1090 XEPRS Has Gone Back to Oldies Plus Wolfman - L.A. Daily News

[michael hagerty]

Did wolf man’s great appearance in the move American Graffiti make him a much bigger star? Loved the movie and his appearance in it.

Absolutely. Wolfman was mostly a regional thing until April, 1972 when he moved from XEPRS (formerly XERB). That signal gave him 11 western states, and parts of Mexico and Canada, but when he went to do KDAY, Los Angeles, he also began nationwide syndication, putting him in markets all over the country on local signals rather than being DXed.

Even before that move, though, Wolf had started doing half-hour weekly public affairs radio shows for the U.S. Air Force that were played all around the country. That started in 1971:

Todd Rundgren elevated Wolf's visibility by including a song about him on the album Something/Anything?, which was released in February of 1972:

And Wolfman was making his own records, too:

The next big thing for Wolfman after syndication was six months before American Graffiti hit theaters---when he guested, and then began making regular appearances as host, on NBC's The Midnight Special:

American Graffiti premiered in August and that was essentially hitting the afterburners. After that, he was red hot---the syndicated show retitled "Wolfman Jack's Graffiti Gold" was in most markets, he was named permanent host of The Midnight Special, and he moved to WNBC, New York in the summer of 1973, with the syndication still going nationwide. He was even doing guest shots on shows as varied as "The Odd Couple" and "Emergency":

Wolfman Jack on The Odd Couple

From the Season 4 episode "The Songwriter" (1973)

www.youtube.com

Wolfman Jack | Actor, Soundtrack

Known for: American Graffiti, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Motel Hell

www.imdb.com

And in the summer and early fall of '74, The Guess Who got the hit that Todd Rundgren didn't even try for:

 

[TheBigA]

I guess what I garner from this thread is that radio has conceded its previous duties of exposing new music to Spotify and other Internet platforms.

Really? I play new songs and new artists every day. Let me say this again: Radio is not one thing. There are 16 THOUSAND radio stations. They each do different things in different ways. So lots of radio stations expose new music. I can tell you how we do it. We do a better job of doing it than the record labels who benefit from it. They know it, too. So do the artists. So no, we haven't conceded anything.

In the meantime, name for me all the DJs at Spotify. Name all the shows they do that expose new music to people. Go ahead. I'm waiting.

 

[Larry]

guess what I garner from this thread is that radio has conceded its previous duties of exposing new music to Spotify and other Internet platforms.

This makes me wonder what is exposing people to new music and generating hits. If Spotify is largely playing what you want to hear maybe it’s social media, especially TikTok, as MTV was breaking hits years ago.

 

[TheBigA]

This makes me wonder what is exposing people to new music and generating hits. If Spotify is largely playing what you want to hear maybe it’s social media, especially TikTok, as MTV was breaking hits years ago.

Tik Tok has a 40 second limit. And they primarily use music as bed for homemade videos. Not to promote new music.

 

[TheBigA]

This makes me wonder what is exposing people to new music and generating hits.

Have you considered that maybe some people just aren't that interested in new music?

For example, this thread is about oldies. The oldies stations I know don't play any new music.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

The oldies stations I know don't play any new music.

There is a definite reason for that.

 

[Mike Stark]

Really? I play new songs and new artists every day. Let me say this again: Radio is not one thing. There are 16 THOUSAND radio stations. They each do different things in different ways. So lots of radio stations expose new music. I can tell you how we do it. We do a better job of doing it than the record labels who benefit from it. They know it, too. So do the artists. So no, we haven't conceded anything.

In the meantime, name for me all the DJs at Spotify. Name all the shows they do that expose new music to people. Go ahead. I'm waiting.

Wow! I want to listen to your station. Which station is it? I'd also like to hear some of these DJs that are exposing the new music. Yes, I have a show on a low power station and pretty much everything I play is new, but I'm not hearing top 10 stations in any market playing new music. No, Spotify doesn't have DJs but Satellite does and they know and love the music they play - without having to read some dumb liner card and play 8 minutes of spots instead of actually telling me about the music. But seriously, I want to hear your show. Lay it on me!

 

[Mike Stark]

And that's nothing new, Mike. Look at Rick Sklar at WABC. He didn't play records until they were already proven hits. We Southern Californians got used to music discovery because of the KFWB-KRLA-KHJ battle, which made "hear the hits first here" a selling point, and guys like Dave Diamond and B. Mitchel Reed who made music exploration a big part of early FM album rock.

But by 1973, KLOS was playing the hits (just big records with little holes, instead of vice-versa) and KHJ, under Paul Drew instead of Bill Drake, wasn't taking chances on records anymore.

You are SO right about those LA stations and those jocks. My musical growth came from listening to those competing stations. I guess that's an illustration of how "competition" stimulated great radio. Now one station programs safely around conflicting with another stations format - because they are so often owned by the same damn company.

 

[Mike Stark]

This makes me wonder what is exposing people to new music and generating hits. If Spotify is largely playing what you want to hear maybe it’s social media, especially TikTok, as MTV was breaking hits years ago.

TikTok is a factor, but in talking to up-and-coming artists (which I concentrate on for my show) they want to land their music in TV shows and commercials, because they can't count on radio to give them ANY exposure of any consequence. They also get paid for those placements. That's the one thing that has changed with musicians since I was growing up: Having a song in a commercial was "selling out", but not anymore.

 

[Mike Stark]

Have you considered that maybe some people just aren't that interested in new music?

You're right about people over a certain age. I'm in my 70s and love new music. I can't get enough of it. BUT, most of my age group are waiting for the new Doors or CCR album to be released.

 

[Daryl Lynn L.A.]

Really? I play new songs and new artists every day. Let me say this again: Radio is not one thing. There are 16 THOUSAND radio stations. They each do different things in different ways. So lots of radio stations expose new music. I can tell you how we do it. We do a better job of doing it than the record labels who benefit from it.

I realize that you probably don't want to divulge your identity, but in all seriousness, I think a lot of people here would appreciate a link to one of your stations. I think you probably own, manage, or do programing for several stations -- is that correct? I've leaned a great deal from reading your messages these past two years. Thank you, from Daryl.

 

[TheBigA]

Wow! I want to listen to your station. Which station is it? I'd also like to hear some of these DJs that are exposing the new music.

I think a lot of people here would appreciate a link to one of your stations.

I'm not doing anything unusual. It happens in radio all the time. You just have to know where to go. If you listen to a station that calls itself "classic" anything, they're not going to play anything new. By definition. But KIIS plays new songs every week. In the country format, they play lots of new artists and new music. Not every station does it, but many do.

Here's one example. Last week Eric Church released a new song called "Darkest Hour." It's his first new music in three years. It was a coordinated release between the artist, his label, and country radio. The song was released to radio Thursday night. The label provided interview clips and intro liners from the artist. Friday morning, country stations played the song, and measured audience reaction. When the chart was released on Monday, it was the week's most added song, and the song debuted at #33 on the chart. That was after just two days of airplay. So that means it was getting played a lot.

I'm going to tell you a dirty secret: Radio isn't in the music business. So radio stations don't control the music. In the glory days of radio, the way they did it was with active record label promo departments "leaking" new music to radio stations. At first, they did it to specific personalities. Jim Ladd was one who often got a call from a promo guy that they were releasing a new song the next day. But by the 80s, it was either PDs or group PDs. Kid Leo in Cleveland was pretty active in this way. But the power for the new music is at the record label. If radio stations work with labels, they get advance notice on new music. If they don't, then they find out the same way as everyone else on an artist's social media site. But that's the secret. Radio stations need help if they want to play new music first. The country format still has active record promo staffs who work with radio to get new songs played. Most of the other formats don't. That's the secret.

As I said, not a lot of people really want to hear new music first. That's why currents-based stations aren't as popular as they once were. So you have to make the new songs count, and do it in an organized way, so that people are excited about it. Last year, the Beatles released a new song that was assisted by AI. They wanted to make a big splash with it. Around the same time, the Rolling Stones had a new album they wanted to introduce. Both bands went to iHeart, and iHeart did massive cross-genre releases for each project. It was a big deal, and got the impact they were hoping for, in a way that just one station doing it couldn't accomplish. That's what it takes today, with all the media and all of the music that gets thrown at people every day. You need help, you need to do it in a coordinated way, and then you need follow-up. That's how we do it, and we do it all the time.

Sean Ross writes about this nexus between radio & records a lot. He knows what I'm talking about. His latest column talked about how changes in the music business have affected radio airplay:

The End of the Turntable Hit?

The good news in late June was what veteran morning man (and music director) Gene Baxter dubbed “The Best Billboard Top 10 in Ages.” The good news that week was that the top of the chart was dominated by legitimate radio hits and not by superstar album cuts or left-field streaming oddities...

radioinsight.com

 

[TheBigA]

BTW, today is new release day. My email box is inundated with over 50 press releases from labels, artists, and publicists promoting their new releases. This happens every Friday. Some will have an impact, and some won't. But that's how the business works. It's not by accident. This is not a hobby. Music is a business. So is radio. We each have our jobs and our audience. Sometimes they intersect, sometimes they don't.

 

[radiofan2023]

A good place to hear new music is college stations or stations in college towns - I just heard a song on KKSW this morning from a Lawrence artist:

KJHK (KU's college station) plays tons more new alternative songs than Alt 96.5 ever did, and from bands Alt 96.5 would have never played. They also have a ton of merch at KU's online bookstore.

Even listening to old airchecks, KXLU played different music than KROQ did and probably still does.

 

[Mike Stark]

BTW, today is new release day. My email box is inundated with over 50 press releases from labels, artists, and publicists promoting their new releases. This happens every Friday. Some will have an impact, and some won't. But that's how the business works. It's not by accident. This is not a hobby. Music is a business. So is radio. We each have our jobs and our audience. Sometimes they intersect, sometimes they don't.

I absolutely appreciate your replies. I have worked in radio (and TV) for over 50 years. I know it's not a hobby but is a business. But when I take off my broadcaster hat and put on my music fan hat, there are things that don't make sense to me.

First, I TOTALLY agree with you about how ineffective record companies are at doing what they are supposed to do. Several artists I talk to on a regular basis have had major label deals only to ask for their catalog back because they didn't do anything of value EXCEPT distribute the product to retailers (and some even have problems in that area.) So I understand as a radio programmer you only have a limited number of artists that you even get exposed to because I doubt many radio programmers go off the beaten path to find new music. The labels really are the heart of the problem.

But how is it that artists (not struggling ones) who sell out arenas - multi-nights don't get radio's love?

....and a quirky question: What are the "oldies" of the future going to look like?

m

 

[TheBigA]

A good place to hear new music is college stations or stations in college towns - I just heard a song on KKSW this morning from a Lawrence artist:

Sure. Lots of college stations play new music. Lots of non-commercial stations play something called AAA, which is adult alternative. KCSN is a station like that. Owned by Cal State Northridge. Commercial stations need ratings, and most people want to hear the hits, not some unknown band. So that's what they do. Radio stations don't play this music for themselves. They do it to attract an audience, and this is what works.

But how is it that artists (not struggling ones) who sell out arenas - multi-nights don't get radio's love?

It doesn't take much to sell out an arena in LA. Even the Lakers when they suck sell out. There's an artist named Zach Bryan who sells out arenas, and even a few stadiums. The people who love him really love him. The people who hate him really hate him. It's the negatives that show up in research, and we find that when we play him on the radio, we get a lot of negative reaction. He doesn't care. In the old days, if an artist was told their music turned people off, they'd make changes. The history of music is filled with stories about songs that bombed at radio, so the artist changed and had hits. Now artists refuse to change and play to whoever likes them. Radio isn't in that business.

We know what the oldies of the future look like. They are the consensus songs getting played now on KIIS. What we should think about is the music that causes so much negative reaction. The polarizing music that is made. Radio used to play music to attract people. Today there's a lot of music that alienates people. That's not good. It's why people are so polarized. There are people looking for that kind of music. They want music that makes people mad. They're probably not going to hear it on the radio. But there's a lot of it out there. More than there used to be.

 

[Mike Stark]

A good place to hear new music is college stations or stations in college towns - I just heard a song on KKSW this morning from a Lawrence artist:

KJHK (KU's college station) plays tons more new alternative songs than Alt 96.5 ever did, and from bands Alt 96.5 would have never played. They also have a ton of merch at KU's online bookstore.

Even listening to old airchecks, KXLU played different music than KROQ did and probably still does.

YES, as long as I've been a "paid broadcaster" I have always still dabbled in college radio. It's there that the "hobby" does have results in bringing - ever so slowly - new music and new artists to the forefront. The LPFM (which is also on the Internet) that I'm currently involved with - and is in a rebuilding stage at the moment - will have a large focus on "new music" that I'm very excited about.

 

[michael hagerty]

....and a quirky question: What are the "oldies" of the future going to look like?

I can take that last one, Mike. Assuming the desirable sales demo remains 18-49 or 25-49, "oldies" will be whatever non-current music folks in those demographics want to hear at that time.

Here's the last four hours of KRTH as I write this:

https://www.audacy.com/stations/kearth101/song-history

"Uptown Funk" is from 2015. Janelle Monae is from 2012. Kings of Leon from 2008. Most of the music is 80s and 90s based (with a handful of undeniable 70s stuff "My Life", "Dreams", "More Than A Feeling", "Rocket Man").

When KHJ-FM became KRTH in October of 1972, the target was 18-49, and they got it. The oldest song was 17 years old.

 

[Mike Stark]

We know what the oldies of the future look like. They are the consensus songs getting played now on KIIS. What we should think about is the music that causes so much negative reaction. The polarizing music that is made. Radio used to play music to attract people. Today there's a lot of music that alienates people. That's not good. It's why people are so polarized. There are people looking for that kind of music. They want music that makes people mad. They're probably not going to hear it on the radio. But there's a lot of it out there. More than there used to be.

Then we can acknowledge because radio is a "business" then (college/community radio aside) does have - for reasons you bring up - musical "holes" that are not filled. Which is fine. We still do have Satellite radio and Spotify for that. BTW, outside of the college and community radio air personalities I don't see a lot of DJs that are true music advocates - for ALL the reasons you've mentioned.

 

[K.M. Richards]

You are SO right about those LA stations and those jocks. My musical growth came from listening to those competing stations. I guess that's an illustration of how "competition" stimulated great radio. Now one station programs safely around conflicting with another stations format - because they are so often owned by the same damn company.

While I agree with your conclusion, Mike, I have to also express my concern that your opening statement was very Wagoner-like.