WSPD-FM

On August 11, 1946, the station signed on the air as WSPD-FM.^[2] The station largely simulcast sister station WSPD 1370 AM. They were owned by The Fort Industry Company on Huron Street, which added television station WSPD-TV in 1948 (now WTVG). WSPD-AM-FM were NBC Red Network affiliates, carrying its dramas, comedies, news, sports, soap operas, game shows and big band broadcasts during the "Golden Age of Radio."

As network programming moved from radio to television, WSPD-AM-FM switched to full service middle of the road programming, including popular adult music, news and sports. In the late 1960s, the Federal Communications Commission required many AM-FM combos to offer separate programming. WSPD-FM adopted an adult contemporary format using Drake-Chenault's automated "Hit Parade" package.

WLQR Beautiful Music

In 1971, WSPD-FM was sold to Susquehanna Broadcasting. It switched its call sign to WLQR and became a beautiful music station, known as "Stereo 101." It played half-hour music tapes mastered at Susquehanna's studios in York, Pennsylvania, with local announcers Steve Kendall, Mike Stanley, Larry Weseman and Bill Stewart.

By the 1980s, the easy listening format's audience was beginning to age, while most advertisers seek out young to middle aged customers. In an effort to stay youthful, WLQR added more vocals and reduced the instrumentals in its playlist.

Soft AC

In 1987, the station finished its transition to soft adult contemporary, becoming "Soft Rock 101.5 WLQR." By this time the station was again co-owned with WSPD. A few years later the station began stunting by playing "Friends in Low Places" by Garth Brooks with a man with a southern accent announcing that something new was coming to WLQR on Monday. The following Monday the station kept its soft AC format and became "101.5 The River", changing its call letters to WRVF.

The River is among the first stations to go with all Christmas music between mid-November through Christmas Day. This tradition began in 1995, the year the station's call sign changed from WLQR-FM. It was several years before the practice became commonplace for AC stations around North America. WRVF's morning show featured Toledo radio veteran Jack "Mitch" Mitchell until March 31, 2006.

Delilah and Casey Kasem

WRVF became the new home of the popular "Friday Night '80s" feature in May 2007 after crosstown competitor WWWM-FM (Star 105) dropped it in favor of Delilah six nights a week. Several years later, WRVF became the Delilah affiliate in Toledo. The all-1980s show switched to Saturday nights. The River also aired the 1980s version of Casey Kasem's American Top 40 Saturdays from 6 to 10 p.m., until the show was dropped after Christmas of 2011.

From October 2010 to October 2014, WRVF had a competitor in the AC format in "My 98-3" WMIM, licensed to Luna Pier, Michigan. WMIM switched to a country music format in October 2014, leaving WRVF again as the only mainstream AC station in the market. Also in the fall of 2014, WRVF backed away from its longtime "soft rock" image and began re-imaging itself as "The '80s to Now," with a slightly more contemporary music mix.

HD Programming

Since 2007, WRVF has been broadcasting in IBOC "HD Radio":

• HD1 programming is the digital version of its analog audio.
• HD2 subchannel broadcasts a simulcast of talk radio sister station WSPD 1370 AM.^[3]
• HD3 subchannel broadcasts soft adult contemporary music from iHeartRadio's service known as "The Breeze."

WRVF is also the (LP) Local Primary Emergency Alert System (EAS) station in Northwestern Ohio.