There is a similar thread on the Cleveland board and I got the idea for this from that thread. What are the formats you feel that Columbus needs or should do away with? It seems like every time I visit Columbus that there is an over-abundance of classic hits and country stations. There's country on 92.3, 100.3, and 107.1. Perhaps WHOK on 107.1 could go classic country 70s, 80s and some 90s (as opposed to mainstream country). With all of the classic hits stations - 93.3, 101.7, 103.5/104.3, and even 103.9 now to some extent, what if one of them such as 101.7 went soft-AC/standards mixed, softer than Sunny 95?
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Formats needed or not needed in Columbus/Central Ohio Radio
- Thread starter Buckeyes2001
- Start date
Buckeyes2001 said:
Other than denoting "older music," classic hits is a rather meaningless format descriptor as used today. E.g., 93.3 and 103.9 aren't remotely alike. There's little overlap between the two. 101.7 overlaps some with 93.3, but is VERY different in texture and breadth (and era, since 101.7 plays lots of 80s and 93.3 plays none). E.g., you're not going to hear Back in Black (or anything by AC-DC) on 93.3, and even among 60's and early-70's tunes 101.7 is way, way broader and rocks more. Despite significant differences in presentation and music, the two closest stations on that list are Jack and Rewind --somewhat more so than before since Rewind's recent tweaks to list content and size. But Rewind still plays a lot more rhythmic music than Jack and steers clear of plenty of Jack's 90's/00's tunes like Freshmen, Flagpole Sitta or F**k You).
What I would dump in a heartbeat is 98.9 the Answer. I wonder if Salem is really making any money with that? Also, most markets don't have two commercial alternative rock stations like Columbus, but I guess they're each holding their own.
As far as non-comm, I'm not sure why we need two NPR outlets. And we have way too much religion in the non-comm band. In Indy I hear lots of good *music* of various genres on non-comms.
Two things we need are AAA, and also Smooth Jazz, but I don't know how viable they would be, especially Jazz. To some extent Jack may be filling the AAA hole by mixing, say, Adele with classics. And of course if anyone could go up against WNCI that would be great.
What else do we have too much of? Sports talk.
A second CHR would be needed, though if Mix had a bigger signal, they may be able to fill that hole.
The only problem I see with AAA is with the two Alternatives (especially CD), there may not be enough room for all three. Can't really think of anything else the market needs...
The only problem I see with AAA is with the two Alternatives (especially CD), there may not be enough room for all three. Can't really think of anything else the market needs...
Both Power and WNCI could use some good competition! No more classic hits or country.
Too bad 97.1 flipped to Sports b/c towards the end, they were Adult CHR for the most part. Too bad we never got to see what would happen with them leaning Adult CHR, seeing it lasted the final month or so before they flipped. Q102 in Cincy is an outstanding station and I'd love to see Mix 107.9 on a bigger stick to shake things up with WNCI.
Nu_Roo_2 said:
I don't know how anyone could disagree with you on this. Our radio stations are by and large quite weak signal-wise compared to Cincinnati, Dayton, Cleveland and even Toledo.
We need less country and classic hits, but I really have no idea what would replace it. Maybe another alternative signal? I don't think we need more R&B.
Well, Columbus is pretty much locked out of "City Grade" signals, at least under the current writing of FCC rules.
You don't have 2 CHR's because you have 1 that 175,000 watts and smokes the area with the ground it covers. Also, CHR is (supposed to be) one of the costliest formats in terms of the need for promotional dollars. That's why many companies think twice before jumping in that water. You have to promote.
You have the country formats you have because:
1.) Country is hot right now, especially with younger people. Country stations are now paying attention to 18-34 numbers as well as 25-54.
Though even I will admit 4 stations all playing the same thing seems a bit too much. But it's all a game of "take away" (i.e.: Try to keep WCOL from getting a 10 share...)
Classic Country? You can get a 4 or a 5 with it. But, you can't sell it. The primary listener is around age 65....
You don't have 2 CHR's because you have 1 that 175,000 watts and smokes the area with the ground it covers. Also, CHR is (supposed to be) one of the costliest formats in terms of the need for promotional dollars. That's why many companies think twice before jumping in that water. You have to promote.
You have the country formats you have because:
1.) Country is hot right now, especially with younger people. Country stations are now paying attention to 18-34 numbers as well as 25-54.
Though even I will admit 4 stations all playing the same thing seems a bit too much. But it's all a game of "take away" (i.e.: Try to keep WCOL from getting a 10 share...)
Classic Country? You can get a 4 or a 5 with it. But, you can't sell it. The primary listener is around age 65....
Jason Roberts said:
Stations survive on 1 and 2 shares and you can't wring enough sales out of a 5 share to make it work? I was driving through Alabama one Sunday night a couple of years ago and I heard one of their little podunk FM stations playing a lot of classic country songs I hadn't heard in years. I gotta tell you guys that the music sounded great ... and I've never really been much of a country fan either.
jakej said:
Hey, Jake...I'm allowed to make a typo or mistake once in a while. But, unlike you, I'll admit mine.
Here's what I see up there.
WCOL and WCLT doing essentially the same format, with WCLT giving it a hometown spin.
WHOK [email protected] (whatever!) doing Country with a spin on Classic Country. OK, fine. Small signal and a format that, frankly works in very few places. (Normally, you can't put Willie and Florida Georgia Line on the same station.) Doesn't surprise me it's a one share wonder, though signal plays a part in that to be certain.
OK, so that makes 3 instead of 4. I could count KKJ in Chillicothe, but they're too far away to be any real influence...
Jason Roberts said:
I get that, Jason. The people who remember those tunes are not only old, but probably on the lower end of the income scale. But I wonder if it would fly with some creative selling. Good music should be able to attract an audience ... a "Jack" with a country spin, perhaps?
Traditionally, there are limits as to how "old" you can get with a contemporary country format.
I have seen some stations in small towns mix old with new. But, in larger markets, it doesn't seem to work all that well.
Yes, you can have a station that plays the current music with "select" favorites back to the 80's and 90's. But, you're largely limited to the biggest hits, (like Alabama's "If You're Gonna Play In Texas") Even the number of songs by Garth Brooks that work has narrowed in the past couple of years.
But a country "Jack" that would play, let's say Johnny Duncan's "She Can Put Her Shoes Under My Bed Anytime" next to "Fifteen" by Taylor Swift...I think would be a stretch. Or "Take This Job and Shove It" next to "Life Is A Highway" by Rascal Flatts? I just think you'd be bridging generations too much...
On the other hand, as hip as he was to the alternative crowd, you might be able to mix a Johnny Cash song or two next to a song like "Wagon Wheel" by Darius Rucker on the right type of station in the right market. But, I'm really stretching here and it might not work at all...
I have seen some stations in small towns mix old with new. But, in larger markets, it doesn't seem to work all that well.
Yes, you can have a station that plays the current music with "select" favorites back to the 80's and 90's. But, you're largely limited to the biggest hits, (like Alabama's "If You're Gonna Play In Texas") Even the number of songs by Garth Brooks that work has narrowed in the past couple of years.
But a country "Jack" that would play, let's say Johnny Duncan's "She Can Put Her Shoes Under My Bed Anytime" next to "Fifteen" by Taylor Swift...I think would be a stretch. Or "Take This Job and Shove It" next to "Life Is A Highway" by Rascal Flatts? I just think you'd be bridging generations too much...
On the other hand, as hip as he was to the alternative crowd, you might be able to mix a Johnny Cash song or two next to a song like "Wagon Wheel" by Darius Rucker on the right type of station in the right market. But, I'm really stretching here and it might not work at all...
Jason Roberts said:
My grandparents owned a neighborhood tavern through about 1982 when they retired. One of the perks of their business was that I would get a lot of the old 45's from the jukebox after G.O. Coin Service would rotate new ones in. I got a lot of stuff like Partridge Family and Tony Orlando and Dawn (back in those days my musical tastes were WCOL/92X/CHR/pop) but most of the 45's were all the country tunes you'd hear on WMNI back then and I didn't really care for them very much. I always loved Johnny Cash though.
I didn't care for those tunes then but almost 40 years later I have a lot more experience and far broader musical tastes as is normal as you get older. I have to say that listening to a lot of those retro tunes is a very pleasant experience and I mean this from the standpoint of somebody who might be a music lover and might look at this from more of a musical or artistic standpoint.
At the end of the day, good music is just plain good. I wonder if there is something that can be done that might be out of the box that incorporates whatever kind of music regardless of genre that just sounds good to you the first time you hear it.
When I lost the station in Alabama on my way to Destin, I was actually bummed out. This stuff I absolutely hated in the 1970s, but for some reason late at night driving to Waylon Jennings and Merle Haggard never sounded so good.
I've been going through the old WCOL hitline surveys and am finding some real gems that don't get a lot of play anymore. I'm not talking about the B sides or yesterday's top secrets, I'm talking about Top 40 tunes that don't make the regular rotations. There has to be a way to put this stuff together in a way that is attractive to advertisers by mixing it with newer stuff. The music is simply too good to be hidden away like it is. If nothing else it would definitely be a unique sound on the radio.
AnalyticalMonkey said:
You mean songs like "Count Me In" by Gary Lewis and the Playboys and "Puppet Man" by the Fifth Dimension? I'll be playing them both on my show tomorrow night. I play a lot of stuff like that. In fact, the Playboys are one of my two current featured artists, which means that over the course of my most recent twelve episodes I've played twenty-four different songs of theirs, including "This Diamond Ring", "Save Your Heart For Me", "Green Grass", "Everybody Loves A Clown", "She's Just My Style", "Sure Gonna Miss Her", and "My Heart's Symphony". It's a pity you guys always write "Secrets" off without having ever heard the show.
"Puppet Man" - great tune, had completely forgotten about it. The Fith Dimension was a great group whose tunes deserve to be played today (although the production and song selection was a big part of it). Gary Lewis is it the other end of the spectrum IMO -- completely worth languishing in obscurity forever.
Okay, then here's some of the seventeen different Fifth Dimension songs that I've played so far on the show -- "Save The Country", "Blowing Away", "Living Together, Growing Together", "Paper Cup", "Light Sings", and "Carpet Man" (who isn't related to "Puppet Man", as best as I can determine).
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