ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, January 30, 1993                   TAG: 9302010232
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MELANIE S. HATTER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short


DJ LEAVES V-JAMS

Sly Collins, disc jockey and promotions director at V-Jams (WVLR, 105.3 FM in Roanoke) bid farewell Friday to the Roanoke-Lynchburg radio market and is heading to Texas.

But the Lynchburg-based urban contemporary twin stations' drop in the recent Arbitron ratings had nothing to do with his decision to leave. In fact, Collins had already accepted the offer to join KBXX-FM in Houston, the tenth rated market in the country, before the ratings were released last week.

Moving to a higher rated market was an opportunity he couldn't refuse. "I've accomplished all I can here," he said. The Roanoke-Lynchburg market "is a great training ground."

And besides, "I never have liked the weather here," said the Venezuelan native.

Collins spent two years at K92 (WXLK, 92.3 FM in Roanoke) before splitting to help create V-Jams, which signed on in April 1992.

"Now I have the opportunity to do what I've always wanted to do," he said, and discover "if I have what it takes to cut it with the big guys."



by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB