Charlotte Oldies Radio Question

[lash]

What was the last oldies station in Charlotte? And who can give me a history lesson on Magic 96.1, when it was in the oldies format.

Appreciate it!

 

[vasser]

What was the last oldies station in Charlotte? And who can give me a history lesson on Magic 96.1, when it was in the oldies format.
Appreciate it!

Magic 96.1 was the last Charlotte FM station to call itself an "Oldies" station. Of course the "OLDIES" part got dumped even on Magic 96.1 because the word "Oldies" was considered passe' or somehow conjured up all sorts of negative images. Of course other stations are playing Oldies, like Lite 102.9 (which got the lion's share of the former Magic audience and wound up number 1 in the next rating) and 104.7 which is doing a good job right now playing rock Oldies. Then there is Magic 94.1 out of Lexington which actually showed up in the last Charlotte Arbitron actually calling what they play "Oldies" there in spite of a fringe signal in town. And don't forget the reincarnation, albeit somewhat limited in power and scope, of "Big Ways" on the AM dial which plays lots of pre-Beatles Oldies including lots of Doo-Wop and girl groups.

For a history lesson on Magic 96.1 and the state of Oldies radio, one of the best places to start is at the tribute site that has been online almost since Magic 96.1 got blown up. EVERYTHING is explained there including Pre-Magic history of 96.1 FM. I'm quite proud of this site and it is the biggest I've ever done and better yet, it is self-supporting thanks to all the fans of Magic 96.1 who pay the freight. It might be the largest radio tribute site online. In fact I'm pretty sure it is. Other sites have more airchecks, but nobody has as much stuff in general as we have. You can even get the everpopular sceensaver software for your computer! It would take your hours to see and hear everything there. Start here: http://www.tragic96.com

Magic was a class act, right up until Bill & Sue Dalton got an offer they couldn't refuse. God bless them. They were the best owners EVER.

"Have a Magic day!"

 

[lash]

I found the site Vassar, prior to your post. I know former PD Keith Abrams. His success with oldies has continued in a big way with CBS.

Appreciate the info!

 

[vasser]

I found the site Vassar, prior to your post. I know former PD Keith Abrams. His success with oldies has continued in a big way with CBS.

Appreciate the info!

So what information do you need specifically?

Interesting that you know Keith Abrams. He is the best PD I ever worked for and that is no joke. No offense to the other PD's, but Keith Abrams was something special. Also he's a really, and I mean REALLY, good jock!

Brother Dave

 

[lash]

Keith is the premier oldies programmer in the country. His brother Chris, at KOOL in Phoenix is also tremendous. I wrote you off line in the messsage area with some more specifics.

Is anyone paying attention and listening to Magic in Lexington? How is it affecting the Charlotte market?

 

[newsguync]

Magic 96 was the last FM oldies station in the Charlotte market. Right now, on the fringe, is Magic Oldies WLON, which plays a mixture of music from the 60s-80s.

There is also a show on Sunday nights called "Groovy Tunes" (shameless plug here). I play mainstream hits from the 50s-70s with different segments. I have a lot of fun doing it and (locally), it's getting rave reviews.....

"The Muffin" Jon Mayhew...aka Newsguync

 

[lash]

On the subject of "on the fringe", I'll share the name and logo soon!

Thanks for the info guys!

 

[vchimpanzee]

and 104.7 which is doing a good job right now playing rock Oldies.

That's not rock. That's AC. Maybe you meant soft rock, but soft rock isn't rock except in the sense it isn't jazz or country.

Then there is Magic 94.1 out of Lexington which actually showed up in the last Charlotte Arbitron actually calling what they play "Oldies" there in spite of a fringe signal in town.

Very good station, though oldies isn't really my taste. Too bad they didn't hire more Oldies 93 jocks or even some Magic 96.1 jocks.

And don't forget the reincarnation, albeit somewhat limited in power and scope, of "Big Ways" on the AM dial which plays lots of pre-Beatles Oldies including lots of Doo-Wop and girl groups.

Don't forget to tell them where it is! 63 Big Ways, Hickory, probably best received north and west of town, and no nighttime signal to speak of unless you're actually in Hickory.

There is another oldies station in Charlotte. Have you ever heard Ken Conrad's morning show? True, they venture back into the big band era, but what I was told on the phone was that all of Magic 96's listeners went to that station. I'm sure some switched to 95.7 The Ride, which leans in a rock direction but plays the occasional Temptations or Stevie Wonder.

The Mix 106 signal's not great except on the south end, and nonexistent toward Hickory, though 63 Big Ways is there. The satellite format they use most of the time is a mix of easy oldies, soft AC classics, and new versions of big band standards. That's also on 550 AM in Statesville a lot of the time.

 

[fortmill]

Still amazed people ignore another rimshot oldies station, WRBK-FM 90.3 from Richburg SC---provides good reception in South Charlotte and points south.

 

[Raleigh Rocker]

Isn't Majic 94.1's afternoon guy a former Magic 96er?

 

[Matt]

Actually, he did traffic reports for them. You can find a picture of him from a few years back here, when he was working for another station...and it's NOT the one of "brother dave"... http://www.thatwasradio.com/wabz.html

Later....
Matt Smith
WGSR-TV

 

[vchimpanzee]

Still amazed people ignore another rimshot oldies station, WRBK-FM 90.3 from Richburg SC---provides good reception in South Charlotte and points south.

Yeah, Mark Washburn ran a correction after he listed oldies stations in the Observer and someone mentioned this one.

I should add WHIP-AM 1350 in Mooresville. I don't know how good a station that is.

 

[vasser]

and 104.7 which is doing a good job right now playing rock Oldies.

That's not rock. That's AC. Maybe you meant soft rock, but soft rock isn't rock except in the sense it isn't jazz or country.

Then there is Magic 94.1 out of Lexington which actually showed up in the last Charlotte Arbitron actually calling what they play "Oldies" there in spite of a fringe signal in town.

Very good station, though oldies isn't really my taste. Too bad they didn't hire more Oldies 93 jocks or even some Magic 96.1 jocks.

And don't forget the reincarnation, albeit somewhat limited in power and scope, of "Big Ways" on the AM dial which plays lots of pre-Beatles Oldies including lots of Doo-Wop and girl groups.

Don't forget to tell them where it is! 63 Big Ways, Hickory, probably best received north and west of town, and no nighttime signal to speak of unless you're actually in Hickory.

There is another oldies station in Charlotte. Have you ever heard Ken Conrad's morning show? True, they venture back into the big band era, but what I was told on the phone was that all of Magic 96's listeners went to that station. I'm sure some switched to 95.7 The Ride, which leans in a rock direction but plays the occasional Temptations or Stevie Wonder.

The Mix 106 signal's not great except on the south end, and nonexistent toward Hickory, though 63 Big Ways is there. The satellite format they use most of the time is a mix of easy oldies, soft AC classics, and new versions of big band standards. That's also on 550 AM in Statesville a lot of the time.

Wow, I sure thought Steve Miller band was rock. Guess when 104.7 plays it isn't rock? At the time of my post 104.7 was playing some rock oldies. Of course they change music every few months and now they are playing lots of acoustic stuff. But for a while there I was hearing Eagles, Doobies, Steve Miller and other rock oldies.

Second, Majic 94.1 does have THE SHARK who is Mark McGuffin. Mark was doing fulltime on 106.5 THE END but he also did do weekends on Magic 96.1 FM as SWINGING MAC. So they DO have a former Magic jock technically.

Prior to that Mark indeed did traffic for Magic and other stations too. Mark the Shark and I worked together on and off over a period of 20 years.

Brother Dave

 

[haze1268]

Yes we play Steve Miller Band, Eagles, Beatles, Elton John, Matchbox 20, Santana, even Nickelback as far as current rock. I would say we play some rock and some oldies.

 

[Call Me Sherlock]

On the subject of "on the fringe", I'll share the name and logo soon!

So, Chris...what FM station do you now own in or near the Charlotte, NC market? Did I miss that post?

 

[carolinaradio]

Wasn't 95.7 The Ride technically an Oldies station when it signed on? I remember reading somewhere it was 60s/70s rock hits or something, which could technically be Oldies. I remember they used to play The Supremes sometimes.

It's such a shame that 96.1 is no longer playing oldies....thought it would outlast WTRG/Raleigh but it didn't. They were sounding much better a couple months before the flip.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Yes we play Steve Miller Band, Eagles, Beatles, Elton John, Matchbox 20, Santana, even Nickelback as far as current rock. I would say we play some rock and some oldies.

Well, that's what I meant. All of those are rock, but rock isn't all they play.

 

[nerleman]

Wasn't 95.7 The Ride technically an Oldies station when it signed on? I remember reading somewhere it was 60s/70s rock hits or something, which could technically be Oldies. I remember they used to play The Supremes sometimes.

A brief history of WXRC 95.7 FM...

In the 70s it was called "Channel X Country" and used TM Communications 10" reels for programming.
In 1978, the station flipped to top 40 and adopted the monicker "X-rock 96". Used TM's "Stereo Rock" services on 10" reels and ran totally automated and jockless.

Late 1984/early 1985, they began adding some live jocks and, by the summer of '85 had a full airstaff, still using automtion with live assist.

September 1985, the format flipped to classic rock/AOR and was called "The Rock". This was about the time I went to work there. They continued using the automation/cart carousels for spots. Music was played from LPs and CDs. What made the use of vinyl so blatantly obvious was the fact that the station was right next to the Norfolk Southern Railroad track. Anytime a train went by, it shook the building to the point that it would cause a very noticeable wow-and-flutter. It still surprises me that those trains never caused the records to skip.

Late 1987/early 88 the station moved into the old WSPF building on Tate Blvd. Later, the studios were moved to Charlotte but remained there little more than a year. By this time Dave Lingafeldt had acquired it and moved WXRC into the same building with WNNC and WIRC in Newton.

The station went through several name changes including "Rock 95-7", "95-7 The Panther" and "Charlotte's Deep Cuts 95.7".
The current format (The Ride) was launched in early or mid 2002. Its focus still remains primarily classic rock but with some other stuff that wasn't considered AOR back when, like Marvin Gaye, the Supremes, James Taylor, etc. It's definitely the most eclectic and unique mix on commercial radio around here. I kinda like it, but I wish Dave would actually put some live jocks on and loosen the restrictions on them. With very little effort, he could make the station sound like 95Q (WROQ) did in its heyday as "The Album Station", which would be quite enjoyable.

 

[jtudor]

I kinda like it, but I wish Dave would actually put some live jocks on and loosen the restrictions on them. With very little effort, he could make the station sound like 95Q (WROQ) did in its heyday as "The Album Station", which would be quite enjoyable.

Now I may be wrong because I don't listen frequently, but didn't he have Harriet Coffey (Ex Magic96er) on in the afternoons? She may have been voice tracked, and may not even be there now, but I know she was for a while.

Still I agree with what you said above, I like the eclectic format he runs there, and have listened quite often. With a little work, he could make it into a killer station. I am rather surprised that he does not do that, as much as he relies on personality on WNNC.

On another point, I am surprised that he has not made the 630 station into something besides jukebox, he got the call letters WAIZ, and is using the moniker "Big Ways" even went as far as getting some of the old Big Ways jingles redone. But then he went with do-wop oriented oldies instead of the '60s I would have expected, and jockless too, basically a jukebox with commercials.

Yes I know its AM, but still I would have expected more out of Dave and anyone capitalizing on the old "Big Ways" franchise!

Just my $0.02 worth, adjusted for inflation, YMMV.

 

[wncc]

Harriett Coffey does do middays. She sounds great even though she is VT'ed.