Al Vanik – KUUU’s Heavy Hitter

July 18, 1976
The Nifty 50s are a hit so KUUU expanded them this week. From 10 PM until 2 AM the gold oldies station concentrates on the clink-clink-clink kind of rock and roll that conjures up sock hops, drive-in movies and malt shop meetings.”It’s time for a little personality projection,” Al Vanik, program director, explained. That’s why KUUU listeners are now hearing The Heavy Hitter. Heavy Hitter is a devotee of jive talk, the good old days, and, believe it or not, requests and dedications. Yes, dedications. From Bob and Mary to Sue and Sally.
Vanik admits it’s a bit of a departure for Seattle radio. The Heavy Hitter may be bringing back something that never was in Seattle. During the birth of rock, Seattle listeners got a sanitized, toned-down version compared to what New York, the Midwest and Southern California got. No 1950-ish Seattle disc jockey sounded like the Heavy Hitter. Vanik said the late-night timing was planned to appeal to swing-shifters, an older audience then this kind of rock attracted way back in those good old days.