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RadioInsight

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WARQ Goes Live

Posted: 02 Jul 2021 02:05 PM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/210323/warq-goes-live/



Alpha Media has relaunched CHR Q93.5 WARQ Columbia SC as Live 93.5.

The new brand debuts with a commercial-free July 4 weekend. The stations
lineup of Brooke Jeffrey in mornings, Brendan Croghan in afternoons, and
AJ Anelli at night all remain in place.

WARQ had a 2.7 share in the May 2021 Nielsen Audio ratings, trailing iHeartMedia CHR 104.7 WNOKs 4.7. The move brings the station in-line with Alphas other CHRs in Portland, Fredericksburg VA, and Hagerstown MD.



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Falling In Love With The Band From "Rio"

Posted: 02 Jul 2021 11:00 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/ross/210107/falling-in-love-with-the-band-from-rio/


The following column is from author Annie Zaleski and features an excerpt
from her book Duran Duran’s Rio

Zaleski is a Cleveland, Ohio-based author, journalist, and editor. Bylines include Rolling Stone, NPR Music, The Guardian, Salon, Time, Billboard, The A.V. Club, Vulture, The Los Angeles Times, and more. She also contributed
liner notes to the 2016 reissue of R.E.M.’s Out of Time and Game Theory’s 2020 collection Across The Barrier Of Sound: PostScript.

Ive been a Duran Duran fan for nearly three decades now, as Im a 90s kid
who came of age hearing Ordinary World and Come Undone in current rotation
on the late, great Cleveland alternative rock station WENZ (107.9 The End).
I remained a massive fan, catching the band for the first time in 1997 on
the Medazzaland tour at a high school auditorium near me.

However, I also discovered Duran Durans 80s golden age nearly
simultaneously, via the retro specialty shows that flourished back then on
the burgeoning modern rock format. I devoured songs such as Hungry Like the Wolf, Rio, Girls on Film and The Reflex, as they still sounded futuristic
and groundbreaking, more than a decade after their release.

As with many fans, however, my first favorite Duran Duran album was 1982s
Rio. Not only was this the LP with Hungry Like the Wolf, but it was also an album of many moods: pensive brooders, danceable hits, romantic ballads. It felt like a complete statement and resonated with my emotional teenage
heart.

Rio also happened to have a fascinating backstory full of twists and
turns—it only became a hit in America due to reissues and remixes—and received a boost from a then-nascent MTV. I knew it would make an excellent book—and I knew the 33 1/3 series, which are short books focused on a
single album, was the right place. 

I first pitched the 33 1/3 series on a volume on Rio in 2007. I tried again
in 2009; still no dice. However, I kept my proposal around and in late
2018, when a call for pitches came around again from new publisher
Bloomsbury, I re-did what I wrote and resubmitted a proposal. A decade-plus after I first pitched Rio, Duran Duran has far more respect as musicians
than they used to—and remain a massive musical influence on dozens of bands.

In early 2019, I received the good news via email: My pitch on Rio was
finally accepted—and after massive amounts of research, dozens of
interviews and plenty of revising time, the book was released in May of
this year. (Physical copies are also out this week, July 1, in the UK and Australia.) 

The following excerpt picks up as Rio was released in the U.S., in May
1982. Duran Duran were still trying to break America, after their 1981
debut album connected with fans mainly via dance clubs, college radio, and adventurous rock stations. Airplay came from some loyal supporters—but the band needed a boost (or three) to connect with a wider mainstream audience.

Upon Rio’s 1982 US release, Duran Duran had several things working in their favor. College radio, which supported the band early on and understood what they were about, was again enthusiastic. Alternative and mainstream rock
radio stations that spun Duran Duran’s debut—including Chicago’s WXRT, KNAC
and KROQ in California, and the Washington, D.C.–area outlet WHFS—also remained supportive right off the bat. The number of different Rio songs receiving airplay was also impressive. On August 1, 1982, “Hungry Like the Wolf” was WLIR’s “Screamer,” or most popular song of the day as measured by
listener votes, but the station was also spinning “Save a Prayer” and “Rio”
in June 1982. And Kid Leo at WMMS, a station that also put Rio in rotation
in June, says the album “was a natural progression” and “a major step forward” from Duran Duran’s debut: “‘Hungry Like The Wolf ’ just cried out
as a hit record. It was a smash with WMMS’ audience before MTV made [it]
into a national phenomenon.” 


Nevertheless, widespread radio support for Duran Duran’s music still wasn’t coming. “[Our label] sensed there was a chance to break us through at radio,” Rhodes says. “[But] the sound we had—it was a little too edgy and English for American radio. Things tended to be a bit more slick and smooth
and compressed.” John Taylor summarizes the challenge even more succinctly: “They were having trouble getting ‘Hungry Like The Wolf,’ getting the Duran
Duran sound, on the same radio stations that were playing Van Halen and Journey.” 
The latter’s observation is a bullseye-accurate portrayal of what
mainstream rock radio was like in summer 1982. “Hungry Like the Wolf” did manage to debut at No. 40 on Billboard’s Top Rock Tracks chart for the week ending August 14—just ahead of “Only Solutions,” Journey’s contribution to
the Tron: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, which bowed at No. 41.
Holding strong at No. 48 after fifteen weeks on the chart was Van Halen’s cover of the Martha Reeves and the Vandellas-popularized Motown classic “Dancing in the Street.” Although hints of modernity dotted the chart—A Flock of Seagulls’ space-age synth-pop hit “I Ran,” the Go- Gos’ sun-kissed
“Vacation,” Lords of the New Church’s ominous “Open Your Eyes,” Roxy Music’s swooning “Avalon”—meat-and-potatoes rock ‘n’ roll dominated. 
Prior to this chart appearance, Duran Duran’s label had decided different remixes were needed to jumpstart the band’s American fortunes. Capitol’s Rupert Perry thought of David Kershenbaum, a respected record producer and
A&R executive who had signed the English songwriter/pianist Joe Jackson to
A&M Records.
“[Perry explained] that they wanted to start with ‘Hungry Like The Wolf ’ and see if they could figure out a way to make it more Americanized,” Kershenbaum says. “At the time, [the song] was happening in other parts of the world, but it hadn’t broken here yet. They had tried and tried and nothing had clicked. They were trying to maybe get a little different perspective on it.” 


As it turns out, everyone liked Kershenbaums take on Hungry Like the Wolf, which amplified certain elements of the song (namely, vocals and guitar)
and de-emphasized keyboards. He ended up remixing the entire first side of
Rio, and the LP was reissued. 

However, as 1982 wore on, it was a separate remix of Hungry Like the
Wolf—the extended Night Version, a dancefloor-friendly mix helmed by Rio producer Colin Thurston—that also helped Duran Durans fortunes turn around. This version appeared on the four-song Carnival EP, which was released in September, and also appeared on a third reissue of Rio, replacing
Kershenbaums remix. 

Perhaps even more important, with all of these versions available,
mainstream radio also started supporting Hungry Like the Wolf. By the end
of 1982, Hungry Like the Wolf started climbing back up the Billboard Top
Rock Tracks chart, finally peaking at No. 1 in January 1983. The song also crossed over to Top 40, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

This success kicked off a blockbuster 1983 for Duran Duran. The band had
three charting studio LPs—Rio, their self-titled 1981 debut, and 1983s
Seven & The Ragged Tiger—and four top 20 pop singles in the U.S. alone. In 1984, Duran Duran returned to the U.S. for their first major round of
touring since this success, the triumphant Sing Blue Silver tour.


Note from Sean Ross: In mid-May, 39 years after the U.S. release of “Rio,” Duran Duran released a new single, “Invisible,” the first taste of their next studio album, Future Past, out October 22. Zaleski’s chronicle of
Duran Duran’s “Rio” can be ordered here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Duran-Durans-Rio-33-156/dp/150135518X 

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/duran-durans-rio-annie-zaleski/1137898374

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/books/duran-duran-s-rio/9781501355189

Indiebound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781501355189 

Bloomsbury (ebook only for the moment): https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/duran-durans-rio-9781501355196 



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95.7 The Party Morning Show Departs

Posted: 02 Jul 2021 08:39 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/210329/95-7-the-party-morning-show-departs/



iHeartMedia CHR 95.7 The Party KPTT Denver has cut ties with its morning
hosts David Duece Jacobson, Nina Blanco, and Robert Dubz Trigilio.

The show had debuted in April 2019 after Jacobson moved from his former
Program Director/afternoon host role to join Blanco and Trigilio. Jacobson
was an eleven year veteran of the station after previous stints at KDGS
Wichita and KQKS Denver. Blanco joined the station in September 2018 after stints in multiple dayparts at Flo 107.1 KFCO Denver, mornings and nights
at Now 96.3 KNOU St. Louis and nights at WCIL-FM Carbondale IL. Trigilio
had been with the cluster since 2012 serving as morning show producer at
KPTT since 2015.

We reported in May on our expectations of a rebranding at KPTT. The station currently ranks nineteenth in the Denver market with a 2.0 share.












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Bigfoot Legends Debuts In Scranton/Wilkes-Barre

Posted: 02 Jul 2021 07:03 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/210018/107-7-wilkes-barre-stunting-with-gone-country-loop/



After a week stunting with a loop of Alan Jacksons Gone Country, Seven Mountains Media debuted Classic Country Bigfoot Legends 107.7 WLGD Dallas/Wilkes-Barre PA at 10am today.

The station will feature Compass Media Networks Big D Bubba in mornings.
Becca Lynn, PD/afternoon host at sister Bigfoot 103.1 840 WVPO/103.1 W276DG Stroudsburg will add the programming duties and host middays at WLGD. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area native Jeff Hunt, who recently joined the
companys Bigfoot 102.1/101.3 WIFT DuBois/WKFT Strattanville PA as
Production Director and midday host, will add afternoons at WLGD to his
duties.

Original Report 6/25: The format wheel is in motion in
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Seven Mountains Media has begun stunting on its recently acquired 107.7
WLGD Dallas/Wilkes-Barre (formerly WCIG) with a loop of Alan Jacksons Gone Country. Seven Mountains acquired the station earlier this year as part of
a three company deal from Family Life Ministries.

We reported on our 6/18 Domain Insight on our expectations for the new
format.

Family Lifes Christian programming will remain available in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre market on a pair of translators. 103.9 W280CV
Scranton was purchased by Family Life from Family Stations in January as
part of a $725,000 multi-signal deal. Geos Communications 92.5 W223CC Wilkes-Barre will cover the southern half of the market. That translator currently is part of the multi-signal Classic Hits Gem 104 network. Both translators will be fed by Audacys 98.5 WKRZ-HD3 Freeland.



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Station Sales Week Of 7/2

Posted: 02 Jul 2021 04:30 AM PDT https://radioinsight.com/headlines/210313/station-sales-week-of-7-2/



Indian River State College acquires Hip Hop/RB 91.1 WJFP Fort Pierce and
88.5 WJCB Clewiston FL from Black Media Works for $950,000. The buyer owns Classical/Public News 88.9 WQCS Fort Pierce.

Twilight Broadcasting sells Classic Hits 106.3 WXMT Smethport PA to Ashley Midders XMT Entertainment for $95,000. Midder most recently served as OM of WZKO Fort Myers FL and has also worked in Phoenix, San Antonio, and Altoona
PA. An LMA took effect on June 23.
Translator Sales

Robert Jamrog and Patricia Anderson-Kimbles Fusion Radio acquires 106.9
K295CQ St. Louis MO from 106 License LLC for $125,000. Fusion is in the
process of acquiring 1520 WPAY Rossford/Toledo OH and two translators there.

David Hartman and Gregory Smiths HS Partners purchases 99.7 K259BG Chehalis
and 102.1 K271BS Auburn WA from South Sound Broadcasting for $100,000. Both translators rebroadcast News 97.7 KOMO-FM Oakville.

Piedmont Communications purchases 100.3 W262CC Tallahassee FL from
Community Public Radio for $75,000. Piedmont, which owns three stations in Virginia but nothing in Tallahassee, lists 107.5 WNEE-LP Tallahassee as its originating station.

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