Rock 99 Flips Video

[Raymanator]

Check out this video on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FULZvE7JJs&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

[passtheword]

That's hilarious! Thanks for sharing it. The video did mention 99.5's "34 year history" as a rock station, although it wasn't a continuous 34 years...given 99.5's two format gaps in between: country and soft AC.

 

[StrayKats]

Bravo. What more is there to say?

 

[rtech]

That's hilarious! Thanks for sharing it. The video did mention 99.5's "34 year history" as a rock station, although it wasn't a continuous 34 years...given 99.5's two format gaps in between: country and soft AC.

Rock 99 went on the air in December of 1988. There was never a gap. It was country then AC. When it was purchased by Dick Broadcasting in '88 it went Classic Rock and has been that way until 1/1/12.

 

[passtheword]

That's hilarious! Thanks for sharing it. The video did mention 99.5's "34 year history" as a rock station, although it wasn't a continuous 34 years...given 99.5's two format gaps in between: country and soft AC.

Rock 99 went on the air in December of 1988. There was never a gap. It was country then AC. When it was purchased by Dick Broadcasting in '88 it went Classic Rock and has been that way until 1/1/12.

Yes, I remember when Rock 99 came on the air...Christmas Day, 1988. That isn't 34 years, though. The video mentioned the station's "34 years" as a heritage rock station. I'm guessing that is a reference to 1977 when WVOK-FM came on the air. By "gap"...I meant between the years of 1982-1988. From April 1982?-Feb. 20 '84 the station was WRKK, "K-country", Feb. 20, '84-March 31, '85, also country WQUS "US 99" (call letters changed at noon that day) and April 1, '85 to Dec. 25, '88 as soft AC WLTB ("Lite 99"). 99.5 began using the WZRR calls when the classic rock format debuted at 6 pm Christmas Day, 1988, although the FCC records the call letter change to WZRR occuring on Dec. 1, '88 for some reason.

 

[ALRocker]

I've got to say this ever time the history of 99.5 is mentioned- When K-99 flipped it was the day the music died in the 'Ham. I wish everybody on this board could have heard the 'album station" and the way radio use to be.

 

[T-townpete]

That's a really funny video there, Ray Quinn ;D...oops, I meant "Raymanator". Pretty creative. As a matter of fact, Clear Channel could stand to use a little of this type of creativity on their own radio stations, instead of the cookie cutter programming that continues to be spewed out of your studios. By the way, when do you plan on starting Christmas Music on Magic this year? How about April 20th? (Adolf Hitler's Birthday). Because, after all, Adolf is a huge fan of all your stations :-*

 

[Raymanator]

If you were able to look at the ratings you would discover that, while the cluster may not win your creative awards, the number of listeners serve have has grown considerably over the past several years and that is the only vote that matters. The listeners. Not the handful of insiders that populate this board. Further, our revenue has grown significantly in the past years in spite of a soft advertising economy. And dare I say it... we are way more profitable too!

Hmmm...
We are serving more listeners and advertisers than ever before and helping the community along the way. That is how I measure success. I am proud of my team.

By the way. About 100,000 more listeners listen to Magic when we flip to Christmas music.
I gues you are out of our target demographic.

 

[The Wattcher]

I've got to say this ever time the history of 99.5 is mentioned- When K-99 flipped it was the day the music died in the 'Ham. I wish everybody on this board could have heard the 'album station" and the way radio use to be.

Tell it brother. I listened in '77-'78. Two things are burned in my brain and are played back in my head when I think about K-99.

The phrase " Hi this is Paul...." (in a very, you could smell the incense burning, kind of way) & the TOH ID that used a cool audio

clip from some forgotten ELO song.

 

[T-townpete]

our revenue has grown significantly in the past years in spite of a soft advertising economy. And dare I say it... we are way more profitable too!

Of course you're more profitable there, Mr. Quinn The Mighty Eskimo....but maybe that's more due to the fact that you're paying a lot less salaries on the 4th and 5th floor these days. Less Salaries= More Profit. You'll probably increase that bottom line with even more cutbacks this year....just like the ones you had a couple months back ;D I wonder if you had Magic's Christmas Music playing in the background while you were firing those people....oops, I mean "reduction in force". Anyway, keep up the great work there, Quinn Medicine Woman :-*

Kinda sad when the GM of a radio cluster, has time to post on a board that is frequented by a "handful of insiders" to post a video that is clearly one that is puts is company a positive light. You should really be spending your time making your stations sound BETTER.

Continued Success To You

 

[tomservo]

By the way. About 100,000 more listeners listen to Magic when we flip to Christmas music.
I gues you are out of our target demographic.

So am I but I do understand why the station does it. It sure flipped early this year, I figured a flip was imminent.

And doesn't Magic do a weekend of Christmas in July? That'll drive T-townpete batty. ;D

 

[duncanalausa]

I've got to say this ever time the history of 99.5 is mentioned- When K-99 flipped it was the day the music died in the 'Ham. I wish everybody on this board could have heard the 'album station" and the way radio use to be.

i can only say i disagree. album rock is the antithesis to radio as a medium. i can program my own album cuts and non stop music. what i listen to radio for is information and diversion. i was completely glad k-99 died. one of the reasons i listen to talk radio now (i am musician for the last 43 years and was on air in small market radio for a while). radio is for entertainment and album rock is not entertaining to me (or the majority of radio listeners).

 

[rwells2265]

Tell it brother. I listened in '77-'78. Two things are burned in my brain and are played back in my head when I think about K-99.

The phrase " Hi this is Paul...." (in a very, you could smell the incense burning, kind of way) & the TOH ID that used a cool audio

clip from some forgotten ELO song.

The music was the middle bridge of "So Fine", from the ELO album A New World Record (1977). Whenever I hear the song, and that part comes up, I'll sometimes say out loud "K-99 ... IS ...."

To modify/correct earlier info given about K-99, the station signed on December 6, 1976 as WVOK-FM. When the Brennan family sold off WVOK-AM 690 early in 1979, keeping 99.5, the calls were changed to WRKK. Everything else was intact.

Trouble started late in 1981 when WAPI-FM flipped from "beautiful music" to AOR ("95 ROCK"). K-99, while still the better station from a music standpoint, started slipping in the face of this bling.

In 1982, the Brennan family sold WRKK. August 23, 1982 is the day K-99 changed over to country, still using WRKK but later as WQUS ("US 99"). 1985, to lite rock as WLTB ... and we all know the rest.

For more on K-99, with audio clips - including that great station ID:
http://www.birminghamrewound.com/features/K99_main.htm

Those who remember K-99 know what a profound treasure Birmingham had. Those who weren't around to hear it ... you missed something really special.

--Russell

 

[ALRocker]

Lets start a "bring back K-99" page! I would like to know how they did in the ratings, since at that time I had no idea about ratings, I was in my early teens. I did listen to 95 rock, after the flip, since that was the only choice I had, but it was nothing compared to 99.