Settlement in `Free Beer' Case

15 Rodio Settlement In `Free Beer' Case Suit Cited KKCI /Tavern Promotion In Highway Death KANSAS CITY - The age -old car to aid a stranded motorist on the not only enjoyed longevity on KKCI question, "Is a station liable for the interstate highway. and AOR outlets in general but have claims made by advertisers ?," has Dickey subsequently pleaded long been a staple in the Kansas City again been raised, resulting in a re- guilty to charges of vehicular homi- market within several formats, as cent out -of-court settlement here in- cide, drunken driving and leaving the Missouri state laws prohibit men- volving an advertiser promotion run scene of the accident. In that hearing, tions such as "free beer," while Kan- on Golden East's KKCI -FM here he informed authorities that he went sas establishments (comprising a more than two years ago. to the tavern after hearing the adver- large portion of the metro area) are The case arose after KKCI pro- tisements on KKCI. given the green light. moted a "106.5 night" where listen- After receiving $20,000 from In this particular case, principals ers were enticed to patronize the Dickey's insurance company, and management of the station Merry Go Round Tavern because Meade's parents filed a $5 million viewed the event strictly as a sales "106.5 minutes of free beer" would lawsuit against both the radio station promotion. Spots were aired and bo- be poured. According to the suit, and the tavern. In essence, the suit al- nus mentions were carried; however, Thomas Kim Dickey attended the leged that KKCI and the tavern con- station personnel were neither pres- promotion, drank to excess and left spired to get Dickey drunk and that ent at the event nor represented as UPTOWN CROWD -WRKQ Cincinnati staffers act as bodyguards for Billy in his car. Heading out on I -635, the advertisements carried on KKCI expected to be present. Similar sched- Joel at a post- concert party. Pictured from left are, standing, backstage Dickey struck and killed 19- year -old influenced Dickey to become ules ran without problems before the pass winner Stephanie Silvanti, Joel's mom, Joel, the station's J.C. McCoy, Scott Meade. Meade, too, is said to intoxicated. 1982 incident, which has seemingly Janeen Coyle and Chris O'Brien, a pass winner and WKRQ's Andy Craig, have attended the promotion, and at The settlement arrived at on the not dissuaded the company from car- kneeling, CBS's Al Stann and the station's program director Jim Foxx. the time of the accident had left his day of the trial, Sept. 10, followed a rying similar promotions to the pres- judge's ruling that "conspiracy" was ent day. not a factor in the case. The amount Pending the trial of a subsequently ($50,000 from Golden East and filed case (one of Meade's friends, Vox Jox $42,500 from Merry Go Round) was present at the scene of the accident, is the result of an agreement between claiming trauma and emotional dis- the insurance companies involved tress), Golden East management is Busy Month For EZ Communications and the plaintiffs, and in no way rep- understandably mum, while the resents an admission of guilt or liabil- question of a station's responsibility By ROLLYE BORNSTEIN tor now that Dean Dean is program WPIX, Holiday spent four years with ity on the part of either party. to its audience -morally and legal- director. Dean, as you'll remember, Inner City's WBLS there, and is a Promotions such as this one have ly- continues to go unanswered. Management changes and a new replaces Jeffrey B. Kelly, who is on former WKTU personality and PD acquisition mark the month of Octo- the air at WLTF -which brings us to as well. ber for EZ Communications. Bonnie Dave Popovich's good news. The for- From evenings to afternoons on Two New Night Signals Brooks of B -97 (WEZB New Or- mer WMJI and WWWE Cleveland Nashville's easy listening WZEZ Bill Ger- leans) is upped to GM at WEZR PD has landed his third such gig in goes Gary Moss. He fills Join Los Angeles AM Band Wyatt the market, taking over Bob son's air slot, while midday man Jim Washington, replacing ton, who also owns Monterey's who becomes president of Dunphy's post as PD of WLTF now Eskew fills Gerson's former opera- LOS ANGELES - The AM band Thompson, KNRY, is most excited by the fact Trav- that Dunphy has decided to return to tions manager's post, now that the here is adding two new nighttime sig- EZ's travel division, Broadcast that KIEV will serve as the originat- New York. latter is ensconced in New Orleans at nals to its spectrum, the results of a el Incentives. Meanwhile, the group ing station for the San Diego Clippers agree- Now back to WGCL: C.C. Math- WBYU. 23 -year struggle and a seven -year has concluded a handshake bastketball team, which is moving ews' touch is already being felt, not A little Indianapolis trivia for battle for the right to join the already ment with Surrey to purchase north to L.A.'s Sports Arena. you've been un- only with the addition of Hutch those of you keeping tabs on such crowded marketplace. KYKY St. Louis (if If KIEV's eclectic fare wasn't der a rock for the past few years, (whom Nap Town residents will rec- stuff: When WTPI debuts in WIFE- In the case of William J. Beaton, Glen- available at 870 nightly until last that's Bartell's old KSLQ) for $4 mil. ognize as "Commander Hutch" from FM's former dial position, wives will president of KIEV, licensed to AM week, it often could also be heard on Surrey, by the way, has also Indy's Apple, WZPL) in mornings figure prominently in the lineup, as dale, the dream of turning an facility first 1090, where Beaton s son Ron -who agreed to sell Tucson's KAIR/ (he replaces the exiting Phil Gardner afternoon drive personality Steve daytimer into a full -time also serves as KIEV's general sales KJYK for $5.5 mil, which leaves and his co -host Tom Jeffries, who re- Cooper (late of 'FBQ there) is joined began in 1931 when the Cleveland manager -has a long -standing agree- them only with Oklahoma City's mains with the top 40 outlet), but by his wife Pam Carr, who will serve broadcaster joined then- daytime- ment to purchase the nighttime pro- KATT- AM -FM, and tidbits from also with the hiring of night man as the station's GSM, while evening only KMPC, emanating fom Beverly KIEV in gramming from Mexican- licensed the rumor mill about Surrey's con- Bumper Morgan, who hails from jock Paul Poteet (also late of 'FBQ, Hills. After purchasing began to XPRS. Largely devoted to oldies tinued association with radio are al- New Orleans' WQUE -AM. Mean- where he used the air name Jim 1961, Beaton immediately aimed at the Mexican -American au- ready starting to drop. Buying the while, nights across town on WERE Carr -although Carr is actually Coo- petition the FCC for increased hours for the past sev- dience (with revenues pouring in Tucson combo is Larry Wilson and are being enlivened with Gary D., per's last name) is followed on the air on the facility, which com- from advertised record packages Fritz Beesemyer's Phoenix -based who started last week in the 9 p.m. to by his wife Jenifer Carr. eral years has had a talk format - the Low Rider special," hawked Citadel Communications. midnight slot. Joey Ryan is back. The longtime prised largely of brokered programs. "It's on a Dick "Huggy Boy" Hug), XPRS in * * * Detroit jock is dong weekends on "We were the first station oldies- formatted WHND ... Waking clear channel to receive a full -time the past often carried some of the more than a decade at ladder and After Moving up the career up Nashville in morning drive on grant," notes Beaton of the April 1, programs also heard on KIEV. WCCO -FM turned WLTE Minne- across the country is BJ 105 (WBJW Valley, Puer- Gallatin's KX 104 is the team of Neil 1981 decision. "But we had tremen- Across town in Simi in everything from the jock Mitchell, who apolis Orlando) PD Garry Harrison and Andy Spinosi, who like dous problems in finding a suitable to Rican immigrant Manny Cabranes lineup the general manager's to assumes that post at Alta's KBZT newly appointed PD Mike Murphy site." The obstacles were cleared on recently saw seven years of heart- throne, Paul Stagg has decided he (K -Best) San Diego. It's a newly cre- became a hail from Beaumont's B-95 ... Sept. 20, and at 7 p.m., instead of aches fade away as KWNK wants to go back on the air, and ated post, now that Alta's Mike was so Upped to PD at Q -101 (WQPO signing off, the station continued reality on 670. Cabranes where better to do that than the leg- Wagner spends his time in a solely Harrisonburg, Va.) is Brian with its eclectic talk approach and moved by the experience-the possi- endary WCCO-AM? And so it is that Mitchell, who national capacity. Charette. hasn't stopped since. bility of an immigrant succeeding to GM in 1981, has for- Stagg, who became hails from Kalamazoo, is also a Jacksonville's got a new lineup and KIEV emanates from a site in Ea- the point of station ownership -that walked across town to the AM side of V Charleston, W. mer -100 (WVAF) a nice rumor. As for the lineup: gle Rock with 5 kw daytime power the first record aired on the new full - the Midwest Communications opera- Va. PD. WCRJ, "Continuous Country," now and 1,000 watts directional at night time facility at 12:01 a.m. on Sept. 22 tion, where he'll start doing week- New to the Jeff Pollack fold is Mi- features John Richards in mornings; (the outlet protects WWL New Or- was Kate Smith's "God Bless As for his re- ends this Saturday (6). chael Mallace, who becomes director Mike Moore, middays; Susan Shaw, leans to the east, rendering a solid America." placement as WLTE GM, no word of research. The Phoenix broadcaster afternoons; Steve Fox, nights; and signal to the west, north and south), The Irving Berlin song did not set yet, but the person to contact is Mid- most recently served as corporate re- Kelvin Lewis, overnights. And as for originating from both the main Glen- the tone for the remainder of the top west president James Rupp. search director for Buck Owens' sta- the totally unconfirmed- dale studio and a street level show- 40 outlet's programming. The idea of Taking her first bite out of the Big rumor- tions, including KNIX -AM -FM we hear Infinity's Y -103 (WIVY- case in the downtown Arco plaza. Its the AM on KBOI Boise's clear chan- Apple is a very excited Jo Weitz. The there. FM) has been sold for a price in ex- down-home approach is seen as an al- nel frequency station started in 1977 former morning drive "Madam" on Noise from San Francisco's Quiet cess of $6 mil. ternative to the more predictable fare when a consulting engineer came up Miami's WINZ -FM (I -95) joins In- Storm (Inner City's KBLX) has a Turns out the rumors about on competing KABC. with the possible dial position. Like finity's latest entry into the New new lineup in place, with Paul Zar- Metroplex's WPKX -AM -FM are un- Representative of that approach is Beaton, Cabranes found that his ma- York top 40 race, WKTU, doing 7 cone doing mornings, as morning founded. The group has released a a diverse lineup including Paul Wal- jor obstacle once the license was a.m. to noon -which puts her on Jay man Steve Collins moves to evenings, statement saying it does not intend to lach's afternoon drive restaurant sug- granted was a suitable site. Thomas' morning offering from 7 to while evening personality Clifford sell in time for a new group of gestions, financial advice, race re- Harassment similar to that in Bea - 9 and has her soloing 9 to noon. Fol- just Brown Jr. (yes, daddy was the fam- rumors to crop up about WMAL/ sults, Roy Masters' own brand of ton's case, where the residents of the lowing Jo is another ex- Miamian, ous trumpet player) becomes music WRQX. The gossipers in the nation's religion, Billy James Hargis, George city of Alhambra said the radio Quincy McCoy, who exits his director and afternoon personality capital say the combo will be sold by Putnam, "Divorce Court's" Lou waves could affect them physically (a WASHington slot to handle noon -4. now that B.K. Kirkland is off to New ABC so that the network can pick up Edelberg and Dr. Smudde. Smudde, totally unfounded claim), ensued. * * * York. Meanwhile, in middays, Licia ABC affiliate WJLA -TV. an expert in holistic medicine, is at Here, the owner of a gravel pit near Morning changes in Cleveland Torres exits that post to do middays * * * times vaguely reminiscent of the infa- the proposed site said the towers have Matt Morgan waking up the on KMEL, while KMEL's Tony Kil- mous "Dr. Brinkley," whose "goat would be "unsightly." The eventual Watermark's Laurie Woolsoncroft WDMT audience while "Hutch" en- bert swaps places with her. Kilbert, gland" operations and advice location allowed for a full -time joins Jeff Pollack Communications tertains the WGCL crowd. Morgan, who prior to spending five years at promptly lost a major broadcast li- 1,000 -watt directional facilty which Coming to KOME San Jose as late of Pittsburgh's WAMO -FM (and The Camel was heard on KSAN, also ... cense decades ago. Beaton, whose ca- manages to blanket the three major programming assistant is KARA WYDD), fills the vacancy created by hosts TV 20's 10 p.m. movie nightly. reer predates even Brinkley's, admits valleys (San Fernando, Conejo and (nearby Santa Clara) traffic assistant Carol Ford's shift to afternoons. Be- And as for Zarcone, if you don't rec- to more than a casual listen initially. Simi) with less than adequate service Mindy Vargas. fore we get to 'GCL's news, also note ognize the name, you may remember In addition to the increased cover- elsewhere. New to the Burkhart/Abrams etc. that WDMT midday man Eric Fai- him as New York personality J.D. age and new personality lineup "The signal is a bit less than we son adds to his duties as music direc- Holiday. Most recently heard on (Continued on page 19) gained by the nighttime hours, Bea- (Continued on page 16)