Editing WKVB (FM) (section)

===Album rocker===
{{Quote box
| quote = [[Lee Abrams|(Lee) Abrams]] is sitting down in Atlanta coming up with research that shows [[New wave music|new wave]] isn't the coming thing, it's lost its chance. Not enough airplay, not enough record company support.
| author = Steve Stockman
| source = then-WAAF program director, November 1980<ref name=":6" />
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By the mid-1970s, WAAF had settled in as an [[album-oriented rock]] outlet. The station was one of the first clients of the "Superstars" format, developed by consultants [[Lee Abrams]] and Kent Burkhart;<ref name=":6">{{Cite news |last=McLaughlin |first=Jeff |date=November 6, 1980 |title=Airplay for Success |pages=6, [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45251826/airplay_for_success/ 21] |work=[[The Boston Globe]] Calendar |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31286756/ |url-status=live |access-date=May 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210313200028/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/31286756/airplay-for-success/ |archive-date=March 13, 2021}}</ref> WAAF would continue to use their services until January 1984.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Feinstein |first=Steve |date=December 14, 1984 |title=AOR: '84 In Review |page=70 |work=Radio & Records |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1984/RR-1984-12-14.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=February 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210313200026/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1984/RR-1984-12-14.pdf |archive-date=March 13, 2021}}</ref> Promotional slogans of the period played off the call letters, including "The WAAF Air Force" and a giraffe mascot known as the "WAAF GirAAF".<ref name="br">{{Cite web |date=February 25, 2007 |title=The Boston Radio Dial: WAAF(FM) |url=https://www.bostonradio.org/stations/74467 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190730041531/https://www.bostonradio.org/stations/74467 |archive-date=July 30, 2019 |access-date=February 25, 2020 |website=Boston Radio}}</ref>

WAAF had completed the first of several technical improvements to reach listeners in Boston in 1972 when it increased its effective radiated power to 16,500 watts; it had operated with less than 2,000 ever since signing on.{{r|hc}} However, it was not until 1978 when the ''[[Boston Globe]]'' heralded WAAF's entry into the Boston market and its "rock radio battle".<ref>{{Cite news |last=McLaughlin |first=Jeff |date=April 6, 1978 |title=Power Plays |page=Calendar 4, 32 |work=Boston Globe |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45248169/ |url-status=live |access-date=February 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210313200029/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/45248169/power-plays/ |archive-date=March 13, 2021}}</ref> In 1977, the station managed to outrate talk outlet [[WMEX (AM)|WMEX]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Hall |first=Claude |date=February 26, 1977 |title=Vox Jox |page=23 |magazine=Billboard|id={{ProQuest|1286389835}} |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/70s/1977/Billboard%201977-02-26.pdf |access-date=February 25, 2020}}</ref> WAAF's third sale of the decade would come in 1978: the station, its AM counterpart WFTQ, and WEZN were sold to a group of employees, known as Park City Communications, for $3.2 million.<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 20, 1978 |title=For the Record |page=68 |work=Broadcasting |id={{ProQuest|1014687851}}|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1978/1978-02-20-BC.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=February 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210331004901/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1978/1978-02-20-BC.pdf |archive-date=March 31, 2021}}</ref> Park City sold all of its stations to Katz Broadcasting, a subsidiary of Katz Media Group, for $16 million in November 1981.<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 9, 1981 |title=Changing Hands: Approved |page=67 |work=[[Broadcasting & Cable|Broadcasting]]|id={{ProQuest|962737700}} |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1981/BC-1981-11-09.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=February 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210331004904/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-BC/BC-1981/BC-1981-11-09.pdf |archive-date=March 31, 2021}}</ref>

WAAF encountered ratings success in the Worcester market to start the 1980s; despite newfound competition from [[WJMN (FM)|WCOZ (94.5 FM)]] in Boston, the station attributed its success to extensive marketing, promotion, and contests.<ref name=":7">{{Cite magazine |last=Keller |first=Jon |date=March 21, 1981 |title=WAAF-FM Thrives, AM Sister Troubled |page=23 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |id={{ProQuest|1286257732}}|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Billboard/80s/1981/BB-1981-03-21.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=February 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210331004903/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/80s/1981/BB-1981-03-21.pdf |archive-date=March 31, 2021}}</ref> WAAF appeared in ratings surveys not only in Worcester and Boston but in Providence and [[Springfield, Massachusetts|Springfield]]; WAAF listening was even measured as far away as [[Peterborough, New Hampshire]].<ref name="duncanfall81">{{Cite book |last=Duncan |first=James |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-Duncan-American-Radio/Duncan-1981-Fall.pdf |title=Duncan's American Radio Fall 1981 |date=1981|pages=95, 141, 203, 203, 243 |access-date=February 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210331004906/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Duncan-American-Radio/Duncan-1981-Fall.pdf |archive-date=March 31, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> Remaining a "Superstars" client, WAAF relied on Abrams' playlist input and received criticism for not taking chances to play other music genres; Abrams notably told WAAF's program director in 1980 that [[New wave music|new wave]] "isn't the coming thing".<ref name=":6" /> Music heard on the station tended to lean toward a harder rock focus from artists like [[Led Zeppelin]], [[Ted Nugent]], [[Van Halen]], and [[Pat Benatar]].<ref name=":7" />

{{Quote box
| quote = As far as we're concerned, it's the biggest promotion ever to hit AOR radio, certainly at least here in New England... we left the competition, [[WWBX|WBCN]] and [[WJMN (FM)|WCOZ]], hemming and hawing.
| author = Steve Marx
| source = then-WAAF general manager, over the station's 1981 Rolling Stones ticket giveaway<ref name=":5" />
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It was during this time, in September 1981, that [[the Rolling Stones]] played a warmup show for a group of WAAF listeners at Sir Morgans Cove, a Worcester nightclub. WAAF connected with the band while they rehearsed at Long View Farm in North Brookfield and gave away all 300 tickets for the free show as a reward for locals respecting their privacy; demand exceeded 4,000 in what ''[[Radio & Records]]'' termed "an unprecedented radio concert promotion coup".<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |date=September 25, 1981 |title=WAAF Pulls Off Stones Club Date Coup |pages=1, 14 |work=Radio & Records |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1981/RR-1981-09-25.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=February 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210331004907/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1981/RR-1981-09-25.pdf |archive-date=March 31, 2021}}</ref> All day, station staffers drove around Worcester in unmarked cars handing out tickets to locals who had station stickers or T-shirts. While WAAF refused to announce the name of the location, [[WWBX|WBCN]] obtained the information from a Worcester police officer, causing a large crowd of 4,000 to form outside of the 300-seat venue; 10 people were arrested.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Simon |first=James |date=September 15, 1981 |title='Secret' Stones concert in Worcester |page=30 |work=[[Lowell Sun]] |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/entertainment-clipping-sep-15-1981-1563301/ |url-status=live |access-date=February 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222225617/https://newspaperarchive.com/entertainment-clipping-sep-15-1981-1563301/ |archive-date=February 22, 2020}}</ref> WAAF promotion director Steve Stockman blamed WBCN for announcing the venue on-air, declaring his competitor's actions "reckless and irresponsible".<ref name=":5" />

A few months later, [[Bob and Doug McKenzie]] ([[Rick Moranis]] and [[Dave Thomas (actor)|Dave Thomas]]) teamed up with WAAF for a contest to promote their ''[[The Great White North (album)|The Great White North]]'' comedy album, where the winner received an afternoon trip for two to [[Tewksbury, Massachusetts|Tewksbury]], while the runner-up won a weekend trip for two to the [[Lowell, Massachusetts|Lowell]] suburb.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McCafferty |first=Patricia |date=March 14, 1982 |title=All-expense paid trip to Tewksbury |page=B1 |work=[[Lowell Sun]] |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/entertainment-clipping-mar-14-1982-1563450/ |url-status=live |access-date=February 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223192535/https://newspaperarchive.com/entertainment-clipping-mar-14-1982-1563450/ |archive-date=February 23, 2020}}</ref> WAAF staffers came up with the contest idea after noticing a sign in Tewksbury that reminded them of [[toque]] knit hats referred to in the album. The station had also asked the town's fire chief to give the winner [[Freedom of the City|keys to the city]]; he declined, believing the initial offer to be a prank phone call.<ref>{{Cite news |last=McCafferty |first=Patricia |date=February 14, 1982 |title=Grand prize: weekend in Tewksbury |page=B1 |work=[[Lowell Sun]] |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/entertainment-clipping-feb-14-1982-1563354/ |url-status=live |access-date=February 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200222225618/https://newspaperarchive.com/entertainment-clipping-feb-14-1982-1563354/ |archive-date=February 22, 2020}}</ref>

[[Bob Rivers]] co-hosted morning drive on WAAF between 1982 and 1987 with Peter "Zip" Zipfel. Titled ''Bob and Zip'', the program became known for parody and [[novelty song]]s produced by Rivers; the most memorable one being "Breakin' Up Is Hard on You" ("[[Breaking Up Is Hard to Do]]" by [[Neil Sedaka]]) regarding the [[Bell System divestiture]], and charted at #70 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |title=Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles |publisher=Record Research Inc |year=1997 |isbn=0-89820-122-5 |location=Menomonee Falls, WI |page=13}}</ref> Rivers also performed "Just a Big Ego" ("[[Just a Gigolo (song)|Just a Gigolo]]" by [[David Lee Roth]]) which debuted as Roth announced his departure from [[Van Halen]],<ref>{{Cite news |date=August 9, 1985 |title=Street Talk |page=28 |work=[[Radio & Records]] |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1985/RR-1985-08-09.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=February 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210331004906/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1985/RR-1985-08-09.pdf |archive-date=March 31, 2021}}</ref> and was included in ''[[The Rhino Brothers Present the World's Worst Records]].''<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Rhino Brothers Present the World's Worst Records |url=https://www.amazon.com/Rhino-Brothers-Present-Worlds-Records/dp/B0016N3BZ6 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235313/http://www.amazon.com/Rhino-Brothers-Present-Worlds-Records/dp/B0016N3BZ6 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |access-date=February 23, 2020 |website=[[amazon.com]]}}</ref> Rivers and Zipfel attracted attention on the day of the [[1984 United States presidential election]] by instructing their listeners who planned to vote for [[Ronald Reagan]] to simultaneously flush their toilets at 7:00&nbsp;a.m., and listeners voting for [[Walter Mondale]] to flush their toilets at 7:30&nbsp;a.m.; the station then contacted the various [[regional water authorities]] and based their [[exit poll]] off of the drops in water pressure.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Johnson |first=Dean |date=November 8, 1984 |title=On flush polls and camera wars |page=53 |work=[[Lowell Sun]] |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/entertainment-clipping-nov-08-1984-1563421/ |url-status=live |access-date=February 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223192539/https://newspaperarchive.com/entertainment-clipping-nov-08-1984-1563421/ |archive-date=February 23, 2020}}</ref> Rivers left WAAF to take over as morning-drive host at [[WIYY]] in [[Baltimore]];<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 12, 1987 |title=Street Talk |pages=18, 21 |work=[[Radio & Records]] |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1987/RR-1987-06-12.pdf |access-date=February 23, 2020}}</ref> Drew Lane replaced him and was later teamed up with Zipfel.<ref>{{Cite news |date=September 4, 1987 |title=AOR: Segues |page=62 |work=[[Radio & Records]] |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1987/RR-1987-09-04.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=February 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210313200709/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1987/RR-1987-09-04.pdf |archive-date=March 13, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=February 24, 1989 |title=Street Talk|id={{ProQuest|1040357653}} |pages=26, 29 |work=[[Radio & Records]] |url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1989/RR-1989-02-24.pdf |url-status=live |access-date=February 23, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210313200709/https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-RandR/1980s/1989/RR-1989-02-24.pdf |archive-date=March 13, 2021}}</ref>

WAAF attempted another unusual promotion where the station was to have dropped 100,000 [[one-dollar bills]] from a helicopter onto downtown Lowell on November 26, 1988, at 1:07&nbsp;p.m. This event was abruptly canceled at the last minute by Lowell city officials concerned about the safety of people who would have participated, while station management had intended for it to promote Lowell's revitalization.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ward |first=Peter |date=November 25, 1988 |title=City cancels rock station's dollar drop promo |pages=1, [https://newspaperarchive.com/entertainment-clipping-nov-25-1988-1563424/ 4] |work=[[Lowell Sun]] |url=https://newspaperarchive.com/entertainment-clipping-nov-25-1988-1563447/ |url-status=live |access-date=February 22, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223004125/https://newspaperarchive.com/entertainment-clipping-nov-25-1988-1563447/ |archive-date=February 23, 2020}}</ref>