AOR was originally a term for the stations consulted by Burkhart-Abrams and came out of Abrams' success in North Carolina with what many consider the first "AOR" station.
After a brief stint as WHUE-FM, 100.7 became WKKT “Boston’s Kat”, playing Top 40, in the early 80s. Then in 1985 they switched to “Classic Hits 100.7” WZLX.
Just because you don’t like it doesn’t make it ridiculous.
They'll usually just say they play rock, maybe pointing out that they don't play pop or whatever the music CHR (which they still call Top 40) stations play. Although there's so little rock remaining on CHR playlists, which are mostly rhythmic songs or confessional emo pop now, that any further elaboration is probably unnecessary. "Alternative" is like CHR, adult contemporary and active rock -- catch-all terms used to label radio formats rather than actual genres.
I wouldn't go so far as to say that. Yes, they had set playlists, and many of the songs that were AOR hits were eventually released as singles but often those songs were "over" at AOR by that point.
That's the way I remember the format as well. In the summer of 1975, I had a job at a Boston insurance company's snack bar and had WCOZ on often. For some reason, I recall Jefferson Starship's "Spitfire" album getting a big push, which at WCOZ meant three tracks from the album were in the rotation. Despite "With Your Love" being on Top 40 radio at the time, WCOZ instead played "St. Charles," "Dance With the Dragon" and "Cruisin'" "St. Charles" went on to become a Grade A stiff as a single in December (No. 74 peak), while the other two remained album cuts and never got any airplay. That seemed to be the formula for every big-name act that put out an album. AOR was for listeners who liked the singles they were hearing on the Top 40 stations and wanted to hear more.
Automated, with "Captain" Ken Shelton and Clark Schmidt (sp.?)
The early '70s incarnation, yes. I believe the station went live in later years. And it's Smidt. He's still around and running WATX, an AM (no translator) shoestring operation in Hamden, CT.
I don't ever remember 'BZ-FM being live except for occasional specialty shows. Early 70s I recall them just being a jukebox, if I'm not mistaken they'd simulcast the AM's top of hour newscasts (and not always transitioning very smoothly).
Shelton and Shmidt were on in 1972 and 1973, definitely. Pre-recorded fake-live shows, including a countdown.
I was beside myself when "Stereo 98.5 WROR" began playing music from this format. In fact, I'll be blunt: it sucked. It couldn't hold a candle to what was playing on 68 WRKO at the time. The move in 1973 to a more solid-gold oldies format was a step up, but nowhere near what was to come about 6-7 years later when they were able to hire LIVE DJs and move closer to a Top 40 format.
Different strokes I guess. I really enjoyed it. This was around the time that 'RKO was doing a hybrid of Top 40 and AOR which to my ears just didn't work. Right around the same time WROR went oldies, WRKO dumped most of the LP tracks and went back to doing top 40. I don't know if Bill Drake's parting ways with the company had anything to do with either flip.
