John Mainelli Returns to KSDO Extolling "There's Really No Competition to by MAURIE ORODENKER by THOMAS K

15 Radio `Robot' Programming Out AFTER PROGRAMMING RIVAL KCNN At Wilmington's WSTW John Mainelli Returns To KSDO extolling "There's really no competition to By MAURIE ORODENKER By THOMAS K. ARNOLD ber of local publications the virtues of KSDO's "news plus" speak of." WILMINGTON, Del. -Although Va., 2 -7 p.m.; and Al Engberg, also SAN DIEGO -In the latest round format, a direct swipe at KCNN, Still, KCNN's first book with the WSTW -FM has enjoyed good rat- from WDEL -AM, 7 p.m.-midnight. of musical chairs at San Diego's two which proudly billed itself as San news /talk format did three -tenths of ings since it went on the air here in Booker says the new live format news /talk radio stations, KCNN- Diego's only all -news station. a share better than its last with CNN, 1978 with a rock format, it wasn't will call for a rock /pop contempo- AM program director John Mai- KCNN, in turn, countered with and managing editor Che Moreno, until last week that the station has rary grouping, and the orientation nelli, who left a similar post at on -air promos in which listeners the station's de facto leader at new cuts for been able to overcome criticism that will be the current and KSDO -AM last July, has returned to called in and expressed delight at fi- present, is optimistic. it is a "robot station." Since going the most part. The artists range from KSDO -AM as vice president of nally being able to tune in an all - like Men At rock, all the music has been pro- "new music" types news and programming. news radio station "without all the Seagulls, to grammed by TM Productions in Work and A Flock Of The move is the latest in a series of talk." As things turned out, however, Dallas. And save for weather re- rock groups like Fleet- mainstream personnel transfusions that have it didn't work. KCNN failed to gar- like Lionel ports, news flashes and some com- wood Mac, to artists rocked both stations since they be- ner an Arbitron share higher than a mercials, all the voices heard came Richie on the pop side. The station gan their head -on competition early 1.5, and at the end of last year Mai- from Texas by TM Pro- on tape. still uses music provided last year. Afternoon anchor Ted nelli -who had worked for two years Pete Booker, WSTW operations but chooses to play only ductions, Payne left KSDO for KCNN the as program director at KSDO -was manager, says that the final pieces it wants, adding what it wants what first week in January, only to return brought in to save what had come to for personalizing have says the station from other sources. Booker to KSDO after a mere two weeks. be regarded by local radio observers now been into Now all the 80% of the music is similar to put place. about Feature reporter Ashley Gardner as a sinking ship. voices heard are live and vocal. what the station has always been left KCNN for KSDO at the end of Mainelli opted to drop CNN en- Moreover, all the music -still rock - playing. January. Production assistant Scott is programmed at the station. The tirely and switched to a schedule Freeman left KSDO for KCNN two dominated by talk shows, just like at switch to live started several months months later, and Kelly Wheeler, ago, and Booker says WSTW fig- KSDO -in this case, however, those one of KCNN's news editors, held a carried by ABC Talkradio. At the ured it was about time to impress lis- similar position at KSDO until last teners with the fact that what they time, he said, "We were generally October. dissatisfied with CNN. For one heard really came from a Wilming- The personnel shuffles, however, ton station, offering things stations are just one aspect of a ratings battle thing, there was this incredible repe- in nearby Philadelphia cannot. that has been raging for nearly a tition. Then there was its network The latest Arbitron for the Wil- year and a half, ever since ailing top flavor, which treated the whole mington area shows that WSTW is 40 outlet KGB -AM dropped its for- country equally, and the fact that tied for second with Philadelphia mat in favor of news 24 hours a day. CNN was broadcasting a tv sound- for rock station WMMR -FM 12 plus. The to Atlanta track, not the custom suited news MUSIC TELEVISION station subscribed BILLBOARD BLITZ -WMET pro- in Wilmington is radio which had been promised." First WJBR -FM, broadcasting magnate Ted Turner's gram director Rich Meyer, left, gen- which has remained easy listening Cable News Network and changed As a result, the two stations' for- eral manager Bob Gould, center, over the years. its call letters accordingly. (At the mats are now surprisingly similar, and Doubleday This 24 -hour video music chan- president Gary Ste- The new. WSTW lineup has John time, Turner referred to KCNN as but while KSDO's ratings have been vens are caught loitering at the In- nel's playlist appears weekly in Wilson, from sister station WDEL- his "flagship" station in the West.) fairly constant (5.4 overall in the lat- tersection of Oak and Rush Streets Billboard, with details of heavy, AM, broadcasting from 6 -10 a.m.; Almost immediately, large KSDO est Arbitron), KCNN, with an ane- in Chicago behind one of the many c- and light rotations, adds Steve Michaels, assistant operations medium signs began appearing on the sides mic 1.5, still has a lot of catching up Windy City billboards promoting the Z manager, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Katie Hill, and weekend specials. Page 29. of buses -along with smaller ver- to do, prompting KSDO's general station's commercial -free policy, m who comes from Fredericksburg, sions of those signs as ads in a num- manager George Mills to huff, which runs through June 15. Unlike Son Kevin, Terrell Metheny Likes Small Markets! r- By PAIGE "1 priority. WFBR always succeed in the competitive EARL replaced Ruth Meyer there in a long stint at Baltimore. W 1968," he recalls, "and I don't even "I spent 1970 through '75 in South KKAZ afternoon personality and environment of the large market, o LOS ANGELES -Terrell Meth- remember who replaced me. We had Carolina with Bob Brown, who I PD John Ramsey also has a string of and the others will find plenty of > eny says working in Cheyenne has no Arbitron, it was Hooper and think has to be the best teacher of major market credits, including things to blame." him convinced the future of radio is Pulse, and we became the top -rated sales in radio. I was helping him in Minneapolis, Phoenix and Portland. On the subject of father -son corn - in markets. His son Kevin is in programming, but he got far less Between Johnson and Ramsey, small music station, beating WABC. At binations in radio, Metheny natu- WNBC. we were from me I got from him." being brought the country's largest city at one time number three than newer names are rally cites the three -generation phe- his sales sojourn, a consult- along. And that contrast points up one of overall -WOR, WINS and WMCA. After nomenon of the Gamblings. He also -son with WYNY, ancy based in his home state of Ar- Discussing radio's future, Meth- radio's more interesting father "Dan Daniels, now notes, "I envy Sam Sherwood and Spector, now with WCBS, kansas, and two years in Beaumont eny notes the industry is probably stories. and Jack Tim Kelly, who have purchased a has been re- were there when I came. So was at KJET Metheny again re- not tumultuous than it was "Kevin's forte always /WWIC, any more Lincoln, Neb. station together. search. I can remember when he was Gary Stevens for a very short time. I turned to Milwaukee, this time as at other times. "In the '50s we 14 and carrying around a pocket cal- brought in Murray the K and general manager of WRIT, where he thought television would put us out "I dream of working with Kevin at culator talking about the math of Frankie Crocker, also Chuck Brown remained "until coming to Che- of business. But I believe the best some point. I have always been programming and I didn't even and Lee Gray. I guess I'll never for- yenne for life." place to be is in small market radio. frankly surprised that he went into know what the hell he was talking get February 15, 1969, when Peter When Metheny arrived in Wyo- We can turn a better profit without radio and stayed in radio. He would about," says the elder Metheny, who Strauss, the owner, announced to the ming to take over KUUY /KKAZ, all the hassles." come down to the stations where I at 48 is executive vice president and world that on April 15 the station the automated 100kw FM had a 9.5 Still, he doesn't entirely put down worked but never seemed to want to general manager at KUUY /KKAZ. would go talk 10 p.m. to 10 a.m. The rating, the country AM a 10.7. A the larger markets, where Kevin is work with me. He did, however, al- "My forte has probably been in ratings came out right afterward and year later, the FM with a live AC ap- making it. "The good operators will ways keep copies of my memos." dealing with personalities, from a showed us doing really well, but our proach scored a 19.8 and the AM Murray the K to Bill Bailey in Louis- competition wasn't going to mention was close behind at a 17.6. ville, whom I think of as the best it. And then with the new format While Cheyenne's population is morning man ever in radio. already announced, we couldn't 65,000, Metheny says the stations * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "I'm most proud of Kevin because either." really reach an ADI of 150,000, and THE SHINING LIGHT OF THE NIGHT never once in his career did I recom- Metheny started in radio as a to an extent program against Den- mend him or call someone asking sports announcer and jock in the ver, 90 miles away. So in some re- GREAT FOOD them to hire my kid. I'm next proud '50s under the air name Mitch Mi- spects, he points out, KUUY/ because he's second generation ra- chaels, gravitating to Milwaukee's KKAZ is "big market" enough to at- OPEN 24 HOURS dio. I think Kevin had the advantage WOKY in 1960, leaving two years tract heavyweight radio names. of learning from my mistakes. I see later to join WQXI in Atlanta, and As for those names, Metheny LARRY PARKER'S this in the basic area where we're so returning to WOKY, where his show mentions Rick Johnson, PD and af- _caw N id, different. Kevin works well within a in 1964 "scored a 57 share in the ternoon jock on KUUY, who is best corporate structure, while I have al- Hooper. And at that time Mil- known for his air work as "Bwana DINER ways been sort of a maverick. Thus, I waukee was a top 10 market." Johnny." Currently known as have worked best outside large cor- From there, Metheny joined "Bronco Johnny" (it plays better in porate organizations." (The younger Great Trails as vice president of pro- Cheyenne), Johnson's background Metheny, who is WNBC's oper- gramming for WKLO in Louis - includes KYA San Francisco, KGB ations director, has served with such ville-"a fancy name for PD," he San Diego, WWDJ Hackensack and well -known programmers as Pat notes, "but while I was there in 1967, KJR Seattle. Also well -known is the O'Day, Buzz Bennett and Ted Ad- WKLO was rated No. 1 in every former "Flying Dutchman," Pete kins.) daypart in every demographic cate- Berry, who does mornings on Reminiscing about his corporate gory in the Pulse." KKAZ. Berry's credits include KLZ experiences, Metheny describes Numbers like that tend to get at- Denver, WTOB Winston -Salem and WMCA New York, where he tention, and after a brief stint with 206 S. Beverly Dr. worked for three different general Southern Broadcasting (now Harte at Charleville, Beverly Hills, CA managers, one for just 45 minutes Hanks), Metheny joined WMCA, LP & Tape (213) 274 -5658 "whom I never saw until he brought later returning to Milwaukee's New me in and fired me because he had WRIT until the desire to learn the Releases, p. 27 Telephones at Each Dining Booth brought in his own PD." sales end of the business became a * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * **