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ISSUE NUMBER 818 THE INDUSTRY'S NEWSPAPER DECEMBER 8, 1989 Artabli. INSIDE: Buzzard Returns To AOR Nest WMMS's Rock Routes Lead Back To Heritage GROUP W GANG After nearly five years as a are certain artists we will no rock -based CHR, Malrite's longer play, that's what has GOES GLOBAL WMMS (The Buzzard)/Cleve- focused WMMS as a pure rock After the mega -merger, both land has returned to its heritage radio station by today's indus- Group W and'the Carl roots as an AOR station. try terms. To say we were off WHK & WMMS VP/GM the mark for years is wrong; Hirsch/Bob Sillerman partnership Chuck Bortnick nulls the transi- this station broke every rule in are setting their sights on tion a change in focus. He told the book for years. But what European broadcast properties. R&R, "This station has been la- made sense for us five years beled by the industry in a num- ago just doesn't make sense for Page 6 ber of different ways in its his- us in 1990." tory. The truth is, WMMS has In a similar vein, OM Rich always been a rock station, by Piombino said, "Over the last 21 industry standards, since even years WMMS has played a piv- Payola Probe In High Gear before I got here. As of my ar- otal role in defining rock & roll rival in 1988 we in market and BY THE September the Cleveland CHR: DOWN As Isgro, Anderson Indicted haven't played Madonna and nationally. Despite inferences OLD MAINSTREAM artists of her genre any more. of a wholesale format change Isgro Pleads Not Guilty; Anderson To Be With splinter formats abounding, We didn't wake up one day and back to AOR, WMMS has al- CHR Next FCC Warns Stations programmers who advocate the Arraigned Week; say we're AOR. Our shift is bas- ways been a rock station. Some ed on voids in the marketplace. of these changes are more im- traditional mainstream brand point up the Los Angeles -based indepen- "We know what we want to portant to the industry than dent record promoter Joseph Is - FCC's Payola strengths in the eclectic approach. hear on the station and what they are to the listeners." gro, the apparent target of a Page 36 License Threat will work for us. Because there Page 29 lengthy Justice Department BUZZARD/See probe, has pleaded not guilty to Activist FCC Chairman Al Sikes was quick to comment on a 57 -count indictment accusing involving him of conspiracy, fraud, the payola allegations racketeering, and payola. four radio stations (see main To Former Columbia Records story), warning that "the com- Group W Goes Altar VP/Promotion Ray Anderson bination of drugs and payola, SIKES SAYS NEWS IMMUNE and former Isgro business asso- when shown to exist among With Hirsch broadcast licensees, involves a Sillerman, FROM INDECENCY ciate Jeffrey Monka were nam- ed as conspirators to Isgro in violation of the public trust New Duties For Waugaman, Craven, Maurer He FCC Chairman Al Sikes feels some counts of the indictment. which cannot be tolerated." Group W Radio and Legacy- deal like this is to say it's in the legitimate news shows should be Monka also pleaded not guilty. added that the FCC will act to Metropolitan Broadcasting ex- hands of the attorneys. There exempt from indecency actions. Anderson will face an arraign- "assure that our communica- ecutives huddled with lawyers are mounds of paperwork going Also on the indecency beat, KFI ment hearing next Monday tions system remains free of and accountants in New York back and forth," Group W Ra- these totally improper influ- pays up, KLUC fights on, and (12/11). All three are free on Tuesday night (12/5) to put the dio Chairman Dick Harris told ences," and will follow "this finishing touches on historic WLUP's defense is rejected. bail. a R&R at our deadline. matter closely to see if there is $385 million merger. The trans- Final closing of the deal was Page 6 license involvement," action, eight months in the mak- scheduled for Wednesday after- Since the 1985 incidents ing, unites two of the nation's noon (12/6) at the midtown cited in the indictments, all four largest broadcasting conglom- Manhattan law offices of Weil, Atkinson stations have changed owner- erates into a powerful 19-station Gotshal, & Manges, when more ship, and none of the program- chain based in 12 markets, with than 50 bank wire fund trans- Exec. VP/A&R mers in place at that time still the economic potential to dra- fers were due to be exchanged. holds his position. matically alter the nation's ra- A "Start Me Up" party to cel- OASIS WON'T DESERT NAC At MCA dio landscape. ebrate the closing was sched- The 55 -page indictment, re- "Everything seems to be uled Wednesday afternoon at KOAI ("The Oasis")/Dallas is one of leased last Thursday (11/30), coming down the line. It's been New York's Parker Meridien NAC's strongest current performers, and accuses Isgro of : very exciting. The best way to Hotel. musical texture is one of the keys to Defrauding the Columbia, characterize the final hours of a GROUP W/See Page 29 its success. MCA, Warner Bros., RCA, and Page 43 PolyGram labels by falsely representing to them that he A&M Celebrates 25 Below Friesen was not engaged in payola when he actually was; Paying Anderson kickbacks while Anderson was VP/Pro- PHONE SURVEY STRENGTHS motion at Columbia in 1985, in- cluding least one check for Tom Birch makes the case for the at $70,000; timeliness phone Paul Atkinson accuracy and of Obstructing justice by con- surveys versus diaries. Paul Atkinson has been nam- cealing evidence, and by per- Page 30 ed to the new position of Exec. suading former bodyguard VP/A&R at MCA Records. He David Smith to go into hiding af- leaves RCA after seven years, ter Smith had been subpoenaed where he most recently was Sr. by the L.A. Grand Jury; VP/A&R. Making payola payments in Atkinson will oversee an the form of cash and/or cocaine A&M Records/Films President Gil Friesen hit the 25 -year mark with last week, and around 500 industry luminaries, including 11 -member staff and all aspects to executives at KIQQ/Los An- the label OLYMPIA DEFAULTS, and present, celebrated the occasion at of A&R activities for the label. geles, KYNO/Fresno, KMGX/ artists and executives past Hollywood's Le Dome. Among the partygoers: Janet Jackson, Vir- PLANS RESTRUCTURING He'll report directly to AI Fresno, and KAMZ/El Paso gin chiefs Jeff Ayeroff and Jordan Harris, Burt Bacharach, and Quin- Olympia Broadcasting has defaulted on Teller, Chairman of the MCA through a former business asso- cy Jones. Pictured flanking Friesen are A&M co-founders Jerry its junk bonds, but hopes creditors will Music Entertainment Group. ciate; Moss (left) and Herb Alpert. lay off while it restructures ... and so ATKINSON/See Page 18 PAYOLA PROBE/See Page 18 far things seem to be working out. Page 6 EMMIS, NOBLE SALES Newsstand Price $5.00 Hottest New Station Deals Page 8 www.americanradiohistory.com t: Steven Jensen and Martin Kirkup DIRECT MAN www.americanradiohistory.com AM NOW `KOOL GOLD' .1...".a ''J-1r Carelli Becomes KCBQ VP/GM WRBQ (Q105)/Tampa GSM Dan Carelli told R&R, "I had a won- DECEMBER 8, 1989 Carelli has been tapped as VP/GM derful eight years at Q105, but it of Gold KCBQ-AM & FM/San Di- was time to do this. We love our ego. Carelli joined the station last oldies niche. We specialise in it, 18-24 CONSUMER PROFILE Thursday (11/30) when Adams and think there's a phenomenal op- Communications took control. One portunity with it. Vital Signs' continuing music consumer profile of his first goals is to replace "A lot of the clutter has been series examines the buying habits of 18-24s former GSM Scotty Morache, now cleaned out and we've returned to all at crosstown KIFM. (See separate playing the hits. The FM is super- -a potential commercial bonanza for stories, Page 5, 18.) CARELLI/See Page 29 entertainment media. Page 32 Mark Edwards Boulos Now Edwards Set To Program WLIT FEATURES Virgin VP WTAG & WSRS/Worcester OM Mark Edwards has been Virgin Director/National Pro- appointed PD of Viacom AC RADIO BUSINESS: More indecency responses 6 motion John Boulos has been pro- WLIT/Chicago, effective OVERVIEW moted to VP/Field Promotion. He January 2. He replaces Jack SALES: Recruitment ad targets 12 succeeds Michael Plen, who was Taddeo, who recently resigned MANAGEMENT: Increase 'lateral' communications 13 recently named VP/Promotion. to form his own consultancy. talking next? 14 Plen commented, "John's ener- MEDIA: Look who's Edwards will assist in choosing 16 gy, coupled with his great relation- LIFESTYLES: Americans sicker than they admit his replacement at the Worces- 17 ships with radio, the Virgin field ter combo. PEOPLE 18 staff, and WEA, makes him the Newly appointed WLIT GM NEWSBREAKERS perfect man for the job." Phil Redo told R&R, "Mark's TIMELINE 19 bright, articulate, and most im- STREET TALK: Philly PD revealed 21 BOULOS/See Page 29 John Boulos portantly, he understands how RATINGS 26 to keep a station focused on the RATINGS & RESEARCH: Birch phone surveys 30 needs of its listeners and poten- VITAL SIGNS 32 tial listeners. He also knows MUSIC: Krampf Forms Broadcast Group Chicago, which will be a big ad- ROCK OVER LONDON 33 vantage for the station and - COMPACT DATA 34 KITS VP/GM Resigns, Buys Oxnard Station I the for me.