The 20 Year Old Virgin

[radiofan]

The 20-year-old Virgin

Radio station remains tuned in to change

By Tom Harrison, The Province May 22, 2011



"Everybody dance now."

With that command from C+C Music Factory, Virgin Radio was on the air.

Station manager Brad Phillips remembers the night vividly.

It was 8: 15 p.m., May 23, 1991, and ostensibly an invited gathering of advertisers and sponsors were celebrating at Graceland a proposed new radio station. Without warning, that radio station was no longer a proposal. Around town, the veils that hid billboards and other kiosks simultaneously came off and Virgin Radio pumped up the volume.

"What people didn't know is that we'd go on the air right there," recalls Phillips. "We kind of kept it a secret."

That was 20 years ago. The station was known then as Z95.3 FM and offered a playlist of dance music, which differentiated it from the hard and soft rock stations that thrived in the West Coast market.


Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/news/year+Vi ... z1N6mzJ3Ud



How many of the original Z staff do you know??

[Howaboutthat]

Hard to believe it's been 20 years.
I'm assuming this was before Standard took over the Horseshoe Way plant and started screwing with things. I only recognize Zack Spencer, Andrea Ring and Tara Wilkins? (Perhaps Sue Soucy with curly hair?)

[Temyari]

It's been around a long time, trouble is with the change in owners so often over the last 10 years it is difficult to find anyone who knows about old programs. Does anyone on RadioWest know or have any way of finding out (and yes I have asked the current owners of CKZZ 95.3 but they have no records that far back) about a Dub late night program on that station back in 1998/1999? I'm trying to find out the name or track lists of that program so I can hunt down the artists played. I used to love the music but I cannot for the life of me remember the name of that segment - it was on air after midnight almost every night. I'd love anyone's help if they remember listening to the station that far back!

[BossRadio]

Well.. I believe that's Matt McBride is sitting front and center, Susan Sierra/Zimmerman/Soucy with the curls,and I believe the two guys farthest left at the rear are(standing) Clay St.Thomas and(above)Ted the BicyclingTraffic Reporter/Stunt Guy. He did live(split shift?) traffic reports via some sort of 90's wireless,from the seat of his cutting edge ten speed.Balls of steel, and eyes in the back of his head.

[Marathon]

I think the guy on the far right is Joe Nickolls
standing behind Matthew could be Janice Ungaro
I think the blonde lady with the hat is Rona Raskin
and I'm pretty sure the guy standing beside Clay is Darren B. Lamb

[albertaboy4life]

With Zack Spencer? between two women and just below the Z . . .

[Marathon]

Also.... if memory serves, the first song played on the station wasn't "Gonna Make You Sweat" ... it was "Here We Go, Let's Rock & Roll"

[radiofan]

The station was originally going to be called ENERGY 95.3, but a few days prior to launch then CKLG PD Pat Cardinal got wind of the name and LG 73 suddenly became ENERGY 73. Zed PD Brad Phillips
very quickly came up with Z 95.3 as the station's new name. A logo was quickly designed and new imaging created for launch time.

CKLG didn't stick with the ENERGY 73 name for too long, just long enough to try and derail the launch of an FM competitor.

[cart_machine]

I think the blonde lady with the hat is Rona Raskin

Looks like it to me.

cArtie.