Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "kwod"

Jury Selection Begins In Radio Station Water Death Suit

2009-09-08T20:21:52Z

The parent company of a local radio station engaged in the first day of a wrongful death lawsuit after a contestant died on a morning drive program more than two years ago.

Entercom Communications Corporation, owner of six radio stations including KDND 107.9 FM "The End," was slapped with a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of the family of Jennifer Strange, a contestant in the station's "Hold Your Wee For A Wii" promotion in January 2007. Contestants were challenged to consume several varying amounts of water over the course of the station's "Morning Rave" breakfast program. Participants forfeited the contest when they were unable to hold their urine or vomit after consuming the water, with the last contestant standing receiving a prize of a Nintendo Wii gaming console.

Prior to the start of the contest, a woman identifying herself as a nurse called the Morning Rave program, warning the disc jockeys that the contest could have dire health consequences. The DJs ignored the health advice and proceeded with the contest anyhow.

Strange is thought to have consumed more than two gallons of water before eventually accepting tickets to a Justin Timberlake concert as a consolation prize. Throughout the contest, Strange had complained of head pains while the DJs commented that her stomach looked bloated.

The mother of three was found dead in her Rancho Cordova home hours later by a relative shortly after the contest ended.

In response, KDND fired 10 staff members, including the DJs associated with the "Morning Rave" program and several members of the station's promotional team. Later, the station launched a new morning show, hiring three disc jockeys away from a Pennsylvania station. The station and the new morning show continues to dominate in demographic and overall ratings.

It's those ratings that attorneys for the plaintiffs in the wrongful death civil case say pushed the station in the direction that led to Strange's death.

"That is why Jennifer Strange died," a brief released by lawyers Roger Dreyer and Harvey Levine read. "Not because of an oversight, but because Entercom cared about ratings, not risk."

Jury selection in the wrongful death case began Tuesday morning, the same day KDND rolled out commercial-free radio weekly on Tuesday during peak listening hours. According to the Sacramento Bee, Entercom is thought to have lost $710 million last year despite having dominant ratings in the Sacramento market.

Entercom operates six radio stations in the Sacramento market, including five FM stations and one AM sports station.

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Matthew Keys is an online news writer for FOX40.com and community contributor to The Sacramento Press.

"The End" Isn't Ending, They're Just Dropping Commercials

2009-09-04T23:15:33Z

Fans of a popular Top 40 music station have nothing to worry about -- KDND 107.9 FM "The End" isn't dropping their popular music format, they're just dropping the commercials.

On Tuesday, KDND announced on their Twitter.com page that the station was going to "say goodbye" to something on the station. Fans speculated "The End" was going to change music formats or go off the air altogether.

However, a FOX40 News viewer named Andrew discovered a hidden webpage on KDND's website that spelled out the station's intentions: The End was planning to announce a commercial-free format every Tuesday between 9:30am and midnight.

Shortly after FOX40.com broke the news of "The End's" Tuesday announcement, the station updated their website to reflect the news.

Thursday, a source with the radio station confirmed a "change" would be coming to the station on Tuesday, September 9th. The new commercial-free format will launch the same day Entercom enters a civil lawsuit as a defendant following the death of Jennifer Strange by way of water intoxication during a station contest in 2007.

Earlier this year, Entercom changed formats on alternative station KWOD 106.5 FM. The station, now known as KBZC "The Buzz," now plays music from the 1990s and is fully automated.

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Matthew Keys is an online news writer for FOX40.com and community contributor to The Sacramento Press.

Concerts in the Park: The Brodys bringing props to the plaza

2009-07-30T17:28:35Z

The Brodys bring more than musical instruments to their Concerts in the Park shows: They also bring props. They like to up the entertainment value of their shows by bringing a little something extra.

One year, they brought a fake 30-foot shark to go with a beach theme. Another year they brought in a Brodys cover band who played the band's instruments while the group listened from the beer garden.

Once, they brought the entire Cal Aggie Marching Band to play a song with them.

"Every year we raise the bar for ourselves; we can't just go back to showing up and playing," said The Brodys' lead singer Tony Brusca. "People coming out will get good music and chuckles, too."

This year they will spend a little extra money building a homemade set out of plywood and paint. "People will not be disappointed," Brusca said, though he did not add any details on what else the set included.

The Brodys will play their 13th Concert in the Park on Friday and will be the headlining band. Opening will be Goodness Gracious Me and The Broken Poet (click links for MySpace).

Goodness Gracious Me plays an indie-garage style rock, while The Broken Poet plays a mixture of piano-based rock.

The Brodys formed in Sacramento in 1994 as a pop-punk rock band. They released their debut album in 1996, playing a number of local shows to support it. In one standout show, they played Old Ironsides with Oleander and Matchbox 20. Then opportunity knocked.

They were invited to open for Cake at Concerts in the Park 12 years ago. Since then the five-piece has played Cesar Chavez Plaza almost 20 times.

"After Jerry [Perry, Concerts in the Park promoter] gave us the opportunity to open up for Cake, people knew who we were," Brusca said. "That [show] put us on the map."

Their 1998 album Goody Goody garnered positive reviews in The Sacramento Bee. Their regional hit "Toss," from an untitled EP released in 1999, was the most requested song on KWOD 106.5 for a month.

Success continued in December 1999 when they played Arco Arena with Incubus, Foo Fighters and 311. In 2001, the band's music was featured on an animated MTV show called "Undergrads."

But after their latest albums, Unexamined Life, 2001, and Stuck in 2005, the band had to change their pace. They were tired of sacrificing everything and making the band priority number one, Brusca said.

"We came to a crossroad where we needed to either reevaluate priorities or call it a day," Brusca explained. "We were a little bit older, some of the guys had families, and being in a local band trying to make it [big] is grueling."

The band decided to continue, but to tone back the schedule. That way the band could keep playing the music they loved while keeping day jobs and families.

"A lot of people ask us why we haven't made it like Cake, Oleander or Papa Roach -- the people around when we started who all made it," Brusca said. "[But] we consider ourselves as having made it."

The band still enjoys one another's company, he added, and have a local following of devoted fans.

"[If we were asked] to tour with Green Day next summer, we would think pretty closely about that, but those days are behind us," Brusca added. "Right now we're just enjoying jobs, kids and life."

Friday Night Concerts in the Park take place at Cesar Chavez Plaza on 10th and J Streets from 5 to 9 p.m. every Friday until Aug. 14.

Don't forget that your Friday night festivities continue if you show your wristband to one of the following businesses:

Brew it Up!: $4 drafts, Bacardi, Jack Daniels and 3 Olives cocktails, plus half-price appetizers

Fuzio Universal Bistro: $3 drafts, $5 martinis, plus a selection of $3 appetizers

Marilyn's on K: $1 off well drinks, $3 draft Bud Light

Parlare Euro Lounge: $3 domestic beers, $5 wine, $4 assorted appetizers

Pyramid Alehouse: $2 pints of Curveball

Sofia on 11th: $3 drafts, $4 wines, $4 wells and and half-price appetizers

Table 260: Half off appetizer menu, 10 percent off dinner, $5 drink special on Sac Soul

Toppingz Pizza inside Image Lounge: $2.50 Bud and Bud Light, $4 Jack Daniels, appetizers starting at $1

Sheraton Grand Hotel's PMB Bar: $3.50 Bud and Bud Light (bottle or draft), $5 nachos or artichoke dip

Amourath Lounge at Hyatt: $1 off Bud, Bud Light and all appetizers

Citizen Hotel: $99/night weekend rate for Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights in a deluxe king, queen or dual-double-bedroom. This deal is exclusively for the Concerts in the Park, and for information on how to book the room, call 916-447-2700.

*photographs courtesy The Brodys

Is "The Buzz" Real? How "Classic" is Radio?

2009-07-03T01:32:23Z

Sacramento radio severely suffered two more steps back in the last six weeks. First KWOD-FM (106.5) stopped playing Alternative music, held on to Nirvana and Green Day, then re-birthed as 106.5 The Buzz -- "Totally 90s."

Anyone Else Puking?

Many former KWOD listeners did their marketing for The Buzz by publicly complaining about the new format. This has put The Buzz in a situation that every radio station would love to be in -- Everyone knows they exist. But do they care? No.

Will it last?

No.

It might adjust to add 80's and/or early 2000's music -- which, I might add, it already plays a little bit of. With time it might adjust to sound more like a KGBY-FM (My 92.5) or even KZZO-FM (100.5 The Zone). But it will not last more than 18 months with an all-90's playlist. The 90s lacked as a decade musically. It was great for those in their teens, but the decade only has approximately 300 songs to choose from. That will get old very fast.

Consider that in the last week The Buzz played 57 of those 300 songs at least 10 times. That's two full days of music. See why this will get old fast? When you can't play new music, you are bound to bury yourself. Hence why I do not think "all 90s" will last more than 18 months.

Classic Clear Channel

Clear Channel did it again. They started up a "radio station in a box" on their new 93.1 FM frequency. Touting "70's and 80's Classic Hits" they decided to start playing music already heard on multiple Sacramento-area radio stations. Many of those of which have local on-air hosts.

"Classic 93.1" does have DJs, and they are pre-recorded from markets around the country, including San Diego and New York. This was blatantly obvious when Michael Jackson passed away last week. Almost every radio station in Sacramento was conducting on-air tributes of some sort. Two of those even received TV coverage for their tributes (KCCL-FM 92.1, KHYL-FM 101.1). But, 93.1 was oblivious.

And this is how Clear Channel is paving the way for the radio industry. Thanks guys!

Feedback Time: Here's a question I'd love to have you post your answer to:

If someone handed you the keys to an FM radio station in Sacramento, what type of programming would you offer? Why?

KWOD Flips Formats, Becomes "The Buzz"

2009-05-23T02:13:39Z

One of two dedicated rock stations in Sacramento has bid adieu to the alternative music format.

KWOD 106.5 FM, which had been broadcasting alternative music since 1991, relaunched Friday morning under a new format that plays hits from the 1990s — expanding its genre to include rock, pop, alternative, dance, conteporary urban R&B and more. Along with a format flip come new call signs and a new nickname: KBZC 106.5 FM "The Buzz." The format flip isn't so much because people aren't tuning in, but instead because the alternative rock format is failing as a business model.

"The last few years have been very challenging for KWOD," a statement prepared by program director Curtiss Johnson read. "We face the same circumstances as so many other organizations today: The challenge of running a business profitably."

This is not the first time KWOD has flipped formats while in Sacramento. In 1957, the 106.5 FM frequency belonged to KJML, which aired "elevator-like" music. In 1977, the station began experimenting with quadrophonic sound — an enhancement to stereo that broadcast audio through four channels instead of two — and as such, changed their call letters to KWOD and their format to that of adult contemporary mixed in with jazz. Shortly thereafter, the station dropped jazz in favor of pure Top 40 chart hits.

Nearly twenty-five years later, the station would adopt the all-too-familiar pure alternative format at a time when the alternative rock movement was beginning to take momentum.

"Those were the days before the term 'Alternative' was actually coined by some supposed marketing genius somewhere," Johnson wrote. "Then most people just called it Modern Rock and [KWOD] played bands, like the Pixies, The Cure, Depeche Mode, The Smiths and The Clash."

While the radio had a nice run with presenting new and interesting tracks for listeners to hear, people have begun downloading music online or listening to Internet and satellite radio stations, which has left the terrestrial radio market scratching their heads, trying to figure out how to compete. This has led to several station changes nationally and locally.

All three Sacramento radio companies — CBS Radio, Clear Channel Communications and Entercom Communications — have begun implementing new changes to the way radio is produced. The "Big Three" have fired talent in favor of computers, fired programmers and staff in favor of nationally-programmed content, and have begun picking up syndicated talk and music programs.

For example, KGBY 92.5 FM (Clear Channel Communications), which had aired adult contemporary music in competition with KYMX 96.1 "Mix96" (CBS Radio), abandoned the format and fired morning show host Lori Sacco and veteran broadcaster Paul Robins in favor of an adult alternative format. KGBY now competes with KZZO 100.5 "The Zone," another CBS Radio station.

In addition, CBS Radio has struggled to keep an audience for its adult alternative channel "The Zone," which mainly seeks a female audience. The station has shuffled through at least two breakfast shows before settling on the syndicated program "Mark & Mercedes," a program that originates from Nevada. CBS Radio also recently lost KQJK 93.7 FM "Jack FM" to Clear Channel Communications as part of a national station-swapping deal. Clear Channel Communications has announced intentions to launch a new radio station on the 93.1 FM frequency, though it's not clear what the upcoming format will be.

Sacramento's second-largest radio player, Entercom Communications, has also floundered in this downward economy. The company runs five radio stations in the city, including a sports-format station affiliated with ESPN and a Top 40 station that came under fire two years ago following the death of a listener from water intoxication during a station-run contest.

KWOD was marketable — the station could have embraced ideas like social networking to connect with their audience. The station could have offered free music downloads of local independent artists. The station could have solicited for user-generated content in the form of concert photos, videos and listener-run blogs. That idea, along with KWOD, is now gone.

Now, Entercom hopes to cut its losses and begin a new profitable radio station, but it's unclear if KBZC can compete against KGBY, KQJK, KZZO and the company's own Top 40 station KDND. Sacramento now has four contemporary stations to choose from, so it remains to be seen whether the river city will feel "The Buzz" for long.

R.I.P. KWOD

2009-05-22T23:31:42Z

As of Friday, May 22nd, 2009, Sacramento's Alternative Radio Station, KWOD 106.5 is no more.

I've been a native of Sacramento for over 10 years now, and for a majority of that time, KWOD ranked as one of my favorite local stations. Before I discovered other means to enhance my musical knowledge, I found its playlist to span the entire genre of Alternative, from Dave Matthews to Limp Bizkit. This 'Alternative' programming was introduced to the station in 1993, and despite some attempts to change it since, it was largely the format used until it's demise earlier today.

KWOD's heyday by most accounts occurred during the mid 90's, during which time they ranked amongst the highest-rated major-market alternative rock stations in the United States. It's hard to say if this drove their recent decision to drastically change formats and abandon the KWOD brand. Listeners to the station today will hear just how far they've thrown back to this golden age, as KWOD has been replaced with 'The Buzz', and enacted a tremendous change in format to a playlist that is exclusively 90's era music of all genres.

In a letter posted by the station's program manager Curtiss Johnson to its website, KWOD expreses its history, regret, and thanks:

"...it is so difficult to tell you that, after 18 years, KWOD is coming to an end. The last few years have been very challenging for KWOD; as it has been for the world of Alternative music, and the radio stations that play it, in general. ... Some of you may want to blame this decision on some faceless corporation. While KWOD does have a parent company, it’s not how it came down. This was a local decision that was both difficult and personal. We had to finally admit that our best efforts, over a number of years, were not going to produce the results we needed ... Your loyalty to the music, and to KWOD, is more appreciated than any of us can effectively express. So, we will leave it with a simple, genuine 'Thank you'… "

While it's sad to see KWOD bow out for good, I can't say that I'm surprised. Truth be told, I had largely abandoned the station after their failed programming change in March of 2005, during which time they had dropped all hard rock and metal from their playlist. The resulting track load was reminiscent of one of my favorite stations of all time (KEXP). It played an eclectic array of artists, with local talent mixed in with largely unrecognized artists - many of whom are fairly mainstream in the indie music scene. KWOD 2.0 - "Radio without Rules" proved to be short lived for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was an uprising by loyal listeners - many of whom were put off by the stations new 'emo' approach.

Changes with the station's parent company allowed them to switch back to their pre-2.0 rock position in October of 2005, bringing back their familiar Alternative tracklist. They've been suffering a tremendous decline in ratings ever since the early 2000's, and were never able to recapture the glory days of their highest ratings period ever in 1995.

I know of many people who are saddened by the changes at KWOD. They typically did a fair job of promoting local musicians and shows, and were more generous than other commercial stations when it came to playing listener requests. KWOD's demise may have been brought about by a lack of ratings, or it may simply be a sign of the times. Progam Manager Curtiss Johnson said it best - the past few years have been very challenging for the world of Alternative music. I suspect this has alot to do with the broad scope that 'Alternative Music' as a genre entails. Stations like KWOD find themselves attempting to appeal to their masses to stay alive. Sadly, their broad scope prevents them from keeping a loyal following, as someone is always put off by the music that's playing.

The only model of success that I see in the radio business as a whole is KEXP (formerly KCMU), a public radio station based in Seattle, WA. After the demise of KWOD 2.0, I sought to discover what options I had as a music lover, and found myself listening exclusively to KEXP, a station hundreds of miles away. I didn't have to listen to 18 minutes of commercials per hour, or 20 minutes of DJ talking points. I could hear new music every day - amazing stuff I'd never heard before by artists like The Arcade Fire, Ben Harper, Grandaddy, !!!, Death Cab for Cutie, and countless others. I could control my own exposure to the type of music I liked by simply choosing which time of day to tune in. (And regardless of the time of day - as KEXP archives every minute aired in the past two weeks.)

These types of services make KEXP invaluable, and are seldom found with other stations.

KEXP's customers are it's listeners, who not only support the station by spreading word about it, but also finance its efforts as members. During their last pledge drive, the station raised over $500,000 to continue its operations. These donations came from all around the world, including Sacramento. Listeners value the musical experience the station provides, and in some cases, they're willing to pay a premium for it. Single members have donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to the station in the past to keep it listener powered.

While this may read to some of you as a pitch for KEXP (and it may be...) the overall point is that radio is changing. KWOD's demise is a prime example of that. In successful cases like KEXP, we've seen that a radio station's customers does not have to be its advertisers. We've seen that major advertising conglomerates like Entercom and Clearchannel don't have to be at the reins to make a station thrive. Finally, we've seen that a radio station can make people feel empowered in many ways, and inspire them to fight with their pocket books to keep it alive.

I hope that local stations can find innovative ways to thrive much as KEXP has. That said, I won't be shifting my dial to 106.5 anytime soon - unless I feel the need to hear some Phil Collins or Ace of Bass.