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AM Only/Dial Global

Just got back from a trip to northern MI a couple of days ago and I can confirm that former Jones Standards affiliates WDBC (680) in Escanaba and WGRY (1230) in Grayling are now going with Dial Global. Northern Michigan is now a Dial Global Adult Standards wonderland, with these two stations plus WMBN (1340) in Petoskey which was already a DG affiliate. Not sure about WIOS (1480) Tawas City, when I tuned in they were doing Don Kennedy's Big Band Jump. I think they may have gone back to Music of Your Life, which would be great.

I also hear that WFCL (1380) in Clintonville, WI has flipped from Standards to Oldies (also using a Jones format) as WOTE. Replacing Jones Standards on WFCL with DG would have meant two DG affiliates in the Appleton-Oshkosh market, with the other one being WNAM (1280).

One question I have - was WJAS (1320) in Pittsburgh ever an AM Only/Adult Standards affiliate when the format was distributed by Unistar/WW1? I remember seeing them listed as a WW1 affiliate on 100000watts.com years ago when it was still a free site. Based on old ads I've seen, WJAS was a MoYL station years ago. They have recently evolved their playlist to one that very strongly resembles DG's but with a few additional "older" '50s songs in the mix that DG does not play.
 
WJAS in Pittsburgh did use the Westwood One Adult Standards feed during particular parts of the day a few years ago. I don't know what they are doing now. I'll have to check.
 
Charlotte rimshot WAVO 1150 in Rock Hill, SC had been a Jones Standards affiliate for just a short time. However they are one of the few that did not jump to Dial Global. Instead they are doing their own thing on hard drive to stay closer to the Jones format. Not sure I like hearing just sweepers and no jocks. The Jones' jocks were very good. A newscast on the hour would be nice.

I like to listen for the music but also want to know what's going on in the world. Otherwise I might as well listen to my own music.
 
Mike Sheridan said:
Charlotte rimshot WAVO 1150 in Rock Hill, SC had been a Jones Standards affiliate for just a short time. However they are one of the few that did not jump to Dial Global. Instead they are doing their own thing on hard drive to stay closer to the Jones format.
Click to expand...

That's a very interesting decision that they have made. I guess they felt Dial Global is sounding a little too modern. Is MYOL now the only alternative left to DG? And how is MOYL sounding these days? The last time I heard them was before Jones dropped them.
 
I listened to the MOYL stream for a couple of hours yesterday (Peter Marshall's show) and it sounded very much the same -- maybe even a little more steeped in nostalgia than before. But great streaming quality and overall nice music selection. No A/C, so it almost is like apples and oranges to compare it to Dial Global (which I actually prefer, but is a bit of a stretch to call it Standards).

FYI -- MOYL now has a fan page on Facebook. Interesting, with 109 fans so far.
 
I was in Tawas this past weekend and it seems WIOS is doing the same thing as WAVO... locally originating format but mostly if not all automated, and still very nostalgia/'50s-based. Songs played while I was there included Sammy Davis Jr. "Hey There" and Teresa Brewer "Till I Waltz Again With You." In fact, the only song I heard played that they have in common with DG was George Benson's "Breezin'."
 
I don't mind the standards format going a little modern. As long as they don't play the same songs that the A/C stations beat us over the head with!

The definition of a "Standard" to me are songs that just about any great artist can perform (vocal or instrumental). In other words songs that are so good they can stand on their own!
 
Dial Global Adult Standards is still hanging on to the AC garbage. I really thought that DG has improved when I heard "Dear One" by Les Paul and Mary Ford last Saturday morning at around 7:58 AM Hawaiian Time, but no, I still get hit with "Rhythm of the Falling Rain" by Dan Fogelberg.
 
I heard "How Long" by Ace and "Lowdown" by Boz Scaggs during the past week. Both have characteristics I like but neither belongs.

I had Internet trouble last week or I would have put a list of what I heard that morning. I don't remember now. but it was amazing. Almost a true standards format from the time I returned from walking (except possibly during the news break when my affiliate airs news) until the clock radio cut itself off after two hours.

This morning "Wives and Lovers" by Jack Jones followed by "Moonlight Serenade" by Carly Simon folowed by "Because of You" by Tony Bennett. The third one is especially notable because the recording quality is not up to the standards of later years. Today's listeners might be turned off by something that sounds one step above Edison's own equipment. Which I guess is a problem with big band era material. And yet they have the courage to make us happy.

An overly long commercial break cut off the start of Sinatra's "Fly Me to the Moon". It started in a perfect place, though (the great instrumental section), but sounded like a condensed version because Frank didn't get to sing much. I don't know if the station getspaid for job listings, because they say "Thanks (insert station name here) for caring about (town)."

On the other hand, "When I Need You" by Leo Sayer. I remember a girl I was in high school with saying "I love this song!" And Celine Dion's version of Heart's "Alone", which my clock radio cut off almost at the beginning.
 
I see that Ed Brand and Mark Haden appear to be off the air from DG Adult Standards. The new schedule has Jeff Rollins on til noon eastern, followed by Carl Hampton and then Chick Watkins back on every day during the evening hours. Don Reid handles overnight.

More turnover with this format than has been seen in many years.
 
The music continues to improve, though.

And during Jeff Rollins' show, you can count on one big band number. I have a separate topic for that, "Big Bands Remembered". Duke Ellington's "Satin Doll" this morning. Perez Prado's "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" has been played twice.
 
I was wondering why they removed Ed Brand, Mark Haden, and Casey Hayes from their format. I was thinking Ed Brand and Mark Haden had been there for years and would stay. They were three of my favorite hosts. I think...
it was a bad idea going with the 6 hour shift changes now. It was surprising though seeing Chick Watkins back i was thinking he retired from the radio and was just staying behind the scenes.
 
mike22580 said:
I was wondering why they removed Ed Brand, Mark Haden, and Casey Hayes from their format. I was thinking Ed Brand and Mark Haden had been there for years and would stay. They were three of my favorite hosts. I think...
it was a bad idea going with the 6 hour shift changes now. It was surprising though seeing Chick Watkins back i was thinking he retired from the radio and was just staying behind the scenes.
Click to expand...
Casey Hayes is gone? But he was good!

With Paul Harvey gone, I don't even turn this station on any more on Saturday. I should because I can listen while cleaning up. I do have a clock radio that comes on from 3 to 3:20 for Mike Huckabee.

This morning's music was really good. I mean if you want real standards instead of AC. Usually when it's this good you end up paying before it's all over.

Jimmy Dorsey's "So Rare" was the "Big Bands Remembered" song. It was described as posibly the last big band hit.
 
mike22580 said:
I was wondering why they removed Ed Brand, Mark Haden, and Casey Hayes from their format. I was thinking Ed Brand and Mark Haden had been there for years and would stay. They were three of my favorite hosts. I think...
it was a bad idea going with the 6 hour shift changes now. It was surprising though seeing Chick Watkins back i was thinking he retired from the radio and was just staying behind the scenes.
Click to expand...


Ed Brand was on Saturday evening (Eastern) last weekend.
 
oxford777 said:
mike22580 said:
I was wondering why they removed Ed Brand, Mark Haden, and Casey Hayes from their format. I was thinking Ed Brand and Mark Haden had been there for years and would stay. They were three of my favorite hosts. I think...
it was a bad idea going with the 6 hour shift changes now. It was surprising though seeing Chick Watkins back i was thinking he retired from the radio and was just staying behind the scenes.
Click to expand...


Ed Brand was on Saturday evening (Eastern) last weekend.
Click to expand...

He's on again today (Saturday, 18th). Good to hear him. I do miss Casey Hayes on weekends.
 
publisher said:
oxford777 said:
mike22580 said:
I was wondering why they removed Ed Brand, Mark Haden, and Casey Hayes from their format. I was thinking Ed Brand and Mark Haden had been there for years and would stay. They were three of my favorite hosts. I think...
it was a bad idea going with the 6 hour shift changes now. It was surprising though seeing Chick Watkins back i was thinking he retired from the radio and was just staying behind the scenes.
Click to expand...


Ed Brand was on Saturday evening (Eastern) last weekend.
Click to expand...

He's on again today (Saturday, 18th). Good to hear him. I do miss Casey Hayes on weekends.
Click to expand...
I do too. I don't have the radio on any more since they dropped Paul Harvey at noon. I could turn it on, but I just don't. The radio never got turned off because I was always in a hurry to take my trash to the dump.

Last week I had a good reason for not listening: it was hazardous waste day and it took 30 minutes to get through the line at the place where they were collecting it. I think the digital TV conversion must have been a big reason. I figure people are finally throwing out old TVs they wouldn't have before.

The clock radio still comes on for 20 minutes (on weekdays that's for Mike Huckabee now). For some odd reason a song was playing during the first three, and then they had the tail end of the news, and then dead air.
 
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