Format Brainstorm Chat

[kiltfmsteve]

WOW SlickChick!!! Bitterness does not become you. SAD :'(

 

[aunti-terrestrial]

5. Playing a little music by well-produced local artists would be a shot in the arm to the local economy, perhaps

Heh, come on up. There's room on my soapbox for two.

Before there was Radio Disney, young kids used to listen to oldies radio with their grandparents. The music was fairly non-raunchy by today's standards, the kids and adults could sing along together, and nobody had to panic and scramble for the dial or to cover the childrens' ears whenever certain songs came on in the car. Over the last twenty years, I cannot count the number of preteen G-rated childrens' movies and television shows that have been filled with Motown, doo-wop, and Clarence "the Frogman" Henry soundtracks. Television commercials use Aretha Franklin and Fontella Bass songs to sell children pizzas, toys, and water-park season passes. Metamucil ads are all well and good, but zoo days, children's theatre and museums, station picnics in the park, and other family-oriented events and advertisers are a surer bet for bringing out an oldies audience and their checkbooks. The best oldies promotions director I worked with had three simple guidelines: never let an oldies event go past eight pm, hire a facepainter whenever possible, and always hold events in places where bathrooms and shade are readily available. After that, imagination's the limit. Whatever grandparents would like to do with (and for, don't forget financial planning) their grandchildren, that's where you go create those advertising dollars.

It's sad, you know. With the demise of oldies radio, another generation of twelve year-olds have been deprived of the joys of calling the request line and asking for "My Ding-A-Ling." They skip straight to the iTunes and Myspace downloads, instead of developing any relationship with radio at all. I know, twelve year-olds don't buy cars, so who cares, right?

 

[RADIOGM]

Everybody here has some pretty good ideas of doing a full service music station that might be catered a bit more towards adults. Forget about what 790 KBME did. They were about 15 years older than they needed to be musically. Plus, you would want more contemporary announcers than the Paul Berlin types.

Unfortunately trying to appeal to that 50 year old crowd creates a sales problem. No, not because of the audience listening demo. Take a look around Houston at all the 30 year old radio wannabe sales people that work cheap with no account lists. They would have absolutely no idea on how to sell this format. Most of the radio companies have now gone to an all commission sales department with no guarantees. It is going to be extremely hard to find older sales pros to sell this format - But you never know what Santa will bring to 790 AM next year!

RGM

 

[radiobot]

Last night I was talking with another former full time Houston jock about all the staff changes recently and the talk of format flip (which really never goes away, now does it?) and I proposed this format flipping thought. Which they couldn't NOT agree made a lot of sense:

The next format flip should be back to one which appeals to those of the more mature years.

Go with me here a second.

1) They aren't as likely to be streaming audio or stations on their PCs as the younger demos.

2) They aren't as apt to be owners of iPods or fancy phones that stream - read Jitterbug phones - as the younger demos.

3) They will probably be the only ones left with any money to spend once everyone in the usual working years of life become unemployed or homeless.

4) They will be the only ones left listening to local radio - not XM/Sirrius.

5) The US government stats show they are the largest, fastest growing segment of the population. And they aren't just retiring and going quietly to the nursing home rocking chairs either.

I began thinking about this over the holiday when I was home at my Mother's. She's in her early 60s. Has no CD player, doesn't have a clue how to stream on her PC (unless online Scrabble counts), still thinks Sirrius is just a star constellation, had to ask me what an iPod was because one of my nephews asked for one for Christmas and she always has the radio on in the car.

She still listens to the local radio station for weather and news and for company.

I'm talking a full service format that would actually appeal to those who still think radio is greatest thing ever. Not just news, but music.

Classic rock to them is not The Police and Elton John but Elvis. Adult contemporary is not Faith Hill but Neil Diamond. Country is not Kid Rock, it's the Hag and the Man in Black. The music format should be a mix of all that. Like the stations they listened to when they were in their 20's and 30's. The Top 40 stations many of us grew up listening to or worked at back in the 60's and 70's. I loved hearing The Carpenters, The Supremes and Jerry Reed all back to back on WHB in KC when I was a kid.

So that generation still believes radio is a useful tool. If given the right format and content they would flock.

In support of that premise: I went on a cruise a few years back and most of the other passengers were in their late 50s/early 60s or older. The friend I was traveling with worked in TV...I in radio. When they found out I was in radio they all wanted to talk to me and ask me questions. My friend in TV said she felt a little dissed. After all TV was cooler than radio right? Radio is still the medium of choice for this generation. It's just their choices in radio are not to their liking.

Or so I think...thoughts?


What if our corporations put the decision power BACK into the people the appoint to positions in their local markets?

As long as we have the ability to test our audiences, this brain"storm" will forever cast ominous clouds of fear and number-influenced creativity over our heads.