
532-681: The Mississippi Valley Fair was featured in the Music Video for "Don't Ya Just Wanna Rock and Roll" by Rodney Atkins . In November 2013, WLLR won the CMA award for 'Small Market Station of the Year'. Since 1989, WLLR has remained the top-rated station in the Quad Cities, maintaining audience 12+ shares between 10 and 20 for the past 20 years. On January 1, 2014, WLLR discontinued its classic country on
570-462: The Radio By Grace network via WLLR-FM HD3. WLLR and iHeartMedia are simply providing this service to Radio By Grace via a technical services agreement and all programming decisions for WLLR-FM HD3/K296GZ are made by Radio By Grace, Inc. Boombox A boombox is a transistorized portable music player featuring one or two cassette tape players /recorders and AM/FM radio, generally with
608-495: The United States, particularly African American and Latino youth. The wide use of boomboxes in urban communities led to the boombox being coined a " ghetto blaster ". Some cities petitioned for the banning of boomboxes from public places, and over time, they became less acceptable on city streets. The boombox became closely linked to American hip hop culture and was instrumental in the rise of hip hop music . The first boombox
646-406: The bass. A boombox, in its most basic form, is composed of two or more loudspeakers, an amplifier , a radio tuner , and a cassette and/or CD player component, all housed in a single plastic or metal case with a handle for portability. Most units can be powered by AC or DC cables or batteries . As boomboxes grew in popularity, they also became more complex in design and functionality. By
684-476: The call sign WLLR from January 1990 to March 2003 Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway , narrow-gauge steam railway in Wales, UK. West Lancashire Light Railway , a short narrow gauge railway, UK Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title WLLR . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to
722-468: The compact disc (CD) in the late 1980s led to the introduction of the CD player in standard boombox design. During the 1990s, boombox manufacturers began designing smaller, more compact boomboxes, which were often made out of plastic instead of metal as their counterparts from the previous decade had been. The rectangular, angular, chrome aesthetic of many 1980s models was frequently replaced with black plastic in
760-707: The early 1970s and soon became popular there due to their compact size and impressive sound quality. The Japanese brands rapidly took over a large portion of the European boombox market and were often the first Japanese consumer electronics brands that a European household might purchase. In some cases, there were even Japanese boomboxes manufactured as O.E.M. for European brands. The Japanese innovated by creating different sizes, form factors, and technology, introducing such advances as stereo boomboxes, removable speakers, and built-in CD players. The boombox became popular in America during
798-475: The intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=WLLR&oldid=1010419494 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Broadcast call sign disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages WLLR-FM WLLR-FM (103.7 MHz ) is a radio station licensed to Davenport, Iowa , United States, whose format
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#1732883739036836-604: The late 1970s, with most then being produced by Panasonic , Sony , General Electric , and Marantz . It was immediately noticed by the urban adolescent community and soon developed a mass market, especially in large metropolitan centers such as New York, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C. The earlier models were a hybrid that combined the booming sound of large in-home stereo systems and the portability of small portable cassette players ; they were typically small, black or silver, heavy, and capable of producing high volumes. The effective AM/FM tuner , standard in all early boomboxes,
874-472: The mid-1980s, many boomboxes included separate high and low frequency speakers and a second tape deck to allow the boombox to record both from the radio and from other pre-recorded cassettes. Equalizers, balance adjusters, Dolby noise reduction, and LED sound gauges were other later additions. In the mid-1980s, the boombox began to become a status symbol; the popularity among young urbanites caused increasing demand for extravagant boxes. The growing popularity of
912-415: The origination, it's the impression of what's real, but it's not the full definition of what's real. It's just cheesy." The Consumer Electronics Association reported that only 329,000 boombox units without CD players were shipped in the United States in 2003, compared to 20.4 million in 1986. Although many boomboxes had dual cassette decks and included dubbing, line, and radio recording capabilities,
950-411: The portability and sound quality of boomboxes, but one of the most important features, especially to the youth market, was the bass . The desire for louder and heavier bass led to bigger and heavier boxes. Regardless of the increasing weight and size, the devices continued to become larger to accommodate the increased bass output; newer boombox models had heavy metal casings to handle the vibrations from
988-526: The position once occupied by a cassette deck. Many models of this type of boombox include inputs for external video (such as television broadcasts) and outputs to connect the DVD player to a full-sized television. Some newer boomboxes, may also have DAB/DAB+ radio, internet radio, or network capabilities and various apps, like TuneIn, Spotify, MusicCast, DLNA, etc. Also they have Wi-Fi, Network RJ45 connection. However, this may limit their portability, as internet access
1026-474: The rise of recordable CDs, the decline of audio cassette technology, and the popularity of high-density MP3 players and smart phones have reduced the popularity of high-quality boomboxes to such an extent that it is difficult to find a new dual-decked stereo. Dubbing remains popular among audiophiles, bootleggers , and pirates , though most tasks are now accomplished through digital means or analog-to-digital conversion technology. Most modern boomboxes include
1064-458: The same frequency, limiting their overall quality. Although the sound quality of early cassette tape recordings was poor, improvements in technology and the introduction of stereo recording, chromium tapes, and Dolby noise reduction made hifi quality devices possible. Several European electronics brands, such as Grundig , also introduced similar devices. Boomboxes were soon also developed in Japan in
1102-483: The station came on March 2, 1998, when KUUL and WLLR (which had aired a country format at 101.3 FM since 1983) swapped frequencies. KUUL's oldies format moved to 101.3 FM , while WLLR's country format took over 103.7 FM. In December 1985, WLLR briefly gained national attention when a disc jockey played the Christmas song " Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer " 27 times back-to-back during the morning show. Station management
1140-518: The station's call letters changed to KIIK, and was known to fans as "KIIK 104". KIIK, which initially had a broadcast day of 5 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. before switching to 24 hours, quickly became very popular with Quad Cities-area listeners, and soon became the market's top-rated station. By the late 1980s, with new competitor station WPXR-FM ("Power 98.9") having taken over the CHR/ Top 40 gauntlet, KIIK104's final song, " Cool Change " by Little River Band ,
1178-495: The translator's signal from 10 watts to 250 watts and to move the transmitter site from Milan, Illinois , to the southwestern portion of Davenport. The application specified that the translator would relay WLLR's HD3 subchannel. On October 31, 2022, Radio By Grace publicly announced the completion of the construction of the new 250 watt transmitter facility and that the K296GZ translator had commenced broadcasting. The translator carries
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1216-488: The wireless Bluetooth technology to "stream" audio to the boombox from a compatible Bluetooth device, such as a mobile phone or Bluetooth MP3 player. An example of this is the JAMBOX, which is marketed as a "Smart Speaker" as it can also function as a speakerphone for voice calls in addition to being an audio playback device. Another modern variant is a DVD player/boombox with a top-loading CD/DVD drive and an LCD video screen in
1254-560: Was "instrumental" in the rise of hip hop. Certain models like the JVC RC-M90 and the Sharp GF-777 were known as the boombox kings, having the power to drown out other ghetto blasters; they were frequently used in music battles. The Beastie Boys embraced the boombox as a signature, The Clash always had a boombox with them, and Schoolly D carried around a Conion C-100F in the UK. The 1990s were
1292-420: Was abruptly cut as KIIK changed to a rock oldies station. As KUUL, the station played music from the 1950s through early 1970s; the first song under the new format was " Nobody but Me " by The Human Beinz . The format change became effective on May 1, 1989, and fans soon identified the "KUUL Red Radio" (a jumbo-sized boombox replica) with the station at its live remote broadcast sites. The most recent change to
1330-495: Was developed by the inventor of the audio compact cassette, Philips of the Netherlands . Their first 'Radiorecorder' was released in 1966. The Philips innovation was the first time that radio broadcasts could be recorded onto cassette tapes without the cables or microphones that previous stand-alone cassette tape recorders required. Recordings of radio were still subject to interferences from automobiles and other vehicles nearby with
1368-413: Was eventually able to pull the jockey off the air and suspended him. The disc jockey was reportedly depressed and upset that a co-worker had left employment at the station for an out-of-state job. Some of WLLR's best-known personalities include: Mike Kenneally, Ron Evans, Jack Carey, Andy Scott, Jack Daniels, Amy Jeffries, Pat Leuck, Dani Lynn Howe, Tim Carlson, JD Justice and Jim O'Hara. WLLR's stage at
1406-514: Was owned by the Palmer family, a well-known Quad Cities family that started the Palmer College of Chiropractic . As with most FM radio stations in the 1950s and 1960s, WOC-FM played mostly easy listening and classical music . The frequency's first major format change came August 28, 1972, when WOC-FM became the Quad Cities market's first full-time FM rock station. Adopting a Top 40/CHR format,
1444-418: Was the most popular feature of the early boombox up until the incorporation of input and output jacks into the boxes, which allowed for the coupling of devices such as microphones , turntables , and CD players . The development of audio jacks brought the boombox to the height of its popularity, and as its popularity rose, so did the level of innovation in the features included in the box. Consumers enjoyed
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