M
marker101
Guest
This from Mary Ondrako in this week's citizen's voice.. guess it's the real deal folks.
The former WWDL 104.9 "The Music Station," under Bold Gold Media's management, morphed into WWRR "105 The River" on Monday.
Bob VanDerheyden, a Bold Gold partner and who is handling programming for the station, described the new format as "a wide variety of familiar music."
It is meant to appeal to the 35-50 age group, an older audience than of its predecessor, he said.
The River features songs from the 60s to 90s with some currents, but not as many as was heard on the former Music Station. VanDerheyden was hesitant to label the new format. It exhibits elements of adult contemporary, classic rock, '70s and '80s, and even oldies with plans to revive his show, "The Doo-Wop Sock Hop."
And Amid an introductory 5,000 commercial-free "river cruise" of songs featuring a wide array of artists from various genres including the Eagles, Tom Petty, Sheena Easton, Billy Joel, Cat Stevens, Heart, Donna Summer, Lionel Richie, The Fixx and Cyndi Lauper, one might think this is a "Jack"-type format, but VanDerheyden said there are notable differences.
"Jack stations have an ignorant and in-your-face kind of attitude," he said, adding they often carry slogans like "playing what we want."
"Our slogan is 'all the music you told us to play,'" he said.
The music is produced at the Scranton studios, not from satellite. There will also be a local on-air staff and local news, weather and sports reports, he said.
"We're not going to be an iPod," VanDerheyden said. "I'm very passionate about this. I believe radio has to serve the local community.
"There has to be some flavor, some variety," he added. "Stations these days are too predictable. Radio has been destroyed by heavy thinking suits. It's time to have a little fun and surprise the audience."
The new station was born after an interesting weekend of stunting where listeners were introduced to "Chet the engineer" who announced he was commandeering the station and playing whatever he found in the studio.
It was a creative and humorous transition as Chet would follow up Bon Jovi with a polka or two and then launch into a few oldies and even Christmas music.
VanDerheyden said the stunt was the brainchild of Ed Kerber, a longtime employee at Lane Broadcasting and now Bold Gold Media. Chet Brzostek serves as chief engineer of the stations and has retired from his "on air" duties, VanDerheyden said.
"We needed to erase the past. I think we're doing that," VanDerheyden said.
Bold Gold Media seeks to purchase WWRR, 1400 WICK AM and 1340 WYCK AM from Lane Broadcasting, whose former owner, Doug Lane, was convicted of child molestation charges in March. Bold Gold is operating the stations under an asset purchase agreement, pending final sale approval by the Federal Communications Commission.
The former WWDL 104.9 "The Music Station," under Bold Gold Media's management, morphed into WWRR "105 The River" on Monday.
Bob VanDerheyden, a Bold Gold partner and who is handling programming for the station, described the new format as "a wide variety of familiar music."
It is meant to appeal to the 35-50 age group, an older audience than of its predecessor, he said.
The River features songs from the 60s to 90s with some currents, but not as many as was heard on the former Music Station. VanDerheyden was hesitant to label the new format. It exhibits elements of adult contemporary, classic rock, '70s and '80s, and even oldies with plans to revive his show, "The Doo-Wop Sock Hop."
And Amid an introductory 5,000 commercial-free "river cruise" of songs featuring a wide array of artists from various genres including the Eagles, Tom Petty, Sheena Easton, Billy Joel, Cat Stevens, Heart, Donna Summer, Lionel Richie, The Fixx and Cyndi Lauper, one might think this is a "Jack"-type format, but VanDerheyden said there are notable differences.
"Jack stations have an ignorant and in-your-face kind of attitude," he said, adding they often carry slogans like "playing what we want."
"Our slogan is 'all the music you told us to play,'" he said.
The music is produced at the Scranton studios, not from satellite. There will also be a local on-air staff and local news, weather and sports reports, he said.
"We're not going to be an iPod," VanDerheyden said. "I'm very passionate about this. I believe radio has to serve the local community.
"There has to be some flavor, some variety," he added. "Stations these days are too predictable. Radio has been destroyed by heavy thinking suits. It's time to have a little fun and surprise the audience."
The new station was born after an interesting weekend of stunting where listeners were introduced to "Chet the engineer" who announced he was commandeering the station and playing whatever he found in the studio.
It was a creative and humorous transition as Chet would follow up Bon Jovi with a polka or two and then launch into a few oldies and even Christmas music.
VanDerheyden said the stunt was the brainchild of Ed Kerber, a longtime employee at Lane Broadcasting and now Bold Gold Media. Chet Brzostek serves as chief engineer of the stations and has retired from his "on air" duties, VanDerheyden said.
"We needed to erase the past. I think we're doing that," VanDerheyden said.
Bold Gold Media seeks to purchase WWRR, 1400 WICK AM and 1340 WYCK AM from Lane Broadcasting, whose former owner, Doug Lane, was convicted of child molestation charges in March. Bold Gold is operating the stations under an asset purchase agreement, pending final sale approval by the Federal Communications Commission.