From: sjsobol@wariat.org (Steven J. Sobol)
Subject: Re: WENZ "107.9 the End" Cleveland, and other Alternative Radio
Originator: wdp@gagme
Organization: APK Public Access Unix * Cleveland, OH
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 07:21:10 GMT

Michael A. Cornell (mac18@po.CWRU.Edu) wrote:
: In a previous article, chipk@bnr.ca ("Chip  Kelley") says:
 
>> 	Chip said that WENZ 107.9 THeEND, in Cleveland, was a hybrid of Top
>> 40/modern rock.  I'm confused, what does "modern rock" mean?  What does one
>> need to play in order to be "modern rock".  

This station plays a combination of non-mainstream (I *hate* the word 
ALTERNATIVE) and mainstream rock, and some really obscure stuff from the late
Eighties. The only truly alternative commercial station I know of anywhere 
around Ohio is 97X (WOXY-97.7 at Miami University, down near Cincinnati).
If anyone qualifies, it's them. :)
 
>> 	Anyone have any idea how these formats are doing since they
>> switched to modern rock?  I'm interested to see how long WENZ is gonna hang
>> around.  It was voted the best station in NE Ohio by listeners, but that
>> doesn't mean it gets good ratings.

I could give you a rough idea if I bothered reading Arbitrons. :)

>WENZ could be modern now.  I haven't heard them lately.  Last time I
>heard them, they were mostly modern rock, but were playing things like
>Def Leppard/"Let's Get Rocked" which is not modern rock.  

The station has been running its current format since May 12th.
 
: 	Let me put it this way....WENZ is almost there.  Recently, they
: have been playing some stuff which is not "modern rock".  For instance, I
: heard Guns N Roses at about 2 A.M. last night while studying for finals.
: They have also been playing some early U2, and I even heard Black Crowes
: once. This hasn't been happening often, mind you, but two weeks ago,
: however, they were not playing this music.  I'm guessing that they are
: trying to ween the public on to alternative music by playing stuff they
: already have heard, and hoping that they like the stuff they haven't heard
: before.  

Yes, G'n'R's song "November Rain" was in rotation for a while, as was
BC's "Remedy." They do play new stuff which is considered mainstream.

When I spoke with Lyndon Abell, the program director at The End, he
informed me that they would be middle of the road-- "not too mainstream,
not too alternative" is what he was implying. "We will be too mainstream
for some people and too alternative for others," he said.

Why don't you write or call and talk to him? He's been really great about
responding to listener's questions. That's the great thing about The End.
Ever since it switched the staff has been very responsive.

Lyndon Abell, PD
107.9 - The End
1510 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44115

(216) 348-0108, Fax (216) 348-3650

He's generally rather busy, and would probably prefer if you wrote or faxed
him.

BTW, WMMS now has a show called the "Modern Music Show" which
plays much of the same stuff The End does. Weekday evenings... you
might want to check this out.

: three hours of modern/alternative rock.  Is this what a REAL
: alternative/modern rock station is supposed to be playing? 

It's hard to define the format as well as the category of music...

BTW Mike, where did Clevelanders vote The End as the best station in 
Cleveland? I'd like to take a look at that, just out of curiosity.

--
Steve Sobol   Head Cheerleader, APK Public Access *nix/Internet
(216) 481-9436 <2400 baud>     (216) 481-9425 <v.32bis, TurboPEP>
Telnet: wariat.org   To register: send e-mail to info@wariat.org, or
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Also President of The Tiny Software Co.   E-Mail Address: sjsobol@tiny.com

Newsgroups: rec.radio.broadcasting