Ratings from Coastal NC market from (nearly) 20 years ago.

[RobynWattsV2.0]

Here is a snapshot of what the ratings were like from Greenville/New Bern/Jacksonville (then-market #84) from Spring 1988. The market was rated twice per year at the time.

Station Format F/87 Sp/88

WIKS Urban 24.9 23.1
WRNS Country 16.1 14.4
WDLX Top 40 9.5 11.6
WSFL-AM/FM AC 5.6 7.8
WZYC Album 4.3 7.0
WNCT-FM Easy 8.7 5.8
WXQR Album 3.2 3.1
WRDU Album 2.5 2.4
WRCM Country 1.9 2.0
WRQR AC 0.6 1.5
WGTM Religious 1.1 1.4
WRAL AC 1.1 1.4


Enjoy,
Robyn

 

[pbf1]

93 DLX!

What a great station 93DLX was! Even though it had the old Gates board. (Granted, they were indestructible, but there was a certain irony to playing CDs thru early-60s technology...)

 

[sack]

WE had an ancient board in the production room at WZYC, with those big old turntables that could be used to play transcriptions. That was a challenging room to work with, but we did some fun stuff there. And the on air studio was also a mix of old and new technology,, and old board and home cd players. It was still one of the most fun places I ever worked.

 

[garytuna]

Looking at the ratings brings back great memories of my time in eastern carolina at WDLX. I remember when we once tied WRNS at 12.4 and feeling like that was quite an accomplishment. It was great fun coming to WDLX in early 1986 and having the opportunity to build a great radio station with great support from the owners. I was able to hire some great jocks, and we had a superior sales staff. Together it made for some fun years in radio. Although I am no longer spinning the tunes, I still will have a special place for the time I spent there and enjoy listening online when I have a chance. Many jocks I worked with are still there on various stations. Thanks for the ratings update from 1988.
Gary Jackson

 

[BIG APE]

;D Are you "Charlies" Brother??

BIG APE!

 

[Marathon Don]

WE had an ancient board in the production room at WZYC, with those big old turntables that could be used to play transcriptions. That was a challenging room to work with, but we did some fun stuff there. And the on air studio was also a mix of old and new technology,, and old board and home cd players. It was still one of the most fun places I ever worked.

Man, I used to love "Z103". It somehow wasn't the same after the move to Hwy 70. Mac McKee gave me a tour of that building shortly after they moved in. The place looked fantastic, with glass studios overlooking the lobby and brand new equipment. Sadly, Z103 wasn't destined to live much longer.

 

[Ssummers]

Looking at the ratings brings back great memories of my time in eastern carolina at WDLX. I remember when we once tied WRNS at 12.4 and feeling like that was quite an accomplishment. It was great fun coming to WDLX in early 1986 and having the opportunity to build a great radio station with great support from the owners. I was able to hire some great jocks, and we had a superior sales staff. Together it made for some fun years in radio. Although I am no longer spinning the tunes, I still will have a special place for the time I spent there and enjoy listening online when I have a chance. Many jocks I worked with are still there on various stations. Thanks for the ratings update from 1988.
Gary Jackson

Gary hired me at WCKN in Greenville, SC in late 1985 and left shortly thereafter to take over WDLX. One of my best friends, John Rocke, worked for him there and always said how much he enjoyed working for Gary and at WDLX. I have few regrets in my career, but one of them was not being able to work for Gary for any appreciable period of time. He struck me as a good guy, solid programmer and cool to work for. It was a nightmare at WCKN after he left...which leads me to one of my other regrets, but, another story for another time.

What are you doing these days, Gary?

 

[NewsNow]

I actually have an arb book from 21 years ago, which shows the WRNS jump in power, the WIKS switch to urban, and the utter destruction of WQDW within a year's time.

WQDW was used as leverage for a WSFL buyout. So.... when Super Q hit the dark days, WSFL followed shortly after, even with healthy ratings. The days of wonderful Caravelle Broadcasting.

I loved their initial rock format when they finally came back on.

 

[RadioDze]

You mentioned WRNS' jump in power 21 years ago. What were their facilities like before this change?

 

[garytuna]

thanks for the kind words Scott. Sorry about leaving you in the nightmare at wckn. Tell John I said hi. And always be careful when pulling an old Mercury Comet with a radio station van.

 

[Ssummers]

thanks for the kind words Scott. Sorry about leaving you in the nightmare at wckn. Tell John I said hi. And always be careful when pulling an old Mercury Comet with a radio station van.

Lol! Surreal, wasn't it? Driving around in the station van with a station mascot named Rocky Raccoon, pulling the spring promotion behind you, fishtailing off the road, said raccoon stepping on your head to get out...and the GM not being too mad because the insurance paid off the van. You just can't get good radio like that anymore. I'll pass the word along to John. Glad you're well.

 

[viper452]

When was WSFL considered an AC station? From hearing airhecks of it from the 70s and early 80s, it sounds like it was always some kind of rock station.

 

[TheJermster]

Does anyone know how "Kool 98.7" did in the ratings? In the late 80s it seems as though they were the stand alone oldies station. I have a few questions.

I moved south just as Kool signed off but I do remember them IDing themselves as The Port City's 60s Superstation does anyone remember any other slogans?

Was Kools playlist short or wide?

Did Kool sound more like the current WNCT or were they like Jammin but with Beach Boys and Chicago or did they have a sound all their own?

I believe my good friend Brian White was the PD for Kool until it's demise; who else worked there?

I loved the Reelworld WODJ resings Kool used

What are your reviews on the old Kool as I would love to gain insight on what was a long running station; they must have done something right

 

[tanner]

I moved to Florida in October of 1986 and WSFL was Top 40 at that time. The transition to Rock occurred sometime after that date.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Kool 98.5 actually played Henry Mancini's "Love Theme from 'Romeo and Juliet'". That's all I remember because it seemed so out of place.

I don't remember when they moved to 98.7, but I wondered how they could co-exist with WDAI in Myrtle Beach, which was licensed to Pawleys Island to the south, but still ... then I found out they moved.

 

[RadioDaze]

I think that station was always at 98.7, at least it has been since the country-formatted WRCM days of the 1980s.

 

[vchimpanzee]

I think that station was always at 98.7, at least it has been since the country-formatted WRCM days of the 1980s.

Wikipedia doesn't say anything, but I'm fairly certain the oldies format was on 98.5. There's got to be a way to prove that if it's true.

 

[w00t]

The oldies format was always 98.7. Before that it was country, as WRCM, and still on 98.7.

 

[quadraphonic]

I think that station was always at 98.7, at least it has been since the country-formatted WRCM days of the 1980s.

Wikipedia doesn't say anything, but I'm fairly certain the oldies format was on 98.5. There's got to be a way to prove that if it's true.

Flux capacitor!

 

[Surfside]

I grew up in Jacksonville and worked for Winfas, the company owned by Tommy Walker & Roger Ingram. They owned Kool 98.7.... WRCM, etc. The history is that is used to be on 92.1 and was a semi automated country station for years. It was only 3kW at the time & was sister station to AC WJNC. In the late eighties, they changed freqs to 98.7 as WRCM and was country for a short time afterward- before switching to oldies. I came back to work for them round 1993, by then they were oldies and simulcasting at 101.1 in Belhaven. Commercials were different on each, so we'd have to remember to fire off a 25hZ tone to trigger the Belhaven station. A new station also popped up at 92.3 as they had vacated the 92.1 freq.

I also worked parttime at WSFL before & during the Caravelle AC days... I remember the mandatory meeting we had to talk about the format change to AC. Never understood that one. As the "Electric FM" - once actually licensed to Bridgeton - it was a major player in the top 40 game. There were two... WSFL & Rock 93 WITN (WDLX later) - WSFL always had fantastic processing. The only change the Caravelle guys did was to swap out the mike... from a Sennheiser to a RE20 - never forgive them for that!

This was fun! And, WOW, Gary Jackson in the mix too! I know I sent him an aircheck or ten...lol


Dave Solomon