WKTU New York has the distinction of being one of the industry’s great format launches twice. The original “Disco 92” galvanized the industry in summer 1978, setting off a chain reaction that led to the loss of AM powerhouse WABC’s Top 40 format and an early ‘80s format doldrums. The second ‘KTU, launched by Evergreen Media on Feb. 10, 1996, helped lift CHR out of another downturn, one from which many industry people didn’t expect it to recover.
This is a very partial oral history of the station’s early days as recalled both by some of those involved with the format launch and other industry people inspired by it. The article began with a conversation with veteran programmer Guy Zapoleon and grew to include comments from readers and social media friends. While this article covers only a smattering of those involved with the KTU at its launch or over its 25-year history, there are still plenty of stories that convey the excitement of the station’s early days, which Ross On Radio readers and Facebook friends had plenty of. No sins of omission are intended. You’re encouraged to either leave a comment or send a reminiscence to be added in coming weeks.
WKTU was extensively researched at the outset — format studies from both Kurt Hanson and Strategic Research, as well as a music test with Broadcast Architecture, all of whom get a shout-out during the first hour of the station launch. But there wasn’t complete consensus about the direction at first.
“Steve Rivers and I put [a similar Rhythmic AC] format on WYXR [Star 104.5] Philadelphia for Pyramid in 1995 … Evergreen’s Scott Ginsburg wasn’t a fan of KTU’s original plan, but Jimmy DeCastro was by that time … I had to call Scott and tell him his desire to make WKTU a ‘70s station, which had early success as a format, was a mistake, and there was no guarantee it was a long-term format anyway.” – Guy Zapoleon
“The pre-launch meeting at the Rhiga Royal was a summit of superstar programmers. I’m not putting myself in that pantheon, but the other attendees [included] Keith Naftaly, Hosh Gureli, Steve Rivers, and Guy Zapoleon . .. it was a legendary advisory committee. I pushed Frankie Blue, my assistant at the old ‘KTU, for the PD slot, and he was the first PD of the ‘new’ ‘KTU.” – Michael Ellis. Blue came from The Box, as did APD/MD and eventual PD Jeff Zuchowski.
“Naming the station WKTU was from two of the guests at the big 1995 round table — Michael Ellis, who had been the first KTU’s MD, and Keith Naftaly, who had worked with DeCastro at KMEL. That round table at the Righa Royal was an amazing event for so many reasons.” – Guy Zapoleon
Zapoleon also recalls a moment when the late Steve Rivers, already a major programmer, who had been part of the Pyramid braintrust, finally clicked with new boss Ginsburg. “I said to Keith, ‘Tell me who taught you everything you know about programming. He said, ‘That man right there, Steve Rivers, he’s a genius.” After a few months, Jimmy and Scott made him VP of programming.”
“One of the greatest four-month [periods] of my career was spent in New York assisting with the launch of WKTU. I remember when Steve Rivers asked me to come down to help [with music]; he said he just needed me for a few days.” – Veteran PD/group PD David Corey, then APD/MD Kiss 108 Boston
“I was running the board for the launch and the first hour. There was a giant lane left open for ‘KTU, as Z100 was Alternative, Hot 97 was Hip-Hop, and ‘PLJ wasn’t touching anything rhythmic. It was pretty shocking that pop rhythm had no home in New York. We had virtually no overlap with any competitors for the first six months.” – Bill Schultz, Executive VP/Content Development Cadence 13, then WKTU’s Creative Services Director
“KHMX [Mix 96.5] Houston had been using ‘picks you up and makes you feel good.’ [‘KTU’s emphasis on] ‘feel good’ came about [because] every station in New York [was] angry, even Z100 [was] a dark, rock-leaning Alternative-leaning Top 40. There [was] really no station that [made] you feel good.” – Guy Zapoleon
“I remember attending the press conference announcing the station launch. I remember feeling very excited that dance music would once again have a home on New York radio. Growing up in Boston, I always looked to New York radio as one of my sources for the newest club and dance music, so I was happy to have it back. I also remember at the press conference there was discussion about radio deregulation and how great the changes would be for the industry. I leave it to each individual to make their own judgment [about that], but in my mind that change will always be entwined with the launch of ‘KTU.” – Jerry McKenna, PD WSTR (Star 94) Atlanta
(Indeed, it was impossible to look back at the trade stories without seeing as many stories about the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the driver of industry deregulation that passed on February 8, 1996, two days before KTU’s launch.)
“103.5 KTU was actually the third format flip in New York radio in early ’96, behind 92.3 [WXRK] becoming Alternative and [AC] WPAT becoming Spanish, both of those happening in January.” – Ted Linder, WBAB Long Island, N.Y.
“I remember being at the Gavin Convention and some people were changing their flights to leave early and fly back to New York to listen to ‘KTU. At the time, I didn’t know that Z100 would be next for me in April ’96.” – Paul “Cubby” Bryant, morning host WLTW (Lite FM) New York
“I remember dragging my family around a terminal at Newark Airport while on a layover so I could find the best position to hear ‘KTU on my Walkman. I was mostly eager to hear their [Reel World] jingles, but of course the whole station sounded amazing that summer.” – Chris Reed, self-described “teenage radio nerd turned IP/media lawyer.” Reed also recalls driving with current “Loud Radio” stations owner Pat Grooves to find a hill in Easton, Pa., where ‘KTU came in from New York, 80 miles away.
“When ‘KTU launched in ’96, it was electric. Everywhere you went throughout [the New York metro], you heard 103.5 KTU — shops, taxicabs, etc. There was real excitement in the air … ‘KTU was also successful because it did not follow the national picture like we have so much today in radio. They knew the history of the market, the New York club scene, and the people who live there, and they put it all on the air. If we could only do that today, we’d be unstoppable.” – Jason Kidd, president VirtualJock.com, then nights at the ‘KTU-inspired WXYV Baltimore
“I moved to New York in November ’95 and got to experience the launch of ‘KTU in 1996. At the time, I was working for Tommy Boy Records, so Amber’s ‘This Is Your Night’ was my first project that I was able to hear on ‘KTU. I owe so much to ‘KTU for helping my career. It was where Frankie Blue and Jeff Z changed my name to the Riddler when I became one of their mixmasters. My life would change because of working with radio legends.” – Rich “Riddler” Pangilinan
“‘Broadway’ Bill Lee on ‘KTU was fantastic. He’s still killing it at WCBS-FM, but something about him and ‘KTU just went together.” – Brandon Charles
“It was kinda weird hearing the ‘KTU calls again after growing up with the original at 92.3. You could hear the energy of the original Hot 103, and then it made sense. You weren’t going to hear [some of the New York disco identified with the original ‘KTU] per se, but it captured a newer dance-music crowd, and that was appreciated.” – K.J. Johnson, sports-talk host WEEI Boston.
(WKTU featured a lot of ’70s disco’s biggest crossovers, and even an occasional deeper title like Jackie Moore’s “This Time Baby,” but there were a lot of songs from the disco era left behind. Later, WNEW-FM would spend several years in a dance classics format, drawing more on those songs, as Mix 102.7.)
“KTU influenced many flips to Top 40 in 1996-97. When we flipped WDDJ from 97FM to Electric 96.9 in 1997, our first playlist included many of those Eurodance records. Most of them had never been played in the market. It was a great era for the format.” – Mark Summer, PD WDDJ Paducah, Ky.
“It was always the plan to swing back to Top 40 if and when the music warranted it. But we were so upbeat and dance-oriented, plus our ‘feel good’ positioning made it very difficult to swing back, so there was still a place for Z100 to eventually return to the Top 40 position.” – Guy Zapoleon
“I was working alone late in the office late on Monday night and [then MD] Geronimo called and said, ‘I’m just calling because I’m gonna play your record. It was ‘Castles in the Sky’ by Ian Van Dahl. Nobody had wanted to release that record in America for months. When it became a hit in New York, people were asking ‘how did you get it?'” – Cory Robbins, Robbins Entertainment
“My first time driving to the city was as we were crossing the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge … ‘Castles in the Sky’ by Ian Van Dahl was playing on ‘KTU when I saw the skyline for the first time.” – Jet Black
“It was my dream to work at WKTU . . . I’m so glad I got to work there for four years as the voice of the station and creative director . . . We were truly a New York City radio station. You could not drop us in Anywhere U.S.A., which doesn’t happen today.” – Harry Legg
“I still can’t believe I worked there.” – Ralphie Marino, New York/Boston radio veteran.
The most amazing 5 years of my career happened in the studio of WKTU. The people involved in the day to day operations were true professionals that were not afraid to roll up their sleeves, and the talent that I was able to work alongside and learn from was more than I could have ever learned from an Ivy league college. What I would do to be able to do it again, even if just for a weekend. No station will ever compare to “THE BEAT OF NEW YORK”
Vic Latino