Do you think we'll ever get an adult standards station in Chicago?

[audioguy]

It sure would be great to hear the music of the stars in Chicago again like Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and all those great artists. Chicago has such a rich musical history. Why can't we have a station that is willing to give some airtime to these legendary performers?

 

[benale]

Old demos. Really a shame. There are so many AM stations that could use a standards format.Of course your audience will be older, but so many people would love a station like this. Isn't there an AM station in Chicago that would benefit from an older music format? Two stations in other markets come to mind. WIP in Philly, running CBS sports radio with virtually no listeners and WINZ in Miami, the lowest rated sports station in Miami. Two incredible signals wasted. Three stations in the Top 25 markets run standards formats..KAAM in Dallas, WHLI on Long Island and WJAS in Pittsburgh. Wish there were more.

 

[KeithE4]

It sure would be great to hear the music of the stars in Chicago again like Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and all those great artists. Chicago has such a rich musical history. Why can't we have a station that is willing to give some airtime to these legendary performers?

Because they won't make a dime catering to the almost-room-temperature crowd. Pandora, Music Choice, and other non-broadcast services are the place for this kind of music now. They're done on terrestrial radio. Same goes for blues, classic country, jazz, and other Sacred Sales Demo-unfriendly formats.

 

[radioman148]

You'd think something like this might work along with 50s & 60s music on certain AM stations that have terrible rating to begin with.
People are living longer & older demos do have $.

 

[radioaircheck]

Cumulus si selling 104.1

 

[michael hagerty]

You'd think something like this might work along with 50s & 60s music on certain AM stations that have terrible rating to begin with.
People are living longer & older demos do have $.

But the ad agencies (who place 90% of the ad buys, especially in a major market like Chicago), won't go after them.

And you need to understand just how upper the upper demos for standards are.

Someone who was 16 when the Beatles hit is 65 now.

Someone who was 16 when Elvis hit is 73 now.

True standards is an 80+ format. And that means (apart from a smattering of younger people who may tune in, but never often enough, regularly enough, in sufficient numbers all at once) the 80 year olds are the kids in this format.

Your regular listeners? The ones who will show up? My mom, if she were alive would be a loyal listener. She'd be 91. So would my dad, if he were alive. He'd be 96. And my mother-in-law would live it if she were still with us. She'd be 101.

There are people that age and older still alive who'd be right there. You'd be lucky to get a single-digit rating, but you'd have triple-digit listeners.

Not a business case to be had, I'm afraid. Two of the best standards stations, KMPC in Los Angeles and Magic 61 in San Francisco dumped the format because it became too hard to sell as the audience got older...and that was 21 years ago.

 

[KeithE4]

Cumulus si selling 104.1

There is no 104.1 in the Chicago area. Cumulus owns WBWN 104.1 in Bloomington/Normal, but that's 115 miles away and has no coverage in Chicago.

 

[LibertyNT]

Unfortunatly Standards is almost literally a dead format.
KAAM is a VERY poor example. The station is more MOR now with a lot of time being filled with paid programming in an attempt to stay alive. KPYK 1570 is the best example of a standards station, they even run old time radio shows. But that station is run more as a hobby, has few advertisers, and is a lousy daytime only signal.

 

[michael hagerty]

Most stations in the format run Dial/Global's satellite service, which, to survive, has added Adult Contemporary hits from the 1970s and early 80s, so you're likely to hear England Dan and John Ford Coley next to Sinatra and Sammy.

 

[Mediafrog+]

KPYK 1570 is the best example of a standards station, they even run old time radio shows. But that station is run more as a hobby, has few advertisers, and is a lousy daytime only signal.

I'll sometimes check out KPYK when I'm in DFW. Lots of music that hasn't been played on the radio in eons. Interesting and somewhat quirky station, but I suspect their audience age would make WFMT listeners look like a bunch of kindergarten kids.

KPYK doesn't stream, but if you go to the www.kpyk.com website and click on "music logs" you'll get playlists of all the music, most of which goes back many, many decades.

 

[michael hagerty]

KPYK 1570 is the best example of a standards station, they even run old time radio shows. But that station is run more as a hobby, has few advertisers, and is a lousy daytime only signal.

I'll sometimes check out KPYK when I'm in DFW. Lots of music that hasn't been played on the radio in eons. Interesting and somewhat quirky station, but I suspect their audience age would make WFMT listeners look like a bunch of kindergarten kids.

KPYK doesn't stream, but if you go to the www.kpyk.com website and click on "music logs" you'll get playlists of all the music, most of which goes back many, many decades.

Wow!

Forget 80-year-old listeners, the day I looked at had a couple of 81-year-old songs!

"And now, something newer, the 101 Strings for our 101-year-old listeners..."

 

[cyberdad]

Recently, in its own cost-cutting move, the Milwaukee Radio Alliance blew up WMCS in favor of Modern/Neo-Standards (as WZTI); that format (which uses the branding "Martini Radio") is also being used in Reno. Neither the current WOKY nor WZTI has much in the way of 6+ ratings (0.1 and 0.3, respectively, in the June "book"); however, I'd be very surprised if WOKY is billing less than WZTI.

If such a format can't do particularly well in a market like Milwaukee, I'm not sure how well it'd work elsewhere (including Chicago).

At least, though, it's probably the one place on commercial terrestrial radio where you can hear both Sammy Davis Jr.'s version of the theme to Shaft and Mel Tormé's version of Sunshine Superman. (See http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/entertainment/215851131.html.)

I wanted to like it, but I think WZTI sounds awful. The music is a mix of genres that don't mesh very well. Standards with what I'd describe as sort of "contemporary urban AC" thrown in. The result IMHO is a mess. A less than stellar signal doesn't help. I don't see it succeeding...especially in older demos in Milwaukee.
I also don't see a standards format being attempted on a major Chicago signal. Suburban or exurban rimshot maybe, but probably not.

 

[davideduardo]

Milwaukee had one of the most-successful Standards stations in the old WOKY--which (IIRC) enjoyed higher ratings than WISN for some time, even when both came under CC's ownership.

It's only real success was in 12+ ratings. It was not successful in generating revenues.

Neither the current WOKY nor WZTI has much in the way of 6+ ratings (0.1 and 0.3, respectively, in the June "book"); however, I'd be very surprised if WOKY is billing less than WZTI.

Of course, the format change was very recent... but in 2012 the talk format on 1290 outbilled WOKY by about 2 1/2 times.

 

[michael hagerty]

At least, though, it's probably the one place on commercial terrestrial radio where you can hear both Sammy Davis Jr.'s version of the theme to Shaft and Mel Tormé's version of Sunshine Superman. (See http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/entertainment/215851131.html.)

Covers like that by artists like that always amazed me. If you're not going to significantly tone down the song for a more adult audience, what's the point? I mean, Mel Torme is Mel Torme, but if you're going to play Sammy's "Theme From Shaft", you might as well play the original by Isaac Hayes, which is no edgier and a whole lot more coherent.

 

[Corky Marlowe]

At least, though, it's probably the one place on commercial terrestrial radio where you can hear both Sammy Davis Jr.'s version of the theme to Shaft and Mel Tormé's version of Sunshine Superman.

Sounds like the old SCTV "Gerry Todd Show", with Tom Monroe singing "Turning Japanese".

 

[klutch00]

KPYK 1570 is the best example of a standards station, they even run old time radio shows. But that station is run more as a hobby, has few advertisers, and is a lousy daytime only signal.

I'll sometimes check out KPYK when I'm in DFW. Lots of music that hasn't been played on the radio in eons. Interesting and somewhat quirky station, but I suspect their audience age would make WFMT listeners look like a bunch of kindergarten kids.

KPYK doesn't stream, but if you go to the www.kpyk.com website and click on "music logs" you'll get playlists of all the music, most of which goes back many, many decades.

Crazy question here, but if I recall, 1570 was until recently a 'border blaster'. If the Mexicans don't want that frequency anymore, how about getting KPYK to get full Class I (or class A) Clear channel status?

 

[klutch00]

It sure would be great to hear the music of the stars in Chicago again like Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and all those great artists. Chicago has such a rich musical history. Why can't we have a station that is willing to give some airtime to these legendary performers?

Because they won't make a dime catering to the almost-room-temperature crowd. Pandora, Music Choice, and other non-broadcast services are the place for this kind of music now. They're done on terrestrial radio. Same goes for blues, classic country, jazz, and other Sacred Sales Demo-unfriendly formats.

Call me nuts, but a format featuring said artists shouldn't consist solely of music strictly from that era. How about including appropriate music from the 1960s through to today. Include Michael Buble, Harry Connick, Jr., Diana Krall and the like? Also, have the station feature for-profit events such as dances, concerts, festivals and the like? Bob Bittner who owns and operates WJIB 740 Brookline MA and WJTO 730 Bath ME, obtains most of his income through donations to keep his stations solvent. Other stations might want to follow this model.

http://www.wjto.com/
http://wjib740.com/

 

[davideduardo]

Crazy question here, but if I recall, 1570 was until recently a 'border blaster'. If the Mexicans don't want that frequency anymore, how about getting KPYK to get full Class I (or class A) Clear channel status?

Simplified version: Mexico, whether it uses it or not, "owns" 1570 as a consequence of the NARBA treaty and the more recent bilateral agreements between the US and Mexico. All US stations on 1570 must protect the Mexican border.

XERF, the current user of 1570, is running much less than its old 250 kw. Reports have it more like 20 to 50 kw due to energy problems and costs. But they are slated to move to FM shortly.

It is also possible, as Mexico eliminates 85% of its AM stations, that one of the remaining AMs will ask to move to the clear channel of 1570 to improve its coverage or to add higher power night operation.

 

[klutch00]

Call me nuts, but a format featuring said artists shouldn't consist solely of music strictly from that era. How about including appropriate music from the 1960s through to today. Include Michael Buble, Harry Connick, Jr., Diana Krall and the like? Also, have the station feature for-profit events such as dances, concerts, festivals and the like? Bob Bittner who owns and operates WJIB 740 Brookline MA and WJTO 730 Bath ME, obtains most of his income through donations to keep his stations solvent. Other stations might want to follow this model.

http://www.wjto.com/
http://wjib740.com/

Forgot to say FWIW but WJIB also has a Facebook group page:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/12487946011/

Right now, they have over 550 members. Not bad for a marginal AM operation!

 

[Goldilocks94941]

For what it's worth, there's a daytimer called "K-Bird" near Tacoma, Washington that was a hobby for its now-departed owner, who was an enthusiast for early standards. It continues to operate in the same vein, playing only music from the 1920-1940s, with what must be a very minimal staff. I think it's all automated, and their selections go WAY back. Pre-Sinatra. it is worth having a few outlets like this in the universe, even if a corporate broadcaster wouldn't know how to promote, program, or sell it.

So, while they can still hang on, here's a link to the homemade KBRD website, which appears to have a listen live link. I don't know if they still program it after local sunset Pacific Time (around 9pm PT/ 11pm CT in July). And it looks to be a pretty low-budget operation - not well known or promoted in the Seattle area - but worth a listen if you'd like to hear something pre-Korean War from your national heritage.

http://www.apikai.com/kbrd/

I think this kind of music would make for a novel specialty show for a couple of hours on the weekends - especially if it had a knowledgeable host who knew how to say just enough and not get in the way. Will probably have to find something like that on a non-comm station now.

Randy Bachman's weekend shows on Saturday evenings on CBC radio come to mind for a 1960s-70s version of that. The songs sound stronger when you know a little background about what went into their creation, from someone who was in the middle of it all. You should listen to Canada's CBC Radio One (and repeated on Sundays on Radio Two, I think) on the weekends if you're interested in the origins of pop and rock music, hosted by a "player" in the genre.

Those of us who like more than "both kinds" of music are grateful for access to something original and different on internet radio. It just needs a guide or a curator to help find the best examples of different kinds of programming. I hope those of you who enjoy music made a generation or three ago will enjoy these two suggestions.