Radio responds to Jackson's death
Pittsburgh: The unexpected death of pop icon Michael Jackson is being reflected in local radio programming. It's hard to find a commercial station that isn't playing some Jackson records today, no matter what their usual format.At Washington County oldies station WJPA-FM (95.3), reports Scott Beveridge of the Observer-Reporter, requests for Jackson's hits began at 5:05 a.m. this morning and never quit.
"It's really been something," morning drive host and program director Pete Povich tells the newspaper. Despite Jackson's odd personality and behavior, Povich says, "you cannot take away how gifted he was."
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Jim Merkel's morning show on "3WS" WWSW-FM (94.5) had plenty of Jackson airplay today, too, ranging from the powerful title track off the "Thriller" LP to the 1987 ballad "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," done with Siedah Garrett.
According to Yes.com, which tracks radio airplay, more than half of the songs played by Sheri Van Dyke during the WWSW's noon hour were either solo Jackson hits, or songs done with the Jackson 5.
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For wall-to-wall MJ, it was hard to beat Steve Harvey's syndicated morning show, heard (at least pending the station's sale) on WAMO-FM (106.7). The hours between 7 and 10 a.m. were all Jackson and Jackson 5 records, as was the noon hour on WAMO.
Even WDVE-FM (102.5) --- whose rock jocks wouldn't usually touch a bubblegum record with a sequined glove --- found time for the Jackson 5's 1970 No. 1 smash "ABC" during the morning show with Randy Baumann and Jim Krenn, while over at KDKA (1020), morning hosts Larry Richert and John Shumway got reaction to Jackson's death from longtime Pittsburgh broadcaster Eddie Edwards.
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A spot check indicated that "Q92" WLTJ-FM (92.9) and "Wish" WSHH-FM (99.7) were running mainly their regular formats, with a few Jackson songs in the mix.
Ditto for CHR rivals "Kiss FM" WKST-FM (96.1) and "B-94" WBZW-FM (93.7), who were sliding some Jackson records into their usual rotations, though alt-rocker WXDX-FM (105.9) seemed to be shunning the self-proclaimed King of Pop today.
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Of course, Yes.com says there have been no Jackson songs on country "Y108" WDSY-FM (107.9) today, unless Alan Jackson is a long, lost sibling of Tito and Latoya.
And we're pretty sure KQV (1410) hasn't slid "Beat It" and "Billie Jean" in between traffic, weather and The Wall Street Journal Report, but who knows? The day is still young.
Readers’ Forum
“I Just Can’t Stop Loving You” came out in 1987. It was the first single from “Bad”, MJ’s solo follow-up album to “Thriller”.
Chucky - June 26, 2009 at 7:43 pm
That’s right, Chucky. You have control of the board. Would you like to take Charles Nelson Reilly or Fannie Flagg?
Jason T. - June 26, 2009 at 9:49 pm
Odd how all this stuff started “this morning” Since the news broke around 6pm last night were most stations on auto pilot? If so why didn’t PD’s take the initiative and go to the station and program in some MJ tuneage last night? Sorry if I’m being sarcastic.
Trefdawg - June 27, 2009 at 12:08 am
I was at work when it happened. Coincidentially, we had the 80’s station on the Sirius at work before the news broke that Jackson was at the hospital. It wasn’t until about 8 or 8:30 that they mentioned it on there. After I got off I put MTV on (a channel I never watch) and they had nonstop Michael Jackson music videos on. They even showed Jackson 5 highlights from American Bandstand! I’m still in shock: not since John Lennon has a death in the music world have this much impact. Freddie Mercury, Tupac, & the Notorious B.I.G. are close, but didn’t have the crossover appeal Jackson & Lennon both have.
On a related note I was surprised by Paul McCartney’s remarks: “He was a massively talented boy man with a gentle soul. His music will be remembered forever and my memories of our time together will be happy ones.” So, he’ll say something nice about someone that bought out his music catalog under him & sold the rights to one of his songs to Nike, but will say “It’s a drag, isn’t it?” concerning the murder of his lifelong best friend. And I thought McCartney was the “voice of reason” of the Beatles.
RIP Michael.
Joe Gerard (URL) - June 27, 2009 at 01:03 am
620 KHB announced the news at 6 PM (between paid programs!), announced it again at 7 PM, and went into a MJ tribute at our first opportunity for music, 7:15 PM. Major props to Michael J. Daniels, who was not only on the ball, but scored with it. I suspect there was no one home at some of the bigger stations.
Clarke Ingram - June 27, 2009 at 06:16 am
No disrespect to a talented entertainer, but there has been overkill.. especially on the digital picture-radio
SAD - June 27, 2009 at 10:27 am
I always find it curious that stations can break “format” for different events. I noticed that WDVE was all about Jimmy Buffet in the days leading up to the concert, when they wouldn’t touch him at any other time.
Not complainin’, just sayin’..
Bruce - June 27, 2009 at 10:55 am
Tupac and Notorious B.I.G. are/were not even close to Michael Jackson in terms of musical impact, stardom, mass popularity, sheer talent, or entertainment value. Sorry.
Seeing Eye - June 28, 2009 at 03:47 am
Seeing Eye-I agree that Tupac & Biggie didn’t have the impact as Michael, but their deaths were shocking. Rap & hip-hop was still a relatively young genre at the time, and their murders brought to the public eye the violence that goes behind-the-scenes, especially within rival factions of the genre. Freddie Mercury’s death was shocking because he only pubically confirmed he had AIDS the day before he died, even though it had been rumored for years. But in terms of overall impact in not just music but in the world in general, you have to look at Lennon as the last death in the music world that could be comparable to Jackson. Personally, I see more similarities between Jackson & Lennon than I do Jackson & Elvis Presley.
Joe Gerard (URL) - June 28, 2009 at 2:10 pm
I agree with most of that, Joe, including the Lennon-Jackson comparison. Any sudden death of a celebrity is impactful and tragic. I’m just not as shocked as I used to be when someone in the hip-hop world dies. Too many deaths over the years.
Seeing Eye - June 28, 2009 at 7:56 pm