When Radio Was Good: 1981-1989.....
Jan. 22nd, 2007 04:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
poltr1Earlier in my LJ, I wrote about Buffalo radio from 1979-1981, based on tapes I made off the air. I want to turn this into a series of articles of days gone by, and I have lots of tapes I made off the air. In the future, I'll write about 1974-79, and possibly 1969-74.
From 1981-84, I mostly listened to 97 Rock (WGRQ-FM, aka Q-FM-97). I don't remember when they started clling themselves "97 Rock". I think I also listened to WPHD, (another album rock station at the time), WNYS-FM, and WBEN-FM (Rock 102) when I wasn't listening to 97 Rock. I also briefly flirted with public radio, listening to WBFO. I should have done volunteer work for them at the time.
One advantage of growing up in a border town is that I was able to hear Canadian artists that would otherwise not get any airplay here in the States. 97 Rock played lots of Rush, Triumph, and some Saga, to name but a few.
In 1984, another new radio station came online: WRXT-FM. Theirs was more free-form than the standard radio station, and I got to hear artists like Nik Kershaw ("Wouldn't It Be Good"), Howard Jones, and Van Stephenson ("Modern-Day Delilah"). These artists didn't get any airplay on the album-rock stations, and some of their songs didn't chart high enough to make it onto the top-40 stations. Once again, this station didn't last long -- I think about 2 years.
In 1986, I swore off top-40 radio for Good when Rock 102 played "Nasty" by Janet Jackson three times in the span of four hours.
That same year, I discovered The Spirit of Radio -- Toronto's CFNY-FM. They played a *lot* of obscure stuff that didn't get any airplay in the states. (Anyone remember Alexei Sayle?) And like all good Canadian stations, they played their share of Canadian content. (Artists like Jane Siberry and Larry Gowan come to mind.)
The following year, yet another new station came online in Buffalo. I forgot its call letters, but they called themselves "The Wave" and played lots of New Age and what has since become called "smooth jazz". Between them and CFNY, I was happy.
And then in 1989, I moved away from town, discovered the local album-rock station here (WTUE), and listened to them for a while. I have no idea what the radio scene is in Buffalo. I'd like to think it hasn't changed, but it probably has.
From 1981-84, I mostly listened to 97 Rock (WGRQ-FM, aka Q-FM-97). I don't remember when they started clling themselves "97 Rock". I think I also listened to WPHD, (another album rock station at the time), WNYS-FM, and WBEN-FM (Rock 102) when I wasn't listening to 97 Rock. I also briefly flirted with public radio, listening to WBFO. I should have done volunteer work for them at the time.
One advantage of growing up in a border town is that I was able to hear Canadian artists that would otherwise not get any airplay here in the States. 97 Rock played lots of Rush, Triumph, and some Saga, to name but a few.
In 1984, another new radio station came online: WRXT-FM. Theirs was more free-form than the standard radio station, and I got to hear artists like Nik Kershaw ("Wouldn't It Be Good"), Howard Jones, and Van Stephenson ("Modern-Day Delilah"). These artists didn't get any airplay on the album-rock stations, and some of their songs didn't chart high enough to make it onto the top-40 stations. Once again, this station didn't last long -- I think about 2 years.
In 1986, I swore off top-40 radio for Good when Rock 102 played "Nasty" by Janet Jackson three times in the span of four hours.
That same year, I discovered The Spirit of Radio -- Toronto's CFNY-FM. They played a *lot* of obscure stuff that didn't get any airplay in the states. (Anyone remember Alexei Sayle?) And like all good Canadian stations, they played their share of Canadian content. (Artists like Jane Siberry and Larry Gowan come to mind.)
The following year, yet another new station came online in Buffalo. I forgot its call letters, but they called themselves "The Wave" and played lots of New Age and what has since become called "smooth jazz". Between them and CFNY, I was happy.
And then in 1989, I moved away from town, discovered the local album-rock station here (WTUE), and listened to them for a while. I have no idea what the radio scene is in Buffalo. I'd like to think it hasn't changed, but it probably has.
