UPDATE: April 24, 2018: WFLI 1070 AM has returned to an (almost) all music format, featuring the hits that made the station famous in the 1960s and 1970s. You can call 706-935-1070 to share your memories of “the Great Jet-FLI,” and declare yourself a WFLI alumni. You might also win a WFLI “the station you grew up with” limited-edition t-shirt. The station is keeping its news-weather-traffic morning program from 6-9 a.m., but will otherwise be all music. It is also available online on the TuneIn app, the WFLI app, and with Alexa. (The talk shows previously heard on WFLI 1070 are now on 97.7 FM). Welcome home, Jet-FLI!
Evan Stone and Marshall Bandy
The great JET-FLI, once thought to be grounded for good, is back in the air. Or to be more exact, it’s on the air, at 1070 AM. Folks have been scampering for their AM radios in recent days, since WFLI resurfaced, playing rock ‘n roll oldies at its full 50,000 watts of power (during daytime hours).
Monday, new owners Evan Stone and Marshall Bandy announced the launch of a new format, featuring news, talk, weather and sports, starting immediately. During morning drive, WFLI will feature news and local traffic updates every ten minutes. Later in the morning, “The Rick and Bubba Show,” a morning program syndicated out of Birmingham, Alabama will return to the Chattanooga market after an absence of several years.
Other weekday programs include Dave Ramsey’s financial advice, and political talkers Eric Metaxas, Laura Ingraham, and Todd Starnes. Fox News will air twice an hour, and local updates will be provided by WDEF-TV.
Randy Smith, who has covered local sports on TV radio since the mid-1970s, will also contribute. The station will continue to feature classic hits from WFLI’s top-40 era weekdays from 1 to 2 p.m., and at various times on weekends.
You can follow the station on Facebook at WFLIonline, and on Twitter at @WFLIonline. A new website launches soon at WFLIonline.com, as well as a WFLI app for online listening.
The station’s studios will remain at 621 O’Grady Drive in the Lookout Valley community, where original owner William Benns signed on the station in 1961. The new owners plan to convert the lobby into a National Top 40 Radio Museum, giving visitors an opportunity to re-live what Bandy calls, “The heart and soul of a generation, with the best of memories for those who were blessed to live in those years.”
To read more about WFLI’s history, and to hear a highlight tape from the station’s first fifteen years, click here.
Great news!!!…except, I no longer live in Chattanooga. I sure would love to be able to hear “Jet-Fli” here in Florida. Has anyone at the new station consider doing an Internet “stream” of their programming?? There’s bound to be many more ex-Chattanoogan’s that would listen in!
Sorry to hear it is going talk
Wish the oldies format had stayed. Classic car fans especially would have loved this.
I really enjoyed it last week when they were playing the oldies. It’s too bad it’s turned into “talk radio”. So disappointed! Won’t be tuning in anymore. I want music!!
50 KW of more talk radio? Good grief! This was an opportunity to bring real radio back to Chattanooga in the form of actual DJ’s who brought personality to their shows. They could have at least given it a shot. But what do they do? Inflict more news (that is available from many other sources) and slap another embarrassing syndicated blab fest on the air. Radio today (and the reason I no longer listen) is generic and sanitized within a corporate mold that is years past due to end. Sorry WFLI- I’ll continue listening to my personal collection of music (which by the way spans over 100 years) and use my LP AM transmitter to broadcast it over my collection of vintage radios.
I listened today. I love the format. Great job !!!
I’m so glad it’s back up, but I wish they had stayed with the oldies!! I truly think there’s a place in this market for it. We have enough news/talk! With an oldies format and some good old fashioned WFLI promotions, I believe it would fli again!
Never listen again. We need more oldies music not more crap on the radio people talking at nobody’s going to listen to
We need a GREAT oldies station , PLEASE PLEASE play oldies !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I Vote for oldies. (formerly US101, WIVK)
bring. back. the. oldies. would have a lot. more. support and more. listening be like reliving. our.’childhood. days would bring back. cherished. memories
This is the first I’ve learned of The Jet flying again. I will check it out, but all of you saying more music, oldies, etc need to get with the program. If nobody listened to talk radio, there wouldn’t be so many talk formats popping up. You can only hide in your music for so long and then you must come out to face what’s happening in and to your section of the world, your country.
Congratulations to all involved in making this happen.
Recently I was driving on Hwy 75 between Ider & Bryant, Alabama listening to the Paul Finebaum show on 97.7 FM when another radio station’s signal was bleeding in and interfering with my program. The signal strength kept growing stronger the closer I got to The Georgia line and much to my surprise it was none other than the glorious WFLI Jet Fli! For a little bit It seemed like I had entered some kind of parallel universe in which I was taken back in time when WFLI ruled the airwaves over Beautiful Chattanooga. I grew up listening to WFLI as a young boy when I visited my relatives on Lookout Mtn. The old songs playing and hearing the screaming jet sound with the “down with the beat…beat…beat..beat.beat” was so cool then and even cooler now that it’s back! I like it so much I downloaded the WFLI App on my iPhone.
Keep on playing the good ‘ole stuff.