I worked for a station back in the early '90s which had an FM with an automated oldies format. We were in Martin, TN, but we received our reel-to-reel tapes (yes, they were still using them at the time!) from Broadcast Supply West in Seattle. Yes, that is right, in Martin, TN, we were basically being programmed from Seattle! I don't remember any specific complaints, except that, due to the automation, we could not accept or play requests, and we could not back-announce what the automation had just played. While I was there, we changed the station name from "True Gold 102" to "Oldies 102." (Not using digital frequencies yet.) We also switched from one set of tapes to another. I don't remember if the name change, and switching out the set(s) of tapes that we used, were simultaneous. I just simply remember that after switching out the tapes, we began to get curious calls from listeners asking what this was, or what that was. Apparently, it was stuff that had not been played in a while. No angry calls (that I was ever aware of), just curious calls. (On the technical side, on the second set of tapes, there were far more songs with periods of low audio on them which the computer mistook for dead air, and skipped over them to the next song.)
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
Classic Hits: Evolution or Revolution?
- Thread starter semoochie
- Start date
John's correct. They were clients of my TV station, not the radio station, and the two companies had no connection. And those people were exactly the type of people the radio station was after.
Firepoint: They don't call angrily. Or at all. They just punch the button and eventually stop coming back.
And as John remembered the players in my story, I remember the ones in his.
The FM competitor was owned by a guy who worked as a videotape librarian for my previous TV station, where I did news for 14 years. I got to know him well.
Don had the construction permit for the last in-market FM signal for Phoenix. He had it for more than a decade, thanks to a series of extensions. It had been a dream of his for 20 years. What he didn't have was the money to build it.
Finally, the mom and pop company we both worked for decided to take advantage of de-reg and diversify. We bought a full-signal FM and Phoenix Magazine.
They then pitched Don a deal: They'd fund construction of his radio station, provide studio space, engineering, promotion and sales support in exchange for a percentage of revenue. If the station wasn't hitting a certain, not unrealistic or unattainable target by the end of the second year, the company could then exercise an option to buy the station from Don at a pre-determined price.
Don said yes. His dream all along had been to do all-news 24/7 on FM. But he realized Phoenix wasn't ready and wouldn't be in the two years he had to make it work. Plus the expense was huge and his deal with the company didn't provide for them to carry those costs.
So he had to find another format. And occasionally he bounced his latest ideas off me. They all revolved around his personal tastes and skewed very old...like 65+ old (this is 20 years ago, so we're talking about 85+).
I asked him if selling at the end of 2 years was what he wanted to do. He said no...he intended to hit the target, be a success and either have a lengthy partnership with the company or eventually buy them out of the arrangement and stand on his own. He pictured himself owning the station for the next 20 years.
I told him he needed to set aside personal preferences, find a strong 25-54 format, thoroughly research every element, including.....especially...the music. That didn't mean he couldn't do sonething he liked, he just needed to be sure there was an audience big enough and that he was satisfying so he could hit or blow past that target in 2 years and keep his dream.
Don came to me one day about a week before launch.
"I figured it out..and I didn't have to do research. 25-54 is a music audience. So, I bought the Joel Whitburn Top Pop Records 1955-1990 book, with all the Billboard Hot 100 charts. And then I bought the music."
"What music, Don?"
"All of it! Well, just the ones that made the Top 40. They're all hits. If it made the chart, then a lot of people liked it, right?"
God bless him, Don bought every song to hit the Top 40 from 1955-1990 that was available on CD in 1994...loaded them into some monster CD jukeboxes and hit "shuffle".
The Singing Nun's "Dominique" into "25 Or 6 To 4" by Chicago. Probably the only time in radio history.
I have also only heard this particular music sweep only once in my life:
Johnny Cash: Ring Of Fire
Janet Jackson:,Rhythm Nation
Andy Williams: Can't Get Used To Losing You
Eagles: Life In The Fast Lane
Bobby Sherman: Julie Do Ya Love Me
Frank Sinatra: My Way
If the Arbitron diaries had only gone out to radio people, Don would have been #1. One exceptionally well-known local personality who is also nationally syndicated told me ("I can't tune away. I want to, but I have to hear what insanely wrong segue or left-field stiff is coming next").
But radio people, record collectors and chart freaks are into that kind of stuff. The typical radio listener isn't. The first book reflected some curiosity sampling. After that.....crickets chirping distantly in the night.
Don didn't even come close to hitting that realistic target. John mentioned Christmas music. Don went all-Christmas the first year and got numbers...good ones. As desperation set in, he went all-Christmas in July and did pretty well then, too.
But it wasn't enough. About a week after the date by which Don needed to hit the target, they handed him a check, he left the building and I haven't seen him since. The dream he'd had for 20 years and the hopes he had for the next 20 were over.
The company put on well-researched smooth jazz and country formats and did better (Don would have been able to keep the station if he'd performed at that level), but couldn't beat the established competition. Some wondered if it was a signal issue.
The mom and pop decided to get out of the business in '99. They sold the TV to Belo, the magazine to Cities West, the full-signal FM to Jacor (now Clear Channel) and Don's dream to Z-Spanish (now Entravision), which took it Spanish and went Top 5 in the first book.
So it wasn't the signal.
Don's was an extreme case, but you'd have to listen for a while to know that. For the typical listener, it was just "Every time I tune in I hear a song I don't know, don't like or don't care about. And there are other stations playing songs I do know and like."
If they tune in and hear a song they don't know, like or care about on an otherwise well-programmed station, that's what they'll be saying when they're telling friends why they "used to listen" to that station.
Last edited:
Steve, you've lived in Los Angeles (the second-biggest market in the country) long enough to remember when:
KLAC had to drop from 57 songs to 25 ( and then 35),
KFWB got killed by a tighter KRLA.
KRLA got killed by a tighter KHJ.
KMET got killed by a tighter KLOS.
KLOS got killed by a tighter KMET.
KMET and KLOS both got killed by a tighter KROQ.
So how could you possibly still think that?
Even if...let's say...a quarter of the audience wanted depth, you still lose 75-25. Which in Los Angeles would be 12 million to 4 million. Which means the station's numbers would be dwarfed by the competition's.
In other words, you'd look like KSWD's first year.
It pains me, because I loved what The Sound started out as. I loved KNX-FM, too...so no surprise.
Here's the mistake a lot of people make about a market's ability to support a station. They look at the #1 station and what they're billing and think "If I do a third of their ratings, I'll make a third of their revenue." So a 2 instead of a 6, billing $12 million instead of $36 million.
That's still what you might call a ton of money.
But it doesn't work like that. Because that 2 probably puts you far enough down in the 25-54 ranking that you get passed over for most of the agency buys. It's not a linear thing, it's more of an on/off switch.
If you're really lucky or really good at sales, maybe you can survive and maybe even make a little money. Depends a lot on what you paid for the radio station and how much your debt service is.
But nobody gets into the business to make a little money if there's a way to make more simply by meeting the expectations of the larger audience.
When listening to a station that plays new music, an unfamiliar song is expected, but usually is set up "the new one from Justin Timberlake" and will be heard in so many other places (TV, online, in stores) that it will no longer be unfamiliar in very short order.
But listeners to gold-based formats have a high expectation of familiarity. It's comfort food. They're going to the audio equivalent of Denny's. The last thing they want is Anthony Bourdain handing them a plate of wombat gallbladder.
T
Thomps2525
Guest
I want to go on record as stating that I will not be surprised if someday there is an alt-rock group known as Wombat Gallbladder. 
I’ve been following along in this string and have found it extremely interesting. The subject of playlists is not a new one and in fact it’s been beaten into the ground yet it will probably always spark lots of interest. I wasn’t sure if what I’d like to say belongs here or in the 20 song string. All formats need to evolve. As far as the revolution part of this string goes, I think it’s more about certain radio enthusiasts who don’t like what they hear and they want to make things better to suit their tastes. I’m not the typical listener either and I know I’m guilty of taking on a wannabe PD role. I’ve learned a great deal over the years from reading these boards. I may not have always been successful at it but I’ve tried to keep an open mind about things.
It wasn’t too long ago where a number of classic hits stations such as WCBS FM occasionally ran A-Z music specials where literally thousands of songs were presented in alphabetically order either going from A-Z or Z to A. This event often took just about a whole week to air which meant this went beyond a holiday weekend as this kind of programming was heard during the work week too.
I enjoyed hearing some “wow” songs too – I can’t lie. There was a lot of positive reaction on these boards about the event and overall satisfaction in the fact that there was no fear in presenting songs that dated back to the days when rock was young.
I don’t have access to specific ratings demos. But I’ve gotten into the habit of checking out certain cities that are home to what I consider the “better” classic hits stations and I found something interesting. In the vast majority of times, audience share actually declined for the month that special ran. How can that be I thought? After all, there were all these songs that are rarely ever heard and that should have attracted a large audience. I’ve often heard this but I didn’t quite believe it. Many of us who are very enthusiastic about radio and who probably know a lot more about music than the average person but we are not typical and trying to please “us” is not really in the best interest of the station/format. Think about that 35-45 year old listener who had the “misfortune” of tuning in when a bunch of songs that were either too old or too obscure or too anything negative played. He/she probably switched stations. A lot of effort is made to make inroads into mid 25-54 to stay viable. It was like they were shooting themselves in the foot playing many of those songs potentially loosing that listener. It probably explains why music specials have gotten a lot more conservative sounding more like everyday programming.
Today, I believe the skill set of the PD and local management and the commitment of the owner/senior management play an extremely important role. PPM has proven listeners do not like clutter and too much hype. Even the most accurate music test won’t mean much if the music is not scheduled and positioned correctly or way too much non-music programming beyond the spots that is added to a stop set.
Perceptions are everything. A station such as WCBS-FM and others in the CBS Radio family do a great job in sounding like the community in which they serve. They also do a great job in keeping the playlist fresh. It’s rare to find the same songs that aired in AM drive repeat in PM drive. Their music specials may not be as grand as they once were but at least they are doing something.
As far as this subject goes, I tend to agree with the Michael Hagerty’s and the David Eduardo’s of the world and their experiences in what works and what does not. I also agree that songs that were once extremely popular do not translate into being popular today. Every once in a while I check out playlists from the old Musicradio WABC. I consider myself knowledgeable about old top 40 and there are titles/artists even I’m not familiar. When I’ve heard the song on YouTube, my immediate reaction has been “yikes” – how in the hell was that song a big hit. But what worked or sounded great way back when means little or nothing today and would be a turn off to the masses. If you think about it, it's just not logical to feature songs the overall public just does not know or like.
It wasn’t too long ago where a number of classic hits stations such as WCBS FM occasionally ran A-Z music specials where literally thousands of songs were presented in alphabetically order either going from A-Z or Z to A. This event often took just about a whole week to air which meant this went beyond a holiday weekend as this kind of programming was heard during the work week too.
I enjoyed hearing some “wow” songs too – I can’t lie. There was a lot of positive reaction on these boards about the event and overall satisfaction in the fact that there was no fear in presenting songs that dated back to the days when rock was young.
I don’t have access to specific ratings demos. But I’ve gotten into the habit of checking out certain cities that are home to what I consider the “better” classic hits stations and I found something interesting. In the vast majority of times, audience share actually declined for the month that special ran. How can that be I thought? After all, there were all these songs that are rarely ever heard and that should have attracted a large audience. I’ve often heard this but I didn’t quite believe it. Many of us who are very enthusiastic about radio and who probably know a lot more about music than the average person but we are not typical and trying to please “us” is not really in the best interest of the station/format. Think about that 35-45 year old listener who had the “misfortune” of tuning in when a bunch of songs that were either too old or too obscure or too anything negative played. He/she probably switched stations. A lot of effort is made to make inroads into mid 25-54 to stay viable. It was like they were shooting themselves in the foot playing many of those songs potentially loosing that listener. It probably explains why music specials have gotten a lot more conservative sounding more like everyday programming.
Today, I believe the skill set of the PD and local management and the commitment of the owner/senior management play an extremely important role. PPM has proven listeners do not like clutter and too much hype. Even the most accurate music test won’t mean much if the music is not scheduled and positioned correctly or way too much non-music programming beyond the spots that is added to a stop set.
Perceptions are everything. A station such as WCBS-FM and others in the CBS Radio family do a great job in sounding like the community in which they serve. They also do a great job in keeping the playlist fresh. It’s rare to find the same songs that aired in AM drive repeat in PM drive. Their music specials may not be as grand as they once were but at least they are doing something.
As far as this subject goes, I tend to agree with the Michael Hagerty’s and the David Eduardo’s of the world and their experiences in what works and what does not. I also agree that songs that were once extremely popular do not translate into being popular today. Every once in a while I check out playlists from the old Musicradio WABC. I consider myself knowledgeable about old top 40 and there are titles/artists even I’m not familiar. When I’ve heard the song on YouTube, my immediate reaction has been “yikes” – how in the hell was that song a big hit. But what worked or sounded great way back when means little or nothing today and would be a turn off to the masses. If you think about it, it's just not logical to feature songs the overall public just does not know or like.
I can't recall any classic HITS stations EVER doing an A to Z. I remember a couple of classic ROCK stations doing so, but even that would be rare now. They say that you can't be hurt by what you DON'T play, but if you do an A to Z, ANYTHING left out of your playlist will only become too obvious. One such station here in Nashville did A to Z twice within about six months, but even that was 20 years ago. Our current classic rocker did an A to Z a few years back, but I did not know about it in time, and missed most of it. I believe that a well-programmed SPECIALTY format (like classic rock) COULD still do an A to Z respectably, but classic hits? No way. And I don't believe that any classic hits station would play music that is "too old" for their listeners. You ain't gonna hear "Rock Around the Clock," so take that argument elsewhere.
Aside from that, I should point out that some songs that were "hits" back then were forced on us by radio. THAT is why you don't hear them now. "Elvira," anyone? Even the ACs don't play that one anymore. (If they ever did.) It amazes me that any station can still carry the retro AT40s because of all the "stiffs" in there. It is enjoyable listening, but what happens when someone tunes in and hears "Afternoon Delight," another one that I didn't really like all that much, even back then?
Amazingly enough to me, some program directors will chew their nails down to the nub for fear that they will play something that SOMEONE out there does not like, but they won't bat an eye at giving away their entire Saturday afternoon to college football in the fall. Maybe it makes revenue for the station, but why don't their SPORTS stations carry it? This may not be as much of an issue in the bigger cities, but in the smaller towns, you can pretty much forget about listening to music on the radio on Saturday afternoons in the fall, unless you have a radio strong enough to pick up stations in neighboring cities.
I am glad that you said "perception is everything," because if the perception is there that you have a limited playlist, it is probably because you do. I don't know anyone who really LIKES what radio is offering now, and certainly not anyone who "loves" radio anymore. It ain't 1975 anymore, folks. I know of some who TOLERATE what radio is doing, but that is only because they are too lazy to go plug in their own music. I don't go on any long trips anymore without taking SOME music with me, because listening to the radio for music anymore is really a crapshoot. You might hear some tuneage in the area that you are visiting that you wouldn't hear on your hometown station, but if you listen long enough, you will hear the same song again, and the "oh-wow" factor is instantly gone. I know. I had it happen to me.
Aside from that, I should point out that some songs that were "hits" back then were forced on us by radio. THAT is why you don't hear them now. "Elvira," anyone? Even the ACs don't play that one anymore. (If they ever did.) It amazes me that any station can still carry the retro AT40s because of all the "stiffs" in there. It is enjoyable listening, but what happens when someone tunes in and hears "Afternoon Delight," another one that I didn't really like all that much, even back then?
Amazingly enough to me, some program directors will chew their nails down to the nub for fear that they will play something that SOMEONE out there does not like, but they won't bat an eye at giving away their entire Saturday afternoon to college football in the fall. Maybe it makes revenue for the station, but why don't their SPORTS stations carry it? This may not be as much of an issue in the bigger cities, but in the smaller towns, you can pretty much forget about listening to music on the radio on Saturday afternoons in the fall, unless you have a radio strong enough to pick up stations in neighboring cities.
I am glad that you said "perception is everything," because if the perception is there that you have a limited playlist, it is probably because you do. I don't know anyone who really LIKES what radio is offering now, and certainly not anyone who "loves" radio anymore. It ain't 1975 anymore, folks. I know of some who TOLERATE what radio is doing, but that is only because they are too lazy to go plug in their own music. I don't go on any long trips anymore without taking SOME music with me, because listening to the radio for music anymore is really a crapshoot. You might hear some tuneage in the area that you are visiting that you wouldn't hear on your hometown station, but if you listen long enough, you will hear the same song again, and the "oh-wow" factor is instantly gone. I know. I had it happen to me.
Agreement isn't as gratifying as knowing that I've been saying it right and it can be understood. Thanks for taking the time and putting the thought into the message that you so obviously did.
As Grandma used to say, when you can't recall, look it up.
Three seconds with Google reveals that WCBS-FM has done A to Z countdowns on July 4th and Thanksgiving weekends since coming back from their "Jack" phase. Most recent one was 2011.
http://wcbsfm.cbslocal.com/2011/11/22/cbs-fms-a-to-z-number-1s-countdown/
And it appears in 2008, they played everything in their then 3,000-song library, which probably included "Rock Around The Clock"
http://nydailynews.com/1.297910
And, as JonJax notes, the numbers went down.
But if your playlist is the right 850 songs, playing them in alphabetical order probably won't hurt you, which is what KRTH has done, though theirs was "Z to A" (differentiating themselves from KLOS's "A to Z").
It's why a lot of stations dropped AT40 in the 80s and 90s...then-new songs that didn't fit the format, had high negatives or were doomed to stiff after a few weeks.
The PDs have a stroke over that, but they're overruled by the GM because of revenue...literally thousands of dollars for four hours on a Saturday where they'd be lucky to make a couple hundred.
Everyone has a limited playlist. No one plays everything. And we know why.
You're right that it's not 1975 anymore...but adults weren't nuts about radio then, either. A lot of what we thought was magical radio back in the day was our own teenage excitement. Having a few dozen unscoped hours of my favorite stations, I can tell you that while it's fun to look back, I'd probably burn a lot quicker on those stations if they were still doing what they were doing than I do on any given station today with all the choices I have (and, again, that varies by where you live).
Michael, I can kinda relate to not liking now what I liked back then. In May, we went to Memphis for a short little mini-vacation (despite being a west Tennessee native, I had never been to Graceland), and I of course tuned in FM 100. I loved it as a teenager, but they skew WAYYYY too young for me now. They have been a CHR since at least the '70s. So we listened to the classic hits station, and one of the former FM 100 jocks that I used to listen to is now morning drive there. So it was like being home again. (Interestingly enough, FM 100 STILL has the same morning jock now that they had back when I lived in the weststate and could listen to them. (Those two stations, and the AC station, are all sister stations now).
Of course, your research, and while I appreciate your doing that for us, could not really help me, since I don't live anywhere near NYC and thus could not listen to those stations.
As best as I can recall, stations dropped AT40 for one reason: rap! They either would not, or could not (because of all the obscenities!) play many rap records. And it did not help that Casey at least briefly left the AT40 helm, and Shadoe Stevens took it over. Don't know if the Shadoe (as he called himself) was ever as popular as Casey. And I believe that Casey (at least briefly) returned, but the damage was done by then. I seem to recall that stations went to airplay-only chart countdowns about that time. I last heard Casey on a CURRENT countdown (Casey's top 30, I believe) about 2005. Easy for me to remember because the station had to drop him when they changed formats.
The top 40 station in the small west TN town where I grew up carried at least THREE countdowns at one time back in the '80s. American Top 40, and the Rick Dees Weekly Top 40, and the John Leader/Dick Clark-hosted Countdown America. The latter two were both from the Radio and Records chart, so both were the same. Needless to say, their weekend time (especially the overnight hours) were almost nothing but countdowns! And now, 30 years later, they STILL carry TWO countdowns, AT40 (the Seacrest version, of course) and Dees' Weekly Top 40.
I actually like listening to the old AT40s, because I can laugh about the "stiffs" now. And just as I didn't like ALL the music from back then, I also didn't like all the fashion, either. I hated the plaid pants for guys! So sometimes the "what were we thinking" applies to our "music," too.
I hear numbers of songs on active playlists thrown around, and while 3000 seems like WAY too many, several hundred (you gave out the 850 figure here) doesn't seem like quite enough. I remember David throwing out the figure of 1000 songs for JACK-FMs. Why can't we have that many on classic hits? (For those of you who still have classic hits stations.) I like JACK-FM, but they, too, skew a little young for me, but not as young as CHRs!
Of course, your research, and while I appreciate your doing that for us, could not really help me, since I don't live anywhere near NYC and thus could not listen to those stations.
As best as I can recall, stations dropped AT40 for one reason: rap! They either would not, or could not (because of all the obscenities!) play many rap records. And it did not help that Casey at least briefly left the AT40 helm, and Shadoe Stevens took it over. Don't know if the Shadoe (as he called himself) was ever as popular as Casey. And I believe that Casey (at least briefly) returned, but the damage was done by then. I seem to recall that stations went to airplay-only chart countdowns about that time. I last heard Casey on a CURRENT countdown (Casey's top 30, I believe) about 2005. Easy for me to remember because the station had to drop him when they changed formats.
The top 40 station in the small west TN town where I grew up carried at least THREE countdowns at one time back in the '80s. American Top 40, and the Rick Dees Weekly Top 40, and the John Leader/Dick Clark-hosted Countdown America. The latter two were both from the Radio and Records chart, so both were the same. Needless to say, their weekend time (especially the overnight hours) were almost nothing but countdowns! And now, 30 years later, they STILL carry TWO countdowns, AT40 (the Seacrest version, of course) and Dees' Weekly Top 40.
I actually like listening to the old AT40s, because I can laugh about the "stiffs" now. And just as I didn't like ALL the music from back then, I also didn't like all the fashion, either. I hated the plaid pants for guys! So sometimes the "what were we thinking" applies to our "music," too.
I hear numbers of songs on active playlists thrown around, and while 3000 seems like WAY too many, several hundred (you gave out the 850 figure here) doesn't seem like quite enough. I remember David throwing out the figure of 1000 songs for JACK-FMs. Why can't we have that many on classic hits? (For those of you who still have classic hits stations.) I like JACK-FM, but they, too, skew a little young for me, but not as young as CHRs!
Note to self: Change out songs in rotation groups weekly (like in the days of old). Hot rotation-twice a day. Mild rotation- twice a week. Cool rotation-once a week. Gold rotation-twice a month. Silver rotation-once a month.
Songs would step up and down through each group.
Hey, it's a start.
Songs would step up and down through each group.
Hey, it's a start.
Meanwhile, I was down the street looking after an AM nostalgia station being fed off the bird. This was when Nostalgia wasn't a dirty word, but even then we were more MOR than anything else. We pulled about a 3.5 12+ on a consistent basis. With strong retirement communities and a full market signal day and night, we made a nice little profit on that AM.
While Don's station couldn't go up on the mountain with all the other major FM's because of short-spacing, its site to the west had perfect coverage of many of our hot zips. With the right amount of focus, my station could have been toast because the new competitor would have covered all the places it needed to cover and it was FM. But it wasn't focused, and no amount of billboards or free TV spots on channel 3 could save it.
We did all Christmas on that AM before all Christmas was cool. Don's station did all Christmas, too. But his was more contemporary than mine because I was looking at it from a perspective of not wanting to upset the core audience while they didn't have a core audience to worry about. I got raked over the coals by the owner because by comparison, the FM sounded more upbeat. Every morning I'd get blasted because our station sounded so old and slow by comparison. I'm not sure if they beat us in the ratings for that period, but as far as my boss was concerned, we got killed. But then they went back to Twice The Train Wrecks on December 26th and everyone forgot about KTWC until next November. Dream Weaver led into The Days of Wine and Roses into the Partridge Family and all was right in the world. We had our 3 share and they had their 0.8.
But every radio person in town would listen for the segues. They were pretty epic. When I went to another station, the GM would open every morning's management meeting by turning on 103.5 and listening for a segue. Then we'd get down to business. That morning in July when we turned it on and got Silver Bells, Talbot looked like he had lost his best friend.
It's the listeners who determine for any format the depth of the library.
The reason classic hits stations that research have around 700 to 800 songs is that this is the total number of playable songs that they find, no matter how many titles they test.
Stations that don't test due to the cost tend to use a "consensus of similar stations" approach using MediaBase or BDS to create a safe list.
Each format has a different number of total songs. Essentially, it is every song that gets a decent positive score without strong negatives and without defects in demographic subsets, such as the older portion, the younger part, men or women. Once you remove all the low scoring songs and all the defective ones, you have a core library.
Because there aren't that many in the classic hits format that test well enough. Add 150 and you're adding 150 time bombs that can blow off a quarter of your audience or more. Every format has a different number, that varies by time and market, of songs that there's a consensus positive on.
Dude, if your powers are only twice a day, you don't need weekly changeouts.
What you're describing sounds like an old-line MOR from the 60s like KMPC...you can do that if you only play 4 to 6 records an hour, and your audience is listening for more than just the music.
I've seen that look on Paul's face.
This. It's commonly referred to as "spoke" programming. On a bicycle wheel, you can have a spoke or two be loose yet still have a true wheel. The stronger spokes support the weaker ones. The key is you don't have two weak points next to each other.
In Classic Hits where you're not adding new releases, spokes apply to feature programming. You may have some features where you do something as a one-off kind of thing and play a song that you normally don't play; when you do that, you make sure you have stronger songs surrounding the wildcard title, and the feature needs to reinforce your musical image and make you want to turn it up and not off.
If you deploy features well and you have a good pulse on your audience, they can provide some depth without sacrificing the rest of the station. If you don't know what you're doing, you can run off the rails in a hurry.
T
Thomps2525
Guest
John's statement about "not adding new releases" isn't entirely accurate. A few classic-rock stations have played new releases by their core artists---Bob Dylan, Rod Stewart, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bon Jovi, Santana, Rolling Stones and many others--and the album cuts are usually prefaced with the words "It doesn't have to be old to be classic." But do classic-rock fans want to hear these new songs? Do they like the 1960s-70s-80s artists enough to want to hear their newer songs...or do they like only the classic-rock hits from those years and don't care about the new music? (Now I wait for Michael to weigh in. He is a very reliable in-weigher.)
And this one's easy. John's statement was entirely accurate. He specifically said Classic Hits, not Classic Rock.
Last edited:
T
Thomps2525
Guest
A lot of 1970s-80s hits are common to both formats though. But most oldies/classic-hits stations have dropped the pre-1964 hits and KOLA has even dropped all the '60s music, so will classic-rock stations also someday drop the '60s hits? Their playlists would dramatically shrink---and they can't survive by playing just 1970s-80s classic rock over and over and over, can they? Will they eventually add 1990s-2000s classic rock? Would fans of '60s rock still listen if classic-rock stations dropped '60s and added '90s?
- Status