The old KRTH

[davideduardo]

I don't need to research anything. Here's the problem: You guys act that nearly EVERYONE will change the station the moment a "bad" song comes on. It does not work that way. This isn't robotics were EVERYONE thinks exactly the same, all 450,000 of them. This isn't a flock of pigeons all flying away at once when a loud firecracker goes off.

Actually, they pretty much do. We see it in the MScore data. Bad song = audience departure.

Seriously, is this what you guys assume? Does your coveted research really tell you this? If so, it's flawed and not relevant to human reaction and thinking. Sorry.

The research done via tracking of PPM meters shows that when bad songs or burnt songs get played, a significant number of listeners leave instantly. And we know that this is an indication that, while the listeners near their radio or device tuned out quickly, the rest of the audience likely did not like the experience either and that by playing that song we damage our brand.

 

[Thomps2525]

BigA, to answer your question, "Aren't you the guy who complains when the same song gets played several times in a day? Yet it was OK to play it several times in the same hour?," the two KHJ Million Dollar Battles allowed listeners to vote for their favorite songs. Yes, there were a few titles I got tired of hearing several times an hour, such as Cry Of The Wild Goose, but I kept listening to hear which Champions lasted the longest and which song would end up as the all-time Champion. Of course the results were tainted---many people probably voted against a song they liked simply because it had been played so many times in an hour. I could be wrong but I think To Sir With Love was the Champion in 1967. The KHJ Million Dollar Battles were special programs. KRTH plays the same few songs day after day after day after day after day after day after day as its regular programming. And therein lies the difference. Another difference: When KHJ aired those Battles, they played songs that I hadn't already heard 10,000 times. KRTH doesn't play any song that I haven't heard 10,000 times.

 

[oldies76]

You were not THEN either. You were what we called a radio geek. You still are. Nothing wrong with that, but even 30 years ago, you made up less than 10% of the listening audience. That percentage has gone down.

Nothing geek about it, listening to top 40 radio in the early 80's just like every other teen in SoCal. Mighty 690, KIIS-FM were favorites with a bit of KRTH on the side. Radio listening then was far more relevant and prevalent (and creative) than it is today, by many touchdowns!

Of course that % has gone down. When quality of today's radio declines, you lose listeners, geeks included.

 

[oldies76]

Of course the results were tainted

You could say the same for those dumb top 500 listener-voted specials today where every song that's tallied gets dropped if it's not in their everyday rotations.

 

[davideduardo]

That's foolish. Why rev it up only 2-3 days out? It was listener anticipation they were after by announcing it 1-2 weeks in advance, especially by doing the number two's the weekend before.

Whether something like this was done in the past, it was not effective. People do not plan radio listening weeks in advance, and have not done so for many decades since network drama and comedy shows died. Even things like sporting events are not "scheduled" by listeners that far in advance.

So stations that fatigued their listeners with incessant promos way to far in advance actually harmed themselves. But at the time, we had no way of knowing this; the diary measured single weeks only. Now we have panel measurements and can track listening over time.

The advantage here is someone who lived the time and moment, vs. someone like you, just downplaying radio station creativity who most likely didn't even know this was on the table. The regular listeners of the time sure did.

No they did not.

 

[TheBigA]

When KHJ aired those Battles, they played songs that I hadn't already heard 10,000 times. KRTH doesn't play any song that I haven't heard 10,000 times.

That's why they're hits. How many times have you heard Happy Birthday or White Christmas? There's a reason songs are called classics. That's the reason.

 

[TheBigA]

Nothing geek about it,

You keep forgetting what I do for a living.

When quality of today's radio declines, you lose listeners, geeks included.

But the fact is we haven't lost listeners.

 

[davideduardo]

Nothing geek about it....

There is a difference between those who worry about chart position more than how a station sounds. Most people had the American Top 40 view of charts where it was fun to know how your favorites were doing, but it did not go beyond a "highlight" position in our lives. To you, it is a motivating force or an obsession.

 

[davideduardo]

When KHJ aired those Battles, they played songs that I hadn't already heard 10,000 times. KRTH doesn't play any song that I haven't heard 10,000 times.

KHJ made hits and then flushed them. KRTH takes old hits that are still relevant and plays them for people who want to remember them.

 

[oldies76]

But the fact is we haven't lost listeners.

Yes you have. In 1985, there was radio and MTV and radio and MTV and radio.

In 2015, you have YouTube, Spotify, Live 365, Pandora, iTunes, iHeart, countless internet streams, amazon, music on your iPhone6 and tablets and Kindles.............Oh, and there's Radio, with AM hardly a factor today like it was in........1985

People today have countless choices. 30 years ago, maybe 2 or 3, unless you wanna count 45's, cassettes and leftover 8-tracks.

 

[oldies76]

How many times have you heard Happy Birthday?

Many times at parties. ZERO times on the radio in 47 years, unless you want me to count "Happy Birthday Sweet 16" by Neil Sedaka.

 

[TheBigA]

People today have countless choices. 30 years ago, maybe 2 or 3, unless you wanna count 45's, cassettes and leftover 8-tracks.

And with all those choices, 235 million people listen to the plain old radio. Just like ice cream. Lots of choices, but most people like vanilla.

So no, we haven't lost listeners.

 

[oldies76]

Why don't you answer the question? Radio is not our hobby. It's our job. Try to remember that.

I already did in post #99.

 

[oldies76]

http://www.stateofthemedia.org/2013/audio-digital-drives-listener-experience/audio-by-the-numbers/

Ok, I'll give you that one.

There is a chart that also breaks down the formats listened to the most. Interesting.

 

[K.M. Richards]

You know, oldies, after we (sort of) buried the hatchet in that "it's 2015" thread over on the Adult Contemporary board, I thought maybe I was never going to have to wade through another of your "us vs. them" argumentative threads.

I see now that I was wrong to think that.

I will be withholding my opinion of KWRP as a consequence. You no longer deserve to hear what I think about it.

 

[oldies76]

I will be withholding my opinion of KWRP as a consequence. You no longer deserve to hear what I think about it.

KM, this was a conversation about a special in 1985 which I originally wanted an aircheck for. Radio Rewind made a comment about the special, so I answered it, then the Pros weighed in again and it took off from there.

So go ahead, punish me, be that way

 

[oldies76]

Joined RadioDiscussions.com today because this discussion interested me so much !

I have a few personal tape recordings of the am930 Smokin' Oldies Jukebox
You'll sure to enjoy, Only transfered one to digital so far.
Happy New Year 2015
I enjoy reading about the old KeaRTH, I grew up listening when it was KHJ FM Stereo 101
into Kearth 101 with Captain KeaRTH, My Favorite, Bob Hamilton, Brother John and Brian Bierne
Soon I'll be getting out those ol' tapes again and some I've collected from other collectors that
I enjoy transferering audio from the ol tapes and reliving when radio was great.
I dig AM and FM and especially the radiodiscussions about the old KRTH !

So yes, Beedee, my original request to see if you knew about any airchecks referred to on post #64 (page 7). If you are aware on any that relate to that described special and link back in the 80's, on #64, please send me a PM. If not, that's ok too. Thanks.

 

[K.M. Richards]

KM, this was a conversation about a special in 1985 which I originally wanted an aircheck for. Radio Rewind made a comment about the special, so I answered it, then the Pros weighed in again and it took off from there.

So go ahead, punish me, be that way

You could have just as easily continued this discussion without getting back to that argument, oldies.

I will tell you this about KWRP, though. It does indeed have a deeper library and is mostly listenable (keeping in mind that I'm 58 years old, have been in the business since I was 16, and have that broader music interest) but I can think of at least three ways it could sound better ... and no, I don't mean by drastically cutting the library.

 

[Thomps2525]

1. Eliminate the generic "Oldies Radio" slogan.
2. Eliminate the tired old "Good Times" slogan.
3. Eliminate the bizarre "I-25 Radio" slogan.

Did I get all three correct?

Here is the station's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/kwrp.pueblo

 

[Yabadabado1]

So true! That's why infomercials on the weekends -- no matter how much fast cash they bring in -- are helping to kill terrestrial radio.

Years ago, station where I live flipped from "The Wave" format [jazz, mellow rock]. Story broke that the format was flipping so they rushed the new format on air [sort of a modified AAA format, new stuff with some old new wave/rock/pop thrown in]. Limited playlist, with lot of music repeating sometimes within 4 hours of having been played. Then right smack dab in the middle of it, on a Saturday afternoon.....they drop in a F%@#(*^G informercial! Turned the station off, never listened to it again. I think it was a little over a year or so later they flipped the station again and then sold it. If you're starting a new station why in the hell would you basically kill it by dropping in an informercial? Talked to other people who said the same thing, once they heard that infomercial they tuned it out and went off to a station that played music. {About a couple of years ago talked to someone who worked there and said they were contractually obligated to play that infomercial. Told him I either would have delayed the format flip till that contract was up or found some way out of the contract...but as far as I was concerned that was a knife in the back to the new format. He sort of agreed but said they were between a rock and a hard place when it came to the station finances and they needed that infomercial money. Told him that they lost way more than they gained by doing that}