I put this together in response to a ton of e-mails asking if "this happened before that", "when did so and so start on the air", etc. I also had tons & tons of articles from the local papers & industry magazines about The Power Pig, it's people & it's battle with Q105. When I put it all on paper, it looked cool. So I decided to give a spot to all of those little details that made this the greatest CHR battle.

If there is an exact date listed, it's been checked & verified. A question mark indicates just that, we're not sure.
Blank spots are answers we are looking for. If there's something you think should be included
(believe me, I know it's not complete) or something here ain't right (grammar don't count), PLEASE e-mail me: Corrections are very welcome here. ThePowerPig@aol.com

= indicates a link to another publications story   = indicates ratings information

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Still an oldies station WFLZ-FM (Z-93) capped off a giveaway promotion this week.
                                 The winner: a convenience store clerk.
                              The prize: a shotgun and a bullet-proof vest.
During a three-week period, whenever the station aired a shotgun blast, the ninth caller was made eligible for the grand prize drawing. Only convenience store clerks were eligible, but callers could nominate a convenience store clerk. Of course it was all done "toungue in cheek" to raise awareness of the plight of convenience store clerks, easy targets for gun-toting thieves.
CLICK HERE to read the story from The St. Petersburg Times.

But on the air, Q105 wasn't saying anything at all.

Randy Michaels says to R&R Magazine: "Q105 has always been very vocal about on air about any & all market changes, but has ignored this one. It makes me feel they're scared - and they should be. A lot of people think Q105 is the best CHR in America. If we beat em, what would that make us?"

...and Q105 Operations Manager/afternoon drive jock Mason Dixon
tells The Times, "I heard about it today. I thought it was cute. But if they're coming
(to compete), all I can say is, `Come on.'

CLICK HERE to read the Ransom story from The St. Petersburg Times.

RANSOM AT: $2 million. Z93 also claims it is holding Q Morning Zoo host Cleveland Wheeler hostage as well.

RANSOM AT: $3 million.

RANSOM AT: $4 million. The 5pm deadline came with no response still from Q105, so oldies Z93 flipped to urban as "93 Jamz". At 6pm, it was back to the oldies.

Birth of The Power Pig
Power 93 The Power Pig is officially born. Q105's owner Gary Edens helped to kick it off live on the phone with Z93 morning guys Dr. Don & Jack Harris by saying, "C'mon guys, lookin forward to it. Let's go!".
Hear the entire launch in the PIG PEN.

"Our reaction is no reaction. Everything they've done to this point has been to the benefit of Q105 and at the expense of their (WFLZ's) listeners & advertisers" -
Q105 General Manager Michael Horne-St. Petersburg Times

CLICK HERE to read about the change in format from The St. Petersburg Times.

Quickly becoming known for his bad quotes/statements, Q105 General Manager
Michael Horne appears in the Times with not one but TWO good ones:

" I don't think you can put Q-105 in a box that says CHR on the label. If they (WFLZ)
say they are CHR, I guess we have to accept the fact that they are CHR, whatever
that might be."

And for #2: "Q-105 goes beyond a radio station with a particular label on it. It is an awful lot of things to an awful lot of people."

(WEBMASTER NOTE: What Horne didn't realize at the time was that the things he pointed out above were NOT Q105's best attributes, in fact they were the ones being used against them AGGRESSIVELY by the Power Pig.)

CLICK HERE to read Radio Columnist Roger Fisher's "Power To The Pigs" story from The St. Petersburg Times.

  CLICK HERE for Radio&Records StreetTalk "WFLZ Chases Q105"

Ratings service BIRCH shows Power 93 in 4th place already!

Power Pig Promotions Director Darcel Schouler says: "I guess it's a war!".
Q105's Operations Manager Mason Dixon: "It's only a war as far as they're concerned."

Arbitron reports The Power Pig ratings have sky rocketed from a 2.6 to an 11.6, good for FIRST PLACE.

Ages 12+		Ages 18-34
#1 The Power Pig	2.6 - 11.6	#1 The Power Pig	3.5 - 21.3
#2 Q105 FM & AM	14.4 - 9.6	#2 95YNF	19.3 - 14.2
#3 WQYK FM & AM	8.2 - 9.1	#3 Q105 FM & AM	22.6 - 12.5
#4 Warm 107	9.9 - 8.2	#4 Lite Rock 95.7	8.8 - 8.3
#5 W-101	5.0 - 7.9	#5 WQYK FM & AM	??

Q Morning Zoo leader Cleveland Wheeler takes a THREE MONTH vacation.
Mason Dixon moves himself from afternoons to Q105's morning slot.

  CLICK HERE for Radio&Records StreetTalk "Tampa Bay CHR War Escalates"

CLICK HERE for Great quotes from Eric Snider's "Radio Wars" story in the St. Petersburg Times. (WEBMASTER NOTE: Must read. Great story.-bh)

"A couple of years ago, when they were really hot, Q105 got fat and lazy. They got bloated with too many commercials; their song playlist was much too broad. The talent (deejays) were too yakky. Our research at this time showed a lot of dissatisfaction among Q105 listeners" - Shawn Portmann-General Manager 95YNF

"We never went on the air and called them names. We did things strategically within the station. Three weeks after they (Pig) were on the air, we reduced our commercial load, tightened up the music & cut down the chatter. There's no question we have to do better at what we do to continue to be a leader in the 90's. We still think Q105 can remain a mass appeal radio station." - Michael Horne-General Manager Q105.

Also, seems Power Pig night guys Tim & Tom made an unexpected visit to Dixie Hollins High School... not for Career Day or anything like that, but to endorse some STUDENTS protesting a school policy.

CLICK HERE to read the Dixie Hollins story from The St. Petersburg Times.
  CLICK HERE to read another story from the St. Petersburg Times.

Edens Broadcasting files a lawsuit against Jacor Broadcasting's Power Pig charging trademark infringement and "injury to it's business reputation". This in regards to the Power Pig's "Screw The Q" t-shirts which had a large screw running diagonally across the Q105 logo. Edens also asked for damages in excess of $5000 and demanded destruction of the shirts. Power Pig Operations Manager Gabe Hobbs says "Comparative advertising is clearly legal. This is clearly humorous satire. They're just smarting from the ratings and filed a lawsuit on emotional grounds."

The Power Pig's "Screw The Q" t-shirts (modeled by Jason Dixon) were very popular! Listeners got one free by going to a location announced on air for a "drive-by shirting", where The Pig van would pull in, shirts fly out, listeners go divin, The Pig keeps on drivin. $10 bucks got ya one too. Today, they are collectors items.


CLICK HERE for "Q105 Files Suit" story from St. Pete Times.

RADIO ONLY MAGAZINE-January 1990 issue
cover story "Sneak Attacks"

 CLICK HERE for Radio Only cover     CLICK HERE for Radio Only contents page

 CLICK HERE for Radio Only Animal House pic  CLICK HERE for story page one

 CLICK HERE for story page two         CLICK HERE for Tampa Birch ratings

  CLICK HERE for St. Pete Times story "PowerPig Overruns The Zoo "

CLICK HERE for Tampa Tribune's "Power Pig gobbles up Q105 in radio ratings"

  CLICK HERE for Radio&Records StreetTalk "PowerPig Hogs Ratings, Q files suit"

  CLICK HERE for St. Pete Times story "Petitioners Take Aim At Power Pig"

Radio&Records CHR Editor Joel Denver Tampa market
"War Declared In Tampa Bay" and "Q105 Rallies For Round Two"

 CLICK HERE for top page one           CLICK HERE for bottom page one

 CLICK HERE for top page one SIDE   CLICK HERE for bottom page one SIDE

 CLICK HERE for page two top            CLICK HERE for page two bottom

 CLICK HERE to see the Radio&Records CHR Top 50 chart for this week.

Operations Manager/afternoon jock Mason Dixon, Music Director/midday jock Bobby Rich and Assn't Program Director/night jock "BC" Brian Christopher are all dismissed from Q105 in what is just the beginning of many firings and dismissals. Q105 becomes a totally "jockless" radio station for just over THREE MONTHS in some shifts, others almost took SIX MONTHS to fill.

CLICK HERE to see "Q105 fires three deejays" from the St. Pete Times

With a full year still left on his contract (that Q105 decides it will continue to pay) Mason Dixon finds himself blocked from seeking employment in the Tampa Bay market area due to a non-compete clause.

It is also announced that Cleveland Wheeler and The Q Morning Zoo will return soon, but no is date given.

Mason Dixon later announces he will continue as host of "Mason's Movie" on Channel 28 TV.

Shocking most everyone, Q105 decides to directly take on The Power Pig musically calling themselves "A Better Mix of Music and More Of It " and telling listeners to "Just Q It".

• Q105 General Manager Michael Horne: "This is just a re-focusing of the format, the SAME format that we've been successful at for 16 years" (WEBMASTER NOTE: except for new DJs, dance music & ten years time)
• Power Pig Program Director Marc Chase says: "Q105's moves make no sense to me. this makes it a whole new battle".
• Radio & Records Magazine's Joel Denver: "If Q's targeting is that young, all the adults are going elsewhere."

CLICK HERE for page one HITMAKERS Magazine's interviews Power Pig's
Program Director Marc Chase.

CLICK HERE for page two HITMAKERS Magazine's interviews Power Pig's
Program Director Marc Chase.

CLICK HERE for HITMAKERS Mainstream Top 50 chart for that week.

CLICK HERE for cover picture of HITMAKERS for that week (LARGE file)

CLICK HERE HITMAKERS story "CHR Z106/Sarasota hires new PD"

Jacor Broadcasting says goodbye to General Manager David Macejko and hello to Dave Reinhart.

Bob Andelman's RadioRadio column in Players Magazine talked to Mark Larsen about his move from The Power Pig to 970WFLA; also, Power Pig COO Randy Michaels answers the question "Did Q105 play into your hands" and more...

New Q105 on air line up kinda announced (revolving studio door installed):
Cleveland Wheeler returns to host the Q Morning Zoo, Alicia Kaye comes from Energy 96.5/Houston to do middays, the "unknown board op" continues running afternoons jockless for now, Johny D comes from Toledo to do battle at night, no one named for late night and Night Train Lane-overnights.

Alicia Kaye starts as Q105's new midday jock.

Jo Jo Walker leaves Q105 to be the night guy for crosstown oldies U92.

Newsradio 970 WFLA ends short run of Saturday morning TALK show hosted by Power Pig's Tim & Tom.

Ironically, Billboard Magazine announces the most influential radio stations in America: Tampa Bay's Q105 is listed with stations like Z100/New York, KIIS/Los Angeles, WZOU/Boston, WAVA/Washington, D.C.,The Fox, WHYT and Q95 (Detroit).

CLICK HERE for pg. 1 Florida Trend Magazine's "This Little Piggie Went To Town"

CLICK HERE for pg. 2 Florida Trend Magazine's "This Little Piggie Went To Town"

Bobby Rich joins Tampa Bay's 101WUSA for middays, a position he held until April 2004 on what is now Mix 100.7.

"BC" Brian Christopher joins Lite Rock 95.7 for nights. With Lite Rock's Program Director position open at the time, BC seems to be the likely choice. Former Q105 weekender Rockin Rico is also heard on Lite Rock.

In this 1990 Bob Andelman RadioRadio column in Players Magazine, he prints what amounts to a scorecard of what the heck happened to everyone at the Q. And this was only the first six months. Also, he spoke to a very surprised Q105 General Manager Mike Horne.
CLICK HERE for our current listing of where all the Q105 people are today plus some other Q105 items.

Later that year, we hear BC is NOT the choice for Program Director at Lite Rock 95.7. He's also not the night guy anymore. Is that BC on with Tim & Tom on The Power Pig? Yes! Hear BC on Power Pig's Tim & Tom show in the PIG PEN.

WKXX/Birmingham hires Mason Dixon as Program Director/mornings,"BC" Brian Christopher as Assn't Program Dir/Music Dir/afternoons. An unknown former Q105 weekender, Rico On The Radio also hired. Surprising the industry, and giving everyone in Tampa Bay a chuckle, Mason calls the station KIX 106-The POWER COW. Yes, we said cow.

Q105 loses Scott Shannon's syndicated "Rockin America" show to the Power Pig. Shannon, former master mind and most say creator of Q105, is credited for creating the Q Morning Zoo and Zoo-type morning shows that popped up across the nation.

In this 1990 Bob Andelman RadioRadio column in Players Magazine, he talks with Cleveland Wheeler and Q105 General Manager Mike Horne. Is Cleveland now moving to AM 1380? Power Pig Program Director/morning guy Marc Chase says. "I've got a feeling somebody's going to put out a book on marketing and go back to 1990 when one of the great faux pas was made." (WEBMASTER NOTE: Well so ThePowerPig.com isn't exactly a book, but then again, the internet wasn't really around yet then so maybe we'll do?)

Overnight Q jock Patti Cheek dismissed already by Q105 management citing personal reasons. Cheek's last job was not even in radio, it was in real estate in Jacksonville. The much more qualified "Mojo" replaces her coming from Dallas where he was a club jock and says he "knows Vanilla Ice personally."

Q105 General Manager Mike Horne releases a statement that says Mike Elliot from Mix 105.1/Orlando will be joining the Q Morning Zoo in about two weeks.

Cleveland Wheeler, no longer host of the Q Morning Zoo on WRBQ FM is asked to move to WRBQ AM 1380 only with a new show called "The Breakfast Club".
The format: Whatever Cleveland wants to play. No traffic, no news, no co-hosts, just Cleveland & some CD's. Why the move? Cleveland is under contract until Dec. 1991, buying out that contract would cost Q105 approx $250,000. After recently paying off Mason, the Q just couldn't do it again with Cleveland.

Q105 General Manager Mike Horne said, ""We paid Mason off because there was no way he'd report to someone over him. We're paying a guy (Wheeler) to do mornings and we're hopeful we can realize something from that investment. Just paying him off and letting him go his own way is like throwing money down the toilet. We're not in a position to do that. What do we have to lose by having Cleveland on the AM? It won't be a Zoo. It'll be a more mature show in music and presentation. We have a commitment to Cleveland that runs through December 1991. Our goal is to have him create something for us that will get some listeners on 1380 AM. We're hoping he'll look at it as a challenge."

On Q105 FM, the new Q Morning Zoo with Mike Elliott & Kent Voss is off to a bad start. It ends up not starting on the day they said it would.

Jon "Rock N Roll" Anthony leaves The Power Pig...DURING his afternoon air shift.

Mason Dixon leaves WKXX/Birmingham "The Power Cow" already. Said nothing went his way, including ratings. The Power Cow went from a 7.0 to a 4.9 in the ratings under his watch. "BC" Brian Christopher decides to stay in Birmingham and becomes Program Director.

CLICK HERE to read a Bob Andelman Radio Radio column from 1991 with more from Mason on Birmingham and his returning to Tampa.

Cleveland Wheeler and Nancy Alexander team up for mornings at Houston's Top 40 station KKBQ.

John Clay becomes new Q105 Operations Manager.

The Power Pig, just over a year old now, is named Top 40 Radio Station of The Year (1990) by Billboard Magazine. You can see the award by clicking to Pig Pics.

Q105 fires Q Morning Zoo producer Shauna Stevens.

Jay Taylor becomes Q105's first new Program Director.

Tim & Tom move to Power Pig's afternoon drive. Hawk Harrison is the new Pig night guy & is later joined by Marty McFly. They become known as "Hawk & Marty", The Late Night Lunatics.

Voncile Anderson becomes Promotions Director for The Power Pig. She was in the same position at Q105 in 1985.

Tampa Bay loses radio great and friend Tramontee Watts to brain cancer. Tramontee had worked at both Q105 & The Power Pig during his career.

Power Pig gives Gator McClusky the midnight to 3am shift. Jason Dixon's shift is shortened to 3a-530a and he also starts producing the "Three Little Pigs".

Mason Dixon kicks off his return with the new ego-driven station name "Dixon 96", later reverting back to Mix 96. Dixon and Bill Connelly team for mornings.

Dr Don Carpenter and Courtney Campbell leave The Power Pig morning show.

In a 1991 column of Bob Andelman's RadioRadio in Players Magazine, he welcomed Mason Dixon back to Tampa Bay radio by allowing other Bay area Program Directors to discuss their strategy of how they will compete against him. Funny part was, no one was concerned. Power Pig's Marc Chase appears....

Traitor? Voncile Anderson walks the Power Pig plank to head up Mix 96's new Promotions Department.

Q105's new music director is Rich Anhorn. It's also announced that Rich will host the Sunday night "alternative" rock show "The Edge". Rumors begin of a possible Q105 flip to alternative rock.

The revolving Q disc jockey door keeps on movin! Out after only a couple months is Mark "Mojo" Allen. Sara Marx is hired from...cough... Des Moines, Iowa...now handling Q105 overnights.

Seen in the St. Petersburg Times Wedding announcements section complete WITH PHOTO was the Nashville, Tennessee marriage of Tommie Ann Sowers and Timothy Franklin Swinehart, married June 15, 1991 at Hillsboro Church of Christ. Yup, it was really Power Pig's Tim & Tom. New policies for wedding submissions were quickly drawn up and implemented at The Times.

Also around this time, Cleveland Wheeler is back in Tampa after KKBQ/Houston flipped from Top 40 to country. Rumors start as to where he'll land on the Tampa dial

While The Power Pig and Q105 duked it out, 95YNF's Ron & Ron were able to spend a short time in Tampa morning radio's # 1 slot.

The very popular Tim & Tom afternoon show comes to an end on The Power Pig. Tim made the decision to be with family in Kentucky. Tom became "Tom Steele" and moved to a new 11p-2a late night time slot. The new Power Pig afternoon show was a no-brainer by promoting "Hawk & Marty" up from nights.

Yo Yo Yo, Say It. Peace. Break It Down. A whole new level of nighttime radio in Tampa Bay begins as Bubba The Love Sponge becomes Power Pig's newest, and crudest, night guy yet. No fetuses allowed and here comes "No Panties Thursday".

ClearChannel , then still a small Texas company with only a few radio holdings as of yet, buys Tampa Bay's Mix 96 FM & AM 1040 from Metroplex.

Power Pig's Hawk Harrison picks up Billboard Magazine's Music Director of The Year and Bobby Poe Music Survey Music Director of the Year awards.

Q105 finally gives up, says uncle and flips to a new format it called "W-Garth". All Garth Brooks All The Time.  A new "hot country" format plus an all new revolving door of monikers and DJ's soon followed.

Summer '93 Arbitron - THE PIG overall Mon-Sun 6a-mid  6.7 (12+), 12.0 (18-34).

Former Q105 Q Morning Zoo host Cleveland Wheeler signs on with Tampa Bay's country station WQYK FM to do mornings.

Fall '93 Arbitron - THE PIG overall Mon-Sun 6a-mid  6.1 (12+), 10.5 (18-34).

Edens Broadcasting sells Q105FM and AM 1380 to Clear Channel for reportedly MANY millions less that it was worth just five years ago. Edens Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Gary Edens left the radio business completely, becoming a Director of a communications equipment company called Inter-Tel and President of the investment firm Hanover Companies, Inc in Tempe, AZ. The most current picture we could find of Mr Edens was this one from (we believe) 1984 in the KOY-AM/Phoenix studios.

The Power Pig's Program Director Marc Chase leaves both his morning show & programming positions to program sister station rock WEBN/Cincinnati .
Assn't Program Director BJ Harris is named Operations Manager/Program Director.

Jon "Rock N Roll" Anthony is back on the air, only a little further south. He's once again with those 60's oldies as Program Director & afternoon drive DJ for WSRZ/Sarasota (Oldies 106).

MJ Kelli is hired from WOVV/West Palm Beach (now CHR Wild 95.5) to team with BJ Harris in the morning as " MJ & BJ In The Morning " . MJ was quoted in MUSIC FORUM MAGAZINE's Radio Waves column by Brian Holmes as saying "This show is a spontaneous observation of the world on a daily basis. We deal with local & national issues & are still entertainment driven. I don't like pre-produced shows at all."
That's a quote that STILL holds true even today.

Bubba The Love Sponge's talk show " Bubba Unplugged " on Newsradio 970 WFLA had the plug pulled on it due to threats made by American Family Association's David
Caton. Caton later admitted only actually listening to "20 seconds of the show before turning it off" & couldn't tell the station or reporters what offensive things Bubba had even said.

Power Pig afternoon guys Hawk & Marty leave The Pig to take a shot at mornings at country station KNIX/Phoenix .

Spring 1994 Arbitron - THE PIG overall Mon-Sun 6a-mid  6.3 (12+).

Jeff Thomas is hired as the new Power Pig afternoon drive guy from KWOD/Sacramento.

Harrison Dangler moves from 970WFLA & The Power Pig over to the 98 Rock morning show where he becomes News Director.

Power Pig Creative Services guy Brian James has eyes set on Newsradio 970 WFLA's afternoon slot. He's been doing a weekly show of his own Saturdays 6p-9p.

Summer '94 Arbitron - THE PIG overall Mon-Sun 6a-mid  5.5 (12+). MJ & BJ in the morning 3.1 (25-54)

Former Power Pig weekender Charstar is heard doing weekends at COX's all-70's station Coast 107.3/Tampa.

Jon "Rock N Roll" Anthony once again returns to Q105 for weekends becoming Jon "Rock N COUNTRY ".

Jon "Rock N Roll" Anthony becomes the night jock for Q105 (using his new name Jon "Rock N COUNTRY ") a position he held with # 1 ratings through Q105's top 40 days in the late 80's. He also pulled nights and afternoons for The Power Pig .

Spyder Harrison is already in the Bay area, but not with The Power Pig yet. He was doing the oldies thing for U92 and would make a stop at 98 Rock still before getting to The Pig.

Power Pig night guy Bubba The Love Sponge wins Billboard Magazine's Local Radio Air Personality of the Year in the top 40 category. Ironically, Mason Dixon wins the same award in the HOT AC/AC category.

Former Q105 midday jock & music director, now in Nov 94 afternoons & assn't program director of 101WUSA Bobby Rich quoted in MUSIC FORUM MAGAZINE's Radio Waves column by Brian Holmes about Q105's demise: "The unfortunate thing about that situation is that Q105's management didn't wait to see what the ratings were. We had all gone back to number one with adults but it was too late. We were already gone."

Winter '94 Arbitron - THE PIG overall Mon-Sun 6a-mid  6.0 (12+), 9.6 (18-34),
4.1 (25-54). Bubba ranks # 1 12+ and 25-54 as well as #2 18-34 at night.
Jomama Johnson's Sunday night Quiet Storm show grabs a 16.4 (12+).