Exactly. How many times do we read, that if only Walter Cronkite was still around, that there just wouldn't be the need for cable news? Or, that kids don't watch news anymore because the content is too politically-leaning one way or the other. Walter was a ground-breaker in his day from 1973 to 1995, but none of that applies to several generations following, who now get the news they want, when they want it, all in the palm of their hand. That's assuming they care about news.
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Are specialty shows worth it for stations?
- Thread starter tall_guy1
- Start date
That happened 27 years ago. The original version of Move Closer to Your World (not the current one) lasted 25 years.
This proves my point. If WPVI modernized their identity and dropped the music, only older viewers would care.
This isn’t 1996.
Interestingly enough, there’s this Gallup-Knight Foundation survey that’s a bit of an eye-opener:
That 18–25 demo will be in the 25–54 demo in the blink of an eye.
No, there’s not. Quite often there’s a good reason it’s been lost to time.
They have modernized their identity. Apart from the music, the actual newscast looks pretty much like any other. For all the jokes about the old magnetic smiling clouds, those are long gone. A large part of the staff has turned over. The set has been redone multiple times.
Riots if they drop the music? Hyperbole of course, but it does still have value in the market. It isn’t all old fogies who recognize it. Frankly the 1996 version was atrocious not merely because it was a change. It just sucked as a version.
Far more recently than 27 years, WNEP wanted to retain their version despite the corporate push to homogenize everything. Last I was up in that neck of the woods, they had their theme, They’ve updated over the years I’m ways that didn’t suck. Heck, shows like Jeopardy and Price is Right have done the same—tweak the recording, but the theme remains decades later.
Sometimes you don’t need to force total uniformity so that every town sounds the same as every other. When the value is gone, sure. It’s not yet.
That’s pretty much the point. There’s now little to distinguish *Channel 6 Action News” and “Channel 7 Eyewitness News” outside of (by industry standards) ancient news music.
THIS. That’s the real reason why it was thrown out, especially when they commissioned the London Philharmonic to redo it and paid big money. It was an embarrassing miscalculation.
It also happened in 1996. That’s an eternity ago.
With the way some forecasts and projections are going, that value might be in peril quicker than we think:
Digital video viewing to top traditional TV in US: forecast
For the first time ever, US adults will spend more time this year watching digital video on platforms such as Netflix, TikTok and YouTube than viewing traditional television, Insider Intelligence forecast on Wednesday.Netflix and YouTube are "neck and neck" leaders when it comes to digital video...
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For the last 30 years, I’ve owned a physical copy of every song to ever hit the top 20 on Billboard and most of the ones that charted 21-40. So I could listen to these songs anytime I wanted way before Spotify or Apple Music or YouTube or whatever exists today.
But I agree, there is something special about hearing a song on the RADIO that you love but haven’t heard in a long time, especially while driving in the car.
There's some songs though that I think are not "offensive" that have been lost to time, like several Rob Thomas/Matchbox 20 records for example.
We have a commercial-free specialty block of 'The '80s at Five' on KARY 100.9 here in Yakima. Sometimes they play some oh wow hits.
Yacht Rock Radio also airs on Sunday evenings and it's a GREAT show. Captain Adam is top-notch and he often interviews yacht rock stars. Tonight's big oh-wow was Robbie Dupree's 'Hot Rod Hearts' from 1980. Oh, they also played 'New Frontier' from Donald Fagen. Now THAT song is rare on any format!
On Saturday evenings, we also get Tom Kent's The Ultimate Party in addition to the regular Music Magazine on weeknights. Good program, but a little repetitive at times. His presentation is fantastic, often with one-liners. Gotta love 'Young Thomas'.
I wonder how the ratings are on these specialty shows. Obviously, Saturday night programming is more festive and upbeat than Sunday.
Yacht Rock Radio also airs on Sunday evenings and it's a GREAT show. Captain Adam is top-notch and he often interviews yacht rock stars. Tonight's big oh-wow was Robbie Dupree's 'Hot Rod Hearts' from 1980. Oh, they also played 'New Frontier' from Donald Fagen. Now THAT song is rare on any format!
On Saturday evenings, we also get Tom Kent's The Ultimate Party in addition to the regular Music Magazine on weeknights. Good program, but a little repetitive at times. His presentation is fantastic, often with one-liners. Gotta love 'Young Thomas'.
I wonder how the ratings are on these specialty shows. Obviously, Saturday night programming is more festive and upbeat than Sunday.
One truly awful specialty show is "throwback 2k with chris cruz." Some of the music I cant imagine anyone clamoring for like yeah 3x by chris brown, party like a rockstar, we r who we r by kesha, and several other truly awful old songs! Its on audacy hot ac stations, but sounds hideous!
I’m not dwelling on what happened in 1996. But that element of that newscast in this city has value. You don’t chuck that out in the name of making sure Philly and Podunk have the same music package.That’s pretty much the point. There’s now little to distinguish *Channel 6 Action News” and “Channel 7 Eyewitness News” outside of (by industry standards) ancient news music.
THIS. That’s the real reason why it was thrown out, especially when they commissioned the London Philharmonic to redo it and paid big money. It was an embarrassing miscalculation.
It also happened in 1996. That’s an eternity ago.
With the way some forecasts and projections are going, that value might be in peril quicker than we think:
Digital video viewing to top traditional TV in US: forecast
For the first time ever, US adults will spend more time this year watching digital video on platforms such as Netflix, TikTok and YouTube than viewing traditional television, Insider Intelligence forecast on Wednesday.Netflix and YouTube are "neck and neck" leaders when it comes to digital video...news.yahoo.com
When the Eagles were on the way to their previous Super Bowl, one of the victories was marked by fans at a bar far away by singing the theme song, at least the portion of the lyrics they still use. Two things: that wasn’t 26 years ago, and the people in that clip were my all nursing home residents.
An aural identity has value. Maybe that piece of music doesn’t have it outside of Philly, and perhaps Scranton for WNEP. And the future is all well and good. No one is arguing against it coming, at least I don’t see that being argued. But in there here and now? It means something.
When ABC redid the World News Tonight music, they leaned more into a remake of the classic version than what it had become in recent years. NBC isn’t ditching their tones. They all mean something.
Maybe there’s a reason. Doesn’t matter what it is. The audience indicated they were done with them. If the audience found them appealing, they would be of value to the stations and be getting airplay.
Rare for a reason, perhaps.
It wasn't a hit, if that's the criterion. It peaked at #70 in the Hot 100. But all of the articles about it say "it was a critical favorite." Which makes it perfect for this kind of show. It's an 80s song about the early 60s. The first verse is about bomb shelters. The third verse mentions Dave Brubeck. Oh wow,
No one ever said that. No one ever said that teens today are walking around carrying transistor radios. That's a straw man that you created for the purpose of fomenting an engagement. No one here remotely believes that teenagers walk around with transistor radios or that Am Bandstand was canceled last year. NO ONE assumes that. That's a straw man for the purpose of engaging a negative conflict, otherwise known as trolling.
There must be some kind of Terms of Service here where posters are prohibited from accusing others of writing things that were never written, or accusing others of assuming things. There is no place on this board where that was ever written, nor assumed, that teens carry around transistors or Bandstand was canceled last year. No one thinks that.
Then why did several participants agree with me? Could it be that some don't even know that they're stuck in the past when it comes to how people today consume media? Or, does it trigger-them to think that they actually might be?
Maybe you've missed them, but there are several topics on this site (to paraphrase) where people believe if Sony, or whatever would just introduce a new line of portable radios, that teens will spend more time with radio.
Well, in case you haven't noticed; this is a Radio Discussion board. Just because my observation or comment hits too close to home, doesn't mean my comments or observations aren't valid.
Huh? Wasn't it you that asked if teens would be interested in watching shows like American Bandstand or Soul Train?
And I maintain someone might consider observations as trolling, if those comments hit too close to home.
Point out where I accused you of saying something that you hadn't? My observations were more general as to several posts on this site.
I thought teens don't count as valuable radio listeners? And 18-24 aren't prime demos, either, are they?
Either radio is meant to be an over-the-air version of Spotify, or it isn't.
Either radio is meant to provide something of interest to the listener, or it's just meant to be background music a-la department store "radio", where there are no such things as DJs or specialty shows.
If something like a specialty show is considered too old fashioned and past the pull date, maybe you can pull the plug on radio in total (as many younger demos apparently have already). Because things like specialty shows separate OTA "radio" from Spotify, Pandora, and department store "radio".
Aside from news and talk, if radio is just going to follow what junior plays on his or her Spotify, it's just a background noise maker like what I hear over the PA in the drugstore.
Which is OK, of course, as long as it still makes radio some money. But sooner or later that may run out.
Either radio is meant to provide something of interest to the listener, or it's just meant to be background music a-la department store "radio", where there are no such things as DJs or specialty shows.
If something like a specialty show is considered too old fashioned and past the pull date, maybe you can pull the plug on radio in total (as many younger demos apparently have already). Because things like specialty shows separate OTA "radio" from Spotify, Pandora, and department store "radio".
Aside from news and talk, if radio is just going to follow what junior plays on his or her Spotify, it's just a background noise maker like what I hear over the PA in the drugstore.
Which is OK, of course, as long as it still makes radio some money. But sooner or later that may run out.
Teens are not of any value to radio sales. 18-24 is part of the 18-34 and 18-49 demos. 18-34 is a fairly common target for youth oriented buys. 18-49 is the key demo (and not 25-54) for ethnic buys as both African American and Hispanic family formation tends to start earlier.
So, to win in 18-34 and 18-49, you have to do OK in 18-24.
I was responding to a post that said (referring to 12-24), "There's always something enjoyable about hearing a song on the radio that you don't get from spotify or youtube or wherever."
I don't think that people in those age groups find any songs on the radio that they can't get or call up on the services mentioned in that post. Nobody sits around thinking, "let me see if radio may be playing a song I can't get on my streaming service".
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I remember in 2011 when WKRK-FM Cleveland flipped from a jockless alternative format to all-sports; several former listeners to “radio 92.3” were actively upset over what they felt to be one of the better stations they heard. A station that had no on-air talent, a move made in late 2008 after losing their morning show to a competitor and the economic slowdown was taking effect.
This is by no means a defense of the alternative format or its viability… it’s that “best station ever” sentiment 12 years ago for a format run with minimal overhead and investment and attracting a niche audience being replaced with a format that had significant investment AND which targeted salable demos.
A format like “radio 92.3” could not work in the present day as it would be Spotify with no control over the playlist for the listener, which is bad news for a format that has been in a long-term crisis mode, unable to achieve common consensus on the musical direction.
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