93.3 gone?

[jakej]

I still have Beatles, Beach Boys, and Supremes burnout from the "good times, great oldies" era of the format in the early 2000s.

Good radio wouldn't have burned you out on them. Bad radio did.

 

[carolinaradio]

I still have Beatles, Beach Boys, and Supremes burnout from the "good times, great oldies" era of the format in the early 2000s.

Good radio wouldn't have burned you out on them. Bad radio did.

I don't consider the typical "good times, great oldies" format good radio - good songs, but most were played to death. At least the oldies/classic hits stations today aren't quite as repetitive.

 

[del_griffith]

Not sure what the change is, but I really enjoyed the Labor Day weekend version of the station a bit better than what's on the air now. Can't explain why, but I did.

But overall, I like what I hear.

 

[jakej]

I don't consider the typical "good times, great oldies" format good radio - good songs, but most were played to death. At least the oldies/classic hits stations today aren't quite as repetitive.

Who says?!

Incidentally, if you want less repetition, so far over the course of my 283 episodes to date, I've played 67 different Beatles songs, 56 different Beach Boys songs, and 41 different Supremes songs. And I can count on one hand the number of those 164 tunes that have been played on "Secrets" more than once. And no one's complained to me about being burned out on any of those artists; they only tell me that they want to keep on hearing more and more from them.

 

[KFodor]

Regarding Minneapolis, Pittsburgh and Cleveland. All midwest towns with a rock/Top 40 heritage.

That statement is very true for Columbus too, although in keeping with Cbus' perennial anonymity that fact isn't nationally recognized. Won't go into the history here, but there's plenty of it, dating further back than most markets. I'd imagine this is one assertion where jakej, who formerly published a local fanzine, would be in full agreement, even though -- unlike me -- he wouldn't want to use it to justify giving Columbus the somewhat edgier and/or slightly broader types of Oldies/Classic Hits stations you currently see in Pittsburgh, Minneapolis and Cleveland.

Yes, Jake...most people like the hits. I know you don't believe that. But, it's true.

Okay, you guys sound like you're trying to spur me into posting again today, so I won't let you down! I'm not sure how Columbus' rock and roll scene compared to what was happening in other towns back during the '60s and '70s, but throughout the 1980s there were a lot of great things that happened here, I think it's fair to say that we were the envy of many towns that were our size and larger, and I published The Offense to give our city's many enthusiastic fans an opportunity to document all of that excitement that was being felt everywhere.
But now fast-forward twenty years, from 1980-89 to 2000-08 -- I'm visiting our radio stations trying to get a show or format on the air, anytime that someone meets with me I give him a back issue or two of the zine, usually no one meets with me so I can only leave it at the front desk for him instead, but in either case, no one in the business seems particularly impressed with The Offense -- to them it doesn't matter, proves nothing, waste of good paper. The copies of it are treated with the same disdain that the promotional copies of albums were that I handed out or dropped off at the same places some twenty years earlier. When I booked a band into the Newport or Stache's back during the '80s that was touring to support an LP of theirs that had recently been released, I'd usually be sent twenty or so copies of the record, and even though I soon realized that I was wasting my time trying to get FM airplay for any of those records, I'd keep visiting the stations with the stuff anyways, just to let them know that despite their best efforts, they hadn't succeeded in getting rid of me or the music yet. This was a war that they were not going to win. And they didn't. Instead of the music being killed, bands like Nirvana eventually came along, and the music took over.

People who like the hits will like "Secrets" tonight -- "Poor Baby" by the Cowsills, "Pretty Baby" by Blondie, "Pretty Ballerina" by the Left Banke, weren't those ... sort of hits, anyways??? And Friday's show will be even better, because I figure a lot of people will be listening to President Obama instead of me at 7:00 tonight, and so I'm saving my choice words about 93.3's format switch for tomorrow night's episode. But tonight will still be good, and thanks, Dispatch, for including "Yesterday's Top Secrets" in your TV/Radio "Highlights" block in today's edition. That is, seriously, about the 60th time that we've popped up in there!

People who like the hits will like "Secrets" tonight -- "Poor Baby" by the Cowsills, "Pretty Baby" by Blondie, "Pretty Ballerina" by the Left Banke, weren't those ... sort of hits, anyways???

Jake: Only "Pretty Ballerina" was a mid charter. The other two were stiffs.

 

[KFodor]

I still have Beatles, Beach Boys, and Supremes burnout from the "good times, great oldies" era of the format in the early 2000s.

Good radio wouldn't have burned you out on them. Bad radio did.

Now, actually there...I would agree with you. But, not all oldies stations only play 400 songs.
WCOL-FM, as an oldies stations never did. The one I programmed in Illinois never did. Nor does the LP-FM I program at Russell's Point.

My only sole contention with you, Jake over the years...is your view that playing "stiffs" equates to getting listeners. It does not and that's been proven over and over and over....even right there in Columbus!

There are "stiffs" and lots of them...but there are also well known songs not always played on radio that can be played in the right circumstance. Some companies choose to ignore that fact, others don't.

But, I have no problem with what you're doing with your show. You're trying to appeal to a niche audience (though it's a minority of the audience)...but, a small station doing that as a specialty show is fine. But, that kind of show never works on a station that actually has to get ratings and a large audience to make money. Which is why none of the program directors would take you up on your offer.

Now, you can choose not to believe that...you're not the first to try what you're doing...but it's the truth.

 

[jakej]

Just because something was a stiff in terms of sales when it first came out 20, 30, 40, or 50 years ago, I don't know how it can automatically be assumed that people wouldn't enjoy listening to it now.

In your opinion, how many radio stations in Columbus currently "get ratings and a large audience" and "make money"? How many don't? And of those that don't, and haven't for quite some time, why were they not willing to give something like "Secrets" a try? What did they have to lose? I'm primarily talking about all of those that are way down there in the dumper, and seemingly have been cellar-dwellers forever.

I sure wish you could hear tonight's episode, Jason. I bet you'd love it, and easily realize how lots of other people could love it, too.

 

[knowbetter]

My only sole contention with you, Jake over the years...is your view that playing "stiffs" equates to getting listeners. It does not and that's been proven over and over and over....even right there in Columbus!

There are "stiffs" and lots of them...but there are also well known songs not always played on radio that can be played in the right circumstance. Some companies choose to ignore that fact, others don't.

But, I have no problem with what you're doing with your show. You're trying to appeal to a niche audience (though it's a minority of the audience)...but, a small station doing that as a specialty show is fine. But, that kind of show never works on a station that actually has to get ratings and a large audience to make money. Which is why none of the program directors would take you up on your offer.

Now, you can choose not to believe that...you're not the first to try what you're doing...but it's the truth.

Yep. but at least the PPM stuff has at least been delivered, I don't know when they expect to get it installed, then we can all see the "superbump" when jakej comes on the air, then we'll know he knows better then the rest of the country

 

[jakej]

Thanks for the status report on that and your vote of confidence, knowbetter! Will we get an hour-by-hour, daily breakdown of everyone's numbers? All you ever see on the ratings pages here is a general one for each station that covers an entire month. I doubt that there will be a superbump with "Secrets", because there's equally great programming on WCRS both before and after my show that could quite easily do just as well as it does, if not better. But hopefully our numbers from 7:00 to 8:00 on my nights are going to be better than a lot of other stations' numbers from 7 to 8 on those same nights. "Secrets" has popped up a grand total of 65 times in the Dispatch's TV/Radio "Highlights" block -- I just counted 'em up today!
If anyone checked out last Thursday's and/or Friday's episodes of the show and has any comments, good or bad, I'd sure love to hear them (either by posting here or directly messaging me). Thanks!

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

I notice they're still playing that syndicated Saturday night rhythmic-oldies show music, but with the the standard Oldies 93.3 imaging.  Almost wish they wouldn't do that, as it just drives home how many wonderful, uptempo hits are missing from the regular programming -- and that's only on the rhythmic side.    Perhaps 1/3 or more of these tunes were smash hits, while some are very secondary.

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

Oops, don't want to give the wrong impression with that last post. Overall I'm still delighted with the new 93.3 and really glad it's here.

 

[pbf1]

Just because something was a stiff in terms of sales when it first came out 20, 30, 40, or 50 years ago, I don't know how it can automatically be assumed that people wouldn't enjoy listening to it now.

EXTREMELY true. Case in point: "What I Like About You" by the Romantics.

 

[del_griffith]

I notice they're still playing that syndicated Saturday night rhythmic-oldies show music, but with the the standard Oldies 93.3 imaging. Almost wish they wouldn't do that, as it just drives home how many wonderful, uptempo hits are missing from the regular programming -- and that's only on the rhythmic side. Perhaps 1/3 or more of these tunes were smash hits, while some are very secondary.

You noticed that too. We were driving home from Cincy last night and tuned in just south of the outlet malls on 71. Between the time we tuned in and got home, they didn't play a single "favorite". Now my wife is more into rhythmic than I am, but even she admitted it wasn't what she was looking for in a great oldies station.

BUT let me repeat, I'm glad for the overall change.

 

[kirschner]

I notice they're still playing that syndicated Saturday night rhythmic-oldies show music, but with the the standard Oldies 93.3 imaging. Almost wish they wouldn't do that, as it just drives home how many wonderful, uptempo hits are missing from the regular programming -- and that's only on the rhythmic side. Perhaps 1/3 or more of these tunes were smash hits, while some are very secondary.

Hi Roo...

Sorry to disappoint you, but Saturday nights on 93.3 are not syndicated and haven't been for at least the past 4 years. I've been in-studio on W. 5th every Saturday night taking requests and playing them for listeners right here in Columbus since 2007.

Need proof? Call me some night and I'll give you the correct pronunciation of "Olentangy" or "Gahanna." ;D

KK

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

I notice they're still playing that syndicated Saturday night rhythmic-oldies show music, but with the the standard Oldies 93.3 imaging.  Almost wish they wouldn't do that, as it just drives home how many wonderful, uptempo hits are missing from the regular programming -- and that's only on the rhythmic side.    Perhaps 1/3 or more of these tunes were smash hits, while some are very secondary.

Hi Roo...

Sorry to disappoint you, but Saturday nights on 93.3 are not syndicated and haven't been for at least the past 4 years.  I've been in-studio on W. 5th every Saturday night taking requests and playing them for listeners right here in Columbus since 2007. 



Need proof?  Call me some night and I'll give you the correct pronunciation of "Olentangy" or "Gahanna."   ;D

KK

Mea Culpa Kirsch, I should have known that!  :-[ <--(R-I's poor attempt at an "embarrassed" emoticon)

As for "Olentangy" and "Gahanna," the fact that I've never noticed you mispronouncing either one on Gen-X is proof enough that you know how to say them.  Or maybe that you've never needed to?  OK, I guess the latter is highly unlikely. 

 

[kirschner]

I notice they're still playing that syndicated Saturday night rhythmic-oldies show music, but with the the standard Oldies 93.3 imaging. Almost wish they wouldn't do that, as it just drives home how many wonderful, uptempo hits are missing from the regular programming -- and that's only on the rhythmic side. Perhaps 1/3 or more of these tunes were smash hits, while some are very secondary.

Hi Roo...

Sorry to disappoint you, but Saturday nights on 93.3 are not syndicated and haven't been for at least the past 4 years. I've been in-studio on W. 5th every Saturday night taking requests and playing them for listeners right here in Columbus since 2007.



Need proof? Call me some night and I'll give you the correct pronunciation of "Olentangy" or "Gahanna." ;D

KK

Mea Culpa Kirsch, I should have known that! :-[ <--(R-I's poor attempt at an "embarrassed" emoticon)

As for "Olentangy" and "Gahanna," the fact that I've never noticed you mispronouncing either one on Gen-X is proof enough that you know how to say them. Or maybe that you've never needed to? OK, I guess the latter is highly unlikely.

Hahah! Maybe I'll attempt using both in the same sentence at some point this week...

 

[carolinaradio]

As it is after most stations flip and have been around for a few days, I think Oldies 93.3 has improved. From what I've been hearing on the stream and seeing on music logs, it sounds....better overall. Looks like they're playing a little more 80s, maybe? The last hour has sounded pretty good. This will be a win for CC/Columbus - definitely better than trying to go after WSNY for all of these years!

 

[the marv]

As for those worrying about Clear Channel dropping holiday music will be glad to know that won't happen. The Hot AC, mainstream AC and oldies are stations that Clear Channel runs their holiday music on if you've been to their other markets.

 

[KFodor]

Just because something was a stiff in terms of sales when it first came out 20, 30, 40, or 50 years ago, I don't know how it can automatically be assumed that people wouldn't enjoy listening to it now.

EXTREMELY true. Case in point: "What I Like About You" by the Romantics.

But, many songs like that were more of the videos played on M-TV, which is how they got their exposure and, thus their continued popularity. Only a fool would stick strictly to Billboard for what was a "hit" in the 80's...radio fragmentation led to many hits that weren't necessarily big chart toppers, unlike the 60's...when the chart meant everything.

 

[jakej]

Well neither the chart nor MTV means anything on my show, and no one should judge it until they hear it.