Page 6 RADIO Si RECORDS October 12, 1973

At the helm of 's KCBQ, and R&B records have legendarily not program director Rich Robbins must made it here. be doing something right. As well as "They just don't connect. Barry being largely responsible for spatea of Rich Robbins White's 'I'm Gonna Love You Just A recent reissues ranging from the Royal Little More' is personally one of the Guardsmen's "Snoopy Vs. The Red five most incredible records I've ever Baron" to Simon & Garfunkel's KCBQ San Diego laid my ears around, but it stiffed "Sounds Of Silence", the station here; same for Eddie Kendricks and remains No. 1 in a highly polarized mentally juxtaposed, so that that's the we do a mid-week check, and we Sly Stone, for some reason. You've market that pits their exciting Top 40 way they feel. Some guys can't eat for handle phone requests, between 3000 got to know your market." format against one solid "" twelve hours before they go on the and 5000 a week. The kids are calling DIAL POSITION On the discussion over - the station (KDEO) and one progressive air, some guys have to be drinking up, and one out of five is over 20, and importance of dial positiom vs. call AM rocker (KGB). coffee constantly. Others have to go they're calling in for their favorites. letters, Robbins finds dial position to KCBQ's own "Q" format is an on a little soused or a little stoned. " 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' is No. be of great value, "if you've got uptempo blend of the best that has Some guys need speed, or littlea piece 7 this week. That's based on monster something to work with. always characterized rock radio: fasta of valium or a muscle relaxer, some request action. To most PD's, if they "The most perfect position of all is pace, good personality, plenty of kind of depressant to take the edge got a super lot of requests for 100; it's stronger than the Big 610 or contests (a recent one found San off. something like 'Maxwell', they'd write the Big Eight. What does the Big 610 Diego's mayor phoning in to win a "If a guy can get his mind right, the audience off as a bunch of or 93 tell you? Not much. When wasI t -shirt, while another involved the way it would be if it were Friday retarded perverts and play the record with KIQQ 100.3( ) in Los Angeles, we listeners trying to out-wolf whistle night and he's ready to go out and maybe once every 2Y2 days. We play it called it K-100 FM. 'K' means radio, locks on the air), jingles and spirited,a 100 is where it is, an 'FM' tells you researched programming approach. it's not AM K-100 FM. We always Twenty-nine year old Robbins said it exactly like that--never any part started in radio fifteen years ago. "I separate from the rest. was fascinated with radio. I was in "The bottom line is: you show me Minneapolis, listening to WCCO, and a radio with call letters printed on it, they had this magic, sort of getting and I'll show you 20 million that have you to feel you were parta of it." numbers printed on them. And that's He became an errand boy for the why your frequency is more station at sporting events, built his important than your call letters. own 5-watt station ("broadcasting for Unless you're an institution or unless a mile off a bamboo pole atop the for some reason it's too cumbersome; house"), then did 18 months in the lots of spots on the high end of the service from '63 to '65 with Armed dial are hard to work with. But, youif Forces Radio. Gigs followed with have a dial position that in any way WCCO again, Detroit's WWWW, until can be worked with, you should work he came to KCBQ in January of 1971 with it." (first as jock,a now back after KIQQ, Robbins feels the presence of a Los Angeles, as P.D.).a working PD at stationa precludes the pofition of "Music Director". THE "Q" "To have an MD who reads the Robbins has his own ideas on charts and programs the station and everything from personality to oldies, chase girls or do whatever he most once every hours because we have all this, and to have a PD too, is from the importance of dial position likes to do in the world—if guya can to. ridiculous. What's the PD do? He goes and call letters to, appropriately, the,. go on the air in that condition, he's "Just the other night, the No. I to lunch and pacifies the manager, success of the 'Bennett Q format' in going to project an awful lot of requested record was Vicki he's screwing around with the the San Diego market. warmth, an awful lot of personality, Lawrence's The Night The Lights salesmen...I cannot function under "The Q was simply the next logical and they'll bring the listener up, Went Out We got 900 requests for it that kind of situation. can'tI see how step in the sequence of events in Top which is what it's all about. that day; even though it wasn't even PD's cannot be involved with music, if 40 radio; that was, to become less "A person would• rather turn on on the survey any more, it was still their station plays any music at all. stilted and more communicative, to the radio and hear some guy yelling being requested. The amount of time he spends have littlea more of that magic. and screaming and doing a rapid SAN DIEGO MARKET working with music should be in exact "You take the music being in proportion to the amount of music backsell, than hear somebody else " "We've found, from our jukebox order, then you must have signal that station plays. But how many do come on and say, 'It's three and halfa research, that here in San Diego we parity, the money and the contests that?? minutes after six o' clock. It's been a have to ignore somewhat the R&B adn all, then you add the human "A PD, for one thing, deals with long day, my dog died', and this kind thing that happens in bars here. You element, and give it that third the jocks, and to do that he's got to of stuff" can have an R&B record that is huge have his ego under control. That's the dimension. Some people call it PLAY LIST on jukeboxes, and yet you can go out 'depth', being able to reach into it, the only way he can take jocka coming in and interview people and ask them ability to come across like the guy' KCBQ has gained quite a what records they like and you'll and bitching 'I did bada show today next door, but not so much like the reputation recently as some kind of never hear them mention that record. because--'. That's when sayI 'bullshit. neighbor that you take him for maverick Top 40 station, since their "I decided to find out why some Don't give me excuses. Don't say it's current survey lists, in addition to granted. months ago. I went to a lot of bars because so-and-so didn't pull your "As a PD, it's my job to get the Stories, the Stones, and Art and discotheques where people were first half hour's worth of cartridges or Garfunkel, such sixties stars as the jocks to sound the way wantI them dancing to records, and asked people, because the room's a pig sty. Don't to sound. The way they should sound Beatles ("Maxwell's Silver Hammer" say it's because you haven't gotten of both sexes, 'Why did you request at No. 7), the Royal Guardsmen is happy, happy to be at KCBQ, and or select tht record?' Because it's laid in three weeks. Don't give me a ("Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron" at No. the best way for the guy to project good to danv to!' reason. If you had bada show, admit 8), Napoleon XIV ("They're Coming that sound is by being himself. "Then I'd ask, 'What's your it.' To Take Me Away Ha-Ha" at No. 9) "When firstI came here, there were favorite record that you don't dance "It's my job to be able to transmit a couple jocks who loved being here, and Jan & Dean ("Dead Man's Curve", to?' Paul McCartney's "My Love".' to the jocks what I want them to but didn't come across right, and No. 21). "The next question, then, is: `If sound like; which is, like 'the guy next "I'm doing it the `rightese way I those jocks are gone. We had to adjust you like the Pointer Sisters' dance door', the next door neighbor that can," Robbins says. "Right now we've some things along the way, but now record and it comes on one station, everybody likes lot,a but not because got "Purple People Eater" and "Witch we've got what we want. and "My Love" comes on another, he's always throwing party.a wantI Doctor" on the survey, and justI got them to sound like the guy that ON THE AIR which one would you listen to?' The a re-release on 'Sounds Of Silence' always had all the girls, the guy that answer is usually the McCartney, or from Columbia. "The best way I've been able to another one of our power records. was always handsome, the guy that "As far as oldies, it's pretty hard to explain what I want, is to say to the "I'm not saying it's gooda idea to was always just a little bit better. determine which are the jock: 'be yourself. Be like you'd be if ignore R&B on jukeboxes altogether, That's the way KCBQ is. It's super-important ones (it's easier with you were on an awful lot of speed; because when people are out at absolutely the Mark IV of [Top 401 new product). But here, canI pretty radio stations. It's not only you would feel good, you'd be fast, discotheques they want to hear dance much give you the demographic formatically intact. It moves, there's friendly, the nicest guy on the face of music. I'm saying San Diego's black importance of every oldie; we call the earth. population is just a shade under 4% personality on the air." "You've got to get the jock about 15 different sources each week,