Buffalo has a new Oldies station

[CTListener]

I am from the earliest boomer year, and that song is repulsively old to me... it's my parent's music. It's a 75+ song.

To me, a mid-boomer, it's still preferable to that Eagles dirge.

 

[four4rock]

That is "CITY" of Buffalo data. The median age of the MSA is:

"In 2016, the median age of all people in Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY Metro Area was 40.7."

https://datausa.io/profile/geo/buffalo-niagara-falls-ny-metro-area/

The median age for Yavapai County is 51... that includes Pres-kitt and Pres-kitt Valley, Dewey-Humbolt and a few other towns and the rural population.

Still - from a statistical and marketing perspective - an enormous difference. What one likes at, say, 55 is quite different from that of someone at 65. 15 vs 25. Songs of 1965 vs songs of 1975. '75 vs '85.

 

[Prescott Joe]

Still - from a statistical and marketing perspective - an enormous difference. What one likes at, say, 55 is quite different from that of someone at 65. 15 vs 25. Songs of 1965 vs songs of 1975. '75 vs '85.

That may be true to a certain extent. I grew up hearing my favorite aunt and uncle play easy listening back in Buffalo, NY on WBNY and WADV. Being constantly exposed to that kind of music made it familiar and comforting in a way. It remains my favorite genre but I do enjoy rock and roll from the 50's, 60's and 70's. After that period, I find I like a few choice selections. A young person continually exposed to a certain kind of music will probably find it acceptable all through their lifetime......

 

[davideduardo]

Still - from a statistical and marketing perspective - an enormous difference. What one likes at, say, 55 is quite different from that of someone at 65. 15 vs 25. Songs of 1965 vs songs of 1975. '75 vs '85.

Let's take the years of the peak of the British invasion...

A 13-year-old kid and a 28 year old woman both were at the core of Top 40 stations... as was even the 35 year old woman, too. That is a spread of 22 years, all listening to the same music. So for many, songs that were hits 20 to 25 years apart can be equally appealing.

 

[CTListener]

Let's take the years of the peak of the British invasion...

A 13-year-old kid and a 28 year old woman both were at the core of Top 40 stations... as was even the 35 year old woman, too. That is a spread of 22 years, all listening to the same music. So for many, songs that were hits 20 to 25 years apart can be equally appealing.

I was born in 1955. My Top 40 years were 1966 (although I had listened occasionally during the first year or so of the Beatles/British invasion) to 1986, when I found country music, which was going through a renaissance of sorts, more in tune with my musical tastes. So when oldies stations of the early '00s would play both "Ticket to Ride" and "When Doves Cry," for example, they were well within my musical nostalgia comfort zone.

 

[andreajesus]

sorry, call me a jaded senior citizen (I'm 59) - but these days, when some radio guy says that they now reformatted the station to an "oldies" format, I'm looking at it and thinking "greatest hits" (aka 70's/80's) - in my neck of the woods (NYC), we had a GREAT oldies station which from 1972 to 2005 was playin REAL oldies - when they returned in 2007, the station reformatted as "greatest hits" and lately has been playing mostly 80's to today - sad....
(and I would love to be wrong on this - I would love to see an oldies format succeed in 2018 - but it's gonna be awfully hard)
#Golden101

 

[Tall Thin One]

Quote Originally Posted by DavidEduardo

"I am from the earliest boomer year, and that song is repulsively old to me... it's my parent's music. It's a 75+ song".
________________________

I hear you, David. That was kind of my point. Maybe someone has raised this already, but I'm curious if things were going so swimmingly well, why did Buddy Shula change the imaging and music on his station overnight? Seems like an odd move if things were going as well as he would have us believe.

 

[four4rock]

Quote Originally Posted by DavidEduardo

"I am from the earliest boomer year, and that song is repulsively old to me... it's my parent's music. It's a 75+ song".
________________________

I hear you, David. That was kind of my point. Maybe someone has raised this already, but I'm curious if things were going so swimmingly well, why did Buddy Shula change the imaging and music on his station overnight? Seems like an odd move if things were going as well as he would have us believe.

Exactly. I had said on (I think?) page 1 here: "Spin is spin. But if the (still new) business was already succeeding at its business plan - y'know, "super-serving the 55+ demo" - what savvy entrepreneur would change course so early?"

Who writes a business plan that includes a so-called "tweak" like this. I do not buy into any presentation that this was a planned or "normal course of business."

 

[TheBigA]

Who writes a business plan that includes a so-called "tweak" like this. I do not buy into any presentation that this was a planned or "normal course of business."

Depends. I'm not one who sees that the business model has changed at all. He's always aimed at an older demographic. He may have been hesitant to play this much older music out of the box. Now that he's seen the response, listened to his clients, and considered his options, he's unafraid to play even older music.

Look: I read complaints and criticisms all day about highly researched corporate radio, playing the same songs over & over. This is what you get when you have a single station owner, whose primary expertise is sales, overseeing all aspects of a radio station. It's not like he had to clear his decisions with some big corporate owner in a far away city. One day he woke up and decided "Today I'm playing Doris Day." Give the guy a break. It's his money, and he can play whatever he wants.

 

[four4rock]

... I'm not one who sees that the business model has changed at all.

...not like he had to clear his decisions with some big corporate owner

It's his money...

Business plan, not business model. Big difference.

Not a "radio" corporate owner. Everyone answers to someone... especially when you owe someone.

"his money"? Highly doubtful.

 

[TheBigA]

"his money"? Highly doubtful.

Do you know Buddy?

 

[four4rock]

No.


Current Entity Name: RADIO ONE BUFFALO, LLC
DOS ID #: 5080391
Initial DOS Filing Date: FEBRUARY 06, 2017
County: ERIE
Jurisdiction: NEW YORK
Entity Type: DOMESTIC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
Current Entity Status: ACTIVE


Collateral Inventory and proceeds - Account(s) and proceeds - Computer equipment and proceeds - Communications equipment and proceeds - and OTHERS
Type
Sec. Party CNB BANK, ISAOA ATTN.: COMMERCIAL LOANS, CLEARFIELD, PA
Debtor RADIO ONE BUFFALO, LLC
Filing No. 1705110229648
Filed With SECRETARY OF STATE/UCC DIVISION, ALBANY, NY

Date Filed 2017-05-11
Latest Info Received 05/30/18



Like I say, everyone answers to someone. It may be "corporate radio", it may be a bank, it may be a spouse, it may be the mob (lol), it may be the government... but it's always somebody. In the case of a bank, there are lending covenants that must be met.

And don't forget "2900 Genesee St LLC".

 

[Buddy Shula]

That's not "passion", that's "emotion".

Spin is spin. But if the (still new) business was already succeeding at its business plan - y'know, "super-serving the 55+ demo" - what savvy entrepreneur would change course so early? I admit that I don't know... do listeners get "confused" or "disgruntled" when stuff like this happens?

Dude, what is it about you and your business plan? My business plan called for making money. We are doing that easily. But I am not the type that stops at good enough. I raise the bar. So to me, good is not good enough!, listen to the station and give me your feedback. It sounds major market.

 

[Buddy Shula]

No.


Current Entity Name: RADIO ONE BUFFALO, LLC
DOS ID #: 5080391
Initial DOS Filing Date: FEBRUARY 06, 2017
County: ERIE
Jurisdiction: NEW YORK
Entity Type: DOMESTIC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
Current Entity Status: ACTIVE


Collateral Inventory and proceeds - Account(s) and proceeds - Computer equipment and proceeds - Communications equipment and proceeds - and OTHERS
Type
Sec. Party CNB BANK, ISAOA ATTN.: COMMERCIAL LOANS, CLEARFIELD, PA
Debtor RADIO ONE BUFFALO, LLC
Filing No. 1705110229648
Filed With SECRETARY OF STATE/UCC DIVISION, ALBANY, NY

Date Filed 2017-05-11
Latest Info Received 05/30/18



Like I say, everyone answers to someone. It may be "corporate radio", it may be a bank, it may be a spouse, it may be the mob (lol), it may be the government... but it's always somebody. In the case of a bank, there are lending covenants that must be met.

And don't forget "2900 Genesee St LLC".

I am trying to figure out WTF you are trying to prove here. I have bank who lent me the money for the station just like the bank would lend money to buy a house. The bank does not and cannot dictate how I run my business, but they are extremely happy. Just like the bank can’t tell you what color to paint your house. You folks are really reaching. The the other poster said. Listen to the one that knows. ME. I see a big opportunity in 55 plus. That is what the station is. Stop speculating when you can just ask me and I will give you the facts.

 

[Rob Piotrowski]

I am trying to figure out WTF you are trying to prove here.

What they're trying to prove is that they're a pot-stirrer trying to get a rise out of people. Looks like they got you!

 

[Element9]

As one poster earlier in this thread noted, "it's his money, he can do what he wants." Right on! Not my circus, not my clowns. If the station succeeds, great. If not, life goes on.

A few observations:

• The station flipped a day or two after the Spring book ended. IIRC, the owner is on record as saying he buys only the Spring and Falls books. Could be a long wait to find out how the shift to Oldies is working.

• We don't know what kind of research, if any, WECK is using to shape its playlist, but if the research is telling the guy who's signing the checks to play Doris Day... feh, go for it.

• Most of the people I know who are 55-64 years old listen to 97 Rock or WHTT, Q-107, Giant or Jack FM... even the Edge. Just a coincidence that those stations are established, full signal FMs that cover the entire market.

• When I think of a great Oldies station, Oldies 104 from 20 years ago comes to mind, playing hits from the Beatles, Four Tops, Rolling Stones, Elvis, Aretha, Rascals, Elvis, Orbison, Everly Brothers, Four Seasons, Motown and British Invasion. No Doris Day. No stiffs. Just the hits. The listeners who were 45-64 back then are now 65-84 years old.

The discussion here is pretty interesting, especially the average posters' takes, the highly valued takes from the Legends of the Board and the owner of the station who, rather Trump-like, has doubled down and predicted not a four, but a 5 share Persons 12+. Good luck!

Really.

 

[CTListener]

Is "most of the people I know" the most irritating phrase commonly written on this board? It proves nothing and, to me, calls into serious question the poster's knowledge of basic statistics.

 

[Buddy Shula]

Folks, we don't play Doris Day anymore. Just FYI. I have really tried to be upfront and honest in these boards of trying to give the facts, which I am the only one who knows... a few months ago sir rox told me we could never get 100.5 because of some FCC rules.....wrong. I am being told that WECK did not beat WMSX, WBUF, and WLKK in phase 2 of the summer book 12 plus.....wrong. I am being told that the station is making moves based on a business plan....wrong........I am being told the station is struggling....wrong.........I was told that the economics of my payroll would not work.....wrong.

Why don't you try listening to me? I own it. I know what's going on. WECK has more than quadrupled in just about every way since I took over 13 months ago. I will continue to go above even that! We have three dial positions. I mentioned the spring book phase 2. That or anything proceeding that did not count our third frequency at 100.5, which by the way is where we need the help. Our number one zip code is Hamburg.

Here is another thing to take a bet on.....I will buy a major market FM in Buffalo. Just tellin ya. Also, just tellin ya......WECK will be a 4-5 share 12 plus station. Already is a top 5 50 plus. Is already a top ten 12 plus in metro (Commercial stations). Remember, you are talking about a 1K AM with 2 translators. My competition should be ashamed of their selves to have 50K FM's that I am beating. I would like you to find a 1KW in ANY major or medium size market in the U.S. that is a top ten 12 plus, with the revenue my station gets. IF you know of one, please post it.

I can't discuss anything with posters who simply do not argue facts. I know the facts, you do not. I am always happy to give you the facts about WECK. I don't mind. I was blessed to have this opportunity and I will share with you my thoughts, as I know everyone here loves radio. But please do not just surmise. Why don't you wish me a little luck, so I can have an effect on Wall Street radio that really has injured the industry.

As far as the play list, please note the next time you hear a Doris Day song.

 

[TheBigA]

Just know that there are a lot of people who admire what you're doing. It takes a lot of courage to do this.

 

[tbolt909]

Buddy says he will buy a "Major Market FM Station". What is that? Buffalo isn't a major market. He also is dwelling on the Spring P2 ratings(He said Summer). The Spring book will be out soon and he can enlighten everyone. Why the format "tweak" right after great ratings? The music on WECK is old. Some will like it, while others will be repelled by it. Others won't be aware the station exists.

Let's say WECK gets the 5 share. 99 percent of its listeners will still be over 55. The challenge is the same of selling to clients who want to target those demos. Buddy says it can be done and maybe he's right. Best of luck & success.
No need to be super sensitive to feedback that isn't flattering adulation.

Somebody break the bad news to Doris Day's next of kin. No more royalties from Buddy...