THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, June 18, 1994 TAG: 9406170079
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUE SMALLWOOD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: 940618 LENGTH: Medium
According to Arbitron's trend report for the months of February, March and April, the largest share of the Hapmpton Roads listening audience - 10.1 percent of those 12 years and older - are digging the phat urban sounds of 103 Jamz (WOWI-FM). Country stations Eagle 97 (WGH-FM) and WCMS-FM take second and third places with 7.5 percent and 7.2 percent shares. The classic/contemporary rock brew of WNOR-FM commands 6.2 percent of the area's listeners, slotting it in fourth place, while Z104 (WNVZ-FM)'s pop chart hit mix checks in at the 5 spot with a 5.4 percent share.
{REST} Interestingly, there seem to be just as many local folks reminiscing to golden oldies as there are grooving to one of radio's newest formats, adult alternative. WLTY-FM's oldies repertoire and The Coast (WKOC-FM)'s ``alternative lite'' fare are tied for 10th place, each pulling 3.5 percent of the region's listeners. The more aggressively alternative 96X (WROX-FM), launched late last year, clocks in at 12th with a 3.3 percent share.
Talk radio is one of the hottest formats in the country, but in Hampton Roads, WNIS-AM slipped a spot from the winter ratings to ninth place, grabbing 4.1 percent of the area audience. Rival WTAR-AM ascended a spot to 16th place with a 2.3 percent share.
With the growing variety of ``niche'' formats - including sub-genres of sub-genres like adult alternative rock - it would seem there's something for just about everyone on local radio. What do you think? Call the Soundcheck talkbox at 640-5555, category 3277, and let me know which stations you tune in to and what keeps you listening. Or tell me what you'd program if you had your very own antenna. . . .
\ Summer kicks off with a smorgasbord of new radio shows:
Rabbit Ears Radio WHRV-FM, 89.5, offers this excellent series of well-loved children's tales as told by top Hollywood celebrities, accompanied by some of the music world's best. Mel Gibson hosts the half-hour program, heard Fridays at 10 a.m., introducing classics such as ``John Henry,'' told by Denzel Washington with music by B.B. King; ``The Velveteen Rabbit,'' read by Meryl Streep with music by George Winston; ``The Elephant's Child,'' narrated by Jack Nicholson with accompaniment by Bobby McFerrin; and ``The Emperor's New Clothes,'' with elocution by Sir John Gielgud and music from Mark Isham.
Big Band Saturday Night Yorktown-based WXEZ-FM, 94.1, home of extensive easy listening and Christmas music libraries, now also boasts a giant big band collection, which it puts to use Saturday nights from 7 to 11 p.m. Hosted by midday jock Bill St. James, ``Big Band Saturday Night'' features swinging stuff from the '30s to the '90s, including artists like Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Artie Shaw, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and Harry Connick Jr.
Note: Open-minded swing fans should check out the latest LP from Canadian blues-rocker Colin James, ``Colin James And The Little Big Band,'' a terrific update of swing-blues stomps from 1948 to 1956 with help from the Roomful Of Blues horns. Also good: Pianist Mitch Woods and his Rocket 88s' swinging, jump blues-based ``rock-a-boogie'' on ``Shakin' The Shack.''
The Tom Leykis Show Offering a strident leftist antidote to stringently rightist yakkers Rush Limbaugh and the needlessly abrasive Perry Stone, controversial talk show host Tom Leykis can now be heard on WNIS-AM, 850, weeknights from 8 to 11 p.m. Leykis' syndicated program originates from Los Angeles, features in-studio guests from the politics and entertainment arenas and welcomes calls from listeners nationwide. Leykis is perhaps best known as the mouth who literally steamrolled a hill of Cat Stevens albums to protest the singer's support of Ayatollah Khomeini.
by CNB