Rick Carroll
Encyclopedia
Rickey Floyd "Rick" Carroll (September 15, 1946 – July 10, 1989) was a program director
(PD) for influential radio station KROQ-FM
in Los Angeles, California
, United States
, where he introduced the "Rock of the Eighties" format. The format was synonymous with KROQ-FM and eventually developed into the Modern Rock
format. Carroll spread this format to a number of radio markets across the United States either directly, as a radio consultant during the 1980s, or indirectly as stations adopted the KROQ-FM sound.
, Rick Carroll began his radio career as an intern at KPOP, Sacramento, California, continuing at KERS while attending California State University-Sacramento. His professional career included stints as consultant or programming director for various California radio stations, including KKDJ
and KEZY before moving to KROQ-FM in 1978.
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, mainstream acts dominated rock radio via the Album Oriented Rock (AOR) format, leaving little opportunity for most new artists. Carroll's approach was to play music from the emerging new wave
, punk
and related genres while retaining a Top 40 presentation style. Noted for his ability to pick breakout hits, Carroll guided songs to prominence via the "Hot Clock," a pie chart prescribing the music to be played during each portion of a disc jockey's air shift. His system also included a "Jock's Choice" at the end of each hour of programming, during which a DJ could play any song of his or her own choosing. The Jock's Choice became a vehicle for new artists such as Depeche Mode
and Juluka
to break into KROQ-FM's regular rotation.
Starting in 1983, Carroll consulted other radio stations where he implemented the Rock of the Eighties format, including 91X
(San Diego, CA), KYYX (Seattle, WA), KPOP (Sacramento, CA), WAAF (Boston, MA), WIFI (Philadelphia, PA), KQAK
(San Francisco, CA), WRQC (Cleveland, OH) and WYDD
(Pittsburgh, PA) among many others.
Carroll died of AIDS
-related pneumonia
on July 10, 1989.
Program director
In service industries, such as education, a program director or programme director researches, plans, develops and implements one or more of the firm's professional services...
(PD) for influential radio station KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, where he introduced the "Rock of the Eighties" format. The format was synonymous with KROQ-FM and eventually developed into the Modern Rock
Modern rock
Modern rock is a rock format commonly found on commercial radio; the format consists primarily of the alternative rock genre...
format. Carroll spread this format to a number of radio markets across the United States either directly, as a radio consultant during the 1980s, or indirectly as stations adopted the KROQ-FM sound.
Biography
Born in Contra Costa County, CaliforniaContra Costa County, California
Contra Costa County is a primarily suburban county in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 1,049,025...
, Rick Carroll began his radio career as an intern at KPOP, Sacramento, California, continuing at KERS while attending California State University-Sacramento. His professional career included stints as consultant or programming director for various California radio stations, including KKDJ
KIIS-FM
KIIS-FM is a Los Angeles, California, USA-based radio station with a partial Top 40 musical format. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications. KIIS is also simulcasted on KVVS in Rosamond, at 105.5 MHz...
and KEZY before moving to KROQ-FM in 1978.
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, mainstream acts dominated rock radio via the Album Oriented Rock (AOR) format, leaving little opportunity for most new artists. Carroll's approach was to play music from the emerging new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
, punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
and related genres while retaining a Top 40 presentation style. Noted for his ability to pick breakout hits, Carroll guided songs to prominence via the "Hot Clock," a pie chart prescribing the music to be played during each portion of a disc jockey's air shift. His system also included a "Jock's Choice" at the end of each hour of programming, during which a DJ could play any song of his or her own choosing. The Jock's Choice became a vehicle for new artists such as Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
and Juluka
Juluka
Juluka was a South African music band formed in 1969 by Johnny Clegg and Sipho Mchunu. Juluka means "sweat", and was the name of a bull owned by Mchunu.-Career:...
to break into KROQ-FM's regular rotation.
Starting in 1983, Carroll consulted other radio stations where he implemented the Rock of the Eighties format, including 91X
XETRA-FM
XETRA-FM — branded 91X, and sometimes identified as XTRA-FM — is an English language, Mexican-owned modern rock music station broadcasting from Tijuana, Baja California on 91.1 MHz. The studios are located in the Mira Mesa area of San Diego...
(San Diego, CA), KYYX (Seattle, WA), KPOP (Sacramento, CA), WAAF (Boston, MA), WIFI (Philadelphia, PA), KQAK
KQAK
KQAK is a commercial oldies music radio station in Bend, Oregon, broadcasting on 105.7 FM.-History of the KQAK call sign:KQAK was the Federal Communications Commission call sign of a now defunct modern rock radio station "The Quake" in San Francisco, California. See KSOL-FM under the history...
(San Francisco, CA), WRQC (Cleveland, OH) and WYDD
WKPA
WKPA is a Religious formatted broadcast radio station simulcasting WKBA at Vinton, Virginia.WKPA is licensed to Lynchburg, Virginia, serving Lynchburg and Amherst County, Virginia. WKPA is owned and operated by Tinker Creek Broadcasters, Inc....
(Pittsburgh, PA) among many others.
Carroll died of AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
-related pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
on July 10, 1989.