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13Q was the top 40 radio station WKTQ 1320 AM in [[Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]] from 1973 to 1980. Formerly [[WJAS]], which first went on the air in 1922, | 13Q was the top 40 radio station WKTQ 1320 AM in [[Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]] from 1973 to 1980. Formerly [[WJAS]], which first went on the air in 1922, 1320 AM was sold in 1973 to Heftel Communications, who changed the call letters and turned the new format into a major ratings success during the 1970's. In 1973, Pittsburgh's 50,000 watt radio station [[KDKA]] accounted for approximately 25% of listeners, while smaller competitors such as [[KQV]] used a music playlist based on contemporary hits aimed at younger listeners to gain their market share. 13Q sought the same kind of listener, the market of nighttime teenage listeners, with more innovative marketing techniques, such as the station's hipper image. The non-traditional identification "13-Q," for example, was a novel twist on the call letter identification, which the station only made as "WKTQ" once per hour per [[FCC]] rules. The station's promotion material, such as the free music surveys it distributed throughout the Pittsburgh area, also connoted a hippie subculture that by 1973 was commercially mainstreamed, though not used by 13Q's more traditionally oriented competitor, KQV. 13Q also relied for its appeal on a commercial load of eight minutes per hour to garner a large enough audience to justify to ad buyers a profitable rate for advertising time. At one point, 13Q achieved ratings second only to KDKA, but with the new and rising popularity of FM Rock, 13Q's popularity declined by the late 70's. Heftel sold the station in 1981 when it returned to its former WJAS call letters and a format consisting of adult standards. | ||
13Q was known in Pittsburgh for its "Cash Call," an ongoing radio contest via which one could win a jackpot that started at $1300 by answering the telephone "I listen to the new sound of 13Q" when the station's disc jockey called. If the party did not answer the phone with the prize winning phrase, 13Q increased the jackpot $100 for the next prize. Thus, perhaps thousands of Pittsburghers answered their telephone with the unique phrase, though the chances of winning were slight. | 13Q was known in Pittsburgh for its "Cash Call," an ongoing radio contest via which one could win a jackpot that started at $1300 by answering the telephone "I listen to the new sound of 13Q" when the station's disc jockey called. If the party did not answer the phone with the prize winning phrase, 13Q increased the jackpot $100 for the next prize. Thus, perhaps thousands of Pittsburghers answered their telephone with the unique phrase, though the chances of winning were slight. | ||
Revision as of 21:14, 19 April 2007
13Q was the top 40 radio station WKTQ 1320 AM in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1973 to 1980. Formerly WJAS, which first went on the air in 1922, 1320 AM was sold in 1973 to Heftel Communications, who changed the call letters and turned the new format into a major ratings success during the 1970's. In 1973, Pittsburgh's 50,000 watt radio station KDKA accounted for approximately 25% of listeners, while smaller competitors such as KQV used a music playlist based on contemporary hits aimed at younger listeners to gain their market share. 13Q sought the same kind of listener, the market of nighttime teenage listeners, with more innovative marketing techniques, such as the station's hipper image. The non-traditional identification "13-Q," for example, was a novel twist on the call letter identification, which the station only made as "WKTQ" once per hour per FCC rules. The station's promotion material, such as the free music surveys it distributed throughout the Pittsburgh area, also connoted a hippie subculture that by 1973 was commercially mainstreamed, though not used by 13Q's more traditionally oriented competitor, KQV. 13Q also relied for its appeal on a commercial load of eight minutes per hour to garner a large enough audience to justify to ad buyers a profitable rate for advertising time. At one point, 13Q achieved ratings second only to KDKA, but with the new and rising popularity of FM Rock, 13Q's popularity declined by the late 70's. Heftel sold the station in 1981 when it returned to its former WJAS call letters and a format consisting of adult standards.
13Q was known in Pittsburgh for its "Cash Call," an ongoing radio contest via which one could win a jackpot that started at $1300 by answering the telephone "I listen to the new sound of 13Q" when the station's disc jockey called. If the party did not answer the phone with the prize winning phrase, 13Q increased the jackpot $100 for the next prize. Thus, perhaps thousands of Pittsburghers answered their telephone with the unique phrase, though the chances of winning were slight.
13Q's disk jockeys and newscasters
Jackson Armstrong
Ed Barrett
Don Bombard
Andrea Bray
Buzz Brindle
Dave Brooks
Brother Al
Eric Chase
Don Cox (d. 2003)
Mike Dineen
Gary Drake
Mark Driscoll
Jack Forsythe
Don Geronimo
Bob Gray
Dick Grimes (deceased)
Sam Holman (d. 1986)
Rick Hughes
Jessie
Batt "Batman" Johnson
JoJo Kincaid
Kelly Kristian
Earl "The Pearl" Lewis
Marcus
Michael Henry Martin
Dave Mason
Bob McClain "Your Breakfast Flake"
Cary Pall
Jim Quinn
Eddie Rodgers
Dr. Sarzynski (deceased)
Mark Shands
Greg Stevens
Patte Sullivan
Bill Tanner in the Morning
Vicki
Dennis Waters
Ray Zoller ("The Ray City Zollers")
External Links
Jeff Roteman's 13Q web site.[1]
Scans of some of 13Q's music surveys.[2]