A FACELIFT FOR WRR

Most every radio station in Dallas will do just about anything for high ratings – but for the past 36 years, one Dallas radio station has been without any real competition. There were never any big marketing pushes or great efforts to expand its audience. The station had a corner on its small market, and no one else wanted part of the action.

This station is WRR-FM, owned by the City of Dallas. For more than three decades, WRR has been the only all-classical FM radio station in the city. But the secure days for WRR may be over; within the last several months, major changes have been taking place at the station. In late April, General Manager Bill Nicholson resigned and an interim manager, Joseph Les-sard, took his place. Assessments of the station were conducted, and, in many areas, the findings weren’t encouraging.

The station found that its record collection was in shoddy condition, the cataloging system was outdated (along with most of the electronic equipment), little progress had been made in advertising and marketing and there was a shortage of personnel.

At the same time, a few outside offers to purchase the station from the city were unofficially made at City Hall. Although no firm offers have been made, the suggestion has been planted: Should Dallas sell WRR?

The decision to sell the station is up to the City Council, which must consider several factors. The station’s audience is small (no actual figures exist because the station doesn’t subscribe to ARBI-TRON, an audience-rating system), and it is the only station of its kind in this market. Because of federal guidelines, if the station is sold, the city can’t guarantee that the station will retain a classical format. Also, City Council meetings are broadcast every Wednesday, and the station is currently making a modest profit.

But there are those who say that the city shouldn’t be involved in a profit-seeking enterprise.

We asked council members how they would vote if a reasonable offer were made for the station. Three members (Elsie Faye Heggins, Fred Blair and Dr. James Hart) were unavailable for comment; the only member who responded in favor of the sale was Dean Vanderbilt.

“It isn’t an appropriate city function,” Vanderbilt says. “There might well be an alternative provided if we backed off. The service could likely be provided by the private sector.” Paul Fielding says he hasn’t studied the situation enough to make a firm judgment, but he sees no reason for the city’s involvement in private enterprise.

Whether it’s the outside threat of sale or the change in management, those working in the public-affairs office for the City as well as employees of the station are accelerating their efforts to save WRR. Last month, city staff members began an extensive search for a new general manager. By mid-July, they had narrowed the candidates down to six contenders.

Bonnie Glasgow, the station’s program director and one of its two full-time employees other than the general manager, has been working on a cataloging system; Linda Weaver, general sales manager, has been working with the city’s public-affairs director, Beverly Candy, to plan station promotions and to increase advertising. In October, they plan to begin an extensive study on the audience demographics.

A $90,000-equipment package is being proposed for WRR’s budget, and tentative plans are being made to move the station’s transmitter from Fair Park to Cedar Hill in order to strengthen its weak signal. Eventually, WRR staffers hope to move the station to the Arts District. “If we’re going to call ourselves the ’fine-arts station,’ let’s do it,” Lessard says.