Indianapolis RadioWatcher - More WNAP
JIM...@delphi.com
The Indianapolis Star today published a Letter to the Editor from an
Indianapolis resident critical of the revived WNAP's format. I have
condensed the letter below. I submit it here, because it does an
excellent job of explaining the significance of these call letters to
many central Indiana residents, and is a voice I suspect many of a
certain generation would echo.
"In the late 1970's and early '80s, WNAP-FM was a home of sorts. For
those of us coming of age then, the station had a place in our hearts.
Just listening to it was a small act of defiance against the forces of
conformity and the powers-that-were. "The Buzzard," after all, was
not our parents' radio station.
"Scanning the dial after all this time and stumbling across a typically
cocky WNAP promo was a rush... Finally, I thought, somebody realized
that the Buzzard's former listeners had more purchasing power...now,
and that there's an increasing collective awareness that Top 40, rap,
and Generation X stations all have the same bleak, soulless, overriding
commercialism that produces Stepford DJs and aimless channel surfing.
"...The promising return of WNAP now turns out to be a sham. ...
In a clever marketing ploy, an old name is being used with a narrower
range of oldies than WKLR played. Well, station big shots, consultants,
and accountants, let me explain it to you: My friends and I don't have
a bond with Cat Stevens, Foghat, and Grand Funk Railroad. We might
have those albums in an attic somewhere, but they don't get played.
We care about the old WNAP because of that station's "turn the
radio up, go to the raft race, in your face" attitude. ... The
insurgent, outrageous, rebel air staff who knew the establishment
despised them, and liked it.
"In the '70s ... we were smirking with Chris Connor and the
Breakfast Club, jamming with Adam Smasher, and finding a place to
party after school with Buster Bodine blowing out the car speakers.
...Knowing that some corporate suit is trying to manipulate my past
in order to get me to pay attention to a fraudulent, imitation,
plastic Buzzard motivates me to do the one thing I know would be in
the true spirit of the original WNAP. Keep scanning the dial.
-- Ed Hutchison
jim grey
jim...@delphi.com
Quincy2
<Quoting Ed Hutchison in a letter to the Indianapolis Star:
<"My friends and I don't have a bond with Cat Stevens, Foghat, and Grand
Funk Railroad. We care about <the old WNAP because of that station's 'in
your face' attitude. ... The insurgent, outrageous, rebel air
<staff who knew the establishment despised them, and liked it. In the
'70s ... we were smirking with Chris <Connor... jamming with Adam Smasher,
and...Buster Bodine...
An interesting letter.
Still, I have to remind Mr. Hutchison and anyone who might agree with him
that he (and you) are the "establishment" now...whether you'll admit it or
not.
If it was just the air staff of the former WNAP who made the station so
successful, then why isn't Cris Connor the top rated afternoon personality
in Indianapolis with the country (now oldies) station he programs and
hosts (not to mention rap/hip hop Hoosier 96)? Why is Tom Cochran not the
top rated news anchor in Indianapolis?
I don't wear bell bottoms, live at home and have to ask dad for the car
keys for my Friday night date. I am not the same person that I was in the
70s...and I don't want to be.
Then why should we expect WNAP to be the same radio station?
loujo...@delphi.com
programmed by people who were on the leading edge of what was
then a new idea for FM.
Buster Bodine ( Michael Hanks---Brother of WIBC legend Chuck
Riley) has a
very successful carrer in voice overs. The rest of the people
that created that station are currently involved in Boston's
WCLB. Other spinoffs of the idea were WRMF in Florida and KVIL
in Dallas, formatically different stations but with the same
underlying philosophy.
I'll bet that Emmis the current ownership has not thought to
bring back the
Buzzard as a logo (before WMMS there was WNAP's Buzzard, and
how it
got to Cleveland is the Charlie Kendall story). WNAP started
out as this bad
top forty station. Chris Conner at WNAP was a carefully
structed act. Nothing that occured at WNAP ( the fantasy
concerts, the year 2093 etc) was not carefully planned.
MarkElliot
:I'll bet that Emmis the current ownership has not thought to bring back
the
:Buzzard as a logo
oh yest they have.. It looks much the same on the TV spots.. and it's the
exact same Top Hour ID.. The Wrath of the..