Community hub
Recent from talks
Contribute something to knowledge base
Content stats: 0 posts, 0 articles, 1 media, 0 notes
Members stats: 0 subscribers, 0 contributors, 0 moderators, 0 supporters
Subscribers
Supporters
Contributors
Moderators
George Gimarc
George Douglas Gimarc (/ɡəˈmɑːrk/ ghə-MARK; born 1957) is an American disc jockey, record and radio program producer and author based in Texas and is in the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. He is known for his knowledge about the classic rock radio format, recorded music in general, and specifically the era of punk rock. His broadcast programs have been heard in various formats in the U.S., Canada, Europe and New Zealand, via licensed stations and unlicensed pirate radio transmitters.
After attending Wallace Elementary School in Dallas, George Gimarc graduated from Lake Highlands High School in the class of 1975.
Gimarc began his career as an intern at WRR AM in Dallas in April 1975, then worked at college as a disc jockey on the University of North Texas radio station KNTU. In the spring of 1977, he started a new weekly show called Punk & New Wave, which eventually became known as The Rock & Roll Alternative when it moved to KZEW-FM in Dallas, making its debut on May 18, 1980. This was one of the first regular new wave or punk radio shows in the United States.
The Rock & Roll Alternative program was responsible for introducing acts such as R.E.M., The Go-Go's, U2, The Psychedelic Furs, The Sex Pistols, Devo, The B-52's, XTC, The Smiths, The Cult, and hundreds of others to the listening audience of the Dallas and Fort Worth metroplex listening area from 1977 onwards. It went through three different theme songs, but its most familiar was the one provided by new friends The Bangles when they were recording their first album.
The Rock & Roll Alternative program moved to commercial radio on May 18, 1980, and continued for 14 years until it was retired. Along the way, it was heard on four different licensed stations throughout its run in Texas - KNTU / KZEW / KNON / KDGE. After the show moved to KZEW (The Zoo) in Dallas, George Gimarc in association with John England began to promote the ideology of free radio (as opposed to government censored radio) within the show. Gimarc announced the show as being heard on the flagship station KZEW and the Four Freedoms World Service (4FWS) which relayed the program via recordings for retransmission by a network of unlicensed pirate radio stations that transmitted on AM, FM and shortwave in Europe, and shortwave from New Zealand via KIWI Radio, to Australasia. A Texas network of Public-access television cable TV channels called 4FTN, also aired special editions of Gimarc's programs.
While Gimarc was hosting The Rock & Roll Alternative on KZEW-FM, in 1983 he also became music director on its sister AM station KRQX (K-Rocks) and turned it into a new format designed to be the flipside to the AOR sister station KZEW. While the Zoo was playing Kansas, The Eagles and Eddie Money, this new station played the older items they could no longer fit into the playlist - the Beatles, CCR, and Hendrix.
In 1987, after both KZEW and KRQX changed ownership (from Belo to Anchor) and formats, he began a new program called Back Pages on KZPS in Dallas. This was an eclectic classic rock show combining rare records, intriguing stories and listener requests.
In June 1989, Gimarc was the first official hire of the new station KDGE (The Edge) where he developed the new commercial alternative format along with Wendy Naylor. He was on air daily in the afternoons and served as Music Director as well as doing the R&R Alternative for another year or so. He, and several other key members of the staff were shown the door in 1993 when the station decided to take a more mainstream (chart) approach to music, and was no longer as keen on breaking new acts, as they were of following new trends.
George Gimarc
George Douglas Gimarc (/ɡəˈmɑːrk/ ghə-MARK; born 1957) is an American disc jockey, record and radio program producer and author based in Texas and is in the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. He is known for his knowledge about the classic rock radio format, recorded music in general, and specifically the era of punk rock. His broadcast programs have been heard in various formats in the U.S., Canada, Europe and New Zealand, via licensed stations and unlicensed pirate radio transmitters.
After attending Wallace Elementary School in Dallas, George Gimarc graduated from Lake Highlands High School in the class of 1975.
Gimarc began his career as an intern at WRR AM in Dallas in April 1975, then worked at college as a disc jockey on the University of North Texas radio station KNTU. In the spring of 1977, he started a new weekly show called Punk & New Wave, which eventually became known as The Rock & Roll Alternative when it moved to KZEW-FM in Dallas, making its debut on May 18, 1980. This was one of the first regular new wave or punk radio shows in the United States.
The Rock & Roll Alternative program was responsible for introducing acts such as R.E.M., The Go-Go's, U2, The Psychedelic Furs, The Sex Pistols, Devo, The B-52's, XTC, The Smiths, The Cult, and hundreds of others to the listening audience of the Dallas and Fort Worth metroplex listening area from 1977 onwards. It went through three different theme songs, but its most familiar was the one provided by new friends The Bangles when they were recording their first album.
The Rock & Roll Alternative program moved to commercial radio on May 18, 1980, and continued for 14 years until it was retired. Along the way, it was heard on four different licensed stations throughout its run in Texas - KNTU / KZEW / KNON / KDGE. After the show moved to KZEW (The Zoo) in Dallas, George Gimarc in association with John England began to promote the ideology of free radio (as opposed to government censored radio) within the show. Gimarc announced the show as being heard on the flagship station KZEW and the Four Freedoms World Service (4FWS) which relayed the program via recordings for retransmission by a network of unlicensed pirate radio stations that transmitted on AM, FM and shortwave in Europe, and shortwave from New Zealand via KIWI Radio, to Australasia. A Texas network of Public-access television cable TV channels called 4FTN, also aired special editions of Gimarc's programs.
While Gimarc was hosting The Rock & Roll Alternative on KZEW-FM, in 1983 he also became music director on its sister AM station KRQX (K-Rocks) and turned it into a new format designed to be the flipside to the AOR sister station KZEW. While the Zoo was playing Kansas, The Eagles and Eddie Money, this new station played the older items they could no longer fit into the playlist - the Beatles, CCR, and Hendrix.
In 1987, after both KZEW and KRQX changed ownership (from Belo to Anchor) and formats, he began a new program called Back Pages on KZPS in Dallas. This was an eclectic classic rock show combining rare records, intriguing stories and listener requests.
In June 1989, Gimarc was the first official hire of the new station KDGE (The Edge) where he developed the new commercial alternative format along with Wendy Naylor. He was on air daily in the afternoons and served as Music Director as well as doing the R&R Alternative for another year or so. He, and several other key members of the staff were shown the door in 1993 when the station decided to take a more mainstream (chart) approach to music, and was no longer as keen on breaking new acts, as they were of following new trends.
Recent media
Recent media