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oldies

More and more floundering stations across the country are flipping to oldies, and all the floundering stations in this city are flipping to more floundering formats, SMH.
Please give one example of a floundering station that recently flipped to Oldies. Also, it’s 2022 so the term “oldies” is more subjective than ever.
 
Just this week, an FM translator in Santa Rosa, Ca. And a small FM in Bowman, Georgia switched to oldies. One is running old Wolfman Jack & Casey Kasem shows, the other satellite oldies. Sounds like a trend to hit the major markets any time. But they did get reported on Radio Insight.
 
More and more floundering stations across the country are flipping to oldies, and all the floundering stations in this city are flipping to more floundering formats, SMH.
Are you confusing "oldies" which is 60's music with "classic hits" which is pretty much 80's music today?

"Classic hits" is a viable format. Oldies may be an alternative for a bad, high-end-of-the-AM-dial station.

The "oldies" station in LA has been reported by its owner to not even pay the electric bill for its transmitter.
 
The Oldies 107.9 in Santarosa doesn't stream from what I can see.
Most "oldies" stations are such low billers that the added cost of streaming... or non-geozoned streaming... is excessive.
 
Just this week, an FM translator in Santa Rosa, Ca. And a small FM in Bowman, Georgia switched to oldies. One is running old Wolfman Jack & Casey Kasem shows, the other satellite oldies. Sounds like a trend to hit the major markets any time. But they did get reported on Radio Insight.
Minor players in smaller markets.

It is not a trend, it is a last recourse for low power FM stations, AM operations and the like. It is just not commercially viable in larger markets except as a very low budget subsistence format.
 
I actually like Westwood Ones format for Oldies better than WOGL, because WOGL is not old enough for Oldies.
WVLT is good, as is WMGK-HD2.
But WMGK-HD2 has no on-air talent.
And it's almost impossible to find '50s oldies OTA anymore like
Brook Benson "Just A Matter of Time"
or
Platters "Only You":
But you can't sell the demo so .
Guess its anouncerless Apple Music I use if I want stuff that old.
 

Minor players in smaller markets.

It is not a trend, it is a last recourse for low power FM stations, AM operations and the like. It is just not commercially viable in larger markets except as a very low budget subsistence format.

Do you see smaller AMs in big cities with low power possibly running satellite formats such as "True Oldies Channel" or Westwood Ones Standards format?
I've noticed a lot do syndicated talk, and not so much the satellite music formats.
Is it even cheaper to run talk? Or is it because even though the audience is that old, it's a longer time spent listening with the talk format.
 
As a former manager of a daytimer in a major market, I'd opt for satellite talk instead of music. My logic is if I do a music format, any competitor can duplicate what I am doing but with a talk format I typically enjoy market exclusivity. In other words, another station is going to have a much tougher time stealing my programming and clients if I choose talk.
 
Most "oldies" stations are such low billers that the added cost of streaming... or non-geozoned streaming... is excessive.
KFXM, WKCE, WPON, WMID are just a few of many throughout the country that do stream. On occasion I can grab OTA during the day WSAN 1470 out of Allentown, sounds in house, great station, they also stream, if they can do it in the LV why not in Philly.
 
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Are you confusing "oldies" which is 60's music with "classic hits" which is pretty much 80's music today?

"Classic hits" is a viable format. Oldies may be an alternative for a bad, high-end-of-the-AM-dial station.

The "oldies" station in LA has been reported by its owner to not even pay the electric bill for its transmitter.
Not classic hits, many, believe it or not are 50s, 60s, and early 70s based, with some standards thrown in.
 
I actually like Westwood Ones format for Oldies better than WOGL, because WOGL is not old enough for Oldies.
WVLT is good, as is WMGK-HD2.
But WMGK-HD2 has no on-air talent.
And it's almost impossible to find '50s oldies OTA anymore like
Brook Benson "Just A Matter of Time"
or
Platters "Only You":
But you can't sell the demo so .
Guess its anouncerless Apple Music I use if I want stuff that old.
"The demo" for those two songs is mostly over 75. There's no future in programming for it. There's barely even a present.
 
Minor players in smaller markets.

It is not a trend, it is a last recourse for low power FM stations, AM operations and the like. It is just not commercially viable in larger markets except as a very low budget subsistence format.
So why isn’t one of the AM stations in Philly doing oldies? Except for KYW none of them are risking losing much of an audience and oldies would probably attract similar demos that currently listen to talk WPHT.
 
So why isn’t one of the AM stations in Philly doing oldies? Except for KYW none of them are risking losing much of an audience and oldies would probably attract similar demos that currently listen to talk WPHT.
Probably because they aren't desperate enough yet to air a commercially dead format like '50s/'60s oldies. As David said, it's a last recourse before going dollar-a-holler to preachers and snake oil salesmen or turning in the license and going dark. Even sports betting formats, which attract tiny audiences, have advertisers eager to get into the wallets of however many listeners there are. Right wing talk makes money because it clears syndicated shows in major markets like Philadelphia.
 
Do you see smaller AMs in big cities with low power possibly running satellite formats such as "True Oldies Channel" or Westwood Ones Standards format?
No.
I've noticed a lot do syndicated talk, and not so much the satellite music formats.
Is it even cheaper to run talk? Or is it because even though the audience is that old, it's a longer time spent listening with the talk format.
It's because AM sounds bad and, in larger markets the vast majority of AMs do not cover all the market day and night. In fact, there are many markets that do not even have two stations that have full market signals.

Sounds bad, can't hear it and very subject to man-made noise like all our dimmers and wall warts and other "new" electronic devices.
 
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Want oldies then WKCE or WPON are for you both play 50 and 60"s oldies. WKCE has a live DJ 8 am to 10 am east coast time and they take requests. It is a father and son team and they will answer the phone.
 
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