Big 98.1 Sets On-Air Lineup

[CassChopper96]

Is WTDY a big biller for Audacy. Or is it the weakest Philly Audacy station

 

[thunderbirdmike]

Give up on this already! We're talking about WOGL.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

What exactly is the age range supposed to be for a classic hits station? Not really getting what is surprising about their ages. Nor are they going on and daily mentioning those ages.

 

[TheBigA]

What exactly is the age range supposed to be for a classic hits station? Not really getting what is surprising about their ages. Nor are they going on and daily mentioning those ages.

Depends on which station we're talking about. Most classic hits stations are doing well in 25-54. WCBS is #2, and KRTH is #3. The problem with WOGL is the core is older than that. Which is why they made these changes. I think they wanted to get some women on the air as well.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

So.. for all you experts who wanna spend other peoples money.. how would you make the #7 station wit ha 5.2 any better without damaging WTDY or WBEB?

Youre never gonna beat WMMR, WMGK or WDAS-FM, the top 3 music stations .. the only music station they stand a chance to beat is their own WBEB!

And if you say.. go back to 60s and 70s oldies with live DJs is the answer.. I'll scream

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

Depends on which station we're talking about. Most classic hits stations are doing well in 25-54. WCBS is #2, and KRTH is #3. The problem with WOGL is the core is older than that. Which is why they made these changes. I think they wanted to get some women on the air as well.

This is what I get for posting after being awake for 19 hours. Actually it was supposed to be about the DJs….sigh…totally get the audience but meant to be feedback on the remark upthread about some of the new hosts being young.

 

[JH_Radio]

So ok... what does entertaining listeners mean in 2022? I'm going to go out on a lim and say its a mix of calls text and social media. So if you're tracking a station, where are those elements? Or does that not matter?
I'm going to go further out on that lim as I think that people are more likely to listen and get that local feel in the morning and afternoon drive times.
If they're gonna call (at least with the classic hits format), they're gonna do it more in the mornings and afternoon.
For the record I'm not into tracking either but that's just because I'm a geek, and I like the local feel. With tracking I think part of the local feel (at least as far as the DJ goes), is gone.
But this isn't the '90s where you only have one way to talk to a DJ either.
Now there's all of this social media stuff.
So if you talk about a topic or mention something in your tracking, people can respond in other ways (if they're going to.)
Plus, I'm sure that tracking a show is a lot cheaper than putting a live DJ in the studio.

 

[TheBigA]

Plus, I'm sure that tracking a show is a lot cheaper than putting a live DJ in the studio.

It's not just cheaper. Think of it from the DJ's point of view. It's easier, quicker, more interesting, and they can be heard by more people if they do a few stations, rather than just one. There isn't a single DJ I talk to who prefers doing live radio. Except the ones who do mornings or talk. If you play music, you've heard all the songs a billion times before, so it's much better to track.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

It's not just cheaper. Think of it from the DJ's point of view. It's easier, quicker, more interesting, and they can be heard by more people if they do a few stations, rather than just one. There isn't a single DJ I talk to who prefers doing live radio. Except the ones who do mornings or talk. If you play music, you've heard all the songs a billion times before, so it's much better to track.

I do both, live and VT'd.. and the average listener on most of my stations has no idea im tracked... the ones KNOW me as me and nto just he radio guy know and don't care.

 

[101tm]

So if WOGL was “too old” and a tarnished brand, why do they specifically seem to be having this problem? There are a ton of classic hits stations out there that used the word “oldies” in some form back in the day and are still on the air. Look at WOMC, WROR, WMJI, KLUV, WGRR, KJEB, KCMO, KOMA, WRBQ, KXKL, we could go for days - what did these stations do to presumably not be “too old” compared to WOGL? The stations listed all have evolved playlists with many leaning slightly older than the old WOGL did. Is it some local cultural issue? I’m not saying they weren’t doing poorly in the target audience, but I’m curious if other stations are having this issue and just haven’t acted on it or did something to change their image years ago that WOGL didn’t.

 

[TheBigA]

So if WOGL was “too old” and a tarnished brand, why do they specifically seem to be having this problem?

Habit. Unlike the other stations you listed, the older demos in Philly have stuck with the station even through a shifting of the music.

So they're hoping this rebrand will wake them up.

 

[Radiolover971]

As long the personalities know what they doing and have passion for it. There shouldn't be no problem, I'm listening tonight and I must say I like Renee Taylor! She sounds awesome.

 

[AceBiscuits]

Audacy has also added weekend talent to Big as well. Doc Medek of Froggy in Scranton, who tracked weekends previously on WOGL, is back on the roster. Joining the weekend lineup as well is Kannon from Star in Atlanta.

 

[101tm]

Audacy has also added weekend talent to Big as well. Doc Medek of Froggy in Scranton, who tracked weekends previously on WOGL, is back on the roster. Joining the weekend lineup as well is Kannon from Star in Atlanta.

Definitely leaning more in to younger Gen X and older Millennials with Trey, Coop, Kannon and the like. Will be interesting to see if other classic hits stations re-adjust their on air talent to be more relatable with the audience they’re trying to get.

 

[AceBiscuits]

Definitely leaning more in to younger Gen X and older Millennials with Trey, Coop, Kannon and the like. Will be interesting to see if other classic hits stations re-adjust their on air talent to be more relatable with the audience they’re trying to get.

As of now, I don't expect that. WCBS-FM, across the board, has older talent, but that isn't an issue for their numbers, same for K-Earth.

I think this is more deliberate with WOGL trying to improve their demos.

 

[101tm]

As of now, I don't expect that. WCBS-FM, across the board, has older talent, but that isn't an issue for their numbers, same for K-Earth.

I think this is more deliberate with WOGL trying to improve their demos.

KRTH purged most of their “old” talent around 2013-2015 sans Gary Bryan. Some were retirements, others were released due to being associated with the station’s “old” sound they were moving away from. It didn’t seem as obvious of a change as it does with WOGL, though. When “Coop” was added to WOGL I thought he was quite young for the station, so they may have been planning this for a while or were hoping someone younger in the morning drive time would help.

I feel like a station like CBS-FM in a market like NYC is going to be less affected by having older jocks.

 

[fordranger797]

Trey Morgan is an EXCELLENT host, so I think he will do a great job with this format. He’s very versatile as well, so I don’t see any problem here. In general, I’m not sure if I would immediately put a young (primarily CHR) host on a classic hits station, as it doesn’t always work out well. I can think of one scenario where voice tracks from a rhythmic CHR host were used on a classic hits station. While they were clearly skilled at their job, they just didn’t seem to know the classic hits format very well, and it didn’t last. I do not believe this is anywhere near the case for WOGL.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

So ok... what does entertaining listeners mean in 2022? I'm going to go out on a lim and say its a mix of calls text and social media. So if you're tracking a station, where are those elements? Or does that not matter?
I'm going to go further out on that lim as I think that people are more likely to listen and get that local feel in the morning and afternoon drive times.
If they're gonna call (at least with the classic hits format), they're gonna do it more in the mornings and afternoon.
For the record I'm not into tracking either but that's just because I'm a geek, and I like the local feel. With tracking I think part of the local feel (at least as far as the DJ goes), is gone.
But this isn't the '90s where you only have one way to talk to a DJ either.
Now there's all of this social media stuff.
So if you talk about a topic or mention something in your tracking, people can respond in other ways (if they're going to.)
Plus, I'm sure that tracking a show is a lot cheaper than putting a live DJ in the studio.

I'm on overnights on a bunch of stations across the country.. i stay in touch with my stations, i talk to some of my lsiteners that have become friends, i skim local papers, blog sites....... i talk about in many cases, the same exact thiung a local dj would talk about.. and most of the average listeners have no idea im not local or live.. and the fgew that do, dont care.... why? im fun, im entertaining and they enjoy m,y show because they can tell im having fun and love my job.. multiple listeners tell me that, regularly.

 

[Bill Jacobs]

But you will note some of the more successful stations in town (such as WMGK, WMMR, WXTU) have local personalities that add to the feel of the station. WOGL used to have that, but not anymore.

My point exactly. Tracked DJs don't sound local. Tracked stations don't have a local feel. It's as if the music is coning out of a stainless steel tube and the only way you can tell which station you are listening to is the branding (reference: fast food bit from Kentucky Fried Movie). "For women"? C'mon. More like what men think women want to hear. They say that women don't like the Three Stooges. I'm married to one who does.

 

[TheBigA]

My point exactly. Tracked DJs don't sound local. Tracked stations don't have a local feel.

And yet Steve Harvey is one of the most popular DJs in Philadelphia.