THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, January 17, 1995 TAG: 9501170069
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY SUE SMALLWOOD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines
WTAR has kicked off the new year by unveiling Virginia's only statewide talk show.
``Pat Murphy's Virginia'' can be heard from 9 to 10 a.m. weekdays on WTAR and on stations in Charlottesville, Winchester, Wytheville, Front Royal, Blackstone, Roanoke and others across the Old Dominion.
``It's not just focused on politics,'' said host Pat Murphy, a veteran of more than 25 years in politics and broadcasting. ``It just talks about issues that affect Virginians and gives people all over the commonwealth a chance to talk. And there really is a difference in attitude and opinions between the big cities and the little ones. It's an awful lot of fun.''
Other changes abound at WTAR these days.
Local host Mike Rau's ``Anarchy Overnight'' show, formerly heard from 1 to 5 a.m. six nights a week, has been replaced with ``Sports Overnight,'' a live national sports program, on weeknights. ``The Joe Mazza Show,'' a national talk show, airs on weekends.
``That was purely a business move, an economic move,'' said WTAR program director Jack Ankerson of Rau's Dec. 31 sign-off. ``There's obviously not a lot of revenue generated overnight.''
WTAR also has added comedian David Brenner's call-in/talk show program to its weekday schedule. The current affairs/celebrity gabfest airs from 3 to 6 p.m.
Former outlandish WNVZ-FM, Z-104, personality Chris Bailey has resurfaced on WMXN, Mix 105, after two years of adventure (and misadventure) across the country. After a stint with Baltimore's WWMX, Bailey headed south to Corpus Christi, Texas, where he could be heard on rhythm/dance station KZFM and also hosted a call-in talk show on KEYS-AM.
Bailey says he thoroughly enjoyed his talk-radio stint, even when it placed him smack dab in the middle of a hostage situation.
``This guy whose wife was divorcing him went into her place of work with an AK-47 and strapped himself with dynamite,'' Bailey recalled. ``I said, `Wouldn't it be wild if we called the guy and got him on the air?' never expecting him to answer the phone. So I call and guess who answers the phone? Well, the police had a cow.''
Officials even considered convening a grand jury to possibly indict the radioman for interfering with police business.
Bailey denies that the Texas brouhaha had anything to do with his return to Hampton Roads. But he's still doing things in a big way: During Wednesday's Mix 105 morning drive, Bailey lured notoriously private uber-actor Jack Nicholson onto the airwaves via phone (Bailey swears he was the real thing, folks).
Bailey and sidekick Julie Brown are on weekdays from 5 to 9 a.m.
Loyal WROX-FM listeners were no doubt shocked to hear nothing but ugly static when they tuned in Wednesday. Seems a part in the station's transmitter failed the evening before, but 96X was back on the air Thursday.
The station is still awaiting approval from the Federal Communicatons Commission to build a translator, which would help eliminate signal dropout in the downtown Norfolk area. Earlier this year, Tidewater Communications, which owns WNOR-FM and WAFX-FM, filed a petition with the FCC to deny WROX a construction permit. The station has since collected more than 3,000 signatures from listeners requesting 96X be granted the go-ahead.
Meanwhile, 96X has received clearance for construction of a larger tower. The current stick, located in Cape Charles, is 500 feet; the new tower at the same location would measure 750 feet.
``This would have the effect of giving a much stronger signal,'' explained Bob Sinclair, vice president and general manager of Sinclair Communications, which owns WROX.
FCC approval of the taller tower should be virtually trouble-free, Sinclair says, with construction commencing as soon as April.
The changes at WGH-FM, Eagle 97 - morning team Jimmy Ray Dunn and Jay Francis have been replaced by former WCMS personality Dan McClain - have raised the ire of many Soundcheck readers.
Val from Portsmouth echoed the sentiments of dozens of angry callers: ``I don't like the way that they let Jimmy Ray Dunn and Jay Francis go from Eagle 97. And I don't think the morning show has been improved by Dan McClain.''
But WGH operations director Smokey Rivers says listener reaction to McClain has been ``very good. We're taking him around town and reintroducing him, or maybe introducing him to folks who haven't met him yet'' with the ``Dan Caravan,'' a promotional tour.
``It's very important in any format, but especially for country, for somebody new to get out and say `Hi' to folks. We've gotten very good response.'' MEMO: Got a comment about local radio, music, nightlife? Leave it on the
Soundcheck squawk-box, 640-5555, category 3277.
ILLUSTRATION: ``Pat Murphy's Virginia'' airs at 9 a.m. weekdays on WTAR.
by CNB