WRDU drops classic rock for country
Published: Tue, Oct. 10, 2006 12:00AM
Modified Tue, Oct. 10, 2006 03:12AM
E-Mail
Print
tool name
closeThe Who and Lynyrd Skynyrd are out at WRDU-FM. Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw are in.
After 22 years as a rock station, WRDU (106.1) has switched to a country format called "The Rooster." Much of WRDU's old playlist can now be heard on "The New River," WRVA-FM (100.7). WRVA recently abandoned its adult-alternative format for classic rock, officially known as "rock-based adult contemporary."
Both stations are owned by Clear Channel, which also owns top-40 station WDCG-FM (105.1) and soft adult-contemporary station WRSN-FM (93.9).
More Lifestyles
Clear Channel has been known to change a station's format as a stunt. Two years ago, 100.7-FM briefly played country music while the station changed from oldies to adult alternative. But Dick Harlow, Clear Channel's market manager for Raleigh-Durham and Greensboro, says country is at WRDU to stay.
"This is a permanent shift," Harlow said Monday. "A bunch of people say it's not, but it is. This is a new position, and we like the different position our cluster occupies."
As a rock station, WRDU has struggled in recent years. In the latest ratings quarter, it placed 12th in the market with a 2.9 share -- far behind the 9.9 share of top-rated country station WQDR-FM (94.7). WRVA has performed only slightly better, pulling a 3.0 share and 11th place in the same quarter.
Staff writer David Menconi can be reached at (919 829-4759, http://blogs.newsobserver.com/beat or Get it all with convenient home delivery of The News & Observer.
The News & Observer is pleased to be able to offer its users the opportunity to make comments and hold conversations online. However, the interactive nature of the internet makes it impracticable for our staff to monitor each and every posting.
Since The News & Observer does not control user submitted statements, we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted on our website. In addition, we remind anyone interested in making an online comment that responsibility for statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not The News and Observer.
If you find a comment offensive, clicking on the exclamation icon will flag the comment for review by the administrators, we are counting on the good judgment of all our readers to help us.
