1985 in radio

Events

• January 1 – CKLW Windsor, Ontario adopts the Music of Your Life format.
• February – A fire in downtown Clinton, Iowa destroys the studios for KROS and KSAY, knocking both stations off the air for several days. When the station returned to the air in a new studio, the first program was a two-hour show devoted to the fire and volunteers that helped get KROS/KSAY back on the air.
• March 28 – A Roger Waters concert is broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall. It is the first time that holophonics is used for a live radio broadcast.
• September 14/15 - Airdate of the famed "dead dog dedication" episode of American Top 40. During the recording, host Casey Kasem became upset after realizing that a "Long Distance Dedication" requesting a ballad was in his opinion improperly programmed after an upbeat song and went on a profanity-laced tirade. The aired program did not include Kasem's rant, although the outtake has been uploaded to various video sharing sites.
• The year brings other significant changes in Detroit radio, as WDRQ flips from urban contemporary to soft AC as WLTI, and WCLS flips from AC to rock-based Top 40 as WDTX.

  Debuts

• WZLX in Boston debuts with the classic rock format.
• Bayerischer Rundfunk in Munich debuts with Bit, byte, gebissen, the first radio program on computer topics in Germany.
• In July, after stunting with Christmas carols, WKJJ-FM "Magic 100" Louisville, Kentucky flips from Adult Contemporary to CHR as WDJX.
• WJJF/1180-Hope Valley, Rhode Island signs on October 5.

  Births

• December 17: Greg James, English DJ

  Deaths

• February 26: Charita Bauer, American radio and television actress.
• October 15: Ted Steele, American bandleader, musician and host of radio and television programs.