Fall Book

[oldiesfan]

Out today. Care to discuss?

I suppose it was the usual KESZ bump
from their having gone to Christmas
music for a number of weeks in the
survey period.

Closed circuit for David Eduardo--
I thought the oldies format was dead,
according to what you and KM have been
opining elsewhere on Radio-Info.
I don't know the 25-54s--and I don't
think we're supposed to talk about
that anyway unless we want to be
cease-and-desisted, but what explains
the good 12+ numbers for KOOL-FM now
and over the past few years?

 

[davideduardo]

Re: Dead wrong about oldies being dead

> Out today. Care to discuss?
>
> I suppose it was the usual KESZ bump
> from their having gone to Christmas
> music for a number of weeks in the
> survey period.

In december, they got almost identical numbers to 2004's December. October and November were in the same range it has had earlier in the year.
>
> Closed circuit for David Eduardo--
> I thought the oldies format was dead,
> according to what you and KM have been
> opining elsewhere on Radio-Info.

If you think I believe the format is dead, you are dead wrong. I think 60's based oldies are dead as a music format.

The #1 total market station in 18-34 in December, and the #2 in 12+ and 25-54 was KOMR/KQMR. It had about twice the numbers in December as those in the trades for the full book. And the format is oldies. It quadrupled its September numbers... and was only in format for 8 weeks of the book.

> I don't know the 25-54s--and I don't
> think we're supposed to talk about
> that anyway unless we want to be
> cease-and-desisted,

We can't post numbers... but we can talk about the demo. In any case, KOOL FM was barely 10th in 15-54 in December, and down to 5th in the book. Still healthy, but showing the same wear as other 60's based stations.

> but what explains
> the good 12+ numbers for KOOL-FM now
> and over the past few years?

KOOL and WMJI and a couple of others are exceptions. They have really good morning shows and good entertaining talent. In most places, the 60's stuff is dead.


>

 

[OriginalDave]

> Out today. Care to discuss?
>
> I suppose it was the usual KESZ bump
> from their having gone to Christmas
> music for a number of weeks in the
> survey period.
>

Not really. ACs across the country are having good falls. KEZ's was reportedly solid throughout the ratings period.

 

[davideduardo]

> > Out today. Care to discuss?
> >
> > I suppose it was the usual KESZ bump
> > from their having gone to Christmas
> > music for a number of weeks in the
> > survey period.
> >
>
> Not really. ACs across the country are having good falls.
> KEZ's was reportedly solid throughout the ratings period.

Actually, it was at the same average level or range as the previous 8 months in both October and November. December exploded due to the Christmas music... nearly double the average of October and November.

And, like last year, the January numbers will likely be at the normal range again, just like last year.

The ACs that have had good Falls are almost all ones that did Christmas music in all of Phase III.

 

[EricStein]

KDKB: OUCH!

> Out today. Care to discuss?

I know that it's only 12+ numbers, but look at KDKB's disastrous book. The first full-powered South Mountain FM in a decade to fall under a 2 share, and maybe the first time in its 35-year history the station has hit that low (I'm saying this with caution becasue their 25-54 numbers could be better). Are the Coyotes partially to blame? I don't think this trend of full market FM's falling under a 2 share is over yet with the new "Free FM" format on 101.5.

 

[Jay_F]

Re: KDKB: OUCH!

> > Out today. Care to discuss?
>
> I know that it's only 12+ numbers, but look at KDKB's
> disastrous book. The first full-powered South Mountain FM in
> a decade to fall under a 2 share, and maybe the first time
> in its 35-year history the station has hit that low (I'm
> saying this with caution becasue their 25-54 numbers could
> be better). Are the Coyotes partially to blame? I don't
> think this trend of full market FM's falling under a 2 share
> is over yet with the new "Free FM" format on 101.5.
>


Maybe it's time for Sandusky to consider a format flip for KDKB. If they did change formats, many of their displaced listeners would end up switching to KSLX anyway.

I couldn't agree more about "Free FM". In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if each and every FREE across the country ends up below a 2 share.

 

[deepthroat1]

Re: Dead wrong about oldies being dead

15-54 isn't what the ad agencies look at. 25-54 is where it's at and 12+, but especially 25-54. And KOOL continues to (and always has) shown strong in those numbers. Oldies isn't dead. Unless management screws it up along the line, i.e. when the Todd Wallace reign of terror took it down last year...but it's doing well again now.

> > Out today. Care to discuss?
> >
> > I suppose it was the usual KESZ bump
> > from their having gone to Christmas
> > music for a number of weeks in the
> > survey period.
>
> In december, they got almost identical numbers to 2004's
> December. October and November were in the same range it has
> had earlier in the year.
> >
> > Closed circuit for David Eduardo--
> > I thought the oldies format was dead,
> > according to what you and KM have been
> > opining elsewhere on Radio-Info.
>
> If you think I believe the format is dead, you are dead
> wrong. I think 60's based oldies are dead as a music format.
>
>
> The #1 total market station in 18-34 in December, and the #2
> in 12+ and 25-54 was KOMR/KQMR. It had about twice the
> numbers in December as those in the trades for the full
> book. And the format is oldies. It quadrupled its September
> numbers... and was only in format for 8 weeks of the book.
>
> > I don't know the 25-54s--and I don't
> > think we're supposed to talk about
> > that anyway unless we want to be
> > cease-and-desisted,
>
> We can't post numbers... but we can talk about the demo. In
> any case, KOOL FM was barely 10th in 15-54 in December, and
> down to 5th in the book. Still healthy, but showing the same
> wear as other 60's based stations.
>
> > but what explains
> > the good 12+ numbers for KOOL-FM now
> > and over the past few years?
>
> KOOL and WMJI and a couple of others are exceptions. They
> have really good morning shows and good entertaining talent.
> In most places, the 60's stuff is dead.
>
>
> >
>

 

[davideduardo]

Re: Dead wrong about oldies being dead

> 15-54 isn't what the ad agencies look at.

If I said "15-54" it was my typo. The sales demos are 18-49 and 25-54. There are no 12+ buys, nearly no 12-17 buys and very few for 55+.

> 25-54 is where
> it's at and 12+, but especially 25-54. And KOOL continues
> to (and always has) shown strong in those numbers.

Remember, the decline of oldies is a very slow process... and has been going on over a period of years, as the audience matures. In many cases, it is a two fold occurance: listeners are leaving the format, and listeners are leaving the under-55 age group, making them unattractive for advertising buyers.

KOOL is among the heartiest of the oldies stations, because it has a strong morning show and good presentation. But it is declining significantly in 25-54, and will continue to do so unless the format is made to appeal to 35-54 instead of 45-64.

> Oldies
> isn't dead. Unless management screws it up along the line,
> i.e. when the Todd Wallace reign of terror took it down last
> year...but it's doing well again now.

Oldies is moribund as far as being based on 60´s oldies and this is because the listeners are now predominantly over 55... lots of them, but useless as a sales proposition.

 

[Gregg]

Re: Dead wrong about oldies being dead

> Oldies is moribund as far as being based on 60´s oldies and
> this is because the listeners are now predominantly over
> 55... lots of them, but useless as a sales proposition.
>

I was listening to an old tape (from the 70s I think) of WCBS-FM,
one of the original FM oldies station. I swear I couldn't
identify half the songs! "Burning Bridges" by the Mike Curb
Congregation? "Tammy" by Debbie Reynolds? Lots of Doo-Wop, too.

So if WCBS-FM could progress from being 50s-60s based a few
decades ago, why can't today's stations be mostly 70s-80s with
maybe three or four 60s songs an hour but only those songs
the younger audience might know (Beatles, Motown, Elvis, etc.)?

If today's Oldies station sounds nothing like it did 20 years
ago, why can't it become more 70s-80s based, still playing
the hits folks in their 40s grew up with?






Gregg
[email protected]