rlr (01/25/83)
Lee Abrams "pop/punk" format does have a formula for throwing in oldies (i.e., 1960's music) from time to time. You won't hear Steely Dan et al., on KROQ/WLIR/etc. because music from the '70s was the very thing that 'new wave' music was fighting against----the blase, mellow, MOR of the Fleetwood Macs, the Eagles-clones, and the "singer-songwriters", counterpointed with the deafening egomaniacal self-indulgent star-trips of the Rod Stewarts and the heavy metal bands (and, of course, disco, which every dance clubbing "new waver" now insists that (s)he liked all the time). But, enough defense of Lee Abrams and his format. The "format" was moved lock, stock, and barrel from KROQ in Los Angeles to WLIR in New York. This format not only consisted of certain types of music to be played but a specific style of radio which WLIR has copied (stolen) "note-for-note". The little comedy bits from old movies that get played between songs, the style of the DJs' banter, etc., all were very literally taken from KROQ's format. They even retain that same racist tone that KROQ seemed to have (e.g., they never play James Brown, but it's OK to play a tape of the man shouting "Hey!" at random intervals---come to think of it, they still don't play /any/ appreciable amount of black music). Add this to the literal cloning of a radio station, and you can see why Lee Abrams has done nothing more than line his own pockets by creating yet another AOR!