Questions about WAPP (during it's brief CHR format)

[RobynWatts]

Hi,

I was on the Radio-Timeline site last night, when I've discovered that there is a audio composite of WAPP during their brief time as a Top 40 station in 1984-85 and includes Bobby Ocean, Harry Nelson, Perry Stone, & others. Here is the link:

http://www.radiotimeline.com/ (scroll down to "New York Airchecks")

I've have a couple of question about the station.

1): I know that the station started out as a Album rocker in the summer of 1982, but when did they flip to Top 40?

2): Was the station stil owned by Doubleday, or was it owned by Emmis at this point?

3): What were their ratings like as a Top 40 station?

4): On the 1985 part of this composite, the station had reverted to a Top 40/Album Rock hybrid as Hot 103.5. What were the ratings like after that change?

5): When did Hot 103.5 (the Dance version) sign on?

Thanks,
Robyn

<P ID="signature">______________
"They say you better listen to the voice of reason. But they don't give you any choice 'cause they think it's treason." Elvis Costello "Radio Radio"</P><P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by RobynWatts on 02/16/06 03:36 PM.</FONT></P>

 

[MattBAA]

> Hi,
>
> I was on the Radio-Timeline site last night, when I've
> discovered that there is a audio composite of WAPP during
> their brief time as a Top 40 station in 1984-85 and includes
> Bobby Ocean, Harry Nelson, Perry Stone, & others. Here is
> the link:
>
> http://www.radiotimeline.com/ (scroll down to "New York
> Airchecks")
>
> I've have a couple of question about the station.
>
> 1): I know that the station started out as a Album rocker in
> the summer of 1982, but when did they flip to Top 40?
>
> 2): Was the station stil owned by Doubleday, or was it owned
> by Emmis at this point?
>
> 3): What were their ratings like as a Top 40 station?
>
> 4): On the 1985 part of this composite, the station had
> reverted to a Top 40/Album Rock hybrid as Hot 103.5. What
> were the ratings like after that change?
>
> 5): When did Hot 103.5 (the Dance version) sign on?
>
> Thanks,
> Robyn
>
WOW...I didn't even know that Bobby Ocean was on WAPP! How cool is that! Some other names from the rock days include Michael Stevens (Pat St. John's brother) who did PM drive, Bruce Figler, Al Vertucci (yup, same guy from WCBS-FM), Garth Hemp, Amy Wright, Ten "Skinny Bobby" Cannarozzi (who went to Z100), John Lassman and Al Milukas. I remember them signing on in 1982 and going commercial free for the summer. When they went CHR, Charlie Berger joined them, and stayed throughout all their incarnations, including Country 103.5. He still does overnights on WKTU.

Thanks for the great post Robyn, it brought back a lot of memories.<P ID="signature">______________

Co/Moderator: New York,Miami,Airchecks,Classic Radio and Where Are They Now?</P>

 

[MarcR]

> Hi,
>
> I was on the Radio-Timeline site last night, when I've
> discovered that there is a audio composite of WAPP during
> their brief time as a Top 40 station in 1984-85 and includes
> Bobby Ocean, Harry Nelson, Perry Stone, & others. Here is
> the link:
>
> http://www.radiotimeline.com/ (scroll down to "New York
> Airchecks")
>
> I've have a couple of question about the station.
>
> 1): I know that the station started out as a Album rocker in
> the summer of 1982, but when did they flip to Top 40?
>
> 2): Was the station stil owned by Doubleday, or was it owned
> by Emmis at this point?
>
> 3): What were their ratings like as a Top 40 station?
>
> 4): On the 1985 part of this composite, the station had
> reverted to a Top 40/Album Rock hybrid as Hot 103.5. What
> were the ratings like after that change?
>
> 5): When did Hot 103.5 (the Dance version) sign on?
>
> Thanks,
> Robyn
>
1) They switched to a CHR/Pop format early in 1984.
2) The station was still owned by Doubleday; Emmis bought the station in '86.
3) I'm not totally sure, but I do know they couldn't compete with either Z-100 or 'PLJ, so they switched back to a Rock format by the Summer of '85.
4) Their supposedly bad ratings didn't improve.
5) Hot 103.5 signed on in August 1986. I can still remember 'APP playing some really good classic rock music just before they made the switch to Hot 103.

 

[MrsN]

> WOW...I didn't even know that Bobby Ocean was on WAPP! How
> cool is that! Some other names from the rock days include
> Michael Stevens (Pat St. John's brother) who did PM drive,
> Bruce Figler, Al Vertucci (yup, same guy from WCBS-FM),
> Garth Hemp, Amy Wright, Ted "Skinny Bobby" Cannarozzi (who
> went to Z100), John Lassman and Al Milukas. I remember them
> signing on in 1982 and going commercial free for the summer.
> When they went CHR, Charlie Berger joined them, and stayed
> throughout all their incarnations, including Country 103.5.
> He still does overnights on WKTU.
>
> Thanks for the great post Robyn, it brought back a lot of
> memories.
>

But let's not forget:
Ted Bergin (a/k/a Rufus Calvin Hurt)
Chip Hobart (now possibly at WCLX-FM licensed to Westport, NY)
Randi "Rambo" Rhodes
Willie Sanchez
Ray White (after leaving WLIR and before going to WNEW)
EJ Crummey
Mark McEwen
Ken Dashow

 

[MattBAA]

> > WOW...I didn't even know that Bobby Ocean was on WAPP! How
>
> > cool is that! Some other names from the rock days include
> > Michael Stevens (Pat St. John's brother) who did PM drive,
>
> > Bruce Figler, Al Vertucci (yup, same guy from WCBS-FM),
> > Garth Hemp, Amy Wright, Ted "Skinny Bobby" Cannarozzi (who
>
> > went to Z100), John Lassman and Al Milukas. I remember
> them
> > signing on in 1982 and going commercial free for the
> summer.
> > When they went CHR, Charlie Berger joined them, and stayed
>
> > throughout all their incarnations, including Country
> 103.5.
> > He still does overnights on WKTU.
> >
> > Thanks for the great post Robyn, it brought back a lot of
> > memories.
> >
>
> But let's not forget:
> Ted Bergin (a/k/a Rufus Calvin Hurt)
> Chip Hobart (now possibly at WCLX-FM licensed to Westport,
> NY) (DON'T MEAN CT?)
> Randi "Rambo" Rhodes
> Willie Sanchez
> Ray White (after leaving WLIR and before going to WNEW)NOW IN SF
> EJ Crummey
> Mark McEwen
> Ken Dashow
>
I got to meet Mark and EJ several times, and they even gave me their first show, which was on Columbus Day. In between PD's I got to do a shift on WAPP...I don't remember the exact circumstances, but they were still rock. What a blast that was!<P ID="signature">______________

Co/Moderator: New York,Miami,Airchecks,Classic Radio and Where Are They Now?</P>

 

[Indielover]

> >
> 1) They switched to a CHR/Pop format early in 1984.
> 2) The station was still owned by Doubleday; Emmis bought
> the station in '86.
> 3) I'm not totally sure, but I do know they couldn't
> compete with either Z-100 or 'PLJ, so they switched back to
> a Rock format by the Summer of '85.
> 4) Their supposedly bad ratings didn't improve.
> 5) Hot 103.5 signed on in August 1986. I can still remember
> 'APP playing some really good classic rock music just before
> they made the switch to Hot 103.

WAPP stunted as classic rock "classic 103" for about 3 days leading up to the change to Hot 103 in the summer of 1986.

 

[RayDio]

>
> But let's not forget:
> Ted Bergin (a/k/a Rufus Calvin Hurt)
> Chip Hobart (now possibly at WCLX-FM licensed to Westport,
> NY)
> Randi "Rambo" Rhodes
> Willie Sanchez
> Ray White (after leaving WLIR and before going to WNEW)
> EJ Crummey
> Mark McEwen
> Ken Dashow
>

Yes, that is the same Randi Rhodes (who was a horrible music DJ) that went on to South Florida and became a very talented talk personality. She is now on Air America.

-Ray Dio

<P ID="signature">______________
Ray Dio</P>

 

[westlife]

Re: Questions about WAPP (during its brief CHR format)

> Ray White (after leaving WLIR and before going to WNEW)

Is this the same Ray White that was on CD 101.9 in the early '90s?

<P ID="signature">______________
It's a common mistake to not use punctuation in its proper form.
<a target="_blank" href=http://www.cgl.uwaterloo.ca/~csk/its.html>Be kind to your friend, the apostrophe.</a></P>

 

[chacha]

> 1) They switched to a CHR/Pop format early in 1984.
> 2) The station was still owned by Doubleday; Emmis bought
> the station in '86.
> 3) I'm not totally sure, but I do know they couldn't
> compete with either Z-100 or 'PLJ, so they switched back to
> a Rock format by the Summer of '85.
> 4) Their supposedly bad ratings didn't improve.
> 5) Hot 103.5 signed on in August 1986. I can still remember
> 'APP playing some really good classic rock music just before
> they made the switch to Hot 103.
>


Yeah they originally signed on in June 1982 (formerly WTFM) with Minneapolis' Dave Hamilton at the helm and later under APD Steve Ellis. 103.5 The Apple was first famous for its "Commercial Free Summer" and as "New York's Rock Authority" never really found its billing footing. Later on as a Top 40....its billed itself as "Big Hits". They never did beat Z-100, but did beat WPLJ ratings-wise a few times in 84-85 as a Top 40.

 

[chacha]

Re: Questions about WAPP (during its brief CHR format)

> > Ray White (after leaving WLIR and before going to WNEW)
>
> Is this the same Ray White that was on CD 101.9 in the early
> '90s?
>

One and the same. KBIG/LA's Gary Spears also did some time at WAPP in its Top 40 days.

 

[SteveNYC]

So, are you saying that after going from rock to top 40, they only went 'back to rock' for those 3 days? that would make more sense to me - that if they only did 3 days, that's how i missed it - because i loved WAPP when it was a rock station. Total depression when they flipped. (i was in my car, it was brutal - Ted Nugent followed by Janet Jackson i think.)

I dont remember them going back to rock at all; ktu flipped to k-rock, wnew was a constant then, but i dont know how i could've missed WAPP Re-Rocking the apple.

SteveNYC



so they switched back
> to
> > a Rock format by the Summer of '85.

> WAPP stunted as classic rock "classic 103" for about 3 days
> leading up to the change to Hot 103 in the summer of 1986.

 

[Indielover]

> So, are you saying that after going from rock to top 40,
> they only went 'back to rock' for those 3 days? that would
> make more sense to me - that if they only did 3 days, that's
> how i missed it - because i loved WAPP when it was a rock
> station. Total depression when they flipped. (i was in my
> car, it was brutal - Ted Nugent followed by Janet Jackson i
> think.)
>
> I dont remember them going back to rock at all; ktu flipped
> to k-rock, wnew was a constant then, but i dont know how i
> could've missed WAPP Re-Rocking the apple.
>
> SteveNYC

They evolved from top 40 into a "rock40" never fully going back to AOR, this lasted for about a year or so. 3 days prior to becoming dance hot103, they stunted with classic rock as classic103.

 

[MarcR]

> So, are you saying that after going from rock to top 40,
> they only went 'back to rock' for those 3 days? that would
> make more sense to me - that if they only did 3 days, that's
> how i missed it - because i loved WAPP when it was a rock
> station. Total depression when they flipped. (i was in my
> car, it was brutal - Ted Nugent followed by Janet Jackson i
> think.)
>
> I dont remember them going back to rock at all; ktu flipped
> to k-rock, wnew was a constant then, but i dont know how i
> could've missed WAPP Re-Rocking the apple.
>
> SteveNYC
>
>
>
I think they might've been a hybrid CHR/Rock station from the Summer of '85 until those 3 days in the Summer of '86 when they stunted with classic rock music before fipping to become Hot 103. I know I can recall hearing songs like "Tom Sawyer" by Rush on 'APP during that interim period.

 

[RobynWatts]

Quick question about Perry Stone (slightly OT).

One quick question:

Was WAPP's Perry Stone the same Perry Stone that later became a controversial talk show host and later went to San Fransisco to replace Alex Bennett at KITS?

What was so controversial? He said something on the air in either New York or San Fransisco along the lines that Blacks being "payed off in watermelons" as well as a few other not-so-flattering comments aimed at other minorities (I guess he was trying to out-do Howard Stern in the shock radio department).

Just wondering,
Robyn <P ID="signature">______________
"They say you better listen to the voice of reason. But they don't give you any choice 'cause they think it's treason." Elvis Costello "Radio Radio"</P>

 

[MrsN]

Re: Questions about WAPP (during its brief CHR format)

> > Ray White (after leaving WLIR and before going to WNEW)
>
> Is this the same Ray White that was on CD 101.9 in the early
> '90s?
>


absolutely - and you can now find ray at 103.7 KKSF-FM San Francisco
http://www.kksf.com/main.html

 

[FrankF]

Re: Quick question about Perry Stone (slightly OT).

> One quick question:
>
> Was WAPP's Perry Stone the same Perry Stone that later
> became a controversial talk show host and later went to San
> Fransisco to replace Alex Bennett at KITS?
>
> What was so controversial? He said something on the air in
> either New York or San Fransisco along the lines that Blacks
> being "payed off in watermelons" as well as a few other
> not-so-flattering comments aimed at other minorities (I
> guess he was trying to out-do Howard Stern in the shock
> radio department).
>
> Just wondering,
> Robyn
>

I remember Perry used to work afternoon drive on WBAB before moving to WAPP. I also remember Howard Stern complaining about him when he said those comments. Perry tried to defend himself by saying something along the lines of if Howard Stern could so it, why can't I. Also there's a Preacher on one of the pay for play TV channels here in Orlando that goes by the name Perry Stone. I wonder if this is the same guy?

 

[BillHall]

Re: Quick question about Perry Stone (slightly OT).

> I remember Perry used to work afternoon drive on WBAB
> before moving to WAPP.

And prior to that he did fill-in work at WPIX-FM (now WQCD) and weekends/fill-in at WDHA. Later he worked in Boston at a short-lived local would-be competitor to MTV (on a UHF station there).