Do you think a station that focuses on music from 1985-1992 with upbeat Disc Jockey Personalities and jingles work? I feel like this could be Ben-FM but their DJ's are awful and they do not use jingles. I also feel like this could be WOGL, but they are still stuck in the 60s and 70s. I think they are both dropping the ball in different aspects. I think this would def work. This could be Eagle 106 revisited. Any thoughts?
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Late 80s & Early 90s Music
- Thread starter AM/FMRAINMAN
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A seven year window? Pretty high up on the burnout factor. Wouldn't bring in enough audience to justify a full air personally schedule....as if people care all that much anymore. Jingles? Meh...unless it's the Electric 106 "weather mix."
A seven year window? Pretty high up on the burnout factor. Wouldn't bring in enough audience to justify a full air personally schedule....as if people care all that much anymore. Jingles? Meh...unless it's the Electric 106 "weather mix."
Do you think a station that focuses on music from 1985-1992 with upbeat Disc Jockey Personalities and jingles work? I feel like this could be Ben-FM but their DJ's are awful and they do not use jingles. I also feel like this could be WOGL, but they are still stuck in the 60s and 70s. I think they are both dropping the ball in different aspects. I think this would def work. This could be Eagle 106 revisited. Any thoughts?
Playing the same music as Ben isn't much of a motivation for someone to flip. Who would do it?
To me it is all about the presentation and less about the music. Look at all of the CBS classic hits stations. They are all pretty much doing well. Most of them are playing a lot more 80s and some early 90s and still are number 1 or 2 in their markets. I could be wrong, but I just think there is a sliver of a market there that could gobble up Ben and eat away at WOGL.
I just looked online at about two hours of Ben's Playlist. It's almost all 80s and 90s (I think I found one late 70s song).
Yet, their slogan is still "Playing anything we feel like." This is the typical Variety/Adult Hits slogan of the Jack and Bob stations. While those stations vary widely from market to market, the idea, at least when they debuted, was that they played "anything" from the mid 1970s to songs that were hits as recently as six months ago. No real currents ... everything a hit with a wide range of years covered and much more uptempo music than a mainstream AC. They were a meld of a Hot AC and a classic hits station.
I think there are a lot of people out there who would like the music Ben is playing. More current than WOGL. Not as new as More FM.
But with a slogan like "Playing Anything we feel like," how would anyone know that they have become the 80s-90s station in the Philly market?
Not unlike Greater Media's previous attempts with Mix and Now, Ben has been so many things that now no one knows what it is. It played currents, it didn't play currents. It had a multi-person morning show, it scaled back its morning show to one person who you hardly hear. It had DJs in middays and afternoon drive, now it doesn't (except when someone has to go on air for a contest).
It had a brief rise in 6+ ratings a few months ago, but it seems like it's going back down to the range it occupied before.
Two choices: Keep the brand Ben-FM but dump the "anything" slogan and instead promote "Your 80s and 90s station." Or dump the brand and relaunch a station that plays classic hits that are newer than WOGL ... more or less what they're playing now, but package the station that way.
Apparently, the only thing that's keeping Ben around now is that it's so cheap to run.
Yet, their slogan is still "Playing anything we feel like." This is the typical Variety/Adult Hits slogan of the Jack and Bob stations. While those stations vary widely from market to market, the idea, at least when they debuted, was that they played "anything" from the mid 1970s to songs that were hits as recently as six months ago. No real currents ... everything a hit with a wide range of years covered and much more uptempo music than a mainstream AC. They were a meld of a Hot AC and a classic hits station.
I think there are a lot of people out there who would like the music Ben is playing. More current than WOGL. Not as new as More FM.
But with a slogan like "Playing Anything we feel like," how would anyone know that they have become the 80s-90s station in the Philly market?
Not unlike Greater Media's previous attempts with Mix and Now, Ben has been so many things that now no one knows what it is. It played currents, it didn't play currents. It had a multi-person morning show, it scaled back its morning show to one person who you hardly hear. It had DJs in middays and afternoon drive, now it doesn't (except when someone has to go on air for a contest).
It had a brief rise in 6+ ratings a few months ago, but it seems like it's going back down to the range it occupied before.
Two choices: Keep the brand Ben-FM but dump the "anything" slogan and instead promote "Your 80s and 90s station." Or dump the brand and relaunch a station that plays classic hits that are newer than WOGL ... more or less what they're playing now, but package the station that way.
Apparently, the only thing that's keeping Ben around now is that it's so cheap to run.
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atrainradio
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Yeah I do enjoy Ben FM a lot though. Its mix of 80's-90's is one of a kind in the area. They certainly do not play anything they feel like though, but it doesn't matter. I like it, and many of my friends (15-18 years old) like it too, so they have young listeners using real FM radio and not an internet stream.
Two choices: Keep the brand Ben-FM but dump the "anything" slogan and instead promote "Your 80s and 90s station." Or dump the brand and relaunch a station that plays classic hits that are newer than WOGL ... more or less what they're playing now, but package the station that way.
Do you think people listen to a station because of the branding, or because of the music? Do you think they need to be reminded of the era of the songs in order to like the station?
I think they need to be told (via billboards, bus sides, etc.) where the type of music is being played, particularly if it's a departure from what the station had been doing previously. To answer your first question, they listen for the music obviously. However, to initially find a station, you need some marketing. My point is that when a station changes format, marketing helps.
And for your second question, yes, they need to be reminded of what the station does - constantly and repeatedly. In some cases that's decades. But there are other examples ... "All News All The Time."
Imagine if More FM started playing gold-based softer AC but just put up billboards that said, "More FM means more music." Who would know that the station shifted its appeal away from 25-40 year olds to 40 to 54 year olds?
These are more subtle changes. But I think the departure from the previous mid 70s to almost current music blend that Ben was playing to the 95% 80s and 90s they are playing now is enough of a change that it needs to be spelled out.
And for your second question, yes, they need to be reminded of what the station does - constantly and repeatedly. In some cases that's decades. But there are other examples ... "All News All The Time."
Imagine if More FM started playing gold-based softer AC but just put up billboards that said, "More FM means more music." Who would know that the station shifted its appeal away from 25-40 year olds to 40 to 54 year olds?
These are more subtle changes. But I think the departure from the previous mid 70s to almost current music blend that Ben was playing to the 95% 80s and 90s they are playing now is enough of a change that it needs to be spelled out.
I know zilch about radio marketing, but I do know:
1. I'd LOVE a good late 80's to early 90's station, and I know I'm in good company. I'd especially one that also dabbled in House and Latin Freestyle as opposed to standard pop, though my wife and most of my contemporaries would probably prefer a few hours of rock here and there. This is where things could fall apart. I would think the 80's-90's pop would serve as a common denominator, a core product, in a sense; and hour of House on Friday night, and hour of Freestyle on Saturday, and hour of glam rock on Tuesday through Thursday, are all things that could appeal to different groups of listeners, though I don't know how pragmatic that would be.
2. BEN-FM isn't cutting it. There is too much repetition, and even though they switch up their playlists every month or two (or several...) hearing the same song 4 times a day is too much;
3. The music is key. To be sure, DJs have a role. I particularly enjoyed Q102 back in the early-to-mid 90s and the interesting mix of personalities, before it became just another top 10 station that probably plays on a loop with the occasional retard chiming in and playing dumb morning shows. I do agree that any format has to be advertised, at least a little, because radio listeners don't seem to me to be channel-flippers in the sense that cable TV users are.
1. I'd LOVE a good late 80's to early 90's station, and I know I'm in good company. I'd especially one that also dabbled in House and Latin Freestyle as opposed to standard pop, though my wife and most of my contemporaries would probably prefer a few hours of rock here and there. This is where things could fall apart. I would think the 80's-90's pop would serve as a common denominator, a core product, in a sense; and hour of House on Friday night, and hour of Freestyle on Saturday, and hour of glam rock on Tuesday through Thursday, are all things that could appeal to different groups of listeners, though I don't know how pragmatic that would be.
2. BEN-FM isn't cutting it. There is too much repetition, and even though they switch up their playlists every month or two (or several...) hearing the same song 4 times a day is too much;
3. The music is key. To be sure, DJs have a role. I particularly enjoyed Q102 back in the early-to-mid 90s and the interesting mix of personalities, before it became just another top 10 station that probably plays on a loop with the occasional retard chiming in and playing dumb morning shows. I do agree that any format has to be advertised, at least a little, because radio listeners don't seem to me to be channel-flippers in the sense that cable TV users are.
2. BEN-FM isn't cutting it. There is too much repetition, and even though they switch up their playlists every month or two (or several...) hearing the same song 4 times a day is too much;
I think if repetition is the problem, then no radio format is going to satisfy you.
I agree with you Crayoneater. I am suprised that WOGL has not done this yet. Most of the CBS classic hits stations completely dropped 60s. WCBS 101 in NY is playing like 5-6 80s an hour, 5-6 70s and 1 90. They are playing 1 60s song every other hour. I just think a mix of classic Hot Hits WCAU-FM and Eagle 106 would definitely work. I feel like if WOGL does not do this, another station will swoop in and take the mantle.
I feel like if WOGL does not do this, another station will swoop in and take the mantle.
Another station has. We've been talking about them. WOGL is kicking their butts. Why would a station abandon what's working for a format that isn't?
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