AllAccess reports that programming pioneer Bill Drake passed in CA at 71.
I worked two stations that used his service. WGRF Pleasantville with the "XT-40" format, and WIIN/WFPG-AM Atlantic City with a similar music target (the FM used Bonneville BM -that's beautiful music). And I think WKOK-FM Sunbury, PA.
The Drake-Chenault service sent a basic library of "oldies" in your chosen format, and updated the re-current reels bi-weekly or monthly, with weekly current reels. It only rotated a few hundred songs, some daypart restricted. As the audience turned over, the new listeners got to hear the same hits. See where I'm going with this? We still use his same principal today, well the smart ones do.
Those few hundred proven hits IN PROPER ROTATION worked fairly well, especially if live assisted. It's negative side was tapes running out, and the "computer" (64k ram) grabbing the next sequence song that was ready. It made for some interesting listening in the '70's. I can remember more than one jock load up 5 Revox and Scully decks with fresh reels (ruining the rotaion goals), make the sign of the cross, and leave unattended while he worked on the AM sister, oblivious to the FM. I can't count all the mornings I came in listening to one lunar song after another or test tones as all of the other tapes had run out, as had the AP paper an hour before.
Drake also assumed complete responsibility to his client stations' ratings, as long as they followed prescribed rotation and format was followed to a T. If you spliced out songs you didn't like, or spliced in new faves, you were on your own.
I worked two stations that used his service. WGRF Pleasantville with the "XT-40" format, and WIIN/WFPG-AM Atlantic City with a similar music target (the FM used Bonneville BM -that's beautiful music). And I think WKOK-FM Sunbury, PA.
The Drake-Chenault service sent a basic library of "oldies" in your chosen format, and updated the re-current reels bi-weekly or monthly, with weekly current reels. It only rotated a few hundred songs, some daypart restricted. As the audience turned over, the new listeners got to hear the same hits. See where I'm going with this? We still use his same principal today, well the smart ones do.
Those few hundred proven hits IN PROPER ROTATION worked fairly well, especially if live assisted. It's negative side was tapes running out, and the "computer" (64k ram) grabbing the next sequence song that was ready. It made for some interesting listening in the '70's. I can remember more than one jock load up 5 Revox and Scully decks with fresh reels (ruining the rotaion goals), make the sign of the cross, and leave unattended while he worked on the AM sister, oblivious to the FM. I can't count all the mornings I came in listening to one lunar song after another or test tones as all of the other tapes had run out, as had the AP paper an hour before.
Drake also assumed complete responsibility to his client stations' ratings, as long as they followed prescribed rotation and format was followed to a T. If you spliced out songs you didn't like, or spliced in new faves, you were on your own.