From: William Pfeiffer
Newsgroups: rec.radio.broadcasting
Subject: WLS changes formats... Again
Date: 18 Aug 92 01:29:26 GMT
Followup-To: rec.radio.broadcasting
Organization: Airwaves, the little UNIX that could (and does)!
Originator: wdp@gagme

Today, in the Chicago Sun Times, media columnist Robert Feder dedicated his
entire column to the revelation that one-time top-40 legend, and
current 'issue-talker' WLS (AM 890/FM 94.7) is once again switching horses,
this time to jump on the bandwagon of country music.

As soon as the end of September, 1992, WLS may split it's simulcasted
gabfest into two seperate country music formats.  Modern 'hot' country on the
FM, and a more traditional country mix on the AM.  The AM programming will be
from Satellite Music Network, WONDERFUL :-< !  Supposedly the overnight shift
will be a trucker's show (presumably Chicago-based, Tribune owned, Interstate
Radio Network).

As stated in the Feder column this move will mean pink slips for virtually
the entire staff, including morning host, Don Wade and his wife/partner Roma.
Ironically  Wade once worked as morning man on US-99, Chicago's only
country music outlet.  The sole survivor of the change might be Rush Limbaugh.

The move is a brainchild of parent company ABC-Capitol Cities.  Cap City's
President, Norm Strutt says "There is no doubt that we have the knowledge to
do country.  [Plus] we have a 50,000 watt clear channel signal in Chicago" 
Strutt's group has successful country stations in Atlanta and Dallas.  Strutt
stopped short of 'confirming' the format change, saying that it was one
of 'several options available'.

Thanks to the success of artists like Garth Brooks and others, country music
everywhere, including Chicago, is riding it's greatest wave of popularity in
over 15 years.  WUSN (99.5 fm, US-99) posted a record 5.5 percent share in
Arbitron's spring numbers.

Can we support another, let alone two more, country music stations in the
northern, urban market of Chicago?  Well, Strutt claims that when a new
station comes into a market, the market expands.  He feels it is realistic to
expect an 8.0 share for country in the Chicago market.  

US-99 has been bracing it's self for a challenge since 1991, owing to
country's high ratings and revenues, the question was when and by whom would
the challenge be launched.  If this change actually does come to pass, they
will be challenged not only by a very hot urban FM signal, but by the
regional reach of 50,000 watt AM stereo as well.

Quoting Feder, "Sadly, one of radio's legendary frequencies [890-AM] will be
stripped of it's local identity and turned into little more than an automated
money machine. The move will, all but. guarantee that Chicago will be without
an issue-oriented talk station for years to come."

WLS-AM dropped a feeble attempt at 'adult contemporary' music in August of
1989 to go all-talk.  The FM was driven out of it's bid for the CHR (Contemp.
Hits Radio) format by rival (and more established) CHR station WBBM-FM (the
Killer Bee) in October of '91 when WLS AM & FM began simulcasting the talk
format.  The latest Arbitrends report has WLS AM/FM posting a 3,2 combined
share, which is up a hair from their 3.0 combined share in spring.  Feder
says that it is probable that the stations could have risen to a respectable
showing in the 4.0 range with more time and patience. Less than a year ago,
when the simulcast began, WLS and Cap Cities executives were hailing the move
as a 'great stride' in radio.  Yeah, right! 

On a personal note, I feel that WLS began something that they were never
prepared to finish with talk.  They hired a few 'heavy hitters' Like Stacey
Taylor (from San Diego) and Bob Lassiter (from Ft. Lauderdale) and launched
as a 'hot talk' confrontational, issues-oriented, format.  Within a year, the
outspoken and brash (but extreamly talented and funny) Bob Lassitor was
fired, supposedly because of his brashness, which is why they hired him in
the first place. Later, seeing the writing on the wall, Stacey Taylor quit
and went back home to San Diego.  

IMHO, the station lost a great deal of integrity after firing Lassitor
(abruptly at the end of a Friday show).  Bob was a real shining star, but he
stepped on a lot of toes, especially during the Persian Gulf war, when he
refered to the President as "George" and characterized as "war studs" the
young, white males who cheered on the war and yet had no interest in
enlisting.  He was on after Rush and made a great antidote to Rush's line of
@&$^%$%#. 

Since the firing, I have been unable to listen for long to WLS.  I have gone
back to WLUP AM-1000 while driving.

Basically, throughout the years, WLS has been a gutless station, pandering,
half-heartedly to whatever demographic they seem to think is happenning this
week.  They are, IMHO, doing the same thing again with this 'bandwagon-style'
switch to country.  Don't misunderstand, I do like country, and I would love
to see the complacent folks at US-99 get a run for their ratings, but if WLS
follows it's pattern of the past several years, their brand of country will
be ultra-researched, ultra-vanilla predictable and ultimately, when the big
Garth Brooks-inspired country fever dies down a bit, they will be gone, in
favor of some new fad-format of the week.  

I hope I am proved wrong, but if the President of Cap-Cities is so confident
that his orginization 'knows how to do country', why is he plugging his
50,000 watt clear-channel blowtorch into Satellite Music Network?  Doesn't
smack of too much confidence to me.  Better that he leaves the talk format on
AM and puts local origination country on the FM, but then again, HE is the
big radio executive, and I am but the moderator of a broadcasting newsgroup,
what do I know?

Any comments?

William Pfeiffer
Moderator - rec.radio.broadcasting - Internet Radio Journal
Newsgroups: rec.radio.broadcasting