A
alabamawildman
Guest
Article from the Times Daily; official press release:
WLAY AM CHANGING FORMAT TO SHOALS ONLY MUSIC
What do Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones, Willie Nelson and Rod Stewart have in common?
In addition to being world-renowned musicians, the music of those four legends has a direct connection to the Shoals and the legendary Muscle Shoals sound.
Beginning today, listeners will be able to hear that legendary sound 24 hours a day, seven days a week, when one of the Shoals' historic radio stations changes its format.
At noon, WLAY-AM 1450 changes its format to Shoals-only programming. From that moment forward, every song played on the station will have a direct connection to the Shoals.
Brian Rickman, director of programming and operations for URBan Radio Broadcasting, which owns the station, said the Shoals connection could be that the song was written or recorded here or that the artist was born or spent a significant amount of time in the Shoals.
"It's going to be a music archive for the area, an on-air museum," Rickman said.
The station plays all different types of music, from blues to rock 'n' roll to bluegrass and country.
Rickman said other than having a Shoals-only theme, there is not a genre format. So listeners can expect to hear different genres of music back-to-back.
"Just give us about 15 minutes, and you'll find an old favorite or something you haven't discovered that you like," Rickman said.
The only music that will be played on the station without a direct Shoals connection is blues, he said.
Beginning each Friday evening and continuing through Monday morning, the station will play blues as a tribute to W.C. Handy.
Since Handy, "The Father of the Blues," was born in Florence, technically, all blues has a direct Shoals connection, station representatives say.
Rickman said the idea of creating a local-only format, which he said is believed to be the first of its kind nationally, was tossed around almost two months ago.
"We started asking, 'Can we do this? Can we have enough songs with a local connection to fill 24 hours?' " Rickman said. "As we started coming up with the library, we knew (it was possible)."
After some research, that library now has more than enough hits and some little-known gems, to cover 24 hours of broadcasting, and much more.
"We have over 600 titles now, and there's more to come," Rickman said.
Many of those hits include those featuring the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, which includes David Hood.
Hood said he looks forward to being able to drive along and hear "Kodachrome," by Paul Simon, and other songs he collaborated on.
"It was a thrill the first time I heard (a song I performed) on the radio, and it is a thrill to this day," Hood said.
Hood said he is glad there is now a station celebrating the rich musical heritage of the Shoals, which attracted dozens of big-name artists for recording sessions.
Rickman said that the Shoals is one of the few places in America that could have a local-only music format.
"Of course, big towns like Detroit or Philadelphia could, but in a town of this size, there has never been something this unique," Rickman said.
In addition to celebrating the area's musical past, WLAY-AM 1450 will also try to nurture the area's future musical starts, by accepting local artists' work for airplay consideration.
David Johnson, director of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, said he hopes the station will catch the ears of both young and old fans.
"The heritage in this area is second to none," Johnson said. "The music in this area is phenomenal."
Ty West can be reached at 740-5720 or [email protected].
************
MUSCLE SHOALS, ALABAMA’S RICH MUSICAL LEGACY TO BE SPOTLIGHTED WITH AN EAR TOWARD THE FUTURE
URBan RADIO BROADCASTING LAUNCHES THE NATION’S FIRST COMMERCIAL RADIO STATION FEATURING ONLY LOCAL MUSIC
Shoals Radio/URBan Radio Broadcasting, proud owners of WLAY-FM, WVNA-FM (Classic Rock, 105.5 – The Big Dog), WMXV-FM (V-103.5), WJOR-FM and WVNA-AM (NewsTalk AM 1590, WVNA, The Voice Of North Alabama) proudly announces the revitalization of one of their most historic properties, WLAY-AM.
WLAY-AM on Wednesday at 12 Noon will become the only radio station in America that programs only local music. In order to meet the criteria for the station’s library, a song must have some direct connection to the Shoals area of Alabama. If the music was recorded or written in the region, it makes the cut. If an artist was born or spent a significant amount of their career in the Shoals, they’re in. Otherwise, only blues musicians will get a free pass to hit the airwaves. The station will program blues music throughout the weekend as a tribute to W.C. Handy (the “father of the blues”, born in Florence, AL).
Otherwise, there will be no “format” per se. All genres of music will be welcome and will co-exist back to back on the station. The station will also, in the coming months, incorporate an increased amount of public service to the community via its programming and outreach initiatives. Local news, weather and traffic updates will be provided by the WLAY-AM’s sister station, NewsTalk AM 1590, WVNA.
Please see attached ‘one-sheet’ for a sample hour of Shoals-based music to be programmed on WLAY-AM.
Of course, given the area’s history, WLAY-AM is in a unique position to offer this programming; most places in America do not have such a rich musical history to draw upon. Still, this move continues to highlight URBan Radio Broadcasting’s sincere commitment to local programming. A quick investigation into the programming of any of the company’s current properties (Toledo, OH – Alexandria, LA – Columbus/Starksville, MS are other URBan markets) demonstrates the group’s desire to develop radio stations built around their respective communities.
Further, URBan hopes that this move contributes to the continued success of the area’s music industry. Eventually, the station will be made available online, introducing many new-comers to “that special Muscle Shoals sound” and thrilling long-time fans. Also, there are a number of exciting plans in the works in an effort to help nurture rising talent in the region and pay respects to area veterans.
Foremost, URBan Radio Broadcasting hopes that WLAY-AM will stand as an ever-evolving monument and archive of the incredible music created in Northwest Alabama (past, present and future). Following the station’s launch, all area artists are invited to bring their work to the station for airplay consideration. In fact, that offer will always be standing.
WLAY AM CHANGING FORMAT TO SHOALS ONLY MUSIC
What do Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones, Willie Nelson and Rod Stewart have in common?
In addition to being world-renowned musicians, the music of those four legends has a direct connection to the Shoals and the legendary Muscle Shoals sound.
Beginning today, listeners will be able to hear that legendary sound 24 hours a day, seven days a week, when one of the Shoals' historic radio stations changes its format.
At noon, WLAY-AM 1450 changes its format to Shoals-only programming. From that moment forward, every song played on the station will have a direct connection to the Shoals.
Brian Rickman, director of programming and operations for URBan Radio Broadcasting, which owns the station, said the Shoals connection could be that the song was written or recorded here or that the artist was born or spent a significant amount of time in the Shoals.
"It's going to be a music archive for the area, an on-air museum," Rickman said.
The station plays all different types of music, from blues to rock 'n' roll to bluegrass and country.
Rickman said other than having a Shoals-only theme, there is not a genre format. So listeners can expect to hear different genres of music back-to-back.
"Just give us about 15 minutes, and you'll find an old favorite or something you haven't discovered that you like," Rickman said.
The only music that will be played on the station without a direct Shoals connection is blues, he said.
Beginning each Friday evening and continuing through Monday morning, the station will play blues as a tribute to W.C. Handy.
Since Handy, "The Father of the Blues," was born in Florence, technically, all blues has a direct Shoals connection, station representatives say.
Rickman said the idea of creating a local-only format, which he said is believed to be the first of its kind nationally, was tossed around almost two months ago.
"We started asking, 'Can we do this? Can we have enough songs with a local connection to fill 24 hours?' " Rickman said. "As we started coming up with the library, we knew (it was possible)."
After some research, that library now has more than enough hits and some little-known gems, to cover 24 hours of broadcasting, and much more.
"We have over 600 titles now, and there's more to come," Rickman said.
Many of those hits include those featuring the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, which includes David Hood.
Hood said he looks forward to being able to drive along and hear "Kodachrome," by Paul Simon, and other songs he collaborated on.
"It was a thrill the first time I heard (a song I performed) on the radio, and it is a thrill to this day," Hood said.
Hood said he is glad there is now a station celebrating the rich musical heritage of the Shoals, which attracted dozens of big-name artists for recording sessions.
Rickman said that the Shoals is one of the few places in America that could have a local-only music format.
"Of course, big towns like Detroit or Philadelphia could, but in a town of this size, there has never been something this unique," Rickman said.
In addition to celebrating the area's musical past, WLAY-AM 1450 will also try to nurture the area's future musical starts, by accepting local artists' work for airplay consideration.
David Johnson, director of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, said he hopes the station will catch the ears of both young and old fans.
"The heritage in this area is second to none," Johnson said. "The music in this area is phenomenal."
Ty West can be reached at 740-5720 or [email protected].
************
MUSCLE SHOALS, ALABAMA’S RICH MUSICAL LEGACY TO BE SPOTLIGHTED WITH AN EAR TOWARD THE FUTURE
URBan RADIO BROADCASTING LAUNCHES THE NATION’S FIRST COMMERCIAL RADIO STATION FEATURING ONLY LOCAL MUSIC
Shoals Radio/URBan Radio Broadcasting, proud owners of WLAY-FM, WVNA-FM (Classic Rock, 105.5 – The Big Dog), WMXV-FM (V-103.5), WJOR-FM and WVNA-AM (NewsTalk AM 1590, WVNA, The Voice Of North Alabama) proudly announces the revitalization of one of their most historic properties, WLAY-AM.
WLAY-AM on Wednesday at 12 Noon will become the only radio station in America that programs only local music. In order to meet the criteria for the station’s library, a song must have some direct connection to the Shoals area of Alabama. If the music was recorded or written in the region, it makes the cut. If an artist was born or spent a significant amount of their career in the Shoals, they’re in. Otherwise, only blues musicians will get a free pass to hit the airwaves. The station will program blues music throughout the weekend as a tribute to W.C. Handy (the “father of the blues”, born in Florence, AL).
Otherwise, there will be no “format” per se. All genres of music will be welcome and will co-exist back to back on the station. The station will also, in the coming months, incorporate an increased amount of public service to the community via its programming and outreach initiatives. Local news, weather and traffic updates will be provided by the WLAY-AM’s sister station, NewsTalk AM 1590, WVNA.
Please see attached ‘one-sheet’ for a sample hour of Shoals-based music to be programmed on WLAY-AM.
Of course, given the area’s history, WLAY-AM is in a unique position to offer this programming; most places in America do not have such a rich musical history to draw upon. Still, this move continues to highlight URBan Radio Broadcasting’s sincere commitment to local programming. A quick investigation into the programming of any of the company’s current properties (Toledo, OH – Alexandria, LA – Columbus/Starksville, MS are other URBan markets) demonstrates the group’s desire to develop radio stations built around their respective communities.
Further, URBan hopes that this move contributes to the continued success of the area’s music industry. Eventually, the station will be made available online, introducing many new-comers to “that special Muscle Shoals sound” and thrilling long-time fans. Also, there are a number of exciting plans in the works in an effort to help nurture rising talent in the region and pay respects to area veterans.
Foremost, URBan Radio Broadcasting hopes that WLAY-AM will stand as an ever-evolving monument and archive of the incredible music created in Northwest Alabama (past, present and future). Following the station’s launch, all area artists are invited to bring their work to the station for airplay consideration. In fact, that offer will always be standing.