1948 – The troops were back from World War II, the housing and baby booms were beginning – and new radio stations were cropping up all over the country. Among them was KWCR, which went on the air August 14, 1948, with studios upstairs at 211 1^st Street Southwest – a site that’s now part of the downtown riverfront park system. KWCR played the music of the day, along with special features like Lennie The Story Lady, who read stories to kids every afternoon, and live broadcasts of midget races from the old Ce-Mar Acres race track (along 1st Avenue Southeast, where Cedar Rapids and Marion meet).

1952 – Still in downtown Cedar Rapids, KWCR’s call letters changed to KPIG. Few programming changes were made, but a downtown landmark soon debuted – a huge neon sign, in the outline of a bright pink pig enclosing the call letters. That big pig was clearly visible to anyone crossing the Cedar River on any of the downtown bridges. Several years later, KPIG moved to 1225 1^st Avenue Southeast – a building which originally housed Empire Motors, Cedar Rapids’ first Volkswagen dealership. Among the personalities heard on KPIG were Bill Hintz, who later became a Cedar Rapids police officer (and returned to KMRY briefly prior to his untimely death) – Jay Alexander, who went on to fame as Channel 2’s Marshall Jay – and a youthful Sandy Shore, now known as Mark Elliott and the voice behind many Disney Studio movie video commercials.

1962 – Big changes came to 1450-AM when Blackhawk Broadcasting of Waterloo purchased the station and on July 1^st changed the call letters to KLWW. The change brought with it the introduction of Cedar Rapids’ first full time rock & roll format, and the station soared to the top of the ratings. Personalities included Bob Black, Fred Robbins, Rusty Gold and Wayne Johnson. In 1972, KLWW moved to brand-new facilities at 1110 26^th Avenue Southwest (now occupied by KZIA-FM). The news staff included Dick Hogan,  Lyle Muller, and Rick Sampson, who remains at 1450-KMRY to this day!  And no one who listened then will ever forget Police Reporter Vaude Fellwock, a retired assistant police chief.  KLWW was inducted into the Iowa Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Labor Day weekend 2002.  Below, next to the KLWW truck, is a photo of Rick Sellers and Kevin Alexander accepting the plaque signifying the induction.

1980 – Blackhawk Broadcasting sold all of its radio and TV stations, and KLWW was purchased by Dale Cowle's Cedar Rapids Broadcasting at the time the FM stations were taking over the rock and roll audience. In August, the call letters changed to KCDR and a country music format debuted. But the Urban Cowboy days were waning and – in 1983 – two FM stations abandoned their adult standards formats for rock, leaving mature audiences with nowhere to turn. That’s when KCDR switched to adult standards. That same year, Mike Dulaney purchased the station and moved it to 1957 Blairs Ferry Road Northeast.

1988 – Another call letter change, but no change in format. KCDR became KMRY – K-Memory, better reflecting the memorable music format. New logos marked the transition, and KMRY switched from a taped, automated music system to live announcers from the Satellite Music Network in Chicago (actually, the suburb of Mokena), which is now based in Dallas, Texas. 

1998 – Mike Dulaney sold KMRY to long-time Cedar Rapids radio personality and executive Rick Sellers, who launched a series of changes in the station’s programming while carefully maintaining its appeal to a loyal and growing audience. The addition of the live morning show, Rick & Rick in the Radio Rooms, returned local involvement to the station – which was further boosted when now-retired Wayne Johnson came back to 1450 to host our afternoon show, and with the addition of legendary sportscaster Bob Brooks and his afternoon sports reports. When Rick Sellers retired from on-the-air duties, he was replaced by Eric Walker, and Julia Kent fills the afternoon drive time.  Rick Sellers returned to the air, and now hosts the 10am to noon weekday segment. Dave Franklin brought his long-time Cedar Rapids radio favorite Polka Show to KMRY each Sunday morning, and Dick Hogan and Jim Hanson host the live oldies show, "Remember When" each Saturday night.  Add in live broadcasts of events such as the Annual KMRY Fall Ball and Sweetheart Ball, Cedar Rapids Municipal Band concerts, various Freedom Festival events, and Xavier High School football and Xavier boy's and girl's basketball ... plus Cedar Rapids Kernels baseball ... and you have a station that just keeps becoming more live, lively – and LOCAL.

(PICTURES ARE FROM A SERIES OF SCALE MODEL TRUCKS BY RICK SAMPSON.  EXCEPT FOR THE KPIG ROLLS-ROYCE, THE KCDR LIL' RED EXPRESS AND THE KMRY VAN "VINCENT," THEY ARE TYPICAL OF WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN USED IN THE VARIOUS ERAS.)

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