Entertainment Magazine: Entertaining Tucson Vol. 1: New KTKT-FM

KTKT-FM: New 96 Rocks Airwaves

By Bryn Bailer
Autumn 1979 – Youth Awareness Press. Page 9

Tucson has a new radio station. Tucson also has a new music format. They are both found on KTKT-FM (96 Rock), Tucson’s only pure rock and roll radio station. Explains Ed Alexander, program director for KTKT-AM and FM, “Whenever I listened to rock and roll (stations), it’s been watered down with pop, disco, jazz ... On this format, if you want rock, you get rock.”

The format is described as “album-oriented rock and roll,” and is the brainchild of the Burkhart-Abrams firm, which programs stations nationwide. 96 Rock will sound like Tucson, however, not like Phoenix, nor any of the other 50-plus cities that Burkhart-Abrams handles. The Tucson sound is attained through KTKT-FM’s ongoing music and audience opinion surveys, local promotions and a general involvement with the community.

Best representing the station’s community-oriented image is the news department, headed by Rob Ritter. In addition to the hard-core stuff, the news offers public service programming such as a calendar of events, Mexican- American programming, talk shows, and “lifestyle news” geared to 18-34 year olds, which are the station’s target group. The key word at 96 Rock is, of course, music.

Not a day goes by without some music highlight, be it artist and album features, top album countdowns, guest disk jockeys and upcoming concert information.

Tying everything together is the 96 Rock air talent– M.J. (6:00AM to 10:00AM); Ziggy (10:00AM to 3:00PM); Allen Browning (3:00PM to 7:00PM); Bryan Miller (7:00PM to midnight); Ted Carradine (Midnight to 6:00AM); and Robin Wells (weekends). They all are very enthusiastic about the station, its audience and new format.

As Alexander puts it, “If you want rock and roll, you know where to come. We won’t chase you away with the other stuff.” Alexander has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Southern Arizona Chapter of the March of Dimes. He continues to serve as chairman of the annual Superwalk.

Purchase a copy of Entertaining Tucson Across the Decades: Volume 1: 1950s through 1985 from Amazon.com.

2014 © Entertainment Magazine and BZB Publishing, Inc., Robert Zucker and Newsreal, Jonathan L. All rights are reserved. These are the compiled works of contributed materials from writers and photographers previously published in the Tucson Teen, Magazine, Entertainment Magazine and Newsreal newspapers, and from Entertainment Magazine On Line (EMOL.org). No part of the material protected by this copyright may be reproduced or utilized in any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher.

Permission is granted to use quotes and cite references to the contents in this book with proper credit noted: “Entertaining Tucson Across the Decades,” © 2014 Entertainment Magazine.”

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Entertaining Tucson Across the Decades
Volume 1

by Robert E. Zucker

The local entertainment scene in Tucson, Arizona during the 1950s through 1985 was vibrant– from the ‘50s rock and roll of the Dearly Beloved to the ‘80s with the Pills, Giant Sandworms and everything in between– classic rock, disco, alternative, punk, hard core, country, swing and Big Band. Hundreds of bands and thousands of entertainers over three decades. Within these pages are the memories and the experiences of those people and places.

These are the original articles and interviews published in several local newspapers that covered the Tucson entertainment scene over the decades. Follow their stories through the years– the big breaks, record releases, hot performances and duds, break ups, tragedies, personal insights and struggles.

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