In July 1978, KSTT program director Jim O'Hara, along with on-air personality John Keith and music director Rick Fields, put together a brand new rock station for the Quad Cities — based at least in part on WLPX in Milwaukee. Then-owner Fred Epstein liked the name "X97", but Epstein realized that the name "97X" sounded much better than the former. When the station took on its current WXLP callsign on August 31, 1978, it became known to a generation of fans and listeners as "97X, WXLP" or simply "The X". Later, program director Gabe Baptiste took the station to its highest ratings in the late 1980s. From 1985 through 1986, the 97X lineup included Phil and Jack in mornings, J.J. Scott in middays, Terry Dugan in afternoons, and Greg Garron in evenings. Terry was replaced by Gene Olson in the afternoon when she became 97X's first female program director. Evenings were handled during this period by Steve DeBouvre. J.J. Scott brought his show, "The Electric Lunch" to 97X during his two year midday run. Gene Olson brought 97X national attention when he promoted "Shoes for Imelda", gathering thousands of shoes he sent to exiled Imelda Marcos. The station's first newsman was Dave Douglas (Tom Hosmanek), also of KSTT.