Remembering Hit Radio 103, WHTT

[Retro]

It was not until about 2 months ago, when I found out, that other radio stations across the Country used The same JAMS package that "Hit Radio 103, WHTT" did! I had always thought that they were very unique in this way.

To the best of my knowledge, the only other station on the East Coast to brand themselves similarly, was WPLJ. They used a somewhat variation of it though, which would be just a tad more consistent with how ABC used to do their imaging instead.

Anyway, here is an aircheck from them back in 1985, enjoy!

 

[TheBigA]

I seem to recall that was part of a corporate CBS company-wide flip of stations to a syndicated "hot hits" format, consulted by Mike Joseph. This had previously been WEEI-FM. It lasted a couple years before ultimately becoming WODS. The only CBS station that didn't go Hot Hits was WCBS-FM in NYC. That obviously left an opening for WPLJ, and they were looking to focus their music more after doing a rock format in the 70s. ABC corporate was struggling with bad ratings at WABC-AM. That station ultimately went all-talk.

 

[Retro]

I seem to recall that was part of a corporate CBS company-wide flip of stations to a syndicated "hot hits" format, consulted by Mike Joseph. This had previously been WEEI-FM. It lasted a couple years before ultimately becoming WODS. The only CBS station that didn't go Hot Hits was WCBS-FM in NYC. That obviously left an opening for WPLJ, and they were looking to focus their music more after doing a rock format in the 70s. ABC corporate was struggling with bad ratings at WABC-AM. That station ultimately went all-talk.

Actually, it was WZOU, that used the "Hot Hits" package instead. Just saying is all.

 

[TheBigA]

Actually, it was WZOU, that used the "Hot Hits" package instead. Just saying is all.

WHTT went Top 40 in March 83, WZOU went Top 40 in September 1984 as Z-94. Jingle packages were national, but market exclusive. Mike Joseph used TM Productions for his CBS jingles. They also called their jingle package Hot Hits. So it's possible that one used JAMS and the other used TM.

 

[Retro]

WHTT went Top 40 in March 83, WZOU went Top 40 in September 1984 as Z-94. Jingle packages were national, but market exclusive. Mike Joseph used TM Productions for his CBS jingles. They also called their jingle package Hot Hits. So it's possible that one used JAMS and the other used TM.

I did both some research, plus listening to sound checks as well. CBS used most of the JAMS package, except for WPLJ. Even then, WHTT was the only known station that I personally knew of, that only used it on the East Coast.

I guess even "92 Pro FM" used some type of variation og it, although far less noticeable also.

WZOU was "Hot Hits", although, albeit a watered down package of it instead. When Steve Rivers was interviewed back in 1990, he really emphasized the whole "Hot Hits" idea! This was well before I had become astute, that radio stations actually bought imaging packages.

Speaking of imaging packages, what did "Kiss 108" use during the 1980's? I never heard, or at least remember ever hearing their imaging on other radio stations in different markets at all.

 

[TheBigA]

I did both some research, plus listening to sound checks as well. CBS used most of the JAMS package, except for WPLJ. Even then, WHTT was the only known station that I personally knew of, that only used it on the East Coast.

When you say "CBS," do you mean WHTT? Because CBS did Hot Hits on all of its FMs except NYC. As I said, Mike Joseph was the consultant, and he owns the trademark on the name Hot Hits. I don't know why WHTT diverged from that.

Here's TM's demo for Hot Hits using CBS' WCAU-FM in Philadelphia:

 

[Retro]

When you say "CBS," do you mean WHTT? Because CBS did Hot Hits on all of its FMs except NYC. As I said, Mike Joseph was the consultant, and he owns the trademark on the name Hot Hits. I don't know why WHTT diverged from that.

Here's TM's demo for Hot Hits using CBS' WCAU-FM in Philadelphia:

FWIW, I can pull up quite a few CBS O&O's, that all used the "Hit Radio" package. This includes, but not limited to Chicago, Los Angeles, St. Louis, and again, to a much lessor extent, WPLJ, New York also.

 

[TheBigA]

FWIW, I can pull up quite a few CBS O&O's, that all used the "Hit Radio" package. This includes, but not limited to Chicago, Los Angeles, St. Louis, and again, to a much lessor extent, WPLJ, New York also.

Keep in mind that WPLJ is not owned by CBS, but ABC. Also the TM package was known by other names before being called Hot Hits.

Digging deeper, I see that Joseph started with TM, and then switched to JAMS in 1982. The demo I posted above is obviously before 1982.

 

[Retro]

Keep in mind that WPLJ is not owned by CBS, but ABC. Also the TM package was known by other names before being called Hot Hits.

Digging deeper, I see that Joseph started with TM, and then switched to JAMS in 1982. The demo I posted above is obviously before 1982.

From what I heard when Ellis B. Easter put up the sound-check, he did mention that WCAU was the first station, that the new concept was tried on!

And as far as WHTT goes? They very effectively positioned themselves very well to the younger generation, without taking any direct shot at "Kiss 108" at all. How they solidified their positioning, at least In the very beginning anyway "Playing Only The Hits!"

WZOU, on the other-hand, took a direct pop shot at WXKS-FM instead. Playing the sweeper in a phone operator voice, It went something like "Attention, the number Kiss 1 0 8, had been discounted, it is now Z-94! Remember when. They used that branding?

 

[TheBigA]

I mentioned that Mike Joseph trademarked the name Hot Hits, as well as the logo. Searching the trademark database, he trademarked the name in 1982 and didn't renew it. His trademark is now considered abandoned and dead. Someone else recently trademarked the name for use in broadcast and satellite radio. Mike was never an actual CBS employee, so CBS never owned the name Hot Hits either. Mike was an outside consultant. CBS used him in the same was they used SparkNet when they did a companywide deal for Jack-FM. I often chuckle when I see people talk about corporate radio and national formats as though this is a new phenomenon. It's not. It goes back to 1926, and Boston was often part of it.

 

[CTListener]

Anyway, here is an aircheck from them back in 1985, enjoy!

1985, actually. Listen to this scoped aircheck and look at the chart and you'll realize just how hot pop music was in the mid-'80s. Bruce, Madonna, Prince, Michael, Phil Collins, Duran Duran, Billy Idol, Huey Lewis -- every one of them at their peak of popularity, sending fresh radio-friendly smashes to stations at least three times a year. Songs never had a chance to burn out, and there was little need to be playing gold or even recurrents. It was difficult to remember that just a couple of years earlier, Top 40 stations were playing Ronnie Milsap, Alabama and Eddie Rabbitt. I was listening to WKSS here in Connecticut while you folks were listening to WHTT, and both stations were upbeat, exciting and fun in a way Top 40/CHR would never be again.

 

[Camp]

I have a warm place in my heart for WHTT. It was what I listened to in my early 20’s…
They were the soundtrack to a lot of great times…
I remember they had 30 second spots on the local TV channels, and of course on V66…
Another great Boston icon.

 

[Retro]

1985, actually. Listen to this scoped aircheck and look at the chart and you'll realize just how hot pop music was in the mid-'80s. Bruce, Madonna, Prince, Michael, Phil Collins, Duran Duran, Billy Idol, Huey Lewis -- every one of them at their peak of popularity, sending fresh radio-friendly smashes to stations at least three times a year. Songs never had a chance to burn out, and there was little need to be playing gold or even recurrents. It was difficult to remember that just a couple of years earlier, Top 40 stations were playing Ronnie Milsap, Alabama and Eddie Rabbitt. I was listening to WKSS here in Connecticut while you folks were listening to WHTT, and both stations were upbeat, exciting and fun in a way Top 40/CHR would never be again.

Thank you, that was one the precise reasons why I had posted it. 😀

And them playing only currents, no gold during the first 2 years, was all a part the specific "Hit Radio" format concept too!

 

[Retro]

I have a warm place in my heart for WHTT. It was what I listened to in my early 20’s…
They were the soundtrack to a lot of great times…
I remember they had 30 second spots on the local TV channels, and of course on V66…
Another great Boston icon.

I had a real love/hate relationship with them. But when they had suddenly changed format right out of blue, I was like, now which station will I listen too? Yes, while I still swore by WFNX, in my world, no song was a bona-fide hit, until WHTT played it!

It still took at least 6 Months before Jerry McKenna took up the Music Director helm at Kiss 108, making the station "hip" again.

And "Boston's Rockin' Zoo" at the time? Uh, no thank you!

 

[Oldbones]

WHTT went Top 40 in March 83, WZOU went Top 40 in September 1984 as Z-94.

Close, but not quite. 103.3 went Top 40 in Nov. '82, still using the WEEI-FM call letters, but called themselves "Hitradio 103". The call letter change to WHTT occurred in Feb/March of '83.

WZOU called themselves "The Zoo" when they launched in '84. They bailed on CHR in the spring of '86, but when 103.3 dropped CHR for AAA in July, 94.5 returned to CHR as Z-94.

. I don't know why WHTT diverged from that.

Most likely because they didn't want to pay to use the trademarked name.

 

[Retro]

Close, but not quite. 103.3 went Top 40 in Nov. '82, still using the WEEI-FM call letters, but called themselves "Hitradio 103". The call letter change to WHTT occurred in Feb/March of '83.

WZOU called themselves "The Zoo" when they launched in '84. They bailed on CHR in the spring of '86, but when 103.3 dropped CHR for AAA in July, 94.5 returned to CHR as Z-94.


Most likely because they didn't want to pay to use the trademarked name.

Now, somehow I doubt that was it, because they were trying to rebrand themselves as "Power 103" instead. It did not particularly help them at all though, as in the listeners mind, they were becoming a much more watered down version of themselves.

BTW, did WZOU cease to be a CHR reporter during their Rock CHR format? They were still playing the hits on Billboard's Hot 100, including titles that neither Kiss 108, or WHTT was playing at the time.

 

[TheBigA]

Most likely because they didn't want to pay to use the trademarked name.

Maybe. Mike Joseph owned the name, and his deal was with CBS, and it was company wide, so the company was paying for it anyway. I was thinking someone else in the market had it. Because WCAU and the other CBS stations stayed with it it as long as CBS stayed with Mike Joseph.

 

[Oldbones]

Maybe. Mike Joseph owned the name, and his deal was with CBS, and it was company wide, so the company was paying for it anyway. I was thinking someone else in the market had it. Because WCAU and the other CBS stations stayed with it it as long as CBS stayed with Mike Joseph.

AFAIK, the only CBS stations that used Mike Joseph's format were WBBM-FM and WCAU-FM...those were the first of the CBS O&Os to go top 40. I don't know if the contract with Joseph ran out, or was limited to just those two but the other CBS stations did not have Joseph consulting them. I think it was done in-house, but I'm not 100% on that.

WZOU licensed the Hot Hits name in '84, but I don't think Joseph had any other connection to the station.

The mid 80s were quite the time for CHR in Boston...at one point there were 4 stations doing that...Kiss, WHTT, WZOU and (forget what calls they used) but the station that's now WZLX did it briefly (and rather badly). WROR was CHR for much of 1983, but changed back to AC towards the end of the year. And to think only a couple years earlier Boston had no Top 40s.

 

[TheBigA]

AFAIK, the only CBS stations that used Mike Joseph's format were WBBM-FM and WCAU-FM...those were the first of the CBS O&Os to go top 40.

It spread to KITS San Francisco, KHTR St. Louis, and KKHR LA. As I said earlier, all CBS FMs were Hot Hits except for WCBS in NYC. They all used Joseph's consulting and his jingles. If you called it Hot Hits, you paid Joseph. In house people executed the format as it was designed, using local air talent. They basically did the same thing when they picked up Jack FM from SparkNet.

 

[jake1004]

Didn't WHTT and then Channel 7 WNEV have a video show on Saturday nights?