ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, January 22, 1996 TAG: 9601230036
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 2 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Channel Surfing
SOURCE: CODY LOWE
This first month of the new year has brought several changes in the Roanoke/Lynchburg radio market.
Benchmark Communications of Baltimore this month completed its purchase of WROV AM and FM, making it - officially - the owner of what recently have been the two top-rated stations in the region - WYYD and WROV-FM. While WYYD's country music format continues to dominate the market, there is some indication that there may be changes in the alignment of the other stations in the latest ratings book, due out later this month.
Benchmark now claims to own the largest radio operation in the market, with studio and production facilities in both Roanoke and Lynchburg.
With the change in ownership has come change in management at the stations.
Barbara Rexrode, who had been general manager of WYYD since 1986, is now general manager for all the Benchmark properties. Former WROV general manager Mike Slenski has moved into management at another group of radio stations in the market (See below).
Kenny Shelton, formerly program director at WYYD, has been named operations manager for all the Benchmark stations, which includes overseeing the programing of all the stations.
And Robynn Jaymes, popular DJ and former assistant program director at WYYD, has been named that station's program director, succeeding Shelton. Jaymes has worked every air shift at the station and has won numerous awards for her on-air work, including ``Small Market Local Air Personality of the Year'' in the 1995 ``Billboard-Airplay Monitor'' awards competition. |n n| Mike Slenski, formerly general manager of the WROV and WLNI stations in Roanoke and Lynchburg, has been named president of the new Cavalier Communications stations in the market - WJJS, WJJX, WRDJ, WLDJ, and WVLR-AM.
Those stations are being operated by Cavalier pending the completion of their sale to that group from Virginia Network, Inc.
The new owners plan technical and physical improvements to the stations, Slenski said, but no immediate changes in their formats - urban contemporary for the JJs and oldies for the DJs. The sister FM stations simultaneously broadcast the same programing.
One change already in effect is a frequency switch for WRDJ, the Roanoke based oldies FM. It is now heard at 104.9 - a move from 105.3 - with a more powerful signal. |n n| Those surfing across their radio dials this year also have found a new radio station in the Roanoke Valley.
WZZI-FM officially went on the air in mid-December at 101.5.
Co-owner and operations manager Ed Hale calls the station's musical format ``real country'' - by which he means a heavy load of classic country music by such performers as Patsy Cline, Marty Robbins, Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash.
While the station does carry many of the ``hot'' current country tunes, Hale said, it will concentrate on a playlist that stretches back at least 10 years and includes some of the earliest country artists.
The station's offices and studio are in Vinton. The station is co-owned by Hale and his sister, Carol Sue Bowman, who is the station's general manager.
The station is affiliated with the ABC Radio Network.
LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Robynn Jaymes is new program director for WYYD.by CNB