25 Years Ago, A Pig Flew...

Opening Squeal

Twenty-five years ago this month, Oldies station Z93/TAMPA demanded that crosstown Top 40 kingpin Q105 to pay them $1 million so they  wouldn't change their format to Top 40. The ultimatum attracted a slew of local media coverage, but the Q105 ignored the stunt.

Undaunted, Z93 promptly set a deadline to meet and aired a ticking clock ticking in the background of programming. They even flipped formats to "93 JAMZ" for about an hour before reverting back to Oldies. Then they raised their demand to $2 million -- to be paid by 5p.

By MONDAY, SEPT.25th, the ransom had soared to $4 million and after finally reaching Q105 owner GARY EDENS by phone to give him one final chance to pay up, EDENS declines and at that moment, 25 years ago TOMORROW, Z93 flipped to Top 40 POWER PIG, launching one of the great Top 40 wars of all time.

Read more about that here.

Meanwhile, GABE HOBBS is setting up a get-together of WFLZ/POWER PIG staffers, past and present, this weekend. For details, contact him at Gabe@GabeHobbsMedia.com.

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