University of South Carolina Libraries
Spotlight 4 Tuesday, August 12, 1986 Album rock r playing to col By PAULA WETHINGTON Spotlight editor On August I, WKWQ-FM became an oddity in Columbia area radio as an alburn-oriented rock station in the midst of adult contemporary heartland. "Four adult comtemporary stations are all playino lhi> camp thino unrl nnhnHu'c rpafhino t h r> 1 demographic," said Bob Hearion, WKWQ's general manager. "If you turn across the dial in Columbia, you'll hear the same songs. Everyone who comes to the market can't bclcive it. There's a void." A void, yes, but one he hopes the revamped station will fill. Formerly WBLR-FM, a country station in Batesburg, WKWQ became "K95 Rock," an album rock station focusing towards the college and military crowd in Columbia. "This town is very ready for album rock," said Jack Anthony, WKWQ's music director and afternoon DJ. "We're going to be a bit more commercial than WUSC," Anthony said. Anthony worked for WUSC-FM in 1980-83, and he said all but one of WKWQ's staff members also had worked at the USC station. But he added, "We play the hits earlier and stop playing before anyone else picks them up." Although the Batesburg station puts out only 3,000 watts of power at 95.3 on the FM dial, H#??rinn cnirl it is nnccihle to nirk it nn in fnlnmhin He said they planned to move the transmitter closer to Columbia by October 1, after a 60-day waiting period. "It takes some effort to pick it up, but it can be done," he said. As part of a promotion for the station, K95 is giving away free antennas to those who request them by writing to WKWQ at P.O. Box 410, Batesburg, S.C. 29006. "We're getting letters of compliment," Hearion said, naming various addresses in Columbia where the station can be heard. ti/t/ii> _ -1 i: i i r a*_a. t wiv wy s piaynsi inuuucs songs irom arusis sucn as Led Zepplin, Missing Persons, Rush, Praties, Summer graduate s By ABDY IAVALLEY band Bachelors Staff writer album, to be re Robin Wilson doesn't like to year, has been 01 talk about herself. And that's too lately, bad, because there's so much to "We did a t yea 15 u^u, auu 1 Wilson does like to talk abou over pretty well the things that excite her though, feel like it came things like her band's upcoming wanted it to," sh album release and her graduation "The main th with a Media Arts degree this learned how to d< week. pie at recording Since her sophomore year at think that'll shov USC, Wilson has been the lead album. I think i singer for the locally popular really good." "Need Extra C?sh" I ^ I $20.00 On First Dom ; i Twice A Week Donatio ! $ $ $ $ $ | ?P ?P <P ?P ?P [ j COLUMBIA PLASMA CEN1 a 1916 Taylor Street ! ' Columbia, South Carolina 29201 I Phone 254-6683 1 OPEN 7:00 AM } j "Bring this Coupon with you" I CDCE DCI i rncc nti i | for one month with this coupon ? lirr offer ? subject to apartments being B | | (Jjds/Muood ^ S^Aarim+nk /?)L^ J m ?-r^ 1 </V \OW 7 minutes i i & sf- CI030 t< ! 1 and Shopp ; ! Cfi?* P00' flnC* B08k 11-2-3 Bedr CALL TODAY ... | ii f H 1200 N. EDEN DRIVE I Cayce, South Carolina 2903 I! 796-8765 M ! | New Residents Only I Limit one Gamecock coupon per apartme | Knight Austin Community adio station liege crowd David Lee Roth, Echo and the Bunnymen, Phil Collins and Steve Winwood. "I expect since there are six adult contemporary stations in town, audiences who are listening out of default will be switching to us," Anthony said. "In our rotation we'll be playing two-to three thousand songs, twice as much as others. They're all chosen well." "At another station (WZLD-FM), we were getting excellent response from rock," he said. WZLD usually plays an adult contemporary format. A combination of soft rock, pop country and current hits, adult contemporary music is designed to not turn anyone off and is aimed more towards older people, the baby-boomer generation, than album rock music. Adult contemporary is America's most popular radio format, played by about 30 percent of the nation's radio stations, according to the National ~ Radio Broadcasters Association. In Columbia, 9 about 50 percent of the stations play adult contemporary music. None of those stations are currently among the top three in Columbia, according to the latest Arbitron ratings. The top-rated station in the area in & WWDM-FM, an urban contemporary station based in Sumter, with a 14.3 audience share. In second place is country music station WCOS- H FM with a 14.2 share and third is current hits station WNOK-FM with a 12.2 share. The highest rated aauit contemporary station is WMMC-FM, with an 8.7, but combined, the six adult contemporary stations collect a 31 share. In addition to a larger playlist than some other local stations, WKWQ expects to feature syndicated programs such as the King Biscuit Flour Hour, Power Cuts and Rock Over London, as well as broadcasting USC football games in the fall. Anthony and Hcarion are confident of their station's success. "WKLS in Atlanta is number one in their market and AOR stations are generally in the top three," Anthony said. yh, ets job plans ? she of Art. Their The band, including Wilson, m leased later this bassist Jay Owen, guitarist Tom ni n her mind a lot Alewine and drummer Jim A Sonefeld, arc planning to move ape about two to Atlanta sometime around ci although it went Christmas to get a better shot at 01 , we just didn't success in the music business. le out the way we "I really do love Columbia, th le said. but I feel moving to Atlanta will sh ing was that we help the band tremendously," gc eal with the peo- Wilson said. "We've pretty much to ; studios and I done all we can do musically h? v up on our new here, so it's time to get out and it's going to be try something new." wi Wilson has another reason for in *| O. LE ! BOOKS ;; Home of Qualitj "ER 1 CLASSICS SCI-FI PHII I SCIENCE SOCIAL SCI P CHILDREN RARE & COLLEC AND MANY OTHEI Our Stock of Books Changes Daily H ^ ...... 2002-H Or | (in Five Pi H n nv A ? i Interstate | itball Court a 5/0 /0 \ 0 A?P i FINANCING Vt"=?. 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But I wouldn't play gigs. ive quit just to play in the band. It has taken h "Getting my college degree years to earn he as very important to me, just as "I could hav< lportant as my music, because years, but I got i ? x i?n win A B INTERNATIONAL OM 85 h ^ HHtMAunAni TORE 1^? y Used Books ' j .OSOPHY HISTORY j ; ENCE THE ARTS p, TIBLE FIRST EDITIONS j' I CATEGORIES | Ve Trade and Buy from the Public m eeno St. i 1031A Dints) : j 513 I 44( L?. 6r^ ^ kCircle I pan n r i K/r Ikk. VJ -256-3111 | I & Pickens St. 1; 1-6 Saturday & Sunday jLliaUll * i . ' >' k' 1^^ / JENNIFER STEIBfTho Gamncock I ? band* on K95's playlist lrld of rock music e failed I would the Media Arts classes last years of educa- semester and ended up failing my on." Philosophy class," Wilson said, 't seem likely to "But 1 figure it might be some she does at this kind of sign having to stick career. She'll around this summer with the } solid B average, album coming out." and practice two She said she realizes that week and travel- breaking into the music business the Midlands to involved a lot of luck and even more hard work, but that doesn't er just over four deter her from looking on the r degree. positive side of her chances. i done it in four "I've already done what I set out really involved in to do in college," she said. 1 TOf 10 IE? TJ ('"TMNATKHWl J ' hK r h I HOUSE | ) J. Jl\UU J a Soda i with | j All The Buttermilk ancakes You Can Eat i! for 99* | 24 Hours 7 Days A Week g assembly St. across from State House | j 765-0305 |.| :>7 Devine St. close to Ft. Jackson [j 782-9646 || hi I 1 Mimp scxcen WpmurM ? LCKETS"? CAPS Anything Textile" USTOM PRINTED MECOCK DESIGNS - WHOLESALE LENN HIGGINS or CHIP CANNON 791-5631) n m w um\ i Located at 110 State Street ros? Gervais St. Bridge, 5 mint, from U8C |l