WRKA Gone?

[John Quincy]

I see that 103.1 WRKA is no more, having boosted their signal and changed format to country, no doubt to try to take down WAMZ a few notches.

That should make the folks at WAKY-FM pretty happy.

Hope nobody (especially former 790 WAKY jock Gary Clark) lost their job though.

[TimTolbert]

Yep, It's official WAKY 103.5 wins the Oldies battle. WRKA now a thing of the past:
'New Country Q103.1'

WQNU will also be adding ‘local/live’ talent in weeks to come.

With 'New Country Q103.1', one of the strongest FM signals in the market

WQNU,formerly Classsic Hits WRKA, will be simulcasting at 103.1 and 103.9 FM.

[bruiser]

I reckon that ends the rumor about RKA going news/talk. Probably was a cover story.

[top40radio]

Yep, I tried to warn the yahoos at RKA that a 38 song playlist won't cut it anymore! But would they listen? Noooooooooo! So WAKY kicked their butts, and good riddance! Now, let's see if we can get more Louisville's Own stuff played on the mighty 103pointfive. After all, WAKY and WKLO were big supporters of the local music scene all those many years ago. More Paul Penny, more Cosmo & the Counts, more Trendells, more everything Louisville's OWN!!

[bruiser]

I'd like for WAKY 103.5 to play more of Louisville's Own. I haven't even heard them play any of Tom Dooley's recordings. Has anyone heard any Tom Dooley music on WAKY?

[John Quincy]

I e-mailed Gary Clark to see if he was still employed. He said not to worry, he's still with Cox Louisville. (He has this week off.) I'm guessing we find out in which capacity Gary will serve in a week or so.

Not so good news for former WAKY jock John Ashton who was doing mornings at Cox's WVEZ with Kathi Lincoln. He was let go yesterday. Kathi is still on the WVEZ Website.

[davereichel]

Look for Gary to end up on Country Legends 103.9. Just a hunch.

[Travis]

Anyone know if Alan White survived the change?

I believe he was doing production for RKA.

[John Quincy]

From today's Taylor on Radio-Info Newsletter:

Cox creates a country/classic country combo in Louisville, with “Country Legends 103.9.”

The 5pm flip yesterday (posted at Radio-Info.com minutes after it happened) completes the extreme makeover of two FMs that began with last week's blowup of oldies on WRKA (103.1). That signal – newly upgraded from a Class A to a C2 – is now “New Country Q.” Cox GM Todd Schumacher had both it and WPTI (103.9) simulcasting for a week with the spruced-up country format. But you knew something would happen with 103.9, and this is it – a new playlist heavy on Willie and Dolly and Hank Jr. Former WRKA morning co-host Gary Clark will land in the morning show seat at “Country Legends.” And the whole strategy starts to look like what Cox does in Houston – throw both a country and classic country station at the incumbent, and do some slicing and dicing. In the case of Houston, Cox launched a pincer move on CBS Radio’s KILT-FM using country KKBQ-FM and classic country KTHT. In Louisville, the target is Clear Channel’s usually-in-double-digits WAMZ. Starting now, Cox just painted a bulls-eye on it.

The WRKA calls are now on 103.9 -- and it looks like Gary Clark will still be playing oldies...but a different kind. Bring on the Charlie Rich!

[bruiser]

How about some REAL country? Webb Pierce, Lefty Frizell, Bob Wills, Ernest Tubb, Sons Of The Pioneers, Johnny Horton, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, Roy Acuff? Naw, that'll never happen.

[John Quincy]

Probably not. In the last half hour of listening to them online (www.wrka.com), just about every song I heard them play was a country crossover that WAKY played in its Top 40 and AC days including:

Georgia On My Mind/Ray Charles
If You Love Me Let Me Know/Olivia Newton-John
I Love A Rainy Night/Eddie Rabbitt
Blue Bayou/Linda Ronstadt
Take It Easy/Eagles

The twangiest things they played were "Jackson" by Johnny Cash & June Carter and "On The Other Hand" by Randy Travis.