WKZL
Encyclopedia
WKZL is a [Bottom 40 Mainstream|Mainstream Top 40]] station licensed to Winston-Salem, North Carolina
and serves the Piedmont Triad
area, which also includes Greensboro
and High Point
. The outlet, which is owned by Dick Broadcasting, operates at 107.5 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW.
. In 1966, the station became WAAA-FM, airing the soul music
of WAAA, and WFDD
took over classical music. The station began stereo broadcasts in January 1975 and changed its call letters to WKZL.
The station had the call letters WSGH (standing for Winston-Salem / Greensboro / High Point) during the early 1970s when its format was easy listening
. For a short period of time in the mid 70s the station featured an eclectic blend of pop, rock and progressive rock selected at random by the hosts. DJs on the air from 1975-1977 included Steve Gold (Marshall), Alan Cameron, Mitch Clarke, Nick Archer, Bruce Key, Ron Spivey, Kitty Kinnin, Reid Stott, Steve Norris, and Steve Day. Production chores were handled by Jack Shaw and Rowell Gormon. The late 70s era of WKZL’s programming was a mix of Top 40 and album cuts formulated into playlists based on focus groups created under the direction of eccentric owner Bob Brown.
Morning Show Host Doug Paul, Rod Davis, Chris Angel, J.J. Hemingway, D.D. Thornton, and the late Chuck Holloway, who also served as Music Director. Doug Paul served as Program Director during his time at WKZL between 1978 and 1982. During this period, the station was pioneering music research that included weekly focus groups of 18-49 year old listeners assembled by Owner Bob Brown and Sharon Paul. The format of the station was a unique hybrid of Deep Tracks, Top 40 and Jazz
. Local music artists were featured in the programming mix and live concerts were broadcast weekly via NBC's THE SOURCE and other radio program syndicators. Known for a keen spot production sound and aggressive demo sales, the WKZL of the late 70's won many local and regional advertising awards and had up to three full time copywriters on staff.
Brown eventually sold WAAA to Mutter Evans, who made history at age 25 by becoming the youngest black woman to own a commercial radio station in the US. Soon afterwards Brown sold WKZL to Nationwide Broadcasting, while maintaining ownership of the building that housed both stations.
When Nationwide took control and installed Station Manager Rick Fromme and Program Director Tom Daniels, the station changed its format to the more classic AOR (Album-oriented rock
) under the guidance of the radio consultant firm Burkhart/Abrams. By 1982, WKZL was known by its slogan as “North Carolina’s Best Rock”. The playlist was built around well-known stadium artists such as Pink Floyd
, The Who
, and Led Zeppelin
along with Southern Rock favorites Lynyrd Skynyrd
, the Allman Brothers Band
, and Molly Hatchet
. Heavy metal artists AC/DC
, Judas Priest
, Ozzy Osbourne
, and copycat artists also shared the spotlight with AOR pop artists REO Speedwagon
and Journey
.
Some of the original staff remained - including Chuck Holloway - but most of the new staff brought on board came from other AOR stations.
Although WKZL branded itself as a classic rock station, it also distinguished itself as a leader in a small way with a new music program launched in March 1982 called the "New Generation Show". Former WKZL DJ DD Thornton submitted a proposal for a one-hour Sunday evening show to introduce new, innovative artists to the classic rock audience. Her proposal was considered so risky WKZL had to present it to Burkhart/Abrams asking for approval. Lee Abrams
granted approval to give the show a test run.
The show debuted in March 1982 on Sunday evenings from 11:00 to midnight. Among the featured artists were Elvis Costello
, The Pretenders
, and XTC
. The show became so popular that station manager Fromme decided to expand the show from 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. Around the same time, local nightclub "Casablanca" asked to try a live version of the show on Monday nights. That weekly event drew large crowds and ran for several years. Eventually the "New Generation Show" was expanded to Sundays from 10:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. and was live at several clubs in Winston-Salem and Greensboro.
The popularity of many of the new artists like Micheal Jackson played on "New Generation," the introduction of MTV, and the dedication of record and radio professionals who recognized the value of these new artists, prompted WKZL to open its format a bit and bring new artists such as X, the English Beat, the Psychedelic Furs, Berlin
, Gary Numan
, Wall of Voodoo
, Duran Duran
, U2
, and R.E.M.
, into regular rotation. Because of Thornton's persistence, R.E.M.'s song "Radio Free Europe" was allowed into WKZL's playlist, making WKZL one of the first major commercial stations to play R.E.M.'s music in high rotation.
WKZL went through a series of Program Directors grappling with the emergence of pop bands gaining popularity through MTV and how to balance these modern bands with the traditional “classic rock” format. By 1984, the hard-edge sound gave way to the pop sounds of Prince
, Michael Jackson
, and other artists who frequented Billboard’s Top 40 charts.
While the "New Generation Show" remained popular, as the station format and management evolved towards mainstream, program creator and producer DD Thornton altered the program name to "Choice Cuts" as a way of keeping pace with WKZL's changing facade, although the show's format remained the same. Yet as WKZL's format increasingly moved away from rock and into CHR
, the juxtaposition of a show featuring groundbreaking artists with formulaic hits became more incongruous. Thornton cancelled the show and eventually left WKZL.
For most of the 90s, WKZL called itself "107.5 The Eagle", playing adult contemporary music
. For a brief time, the station was modern adult contemporary, competing directly with "98-7 The Point
" (which changed to variety hits in 2005). Eventually the decision was made to return to Top 40. That came in 1999, around Labor Day weekend, when the station stunted, with recorded management saying that the station was underperforming and that all the deejays were suspended until a new plan could be worked out. Current morning man, Jack Murphy has been with the station since 1993. The core of the Murphy in the Morning Show for most of the 90's was Jack, joined by Terrie Knight (who also did news) and Chris Kelly (who also produced the show). Knight and Kelly exited in 1999, when Kelly went to do the "2 Guys Named Chris" show on Dick Broadcasting's other property, Rock 92 (WKRR
). Knight went to do afternoons (at KZL), where she stayed until 2005 when she left the station and radio, altogether.
Jack Murphy is joined on air by Katie O'Brien and Jared Pike.
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
and serves the Piedmont Triad
Piedmont Triad
The Piedmont Triad, or Triad, is a north-central region of the U.S. state of North Carolina that consists of the area within and surrounding the three major cities of Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and High Point. This close group or "triad" of cities lies in the Piedmont geographical region of the...
area, which also includes Greensboro
Greensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
and High Point
High Point, North Carolina
High Point is a city located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. As of 2010 the city had a total population of 104,371, according to the US Census Bureau. High Point is currently the eighth-largest municipality in North Carolina....
. The outlet, which is owned by Dick Broadcasting, operates at 107.5 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW.
History
In 1958, WYFS became the first Winston-Salem station to play classical musicClassical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
. In 1966, the station became WAAA-FM, airing the soul music
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
of WAAA, and WFDD
WFDD
WFDD is a public radio station located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It is the flagship National Public Radio station for the Piedmont Triad. Owned by Wake Forest University, it serves 32 counties in North Carolina and Virginia. It also operates a translator on 104.7 FM in...
took over classical music. The station began stereo broadcasts in January 1975 and changed its call letters to WKZL.
The station had the call letters WSGH (standing for Winston-Salem / Greensboro / High Point) during the early 1970s when its format was easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
. For a short period of time in the mid 70s the station featured an eclectic blend of pop, rock and progressive rock selected at random by the hosts. DJs on the air from 1975-1977 included Steve Gold (Marshall), Alan Cameron, Mitch Clarke, Nick Archer, Bruce Key, Ron Spivey, Kitty Kinnin, Reid Stott, Steve Norris, and Steve Day. Production chores were handled by Jack Shaw and Rowell Gormon. The late 70s era of WKZL’s programming was a mix of Top 40 and album cuts formulated into playlists based on focus groups created under the direction of eccentric owner Bob Brown.
Morning Show Host Doug Paul, Rod Davis, Chris Angel, J.J. Hemingway, D.D. Thornton, and the late Chuck Holloway, who also served as Music Director. Doug Paul served as Program Director during his time at WKZL between 1978 and 1982. During this period, the station was pioneering music research that included weekly focus groups of 18-49 year old listeners assembled by Owner Bob Brown and Sharon Paul. The format of the station was a unique hybrid of Deep Tracks, Top 40 and Jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
. Local music artists were featured in the programming mix and live concerts were broadcast weekly via NBC's THE SOURCE and other radio program syndicators. Known for a keen spot production sound and aggressive demo sales, the WKZL of the late 70's won many local and regional advertising awards and had up to three full time copywriters on staff.
Brown eventually sold WAAA to Mutter Evans, who made history at age 25 by becoming the youngest black woman to own a commercial radio station in the US. Soon afterwards Brown sold WKZL to Nationwide Broadcasting, while maintaining ownership of the building that housed both stations.
When Nationwide took control and installed Station Manager Rick Fromme and Program Director Tom Daniels, the station changed its format to the more classic AOR (Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
) under the guidance of the radio consultant firm Burkhart/Abrams. By 1982, WKZL was known by its slogan as “North Carolina’s Best Rock”. The playlist was built around well-known stadium artists such as Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
, The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, and Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
along with Southern Rock favorites Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...
, the Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band
The Allman Brothers Band is an American rock/blues band once based in Macon, Georgia. The band was formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman and Gregg Allman , who were supported by Dickey Betts , Berry Oakley , Butch Trucks , and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe"...
, and Molly Hatchet
Molly Hatchet
Molly Hatchet is an American southern rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1975. They are widely known for their hit song "Flirtin' with Disaster" from the album of the same title. The band, founded by Dave Hlubek and Steve Holland, took its name from a prostitute who allegedly mutilated...
. Heavy metal artists AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
, Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
, Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
, and copycat artists also shared the spotlight with AOR pop artists REO Speedwagon
REO Speedwagon
REO Speedwagon is an American rock band. Formed in 1967, the band grew in popularity during the 1970s and peaked in the early 1980s. Hi Infidelity is the group's most commercially successful album, selling over ten million copies and charting four Top 40 hits in the US...
and Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
.
Some of the original staff remained - including Chuck Holloway - but most of the new staff brought on board came from other AOR stations.
Although WKZL branded itself as a classic rock station, it also distinguished itself as a leader in a small way with a new music program launched in March 1982 called the "New Generation Show". Former WKZL DJ DD Thornton submitted a proposal for a one-hour Sunday evening show to introduce new, innovative artists to the classic rock audience. Her proposal was considered so risky WKZL had to present it to Burkhart/Abrams asking for approval. Lee Abrams
Lee Abrams
Lee Abrams is an American media executive who has held a number of posts for large and influential companies, and is generally credited with developing the "Album Oriented Rock" format employed by hundreds of radio stations across the country.-Career:...
granted approval to give the show a test run.
The show debuted in March 1982 on Sunday evenings from 11:00 to midnight. Among the featured artists were Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
, The Pretenders
The Pretenders
The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
, and XTC
XTC
XTC were a New Wave band from Swindon, England, active between 1976 and 2005. The band enjoyed some chart success, including the UK and Canadian hits "Making Plans for Nigel" and "Senses Working Overtime" , but are perhaps even better known for their long-standing critical success.- Early years:...
. The show became so popular that station manager Fromme decided to expand the show from 11:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. Around the same time, local nightclub "Casablanca" asked to try a live version of the show on Monday nights. That weekly event drew large crowds and ran for several years. Eventually the "New Generation Show" was expanded to Sundays from 10:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. and was live at several clubs in Winston-Salem and Greensboro.
The popularity of many of the new artists like Micheal Jackson played on "New Generation," the introduction of MTV, and the dedication of record and radio professionals who recognized the value of these new artists, prompted WKZL to open its format a bit and bring new artists such as X, the English Beat, the Psychedelic Furs, Berlin
Berlin (band)
Berlin is an American New Wave/Synthpop band. The group was formed in Los Angeles in 1978 by John Crawford . The band contained Crawford, Terri Nunn , David Diamond , Ric Olsen , Matt Reid and Rod Learned . Learned left during the first EU tour and was replaced by Rob Brill...
, Gary Numan
Gary Numan
Gary Numan is an English singer, composer, and musician, most widely known for his chart-topping 1979 hits "Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars". His signature sound consisted of heavy synthesizer hooks fed through guitar effects pedals.Numan is considered a pioneer of commercial electronic music...
, Wall of Voodoo
Wall of Voodoo
Wall of Voodoo was an American New Wave group from Los Angeles best known for the 1983 hit "Mexican Radio". The band had a sound that was a fusion of synthesizer-based New Wave music with the spaghetti western soundtrack style of Ennio Morricone.-Formation:...
, Duran Duran
Duran Duran
Duran Duran are an English band, formed in Birmingham in 1978. They were one of the most successful bands of the 1980s and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States...
, U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
, and R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
, into regular rotation. Because of Thornton's persistence, R.E.M.'s song "Radio Free Europe" was allowed into WKZL's playlist, making WKZL one of the first major commercial stations to play R.E.M.'s music in high rotation.
WKZL went through a series of Program Directors grappling with the emergence of pop bands gaining popularity through MTV and how to balance these modern bands with the traditional “classic rock” format. By 1984, the hard-edge sound gave way to the pop sounds of Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
, Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, and other artists who frequented Billboard’s Top 40 charts.
While the "New Generation Show" remained popular, as the station format and management evolved towards mainstream, program creator and producer DD Thornton altered the program name to "Choice Cuts" as a way of keeping pace with WKZL's changing facade, although the show's format remained the same. Yet as WKZL's format increasingly moved away from rock and into CHR
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
, the juxtaposition of a show featuring groundbreaking artists with formulaic hits became more incongruous. Thornton cancelled the show and eventually left WKZL.
For most of the 90s, WKZL called itself "107.5 The Eagle", playing adult contemporary music
Adult contemporary music
Adult contemporary music is a broad style of popular music that ranges from lush 1950s and 1960s vocal music to predominantly ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock influence, as well as a radio format that plays such music....
. For a brief time, the station was modern adult contemporary, competing directly with "98-7 The Point
WSMW
WSMW is a Variety Hits station licensed to Greensboro, North Carolina and serves the Piedmont Triad region, including High Point and Winston Salem. The Entercom outlet broadcasts at 98.7 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW .-History:On January 9, 1958, WMDE signed on at 98.5...
" (which changed to variety hits in 2005). Eventually the decision was made to return to Top 40. That came in 1999, around Labor Day weekend, when the station stunted, with recorded management saying that the station was underperforming and that all the deejays were suspended until a new plan could be worked out. Current morning man, Jack Murphy has been with the station since 1993. The core of the Murphy in the Morning Show for most of the 90's was Jack, joined by Terrie Knight (who also did news) and Chris Kelly (who also produced the show). Knight and Kelly exited in 1999, when Kelly went to do the "2 Guys Named Chris" show on Dick Broadcasting's other property, Rock 92 (WKRR
WKRR
WKRR is a radio station broadcasting a classic rock format. Licensed to Asheboro, North Carolina, USA. The station is currently owned by Dick Broadcasting Company, Inc...
). Knight went to do afternoons (at KZL), where she stayed until 2005 when she left the station and radio, altogether.
Program lineup
The Murphy in the Morning Show broadcasts live Monday – Friday between 6am and 10:00am on 107.5 KZL radio. The Murphy in the Morning Show has been on the air since 1993 and is currently hosted by Jack Murphy.Jack Murphy is joined on air by Katie O'Brien and Jared Pike.