ISSUE NUMBER 747 THE INDUSTRY'S NEWSPAPER JULY 22, 1988 I N S I D E: Dees Inks New Five - Year Contract At KITS ARBITRON BULLETINS Gannett's KIIS-AM & FM/ Los Angeles has announced the Top market ratings highlights this week: signing of a new five -year deal WGCI -FM edges WGN for Chicago with Rick Dees, the market's lead S leading morning air personali- KGO way up in 48th straight SF win ty. With a year remaining on WUSL wins first Philly ARB Dees's current contract, the ad- WJR widens gap in quiet Detroit book ditional pact ties him up for the KMOX's 25.0 obliterates St. Louis next six years, through 1994 - L squelching rumors of his depar- competition ® ture to other Los Angeles sta- KVIL earns a 10, takes over Dallas tions. lead WMZO Washington's first Country KIIS President /GM Lynn Powell R champ RADIO & RECORDS Anderson- told &R, Rick Dees "ICES-FM and Gannett are ex- WBAL nearly catches WLIF in KIIS -FM. Rick has con- tremely pleased at Rick Dees's cess of sistently delivered a morning Baltimore commitment to the ongoing suc- WXKS -FM vaults to first in both audience among the largest in Boston books the nation. His continued posi- Page 32 tion at the top of the ratings is Million- Dollar Bash For Joe Smith assured by his exceptional tal- ent and by the loyal listeners he has cultivated. DEES /See Page 30 STATIONS MUST TELL CALLERS THEY'RE ON -AIR Reich Exec The FCC this week retained the rule VP At TK requiring radio folks to let people know Oversees Texas their conversation is being recorded or aired before the fact. Also, RKO 's fate is Stations Former WIOD & WGTR /Mi- on the line this week. ami VP /GM Bob Reich has Page 4 been named Exec. VP of TK Communications/ West, in charge of KLUV/Dallas and KBUC -AM & FM /San Antonio. The City of Hope tribute to Capitol Industries President Joe Smith, which culminated in a Century Based in Dallas, he replaces BIG TIME: AVERAGE LENGTH Plaza/L.A. dinner last week, broke all previous fundraising records and the long- sought -after $1 million Steven Dinetz, who resigned Ju- barrier. In an unusual move, Smith served as MC for his own tribute, keeping the laughs coming without ly 15 to form his own company. OF HITS CLIMBS once being called for a quipping penalty. Comedian Don Rickles entertained in his classically caustic TK Chairman John Tenaglia The average timings of the chart hits are style. Pictured at left are Smith (left) being presented with 'he Spirit of Life award by past honoree and Tower Records President Russ Solomon, while at right, Pickles poses with his close personal friend, told R&R, "When you look at up in all five formats surveyed, compared EMI Music Chairman Bhaskar Menon, whom Rick/es failed to insult more than half a dozen times during Bob's track record, ranging to 1986 figures. In four of the five, the his act. from Washington and Pitts- average hit is over four minutes long: burgh to New Orleans and CHR: 4:07 Nashville, there is a kt of ex- pertise applicable to Dadas and AC: 4:1 1 New Music Seminar Assails Radio AOR: 4:33 San Antonio." He added, "Our Corporate Sponsors Also Targets At Largest NMS Ever expansion plans will include Urban: 4:07 son and Tom Silverman pre- similar markets of diverse size Country: 3:20 U2 manager Paul McGuin- sented the first annual "Joel and socioeconomic composi- Page 35 ness blasted the music business in general - and radio in par- Webber Prizes For Excellence tions." ticular - during his Monday In Music & Business" to Sire Reich's background nicludes morning keynote address at the President Seymour Stein and posts with EZ Communications ninth annual New Music Sem- Venture Booking President as VP /GM at the company's Ven- Orleans and MIDWEST CONCLAVE inar held 7/17 -20 at New York's Frank Riley, who leaves WEZB /New Marriott Marquis Hotel. ture this week to join Triad Ar- WBZZ /Pittsburgh, and as Cor- FROM TWO SIDES "There's a simple truth about tists in Los Angeles. porate VP /GSM. REICH /See Page 30 R &R 's CHR and AOR contingent pop music: unless people like it, NMS/See Page 30 attended the recent Upper Midwest it won't be popular, but unless Communications Conclave, and both they hear it, they won't know if KAYI Kayos Tulsa they like it. And they won't hear U2 manager Paul McGuinness sections feature reports on the central it unless someone plays it. So keynotes New Music Seminar fragmentation, promotions, topics: music, who's going to play new music group that "stands out like a desirability of teens, and more. in 1988? It's not going to be ra- beacon in 1988." Page 43, 46 dio. AOR and CHR are a catas- McGuinness also criticized trophe, based on conservative "sponsor- bedecked" acts and formats. It's not going to be those who endorse products, MTV, and it's not going to be big and even took a well -received CURING COPYWRITING concert promoters," McGuin- humorous shot at the Seminar's FRUSTRATION ness commented. organizers: "Everyone knows He went on to note that speed you guys are making a fortune, Writing ad copy is the most painful task metal and thrash bands who and it really is time -yo stop pre- at many radio stations, but the burden KAYI/Tulsa asked listeners to have taken their music directly tending the New Music Seminar "show us your KAY -107," re- all can be eased by applying some or of to the public and broken is some sort of philanthropic - sulting in imaginative creations these steps: through on a local level are the motivated, consciousness - on the order of "Big Kay" Find the client's favored theme most interesting current phe- raising swap meet for the alter- (above), the fur-hat -bedecked Translate slogans into audio nomenon. "Great bands have native music business." lovely lounging at the Big Splash water park; and the $7000 Scour client's literature for catch - always known that they had to Brian Eno, who was slated as reject the music being made by the event's other keynote prizewinner, a T -shirt adorning phrases 70ft. Golden Driller everyone else, and therefore re- speaker, cancelled owing to the Tulsa's statue. For more details, see Sales Strategy. ject the music business," he death of his father last week. Page 14 said, citing Guns N' Roses as a NMS Directors Mark Joseph- Newsstand Price $5.00 Biggest Transaction Week Yet Page 6 www.americanradiohistory.com Everyone's Going Craz y For Flesh. I GO CRAZY from their debut album LONG LIVE THE NEW FLESH ae B E G G A R S B A N O U E T t ^1 Produced By Stephen Hague Personal Management Peregrine Watts-Russell Janet Mcüueenet Everyone needs a little Flesh sometime, a nd this one is guaranteed to drive you crazy. ®1999 Cant blab, k www.americanradiohistory.com With A Little Help From Elton Lind New PD L PAGE THREE At WMJI JULY 22, 1988 MORE TALK ABOUT `LESS TALK' AC stations, in common with many other formats, are weighing the merits of adopting "less talk" programming approaches and positioning. Opinions are divided as to the style's longterm potential; this week WEZOIRochester's David Isreal and Elton John performed at a benefit concert in L.A. for children with AIDS and other serious illnesses, helping to raise over a half- million dollars. Pictured Joel Lind WAXY /Miami's Kenny Lee take the two Gary (Mrs. Sid Sheinberg), Shell Azoff, after the show are (I -r) Lorraine Jacor AC WMJI /Cleveland has sides of the question. Music Entertainment Group President Irving Azoff, MCA Inc. Presi- MCA named former WNIC /Detroit pro- dent Sid Sheinberg, John, and MCA Records Exec. VP Richard Palmese. Page 49 grammer Joel Lind PD, suc- ceeding Rick Torcasso, who leaves PALEVIDA PD for ownership at KQAM & KEYN/ Wichita. FEATURES WMJI GM Phil Levine told R&R, WWBA Becomes "We'll miss Rick a lot, but I'm WASHINGTON REPORT: RKO: on the docket tickled to have Joel. He comes with this week track record and a tremendous RADIO BUSINESS: Transactions by the truckload . AC `Warm 107' WWRM `Magic' will continue to grow with OVERVIEW: the 25-54s were Newly- acquired Cox B /EZ were very strong, Joel at the helm." MANAGEMENT: The sixfold path WWBA/Tampa-St. Petersburg has not good; in fact, we were not in the Lind told R&R, "I am delighted to sales superstardom 12 switched formats to soft AC and top ten. So we wanted to put on a to be joining an intelligent opera- SALES STRATEGY: Copywriting made easier 14 changed calls to WWRM (Warm format that would deliver better tion of real broadcasters - ded- MEDIA: Home tapers' habits 16 107). Former WSB /Atlanta pro- demos. icated to winning and having a gramming assistant Tom Palevida "After doing more research, we UND/See Page 30 LIFESTYLES: $50,000+ households double has been hired as PD. came up with the current format," since 1983 18 he continued. "The reaction has PEOPLE: Contributing to the delinquency of Minor .19 Cox Exec. VP /Radio Nick been very good. We have not yet Gibson PD STREET TALK: Edens goes Christal -gazing 21 Thgony told R&R, "When we marketed it, nor do we have the air RATINGS & RESEARCH: Keeping your station we have bought the station, we did some re- talent in place.