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Classic Rock in South Florida?

DavidEduardo said:


I was in Miami waiting for a flight back to Quito where I was building what would be the first Top 40 station in the nation. I had over 12 hours to kill, so I visited WQAM. Here was this 18-year-old kid who wanted to get a tour of WQAM and who said he was building a station in a country most people could not spell.

The receptionist checked with the GM and told him my story. Out comes Jack Sandler, who asks me more about what I am doing. He gave me a tour, and then says, "There is someone here who I think you should meet." I was taken to an office and introduced to Todd Storz. He had been a hero of mine from reading Broadcasting and Sponsor back from the late 50's, so I was thrilled. Mr Storz asked more about my project, and then he said "how long have you got" and I mentioned I had about 8 hours before I had to get back to the airport. He proceeded to give me a three or four hour course in Top 40, from music rotations to promotions and jocks. That was perhaps the most important few hours of my career.
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10-4 on that. He made top 40 radio as you know. I worked at WMYQ the first top 40 station on FM which was right down street from WQAM at the time and would visit WQAM all the time and one thing I will say as they were always nice to me. Before WQAM went country in 1980 I spent time there with my friends from WQAM and was given some of the records that they played. I still have the copy of FUN FUN FUN by the Beach boys that said do not mention the name of the song on the record. I keep the music from WFUN and WQAM together to this day and proud to still have them. Some of them came in handy when I was at Y100 years later.
 
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I only remember 93 ROCK because I've only been alive 21 years so I won't remember the further classic rock stations that this market had.
 
South Florida does have a classic rock station - Big 105.9. Growing up in SFLA in the seventies Y100, 96X, I95 were the players in the emerging FM market. K102. WSHE, ZETA 4 were there. I don't think they had the impact of the first three stations mentioned. there was a loyal core audience, but top 40 ruled the roost.

I listen the 96X feed on South Florida radio and enjoy it. It brings back great memories. My pet peeve... please pull the extended remixes, the remakes and the long versions. If you are going to recreate South Florida radio, please play the original single versions that aired.
 
Groove1670 said:
South Florida does have a classic rock station - Big 105.9. Growing up in SFLA in the seventies Y100, 96X, I95 were the players in the emerging FM market. K102. WSHE, ZETA 4 were there. I don't think they had the impact of the first three stations mentioned. there was a loyal core audience, but top 40 ruled the roost.

I listen the 96X feed on South Florida radio and enjoy it. It brings back great memories. My pet peeve... please pull the extended remixes, the remakes and the long versions. If you are going to recreate South Florida radio, please play the original single versions that aired.
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Big is now classic hits. 96X is run by the original 96X people so the music is up to them.
I am sure your post will be looked at so thanks for your comment and listening to our stations at: www.SouthFloridaRadio.com
 
There is a book or movie in your story! You've had a fascinating career.


DavidEduardo said:


I was in Miami waiting for a flight back to Quito where I was building what would be the first Top 40 station in the nation. I had over 12 hours to kill, so I visited WQAM. Here was this 18-year-old kid who wanted to get a tour of WQAM and who said he was building a station in a country most people could not spell.


The receptionist checked with the GM and told him my story. Out comes Jack Sandler, who asks me more about what I am doing. He gave me a tour, and then says, "There is someone here who I think you should meet." I was taken to an office and introduced to Todd Storz. He had been a hero of mine from reading Broadcasting and Sponsor back from the late 50's, so I was thrilled. Mr Storz asked more about my project, and then he said "how long have you got" and I mentioned I had about 8 hours before I had to get back to the airport. He proceeded to give me a three or four hour course in Top 40, from music rotations to promotions and jocks. That was perhaps the most important few hours of my career.
Click to expand...
 
Groove1670 said:
South Florida does have a classic rock station - Big 105.9. Growing up in SFLA in the seventies Y100, 96X, I95 were the players in the emerging FM market. K102. WSHE, ZETA 4 were there. I don't think they had the impact of the first three stations mentioned. there was a loyal core audience, but top 40 ruled the roost.

I listen the 96X feed on South Florida radio and enjoy it. It brings back great memories. My pet peeve... please pull the extended remixes, the remakes and the long versions. If you are going to recreate South Florida radio, please play the original single versions that aired.
Click to expand...

I95 was Zeta 4 before it was I95 and it became Zeta again for 18 years after I95's short three year run.
 
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Alan Michaels said:
I95 was Zeta 4 before it was I95 and it became Zeta again for 18 years after I95's short three year run.
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Raising the question of where Keith Isley is today!
 
Alan Michaels said:
DavidEduardo said:


Raising the question of where Keith Isley is today![/QUO

He was on facebook a few years ago. Johnny Dolan and my coworkers from Y100 who went there do not know.
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I95 started just after I had left Metroplex... and the one-hour drive to Hollywood every day. I knew Keith when I was doing WAMR and he was involved with WRTO.
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DavidEduardo said:
Alan Michaels said:
I95 started just after I had left Metroplex... and the one-hour drive to Hollywood every day. I knew Keith when I was doing WAMR and he was involved with WRTO.
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We were friends but I was at K102 in those days. I did work at WINZ AM & FM but many years before Keith was there. I also worked at a ad agency that used to share the book with I95 because they did not buy it so I would bring it over and see Keith and my friends which was at the old WINZ transmitter site where they built their new building.

When I worked at WINZ we were on the 18th floor of a building downtown and the AM was the Sound of Solid Gold and Zeta was new I came to work at WINZ as WOCN FM became WINZ FM and I was at WOCN AM & FM for many years. But Keith was always nice to me.
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Alan Michaels said:
DavidEduardo said:


We were friends but I was at K102 in those days. I did work at WINZ AM & FM but many years before Keith was there. I also worked at a ad agency that used to share the book with I95 because they did not buy it so I would bring it over and see Keith and my friends which was at the old WINZ transmitter site where they built their new building.

When I worked at WINZ we were on the 18th floor of a building downtown and the AM was the Sound of Solid Gold and Zeta was new I came to work at WINZ as WOCN FM became WINZ FM and I was at WOCN AM & FM for many years. But Keith was always nice to me.
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By the way 94.9 FM years before was WQAM FM for a short time. Too bad they did not keep it or have the insight for FM otherwise there may never have been the top 40 wars on FM in Miami as history turned out. Also WMYQ was WGBS FM they also did not see point of FM at the time but years later they paid 10 times the price to buy WLYF. What is even more funny is that when Surf 16 was bought they got the FM for FREE and years later the FM sold for 58 million dollars as my friend John Tenaglia explains it.
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Alan Michaels said:
Big is now classic hits. 96X is run by the original 96X people so the music is up to them.
I am sure your post will be looked at so thanks for your comment and listening to our stations at: www.SouthFloridaRadio.com
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Big is very much classic rock (or if you want to call it classic hits with a extreme rock lean). It's is also branded as a classic rock station. Agreed.. The playlist is not as open as a K102 or Zeta 4 playlist back in the day. WCBS KRTH are classic hits stations... Big 105.9 is not.
 
Groove1670 said:
Big is very much classic rock (or if you want to call it classic hits with a extreme rock lean). It's is also branded as a classic rock station. Agreed.. The playlist is not as open as a K102 or Zeta 4 playlist back in the day. WCBS KRTH are classic hits stations... Big 105.9 is not.
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It's a slow change and very sad for classic rock in this market.
Maybe give a listen to www.SheRadio.com
 
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