New Rocker In Cincinnati SEE PAGE 12 WDIA/ Memphis . "A Part Of Its Audience's Life" Radio& SEE PAGE 34 A Conversation With Lee AbramS Recomis SEE PAGE 38 SEPTEMBER 15.1978 THE INDUSTRY'S NEWSPAPER ISSUE NUMBER 249 FCC Fines WLAC $10,000 For "Repeated" Logging Violations were made after receipt of an FCC The FC(' has fined WLAC/Nash- dated October 6. 1977 from the inquiry. The FCC concluded that vile $10.000 for "repeated failure FCC. and duly made corrections on WLAC "repeatedly had failed to to log 'commercial broadcast its program logs, noting the times log accurately commercial matter," matter" and failing to identify of broadcast of 246 records which and cited the station for "failure sponsors. According to an FCC hadn't been logged as commercial, to broadcast appropriate sponsor- statement, Billboard Broadcasting and listing the record companies ship identification annoucements," Corp., a subsidiary of Billboard as sponsors However. the Com- notifying Billboard that it was' ap- Publications. owners of WLAC. mission held that "such correc- parently liable for a $10,000 for- had solicited artists from record tions were not sufficient to relieve feiture." companies and talent agencies for the licensee of liability for prior a free series of WLAC concerts, violations where the corrections "Music Week '77," staged in Sep- "PUBLIC INTEREST" STANDARD STANDS TRIAL tember last year The companies were asked to "provide free talent in return for WLAC's airing the Broadcast Com munity artists records" Adjacent to WLAC's playing of Doesn't Like Rewrite Bill advocate a "marketplace" concept records by the artists participating There was general agreement of regulation and a majority of in "Music Week '77." the station among representatives from all other witnesses who stick by the "announced only that the appro- areas of the communications in- "public interest" standard set forth priate record companies had pro- dustry. including radio (see page in the current law, with modifica- vided concert talent fTVC of charge - 4), as well as spokespersons from tions. The FCC noted. how-ever. that al- citizens groups wixi Tent the entire Clearly, the best represented en- though these announcements were k.veek testifying before the House -" r 1,27? logged as commercial matter. that the actual timespan of the records played was not logged as commer cial. and that "no appropriate sponsorship identification an nouncements were made to inforn) the listening public that WLAC had broadcast these records in return for the free concert appearances Insufficient t'orrections WLAC received a letter of inquir. Arbitron Revises Ethnic Procedures .trbitron has revised its guide- TESTIFYING — Henry Geller. Asst Secretary for the Dept of Com merce, EVERYTHING'S OK IN SEATTLE — KZOK/Seattle held its second an- lines for defining High Densit) Director of the National Telecom munications Information Agency. and nual Urban Survival Fair recently, featuring information and exhibits Black or Spanish Areas in an at- chief witness in Rep Lionel Van Deerlin's broadcast hearings, testifies from public service-oriented organizations along with entertainment tempt to achieve a "better distri- for the U S executive branch Geller maintained 'Radio broadcasting from local musical acts. KZOK corralled a large percentage of Seattle bution" of ethnic samples in mar- should basic-ally be deregulated at least in our major markets. - residents t come by the Fair, and the station's air personalities did kets The rating firm uses special (ommunications subcommittee tity at the hearings was' 'the public." remotes from the site. One of the most striking aspects of the pro telephone retrieval techniques to motion was the station's poster for the event, pictured above, as the on Title IV ( Broadcasting Services) The public interest was lauded by gather information from all persons AOR rocker gives Seattle. big "OK " of the proposed Communications almost every witness from Kath- within High Density Ethnic Areas. Act of 1978. While witnesses com- leen Nolan. President of the Screen Previously a market was required mended the efforts of Rep Lionel Actors Guild. to New York Uni- to have 15% or more Black or Van Deerlin for sponsoring this versity professors Michael Botein Hispanic population plus a station New Rocker KBZT-FM legislation. most found more in the and David Rice to FCC Chairman in the market which was Black or Charles Ferris. Spanish-formatted, or if no such bill to condemn than to praise. Thus what was introduced as legislation To Debut In San Diego station was located in the market. a three months ago has filtered, at Key issues discussed were pro- 20% ethnic population, for Arbitron San Diego has a new contem- with KBZT as -stock optionees" least in its present form. into a de- visions of the new bill which, if to define HDA's in the market. enacted, would deregulate radio. porary radio station due to debut are Storer Broadcasting Radio bate between members of the Van Now, however, the standards have provide radio stations with an inde- this week, and for once it's not Division VP Neil Rockoff and Deerlin subcommittee staff who (Continued on page 20) located across the border in Tijua- CKLW /Detroit President/GM Herb finite license, and eliminate com- na. The new facility is KBZT-FM. McCord. parative hearings as well as do formerly religious station KLRO- Black Music Association away with requirements regard- FM, and it's the first radio ven- Force Communications had in- ing payola and the Fairness Doc- ture for newly-formed Force Com- tended to conceal its format plan Celebrates Formation trine Broadcasters, however, would have to pay a fee for using munications Corporation. headed for KBZT until a cocktail party , tuate black music on an interna- The Black Music Association, -the public's" airwaves. But, for by Norm Feuer. former VP/GM reception in San Diego scheduled tional level" and to establish "posi- formed in May as the black equi- the most part. broadcasters and at WLYF/Miarri and WLAK; after R&R's deadline, but reliable tive images and goals" for black sources indicated that the station valent to the ('MA. celebrated its broadcast regulators while differ- Chicago (who will be serving as music. with $600,000 from the in- official launching Monday (9-11) ing in their analyses (this week) General Manager for KBZT). and will feature a Top 40/Oldies format. dustry's top record companies to Dene Hallam, Program Director at a conclave in La Costa, CA, at- were united in speaking out against Vice President Hal Gore, owner help get it started of WEEP-AM-FM/Pittsburgh (a tended by numerous key industry the rewrite. Further details of the of Gore Broadcasting and former Philadelphia International exe- executives. The BMA was designed Executive Vice President of Sud- Country station), has been named (Continued on pa go 20) hearings on Page 4. to "preserve, protect. and perpe- brink Broadcasting. Also affiliated PD for KBZT Page 3 lifIRIFridey. September 15, 1978 BACK TO AOR: RE N O EXITS AS PD INSIDE WNOE-FM In Quick Format Change R&R: WASHINGTON REPORT 4 watt AM and a 100,000-watt FM, WNOE-FM/New Orleans, which sales rep for the station, was ap- it's not very smart to do the same converted to a Top 40 format a few pointed Program Director. MEDIASCOPE 6 thing with both stations, from eith- short weeks ago, has returned to General Manager Eric Ander- er a sales or programming point WHAT'S NEW 8 its previous AOR stance. In addi- son told R&R, "I'm glad to be re- of view. Why compete with the tion, Program Director Bobby Re- turning to AOR it is not only a STREET TALK 10 valid format hut the intelligent AM station, unless of course you no. who had programmed the sta- have two or three competing sta- GARY OWENS 14 tion for five years, resigned his po- thing to do. I think well have good tions you're trying to put out of bus- sition. Lee Armstrong, former Mu- luck with it." Armstrong added, "if iness." Armstrong is "slowly but TOP 40 SECTION 16 sic Director, air personality, and you have two radio stations, a 50,000- surely" shifting the station's mu- PICTURE PAGE 32 DON'T TOUC H THAT DIAL? sic to an AOR emphasis, and told R&R that WNOE-FM will play "a BLACK SECTION 34 lot of Black material" and will be AOR SECTION 36 3 S.F. Stations somewhat softer than in its pre- vious AOR incarnation. COUNTRY SECTION 46 Switch Dial Positions POP/ADULT SECTION 53 Armstrong gave Reno credit for Three of San Francisco's FM sume KMPX's discarded call let- much of WN0E-FM's current sta- OPPORTUNITIES 57 stations underwent an unusual ser- ters. The new KMPX (at 99) will ture, adding that the resigning PD ies of changes in dial positions also program Big Band music. is "not interested in getting back Wednesday (9-13). KCBS-FM, cur- According to Steve Walker, Mu- into radio. He said possibly he'll rently a 4300-watt Pop/Adult for- sic Director of KCBS-FM. a half- July/August move into the record business." mat, moved from 99 to 97 on the million dollar ad campaign will be- Anderson said, "Bobby's leaving dial, becoming "97K", continuing gin around the first of next year has nothing to do with the change rbitron Sum maries Pop/Adult, and increasing wattage utilizing TV, billboards, etc. to make listeners aware of their fre- back to AOR. I think after five to 82,000. FCPRINAT LEGEND years he was just getting tired." [A Meanwhile, the present occupant quency change.