A radio format for 55-72? Could it work?

[gr8oldies]

You are aware that a lot of people dumped top 40 for album rock during that time? They didn't want to hear Donny Osmond or your all-time favorite, You Light Up My Life and wanted Skynyrd and Foreigner without the MOR and bubblegum? Same with the jocks....I had friends who were just as happy listening to the TM Stereo Rock format or the lower-key AOR presentation.

So, about 16-20% of seniors dislike pop oldies...I see.

A serious underestimation on your part. And let me guess, you researched that too.

I would say that of the demographic that originally listened to rock and roll back in the 50's and 60's, would most certainly appreciate hearing them again, today. And far, far more than 1 in 5.

You've demonstrated over the years your dislike for oldies in turn for newer songs which is fine if that's what you enjoy. I believe you are highly an exception, than the rule.

Sometimes, I genuinely feel these ridiculous conclusions are just that......stories.

 

[vchimpanzee]

For every 55+ person who enjoys oldies, I'm guessing there's another 55+ person who hears oldies and just feels old. I've always loved 50s and 60s music, but after listening to this body of music for over forty years, it reached the point where they've just gotten too familiar.

It's not oldies I like. It's easy listening, and the songs I like happen to be old. I recently found a new station which plays oldies, not necessarily easy listening, but these are the good songs and not the ones from the era of protests and hippies and heavy metal. With plenty of easygoing songs. And lots of songs I didn't know, so these are songs that are new to me.

The person who responded when I told him how much I liked the music says they don't make a lot of money. I was reading a newspaper article years ago about the man who owns that station and two others. His stations' music is different from most stations but he just likes it. One is an FM with classic rock and some R&B and other styles of oldies.

And I haven't been listening to these songs all that long. Some I had never heard before the 90s. So they don't seem "old".

 

[SuperRadioFan]

But back then people read magazines, books and newspapers. They were used to seeing what words represented.

Today we are in a world of LOL and BFF and other acronyms and emojis. There is no need to think, as fast paced visual entertainment pops out of your glasses, your watch, your phone and even the door of your refrigerator. The word pictures of Dickens that put you in the midst of poor working kids in a wretched part of London... or those of Frost that made you forever see a wall differently... are no longer needed as there is an emoji for all that!

And then I hear the bungling speeches of the current presidential candidates and compare them with the addresses of Churchill, Kennedy and MLK and I want to... quick, where is the vomiting icon. I look at the latest green new deal and see that there is a grammatical error in the first sentence and it gets worse from there on... well, like, okay.

No pictures in the mind are being painted today. That takes a respect for the beauty of words but we are in an era where there is no set of words that can't be best stated as an acronym. Hemingway, Steinbeck and Longfellow are brands of casual wear, aren't they?

WOW wonderfully and beautifully stated, David!! Perfect, Senor!

 

[SuperRadioFan]

KOLA playlist

I used to do business with KOLA (re-selling their radio spots airtime from 1999-2009) when they were increasing their share. Today they are the tops I beiieve. Their playlist during that time focused on 60s-70s with a few 50s in there as well. As they have evolved into 80s, 90s, and 00s they continued to increase their listenership. Though I haven't listened to them for quite some time (I sample maybe once a year), I was curious to see their playlist. Here's what they played today in the last five and a half hours (oldest tracks were Sweet Home Alabama 1974, Night Fever 1978, Do Ya Think I'm Sexy 1979, and I Will Survive 1979):


Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?
Rod Stewart
3:31 PM

Push It
Salt-N-Pepa
3:26 PM

Rock Your Body
Justin Timberlake
3:22 PM

Should I Stay or Should I Go
The Clash
3:19 PM

Open Arms
Journey
3:07 PM

Human Nature
Michael Jackson
3:03 PM

Don’t Dream It's Over
Crowded House
3 PM

LOSING MY RELIGION
R.E.M.
2:55 PM

Word Up
Cameo
2:51 PM

Paradise City
Guns N' Roses
2:46 PM

Hand In My Pocket
Alanis Morissette
2:35 PM

Every Breath You Take
The Police
2:31 PM

Night Fever
Bee Gees
2:28 PM

Let's Hear It for the Boy
Deniece Williams
2:24 PM

Smooth
Santana
2:20 PM

Jessie's Girl
Rick Springfield
2:17 PM

Something to Talk About
Bonnie Raitt
2:07 PM

Straight Up
Paula Abdul
2:03 PM

If You Leave
Orchestral Manoeuvres In the Dark
1:59 PM

Bubbly
Colbie Caillat
1:55 PM

Just Can't Get Enough (2006 Remaster)
Depeche Mode
1:52 PM

Man In the Mirror
Michael Jackson
1:47 PM

Lucky Star
Madonna
1:36 PM

Sweet Home Alabama
Lynyrd Skynyrd
1:32 PM

Every Little Step
Bobby Brown
1:28 PM

The Reason
Hoobastank
1:24 PM

Here I Go Again (Radio Mix)
Whitesnake
1:20 PM

Believe
Cher
1:09 PM

You Dropped A Bomb On Me
The Gap Band
1:05 PM

In the Air Tonight
Phil Collins
1 PM

Kokomo
The Beach Boys
12:56 PM

DREAMING OF YOU
SELENA
12:52 PM

Faith
George Michael
12:49 PM

Viva La Vida
Coldplay
12:38 PM

Love Is a Battlefield
Pat Benatar
12:34 PM

I Will Survive
Gloria Gaynor
12:31 PM

Manic Monday
The Bangles
12:28 PM

More Than Words
Extreme
12:24 PM

Pyt
MICHAEL JACKSON
12:20 PM

How to Save a Life (New Version)
The Fray
12:07 PM

EVERY LITTLE THING SHE DOES IS MAGIC
THE POLICE
12:04 PM

LET'S GO CRAZY (ALBUM)
PRINCE
11:59 AM

I'll Stand By You
Pretenders
11:55 AM

Let's Dance
David Bowie
11:51 AM

Jack & Diane
John Cougar
11:47 AM

Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)
Journey
11:35 AM

I Want You to Want Me
Cheap Trick
11:32 AM

I Ran (So Far Away)
A Flock of Seagulls
11:28 AM

If It Makes You Happy
Sheryl Crow
11:24 AM

I Have Nothing
Whitney Houston
11:19 AM

Get the Party Started
P!nk
11:08 AM

You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)
Dead or Alive
11:05 AM

Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
Michael Jackson
11:01 AM

Every Morning
Sugar Ray
10:57 AM

The Glamorous Life
Sheila E.
10:54 AM

Time After Time
Cyndi Lauper
10:50 AM

Don't Turn Around
Ace of Base
10:39 AM

Livin' On A Prayer
Bon Jovi
10:35 AM

Sexual Healing
Marvin Gaye
10:32 AM

Don't You (Forget About Me)
Simple Minds
10:28 AM

The Sweet Escape (feat. Akon)
Gwen Stefani
10:24 AM

Purple Rain
Prince & The Revolution
10:20 AM

Total Eclipse Of The Heart
Nicki French
10:08 AM

Come On Eileen
Dexys Midnight Runners
10:04 AMCLICK TO EXPAND

What's Love Got to Do With It (2015 Remastered Version)
Tina Turner
10:00 AM

 

[TheBigA]

Here's what they played today in the last five and a half hours (oldest tracks were Sweet Home Alabama 1974, Night Fever 1978, Do Ya Think I'm Sexy 1979, and I Will Survive 1979):

That's a fine playlist for 25 to 54, but way too young for what this thread is talking about.

 

[EricStein]

At least one station... the 100 kw FM from Globe that rimshots Phoenix.

They may have also been on that other 100 kw @ 1000 foot rimshot in FL that rimshot WPB from somewhere near Yeehaw Junction.

And is it because of this failure that Sebastian is avoiding rimshot signals or AM/HD stations with translators? I'm in a market where every full-bore centrally-located 100kW station is making money. Why would a station owner change anything that is providing revenue?

 

[TheBigA]

Why would a station owner change anything that is providing revenue?

Especially if it's a format that will require them to pay Sebastian as consultant in addition to hiring local staff.

If they just want to play a bunch of old songs, they can do that without Sebastian.

 

[stephensmith]

I came of age in the '60s, so, yeah, I like listening to '50s-'60s-'70s stuff. It never gets old (so to speak)! But I like a lot of '80s music as well, and many particular songs from the years since, though I couldn't tell you what distinguishes the more recent music (unless it's that dreadful auto-tune).

What I've found, though, is that I enjoy discovering and enjoying new genres rather than eras. First it was old country blues. Then for a time I became obsessed with original Jamaican ska. Lately I've gotten into French yeye, and even ventured into Shibuya-kei from 1990s' Tokyo.

Not many of these niche-type musical byways are represented on terrestrial radio, and I don't know that any stations could make a commercial go of devoting their format to them. But thankfully for nerds like me there's Internet radio, YouTube, Spotify and a few eclectic stations (which also have Internet streams) such as WFMU.

Sure, you can get me to listen to an oldies station -- and I prefer a real oldies format to the so-called classic rock one -- but it's more for when I'm driving somewhere or have my portable radio out on my deck. Sitting in front of the computer my choices these days border on the infinite!

 

[TheBigA]

Not many of these niche-type musical byways are represented on terrestrial radio, and I don't know that any stations could make a commercial go of devoting their format to them. But thankfully for nerds like me there's Internet radio, YouTube, Spotify and a few eclectic stations (which also have Internet streams) such as WFMU.

You mentioned WFMU, and there are literally hundreds of similar non-commercial stations around the country, depending on where you are. WXPN in Philly specializes in "world music" and WBGO in Newark does be bop jazz and classic R&B. So it's on terrestrial radio, just not in the commercial part of the band. Hopefully when you find one you like, you'll also contribute money to help keep them on the air.

 

[davideduardo]

Especially if it's a format that will require them to pay Sebastian as consultant in addition to hiring local staff.

If they just want to play a bunch of old songs, they can do that without Sebastian.

That's what they said about Jack, yet after about two decades, Jack is still doing well...

 

[TheBigA]

That's what they said about Jack, yet after about two decades, Jack is still doing well...

You have to give credit to SparkNet for keeping it a viable format, because after 15 years, the format gets great ratings.

It's up to Sebastian to prove he can do the same.

There are still a few Jack knock-offs out there like Ben-FM in Philly who have done it on their own.

 

[Silkie]

WMID in Atlantic City plays that demogrphic and into the 80s. It's a very nice station with a very nice music library.

 

[davideduardo]

You have to give credit to SparkNet for keeping it a viable format, because after 15 years, the format gets great ratings.

And one of the SparkNet crew is George Burns, who has likely forgotten more than most of us will ever know about radio

 

[EricStein]

Especially if it's a format that will require them to pay Sebastian as consultant in addition to hiring local staff.

If they just want to play a bunch of old songs, they can do that without Sebastian.

It looks like he signed his first station. He mentions "winter coats," so it must not be in the sun belt markets where such a format would be successful.

https://twitter.com/johnseb/status/1172162448670904320

 

[The Media Observer]

I certainly respect Sebastian's history in radio, however, The Wow Factor is still a classic "hits" station at its core. In other words, it lies directly between classic rock and oldies.

Now, if we also heard Emmylou Harris, then Chick Corea, followed by Testament, THAT would be a real "Wow Factor". Truth be told, that's something that Sebastian would NEVER do, at least on terrestrial radio. But I digress.

Interesting thread and comments everybody, both pro and con!

 

[TheBigA]

Now, if we also heard Emmylou Harris, then Chick Corea, followed by Testament, THAT would be a real "Wow Factor".

He may not play Emmylou, but he is playing Brooks & Dunn, Martina McBride, and a lot of other country artists. Yesterday he played Kid Rock.

You won't hear any of them on classic hits or oldies. Then again, why would you?

 

[The Media Observer]

He may not play Emmylou, but he is playing Brooks & Dunn, Martina McBride, and a lot of other country artists. Yesterday he played Kid Rock.

You won't hear any of them on classic hits or oldies. Then again, why would you?

So far, I've heard more 90s country and later than anything prior to that. Then again, it's only been two days on the air.

Apart from adding some country music, how much different is it from Oasis overall?

Anyone, anyone?

 

[TheBigA]

Apart from adding some country music, how much different is it from Oasis overall?

Anyone, anyone?

I'd suggest adding ANY country music is quite a difference. It really is a trainwreck.

As for the other songs, some of them weren't played on the Oasis. Some get played on the Hubbard oldies station.

 

[CTListener]

So far, I've heard more 90s country and later than anything prior to that. Then again, it's only been two days on the air.

Apart from adding some country music, how much different is it from Oasis overall?

Anyone, anyone?

Brooks & Dunn and Martina McBride were '90s and '00s acts. Some of the other acts being played didn't break through until after 2000. But my latest check of the last songs played -- still geofenced out of the audio here in Connecticut; how come Houston can listen and Hartford can't? -- shows Willie & Waylon's "Luckenbach Texas" getting a spin today. That's from 1977. Also Johnny Cash's "A Boy Named Sue." 1969. And the country content is up to three or four songs an hour. Maybe this winds up being a classic pop/rock/country hybrid and the '90s and '00s tracks disappear.

The pop and rock being played isn't very deep, which is consistent with the Jack philosophy, but it includes hits from artists generally ignored now or third and fourth titles -- big chart hits all -- from artists who've only been getting one or two played on most classic hits stations for years. Either Sebastian is going on gut instinct ("I'm over 55 and I like these songs; therefore, everyone over 55 likes these songs.") or has found new research that indicates that it's OK to play "Walk on the Wild Side" and "Top of the World" again -- in the same hour, no less!

 

[The Media Observer]

I'd suggest adding ANY country music is quite a difference. It really is a trainwreck.

As for the other songs, some of them weren't played on the Oasis. Some get played on the Hubbard oldies station.

Yeah, what I've heard so far is more reminiscent of Hubbard's KDUS more than KSLX. But overall, it seems like a hybrid of the two.