Highlights from the author’s week of (always decidedly random) listening and the week’s radio headlines, ending May 27, 2010. Stations I’ve worked with recently in my Edison Research (or another) capacity are asterisked.

Station

**WAMS-AM-FM Dover, Del.** – A few weeks ago, a dialogue opened in this column between those who wanted to hear all the hits of the ’80s, even the wimpy ones, and those who were just as happy that “Theme From ‘The Greatest American Hero’” had long been surgically removed. For those in the former camp, this all-’80s AM launched last year has recently moved to FM thanks to two new translators. There’s a wide playlist that has ranged from Air Supply’s “Even The Nights Are Better” to Eddie Money’s “Shakin’” to “I Wanna Rock” by Twisted Sister in recent days. There’s also the John Tesh Show in mornings (very well assembled) and the 1984 Z100 Flamethrower jingle package. Very likely to become the favorite ’80s Oldies station of a lot of thirtysomething readers today.

Format Change

Newcap’s CHNO Sudbury, Ontario goes from Adult Hits “Big Daddy 103.9” to Greatest Hits “Rewind 103.9” as Canada’s long-delayed building boom of Oldies/Greatest Hits on FM finally spreads to smaller markets. Then again, veteran Canadian programmer Ross Davies had already taken the format to Parry Sound, Ontario, on CKLP (Moose FM).

Format Trends

Top 40’s Rebound In Medium- And Small-Markets with new stations in recent weeks, including WKOS (Channel 104.9) Johnson City/Kingsport/Bristol, Tenn., KZBD (Now 105.7) Spokane, Wash., and, yes, KRVQ (iMix) Jackson, Wyo.

Ratings Story

Urban WQHT (Hot 97) New York ties WHTZ (Z100) in 18-34 in April. As is often the case now, because of available listening by age, being No. 1 18-34 only moves the station from tenth to eighth place overall.

AC WLTJ (Q92.9) Pittsburgh’s nighttime “Q In The City” picks up more than 43% of African-American listening at night after eight months, given the lack of any fulltime successor for Urban WAMO.

**Top 40 WZFT (Z104.3) Baltimore** – We gave Adult Top 40 rival WWMX (Mix 106.5) credit a few weeks ago for hanging in there despite the launch of a Mainstream Top 40. So equal time compels us to acknowledge the April ratings, where the battle tightens. Mix 5.6 – 5.0 12-plus vs. Z104’s 3.8 – 4.2.

Jock Line

“It’s just one simple question that all of us have had to ask our friends before—are you a hooker?” – WWWQ (Q100) Atlanta morning host Bert, to a caller who’d been tipped off to her best friend/roommate’s many male visitors. A bit that kept giving for several days running.

Station Liner

“Train, Rain, and Pain Songs, But No Lame Songs” – Dial Global Country Oldies affiliate WKRK Murphy, N.C., summarizes its offerings in a music image promo.

Prizes You Can’t Buy

“Win A Guitar Lesson With Orianthi” courtesy of Top 40 WBHT Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

“Record A Song With We The Kings” on Top 40 WHTS (105.3 Hot FM) Grand Rapids, Mich.

Station Concert Name

“Kick-Ass Summer Splash,” the June 10 show from KHTT (106.9 K-Hits) Tulsa, Okla.

Public Service

“Eyes For Elton” – Greatest Hits XEPRS-FM (The Walrus) San Diego teams up with a local optometrist to collect used eyeglasses and qualify listeners for concert tickets.

Cue To Call In And Win

Country KIIM Tucson, Ariz., gives away tickets to “Bodies: The Exhibition” when callers hear Joe Diffie’s “Prop Me Up Beside The Jukebox (If I Die).”

Web Content

Enrique Iglesias Asked What Language He Prefers In The Bedroom – From iHeart Radio as seen on KVUU (My 99.9) Colorado Springs. Depends who he’s with, he says.

Special Features

“The Cheesy Easy Listening Oldie” on the True Oldies Channel – PD Scott Shannon finds a place for those MOR crossovers that still showed up well into the rock era – “The Men In My Little Girl’s Life,” “It’s Impossible,” “My Cup Runneth Over,” etc. And if you’re completely unable to relate to that idea, try…

“2pac At 4” on Rhythmic KDLW (Wild 97.7) Albuquerque, N.M. – Ten minutes every afternoon. And by the time they run out, he’ll be out with something new!

Consumer Press Story

**“Nighthawk Still Missing After All These Years”** – There’s no new news on the legendary R&B WOL Washington, D.C., night jock who disappeared in the ’70s, but it’s still a great radio mystery, and he’s one of the all-time great unsung talents.

Oh Wow Oldie

Journey, “Ask The Lonely” – The “Two Of A Kind” soundtrack cut was never a single, but was played like one by some stations—just not enough to show up in gold libraries. One of many candidates from the aforementioned all-’80s WAMS-FM Dover, Del., although they’re currently playing the no-less-surprising “Inside Out” by Phil Collins.

Mind Boggling Potential Oh Wow

**WGVU (Real Oldies 1480/850) Grand Rapids, Mich.,** the non-comm Oldies station that you’ve read about several times in this column over the last year already throws in a wide variety of collectors’ obscurities. So imagine what the station’s June 14-19 pledge drive request-a-thon is going to sound like.

Out Of Office Message

“We are celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary.” – Congrats to KFAB Omaha talk personality Andy Greenberg.