THE BOSTON POP/ADULT BATTLE... WBZ & WHDH PROGRAM MERS OPENLY DISCUSS EACH OTHER BEGINS ON PAGE 10 ANS FRIDAY, MARCH 24,1978 ISSUE NUMBER 224 THE INDUSTRY'S NEWSPAPER Radio Listening Key Factor WCI Study Pinpoints Record Buyers A detailed Warner Communica- to radio less than one hour a week, spondents felt records were a good tions study presented at the NARM only 6 percent of "current buyers" value tor the money. Women buy Convention in New Orleans isolated (people who bought a record or 48 percent of all records. Of CUP- tape in the last year, amounting rent buyers, 47 percent buy only eg,1: KP the 25-49 age group as the chief purchasers of recorded music. to 53 percent of the projected total records, 10 percent buy only tapes, _tots. That age bracket accounted for population) were in that category, and 43 percent buy both. 83 percent Pictured are some of the 1978 Country Radio Seminar agenda com mittee. 44 percent of the industry's dollar accounting for 6 percent of total of the total population has access Left to right (standing) Bob Young, PD KIKK/Houston; R&R Country Editor volume, compared to 39 percent dollar purchases. However. while to record or tape pla:, back equip- Jim Duncan; Roy Wunsch, Epic Records/Nashville; Jim Walton, PD, WITL/ for the 14-25 group, which in many 24 percent of the total population ment. \%-ith 54 percent having access Lansing; Tom McEntee, GRT Records; Rick Holcomb, G M, WTCR/Ash- industry sectors had been consider- listens to radio more than 20 hours to both land; Lee Philips, PD, WOKO/Albany; Fred Hildebrand, KVOC/Casper, a week, 30 percent of the current survey was drawn from 3385 Wyoming; John Chaffee, Ma/rife Broad casting; Marie Ratliff, Record World; ed the prime target market. The study, conducted by Warner Bros. buyers listen to that amount of interviews conducted last year, with Biff Collie, R&R Nashville Editor. Sitting (left to right) Ted Cramer, radio, and they account for a full about 250 persons in each of twelve WDAF/Kansas City; Bob Holtan, WAXX/Eau Claire, Wisconsin; 1978 Special Products President Michael CRS Agenda Chairman Terry Wood, Operations Director WONE/WTUE/ Kapp and Martin Fishbein, Re- 38 percent of total purchases five-year age groups, and reported- D a', ton, Don Boyles, G M, WSUN/St Petersburg; and Les Acree, PD, W MC/ search Professor at Illinois Uni- In other findings, the study re- ly involved a six-figure expenditure Memphis The picture was taken at a debriefing meeting immediately versity's Institute of Communica- vealed that 71 percent of the re- from WCI. to/lowing this year's seminar tions Research, also indicated that frequent radio listeners account CCC Merger Off: for significantly more than their Country Radio Seminar numerical share of record pur- chases. Sonderling, Viacom Plan Merger Sets Sights On Future The 25-49 buying leadership re- velation was regarded as good news Sonderling Broadcasting Corp. number of shares to be exchanged for the industry, as that demogra- Nearly 400 Country radio and ords. Blackburn's talk featured and Viacom International Inc., a for cash would be between 40-49 phic sector is projected to increase record registrants took part in the an in-depth statistical look at the cable TV and television program percent of shares outstanding on by over 20 percent by the middle ninth annual Country Radio Sem- growth of the Country record in- distribution firm, have reached the date of the merger. Sonder- of the next decade, while the 10-24 inar at Nashville's Airport Hilton dustry, as well as a look at fu- an agreement in principle for Son- ling's convertible debentures would age group declines by about 9 per- Hotel last Friday and Saturday ture plans of marketing of pro- derling to be merged into Viacom be assumed by Viacom and would cent. "Rock" was the favorite form ( 3/17-18 ). The two-day event fea- duct. Each of the 1,107,000 Sonderling be convertible into the new Viacom of music for consumers, by an al- tured a number of key industry shares would be exchanged for convertible preferred stock. most 3-1 margin over Country, leaders with sessions geared a- Concurrent Sessions Bow either $25 or a new Viacom con- As part of the agreement, Son- "Easy Listening", and Soul/Ft& B/ round the theme, "The Future vertible preferred stock which derling Broadcasting will exchange Of Our Country" A first at this year's seminar was Disco, all favored by purchasers would have a liquidation preference its motion picture theater opera- accounting for about 14 percent of Terry Wood, Operations Direct- the use of concurrent sessions. of $25 and an annual cumulative tions and its Chicago area radio total dollar volume. or of WONE-WTUE/Dayton and WHN/New York Program Dir- dividend of $1.75, with conversion stations, WOPA and WBMX-FM/ CRS Agenda Chairman for the year. ector Ed Salamon moderated two Radio Spurs Sales and redemption terms yet to he Oak Park, Illinois, for the 25 per- opened the seminar with a wel- sessions within two hours. One con- The radio listening figures under- determined. The value of the pro- cent of Sonderling stock owned come to those in attendance, and cerned reading the ratings, with scored radio's impact on record posed merger is estimated at about by Chairman/President Egmond urged constant input from the Arbitron's Bill Engle and Peter sales. While 14 percent of the po- $27.7 million. Sonderling and Vice President/ participants by the sharing of ideas. Roslow of Pulse. Next was a look pulation over the age of 10 listen A joint statement added that the (Continued on page 18) Unlike seminars in the past. there at radio consultants, with Bill were no keynote speakers. Moyes of The Research Group and John Patton of Jack McCoy's California Jam II Financial, Operational Success Attitude Development RAM in El Cajon, California. Showcased "Building Tomorrow's Audience." At the same time, Don Boyles, California Jam II, the open-air The first session, considered by General Manager of WSUN/St. rock event staged Saturday (3-17) many one of the main highlights Petersburg, moderated sessions at Ontario Motor Speedway 50 miles of this year's event, featured Uni- with C.B. "Rik" Rogers, GM of east of Los Angeles, drew an es- versity of Colorado sociologist WPLO/Allanta, and WTCR/Ash- timated 250-300,000 customers and Morris Massey in a video presenta- land Sales Manager Mike Kirtner, laid claim to the largest gross ever tion entitled "What You Are Now Is who led discussions about selling recorded for a rock event, estimated Where You Were Then." It fea- and merchandising a radio sta- at over $2.7 million. The concert, tured an interesting look at human tion. WMC/Memphis News Dir- which featured Aerosmith, Foreign- development of attitudes and reac- ector Rick Honea presented a 15- er, Heart, Mahogany Rush, Dave tions. Massey's talk was fast- minute audio feature from various Mason, Ted Nugent, Rubicon, San- paced and often humorous. He news departments around the coun- tana, and Bob Welch (joined on- spoke about music as a program- try. Ideas about means of making stage by ex-bandrnates Stevie Nicks ming tool for setting the values news departments function more and Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood of people. KIKK/Houston PD Bob effectively were shared. Mac), was generally regarded as Young was moderator for this Al Greenfield, KIKK/Houston an operational success as well, with crashing and a stabbing incident tion's programming broadcast be- part of the program. General Manager, headed the next relatively few injuries, drug casual- involving a security guard marred tween acts, and station helicopters "The Future Of The Recording general session, called "Program- ties, and arrests reported. The the generally peaceful tone of the offering traffic advice. The con- Industry" was the topic of the next mers: Up Your Bottom Line." sound system enable bands to be event, but the Ontario Police De- cert, co-produced by Lenny Stogel meeting headed by record exec- Greenfield's session took an in- heard by even the most distant partment reported only 23 arrests, and Sandy Feldman with Wolf & utive Nick Hunter. The panel depth look at the expenses and sectors of the large crowd, and and festival medical staff said that Rismiller, was filmed by ABC-TV included Rick Blackburn, CBS profit margins within a radio com- Ft&R's Christina Anthony reported 75 persons had to be hospitalized for a two-hour special plus other Records/Nashville; Dave Burgess, pany. Forms showing profit-loss that refreshment and medical fa- for illness or drug reasons. syndicated program offerings. C'o- Republic Records; and Stan Sny- measures were found to be very cilities for the audience were ef- KMET/Los Angeles helped to lumbia Records plans to release der, Cleveland International Rec- (Continued on page 1110 ficient and plentiful. Some gate- coordinate the event, with the sta- a soundtrack album of the event. • • • • S . • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • ••• • • • ID • • •r• •5 . 5 • * • ) • • • • • • • • • • 0 • • • •• • • • • • • • • 4: • • • • • ••• •• . •.. • • • m • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Y100 26-21 KFRC 29-22 WLEE 28-22 WFO M add WKNX 15-14 96X add 26 W AVZ add 28 KHFI add 98Q add KDON debut 29 Z93 add WICC on WFLI on WFLB add KSLY 17-14 W QA M add W QXI add KNDE debut 27 W AIR debut 39 KCBN on CKL W 17-12 94Q 23-15 KQEO on WT MA on W DRQ 25-20 WTIX on WRFC debut 32 W ABB add Produced by Tom my Li P urna From his RIAA gold album 6.6) "Weekend In LA" Page 3 R&RIFriday, March 24, 1978 Kelly Joins TEN-Q, INSIDE R&R: Opens Fire On KHJ M.G.