'70s and '80s classic hits - Why not in Knoxville?

[RMarino]

I just came back from a vacation visiting family near Ocala, FL and I have to say listening to the radio down there was VERY refreshing. They have SEVERAL stations with a '70s/'80s hits format which really made me wishing I had even ONE station like this to come home to in the Knoxville area:

WMFQ Big 92.9 www.wmfq.fm Ocala station which calles itself "Big hits of the '60s, '70s & '80s" but it's mainly the latter two decades. Last weekend they had a killer all '80s weekend!
WOCL 105.9 Sunny-FM 1059sunnyfm.radio.com a station out of Orlando which has pretty much the same format as WMFQ and still had a great signal where I was.
WRGO Fun 102.7 www.wrgoradio.com/WRGOradio_Pagx.html '60s and '70s "Greatest Hits" but leans mainly '70s.
WXOF 96.3 The Fox www.classic.thefox963.com Rock-leaning mainstream hits from the '70s and '80s. Not the same as classic rock.

Why can't we have a mainstream '70s & '80s hits station like any one of these in Knoxville? Jack-FM plays some '70s and '80s but only a fraction of what the above stations play. Also Jack mixes in newer music. B-97.5 also touches this era briefly but ruins the mood with newer music, not to mention Delilah. And that's it!

I liked 93.1 when it was "The Point" but that's long gone. 98.7 was good in the early days of "Earl-FM" but it's also history. 105.7 The Hog has potential but will for some strange reason throw in Nickelback or some oddball screaming AC/DC album cut. We need a station for people who grew up with Top 40 music in the '70s and '80s!!!

 

[soundsandsports]

The last time I was in Pigeon Forge, WPFT 106.3 "The Mountain" did pretty good as a classic hits station before its flip to sports a few months later. Why don't they just get rid of the "True Oldies Channel" or move it to AM so "The Mountain" can come back.

 

[kd4rnc1964]

There's a "classic hits" format on 102.7 in the Tri-Cities that's owned by Holston Valley. It sounds decent, but it's jockless, signal sucks and is a waste of money. It has however, blown the doors off of WQUT's ratings but I swear on a stack of Playboys it'll go bust for country anytime. Its formerly located in Weber City Va and I still think they're trying to run the signal out of the same place.

Radio managers today think anything with the word "classic" means everyones dead. That includes me, you and anyone posting with good ideas on this forum. 640 WGOC(classic country) went on the air in 1967 and has been ripped a new arse in terms of content. It sounded much like WSM in Nashville before the bankrupt boneheads of Citadel destroyed it. Sorry, but the greedy geniuses think there's no money in "classic". Sorry to be rude but, 100kw in knoxville is not going to work....next

 

[RMarino]

I am surprised that the ratings success of classic hits on 102.7 in the Tri-Cities with such a limited signal and budget has gone unnoticed in Knoxville. This is not an expensive format to run.

I liked 106.3 The Mountain. I wish they would have included '80s music too like they did with WAYA in Athens but I understand that would have formatically bumped into co-owned Mix 105.5.

 

[Mid West Clubber]

It sounds like you would support it if the old I-100 came back playing their old playlist from mid 70s to the early 90s...WOKI on 98.7 was doing this for awhile when they were Earl, but it didnt work when Jack came along and eclipst them. Id love this same format Mario, preferable on 100.3, but I just dont see it happening. To bad the river doesnt play more 80s and 90s,,, you cant compete with Star by sounding like Star with a weak signal, and depending on your location Mario, you may not be able to hear The River with any signal clarity.

 

[RMarino]

It sounds like you would support it if the old I-100 came back playing their old playlist from mid 70s to the early 90s...WOKI on 98.7 was doing this for awhile when they were Earl, but it didnt work when Jack came along and eclipst them. Id love this same format Mario, preferable on 100.3, but I just dont see it happening. To bad the river doesnt play more 80s and 90s,,, you cant compete with Star by sounding like Star with a weak signal, and depending on your location Mario, you may not be able to hear The River with any signal clarity.

Yes I would support an I-100 revival playing a '70s/'80s format... it's just that I know WNOX is WAY too successful on that frequency and it won't be touched. Yes I do receive 106.1 The River quite well and it sounds good as a Hot AC station (actually it reminds me of when 93.1 when it was Hot AC.) However 106.1's format is quite different from what I'm describing. Since 106.1 seems to be buried at the bottom of the ratings page, perhaps they should take a look at what 102.7 is doing in the Tri-Cities with their limited signal.

 

[gr8oldies]

I haven't been around here long, but I don't see music back on 100.3 with WNOX shuttled back to AM with rimshots. They seem to have remotes sold every other day with either morning or afternoon drive originating from a client location.

 

[RadioGaGa75]

Probably one of the best Classic Hits stations in my opinion is Jacobs Media's Classic Hits "Magic 102.9," WMJE Clarksville/Gainesville, GA. Jacobs has always been a solid operation in my opinion. . .owners of heritage WDUN AM 550 in Gainesville, GA.

 

[RMarino]

Another great one was 105.7 WLSQ out of Rockwood which only hung around for about six months or so. They had the personality, jingles, and a great music mix. It just wasn't given a chance to succeed. The current 105.7 The Hog is not bad, if they can stay focused.