Chris was in radio that was run by radio lovers, not money lovers. Miss those days!
-
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
WNAP 70s & 80s
- Thread starter japman
- Start date
A M E N Dutch...there are a few bastions of love for radio left in the small markets, but they're a vanishing breed.Flying-Dutchman said:
Keith Kidd said:
The problem with big business is that the actual product can cease to be the product -- and the companies that make the no-longer product become the product, bought and sold. When that happens, it is time for people who want to create the real product with any quality to get out, because there will be no satisfaction anymore. jim
Chris was in radio that was run by radio lovers, not money lovers.
Thing is, by the early 80s Fairbanks was using WNAP as a shield to protect the 50,000 watt AM mama, WIBC.
after Q95 started stealing the buzzard's thunder. The Broadcasting Yearbook listing for WNAP went from a progressive format in the mid 70s to top 40 by 80.
WNAP became AC shortly after the sign-on of WENS for IBC's benefit(they were full service AC at the time.)
I remember hearing Cris Conner on a Saturday afternoon during that time come out of a Lionel Ritchie ballad and said,"...not exactly "Rock the Casbah," is it?" My friend and I laughed...and then became sad at the turn of events.
By mid decade the Eagle landed for a short time and then by 1987 it was KLR with a classic rock tinge and morphed into oldies by mid '88.
Thing is, by the early 80s Fairbanks was using WNAP as a shield to protect the 50,000 watt AM mama, WIBC.
after Q95 started stealing the buzzard's thunder. The Broadcasting Yearbook listing for WNAP went from a progressive format in the mid 70s to top 40 by 80.
WNAP became AC shortly after the sign-on of WENS for IBC's benefit(they were full service AC at the time.)
I remember hearing Cris Conner on a Saturday afternoon during that time come out of a Lionel Ritchie ballad and said,"...not exactly "Rock the Casbah," is it?" My friend and I laughed...and then became sad at the turn of events.
By mid decade the Eagle landed for a short time and then by 1987 it was KLR with a classic rock tinge and morphed into oldies by mid '88.
WNAP became AC shortly after the sign-on of WENS for IBC's benefit(they were full service AC at the time.)
I remember hearing Cris Conner on a Saturday afternoon during that time come out of a Lionel Ritchie ballad and said,"...not exactly "Rock the Casbah," is it?" My friend and I laughed...and then became sad at the turn of events.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks for the memories! I'll never forget when I first noticed the format shift. I had been out of Indy for a few years out on the east coast and came back to visit in May of 1983, the week before the race. When I hit the Post Road exit off of I-70, I flipped on 93.1 to hear..........."Woman in Love" by Barbra Steisand!!! ??? I knew something had changed. Decidedly AC music. It was well presented though. And much of the old Buzzard formatics from Fairbanks were still there, including songs going straight into stopsets. It was good to hear Cris Conner afternoons from 3-7. Bruce Munson was doing commercials for Hi-Fi Buys and they were played on the station. Pat Moore did middays and had an oldies request show in the noon hour. Not all, but some of the old jingles were still intact. I believe the main jingle package used was from Fairwest. (someone correct me if that is wrong) and they still used some longer jingles from the Heller days ("Indianapolis listens to FM 93...We do our best to be everything that you want us to be......W-N-A-P"). They still called the station the Buzzard, but by then, the top-of-hour ID with Chuck Riley ("Wrath of the Buzzard") was gone. The format also had news with Ann Craig at the top of the hour.
What was MORE of a shock was the following summer (1984) when I returned to again visit Indy. Gone was any resemblence of the Buzzard, replaced instead with a 1984 version of Radio Now...high energy top 40. The morning team was a "zoo" style program. The station used jingles (TM I think), but were played between every song, "Hot Hits" style. In fact, the station sadly even made fun of the old Buzzard with a liner they played every so often. "The Wrath of the BUZZER (followed by immediate loud buzzer sound). Quite a serious disappointment and really an insult to the loyal listeners. It was more interesting to listen to WIBC during that time. At least they still had Gary Todd, Orly Knutson, et al along with a pretty good selection of music. Talk was only in the evening with "Talknet" featuring Bruce Williams.
It was exactly 10 years later (1994) when I heard the real "Buzzard" had returned. Chuck Riley's voiceovers and the top-of-the-hour ID never sounded better. Too bad that some of the original 'NAP jocks could not have returned with the format. Besides Smash, there were very few. Kevin Murphy was a good jock, but I would have preferred Cris Conner, Mike Griffin or Buster Bodine.
I remember hearing Cris Conner on a Saturday afternoon during that time come out of a Lionel Ritchie ballad and said,"...not exactly "Rock the Casbah," is it?" My friend and I laughed...and then became sad at the turn of events.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks for the memories! I'll never forget when I first noticed the format shift. I had been out of Indy for a few years out on the east coast and came back to visit in May of 1983, the week before the race. When I hit the Post Road exit off of I-70, I flipped on 93.1 to hear..........."Woman in Love" by Barbra Steisand!!! ??? I knew something had changed. Decidedly AC music. It was well presented though. And much of the old Buzzard formatics from Fairbanks were still there, including songs going straight into stopsets. It was good to hear Cris Conner afternoons from 3-7. Bruce Munson was doing commercials for Hi-Fi Buys and they were played on the station. Pat Moore did middays and had an oldies request show in the noon hour. Not all, but some of the old jingles were still intact. I believe the main jingle package used was from Fairwest. (someone correct me if that is wrong) and they still used some longer jingles from the Heller days ("Indianapolis listens to FM 93...We do our best to be everything that you want us to be......W-N-A-P"). They still called the station the Buzzard, but by then, the top-of-hour ID with Chuck Riley ("Wrath of the Buzzard") was gone. The format also had news with Ann Craig at the top of the hour.
What was MORE of a shock was the following summer (1984) when I returned to again visit Indy. Gone was any resemblence of the Buzzard, replaced instead with a 1984 version of Radio Now...high energy top 40. The morning team was a "zoo" style program. The station used jingles (TM I think), but were played between every song, "Hot Hits" style. In fact, the station sadly even made fun of the old Buzzard with a liner they played every so often. "The Wrath of the BUZZER (followed by immediate loud buzzer sound). Quite a serious disappointment and really an insult to the loyal listeners. It was more interesting to listen to WIBC during that time. At least they still had Gary Todd, Orly Knutson, et al along with a pretty good selection of music. Talk was only in the evening with "Talknet" featuring Bruce Williams.
It was exactly 10 years later (1994) when I heard the real "Buzzard" had returned. Chuck Riley's voiceovers and the top-of-the-hour ID never sounded better. Too bad that some of the original 'NAP jocks could not have returned with the format. Besides Smash, there were very few. Kevin Murphy was a good jock, but I would have preferred Cris Conner, Mike Griffin or Buster Bodine.
There were 2 eras in WNAP's past.
The one that commenced with their sign on in the late 60's through the mid 70's, the one that everyone remembers and responds to, the one you can thank JIM HILLIARD for, AND....
The era post 1975 or so when, for the first time, they had competition and went through a half dozen reincarnations in a LAME effort to stay in the game.
Let's see...
They started out as the "disco queen", playing 20 -25 minutes of disco music an hour and literally handed newcomer Q95 their male audience. (smart move).
They sounded like absolute crap during these years.
Then, in an over reaction to WENS, they tried to clone "lite rock" -- and I mean CLONE. (sucked).
Then, they actually tried AOR.....(Jonathon Doll, "the NAP" -- remember?). (what next?)
Then, "Hitradio" 93NAP with Gary Hoffman as PD (hired away from WZPL, who kicked everybodys ass, including a knock on WIBC's door for the first time -- 15.1 and 15.2, remember?) WZPL under Mark Driscoll, kept it up and put "93NAP".....in their grave again.
So, in closing, WNAP 1 (Griffin, Steve King, Tom Lewis, all the great ones and JIM HILLIARD). ! ! !
WNAP 2 The pathetic efforts that followed.
Last I heard of Cris Conner he was marking down sale prices with his sticker gun at the Meijer store.
(Beats working for Bill Shirk). ?
The one that commenced with their sign on in the late 60's through the mid 70's, the one that everyone remembers and responds to, the one you can thank JIM HILLIARD for, AND....
The era post 1975 or so when, for the first time, they had competition and went through a half dozen reincarnations in a LAME effort to stay in the game.
Let's see...
They started out as the "disco queen", playing 20 -25 minutes of disco music an hour and literally handed newcomer Q95 their male audience. (smart move).
They sounded like absolute crap during these years.
Then, in an over reaction to WENS, they tried to clone "lite rock" -- and I mean CLONE. (sucked).
Then, they actually tried AOR.....(Jonathon Doll, "the NAP" -- remember?). (what next?)
Then, "Hitradio" 93NAP with Gary Hoffman as PD (hired away from WZPL, who kicked everybodys ass, including a knock on WIBC's door for the first time -- 15.1 and 15.2, remember?) WZPL under Mark Driscoll, kept it up and put "93NAP".....in their grave again.
So, in closing, WNAP 1 (Griffin, Steve King, Tom Lewis, all the great ones and JIM HILLIARD). ! ! !
WNAP 2 The pathetic efforts that followed.
Last I heard of Cris Conner he was marking down sale prices with his sticker gun at the Meijer store.
(Beats working for Bill Shirk). ?
To All: My best Bud and good friend, biggest fan (his words) and former patron, brewhaus co-hort and true radio maven - David Poehler, himself a successful broadcasting entrepreneur, says you've been asking about me and WNAP. I am flattered to say the very least.
All is well in the freakdom. Captain Electric as always is on the grid and again offers; "eating frozen frankfurters will NOT make you high (anymore)."
I am busy doing fine art and graphic design and criticizing radio in general for being so lame (like shoot fish in a barrel if you ask me).
As David has turned me on so-to-speak - to this site, I must say that I am in awe that you are asking about WNAP and the Guys during the 70s and early 80s.
I will try to keep up with your querries and will return to this post soon. I did want to at least thank you for your interest in the station that will not fade away - it seems that WNAP is as strong today in the minds of those who survived the era as it was in it's hazedaze.
So post away and I will reply as I am able. A lot has transpired.
Thanks again - Cris Conner
All is well in the freakdom. Captain Electric as always is on the grid and again offers; "eating frozen frankfurters will NOT make you high (anymore)."
I am busy doing fine art and graphic design and criticizing radio in general for being so lame (like shoot fish in a barrel if you ask me).
As David has turned me on so-to-speak - to this site, I must say that I am in awe that you are asking about WNAP and the Guys during the 70s and early 80s.
I will try to keep up with your querries and will return to this post soon. I did want to at least thank you for your interest in the station that will not fade away - it seems that WNAP is as strong today in the minds of those who survived the era as it was in it's hazedaze.
So post away and I will reply as I am able. A lot has transpired.
Thanks again - Cris Conner
ChiefEngineer said:
[email protected] said:
You’re right Chris... It never seems to fade away. “Freakdom” may no-longer fly live, but it survives on near-ancient Memorex. WNAP was the FIRST FM station I ever heard [early in 1969] and most-likely the final one I will think of right before the flat-line. Your station was really very “large” in my young life... ‘Just ask me what I first listened to it on - [a late-50s McIntosh FM tuner my Grandfather passed down to me for bringing up a math grade] - and how I managed to receive your signal from “high-atop the Merchants’ National Bank building” over 60-miles away - [I hand-fashioned an FM antenna from coat-hangers and a photo in an Allied Radio catalog, then hoisted it, on a freezing early-March afternoon, up the 40-foot TV tower outside my bedroom window]. My mother was so afraid [and mad] that she nearly grounded the “Mac” [and my ‘NAP listening] for a month.
Thanks for being a trailblazer [and salvation from WLS fade-out]... Thanks for S.R.C. and R.E.O. – even The Shocking Blue’s “Mighty Joe”... And THANKS for the last thing that was really NEW in radio!
hipporadio said:
SHOCKING BLUE - MIGHTY JOE...having grown up in Cincinnati, I heard this gem on WONE FM from Dayton rather than WNAP. With WAKW 93.3 a whopping 4 blocks away, my WNAP listening was after WAKW's 11PM sign off. Still have my yellow labeled 45...yet another great song that the mainstream top 40's didn't let see the light of day.
BobOnTheJob said:
“MIGHTY JOE with the bass voice”... On Jerry Ross’ cool yellow ‘n orange Colossus label – the same one that brought us The Tee Set’s “Ma Belle Me” - another first on ‘NAP in early 1970. Speaking of “firsts” [WNAP had a way with that]; I remember hearing Alvin Lee’s “I’d Love To Change The World” there a full TWO MONTHS before it appeared elsewhere on the dial in the Fall of 1971... And remember Elephant Memory’s “Mongoose”? WNAP had this very-unique way of making Top-40 “OK 'n cool” for a high-school-aged “guy” to listen to [we weren’t supposed to like it – secretly did – but wouldn’t dare admit it]. WNAP solved that pesky cultural problem for a fifteen-year-old!
BobOnTheJob said:
93.3 WAKW was an utter bane to every WNAP fan living in southeastern Indiana... Wasn’t the ERP on 93.1 only about 5-or-10kw from its perch on MNB at that time? Hearing it clearly was no problem for the mighty ’57 Mac with its dozen tubes glowing. I remember that old mono “hi-fi” being the envy of my friends who became hooked on ‘NAP. They’d run home to their mother’s Magnavox console stereo; move the pointer between 92 and 94; and there was that Godly WAKW playing “Onward Christian Soldiers”
an unacceptable substitute for Chris Conner!Wasn’t the ERP on 93.1 only about 5-or-10kw from its perch on MNB at that time?
The Radio Log from the Indianapolis Star had WNAP listed at 50K from atop the Merchants National Bank and Trust Company building. (The tower is still there, antennae and equipment are gone.) When 93.1 joined 99.5 with a shared transmitter site, both stations now listed at 12.5 K because of the increased tower height and still have the same listening area with less ERP.
Speaking of Cris Conner...he had a wide variety of monikers thru the years:
Cristopher "C" "Kingfreak" "the C stands for Killah" "Motogroove" Conner or just plain ol' MOTO!
Just a query for Cris: Whatever became of "Tits" the liquor salesman? (if you know.)
The Radio Log from the Indianapolis Star had WNAP listed at 50K from atop the Merchants National Bank and Trust Company building. (The tower is still there, antennae and equipment are gone.) When 93.1 joined 99.5 with a shared transmitter site, both stations now listed at 12.5 K because of the increased tower height and still have the same listening area with less ERP.
Speaking of Cris Conner...he had a wide variety of monikers thru the years:
Cristopher "C" "Kingfreak" "the C stands for Killah" "Motogroove" Conner or just plain ol' MOTO!
Just a query for Cris: Whatever became of "Tits" the liquor salesman? (if you know.)
And I was probably behind the mic at WAKW at the time...that was the first station I worked for...but yes, even I waited for WAKW sign off to hear The Buzzard. WAKW was 4.8KW horizontal only until the late 60's, then 10KW circular until well into the 70's...after I left in 74 or so, they upgraded to their current 50KW directional.93.3 WAKW was an utter bane to every WNAP fan living in southeastern Indiana... Wasn’t the ERP on 93.1 only about 5-or-10kw from its perch on MNB at that time? Hearing it clearly was no problem for the mighty ’57 Mac with its dozen tubes glowing. I remember that old mono “hi-fi” being the envy of my friends who became hooked on ‘NAP. They’d run home to their mother’s Magnavox console stereo; move the pointer between 92 and 94; and there was that Godly WAKW playing “Onward Christian Soldiers”
I want to say WNAP was a full 50KW from MNB. The building/tower combo were under 500', plus it was in a bowl downtown. The Harris 20KW transmitter fed a 5 or 6 bay pole mounted circular antenna...only thing I don't know is the power output. I wanna say the HAAT was 360', but I could be wrong on that count. Their current tower was activated in the late 1970's...by that time, WNAP wasn't quite the same...but everyone could hear it.
BobOnTheJob said:
I'm thinking I counted six little roto-tillers [scratching my head on that one] on their MNB stick on a trip to downtown Indy in the summer of ’69 [I wanted to see that radio tower "high-atop the Merchant’s National Bank"]. Six bays and a 20k rig would be consistent with a conservative 50kw ERP. I thought I had heard them mention their "fifty-THOUSAND-watt power" on air at that time, but later heard the 5kw and 10kw figure from others [?] That didn’t make much sense, given their easterly fade out [on the primitive FM car radios of that era] just shy of the Henry/Wayne County line along US 40.
And did we enjoy The George Baker Selection’s “Little Green Bag” [also on that yellow Colossus label] in early-Spring 1970? It took WIFE a good month to play that one. Another first was "Vehicle" [Ides of March]... ‘NAP even played the less-successful follow-up, "[I’m Your] Superman" in the Summer of 1970.
Memory says they started in '68 at 24,000 watts from MNB in mono, increased to 29,000, then 50,000. 360 feet is also correct. In 1969 I went to Purdue. WNAP didn't put too much of a signal into Lafayette, but there were those who tried to listen anyway.
Greater Lafayette TV Cable had a quad array FM antenna pointing at Chicago inserted raw into the cable system, so the Indy stations got beat up pretty badly by their co-channel Chicago frequency mates. WXRT killed WNAP. Later they began picking up and processing selected stations. The local manager picked the stations. He had just transferred into the market from Dallas, and was not really up to speed on Indiana radio. I turned him on to WNAP and he added it to the line up. Even though they installed an antenna pointed at Indy for the Indy stations, it was too high up the tower and WXRT was still a problem. I talked him into moving the antenna down to 100', and he did it, and WNAP came in great. (Try to get that kind of service from your local cable company these days) Almost anybody that knew anything about radio hooked their FM receiver to the cable, because at that time the only local signals were WAZY, WXUS, and WASK. WFBQ was the only Indy signal of any quality.
Also of interest was that the cable system was so leaky, as you drove through down, you could easily pick up the FM stations bleeding out of the cable. It was also pretty easy to view cable signals with rabbit ears in many parts of town.
To Cris, thanks for the memories. Heard the station that first day in July of 68. Have any old Rex Rona tapes ??? I've stumbled across several of the jingle packages over the years. Anybody else have any interesting airchecks ???
Greater Lafayette TV Cable had a quad array FM antenna pointing at Chicago inserted raw into the cable system, so the Indy stations got beat up pretty badly by their co-channel Chicago frequency mates. WXRT killed WNAP. Later they began picking up and processing selected stations. The local manager picked the stations. He had just transferred into the market from Dallas, and was not really up to speed on Indiana radio. I turned him on to WNAP and he added it to the line up. Even though they installed an antenna pointed at Indy for the Indy stations, it was too high up the tower and WXRT was still a problem. I talked him into moving the antenna down to 100', and he did it, and WNAP came in great. (Try to get that kind of service from your local cable company these days) Almost anybody that knew anything about radio hooked their FM receiver to the cable, because at that time the only local signals were WAZY, WXUS, and WASK. WFBQ was the only Indy signal of any quality.
Also of interest was that the cable system was so leaky, as you drove through down, you could easily pick up the FM stations bleeding out of the cable. It was also pretty easy to view cable signals with rabbit ears in many parts of town.
To Cris, thanks for the memories. Heard the station that first day in July of 68. Have any old Rex Rona tapes ??? I've stumbled across several of the jingle packages over the years. Anybody else have any interesting airchecks ???
Actually I first went to Meijer to assist my wife in developing Meijer's digital portrait studio and photography lab in their new store at 96th and I-69. They had great benefits and having just left Bill Shirk was in need of good coverage (and working for Shirk was quite an experience - Bill is a great guy, a little wierd and preoccupied with himself but then - he has the cash to be so, so pipe down). I had a great time and a lot of autonomy there and his ability to compete in the market for so long with just a tiny AM stick has to be respected).
My position with Meijer quickly changed to one of Corporate Training and Management Development planning while working out of Grand Rapids and Indianapolis. To succeed in this I did my fair share of pricing and tagging but the best part was working with the wide variety of people - just like in radio.
The dropping out remark was spot on - radio was ripe for dropping out of and to this day appears to still be going through that "rotting" stage. Sorry to all of you practicing broadcasters out there but we're "just not that into you" right now. I see all the eyes and fingers looking and pointing to upper mismanagement and couldn't agree more.
If you aren't screaming for deregulation or reduced property ownership now then you are part of the problem facing radio as an art form and shame on you.
I work for myself now doing fine art and graphic design - where is the next "Starving Artists Sale" anyway?
My position with Meijer quickly changed to one of Corporate Training and Management Development planning while working out of Grand Rapids and Indianapolis. To succeed in this I did my fair share of pricing and tagging but the best part was working with the wide variety of people - just like in radio.
The dropping out remark was spot on - radio was ripe for dropping out of and to this day appears to still be going through that "rotting" stage. Sorry to all of you practicing broadcasters out there but we're "just not that into you" right now. I see all the eyes and fingers looking and pointing to upper mismanagement and couldn't agree more.
If you aren't screaming for deregulation or reduced property ownership now then you are part of the problem facing radio as an art form and shame on you.
I work for myself now doing fine art and graphic design - where is the next "Starving Artists Sale" anyway?
Timewarp said:
[email protected] said:
W-O-W! Maybe we need to direct the young radio pups [and many older ones to boot!] to Meijer training at corporate in Grand Rapids for that good dose of logical common sense
WELL PUT, Chris – but I suspect most of us posting here on the ‘NAP thread share your view without reservation!Fortunately, there are a few "diamonds in the rough" that hang-on in a banal industry best-described as shameless; self-promoting [except with their vital “next-gen” demo]; and disposable – VERY DISPOSABLE... It’s all so sad - but the internet allows those exceptions to make their way to us... And there’s still that near-ancient Memorex I mentioned earlier for stereophonic memories of "the better days" 8)
Without Cris Conner some of us might have chosen a defferent line of work. Hey Cris it's your
fault. Just joking! It's mostly been fun!
fault. Just joking! It's mostly been fun!
Just thought of another NAPster from the past...Thom Kristy. Thom, I believe, was the first in the series of husbands for Kristi Lee. I had the opportunity to work with him in the early 90s. One of his favorite stories was telling me about Cris Conner telling him that he should..."always be a star." He was a true broadcast professional.
- Status