Infinity feels the heat

[OldiesCat]

Selling oldies

CBS-FM was #8 25-54- how long do you think it'll take JACK to get to that level?
Never underestimate today's radio lemmings to make knee-jerk moves because it
"seems" or "feels" like they should do it.

Nobody's blaming just the age of the sales staff- if you read many of these postings, it's a combination of age (and subsequent lack of interest in selling and "old" format), lack of experience and sales savvy and the intense pressure weekly and monthly to make sales numbers (and throught the top 200 markets in America there are THOUSANDS of these AE's, not to mention Ad Agency geeks in the same jackpot). CBS-FM did $16.5m cash-flow last year and was in a format near and dear to the hearts of many, not to mention it was the first of it's kind in American radio-- imagine KIIS-FM or Z-100 changing format; CBS-FM changing is the same, a heritage station getting the heave-ho because of 2005's soup du jours. For Infinity's sake and sanity, I hope they made the right call on this.
Only time will tell.


> >
> That's nonsense. Trust this if Infinity thought that they
> could "make the number" by programming oldies that station
> never would have been touched. If most radio companies
> thought that they would do better sales wise with a format
> of all Hitler speeches you would be hearing the all new sieg
> heil 101. To blame the age of the sales staff and saying
> they dont understand the Beatles or the platters, that is
> bunk you're clutching at straws.. The reality is that the
> station just was not performing ratings or revenue wise, end
> of story. Most sales people at that station had been there
> for years and were way into their 30's and or 40's. There
> were not a lot of young 20 somethings trying to sell that
> station and if you think that Infinity would flip a format
> to something that the sales people enjoyed listening to a
> little more, well that is pretty naive. Most sales people
> do not even listen to the station they sell anyone who has
> ever dealt with sales can tell you that, in that regard they
> are clueless. They're just in it for the $$$$$$$$ and that
> is fine.
>

 

[tk]

Re: Selling oldies

> CBS-FM was #8 25-54- how long do you think it'll take JACK
> to get to that level?
> Never underestimate today's radio lemmings to make knee-jerk
> moves because it
> "seems" or "feels" like they should do it.
>
> Nobody's blaming just the age of the sales staff- if you
> read many of these postings, it's a combination of age (and
> subsequent lack of interest in selling and "old" format),
> lack of experience and sales savvy and the intense pressure
> weekly and monthly to make sales numbers (and throught the
> top 200 markets in America there are THOUSANDS of these
> AE's, not to mention Ad Agency geeks in the same jackpot).
> CBS-FM did $16.5m cash-flow last year and was in a format
> near and dear to the hearts of many, not to mention it was
> the first of it's kind in American radio-- imagine KIIS-FM
> or Z-100 changing format; CBS-FM changing is the same, a
> heritage station getting the heave-ho because of 2005's soup
> du jours. For Infinity's sake and sanity, I hope they made
> the right call on this.
> Only time will tell.

Hey I'll go ahead out on the limb (which is not that much of a stretch) and predict Jack will fall on it's ass. The shortsightedness of Infinity with only dollar signs in their eyes will be even more obvious. In the next year, they'll lose Jack and go on to the next format flavor of the month. The numbers will never, ever match that of WCBS-FM. It is simply unbelievable...let's blow up a solid top 10 winning format on a legendary station which New Yorkers love and generates major bucks. And in turn, put on a friggin jukebox with a format that has about as much promise as the all seventies....all eighties...arrow, etc. formats. This isn't rocket science....just a bunch of suits who are looking for a quick buck with the younger demo...it ain't gonna happen. Hey, the kids in New York already have Ipods...they don't need "Jack" squat.

TK

 

[classicradionut]

Disagree - WRT CBS-FM, the web stream is somewhat irrelevant

> While I totally agree it sucks CBS-FM is gone, your
> statement about online listening is about 5 years behind
> reality.
>
> It is true you can't really take it with you, but the notion
> that only people under 35 listen to music online is way off.
>

And I'd say that this whole arguement is utter BS! In this case, who the hell cares who listens online. I've heard each and every arguement, pro and con for flipping CBS-FM 101.1 - even the prior two years of arguements for and against dropping pre '64 oldies, and I find it all absurd.

No offense to you guys... I mean this in a very broad sense. There is a 'right' way to change a legendary station like this with technology, and I personally think that the RIGHT way would have been to wait until the mandatory flip to HD radio and then 101.1 would have had two digital streams - one with the original Oldies format with the original jocks, and the other stream coulda been ... well, WHATEVER.

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