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BlastDynamic new 'Z-Rock' radio roars in with the New YearBY GEORGE VERBAN C-T Staff WriterELYRIA - Reflecting a dynamic and exciting FM radio change, “Z-Rock” blasts in the New Year with 50,000 watt power as WC2R Elyria-Cleve-land.Within the next week, the old WBEA call letters at 107.3 will be dropped and the Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting Co. FM station will become known as WCZR.. “Z-Rock”.IT’S BILLED as the first and only radio station in the area to cater to a large market of unsatisfied 12-34 year-old hard-rock fans.We recently increased our tower height and improved our signal over the Greater Cleveland-Akron area,” Gary L. Kneisley, 45-year-old station general manager said, “Many FM radio stations are playing very similar music to WBEA. That coupled with some recently completed marketing research by Strategic Radio Research and Satellite Music Network indicates it is time to change our programming to a more unique and exciting format which will allow us to make a mark on the regional audience.’’“We will continue to maintain our reliance and support of and for Lorain County but at the same time reach out to more of the metro area,” Kneisley said, “our target audience will be 18-24-year-olds and the capture area of our audience will be 12 to 34.”“THE ARTISTS we will be playing routinely draw 10,000-plus to their concerts and the sales of their recordings are consistently among the top movers in the inventory,” he added.These include the Scorpions, Judas Priest, Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, ZZ Top, Hellion, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, Iron Maiden, Motley Crue, Twisted Sister, Alice Cooper, Stones, Outlaws, Metal Massacre, Santana, among others, he pointed out.WBEA prior to the hard rock change, featured the top 40 hits and before that headlined the “easy listening” or Mantovani music theme.KNEISLEY BELIEVES that “Z-Rock” will be a teens and early twenties favorite and will be as entertaining as the Beatles and Elvis Presley. The establishment will be hesitant to participate, but frankly, he added, it is the “cutting edge ” the “state-of-the-art” of contemporary music. It will be delivered hot and fresheach day for the benefit of Cleveland, the home of the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame, he noted.Traffic information, world, local and music news of interest to the listeners will be featured daily on a 24-hour round-the-clock basis.Drew Bentley is the local program director and Wild Bill Scott, nationally known rock ‘n’ roll disc jockey, serves as the national satellite program director.NATIONALLY syndicated and locally transmitted, “Z-Rock” comes to this area via Satellite Music Network which pioneered continuous live network radio. WCZR is only the third full-time radio station in the country to use the satellite facility which went into service on Labor Day, Kneisley said.
Newspaper Details
The Chronicle Telegram
Elyria, Ohio, US
Sun, Dec 21, 1986
Page 76
Full Page
Clipped by
Nathan O.
OH, USA 12 Feb 2020
Other Publications Near Elyria, Ohio
Elyria Reporter
Elyria Evening Telegram
Elyria Chronicle
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