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Chicago's next oldies FM: Kiss or Zone?

  • Thread starter eggsdannythomas
  • Start date

E

eggsdannythomas

Guest
If Clear channel were smart they would flip an FM to "real oldies". The 1690 signal sucks, you can't get it at night, staticy as hell, plus it's at the end of the dead AM dial. They would probably sell the AM or keep it as a simulcast.

Music needs to be heard on FM! The only AM station that music ever sounded good on was WLS-AM.

Now if oldies moved to WLS-AM, because of the richhistory, it might work. I know WLS still bills well, even though it's not half the station it was at the height of Roe & Garry-mania.

So bring WLS back to 94.7, oldies with Biondi, Winston, Brown. Just like a poster said in a previous thread. They need to do it right, like using original Musicradio jingles for their image. It really would be wonderful, and let's face it, WJMK's sound was almost identical to 'LS or 'CFL, except for the calls.

The Zone's not gonna last, so who knows. WCKG is still gonna flip, maybe they'll do an oldies thing there, but I doubt it. Infiniti killed their oldies format Friday for good. Oh, yeah I know Infiniti is a car, not a radio chain.
 
> If Clear channel were smart they would flip an FM to "real
> oldies". The 1690 signal sucks, you can't get it at night,
> staticy as hell, plus it's at the end of the dead AM dial.
> They would probably sell the AM or keep it as a simulcast.
>
> Music needs to be heard on FM! The only AM station that
> music ever sounded good on was WLS-AM.
>
> Now if oldies moved to WLS-AM, because of the richhistory,
> it might work. I know WLS still bills well, even though it's
> not half the station it was at the height of Roe &
> Garry-mania.
>
> So bring WLS back to 94.7, oldies with Biondi, Winston,
> Brown. Just like a poster said in a previous thread. They
> need to do it right, like using original Musicradio jingles
> for their image. It really would be wonderful, and let's
> face it, WJMK's sound was almost identical to 'LS or 'CFL,
> except for the calls.
>
> The Zone's not gonna last, so who knows. WCKG is still gonna
> flip, maybe they'll do an oldies thing there, but I doubt
> it. Infiniti killed their oldies format Friday for good. Oh,
> yeah I know Infiniti is a car, not a radio chain.
>
Oldies is a dying breed of Format Its gonna be a Rimshot or Sataliette format from here on out no CIty Grade Signal will be doing oldies in any market. CC wont be flipping Kiss to Oldies. Just Like Infinity, Clear Channel is slowly Getting out of the oldies Format. CC has like 8 Oldies FOrmatted Stations Left In Top 50 Markets, WMJI Cleveland, KLOU St Louis, KJR-FM Seattle, KQQL Minneapolis, WBIG Washington DC, KQOL Las Vegas. WWSW Pittsburgh, WRIT Milwaukee.
 
> > If Clear channel were smart they would flip an FM to "real
>
> > oldies". The 1690 signal sucks, you can't get it at night,
>
> > staticy as hell, plus it's at the end of the dead AM dial.
>
> > They would probably sell the AM or keep it as a simulcast.
>
> >
> > Music needs to be heard on FM! The only AM station that
> > music ever sounded good on was WLS-AM.
> >
> > Now if oldies moved to WLS-AM, because of the richhistory,
>
> > it might work. I know WLS still bills well, even though
> it's
> > not half the station it was at the height of Roe &
> > Garry-mania.
> >
> > So bring WLS back to 94.7, oldies with Biondi, Winston,
> > Brown. Just like a poster said in a previous thread. They
> > need to do it right, like using original Musicradio
> jingles
> > for their image. It really would be wonderful, and let's
> > face it, WJMK's sound was almost identical to 'LS or 'CFL,
>
> > except for the calls.
> >
> > The Zone's not gonna last, so who knows. WCKG is still
> gonna
> > flip, maybe they'll do an oldies thing there, but I doubt
> > it. Infiniti killed their oldies format Friday for good.
> Oh,
> > yeah I know Infiniti is a car, not a radio chain.
> >
> Oldies is a dying breed of Format Its gonna be a Rimshot or
> Sataliette format from here on out no CIty Grade Signal will
> be doing oldies in any market. CC wont be flipping Kiss to
> Oldies. Just Like Infinity, Clear Channel is slowly Getting
> out of the oldies Format. CC has like 8 Oldies FOrmatted
> Stations Left In Top 50 Markets, WMJI Cleveland, KLOU St
> Louis, KJR-FM Seattle, KQQL Minneapolis, WBIG Washington DC,
> KQOL Las Vegas. WWSW Pittsburgh, WRIT Milwaukee.
>
. . . ., but, CC surprised a lot of people when they kept Real Oldies on 1690. Maybe they will suprise a lot of folks by putting it on a stronger signal. At least CC has kept the heritage calls KJR (FM) in Seattle. Remember, Lujack was a local legend at KJR--AM, Channel 950, before he arrived in Chicago--via Boston.
 
You're very right on all fronts. Without every freshening up the oldies format they've let it die. It's not as if it can't work, they just won't do what's needed to keep it working. They believe this Jack is the next wave and it's done on the cheap. You get what you pay for. It's everything they claimed radio was a better product for when internet radio and satellite radio started chopping on their tails. Now they're part of it. How seriously can you take anything any of their CEO's say? Radio just keeps on keepin' on and people just keep on forming new habits that don't include radio.


> Oldies is a dying breed of Format Its gonna be a Rimshot or
> Sataliette format from here on out no CIty Grade Signal will
> be doing oldies in any market. CC wont be flipping Kiss to
> Oldies. Just Like Infinity, Clear Channel is slowly Getting
> out of the oldies Format. CC has like 8 Oldies FOrmatted
> Stations Left In Top 50 Markets, WMJI Cleveland, KLOU St
> Louis, KJR-FM Seattle, KQQL Minneapolis, WBIG Washington DC,
> KQOL Las Vegas. WWSW Pittsburgh, WRIT Milwaukee.
>
 
> Oldies is a dying breed of Format

Really?

WCBS-FM 3.3
KRTH 3.0
WJMK 2.9
KFRC (before they flipped) 2.9
KLUV Dallas 3.1
WOGL Philly 4.3!
KLDE Houston 2.9
WBIG DC 3.7
WODS Boston 4.2!
WOMC Detroit 5.6!

Oldies is one of the most consistent formats from market to market.
 
> You're very right on all fronts. Without every freshening up
> the oldies format they've let it die. It's not as if it
> can't work, they just won't do what's needed to keep it
> working. They believe this Jack is the next wave and it's
> done on the cheap. You get what you pay for. It's everything
> they claimed radio was a better product for when internet
> radio and satellite radio started chopping on their tails.
> Now they're part of it. How seriously can you take anything
> any of their CEO's say? Radio just keeps on keepin' on and
> people just keep on forming new habits that don't include
> radio.

You said it well, especially the last sentence. My kids don't use radio much, they'd rather listen to their own stuff. Music that is a lot more varied than any "Jack" format.

Seems like the loyal people who grew up listening to the radio are being cast aside in favor of a younger audience which is very fractionalized and fickle.

I wouldn't want to own a radio station right now. Talk about a decline in audience! Soon the number 1 station will have a 1.0 share.

Mike
 
Don't forget WMJI Cleveland - consistantly #1/#2 12+ in the market book after book after book!


> > Oldies is a dying breed of Format
>
> Really?
>
> WCBS-FM 3.3
> KRTH 3.0
> WJMK 2.9
> KFRC (before they flipped) 2.9
> KLUV Dallas 3.1
> WOGL Philly 4.3!
> KLDE Houston 2.9
> WBIG DC 3.7
> WODS Boston 4.2!
> WOMC Detroit 5.6!
>
> Oldies is one of the most consistent formats from market to
> market.
>
 
> > Oldies is a dying breed of Format
>
> Really?
>
> WCBS-FM 3.3
> KRTH 3.0
> WJMK 2.9
> KFRC (before they flipped) 2.9
> KLUV Dallas 3.1
> WOGL Philly 4.3!
> KLDE Houston 2.9
> WBIG DC 3.7
> WODS Boston 4.2!
> WOMC Detroit 5.6!
>
> Oldies is one of the most consistent formats from market to
> market.
>
WGLD was top 5 in Indy since it went on the freq.
 
I actually think that lots of oldies listeners are just taken back.....and I think they will migrate to the am dial....probably to talk stations....remember they weren't always listening for the music and personality is gone on FM radio.

I think you may see a gain in WDRV but not much....

If suburban stations are smart (which as we all know...)....2 or three of em should pick up oldies and take the local radio approach....
 
> Remember, Lujack was a local legend at KJR--AM,
> Channel 950, before he arrived in Chicago--via Boston.

No disrespect for Mr. Lujack - but he wasn't at KJR long
enough the attain "Legend" status.
 
> > Remember, Lujack was a local legend at KJR--AM,
> > Channel 950, before he arrived in Chicago--via Boston.
>
> No disrespect for Mr. Lujack - but he wasn't at KJR long
> enough the attain "Legend" status.
>
I guess it depends on what one describes as "legend". He was at KJR for at least a year or two before going to Boston. At least he was a legend in his own mind:)!!
 
> WODS Boston 4.2!

It's a good rating, but I'm not sure whether it deserves the exclamation mark. Boston has few signals in total, so the 4.2 ratings registers 7th place. And in recent books, WODS has benefitted from the death of the Oldies format of WQLL in Manchester, NH, whose signals blankets the northern half of the market, and the evolution of B-101 in Providence, RI from Oldies to more of a Classic Hits approach, and whose 101.5 signal covers everything south and west of Boston.

I'd expect the billing of WODS to be high, but like WCBS-FM and WJMK, Boston's Oldies 103.3 also has a lot of well-known, and expectantly pricey, personalities. I don't know if WODS is long for the world either: Boston's fake Jack format on WMKK "93.7 Mike FM" is a trainwreck, and not a decent sounding one like Jack. Mike FM suffers from Entercom's reluctance to give away listeners from the Rhythmic AC/Oldies of the late Star 93.7; alas, it's become about 50% rock/50% disco/rhythmic tracks. After the events of this last Friday, perhaps 103.3 JACK fm is not too far away.

(and, just like Chicago and New York, where 105.9 WCKG and either 92.3 K-Rock or Mix 102.7 should have been killed respectively, Mix 98.5 in Boston (WBMX) has slowly been going towards the Jack format. If anything has been learned over the last few days, it's that Infinity will not kill off what is expected to go.)

But back to the main issue. While the oldies format does still have some juice left in it, I think that the thing that will be bringing it down in major markets is it's dependance on heritage market figures like Cousin Brucie on WCBS-FM and Dick Biondi on WJMK. Smaller companies will keep Oldies alive in smaller markets because they don't have such figures, and people there are more likely to accept the presentation that they recieve without such figures.
 
> > > WODS Boston 4.2!
>
> It deserves an exclamation point in response to the
> declaration that "oldies is dead".

Well, perhaps. But after these weekend flips, you can't really say the contrary either. Oldies is suffering, as many have said, by lack of advertiser support, but as I had said, I think that it is due to the high price of these large-market personalities who have become market legends.

I can have a 50 share station playing oldies, but if I have both expensive personalities AND a decrease in advertisers, it must come to a point where the format is no longer as financially viable as the ratings suggest.
 
........Oldies is suffering, as many
> have said, by lack of advertiser support, but as I had said,
> I think that it is due to the high price of these
> large-market personalities who have become market legends.........


.........I can have a 50 share station playing oldies, but if I have
> both expensive personalities AND a decrease in advertisers,
> it must come to a point where the format is no longer as
> financially viable as the ratings suggest.........

Justin,

Seems you do not understand a certain concept.

Some sales staff at certain stations will sell "expensive personalities names" instead of specific demos to clients, especially if a demo is hurting, they will sell the name, do a live voiced commercial etc..... Hence, the reason paying some outrageous sums of money to certain talent, because they get the money back and with profit. Plain and simple business.

On the issue of decreased revenue.... market competition, aging of the music & audience, and failure to evolve or evolve correctly, made this a big problem and now the firing squads are out on the loose.<P ID="signature">______________

"Z"
Music Coordinator/Technical Support</P>
 
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