I should have made an effort to redirect the debate on what is soft AC. If you go to the link in my first post, there is a debate about what to call stations like WDUV in the Tampa market.
The comment above about why soft AC no longer seems to exist sounds more like an argument for standards. If you're going to go soft, then go all the way. True, no one will listen except old people. Or maybe not. Just this morning I heard standards coming from an office in the library at the college. I don't think the people there are THAT old.
Here is what I said on the other thread, with a correction. I said Timeless, the satellite format, wasn't playing much 80s AC. actiually, some of the worst songs they play are from the 80s. I was thinking in terms of the even newer stuff that DaIal Global actually plays, even though they lean more toward standards.
I've looked at WDUV's playlist online from time to time. I don't like it, but I wouldn't call it AC.
I don't know what WLOW in Hilton Head is doing. The competing station,, 98.7 the River, once had its playlist online and it was truly soft AC. Some on this site said WLOW was actualy louder (with all the disco), even though the newspaper article said they had Sinatra in their playlist. I've seen no details lately aout the station.
Myrtle Beach, SC, had Yes 94.5. I don't know when I heard it when it was actually soft. Wikipedia claimed they were soft then mainstream before switching entirely. When I heard the station it was still softer than most AC's but not as soft as I had seen described. Perhaps whoever updated Wiipeida eard them change.
Also in Myrtle Beach there is WEZV Easy 105.9. A newspaper article called them soft AC. I emailed the reporter to correct him. He understood my complaint but said Arbitron called the station soft AC. So does this site's arbitron ratings section. I've contacted this site. I don't know how you get the Arbitron corrected.
But there's no description that fits WEZV. Easy listening implies instrumentals, yet most standards stations play more instrumentals than they do. I would say standards based on the redefining of that format.
Even Dial Global has gotten more traditional in recent years, whereas a few years ago some might have called that soft AC.
Timeless from ABC--well, no one knows just what that mess is. I would say oldies because there's almost nothing from after 1990 or even before 1960. When they first changed it, at least they had true standards form this decade. A lot of what they play overlaps with what is now consdiered standards, but true standards are very rare there. You can't call it AC because even Dial Global plays more post-1980 AC.
