Topic: RE: PHILADELPHIA
WWSH kept the easy listening format started by Dave Custis. It was, of course, modified often to keep it up to date. Keep in mind that Broadcast Pioneers members Dave Kurtz and Jerry Lee were having great success with a similar format on WDVR.
WWSH was formatted using 600 ten and a half inch reels
of stereo audio tape syndicated by SRP, owned by Jim
Schulke. It was called "matched flow" where a couple
tape machines (not cartridge) had 15 minute segments
(each with one vocal) recorded on them. There were
four segments on each reel. By controlling where you
cued the reel, you could vary the sound where no
half-hour was repeated within a two week period.
In 1977, the station was sold to Cox Broadcasting.While some say that the easy listening format was
dying, it wasn't. It was just getting to the point
where stations couldn't sell the commercial time.
Advertisers wanted the ever-important young
demographic of 18 to 49. WWSH was appealing to an
older audience. While it was one of the top rated
stations in the city (a 7 share), it just couldn't
attract sponsors. September 6, 1982 saw Cox abandoning
the format leaving it exclusively to WEAZ, Easy 101.
WEAZ used to be WDVR. WWSH blew away the entire
announcing staff and started playing an adult
contemporary rock format. The results were, to say
they least, disappointing. On August 1, 1983, the
station switched to a top 40 format again with
un-amazing consequences. The station had gone from a
successfully rated easy listening station to a
financially losing rock outlet. Not a good sign for
the owner. In 1984, the owners changed the call to
WZGO and called it Z-106. The outlook was not any
better. May 19, 1986 saw the station receiving another
call change to WTRK, nicknamed Electric 106. Again,
not a money winner."
SOURCE PAGE:
http://www.broadcastpioneers.com/wqal.html
"On September 6, 1982, WWSH fired its announcing staff
and began playing the same format that proved very
popular at sister station WSB in Atlanta."
SOURCE:
http://members.aol.com/philaradio/curr1061.html
In 1977, the station was sold to Cox Broadcasting. While some say that the easy listening format was dying, it wasn't. It was just getting to the point where stations couldn't sell the commercial time. Advertisers wanted the ever-important young demographic of 18 to 49. WWSH was appealing to an older audience. While it was one of the top rated stations in the city (a 7 share), it just couldn't attract sponsors. September 6, 1982 saw Cox abandoning the format leaving it exclusively to WEAZ, Easy 101. WEAZ used to be WDVR. WWSH blew away the entire announcing staff and started playing an adult contemporary rock format. The results were, to say they least, disappointing. On August 1, 1983, the station switched to a top 40 format again with un-amazing consequences. The station had gone from a successfully rated easy listening station to a financially losing rock outlet. Not a good sign for the owner. In 1984, the owners changed the call to WZGO and called it Z-106. The outlook was not any better. May 19, 1986 saw the station receiving another call change to WTRK, nicknamed Electric 106. Again, not a money winner.
http://www.broadcastpioneers.com/wqal.html
Posted by BSB, editor
at 10:29 PM EDT
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Updated: Saturday, 30 June 2007 12:13 AM EDT
Updated: Saturday, 30 June 2007 12:13 AM EDT