Christmas Music Has Arrived in Hagerstown

[RockofHBG]

An awful lot of time spent discussing a positioning statement Now back to the grindstone Michael!

 

[vinyltapecd]

Joe has done a pretty good job shifting the LTF target slightly younger--nowhere close to a Hot AC, but not nearly as oldies-focused as it was before.

Hi,

Exactly what type of music does 97.5 WLTF play currently? I will be driving through the area on I-81 a few days after Christmas, and likely staying overnight in this area as well. One of the things I was looking forward to on this trip was some good radio stations...I was hoping to find some stations that play some real, authentic, true SOFT ROCK. Yes, I am talking about Chicago, Santana, America, Fleetwood Mac, Neil Diamond, James Taylor, Jimmy Buffett, Beach Boys, Stephen Bishop, I'll even throw the Carpenters in there! NOT the boring modern stuff that is played over and over again on pretty much any station you can find. So does WLTF play any music like this at all, or are they just a member of the homogeneous breed of stations branding themselves as "soft rock" when they should really be called "redundant modern rock that isn't loud". I definitely don't mind hearing modern music as long is there is a good variety that also includes stuff like the artists I mentioned. I will even be happy to hear a 50/50 mix of modern stuff and old stuff.
I never understood what the deal is with soft rock/lite AC stations trying to be "cool" these days...I mean come on, by definition, soft rock isn't supposed to be cool anyway, the terms "soft rock" or "light rock" or "easy listening" sound about as "sissy" as you can get, although I must admit, they are some of my favorite types of music, period. And for the record, I am a good bit younger than 30 years old...

So, should I expect to be satisfied or disappointed with WLTF? Do they play any of the older artists that I mentioned, I was just wondering since I noticed they don't put their playlist online or anything like that...

 

[mleach]

As far as their signal in Virginia goes, WIKZ is a directional FM, protecting 94.9 in Harrisburg to the NE and 95.1 in Baltimore to the SE, so it more-or-less shoots the signal SW along the Valley, extending a tad further in that direction than it would otherwise. But their 60 dBu contour actually just reaches north of Martinsburg and the 50 dBu clips the VA/WV state line, leaving the Old Dominion in their "fringe" coverage at best. From a practical standpoint, Front Royal's 95.3/WZRV blocks them out in the Winchester area.

So unless we're talking about possible listenership at the Virginia Welcome Center on I-81, the "Four State" thing is wishful thinking. I've been looking at Winchester Arbitron reports since they first started surveying the market back in the dark ages and don't remember ever seeing "WIKZ" showing up.

It may come as a shock, but radio stations sometimes overstate their case just a little... in order to make themselves seem bigger than they really are!

Merry Christmas!

I don't remember seeing WIKZ ever showing up in the Winchester/Front Royal book either during the years when I worked in that market but then again I have to admit despite even with the WIKZ poor signal in Virginia, I am a bit surprised that WIKZ hasn't made that book in the past considering the number of stations that do make it there, yet they can't be heard AT ALL in Winchester. Example..Harrisonburg's 93.7 KISS-FM WAZR..one has a.better chance of picking up some Philadelphia station in downtown Winchester ( hell..anywhere in Frederick County,VA for that matter ) than WAZR. Harrisonburg's "Mix 93.1" is another good example. Yet they both had made the Winchester book in the past even if they don't reach anywhere near the Winchester city limits. Hmmmmmmmmmm

In other words, it wouldn't be "totally" impossible for WIKZ to make their book even if their signal doesnt go as you say much beyond the Clearbook Virginia Welcome Center...it just hasn't happened yet..and yeah I doubt it will happen either but it's not 100% totally impossible.

 

[ratingsgeek]

mleach, being inaudible is ordinarily a big stumbling block for any station to show up in any market.

vinyltapecd, you'll just have to check out WLTF and judge for yourself. I'm not involved with WLTF, so I can't speak for whatever their strategy might be, but the music doesn't seem to be as dated as it was. For most of this past decade they were kind of stuck on the type of tunes you say you'd like to hear--the Stephen Bishop, Carpenters stuff. Unless my calendar is broke, that music is like 35 or 40 years old. Forty year old songs generally attract listeners in their sixties or upper fifties at best.

Very few "Soft AC's" left in America, and the ones that are still around are trying like hell to get the average age of their audience down below 55 so they can sell some spots.

FWIW, Classic Rock stations are dropping like flies, too.

Getting old is hell.

 

[TarlekInSales]

mleach, being inaudible is ordinarily a big stumbling block for any station to show up in any market.

vinyltapecd, you'll just have to check out WLTF and judge for yourself. I'm not involved with WLTF, so I can't speak for whatever their strategy might be, but the music doesn't seem to be as dated as it was. For most of this past decade they were kind of stuck on the type of tunes you say you'd like to hear--the Stephen Bishop, Carpenters stuff. Unless my calendar is broke, that music is like 35 or 40 years old. Forty year old songs generally attract listeners in their sixties or upper fifties at best.

Very few "Soft AC's" left in America, and the ones that are still around are trying like hell to get the average age of their audience down below 55 so they can sell some spots.

FWIW, Classic Rock stations are dropping like flies, too.

Getting old is hell.

Classic Rock... the NEW Music of Your Life format?

 

[vinyltapecd]

vinyltapecd, you'll just have to check out WLTF and judge for yourself. I'm not involved with WLTF, so I can't speak for whatever their strategy might be, but the music doesn't seem to be as dated as it was. For most of this past decade they were kind of stuck on the type of tunes you say you'd like to hear--the Stephen Bishop, Carpenters stuff. Unless my calendar is broke, that music is like 35 or 40 years old. Forty year old songs generally attract listeners in their sixties or upper fifties at best.

Very few "Soft AC's" left in America, and the ones that are still around are trying like hell to get the average age of their audience down below 55 so they can sell some spots.

FWIW, Classic Rock stations are dropping like flies, too.

Getting old is hell.

Ratingsgeek, thanks for your reply...actually I just wanted to know whether WLTF plays ANY of the music that I mentioned AT ALL. Since you seem to be at least somewhat familiar with that radio station, you might be able to give me the answer to that question. I'm definitely not expecting to hear that type of music very often on any radio station, but I was just hoping that they might play maybe 1 or 2 songs like that every hour...with the way radio is going, even that would satisfy me. Now let me point out that Stephen Bishop and the Carpenters were just two of the artists I mentioned, and they (especially the Carpenters) happen to be on the "sappier" end of the spectrum, for lack of a better word. I personally think there are many fabulous songs by them, but I know that they have a relatively limited appeal in today's audience. What bothers me is that soft rock stations seem to have thrown out lots of other iconic artists, even those that have considerably more appeal, such as Chicago, James Taylor, America, Jimmy Buffett, Simon & Garfunkel, Bee Gees, etc. IF these artists get played at all on the radio, it will always be the SAME song, such as "You're the Inspiration" or "Fire and Rain" or "Margaritaville" or "Saturday Night Fever", even though there are many equally good or better songs by these artists...plenty of top 5 hits that stations refuse to play anymore.

I really want to stop complaining, but I must point out...even though "It Might Be You" (theme from Tootsie) by Stephen Bishop was a 1983 song (only 26 years old), and a relatively popular one at that, the chances of hearing it on the radio today are close to zero. This type of song is a staple of the TRUE "soft rock" format, but nevertheless, today's soft rock stations seem to want to run miles away from this type of song, and they would rather play "Livin On a Prayer" by Bon Jovi, because apparently that fits the format better. ??? It really bothers me that stations calling themselves "soft rock" are 10 times more likely to play "Physical" by Olivia Newton John than "Suddenly" or "Have You Never Been Mellow". Makes no sense to me at all. Oh well.....

 

[Silkie]

In a recession as deep as we are experiencing, everyone does his part to pick up spirits as well as to help the economy, especially when there are so many advertisers out there sponsoring food drives, toy drives, clothing drives. They want people to show up with even a can of veggies, an unwrapped new toy, a coat, etc.

Christmas music has arrived in some areas more heavily than in others. We need a little Christmas.