Classic Hits 80s

[oldies76]

Interesting. WDRC-FM Hartford tried adding a bunch of '90s titles to its playlist last fall, only to drop most of them this spring.

Once again, limited appeal (and probably too soon). It's all about the 70's and 80's for many years to come.

 

[K.M. Richards]

Eliminating the 80's "totally" from classic hits is still about 15-20+ years away. With limited appeal of the 90's and early 00's, we might be hearing the 70's and 80's for a long time to come.

I think that's as good an estimate of when it will happen as any, given that CH is a format that by necessity evolves relatively slowly and hitting that ceiling in the 90s will limit its evolution within the next decade or so.

The question then becomes whether the format will survive. Personally, I hope that the ad agencies (or more specifically, their clients the advertisers) wake up before then and start wanting stations that have a 55+ demo, so that CH can come out with some additional "flavors" of its own that will include pre-1970 songs that test well with those older demos.

That's my personal little fantasy on the subject.

 

[oldies76]

Personally, I hope that the ad agencies (or more specifically, their clients the advertisers) wake up before then and start wanting stations that have a 55+ demo, so that CH can come out with some additional "flavors" of its own that will include pre-1970 songs that test well with those older demos.

I've thought the same too, but you know who, always comes on these boards and says otherwise, that 55+ is irrelevant in radio, despite the enormous potential and library in these great songs from that time. Frankly, it's a lost and wasted opportunity. Kind of like playing Pac-Man, eating an energizer and not eating the ghosts to get those extra points.

You remember.....one could get the minimum of 2600 points, just by clearing the dots on the Cherry level board or one could achieve 14,800 if they ate all the dots, ghosts and cherries. Same thing.

If an opportunity is there, it should be taken advantage of.

 

[Avid Listener]

It's all been done, with disastrous results. Many programmers have tried programming based on "it sounds like the format" accompanied by testing for likability. What you get are many nice sounding songs that are likable but not lovable. No passion. The B side of a hit single.

Curated music lists succeed based on exciting the passion of the listener.

As proven by reading the entrails of a chicken.

 

[AM/FMRAINMAN]

What I think classic hits stations should do is completely eliminate 60s music from their playlist or maybe play 1 60s songs an hour and then on their HD2 add a 50s and 60s station. They should also make this available directly from their website. Then they could play 45% 70s, 45% 80s and 5% 60s and 90s. I think this would be a winning format. You are making the oldies fans happy so they can get their fix and also playing more 80s songs and keeping in the 25-54 demo. Tell me what you guys think? I know a few classic hits stations already do that, but WOGL in philly does not. They play 3 60s and 3 80s and the rest 70s.

 

[oldies76]

Tell me what you guys think? I know a few classic hits stations already do that, but WOGL in philly does not. They play 3 60s and 3 80s and the rest 70s.

They must be doing something right, since they are ranked at #2 overall, with a 6.3 in that market. Notice, they went from a 5.9 to a 6.3 in a month. Eventually, start filtering in some "newer" classics, but slowly take out the older stuff at the same time. WOGL is a very good station.

http://ratings.****************/cgi-bin/rol.exe/arb007

 

[Unregistered]

Liners for 60's-70's oldie station

Anybody have some liner copy, 8 to 10 seconds for a station on this format? I have gotten in a rut, and need some fresh thinking.
Please email to [email protected] and THANKS...JBI

 

[firepoint525]

I'm surprised Kola would play this song, almost like the "You Light Up My Life" of the 90's.

It isn't "almost" the "You Light Up My Life" of the '90s, it IS the "You Light Up My Life" of the '90s. For WEEKS after Whitney Houston's death, EVERY report would contain her singing the very highest, shrillest note of the song. The TV remote (and thus the mute button) were never close enough when such stories would come on.

I have often referred to "Macarena" or "Achy Breaky Heart" as being the "You Light Up My Life" of the '90s, but I believe that you have nailed it right here!

 

[K.M. Richards]

I've thought the same too, but you know who, always comes on these boards and says otherwise, that 55+ is irrelevant in radio, despite the enormous potential and library in these great songs from that time.

David says that because he knows the same thing that I know, which is that it would take a shift in thinking on the part of the national advertisers to give the agencies directions to buy stations with strong older demos ... and that isn't likely.

Sad, but true. That's why I called it a "fantasy" in my original post.

 

[K.M. Richards]

They must be doing something right, since they are ranked at #2 overall, with a 6.3 in that market. Notice, they went from a 5.9 to a 6.3 in a month. Eventually, start filtering in some "newer" classics, but slowly take out the older stuff at the same time. WOGL is a very good station.

http://ratings.****************/cgi-bin/rol.exe/arb007

As has been pointed out every time someone brings up WOGL (I think it's my turn to say it) they are not as strong in the money demo as in the 6+ numbers. Remember, those 6+ numbers include the listeners over age 55 which obviously do not get counted as 35-54s.

And what they are doing right is precisely what any well-programmed station does right, which is test songs and play the songs that test well with the unique demographics of their market. Philadelphia is a market where older songs, especially the R&B titles that crossed over to top-40, still test well, so WOGL's library has a lot of those in their library. In markets with different ethnic mixes and other demographic differences, different songs will test well and this accounts for the wide differences in CH stations' playlists across the nation.

 

[AM/FMRAINMAN]

Hi K.M. So what WOGL should be doing then is playing more 80s r&b and less 60s & 70s r&b and that might not only increase their numbers...but also put then in the money demo(lower end of the 35-54). I think if they sounded like hot hits WCAU-FM(this was the stations before it went to oldies top 40) or Eagle 106, they might do better in the money demo. I don't mind them playing 60s music, but I think it would serve them better like what WCBS FM did and KRTH did increase 80s and early 90s and drop the 60s.

 

[firepoint525]

David says that because he knows the same thing that I know, which is that it would take a shift in thinking on the part of the national advertisers to give the agencies directions to buy stations with strong older demos ... and that isn't likely.

That statement is good, at least as far as it goes. But has it ever occurred to anyone to ask WHY they shun older demos? It could be because of WHAT it is that they are selling, or trying to sell to us. I attended a Cumulus sales meeting a few years back, which was for the purpose of recruiting new account executives. Afterwards, I paid closer attention to the commercials being aired over their then-classic hits station. It was almost nothing but NATIONAL ads for products, you know, the kind with the 800 number being repeated at least three times at the end of the spots. NO ads for local mom-and-pop businesses. I am guessing that they have been priced right out of business (at least from advertising on corporate radio) by these corporate bigwigs. The real reason why they don't go after us (as an audience) is because they know that we are HIGHLY skeptical of their sales pitches, and that we are not interested in the snake-oil that they are trying to sell us. You can advertise that garbage all day, and you know that we will NEVER be interested in buying any of it. Furthermore, there have been consumer complaints against at least some of these products. That being said, you CAN sell to me, but you have got to be selling a product that I am actually interested in buying. With these snake-oil products, you have got to create a need before you can ever sell anything. And that need in me has not been created yet. So you start out at a disadvantage. But I have a need to eat, so I am interested in local restaurants, for example. I like being able to hear ads from LOCAL businesses, brick-and-mortar places where I can walk in and meet and talk with the proprietor (or at least a major decision-maker in that business), if I so desire. I consider it a compliment that national advertisers don't target me. Because they know that I can smell these hucksters and shysters from a mile away. And I would love to meet the genius who thought that a singing Flo would ever interest me in buying Progressive car insurance. The radio ads are actually far worse than their TV counterparts. (By the way, I am 50 years old, not 55.)

The announcement that Cumulus ran, seeking new account execs was the ONLY local spot that I heard over that station. And it was for them, not for a client. Sorry, guys, I paid attention.

 

[oldies76]

As has been pointed out every time someone brings up WOGL (I think it's my turn to say it) they are not as strong in the money demo as in the 6+ numbers. Remember, those 6+ numbers include the listeners over age 55 which obviously do not get counted as 35-54s.

Could you please provide a chart, similar to the 6+ ratings link I've referenced, just for money demos, to make a comparison? I've always thought the arbitron ratings, showed the success and failures of a station. If WOGL is #2 in Philly (and it is), then how does it rank on the money demo?

 

[oldies76]

It isn't "almost" the "You Light Up My Life" of the '90s, it IS the "You Light Up My Life" of the '90s. For WEEKS after Whitney Houston's death, EVERY report would contain her singing the very highest, shrillest note of the song. The TV remote (and thus the mute button) were never close enough when such stories would come on.

I have often referred to "Macarena" or "Achy Breaky Heart" as being the "You Light Up My Life" of the '90s, but I believe that you have nailed it right here!

Yeah, I was going by the "love song" genre. "Endless Love" would be it for the 80's (I think..) "Macarena" sounds more novelty, if anything (like Mambo #5)

 

[Avid Listener]

As usual, someone needs to point out that the ratings are a race. Sometimes a race is won by one person going much faster than other fast runners. And sometimes the race is one by a slowpoke who lucks out because the other contestants are even worse. Before giving too much credit for a station moving up in the ratings, make sure to note if possibly the competing stations didn't just shoot themselves in the foot!

I recall when the city I lived in had two pretty good classic rock stations fighting it out. The one in first place started to slide badly in terms of overall quality, but the number 2 station abandoned classic rock completely and switched to Variety Hits. The number 2 station almost disappeared, while the number 1 station, who now owned 100% of the classic rock audience raised their ratings. The generally accepted analysis of the situation was the the #1 station had started to really suck, but it didn't matter, since they were the only game in town.

 

[K.M. Richards]

Could you please provide a chart, similar to the 6+ ratings link I've referenced, just for money demos, to make a comparison? I've always thought the arbitron ratings, showed the success and failures of a station. If WOGL is #2 in Philly (and it is), then how does it rank on the money demo?

No, because that would be a violation of Nielsen rules regarding the use of ratings information. Sorry.

 

[davideduardo]

Could you please provide a chart, similar to the 6+ ratings link I've referenced, just for money demos, to make a comparison? I've always thought the arbitron ratings, showed the success and failures of a station. If WOGL is #2 in Philly (and it is), then how does it rank on the money demo?

The success of a station is how it converts ratings to revenue. 12+ or 6+ are not used for sales and are really valueless to the business of radio. That is why Nielsen gives that data away.

Ratings are only a part of success. Revenue and, of course, expenses, determine profitably, not ratings alone. There are many low rated stations that are profitable serving nice ethnic or faith based audiences. And different formats will do better in billing than others with the same ratings.

 

[AM/FMRAINMAN]

I think WCBS 101 in NYC is by far the best run classic hits station. They play soo much more variety than the classic hits station in my area WOGL. Plus, they play the 80s at 8 and take requests. WOGL is still playing 70s music. I also like the way Khits and Sunny 105.9 are run. I would like to see WOGL follow these 3 stations and move into the 80s instead playing the same 60s and 70s songs they have been playing for the past 20 years. What do you guys think?

 

[Avid Listener]

I would be really curious to learn why a radio station that is the only station in its market that plays classic hits or classic rock could lose listeners to stations playing a totally different genre of music just because the classic station loosens up its playlist. Why would anyone who likes classic rock or classic hits change over to a station playing rap or country or some other totally different genre of music just because the classic station played a deep cut or two. I don't give a damn if anyone wants to claim, "Because that's just the way it is. Reading the entrails of a chicken proves it." That's a cop out. It makes no logical sense at all for huge numbers of listeners to switch over to a genre of music that they don't like just because the station that plays the music they do like plays a song that sounds good, but isn't totally familiar.

 

[K.M. Richards]

It makes no logical sense at all for huge numbers of listeners to switch over to a genre of music that they don't like just because the station that plays the music they do like plays a song that sounds good, but isn't totally familiar.

Simply put, a song that "sounds good" to you might not to the "huge numbers of listeners".

This is what David, BigA, and I have all been saying all along. Listener tastes are not homogenized, so music testing has to be employed to find the songs that the majority of listeners all like.