No Static at All by SPENCE D. ISTEKSATIOSAL INTRIGUF
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LI n ì i i i MOST ADDED GARBAGE (89) No Static at All BY SPENCE D. l7r.h It (Almo Sound, ) WOSC, WWCD, KKDM, CFNY, WQBK, WWDX, WMAD, WBTZ, KMYZ, KLZR, WEND, KPOI, WQXA, WNNX, WXDG, KTBZ, KFTE, WHFS, ISTEKSATIOSAL INTRIGUF, KXTE, KNDD, KHLR, WPGU, WXEG, WHMP, KKND, KQXR, WHTG, WKQX, WGRD, KACV, WUR, WXEX, CIMX, WBER, KPNT, WXDX, Taking Alternative. Across the Border WBRU, KXRK, XTRA, WBCN, KRZQ, WLUM, KOME, KNRK, KNRX, KGDE, KROX, WRXQ, PT I: REBEL STATION WBTZ WROX, WBZU, WPBZ, WOXY, KJEE, KNSX, WKRO, WAQZ, KTOZ, KTEG, KTCL, KEDG, WEDG-Buffalo. CIMX- What makes the Buzz' situation explains Hindley of the stations WEJE, KITS, KDGE, KEDJ, WXRK, WIXO, WKRL, WAVF, WDST Detroit. 91X-San Diego. so unique is the make-up of split Canadian/U.S. ratings. "The DAVE MATTHEWS KRZQ-Reno. What do all Canadian radio. CanCom (the book costs $25,000 BAND (66) in Montreal," Don't of these stations have in common? Canadian equivalent of the FCC) Drink The Water (RCA) adds MD Steve Picard, "and you're WOSC, WWCD, They're all border stations, broad- KKDM, CFNY, WQBK, WWDX, requires all Canadian stations to not listed in the book unless you WMAD, WBTZ, KENZ, KMYZ, KLZR, WEND, casting their programming across program 30 percent Canadian buy it." KPOI, WNNX, WXDG, KTBZ, KFTE, WHFS, state and in some cases internation- artists. As you can imagine, that So how does the Buzz calibrate KNDD, KHLR, WPGU, WXEG, WHMP, KKND, KQXR, WHIG, WKQX, WGRD, KACV, WUR, al lines. But perhaps the granddad- limits playlists considerably. Enter its foreign ratings? "The second WXE6X, CIMX, KPNT, WXDX, WBRU, KXRK, dy of all border stations is WBTZ, "The Buzz," whose playlist routine- largest beer company in Canada KCXX, WPLA, WBCN, KRZQ, WLUM, KOME, "The Buzz," in Burlington, ly consists of such non-Canucks as tried to figure out where all the KNRK, KNRX, KGDE, KROX, WRXQ, WROX, Vermont. Cornershop, blink 182, Air, and [uncalculated] radio listeners were WBZU, WPBZ, WOXY, KJEE, WKRO, WAQZ, KTOZ, KTEG, KTCL, KEDG, WEJE, On the surface, WBTZ appears to Semisonic. "We KITS, KDGE, are so atypical of going. They did research and fol- WXRK, WIXO, WKRL, WAVF, WDST be just another random megahertz what radio in Canada is," com- low-up and came up with a GREEN DAY (23) number on the dial (99.9, to be Canadian 3 share in the afternoon A', hrndant (Reprise) exact), but in reality the station is and a 5 share at night for WBTZ." WQBK, KLZR, KTBZ, KFTE, KNDD, KHLR, WPGU, KKND, the closet thing commercial What's it like programming a KQXR, WHIG, WGRD, KACV, Alternative has to rene- WXEX, KPNT, WBCN, KRZQ, WLUM, KOME, station for two completely dif- KJEE, gade rebel radio. While KTEG, KITS, KEDJ, WXRK ferent cultures? "Initially it BLACK LAB (15) 'BTZ calls Burlington was exciting," says Picard. Time Ago (DGC) home, its signal "We were bringing KNSX, KFGX, WWDX, WQXA, KFTE, KHLR, extends into something to Montreal WPGU, KKND, KQXR, WHTG, KRZQ, KGDE, Canadian airspace, that they didn't have WRXQ, WKRO, KTOZ G00 G00 DOLLS creating quite a and couldn't get any- (13) Iris ( It artier I3ros. ) buzz in urbanized where else. They view Montreal and WQBK, KPOI, KFTE, WXEG, WKQX, WBER, expos- us very much as a rebel KPNT, WPLA, WBCN, KOME, WROX, KJEE, ing the Canadian station, because we're WIXO youth to the pure doing something that no MOST REQUESTED essence of America's station had the balls to do FASTBALL sonic pop culture. up there, which is to play "The Wa)' ' (Il l. What does this all mean? i/ia' new music. When you're talking SEMISONIC For starters, the jobs of PD about Canadian radio, they're far "Closi6ng Time" (,ILCA) Stephanie Hindley and MD Steve more stuck in the past than even THE URGE Picard are just a tad more compli- ments Hindley. "This area of south- U.S. radio is. It's very difficult to 'Jump Right In" (Immortal) cated than those of counterparts at ern Quebec is used to dinosaur change your format up there. They BLINK 182 other stations. Hindley and Picard rockers, hair bands, and Canadian have your hands tied so that you "Dammit" (CargcvMCA) essentially program music for two rock. These were the only options have to play Canadian music. You HARVEY DANGER disparate cultures, they deal with for Montreal's youth until we came have to abide by that rule. We don't "Flagpole Vila" (:clash) both U.S. and Canadian label reps, along." have to do that, so we're considered MOST BUZZ and must go through the tedious Needless to say, within a very rebels." immigration process every time short time of WBTZ's July '96 sign - To give you a solid idea of FASTBALL they cross the border to present a on, Hindley was deluged by the WBTZ's "rebel" broadcasting tech- "The War" (Holt-mood) show. Oh yeah, they also wage a Canadian press. "All these niques, one need only look as far CHERRY POPPIN' DADDIES "Zoo/ Suit Riot" (,iIojo day-to-day war on Montreal's her- Canadian media folks thought I as the ubiquitous "Flashback itage AOR station CHOM. It all had this master plot to take down Lunch" -styled show that the Buzz MONO (Mercury) makes for, as Hindley calls it, Canadian radio," she remembers. and its mainstream Canadian com- "Le In Mono" 2 SKINNEE J'S "challenging, frustrating, and "All I had planned on doing was petitor both run. "Their [CHOM's] "Riot Nrrrd.. (Capicorn) extremely rewarding radio." programming a great radio station flashback show the other day fea- GOD LIVES UNDERWATER To get a better grasp of WBTZ's that a lot of people would listen to, tured Foghat," recalls Picard. "Front }Our Mouth" (A&M) situation, we need to go back a and if that caused people to switch "Whereas ours started out with few years to 1996 when the station stations in Montreal, great! But my 'Floyd the Barber' by Nirvana. That MOST LIKELY TO was launched. Hindley, then 22, primary focus has always been on gives you an indication of where SUCCEED signed the station on in July of that Burlington. That's where our rat- we're coming from and where GOO GOO DOLLS year and has been making waves ings come from." they're coming from." "Iris" (Warner Bros.) ever since. "When I was hired to Ah, ratings. Yet another unique NEXT WEEK: A look at Sharing THE URGE sign the Buzz on, I didn't know situation for WBTZ. "Because we the Market, "Presents," Giveaways, Jump Right In" (Immortal) our signal reached across the bor- don't buy [Canada's] ratings book, Sales, label support, and listener THE SPECIALS der!" she recalls. we don't show up in the surveys," response. "It's You" (Way Cool) WANK Interim Editor: SPENCE D. Alternative Reports accepted through Tuesday 3:00 p.m. "Forgiven" (Maverick) Station Reporting Phone: (415) 495-1990 GAVIN Fax: (415) 495-2580 JIMMIES CHICKEN SHACK 42 "Dropping Anchor" (Rocket/Island) www.americanradiohistory.com.