1/2 of K95.5FM (KWEN, Tulsa) Morning Show Resigns

[billyg]

While I can't argue with the description of Cox's programing as "bland," I will say that "classic rock" is certainly beginning to include Huey Lewis.

At the time he was hot, he was basically a bar rock band, I think. They were considered a "rock" band. Not hard rock, but then again: could you REALLY call Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young a "rock" band? How about America? Jackson Browne? Or Jimmy Buffett? The Eagles? ELO? Maybe Hall & Oates? Billy Joel? Most of Elton John's stuff? Little River Band? A lot of Paul McCartney's singles? Poco? Pure Prairie League? Simon & Garfunkel? Steely Dan? Yet many classic rock stations have played many of these artists' songs nearly since they were new.

Cox Tulsa has a lot of silly things on the air... but Star calling Huey Lewis & The News "classic rock," to me, isn't one of them. ("Walking On A Thin Line" I think could easily qualify as a rocker, if none of their other songs.)

I feel fortunate that I listened to KMOD and KKUL in their Freeform heyday in 75-6, when they did play a most of the acts you mentioned. Even album cuts by Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Bee Gees and Hall & Oates were played on KMOD before the "Disco Sucks" movement chased anything R&B-oriented off AOR by '79.

And I do remember KMOD and KATT giving Huey Lewis' Workin' For A Livin' and especially The Heart Of Rock N Roll a lot of spins back in 82-to-84.

 

[Les Stock]

Shall we also go after the (highly successful) promotion by K95 which has listeners spelling with NUMBERS?!? "In case you didn't sound like a hick to your friends before, we're going to have you spell 'country' wrong AND we're going to have you say a couple of numbers are letters... 'K?"

(Don't get me wrong: I think it's been a great help in getting people to remember the station ID. I just don't think it's the brightest thing I've ever heard a listener say on the air.)

Says a lot about the sorry state of public education in Oklahoma.

 

[ionosphere]

While I can't argue with the description of Cox's programing as "bland," I will say that "classic rock" is certainly beginning to include Huey Lewis.

At the time he was hot, he was basically a bar rock band, I think. They were considered a "rock" band. Not hard rock, but then again: could you REALLY call Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young a "rock" band? How about America? Jackson Browne? Or Jimmy Buffett? The Eagles? ELO? Maybe Hall & Oates? Billy Joel? Most of Elton John's stuff? Little River Band? A lot of Paul McCartney's singles? Poco? Pure Prairie League? Simon & Garfunkel? Steely Dan? Yet many classic rock stations have played many of these artists' songs nearly since they were new.

Huey Lewis & The News is 80's pop/rock. Sure, they had #1 hits on the Billboard Rock Chart, but so did Duran Duran. Should we start playing them on Classic Rock stations too?

Out of the bands you listed, I think CSNY and ELO should be considered Classic Rock, simply because they delved into some prog rock, which to me automatically has a place at the table. Most of the other artists you listed are Classic Rock because of the era they came from. Huey Lewis & the News showed up in the mid 80's, which is OUT of Classic Rock's traditional scope.

Then again, good luck hearing anything from Jimmy Buffett, Little River Band, Poco, or Pure Prairie League on most Classic Rock stations. Star 103 has always been a "Classic Hits" station...they've decided to adopt the "Classic Rock" slogan somewhere along the way, because no other station in Tulsa fit that mold. I agree that KTSO plays more traditional Classic Rock than Star, but then they throw in the occasional left-field song. I heard a song by Collective Soul on 94.1 the other day. It felt very out of place. Of course, KTSO doesn't tag themselves as any particular genre. I believe their slogan is "Good music, pure and simple".

I have no problem with Star trying to implement different artists, but at least add artists that fit the "Classic Rock" mold.

 

[GeneSavage]

Sure, they had #1 hits on the Billboard Rock Chart, but so did Duran Duran. Should we start playing them on Classic Rock stations too?

Nope, and here's why: Duran Duran was alternative. ;D

I about fell over when stations like KMOD started playing U2. Not that I don't like their music, but U2 was NEVER rock and roll, they were ALWAYS progressive / alternative.

The same stations that wouldn't touch "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "Pride (In The Name Of Love," and "Where The Streets Have No Name" suddenly discovered rock fans kinda liked them too... or maybe rock fans discovered them, I'm not sure which happened first... and suddenly U2 was no longer alternative; they were rock.

(To be fair, KMOD's Charlie Spears, on Sonlight, played U2 early 80s singles when they were new.)

Duran Duran also has a "boy band" image issue. You might be able to get away with "Hungry Like The Wolf" "A View To A Kill," maybe a couple of others, but Those Who Were There still remember all the screaming and fainting 14 yr old girls... if you were a guy and liked Duran Duran, you kinda kept it to yourself, at least at first. It wasn't as bad as being a guy and like New Kids On The Block... but it wasn't good.

You're right that The Sound pushes the edges of classic rock, but I think that's part of what I've always liked about them. It's clear that they keep trying new, newer songs that may fit the "classic" definition for a new generation to try to keep the station from aging out of the money demo... that seems smart to me, and when you hear Star playing 80s pop / rock that's all they're doing, I suspect.

It sounds like part of what you've associated with classic rock stations has been progressive rock: Yes, Pink Floyd, & Rush. Nothing wrong with that, but I don't know that younger generations of rock fans are going to worry that much about whether a band is art-rock, or whether they just rock.

When your local AC is playing Natalie Cole, Breathe & Air Supply, bands like Huey Lewis & The News, Duran Duran, & Loverboy start to sound pretty good to an aging rocker's ears (even if he might rather hear Metallica, Iron Maiden or Dokken.)

...Huey's "Do You Believe In Love" was released in 1980, BTW.

I'm enjoying the discussion! Thanks for your response.

 

[Glenn Quagmire]

I'm an equal opportunity offender. I agree with everyone's critique of Cox. But, they aren't the only ones in Tulsa doing bad/stale radio.

Radio is at a crossroads b/c of the severe fragmentation of the music industry.

 

[stacker]

Billyg's post reminds me of the early days of KMOD (at least it's second incarnation, after being bought by what developed into Clear Channel).

Originally, KMOD was programmed out of San Antonio. In 1974, all the music was replayed from a pair of Ampex tape decks. The tapes were put together by a programmer in SATX. Same was true for sister station KXXO. As I recall, KMOD had one turntable at the time in the old University Club studios. It was difficult to play albums due to the huge amount of RF interference generated by the Collins transmitter which was located in the next room.

By 1976, KMOD (and the AM) had relocated to the Asbestos Palace, located between Yale and Sheridan on 31st. By that time, the KMOD jocks were picking their own cuts, but still with close supervision from the San Antonio programmers. There was a dial in line where the consultant could listen in. When some one dialed in on that line a "click" could be heard in the closet in the back of the PD's office. When the "click" was heard, a heads up alert was shouted around the station.

 

[billyg]

By that time, the KMOD jocks were picking their own cuts, but still with close supervision from the San Antonio programmers. There was a dial in line where the consultant could listen in. When some one dialed in on that line a "click" could be heard in the closet in the back of the PD's office. When the "click" was heard, a heads up alert was shouted around the station.

"Quick, cue up the Boston album.." ;D

You gave me a nice memory jog too. KMOD from what I remember had an uneasy mix of stuff the jocks wanted to play (mostly late 60's - early 70's looong LP cuts from obscure artists) VS the "superstar" AOR bands (Boston-Foreigner-Eagles-Fleetwood-Styx-Journey-ELO) that were popular in the late 70's that Clear Channel wanted them to play.

KMOD had a very weak signal in Bartlesville back then. I think they were only 30-50K. You had to have a good "T" antenna thumbtacked on the wall or were fortunate to have a TV antenna mounted on the house to get a good signal. I forgot KMOD, KWEN, and I think KRAV all had their towers on downtown skyscrapers in the 70's. Before digital FM tuners in car stereos became common and all three moved to the new tower off Oklahoma 97, it was almost impossible to listen to any of them while driving in downtown Tulsa from all the multipath interference.

 

[michaeldean]

KMOD and KRAV transmitters were in the University Club Tower. They were fed into a "combiner" then to the stick on the roof. When I worked at KRAV 1980-82 the engineer (Johnny Bridges) took me up there to show me how it worked. In the summer of 1981 (as I recall) both stations were having some work done to the antenna. It may have taken a lightning hit, I really don't remember that part. Anyway, as they were hoisting a new antenna to the roof, the cable gave way, and it came crashing down and harpooned the front door of a law office across the street from the University Club Tower. Both stations were off the air for some time. KMOD's studio and office was on 31st Street, KRAV was next door in the Mansion House. I don't remmber where KWEN's transmitter and tower were located. I don't remember it being the third signal on the stick at University Club Tower. But my memory may be failing me.

 

[jackd]

I love how so many people talk bad about Tulsa radio. Live outside of Tulsa or in a smaller market & you'll appreciate Tulsa radio again. Trust me...I'm hearing REALLLLY BAD radio in the area where I live now.

 

[TDWNL]

I have been in Missouri for the last 12 to 15 years and I am sick of watching sites like all access.com waiting for a full time spot in Tulsa to open up. I have gone to all access.com every morning during breakfast for so long that its become a routine. I am 35 years old and I still see Andy Barber on the air Karly rush was my fav DJ when I was in like the 3rd and 4th grade. I went through High School listening to Greg on Z104.5 the edge and now he is doing morning radio with chuck the sports guy that was not even a full time on air guy when i was here before he was just a funy dude that chimed in about sports once in a while. Nobody EVER leaves Tulsa and if they do its a rare rare thing. Trust me there is a reason why people get a gig here full time and stay here....

 

[Tower Lights]

KWEN was on Liberty Tower.

 

[stacker]

Who can remember what floor of the garage you had to park on to get to KRMG? I think it was 7. Maybe that was just for the employees. I just remember a lot of round and round.

 

[Kent]

I have been in Missouri for the last 12 to 15 years and I am sick of watching sites like all access.com waiting for a full time spot in Tulsa to open up. I have gone to all access.com every morning during breakfast for so long that its become a routine. I am 35 years old and I still see Andy Barber on the air Karly rush was my fav DJ when I was in like the 3rd and 4th grade. I went through High School listening to Greg on Z104.5 the edge and now he is doing morning radio with chuck the sports guy that was not even a full time on air guy when i was here before he was just a funy dude that chimed in about sports once in a while. Nobody EVER leaves Tulsa and if they do its a rare rare thing. Trust me there is a reason why people get a gig here full time and stay here....

Not to be too picky, but... If you're 35, Carly Rush didn't sign on until you were in 7th or 8th grade, or at least she didn't on 106.9. She was on 106.1 when it was "Lite 106" for about a year before she got to the old KAY-107!

So, where in Missouri are you? I grew up in Tulsa and am not much older than you. I'm in Mid-MO now, though I've been out of full time radio for about 5 years and out altogether for 2.

 

[stacker]

Nobody EVER leaves Tulsa and if they do its a rare rare thing. Trust me there is a reason why people get a gig here full time and stay here....

That's been true for years. It may be why Tulsa radio was always a tick or two above other similarly sized markets. Lot's of credit goes back to the old 970 KAKC, Bill Drake's finger prints were all over that signal. KRMG 740 and KVOO 1170 were huge heritage stations. No more, though, someone went in and turned off the lights on both signals..

Back in the day Tulsa was a great place to live due to all the oil money. Still a nice place. Lots of radio folks have moved away to bigger markets, then returned here.

 

[JobyOne]

Visited Tulsa several years ago on a job interview. LOVED the city and the facility of the company where I interviewed. Wanted the gig; didn't get it.

Tulsa radio is much better than other markets of similar size and it would have been a great community in which to raise my son. Most of you in Tulsa have it better than you might realize.

 

[Jay F]

Natalie from KWNR/Las Vegas got the job and she starts at KWEN this Monday moning. There is a discussion about it on the Nevada board which you might find interesting.

 

[mattbradley]

We plan on putting her on the air Tuesday morning.

 

[shaneradio]

The new girl sounds good. Finally caught her late in the week.

 

[shaneradio]

Heard a crazy rumor that Natalie Cash is the daughter of Kelly Cash. I don't buy it, but I do know that Natalie is much younger.

 

[G Thompson]

Yeah...Kelly's real last name isn't Cash. Neither is Natalie's.

It's just the Cash and Carey brand. Jim's last name isn't Carey either.