• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Does anyone remember the EOR (eclectic oriented rock ) format ?

R

radiobum

I remember WWYZ in Hartford and KBBC in Phoenix...late 70's for the former...early 80's for the latter (maybe there were on after and before but that's when i lived within listening range of eacj) . Know of others ?

There isn't an Adult Alternative where I live but I'm guessing it was more mellow. I miss it.
 
Was that an official format sanctioned by the National Association of Radio Format Nomenclature and Definition Standards, or was that just what two individual stations called what it was that they played?
 
EOR was John Sebastian's format and a precursor to AAA. His theory was that if you took the best from rock and AC with an occasional smooth jazz track, you could peel off some disenfranchised listeners. He kept his rock on the softer side and the presentation was AC. Unfortunately, it was a tough format to market in the industry. GMs and owners were a spooked by the notion of being "eclectic." Most of his clients had deficient signals and the format languished. If I'm not mistaken he first launched in West Palm or there abouts in 1983. 'GRX in Baltimore debuted in early '84. I remember KESI in San Antonio was EOR for awhile until it flipped to AC in 1987.

Let me qualify all of the above with if memory serves me. I am a trifle burned out after all.
 
Manny Michaels said:
EOR was John Sebastian's format and a precursor to AAA. His theory was that if you took the best from rock and AC with an occasional smooth jazz track, you could peel off some disenfranchised listeners. He kept his rock on the softer side and the presentation was AC. Unfortunately, it was a tough format to market in the industry. GMs and owners were a spooked by the notion of being "eclectic." Most of his clients had deficient signals and the format languished. If I'm not mistaken he first launched in West Palm or there abouts in 1983. 'GRX in Baltimore debuted in early '84. I remember KESI in San Antonio was EOR for awhile until it flipped to AC in 1987.

Let me qualify all of the above with if memory serves me. I am a trifle burned out after all.
Click to expand...

I do remember EOR but only through the trade mags. I do not recall ever listening to it live...and we did not have internet streams back then.

"I am a trifle burned out after all." I laughed out loud when I read that. Very funny.
 
I remember listening to EOR on WGRX in Baltimore from 1984 to 1986. I absolutely loved that station. It was sort of a mellow classic rock format with some newer soft rock album tracks thrown in. I heard Bruce Cockburn's "Maybe the Poet" on that station and have been a fan of Bruce's music ever since.

It really was an early Prototype for the AAA format. It's unfortunate that is was on a signal 30 miles outside of Baltimore (actually Westminster, MD) so it primarily covered a rural area and not the Baltimore metro area. I was fortunate enough to live in an area that could hear the signal quite well. I actually lived closer to the transmitter than the station's studios which were in the World Trade Center in Baltimore at the time.

I also heard the format on WKGR in West Palm Beach while on business travel. As I recall it had almost a completely different playlist than WGRX, but still followed a similar concept. If I remember correctly the GR in both stations stood for Gourmet Rock, but WGRX never used that moniker. I think WKGR did.

The consultant that created the format is John Sebastian and I contacted him about a year ago and told him how fondly I remembered WGRX, and WBMW another station in Washington, DC that he consulted. After doing EOR he went on to be a pioneer one of the so called NAC format stations that played New Age, Lite Jazz, and Soft Rock Album tracks. WBMW lasted for about a year and many of the DJ's from WGRX moved to WBMW.

Kevin Malvey was the morning man on both stations and the last I heard was in the Boston area. Both WGRX and WBMW were great stations, but WGRX was the best.

The closest thing to WGRX that you can hear today is Sirius/XMs the Bridge, but of course the Bridge doesn't play new music. The thing that drew me to WGRX was the Mellow Classic Rock like The Bridge, but the thing that kept me listening was the new music that the station introduced me to like Bruce Cockburn. In this way it was much like The Spectrum on Sirius/XM today, or even WXPN, or KCRW.
 
WEZE Boston (1260) was briefly known as Album 1260 in the '70s. The format featured artists like Jim Croce and Carly Simon, who would become staples of soft rock formats in the coming years, but not just their hits. You'd hear "Lover's Cross" by Croce, "Legend in His Own Mind" by Simon, "All Night Rain" by Atlanta Rhythm Section, etc. This didn't last long, and the station was sold and flipped to Christian preaching not long afterward.
 
Manny Michaels said:
EOR was John Sebastian's format and a precursor to AAA. His theory was that if you took the best from rock and AC with an occasional smooth jazz track, you could peel off some disenfranchised listeners. He kept his rock on the softer side and the presentation was AC. Unfortunately, it was a tough format to market in the industry. GMs and owners were a spooked by the notion of being "eclectic." Most of his clients had deficient signals and the format languished. If I'm not mistaken he first launched in West Palm or there abouts in 1983. 'GRX in Baltimore debuted in early '84. I remember KESI in San Antonio was EOR for awhile until it flipped to AC in 1987.

Let me qualify all of the above with if memory serves me. I am a trifle burned out after all.
Click to expand...

That sounds like a description of Pittsburgh's KQV-FM, before they switched to the ABC "Love" package with John Rygren 24/7.
 
luckenbg said:
I remember listening to EOR on WGRX in Baltimore from 1984 to 1986. I absolutely loved that station. It was sort of a mellow classic rock format with some newer soft rock album tracks thrown in. I heard Bruce Cockburn's "Maybe the Poet" on that station and have been a fan of Bruce's music ever since.

It really was an early Prototype for the AAA format. It's unfortunate that is was on a signal 30 miles outside of Baltimore (actually Westminster, MD) so it primarily covered a rural area and not the Baltimore metro area. I was fortunate enough to live in an area that could hear the signal quite well. I actually lived closer to the transmitter than the station's studios which were in the World Trade Center in Baltimore at the time.

I also heard the format on WKGR in West Palm Beach while on business travel. As I recall it had almost a completely different playlist than WGRX, but still followed a similar concept. If I remember correctly the GR in both stations stood for Gourmet Rock, but WGRX never used that moniker. I think WKGR did.

The consultant that created the format is John Sebastian and I contacted him about a year ago and told him how fondly I remembered WGRX, and WBMW another station in Washington, DC that he consulted. After doing EOR he went on to be a pioneer one of the so called NAC format stations that played New Age, Lite Jazz, and Soft Rock Album tracks. WBMW lasted for about a year and many of the DJ's from WGRX moved to WBMW.

Kevin Malvey was the morning man on both stations and the last I heard was in the Boston area. Both WGRX and WBMW were great stations, but WGRX was the best.

The closest thing to WGRX that you can hear today is Sirius/XMs the Bridge, but of course the Bridge doesn't play new music. The thing that drew me to WGRX was the Mellow Classic Rock like The Bridge, but the thing that kept me listening was the new music that the station introduced me to like Bruce Cockburn. In this way it was much like The Spectrum on Sirius/XM today, or even WXPN, or KCRW.
Click to expand...
If WGRX Westminster from early 1984 to 1986 was indeed considered an "EOR", then yeah! I was eighteen and a half when they first signed on, was getting a bit sick of the monotony of top-40 and boy DO I remember that station! Like you I loved it and I miss it to this day! With an innovative albeit somewhat mellow playlist, It was undoubtedly probably THE best station I've heard! Unfortunately the FM converter I had in the car couldn't pick that station up, so the only way I could listen was at home. Either way, it was one of the only stations that I would listen to for extended periods.

Believe it or not, for a short while in late 1985, maybe even into early '86, WYRE out of Annapolis played some of this kind of music. IMNSHO they should've stayed with it; especially after WGRX went classic rock.

Now, I also remember when WBMW went from top-40 to a watered down version of 'EOR' in 1987, but IMNSHO that station was musically inept at best; at least when they first signed on. When they went to what I'll call a 'new age blend' about that summer, then I gained some respect for them. Of course it didn't last long and WBMW went to some form of classic rock about a year later when they picked up Howard Stern.

While on the subject of WBMW/WJFK, I remember in 1991 when they went through the 'overhaul' in their format, Cerphe had a 'progressive' show in the evenings which lasted for about a year. I would enjoy listening to that on the way home from the University of Baltimore despite being on AM (1300) up there. It was probably the closest thing to what the old WGRX was, but again it wasn't to last and that show would then change to a sort of 'smooth jazz blend'.

While the closest things that we now have to the old 'EOR' would either have to be WRNR or WTMD, particularly the latter; I still feel that those stations don't have quite the innovation of the old WGRX. If these stations would be willing to 'tweak' the format or if someone else was willing to show up on the scene with a similar musical makeup, I'd listen (even if it was on AM!) but that's me.
 
CTListener said:
WEZE Boston (1260) was briefly known as Album 1260 in the '70s. The format featured artists like Jim Croce and Carly Simon, who would become staples of soft rock formats in the coming years, but not just their hits. You'd hear "Lover's Cross" by Croce, "Legend in His Own Mind" by Simon, "All Night Rain" by Atlanta Rhythm Section, etc. This didn't last long, and the station was sold and flipped to Christian preaching not long afterward.
Click to expand...

I definitely do remember that brief interesting incarnation of 1260-WEZE. It ran from January, 1977 until April, 1978. In the years before WEZE found Jesus, they were mostly an easy listening/elevator music station except for their brief experiment with AAA from 1977-1978, and a run as an Oldies station as Z-1260 from 1972-1975...
 
Re: Does anyone remember the EOR (eclectic oriented rock ) format ?

How could I forget! My radio travels took me up the West Coast and into the Seattle market at KZAM&FM in the early 80's. Over time, I became aware of the pioneering accomplishment of the KZAM-FM staff and early forerunner of the AAA format they were presenting. The softer rock songs and album artists with a healthy percentage of new releases. Many new artists were played on this station first, including the likes of Rickie Lee Jones, Bruce Cockburn and Dan Hill's hit tunes. And once an hour there was a fusion-oriented jazz track. Jeff Lorber gained his first spins at KZAM-FM. Their wide artist spectrum included Windham Hill label artists and some "alternative hits" at the time: Elvis Costello's "Alison," Nick Lowe's "Cruel To Be Kind" and Ian Gomm's "Hold On." At the time, Program Director Paul Sullivan hired me for the morning show on the AM side. So, I had a ringside seat at this original AAA format pioneer. It's certain John Sebastian heard (while consulting KZOK at the time) and admired the ratings KZAM-FM achieved (big 25-34 adults) and "developed" his own version with an eccentric name: "Eclectic-Oriented Rock." Sebastian installed it on KEZX 98.9 for a short stint. Those who lived in that magic time, however, realize who came first...KZAM! [ Full story: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KZAM_(defunct) ]
 
If I recall correctly, the original lineup on WGRX was:

Mornings - Kevin Malvey (now at N.H. or VT public radio)
Middays - Alan Lawson (PD)
Afternoons - Bob Brooks (voice of Bowflex commercials)
Nights - Jim Robinson
Overnights - Bob Payne (Also in N.H. somewhere now)

Brooks went to WCXR/Washington and Bob Payne took afternoons. Lawson left to go back to Portland, OR. Malvey went to WJFK. Jim Robinson was in Austin, TX last I heard. Mike Butscher did overnights and then nights there.

In Spring 1986, they flipped to "Baltimore Classic Rock and Roll Station 100 GRX" casting EOR to the side and morphing into classic rock. Dave Ross did mornings to replaced by Ed Coffey. Mark Williams in afternoon, Butscher at night - it was Erika in middays for a while - I forget who took her place - maybe Leigh Geary.
 
For a number of years I loved WGRX, the EOR format was really good. In addition; I had the chance to listen to KBBC in Phoenix which was different but really cool. Had EOR on WGRX been on that facility now (moved to Ownings Mills in 2000) the story may have been different. Many at Shamrock fondly remember those early years of 100.7 (now WZBA) and do not blame the format but the signal for its shortcomings. On a side note, John Sebastian has been advertising his new consultancy; Sebastian's secret sauce..I think. I think the country-classic rock hybrid format is his specialty now. Who knows....maybe EOR will make a return?

Kevin
Shamrock
 
Manny Michaels said:
EOR was John Sebastian's format and a precursor to AAA. His theory was that if you took the best from rock and AC with an occasional smooth jazz track, you could peel off some disenfranchised listeners. He kept his rock on the softer side and the presentation was AC. Unfortunately, it was a tough format to market in the industry. GMs and owners were a spooked by the notion of being "eclectic." Most of his clients had deficient signals and the format languished. If I'm not mistaken he first launched in West Palm or there abouts in 1983. 'GRX in Baltimore debuted in early '84. I remember KESI in San Antonio was EOR for awhile until it flipped to AC in 1987.

Let me qualify all of the above with if memory serves me. I am a trifle burned out after all.
Click to expand...

That sounds like what KTCZ (Cities 97) in Minneapolis was when they launched back in 1983, and I'm sure there were quite a few other stations that were influenced by what they did. A new owner came in, ditched the poorly-rated country format and installed his own quirky format based mostly on what he liked listening to. Essentially, a mix of classic rock (the Steely Dan/Jackson Browne/CSNY "yacht rock" stuff), tamer new wave (Roxy Music, Squeeze, et. al.), newer light alt-rock (remember Prefab Sprout?), new age and smooth jazz. And the station is still around today, albiet in a Clear Channel-style watered-down form. I tuned it in via the IHR app a few weeks ago and thought about how boring, bland and wimpy they had gotten over the years. Only thing they've really got going for them now is that they have really good jocks.
 
FightingIrish said:
Manny Michaels said:
EOR was John Sebastian's format and a precursor to AAA. His theory was that if you took the best from rock and AC with an occasional smooth jazz track, you could peel off some disenfranchised listeners. He kept his rock on the softer side and the presentation was AC. Unfortunately, it was a tough format to market in the industry. GMs and owners were a spooked by the notion of being "eclectic." Most of his clients had deficient signals and the format languished. If I'm not mistaken he first launched in West Palm or there abouts in 1983. 'GRX in Baltimore debuted in early '84. I remember KESI in San Antonio was EOR for awhile until it flipped to AC in 1987.

Let me qualify all of the above with if memory serves me. I am a trifle burned out after all.
Click to expand...

That sounds like what KTCZ (Cities 97) in Minneapolis was when they launched back in 1983, and I'm sure there were quite a few other stations that were influenced by what they did. A new owner came in, ditched the poorly-rated country format and installed his own quirky format based mostly on what he liked listening to. Essentially, a mix of classic rock (the Steely Dan/Jackson Browne/CSNY "yacht rock" stuff), tamer new wave (Roxy Music, Squeeze, et. al.), newer light alt-rock (remember Prefab Sprout?), new age and smooth jazz. And the station is still around today, albiet in a Clear Channel-style watered-down form. I tuned it in via the IHR app a few weeks ago and thought about how boring, bland and wimpy they had gotten over the years. Only thing they've really got going for them now is that they have really good jocks.
Click to expand...

PD Alan Lawson with MD Jim Robinson launched 'GRX in early '84. They both had stints as PD at KTCZ, Lawson in the late '80s and Robinson in the early '90s. Once Chancellor (later CC) bought it in '94, it headed into a virtual Hot AC direction. Sounds kind of soul-less now. Radio's a small world (but I wouldn't want to mow it).
 
KKGR (100.5) in Anchorage was another Sebastian-consulted EOR station. It is currently classic rock.

When I lived in Minneapolis, Cities 97 sounded a lot like KS-95: Sheryl Crow, Matchbox 20, Train, Sugar Ray... but with the occasional Van Morrison or Bob Marley tune. And Joe Cocker's "You Can Leave Your Hat On." Clear Channel AAA stations love that one. I drove through earlier this year and Cities didn't sound much different now than in 2001. More Adele, less Sheryl Crow I suppose-- probably not what Sebastian would have had in mind had he consulted this station.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom