
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, July 29, 1994                   TAG: 9407290061
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-1   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: By RICK LINDQUIST STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

ROCK 105 FAN FIGHTS TO KEEP STATION AS IS

Sean Kotz takes his music seriously, so when he heard that Rock 105 (WVVV, 104.9 FM) might switch formats to adult contemporary music, he took it upon himself to circulate petitions asking the station's new owners - New River Media Group - to keep the station just as it is.

Kotz acted so fast, in fact, that he hasn't even bothered to sign one himself yet.

``I like it a lot,'' he said of Rock 105, which plays classic and album rock and alternative cuts. ``It's a unique station.''

Kotz's petitions also ask the station to resume broadcasting 24 hours a day. The station began signing off at midnight about a week ago, WVVV General Manager Dave Roederer said Wednesday.

He explained that the change was to allow some studio equipment changes and that the station will resume around-the-clock broadcasting within the next month.

Roederer also emphasized that the station has made no programming decisions yet.

``We're not opening or closing the door on any programming issues,'' he said, adding that Rock 105's format ``is pretty much on target.''

Format-change rumors have circulated since last year, when New River Media Group announced it would buy both WVVV and its sister station, WJJJ (1260 AM). The company completed the purchase July 1. New River Media Group also owns Eagle Country 107 (WPSK, 107.1 FM) in Pulaski and plans to house all three stations at a single location near Radford.

Would WVVV pay attention to Kotz's petitions and similar listener sentiments?

"Absolutely," Roederer assured.

Kotz, an English instructor at Virginia Tech, has been listening to the station since he arrived in the New River Valley in 1984 as a Virginia Tech student. Over the years, he has been a drummer for area bands.

While he also enjoys the similarly programmed WROV-FM in Roanoke, he said he likes the fact that WVVV integrates new music cuts into its regular music mix and that the station's disc jockeys ``are still interested in having fun.''

Kotz said he has put petitions out at several popular Blacksburg nightspots and may enlist some help to distribute them on campus when students start to return.

by CNB