RADIO FREE PHOENIX FAQ

Questions
1  Why This Obsession with Free Form Rock?
2   Does Anybody Really Care?
3   Who Is Andy Olson Anyway?

Answers
1  Why This Obsession with Free Form Rock?

Because it’s a vibrant format that has sadly disappeared from the airwaves. A big corporation is less then willing to try radio like this, really, it’s out of the question. Free Form Underground Rock Radio is like a seed, that given time, will blossom into a mighty thing. Generations of disc jockeys have gone through their radio careers without ever tasting musical freedom. The power and profound impact of selecting one’s own music and creating a personal flow to their show creates a vested interest in the whole experience, not only for the DJ, but the listener as well.

2   Does Anybody Really Care?

Yes, millions of people have turned off their radios over the years because they couldn’t find anything worth listening to. The baby boomer generation of the 60’s and 70’s had the hope that anything is possible, and enjoyed this kind of musical freedom, not knowing that its time was limited and that radio stations all over the country would one day play a homogenized blend of music (no matter what the format) that disregarded the regional diversity that it was originally created in.

3   Who Is Andy Olson Anyway?

Andy Olson is a long time Phoenix DJ who has been on the air since 1982. He picked up his early musical knowledge from Top 40 stations in Phoenix like KRIZ & KRUX. In the late 60’s, KRIZ was known for having a large playlist (Top 50 + 30-40 fresh new songs and album cuts too) and jocks that had the freedom to interject politics and humor in their shows. KRIZ played everything from the Mothers Of Invention to the Carpenters. KRUX had a tighter playlist (Top 30 + 3 or 4 Hitbound), but it was at KRUX, Sunday Nights from 10PM – Midnight that the KRUX Underground was born with William Edward Compton at the helm. Fresh from Tyler, Texas, Bill Compton (known as “Little Willie Sunshine” on KRUX) spun an eclectic mix of underground rock that made him so popular, he was promoted to afternoon drive. Ray Thompson (another great voice) took over the KRUX Underground while Bill Compton, unhappy with the confines of KRUX and top 40 radio, talked with the owner of a near-bankrupt AM station in east Phoenix about trying a Free Form Underground Rock format like the KRUX Underground. KCAC (see story), was a 500 watt daytime-only station that created a huge buzz in its short existence. It’s also the station where the slogan “Radio Free Phoenix” was used for the first time. It’s in this context, that Radio Free Phoenix, and the spirit it was created in, is dedicated to the memory of William Edward Compton.