Radio -TV programming
PERSONALITY PROFILE - BILLBOARD
January 13, 1968
Long Playlist
WLOF's Big Gun
ORLANDO, Fla. - A long playlist is the major weapon used by WLOF here In it’s continuing battle to remain on top of the audience ratings.
Music director Bill Vermillion plays from 10 to 15 new records a week. The station has a playlist of 65 records. "But the way the format works, we give more emphasis to strong new records each week. We back off on a record going up the charts strong. Though we do play the top 10 on the list more, we do play all of the records on our list." He said he felt the station could get more audience by emphasizing the top and bottom records on the list.
It works. The station is No. I in pulse, he said. The only station that comes close is an easy listening format operation that tops WLOF in the morning drive slot.
Vermillion, who handles a 2-6 p.m. air slot on the station, has developed quite a reputation in the past several months for helping to break records. As a result, although the market is about 73d in size, according to Standard Rate and Data, Vermillion gets excellent record service from the cornpanies.
"We do things that most people don't," Vermillion said. "For example, we believe in being a leader . . . in putting a record onto the national charts rather than playing it after it gets there. We pick a record because it's good, not because it's a hit somewhere else."
One of the records that the station was playing last week was "Sunshine of Your Love" by the Cream. "We played all of the Cream. They're a hot group here. We seem to run ahead of the country, as a rule. Jimi Hendrix Experience's 'Foxy Lady'. is on the chart now." He felt this record would eventually make other playlists across the nation.
Vermillion has been with WLOF more than five and a half years. Prior to that, he was with KXLY in Spokane, Wash., for a year. He'd gone to KXLY from KTFI in Twin Falls, Idaho, where he'd spent three years. Prior to that, he'd been a radio-TV student at the University of Idaho.
Actually, WLOF cannot influence a lot. of sales of any given record - the market is not large enough to matter much in the total accounting of a given hit record. Yet, its power at influencing other radio stations - and thus the national picture is immense. One record, in particular, had about run its course without becoming a happening. It was "Dirty Water" by the Standells. The record was three months old when WLOF went on it. By May of 1966, the record was in the top 10 of the national trade charts.
One reason why the radio industry, as well as the record industry, stays aware of what is going on at WLOF is that Vermillion prints a weekly play-list. The list of top 40 tunes, plus the extras, is sent to 110 people. A different list is sent to 150 radio stations.
"To see the list, you might say that you don't recognize half of the songs. But "Itchycco Park" by the Small Faces was No.1 on our list last October and the first week of November. Only one or two stations were on the record when we were. I felt if it was that big in England, why not here?
"The whole philosophy of the station is not to break records . . . but to play the best music we can. Asa consequence, we break a lot of records."