CBS FM Kill the 80's Play the Fabulous 50's!!

[chuckydoll]

To borrow from an old Saturday Night Live skit, Elvis is still dead.

These days you can't make 50's music a major part of a gold-based format. That means you're targeting 65+.

When CBS-FM signed on, WABC included pre-Beatles hits in the regular format with an "Old Gold" jingle. After 18 months or so 77 dropped the "Old Gold".

To include 80's hits you have to make sure it's the right music. CBS-FM is playing soundtrack songs and AOR. CBS-FM is not playing 80's pop. If "Tell Her About It" and "Uptown Girl" fit, so do "Mickey" and "She Works Hard for the Money". If you're playing "Do You Love Me" by The Contours, also play "Mony Mony" by Billy Idol.

BTW, the WABC "Old Gold" jingle is better than any jingle CBS-FM has ever used.

 

[marketweis]

So I'm 40, graduated HS in '85, and would, ironically, rather NOT hear the 80's on this station. For me, there's not much that is "classic" about the music I grew up with, in comparison to the classics of the 60's & 70's anyway. I loved the 80's when I was a teenager IN the 80's because it was MY generation's music, but now, that music doesn't do much for me when I compare it to the real classics, or better said, when I hear it played amongst the real classics.

Now conversely, if I'm listening to a "Mix" type station, I enjoy hearing stuff from the 80's. I guess it's because, to me, the "sound" of the 80's music fits in much better with the sound of the 90's and the current tunes. So I'm in the camp of wishing CBS would dump the 80's titles as well.

But that's your own subjective opinion. However, radio doesn't cater to any one person's subjective interests in music. The idea is to play the music that has the widest appeal for the demographic group(s) the station is targeting. CBS may have made a lot of stupid moves, but there's a reason why most major-market FM oldies/classic hit stations from any ownership group have cut out or severely limited the 50s songs in their playlists.

Ummm....yes, that IS my opinion, which is what we do here on the boards is share our opinions. For ME, as I said, *I* would rather not hear as many 80's on this particular station. Not once did I mention they should play more 50's. Others have said that, but not me.

 

[SuperRadioFan]

I hate to say it , but this station that serves Birmingham, AL, and the far western suburbs of Atlanta, blows CBS out of the water.


http://webclust1.liquidcompass.cc/sos4stnrd/audio_player.php?id=WYDE

Blows them out of the water ???

Nahhhhhh 70s focused been listening for an hour... I have heard NO song that CBS-FM hasn't already played... I fail to understand where you are coming from. Oh BTW they are different from CBS-FM... WYDE has ZERO personality DJs. No thank you.

 

[ruger22com]

The 50's are dead....and for the same reason as big band...the available audience has grown so old, they are not sellable to advertisers.

if you were 10 years old in 1959...today you would be 57....so the majority of the audience who grew up with that music is now in there 60's..and what advertiser wants to shoot for a 60 year old as a prime demo?

Geeeezzzzz guys...forget what kid of music YOU like, and start thinking like an honest to god programmer.

 

[vchimpanzee]

My radio station still plays 50s music. 40s too occasionally. The owner went to high school back in the 50s. Most of it is satellite, but it's the good stuff. I heard Elvis this morning. Sinatra too.

 

[OldiesCat]

In a word: no.

Part of the problem with the old CBS-FM was an average listener age over 60. Why in God's name would they go back to that (unless they want lousy 25-54 ratings and the lousy revenue that comes with it?

 

[Robert Bass]

I've compared a few playlists between WCBS, NY and KLUV, Dallas. They are very similar. I listened online to CBS's first day back as an oldies station, and loved every bit of it. They had the right mix of 60's, 70's and 80's. Kudos to the folks behind the scenes. They know what they are doing.

R

 

[RadioMan203]

I think a very limited amount of 50's songs can work if well planned. I've jocked live dances with the younger set and you'd be surprised how many youngsters know some of the classic 50's tunes. I think the only tracks that will make it are those that had been featured in movies as I'm betting that's how most of these folks had been exposed to these songs.

All in all, I do agree that the demo for 50's is typically older than advertisers are going to play to. Radio is in business to make money so they're going to skew their format to the most appealing for their target demo. It will be interesting to see the first book after the format flip.

 

[Garrett]

I want to hear jailhouse rock, not reo speedwagon!! lite fm and fresh play that crap!!

Those of us who grew up partly in the 80s deserve to hear that music, it IS oldies now. CBS FM, keep the 80s please...

 

[OldiesCat]

I think a very limited amount of 50's songs can work if well planned. I've jocked live dances with the younger set and you'd be surprised how many youngsters know some of the classic 50's tunes. I think the only tracks that will make it are those that had been featured in movies as I'm betting that's how most of these folks had been exposed to these songs.

All in all, I do agree that the demo for 50's is typically older than advertisers are going to play to. Radio is in business to make money so they're going to skew their format to the most appealing for their target demo. It will be interesting to see the first book after the format flip.

How people respond to and use music at dances is completely, 100% different than how they use the radio. A youngster "knowing some of the classic '50s tunes" and having many of them actually use CBS-FM playing them as one of their top 2 favorite stations will never, EVER happen.

Go ahead, convince CBS-FM to work in more '50s music. I guarantee another death of CBS-FM within 2 years if you succeed.

 

[disney fanatic]

We don't need to plan about the '50s music because the '60s, '70s and sometime '80s are Classic Hits because CBS FM will not kill the '80s music because now the '50s music is already died.

Up in the Hudson Valley, WBPM did the same thing at 92.9 since it flipped from oldies when it was "Cool 92.9" to "Classic Hits 92.9" back in early February. "Cool 92.9" used to play some 50's and early 60's music a little bit, but it was gone. WKIP has the "Solid Gold Jukebox" with Rick McCaffery on Friday nights playing a lot of 50's and 60's music from 6:00 PM until 11:00 PM except the "Doo-Wop Cruise" at 9:00 PM where they play a lot of doo-wop songs from the 50's and early 60's. WKNY up in Kingston had the "Solid Gold Weekend" with Warren Lawrence every Saturday from noon to 7:00 PM with some more doo-wop music from 4:00 PM until 6:00 PM and then ended with some slow ballads from the 50's through the 70's until 7:00 PM. That's all there is to it.

Forget the 50's and early 60's music on CBS-FM, it over! Get a life! My stepdad has a new Jeep with Sirius Satellite Radio installed where I hear some 50's music on his satellite radio.

If I can to 50's music, I should listen to it on my iPod.

 

[NJListener]

For those of you all saying that the 50's music is dead and that there is no market for it you are sadly mistaken.You are entitled to feel that way, but if that's the case why would you be bothering with a supposed "oldies format". CBS should not have returned under the pretense of appealing to their former audience if their intention was not to play 50's, early 60's mixed in with the 70's. It was all a scam to get us to listen. I have no problem accepting that the CBS as I once knew it,is dead. I just resent all the HYPE about the big "return to Oldies" . They are sadly mistaken if they think they can hold onto the fan base they once had because I may as well tune into 107.1 The Breeze here in NJ. And for all you idiots that think advertisers won't waste their money on older folk, I gotta tell you that you are so misguided. I am 48 and never had so much frigging money to spend. And if I was 60, Id have even more cause my kids would be out of college and I'd really be living large. According to your theory 20-30 year old are the ones with the ca$h, I think not.

 

[SuperRadioFan]

For those of you all saying that the 50's music is dead and that there is no market for it you are sadly mistaken.You are entitled to feel that way, but if that's the case why would you be bothering with a supposed "oldies format". CBS should not have returned under the pretense of appealing to their former audience if their intention was not to play 50's, early 60's mixed in with the 70's. It was all a scam to get us to listen. I have no problem accepting that the CBS as I once knew it,is dead. I just resent all the HYPE about the big "return to Oldies" . They are sadly mistaken if they think they can hold onto the fan base they once had because I may as well tune into 107.1 The Breeze here in NJ. And for all you idiots that think advertisers won't waste their money on older folk, I gotta tell you that you are so misguided. I am 48 and never had so much frigging money to spend. And if I was 60, Id have even more cause my kids would be out of college and I'd really be living large. According to your theory 20-30 year old are the ones with the ca$h, I think not.

From a native of New Brunswick now in SoCal, I say to you wake up and smell the coffee. It's Starbucks coffe, not Maxwell House good to the last drop. Yes I grew up in the 60s and really dug the 50s and 60s oldies. CBS-FM is no longer an "Oldies" station. Deal with it! They are not calling themselves an oldies station and are not an oldies station. There are plenty of options for us to hear 50s hits but I can't diss what the new CBS-FM is trying to do. It works for me. Re. advertisers, you and I have $$$ to spend but "advertisers" have to look at ROI when they spend ad $$$ on radio. Those advertisers wanting a slice of the 45+ age group will go to other media besides radio to get the most bang for their buck. That's reality today. You don't have to like it. Mayyybe the attitude will change later I just don't know.
Re. losing the "fan" base to The Breeze, I don't see any comparison between a Big City Megalopis radio station vs a suburban Jersey Shore station that needs two sticks to serve the populace. They are OK but the music mix is even more broad than what 101.1 FM is now playing.

 

[OldiesCat]

Re: CBS FM

For those of you all saying that the 50's music is dead and that there is no market for it you are sadly mistaken.You are entitled to feel that way, but if that's the case why would you be bothering with a supposed "oldies format". CBS should not have returned under the pretense of appealing to their former audience if their intention was not to play 50's, early 60's mixed in with the 70's. It was all a scam to get us to listen. I have no problem accepting that the CBS as I once knew it,is dead. I just resent all the HYPE about the big "return to Oldies" . They are sadly mistaken if they think they can hold onto the fan base they once had because I may as well tune into 107.1 The Breeze here in NJ. And for all you idiots that think advertisers won't waste their money on older folk, I gotta tell you that you are so misguided. I am 48 and never had so much frigging money to spend. And if I was 60, Id have even more cause my kids would be out of college and I'd really be living large. According to your theory 20-30 year old are the ones with the ca$h, I think not.

I never said 20-30 year olds are "the ones with the cash".

And, what do you expect CBS-FM to say? 'We're back but we're not what we used to be so don't be fooled"?

People who can't get go of the 50s are the SCAM on this board. Grow up, move on. Elvis HAS left the building.

 

[NJListener]

You, in So.Cal, I don't really see how this is any of your business anyway. And to the rude Cat, you're just a jerk. I made my mind up about you 30 posts ago. Is this your life? Your "Elvis has left the building" isn' t quite accurate apprently, because since CBS came "back" I have heard "Suspicious Minds" 3 frigging times. Out of all his tunes they choose to play that over and over all because it is post 1964. I stand by my original statements that unless the suits over there are still fine tuning it, it sucks the way it is. It is NOT the CBS that we knew and loved, so drop the "We're back" BS. They can't please everyone, true. It's disengeuous on their part to pretend they are something that they aren't. You Johnny come lately's that are so thrilled with the NEW ,yet supposedly OLD format aren't part of the loyal listening crowd that grew up on CBS. I don't know who you are but you don't have a clue. I don't know why you aren't listening to WPLJ or WNEW. And by CBS not even trying to appeal to us loyal listeners with a tidbit of 50's here and there , they are going to be back where they started from 2 weeks ago. They are just so "ordinary" now.

 

[SuperRadioFan]

You, in So.Cal, I don't really see how this is any of your business anyway.

Wellllllllll excuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuse me!! Whether or not I EVER lived in the NYC metro area does NOT preclude me from posting here!!
For your information, Mr. NJ, I lived more than half my life in Central Jersey, worked in NYC, I grew up listening (as a VERY young kid) to Martin Block, William B Williams, Farrel Smith (I doubt you know who he is), Dan Ingram (of course), Murray the K, Dandy Dan, Cousin Brucie, Bob Dayton, Bob Lewis, HOA, Ron Lundy, Chuck Dunaway, Rosko, Bill Brown, Walt "Baby" Love, Scott Muni, Jonathan Schwartz, Allison Steele (The NightBird), Pete Fornitale, Jack Ellison, Jean Shepherd, John Gambling, 'OR-FM, NEW-FM, Disco 92 'KTU, WPIX, Lyndsey Nelson, Bob Murphy, Ralph Kiner, The Scooter, Mel Allen, Red Barber, Sebastian Stone, Jim O'Brien (before he went to Philly), Ed Baer, George Michael, shall I go on or do I qualify and have your permission to post here?

And by CBS-FM not even trying to appeal to us loyal listeners with a tidbit of 50's here and there , they are going to be back where they started from 2 weeks ago. They are just so "ordinary" now.

So don't listen to an ordinary station. There's plenty of 50s-60s formats on Internet streams of over-the-air radio stations as well as puhhh-lenty of Internet only stations featuring what you want. BUT I doubt you'll have much personality on most of them.
So get off your high horse and relax.

 

[OldiesCat]

You, in So.Cal, I don't really see how this is any of your business anyway. And to the rude Cat, you're just a jerk. I made my mind up about you 30 posts ago. Is this your life? Your "Elvis has left the building" isn' t quite accurate apprently, because since CBS came "back" I have heard "Suspicious Minds" 3 frigging times. Out of all his tunes they choose to play that over and over all because it is post 1964. I stand by my original statements that unless the suits over there are still fine tuning it, it sucks the way it is. It is NOT the CBS that we knew and loved, so drop the "We're back" BS. They can't please everyone, true. It's disengeuous on their part to pretend they are something that they aren't. You Johnny come lately's that are so thrilled with the NEW ,yet supposedly OLD format aren't part of the loyal listening crowd that grew up on CBS. I don't know who you are but you don't have a clue. I don't know why you aren't listening to WPLJ or WNEW. And by CBS not even trying to appeal to us loyal listeners with a tidbit of 50's here and there , they are going to be back where they started from 2 weeks ago. They are just so "ordinary" now.

I'll likely lose little sleep you thinking I'm "a jerk". And, CBS will lose little sleep because you don't approve of their radio station. They'll have tens of thousands who'll continue to be thankful CBS-FM is back, regardless of whether they're playing Doo Wop or not.

 

[NJListener]

[EDIT]
And yes, I believe that wisdom will prevail at CBS and we will see the return of some doowop. Maybe a 2 hr. block once a week, or thru special requests which would be called in. They cannot disregard what the public wants, so I will adopt a wait and see approach. It's the total negativity on some of your part that is really bewildering. You are intent on the total demise of anything pre-1964, even the Disney person saying that he USED to like listening to the 50's and 60's. It makes no sense to say that in one breath and then to say that "oh well, they are gone". Gee, it seems to me either you like something or you don't . How fickle can you get? And one other thing..If everyone is getting up at a wedding to dance to Chubby Checker's "The Twist", (1960) why would those very same people be they 15 or 60 not enjoy hearing it in their home or in their car? People generally like "bopping" around to the same songs wherever they are. Your arguments have NO merit.

[EDIT-inflammatory content]

 

[OldiesCat]

[EDIT]
And yes, I believe that wisdom will prevail at CBS and we will see the return of some doowop. Maybe a 2 hr. block once a week, or thru special requests which would be called in. They cannot disregard what the public wants, so I will adopt a wait and see approach. It's the total negativity on some of your part that is really bewildering. You are intent on the total demise of anything pre-1964, even the Disney person saying that he USED to like listening to the 50's and 60's. It makes no sense to say that in one breath and then to say that "oh well, they are gone". Gee, it seems to me either you like something or you don't . How fickle can you get? And one other thing..If everyone is getting up at a wedding to dance to Chubby Checker's "The Twist", (1960) why would those very same people be they 15 or 60 not enjoy hearing it in their home or in their car? People generally like "bopping" around to the same songs wherever they are. Your arguments have NO merit.

[EDIT-inflammatory content]

I'm afraid what you're missing is that I'm not making decisions based on what I like or my emotional attachments. Your "pre-1964" comment is a bit naiive, since I'm just reporting where the available audience and revenue potential are. This just in: they go hand-in-hand. Sure, CBS-FM or any other Oldies station could still swim deep in the pre-Beatles music and goose their 12+ numbers, but nobody (and I mean NOBODY) sells 12+ numbers. In today's radio environment (and I'm mostly referring to FM music station competition in Top 100 markets), all the buys are (or subsets within) 18-49 and 25-54. If you have an audience that averages around 60 (like CBS-FM did before their ill-fated trip with Jack), you have nearly no hope of generating enough consistent revenue to survive.

It IS just that simple. Show business- two words: show and business. Our radio past is littered with stations that have gotten good ratings but were run terribly and ended up dying. If I'm an owner or employee, I want management to give my station it's best shot at success, which means consistently good ratings and consistently good revenue. THAT is how the real world of radio runs, and, by the way, has run for about 40 years.

 

[NJListener]

Cat man, Blah blah ...You keep saying that WCBS audience pre Jack was 60+. That is the most inaccurate comment you have said thus far and you have said many. FYI,the music I like the MOST is Q-104.3, Classic Rock and I have a long way to go until I am 60. You need to stop painting doo-wop and 50's music lovers with such a broad brush. You have us all bedridden and wheel chair bound, collecting Social Security. Take a few minutes and read some of the blogs and you will see that those of us that miss the OLD format come in all ages and we are in that very age category that you claim the advertisers want. Where do you get your info? Pull it out of your butt? If the advertisers are looking for the 34-55 crowd they have it with us. WCBS may be wise to incorporate minimum 20% of their air time to us or risk alienating us forever, and our $$$$.