The Akron Beacon Journal from Akron, Ohio • Page 26

C2 The Beacon Journal Sunday, February 22, 1987 FCC might let Ws and Ks flow where they may. WMMS-AM, for example, after WMMS 100.7-FM) has spent a fortune etching those letters into Northeast Ohio's chief for WKSU. is leaving WKSU April; 30. She wants to devote full time to her, writing. 1 Bob seM Dyer 4 7 tions has sent out glowing news releases and color brochures.

Only trouble is, the "public radio enthusiast" who wrote the $12.95 guide apparently can't distinguish between a public radio station and a college radio station. The news release refers to WKSU (89.7-FM) in Kent and WRUW in Cleveland. If you venture very far from the Case Western Reserve University campus, you won't hear WRUW. That's because it's a low-power, student-run operation. But even if you're in the same building, you won't hear All Things Consideivd or any other National Public Radio offering.

The release makes no mention of Cleveland's real public station, WCPN (90.3-FM). Perhaps it's no accident that the publication date for Go Public! is listed as April 1. WKDD, which has long been in the forefront of local efforts to discourage substance abuse among students, has teamed up with an Indiana organiza-; tion called Parents Against Drug' Abuse to print and distribute a free, 24-page tabloid called A 1987 Guide to, Fight Drug Alcohol Abuse. The con-; tents are based on information from! the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Through the end of the month, cop-; ies will be available at all Acme andl Click stores, First National Bank of; Ohio branches, Akron General Medical Center and Wadsworth-Rittman Hospi-i tal.

If you've traveled across the United States, you may have noticed that with only a handful of exceptions the call-letters for radio stations east of the Mississippi River begin with the letter and stations west of the river begin with the letter K. Coincidence? Hardly. Since the infancy of radio, the Federal Communications Commission has enforced the distinction. But now FCC staffers have proposed eliminating that provision. The commission will vote in about two months.

Exceptions to the Rule of the Mississippi are old AM stations that already had their call-letters before the rule went into effect. The most prominent is KDKA in Pittsburgh, the oldest station in the nation. Born in 1921, KDKA remains a Pittsburgh powerhouse. Its present "adult contemporary" format routinely finishes at the top of the city's Arbitral ratings. KYW in Philadelphia formerly of Geveland and WBAP in Dallas are two other noteworthy black sheep.

Canadian stations such as the once-monstrous CKLW in Windsor begin with and Mexican stations like rock power XTRA in Tijuana use an X. In fact, by international It's not far from Massillon to Akron, but it's a long way from Massillon's WTIG (990-AM) to Akron's WKDD (96.5-FM). The former is a small, localized AM station. The latter is a regional ratings champ. Bobby Thomas has completed that journey after several extended side trips.

Last week he replaced Tom Sullivan as WKDD's midday jock. Thomas' career began at WTIG in 1975. His most recent stop was California, where he did cartoon voices and voiceovers for commercials. In between, he was heard for eight years on Cleveland stations WLTF (106.5-FM) and WRMR(850-AM). At WKDD, Thomas, 32, will also serve as production director.

"He has a very adult-sounding voice that will help us in middays," says WKDD vice president Nick Anthony. agreement, nearly all nations in the Western Hemisphere have their own initial initial. Continuing its deregulation march at full speed, the FCC also has proposed easing other rules governing call-letters. The most significant of those involves the policy that prohibits two different companies from using the same calls on separate bands. In other words, when the owners of Akron's WAEZ-FM wanted new letters to signify a change in format, they and only they were able to adopt WONE, the same calls used on the AM band by a sister station in Dayton.

Under the new proposal, an FM version of WONE would have been fair game for anyone. Broadcasters may well raise a ruckus about this plan. Would it be fair for someone to waltz into town and start a Phil Cordle is back at Akron country-music station WSLR (1350-AM) after a stint in radio ad sales in Cleveland. He'll fill the 2-to-6 p.m. slot and serve as production director.

Richland County's first radio sta-! tion, WMAN (1400-AM), has been pur- chased by Treasure Radio Associates, headed by the man who for years was president of Akron's WKDD andi WSLR. Harrison Fuerst, a Cleveland! attorney, has signed an agreement to buy the Mansfield station for $2 mil-1 lion. A publishing company in Lincoln, is offering a swell new book on public radio. Wakerobin Communica Sandy Halem, a local playwright who has doubled as public relations RADIO TV's 'indy boom' hits short circuit AcMt Contmporvy 9Z5-WDJQfM, Alliance 850-WRMR-AM, Cleveland 106O-WBCW-AM, Canton 1390-VeAM, Youngstown 1480-WHBC-AM, Canton 1520-WINW-AM, Canton BkjBand 1260-WBBG-AM Cleveland 1340-WNCO-AM. Ashland Country (Coot.) 1350-WSLR-AM.

Akron 1520-WKNT-AM, Kent Eaty Uttering 94. 1-WHBC-FM, Canton 94.9-WDBffM, Medina 98.9-WKBfm Youngstown 102. 1-WDOK-FM, Cleveland 104. 1-WQAL-FM, Cleveland 600-WSOM-AM. Salem 1310-WFAH-AM, Alliance Jkz 90.3-WCPN-FM, Cleveland NmTtkSpom 100.

1-WNIR-FM, Kent 1100-WWWE-AM, Cleveland 1240-WBBW-AM, Youngstown 1590-WAKR-AM, Akron OUm 1420-WHK-AM, Cleveland Mglon 98. 1-WTOF-FM. Canton 103.3-WOT-FM, Cleveland encouraged by what they see. "Things have already settled down," Schuch said. "The sale of Channel 61 to the Home Shopping Network changed the dynamics of this market.

Channel 61 was spending a great deal of money for programming, and that was driving costs up. To stay in business, it would have been a how-deep-are-your-pockets thing. But three independents did make things expensive for all of us." Without Channel 61 buying series, Schuch has noticed fees going down. He bought an identical package of movies for half of last year's price. "The last nail in Channel coffin was Channel 19," Schijch said.

"They immediately jumped over Channel 61, which has bqen around longer. We're pleased with what's happened. The strong stations will survive, and they'll have more options." i Thatcher agrees: "No matter what, you have to be a grjod broadcaster. I think a lot of people who were not professional broadcasters got into this business. There will be a narrowijig, but the survivors will be quality broadcasters." Reflgfan (Com 104.9-WZIE-FM, Lorain 640-WHLOAM.

Akron 900-WTOF-AM. Canton 960-WWST-AM, Wooster 1000-WCCD-AM, Cleveland 1160-WCUE-AM, Cuyahoga Fans 1540-WABQ-AM, Cleveland Rock 92.3-VWQC-FM, Cleveland 96 5-WKDD-FM, Akron 97 5-WONE-FM. Akron 98 5-WNCX-FM. Cleveland 100.7-WMMS-fM. Cleveland 101 1-WHOT-FM, Youngstown 105.3-Wa.W-FM.

Mansfield 105. 7-WMJI-fM, Cleveland 106. 1-WVNO-FM. Mansfield 106.5-WLTF-FM. Cleveland 1069-WRQK-FM, Canton 107.3WC2R-FM, FJyria Urban ContMnpotvy 93.

1-WZAK-FM, Cleveland 107.9-WDMT-FM. Cleveland 1490WJMO-AM. Cleveland 150OWGFT-FM, Youngstown 69.7-WKSU-fM, Kent 95.5-waV-FM, Cleveland Country 99.5-WGARfM. Cleveland 101.3-WNCOFM, Ashland 104.5-WQKT-fM,WoosW 105. 1-WOXK-FM.

Salem 1140-WCLW-AM. Mansfield 1220-WGAR-AM, Cleveland CRITIC'S CHOICE HIGHLIGHTS Hundreds of arts-related events concerts, plays, movies, dance, art exhibits happen every week in Northeast Ohio. To help our readers plan ahead, critics Bill O'Connor, Dorothy Shinn, Mark Faris and Donald Rosenberg give their best bets here every Sunday. A complete list of events runs in Thursday's Weekend section. Continued from page CI raise syndication fees.

Responding to this, independent stations have sometimes passed on the more attractive and expensive programming. In the Tampa market, bidding on The Cosby Show opened and closed without any takers. Another response has been the development of first-run syndicated sitcoms Throb, Mama's Family, Charles in Charge. Why pay such high fees for network reruns, the independents reasoned, when you can get original programming cheaper? Yet it's too early to gauge the effectiveness of such series. To be a strong programming tool, a sitcom has to be "stripped" (aired five times a week at the same time).

There aren't enough episodes of these original series to have had much of an impact. "We don't know what the future will be," Schuch said. "Original programming is like a farm team now. Network half-hours remain the most useful programming. They're recognized titles.

We bought Growing Pains, Night Court, Cheers and Webster. And quite frankly, we paid too much for Webster, but it was a show we didn't want to see over on 19." "The entire television industry is concerned about rising production costs," Thatcher said. "It's no longer surprising for a half-hour sitcom to cost $400,000 to produce." As programming costs went up, advertising revenue did not grow. "The explosion of stations was more than the individual markets could absorb," Thatcher said. "There simply were too many stations and not enough advertising dollars." "Advertising dollars can only support so many stations," said Deborah McDermott, president of the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE).

"If your market doesn't or can't expand for new stations, the law is simple: If a boom goes up, it has to come down." Schuch said Cleveland is even' more resistant to station expansion than most major markets. While it's ranked about 10th in terms of total viewers, he said, it's "more like 17th in terms of advertising revenue." The indy boom was further deflated by total advertising revenues that were under projections. "Let's say 1986 wasn't a real dynamite year for broadcasters around the country," Schuch said. "There wasn't double-digit revenue growth. All the wrong things happened at the same time." The outlook for the surviving independents, though, isn't all that bleak.

Channel 43 and Channel 19 face the future with established companies behind them. Gaylord Broadcasting, which has been in the TV business for more than 35 years, owns Channel 43, and Malrite Communications, which has radio and TV stations in seven states, backs Channel 19. Channel 19 also has affiliated itself with communication czar Rupert Murdoch's fourth-network hopeful, Fox Broadcasting, which will begin supplying weekend programming in April. Both Schuch and Thatcher are Movies Neil Simon began as a gag writer and went on to write plays filled with funny lines. However, his Brighton Beach Memoirs is deeper stuff, a nice domestic drama that is brought to life on the Weathervane Community Playhouse stage.

Stephen Benjamin stars as the boy who peeks at the world from inside the den of his dreams. Today 8 a.m.: Frledrlck Starr talks about the Soviet Union and Mikhail Gorbachev on Rena Blumberg Looks at Cleve-tendon WWWE (1100-AM). a.m.: George F. Handel, born Feb. 23, 1685, Is featured on Baroque Era on WKSU (89.7-FM).

4:05 p.m.: Chrlstoph von Dohnanyl conducts the Cleveland Orchestra In works by Zemlinksy and Mahler on WCLV (95.5-FM). p.m.: Genesis In concert on WVNO (106.1-FM). Monday 9:30 a.m.: John Dayle's guests on WWWE (1100-AM) include Dr. Sheldon Wolff, who will talk about AIDS in the heterosexual community, and Linda Sunshine, author of the novel 77te Memoirs of Bambi Goldbloom. 10 p.m.: The New York Renaissance Band presents Greafesf Hits ol the Renaissance in a concert from the Cleveland Museum of Art on WCLV (95.5-FM).

Tuesday 1 p.m.: Host Michael Freedman Interviews Nathaniel Brandon, author of How To Raise Your Sell-Esteem, on WWWE (1100-AM). Wednesday p.m.: Yoel Levi conducts the Cleveland Orchestra and violinist Joseph Silverstein in works by Harris, Barber and Copland on WKSU (89.7-FM). 9 p.m.: Sir Adrian Bolt introduces and conducts music by Bliss, Vaughan Williams and Butterworth on The Best of the BBC on WCLV (95.5-FM). 10 p.m.: Stevie Ray Vaughn and Lone Justice in concert on WONE (97.5-FM). Thursday 8 p.m.: Artistic director David Bamberger leads the Cleveland Opera in Faust on WKSU (89.7-FM).

9 p.m.: Lorin Maazel conducts the Vienna Philharmonic In music by Mozart and Stravinsky on Carnegie Hall Tonight on WCLV (95 5-FM). Friday 9:30 a.m.: John Dayle talks with Ron Rosenbaum, author of Manhattan Passions: True Tales of Power, Wealth Excess, on WWWE (1 100-AM). Saturday 1:30 p.m.: Manuel Rosenthal conducts the Metropolitan Opera's performance of Masenet's Manon, live from New York on WCLV (95.5-FM). 3 p.m.: The Pittsburgh Symphony presents music by Beethoven and Prokofiev, with Zdenek Macal conducting and Alexis Weissenberg on piano, on WKSU (89.7-FM). 6 p.m.: A Prairie Home Companion welcomes fiddlers Johnny Gimble and Doc Watson and improvisalional pianist John Bayless, on WKSU (89.7-FM) and WCPN (90.3-FM) O'Connor Art The exhibit of West African Textiles and Dress at the Kent State University School of Art Gallery Wednesday through March 22 should prove to be an unusual and stimulating event.

Dr. Judith Perani of Ohio University will lecture on opening night. The show features 1 52 works from 1 1 African nations. 14 Ms. Shinn Is outer space ready for Mel Brooks? Magic David Copperfield has walked through the Great Wall of China.

He's made elephants and airliners disappear. Once he even made off with the Statue of Liberty. In other words, this is no small-time sleight-of-hand artist. See for yourself Wednesday when the noted magician appears in two shows at the State Theatre in Cleveland. Faris on the set, especially when you have writer-actors like John Candy and Rick Moranis." Are there any movie genres left for Brooks to attack? "I don't know, I just about ruined them all," he replied.

"Let's see, what could I do next? "What I'd like to do is a movie about where the real money is made in the film business: the concession stand. That's why they build multiplexes with 16 theaters. The concession stands are always busy, and the things they sell aren't cheap." Classical The Gabrielli Trio's pianist. Carmen Or, is out of commission at the moment with an injured hand. Luckily, violinist Laurence Shapiro and cellist Michael Haber got noted pianist Stephanie Brown, a former trio member, to come to Akron to play works by Schumann and Schubert this afternoon at 3 at Akron U's Guzzetta Recital Hall.

By Bob Thomas Associated Press CULVER CITY, Calif. After a five-year absence, His Royal Madness Mel Brooks is once more reigning on a movie set. Having already sent up Westerns (Blazing Saddles), horror (Young Frankenstein), suspense (High Anxiety) and epics (History of the World, Part I), Brooks is now doing a number on space movies. His new movie is called Spaceballs, and the production has commandeered a large number of the stages on the Lorimar Telepictures lot. The other day Brooks was working on Stage 30, which contained the command post of the universe's largest space vehicle it will take the length of the film credits to pass before the screen.

Brooks was directing a scene in which Rick Moranis, in cape and huge black headpiece as the infamous Dark Helmet, flies through the air. He prefers working with comic actors instead of special effects, and he has a rich array in Space-balls. The leads are newcomers Bill Pullman, as the space bum Lone Starr, and Daphne Zuniga as "Her Spoiled Highness" Princess Vespa, daughter of Roland, King of the Druids (Dick Van Patten). Thus, she is a Druish princess. After finally getting Rick Moranis airborne, Brooks paused to explain why five years elapsed between History o( the World and Spaceballs.

"Well, I have been busy. I made To Be or Not To Be with my wife (Anne Bancroft), though I didn't direct it. Most of all, I have been getting my company, Brooksfilms, in operation. We've made some very interesting pictures: The Elephant Man, Frances, My Favorite Year, The Fly and 84 Charing Cross Road. That has taken a lot of time and effort, but I felt it was worth it.

"You see, my particular idol is Alexander Korda. He started out as a writer and director, but then he built his own production company into something that was really great. I'm trying to do the same thing with Brooksfilms. "Another reason for the delay was that it took two years to write this script," he said. "Most scripts take six to eight months to write, but we had to work two bleeping years Tom Meehan, Ronny Graham and myself.

And the script isn't finished yet. I figure about 20 percent is added Rosenberg WISPY ASYMETRICAL BANGS: CHANNELS UPDATES HIGHLIGHT A SHORT GEOMETRIC STYLE. THE Today HAIR IS WET SET WITH GEL 1:00 a.m. New 15 minutes. CT Need In America 30 minutes.

HOT! MONDAY HARMONY CUT CONSULTATION, SHAMPOO, STYLING AND BLOW DRY PERMS FROM $24 TO $36 PLUS $9 FOR CUT STYLE NAILS FULL SET $29 9:00 a.m. ED Sunday Morning The Reagan administration's, decision to challenge the Mi'anda law; New York Mel Mookie Wilson; giant-tree controversy in Oregon; musician Thomas Slacey. 10:30 a.m. Northcoast Choosing the right cruise; cruise tashions; sports commentary. 1:05 p.m.

WT Movie "The Great Race" (I96Ei) Two adventurers become opponents in a 1908 automobile race that covers three continents Tony Curtis. Jack Lemmon 7:00 p.m. 03030 60 Minute Charges against Israel ol supplying Soviet arms to the Nicaraguan Contias; dangers ol medical helicopter airlifts, architect I M. Pei. 7:10 p.m.

Pni) One on Ona Lynda Carter. Hayiey Mills; Robin Leach. 7:30 p.m. Sport Sunday 30 minutes 10:30 p.m. JWgj USA Tonight 30 minutes Midnight ffl My Children Are Dying f0 minutes 12:15 a.m.

TO Look at Me Now 30 minutes. 12:45 a.m. Little Home on the Prairie 60 minutes. day. ETt Attitude Emma Samms.

9:30 a.rrfTQ Senate Commerce, Science A Transportation Committee Hearing Drug alcohol testing tor aircraft and railroad operators. Witness: Elizabeth Dole, secretary of transportation. 9:45 a.m. Wg John Robert Power Modeling Agency 15 minutes 10:00 a.m. Wg Akron Public School 120 minutes 11:30 a.m.

11:30 Llvel Lois Ford Long, literacy tutor; Cajun pork chops. Noong Take Two Gardener Jeff Ball; suicide; women in Nazi Germany; Don Ameche (Pals). HElU-S. House of Representative Fro lorma session. 1:00 p.rrTrj National Governor Aocl-atlon Winter Conference Committee on Agriculture Speaker: Sen.

Robert Dole. (R Kan 2:30 p.m. 0 National Governor A-oclallon Winter Conference Special work session; making America work. 4:00 p.m. Donahue Celebrity couples; Michael Tucker and Jill Eikenberry tt A.

Law). Bonnie Bartlett and William. Daniels (Si Elsewhere). TANNING, 4 SESSIONS $17 7:00 a.m.J 63 EE Today Raymond Burr; Bob Hope. Harry Hamlin (LA.

Law); Rep Richard Gephardt ID-Mo I Navy Secretary John Lehman Jr. 9 Good Morning America From Honda: retirement, drug enforcement, the real Miami Vice. Miami Sea-quarium, Edward Olmos (Miami Vice), Rep. Richaid Gephardt (DMo), history ol Miami Beach, senior citizen swimming 7:30 a.m. TO The Morning Program l-ormei Nebraska Gov.

Bob Kerrey; actresses Bienda Dickson, Robm Malison. Andrea Evans. 8:30 a.m. fjg Call-in Topic- Central America Live guests Larry Jolidon, report-pr. and Barbara Ries.

photographer, of USA roday. 9:00 a.m. Hour Magazine Ken Ke--cheval. lyne Daly, Bob Hope; growing up wiih drug-addicted parents; the Shi-rpiles GD E2D Donahue See 4 00 m. Mon- ftrXLWGACftES Ml PLAZA 3 MAI CHAPEL MILL 131 ll BPLOFN VILLAGE 4tl707 MCLIETTPIAA 47IOQ29.