17 Radio Programming WHILE OTHERS NOSEDIVE WCOZ-FM Remains Rock's Rock Of Gibraltar In Boston Market By JON KELLER BOSTON -"The spring (Arbi- Dave Croninger when asked to ex- did back in 1974," says another p.d. tron) book is the beginning of a new plain his station's sagging fortunes, WBZ experimented with an all -news trend in the market," cheers WCOZ - "I'll really have to think that one block in afternoon drive in the late FM program director Andy Beau - over." '70s, and rumor has it considering bien "and its exciting to watch it One of the dayparts WHDH will that format again for certain day - happen." be thinking about hard as it looks for parts. "With the shift from AM to Beaubien has reason to be happy. reasons why its share is down to 8.5 FM by adult contemporary listeners, While longtime AM heavyweights (from 10.3 in the winter book and an the AM stations just have to re -ori- WBZ and WHDH took nosedives 11.1 in spring, 1980) will probably ent," points out Beaubien of WCOZ. and a pair of RKO General outlets be nighttime. Despite the assertion Over at RKO General's WRKO, showed strong upward movement, of WHDH program director Bob the first stage of an ongoing shift WCOZ -FM remained Boston ra- Adams that "one monkey don't stop from adult contemporary to a for- dio's Rock of Gibraltar. The hard - no show," the departure of talk - mat emphasizing news, talk, and edged AOR station scored an 11.1, show host David Brudnoy in March sports is already paying dividends. up just a bit from its winter 1981 11.0 for WRKO left a gaping hole in the Faced with intense competition share, but also up an astounding long- established talent lineup. adult listeners from both AM OCEAN CROSSING -Epic artist Billy Ocean chats with Don Savage, right, air for seven full share points from spring WHDH saw its market -topping 12.1 and FM stations (particularly sister personality at KACE -FM Los Angeles. The London based Ocean is promoting 1980. "There's a larger audience share from 7 p.m. to midnight in the which parlayed his new single and LP "Nights (Feels Like Getting Down)." station WROR -FM, available to us than what we have al- last book with Brudnoy disintegrate a strong music image and persistent ready," insists WCOZ's Beaubien, to a 5.9 under new talk host Hubert promotion in an impressive 5.8 who programs the station along with Jessup. One indirect casualty may share, up from 4.5 last winter and 4.0 Into consultant and former WCOZ p.d. have been WHDH morning man one year ago) WRKO has, since `Wavebreaker' John Sebastian of Phoenix, Ariz. Jess Cain, who checked in with an March I: signed David Brudnoy "Although we're dominant with 11.9, down a full point from the win- to a long -term contract for nighttime teens, they have never been our tar- ter ratings. talk: signed sportscaster Guy Syndication This Fall get demographic. We see ourselves Even Cain's relatively weak show- Mainella, who pioneered sports talk By PETER KRASILOVSKY primarily as an 18 to 34 station, an ing was good enough to handily de- with WBZ in 1969, to do a two -hour adult rock'n'roll station. We feel feat the 10.5 share posted by Dave nightly talk show; signed the NEW YORK -Celebrating its breaker." Producer Tony Garcia there are up to four more share Maynard in morning drive on rival NBA Champion Boston Celtics to a first anniversary. New York based believes that the program is best points available to us." Further in- adult contemporary outlet WBZ. multi -year contract for rights to "Wavebreaker" program (formerly served by an active announcer. creases in WCOZ's share seem likely Maynard's dive from a 13.9 in the broadcast their games; and re- "Tidal Wave ") will be offered for Unlike Casey Kasem's "American to come out of the hide of progres- winter to the 10.5 is merely the most vamped its morning show, hosted by commercial syndication in October. Top 40," "Wavebreaker" is designed sive WBCN -FM (down to a disap- glaring example of the overall de- Norm Nathan and Jordan Rich, to It is currently syndicated to six col- to complement AOR programming pointing 3.9 after scoring a 4.8 in the cline suffered by the 50kw clear - focus on news and informational lege stations (WNYU -FM New and not to "sleep in the format." As a winter book). "If the spring book channel Westinghouse O and O. With -FM features. York, WWUR St. Louis, weekly special aired in an off-peak proved anything," says Beaubien, its big signal booming into 38 states WHPK -FM Chicago, WMEB -FM The results: WRKO bounced hour, "Wavebreaker" will attempt to perhaps in reference to local experts at night and a respected lineup of Me., back from the depths of a 2.4 share Oronon, KLSC -FM Edmond, match the allure and loyalty of a top who termed WCOZ's success a flash personalities and newsmen, WBZ Okla., and KISF -FM Alamosa, in the winter book to a 3.2 overall. television show, like "Saturday in the pan, "it is that WCOZ is here dominated Boston radio in the early fn Colo.) The "Morning Magazine" Format Night Live." However, some prelim- to stay." '70s. "The standing joke about them 3.1, a 2.4, is a top 20 new scores a up from but the "Wavebreaker" inary research has indicated that the Across the hall from WCOZ, exec- is that all WBZ has to do is turn on wave countdown that additionally big news was at night, where the most favorable day -part for Wave- utives at sister station WHDH (also their transmitter and they've got a Brud- features a "future wave" pick hit and combination of Mainella and breaker is from 7 -9 p.m. on the owned by Blair Corp.) are consider- 3," recalls one local program direc- noy brought WRKO from a 2.4 in two "back- steps" (new wave gold). weekend, "when people are getting ably less enthused about the spring tor. However, with Al Law (now An aggressive announcer, Mark the winter to a startling 7.0 share in ready to go out to new wave clubs." Arbitrons. Adult contemporary general manager of WYNY New the latest Arbitrons. "We're happy Williams, provides incidental infor- WHDH, a longtime powerhouse un- York) working his self -proclaimed mation about the material on the The countdown itself isn't meant about the ratings, but in a low -key to serve as anything more than a der the guidance of program direc- "magic" over at WHDH in the mid way," says WRKO program director show. Williams' "forceful" delivery tor Al Law, dropped almost two full '70s, WBZ never seemed able to re- is a contrast to the more subdued ap- "guideline" to the current crests in Charlie Van Dyke. "Our best days new wave music. The countdown is points in this first rating book since spond to the adult contemporary are still ahead of us. But we're-listen- proach favored by most AOR sta- Law left in February. "You really challenger. tions, the natural base for "Wave- mathematically compiled from the ing again, and the public is telling us playlists of over 30 clubs from caught me off guard with that one," "They haven't changed with the they like what we're doing." WHDH same as they around the country. Each club re- says General Manager city. They sound the The public was even more positive Hearings Ordered In ports its own top 10, and predicts a about the goings -on at WXKS -FM, "future wave." 3 License Applications the Heftel Broadcasting outlet that Garcia concedes that the chart is KYA -FM Sets New Image surged into third place in the market WASHINGTON, D.C. -In a about two weeks behind because of overall with a 7.1 share, up from 5.0 series of decisions by acting chief mail reports. "The most important last winter and 4.4 a year ago. Larry Eads of the FCC's Broadcast thing about the countdown is to of- With K -LITE 93 Slogan "We've broadened our appeal," says Facilities division, competing li- fer the listener some consistency in SAN FRANCISCO - KYA -FM relationships, education and enter- program director Sunny Joe White cense applications for FM stations in the program." Garcia is building up is now known as K -LITE 93 FM tainment pertaining to 25 -44 of WXKS -FM, which began as an Rosamond, Calif., Thomaston, and a similar network of reporting new with a modified format "to enhance lifestyles. all -disco station. "And we're num- Tallulah, have been ordered into wave retail stores to strengthen the the focus of the station programming Rob Conrad is morning drive per- ber one with women, which is very consolidated hearings. Two other li- chart. and to include more pertinent in- sonality and Sam Van Zandt han- important as far as the agencies are cense contests, both previously de- When the program goes commer- formation and music that will cater dles the afternoon shift. concerned." cided, have been set for Sept. 2 pro- cial in October, it will expand to two to a 25 -44- year -old lifestyle," ac- ceedings by the FCC Review Board. hours, to clear the way for 20 min- cording to program director Alan Those cases involve FM stations in utes of advertisements. "Wave- Mason. Myers Beach, Fla. and Hart, Mich. breaker" will also add another "back "K -LITE 93 FM is a description step" and a new feature -a novelty Eads called for Dorothy Sinofsky of our newly modified format. K- d Rosamond Broadcasters and song along the lines of the Psyche- /b /a LITE is what people originally came Laurens C. Hall, two of the appli- delic Furs' "Mack The Knife." to the FM radio for ... lots of popu- cants for the construction en- California "Wavebreaker's" creator and lar music, fewer interruptions and proof of Bill Marchiony is permit, to submit additional gineer typically features that appeal to more mature while the same financial ability, at blunt about the program's ultimate listeners. We've pre- exposed our PRJVIES time, turning down Carole R. Pren- "We are streamlining New purpose: music selections to large groups of ter's petition that Hall had made a Wave to the people. We don't sup- music listeners in test situations and major change in plans. new wave, we new engineering port the art of put will only play music that has been Prenter is the third applicant. wave we're on the radio ... and not indicated as favorites," says Mason. The battle between Radio providing anyone a religious experi- Georgia, Inc. and Sunbelt Commu- ence." Mason says that KYA -FM suf- nications, Inc. for the Thomaston li- The program will be offered free fered from the lack of a clear and cense will require both to produce to radio stations in exchange for run- separate identity due to the fact that additional evidence of financial ning commercials. It will continue to its all- oldies sister station KYA -AM strength and Sunbelt will have to es- donate the program to non- commer- dwarfed the FM in terms of Bay tablish that its proposed tower cial stations that fall outside of com- Area listener familiarity. "We would not constitute a hazard to air mercial subscriber market. "Wave- wanted to eliminate confusion and navigation. breaker" is sponsored by Maxell public misconception that we played In locking horns over Tallulah, Tape. top 40 music instead of easy rock with fea- SCO -KIM, . Inc. has charged that If all goes well with the syndica- special adult- oriented MIA Broadcasting Corp.'s license tures," notes Mason. tion effort of the countdown, the E WATCHING YOU application was substantially in- Wavebreaker The new K -LITE will Corp. will proceed concentrate (THEY SEE YOUR EVERY MOVE!) complete and requested MIA's ap- with plans for a new wave concert on providing listeners with topics plication be dismissed. series. ranging from economics, family

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