Rick Dees Weekly Top 40

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Rick Dees' Weekly Top 40

The Weekly Top 40 logo
Genre	Music chart show
Running time	Approx. 3 hrs. and 55 mins. (including commercials)
Country	United States
Languages	English
Hosts	Rick Dees Kevin Dees
Air dates	since September 1983
Audio format	Stereophonic sound
Website	rick.com

Rick Dees' Weekly Top 40 (sometimes known as Weekly Top 40) is an internationally-syndicated radio program created and hosted by American radio personality Rick Dees. It is currently heard on over 200 radio stations worldwide and the American Forces Network. It is distributed domestically by Citadel Media Networks and internationally by Radio Express. It is also heard on Dees' official website.

The Weekly Top 40 countdown is available in two versions: Hit Radio (for Top 40 stations), and Hot Adult (for Hot AC stations). A version for AC stations called Weekly Top 30 debuted in July 2009.

History

The Weekly Top 40 debuted in September 1983, after Rick's station, KIIS-FM, lost American Top 40 to a rival station, KIQQ (now KSWD) over the playing of network commercials.^[1] Initially syndicated by United Stations, the show was initially heard on ten stations, but would expand to 40 by the end of 1983.

After ABC Radio Networks pulled AT40 from American stations in July 1994, it picked up the Weekly Top 40 for national syndication.

A few years later, Weekly Top 40 would move to Premiere Radio Networks until 2005, when Dees left KIIS-FM and its owner Clear Channel Communications, which owned Premiere.

The Weekly Top 40 moved its distribution over to Dial Global from 2005 to 2008. It has been streamed on Dees' official website since 2006.

In January 2009, Dees and the Weekly Top 40 returned to ABC Radio, which has since been acquired by Citadel Broadcasting, with ABC Radio's programming division renamed as Citadel Media.^[2]

Segments aired on the Weekly Top 40

• Sure Shot - a song predicted to crack the Top 40 in the following weeks
• Weekly Top 40 Challenge - during the program, listeners will claim their prize
• Behind the Velvet Rope with Kevin Dees - a gossip segment hosted by Rick's son Kevin; previously known as a segment hosted by Rick, Dees' Sleaze
• What's Happening - a rundown of new movies, DVD's and music
• Number One's Around the World - a look at the Number One song in various nations
• Top Downloads - the hottest music, ringtones, TV shows and videos being downloaded from the internet.

Spinoff

In 1985, Dees would create and host a syndicated weekday music program for United Stations, American Music Magazine -- the daily, hour-long program would be similar to his countdown show, except that it played the "most requested songs," as phoned in by listeners to an 800 number hotline. The songs were not typically played in countdown fashion, but the most requested was always played at the end of the show. As with most syndicated radio programs, the shows were distributed to radio stations in collector-type boxes--which has been most helpful in keeping the shows in good condition for collectors--by United Stations Programming Network on 5 LPs, one for each day of the week. Each week's box of LPs typically contained two promo spots: one for weekdays and one for the weekends.

The show was produced in a "faux-live" style. Dees would encourage callers to "call in" to the show, and often pre-recorded calls and caller montages would air as though listeners were actually calling in at the time of broadcast, even though these shows were recorded and distributed to stations at least a week ahead of the air date.

Often these shows would feature celebrity guests (either call-in or in-studio) who were promoting events, movies, TV shows or albums un-related to the show. Guests included people like Patrick Swayze, Milli Vanilli, Jon Provost of Lassie, Cher's mother, etc.

At the end of 1988, Dees would leave the program, to be replaced by Bruce Vidal, who regularly subbed for Dees on his countdown show. It is unknown when "American Music Magazine" left the air, though at least one show from June 5, 1989 has surfaced in online show trading.

References

External links

• Rick.com - Official website for Rick Dees.
• The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 - Citadel Media Network's page for the show.
• Listen to Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 online - A partial list of radio stations carrying the Rick Dees Weekly Top 40, including XM Satellite Radio's channels, with scheduled broadcast times and streaming links.