1987 in radio

The year 1987 in radio involved some significant events.

Events

• January 1 — WBEA-FM in Elyria, Ohio drops their "B107" top 40 format to become the second affiliate for the Satellite Music Network's "Z Rock" service, with new WCZR calls.
• February 14 — Dubbed the "Valentine's Day Massacre," KMET-FM in Los Angeles switches formats to new age music as KTWV. KMET's entire airstaff is dismissed with the move.
• July 1 — The first all-sports radio station, WFAN 1050-AM in New York, debuts at 3:00 p.m. It replaces country-formatted WHN, and inherits the rights to New York Mets play-by-play.
• July 20 — Westwood One acquired the assets of the NBC Radio Network, The Source and NBC Talknet in a $50 million deal, which was consummated that August 25. The sale was initiated by General Electric's 1986 purchase of RCA (primarily for the NBC television network) and did not include the seven NBC Radio owned-and-operated stations.
• August 4 — The Federal Communications Commission rescinds the Fairness Doctrine, which had required radio and television stations to "fairly" present controversial issues.
• November 9 — Hot Hits WCAU-FM Philadelphia flips from CHR to Oldies as WOGL.
• November 15 — WCZR in Elyria, Ohio changes format again, dropping "Z Rock" for new age music as WNWV "The Wave." Patterned directly after KTWV, WNWV now targets the neighboring Cleveland market.

Debuts

• February 15 - Billboard debuts the first ever Crossover radio chart, which they would continue to publish until 1990. This chart would become the predecessor to the Rhythmic Contemporary chart that would later debut in 1992.

Closings

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Deaths

• February 24 - Legendary Radio Host Jim Connors dies in a fatal car crash on I-95 in Virginia, United States. (born 1940)
• April 19 - Hugh Brannum, American actor and radio (born 1910)

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