If WODS had been hi-JACK-ed...

[raccoonradio]

...they may well have plummeted in the ratings; just ask the folks at WCBS-FM which went from 9th to 22nd in the NYC ratings after oldies got tossed for Jack.
As it is WODS has always done pretty well in the ratings so rumors that it would be "Jack"-ed were probably ill-founded, but if "Star" hadn't become "Mike",
might 'ODS have considered going to a Jack/Mike/Frank/whatever type of format?
If they had, perhaps they might have gone the route of WCBS-FM in Gotham.

registration required (use bugmenot.com if need be):
http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/53626.htm

"New Yorkers have officially — and loudly — rejected "Jack," the controversial format that replaced Cousin Brucie and beloved oldies on WCBS-FM (101.1).
The multi-format, big-playlist, no-DJ format formally debuted in lowly 22nd place in Arbitron's summer ratings — replacing a rebounding WNEW-FM (102.7) as the lowest-rated FM station."

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

You can't consider any format a success or failure after just one Arbitron book.

With a very few exceptions (best-known example: the original WKTU in New York flipping to disco in 1978 and shooting-up all the way to number-one in it's first ratings book), a station that changes format usually goes down in the first book after the format change and then begins to build audience after that.

If New York's WCBS-FM's ratings are still at this level a year from now, then "Jack" probably hasn't worked out. But chances are the ratings will be higher than in the Summer 2005 book, but whether they will approach what CBS-FM did in 12-plus or even 25-54 prior to the flip remains to be seen.

And for Infinity, ratings won't tell the whole story as to whether "Jack FM" will be successful. Since "Jack"-type formats (usually) run without live announcers, Infinity has cut out the major portion of CBS-FM's expenses: airstaff salaries. If "Jack" is more profitable to Infinity than the prior oldies format, then it will be a success even if the ratings are lower (both in 12-plus and possibly even in key demographics) than they were for the oldies format, thanks to a much lower overhead.

 

[Garrett]

Yes, however... Jack NYC has a tremendous PR problem!

There is one very important thing that people are neglecting... NEGATIVE PUBLICITY!

Had it just been any old station changing formats, you would be correct. The trouble is, this was WCBS FM, a station considred legendary.
Anytime you change formats, you will have listeners who are upset. Radio is like a coffee maker, you set it to your level of light, brown or black.
But then, WCBS FM had the negative publicity on this and other message boards.
Then they had protesters outside the station.
And, there was the meida coverage of protesting outside the station. Even if it was only about 100 people, that's still allot.
NOw, you've got the low 12+ numbers, and the media coverage of that, in the NY Post, no less...

Negative, negatve, negative.
Any other station would do better from here. But in NY, Jack has a PR problem, and in NYC, that's a serious problem to have! How long before advertsers distance themselvs from Jack? And once that happens, Jack's fate is sealed!

If you ask me, CBS lucked out in Boston that WMKK got to the fomrat first. The NYC Jack may have just saved WODS for good!

> You can't consider any format a success or failure after
> just one Arbitron book.
>
> With a very few exceptions (best-known example: the original
> WKTU in New York flipping to disco in 1978 and shooting-up
> all the way to number-one in it's first ratings book), a
> station that changes format usually goes down in the first
> book after the format change and then begins to build
> audience after that.
>
> If New York's WCBS-FM's ratings are still at this level a
> year from now, then "Jack" probably hasn't worked out. But
> chances are the ratings will be higher than in the Summer
> 2005 book, but whether they will approach what CBS-FM did in
> 12-plus or even 25-54 prior to the flip remains to be seen.
>
> And for Infinity, ratings won't tell the whole story as to
> whether "Jack FM" will be successful. Since "Jack"-type
> formats (usually) run without live announcers, Infinity has
> cut out the major portion of CBS-FM's expenses: airstaff
> salaries. If "Jack" is more profitable to Infinity than the
> prior oldies format, then it will be a success even if the
> ratings are lower (both in 12-plus and possibly even in key
> demographics) than they were for the oldies format, thanks
> to a much lower overhead.
>

 

[chitchatjf]

> ...they may well have plummeted in the ratings; just ask the
> folks at WCBS-FM which went from 9th to 22nd in the NYC
> ratings after oldies got tossed for Jack.
> As it is WODS has always done pretty well in the ratings so
> rumors that it would be "Jack"-ed were probably ill-founded,
> but if "Star" hadn't become "Mike",
> might 'ODS have considered going to a
> Jack/Mike/Frank/whatever type of format?
> If they had, perhaps they might have gone the route of
> WCBS-FM in Gotham.
>
ODS seems to play the same 300-400 songs over and over and over and over again.
The Saturday night dance party seems to only have a library of 125-150 songs all pop stuff. Where are the club hits? Where's Machine's Grace of God? Why stick with just 78-81 mostly?
The so called lost 45s seems to have a similar problem, though i have seen a few of them get added to the regular weekdaty mix.

There are a lot of great hits from the 60s and 70s that they are not playing and I would toss in 80s,90,and maybe even recent stuff in as well. Bring back some 50s stuff as well.