A comprehensive format revision came in 1988, when the station moved to a more consistent album-oriented rock approach from a block programming format with a heavy metal lean. A year later, however, KWCR adopted a dance-music format and the name "The Beat", a change that substantially increased interest and listenership. Unlike in the past, when call-in contests might have dragged on for hours awaiting a caller, the station's lines filled up nearly instantly. The format flip was marked with a Labor Day charitable event, titled "Trash the Thrash", in which KWCR's old heavy metal records were thrown like Frisbees. Along with the new format came 24-hour broadcasting. In its first year as The Beat, underwriting revenue exceeded that received in the previous 10 years combined. However, success did not stop disputes over the station's format, which sometimes manifested as bills in the student senate.