It's not just KRTH, and not just Los Angeles.

[tall_guy1]

I just heard Christina Perri, a 12-year old song, on "Classic Hits" KOLA. I wonder if the term "Classic Hits" can be redefined to mean "anything that was a hit from a few years ago, to 40 years ago?"

12 years ago is a long time though. I would say that is more than a few years.

 

[michael hagerty]

Maybe I blanked out for a few years, but I remember ch 3 switching from NBC to ABC with no recollection of KEYT ever being a CBS affiliate after giving up NBC for ABC.

You didn't. I quoted an incorrect source. My apologies.

Doing some more thorough digging through Broadcasting Yearbooks, it looks like
KEYT had NBC as its primary affiliation through 1962, with CBS and ABC listed as secondary. At the same time, KSBY was showing CBS as its primary and NBC as its secondary.

The 1963 yearbook shows KEYT as having ABC as its primary and NBC as its secondary, with no change at KSBY.

In the 1964 yearbook, KEYT was purely ABC. KSBY still showed CBS primary, NBC secondary.

The 1965 yearbook shows KCOY as on the air as of May of '64, but unaffiliated. KEYT still ABC, KSBY still CBS primary, NBC secondary.

The 1966 yearbook shows KEYT as ABC, with KCOY and KSBY both CBS/NBC (hopefully covering what the other missed).

Same in '67, '68, '69 and 1970.

1971 shows KSBY as being pure NBC, but KCOY is still listed as both CBS and NBC. KCOY finally shows as purely a CBS affiliate in the 1972 Broadcasting Yearbook.

 

[TomásEstefan]

You didn't. I quoted an incorrect source. My apologies.

Doing some more thorough digging through Broadcasting Yearbooks, it looks like
KEYT had NBC as its primary affiliation through 1962, with CBS and ABC listed as secondary. At the same time, KSBY was showing CBS as its primary and NBC as its secondary.

The 1963 yearbook shows KEYT as having ABC as its primary and NBC as its secondary, with no change at KSBY.

In the 1964 yearbook, KEYT was purely ABC. KSBY still showed CBS primary, NBC secondary.

The 1965 yearbook shows KCOY as on the air as of May of '64, but unaffiliated. KEYT still ABC, KSBY still CBS primary, NBC secondary.

The 1966 yearbook shows KEYT as ABC, with KCOY and KSBY both CBS/NBC (hopefully covering what the other missed).

Same in '67, '68, '69 and 1970.

1971 shows KSBY as being pure NBC, but KCOY is still listed as both CBS and NBC. KCOY finally shows as purely a CBS affiliate in the 1972 Broadcasting Yearbook.

At one time KSBY(6) and KSBW(8) Salinas were a simulcast except for local spots and locally produced newscasts. I wonder when this ended (if it did !) and which station was actually Master Control.

 

[michael hagerty]

At one time KSBY(6) and KSBW(8) Salinas were a simulcast except for local spots and locally produced newscasts. I wonder when this ended (if it did !) and which station was actually Master Control.

Blair made them independent of each other when it bought them in 1979. Blair sold them to Gillett in 1986, and they went to separate owners in 1995.

 

[tall_guy1]

There are different blends of classic hits, but I usually think of classic hits in its regular form (not including KCAR type stations) to be the oldest songs on the radio, except maybe classic rock and that it mainly serves the back end of the 35-54 demo, though I could be wrong.

 

[davideduardo]

There are different blends of classic hits, but I usually think of classic hits in its regular form (not including KCAR type stations) to be the oldest songs on the radio, except maybe classic rock and that it mainly serves the back end of the 35-54 demo, though I could be wrong.

Not true.

Classic Hits is music for the higher half of sales demos, basically 35-54 with songs they know and like. Oldies is music for 55 and over, mostly 60's and earlier 70's. Nostalgia is music of the 40's and 50's with some 60's but not pop. So Classic Hits is not targeted at the "oldest" listeners at all!

Classic hits is usually researched against a group that is from mid-30's into the mid-40's. The 45-54 is often skipped as we know from multiple tests what they like and we won't sacrifice the younger demo focus to superserve those that will be out of the sales demos soon.

 

[tall_guy1]

Not true.

Classic Hits is music for the higher half of sales demos, basically 35-54 with songs they know and like. Oldies is music for 55 and over, mostly 60's and earlier 70's. Nostalgia is music of the 40's and 50's with some 60's but not pop. So Classic Hits is not targeted at the "oldest" listeners at all!

Classic hits is usually researched against a group that is from mid-30's into the mid-40's. The 45-54 is often skipped as we know from multiple tests what they like and we won't sacrifice the younger demo focus to superserve those that will be out of the sales demos soon.

Hmmm....not familiar with those latter formats, but there might be some around. I know soft AC probably skews older and beautiful music (uncommon) os probably the oldest.

 

[davideduardo]

Hmmm....not familiar with those latter formats, but there might be some around. I know soft AC probably skews older and beautiful music (uncommon) os probably the oldest.

There is only, I think, one Beautiful Music station still around, and it sells subscription streams. That format died in the late 80's... I know because I had a syndication company that had nearly 100 stations playing my format. But the format did not die due to age, but due to changes in audience taste.

"Oldies" is what all pop classic song formats used to be called. They played Buddy Holly and Little Richard up to CCR and some of the early 70's stuff. But the old music and the associated name caused stations to both move to an 80's music core and the use of a new name: Classic Hits.

Because "Oldies" attracts listeners way over 55, it does not get revenue in big rated markets. But it works for secondary stations and ones in unrated markets where advertisers themselves are older and like the music. Nostalgia is the name for the big band and crooner music format... mostly gone along with its listeners.

Soft AC is a mood format, and it often does as well in 25-34 as 45-54.

 

[tall_guy1]

There is only, I think, one Beautiful Music station still around, and it sells subscription streams. That format died in the late 80's... I know because I had a syndication company that had nearly 100 stations playing my format. But the format did not die due to age, but due to changes in audience taste.

"Oldies" is what all pop classic song formats used to be called. They played Buddy Holly and Little Richard up to CCR and some of the early 70's stuff. But the old music and the associated name caused stations to both move to an 80's music core and the use of a new name: Classic Hits.

Because "Oldies" attracts listeners way over 55, it does not get revenue in big rated markets. But it works for secondary stations and ones in unrated markets where advertisers themselves are older and like the music. Nostalgia is the name for the big band and crooner music format... mostly gone along with its listeners.

Soft AC is a mood format, and it often does as well in 25-34 as 45-54.

It does seem like the '80s have held up pretty well, especially in comparison to other decades with some anthemic songs like "Don't Stop Believing" which are bigger than most other songs released ever. As time goes on (90s-10s) there are less of those types of songs it seems.

 

[tall_guy1]

I have heard songs on soft AC which seem like they would be classic hits staples like "Cat's in the Cradle" which doesn't seem like a song which would test poorly.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

The formula for classic hits is, generally speaking, uptempo.

Cat's in the Cradle fails on that mark. It is also too old (1974). And, as we discussed in another thread of yours some months ago, is a real downer of a song, lyrically.

I'm not certain I ever heard that song on the radio, in any year.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

The formula for classic hits is, generally speaking, uptempo.

Cat's in the Cradle fails on that mark. It is also too old (1974). And, as we discussed in another thread of yours some months ago, is a real downer of a song, lyrically.

I'm not certain I ever heard that song on the radio, in any year.

Maybe you like the more uplifting "Taxi"?

 

[Mediafrog+]

Maybe you like the more uplifting "Taxi"?

All 6:43 of it? 🤔🤪

Taxi sure got a lot of airplay on Progressive Rock FM in the early 1970s, along with very limited spins on a few contemporary formatted AMs. Haven’t heard it anywhere on the radio in eons, though it does pop up on Music Choice and SiriusXM.

Chapin released a follow-up song named Sequel about a decade after Taxi that continues the story, and is about the same length.

Taxi (disambiguation) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[michael hagerty]

All 6:43 of it? 🤔🤪

Taxi sure got a lot of airplay on Progressive Rock FM in the early 1970s, along with very limited spins on a few contemporary formatted AMs.

How limited probably depends on where you were listening. It went top ten at KHJ in Los Angeles, and to number one at WRKO, Boston. Looks like the only major Top 40s to pass on it were WABC, WLS and, oddly KFRC (perhaps because he calls it "Frisco"?).

 

[TomásEstefan]

How limited probably depends on where you were listening. It went top ten at KHJ in Los Angeles, and to number one at WRKO, Boston. Looks like the only major Top 40s to pass on it were WABC, WLS and, oddly KFRC (perhaps because he calls it "Frisco"?).

As I said in another thread a long time ago, "Saying Frisco to someone from the Bay Area is a no-no". (I referenced my late Auntie-Oy vey !

 

[semoochie]

The formula for classic hits is, generally speaking, uptempo.

Cat's in the Cradle fails on that mark. It is also too old (1974). And, as we discussed in another thread of yours some months ago, is a real downer of a song, lyrically.

I'm not certain I ever heard that song on the radio, in any year.

You've never heard this on the radio? I still hear it on AC, let alone Classic Hits, Classic Rock and AAA!

 

[Weiserguy]

As I said in another thread a long time ago, "Saying Frisco to someone from the Bay Area is a no-no". (I referenced my late Auntie-Oy vey !

Having lived in the SFBA since 1982, we are pretty "live-and-let-live" about a lot of things, but saying "Frisco" immediately pegs you as either a newbie or a visitor with contempt for us.

Is it that different than going around SoCal and calling it LaLa Land?

 

[michael hagerty]

Having lived in the SFBA since 1982, we are pretty "live-and-let-live" about a lot of things, but saying "Frisco" immediately pegs you as either a newbie or a visitor with contempt for us.

Is it that different than going around SoCal and calling it LaLa Land?

I think L.A. has a sense of humor about it. I don’t remember anyone there slamming the movie over its title.

And I don’t know that that is why KFRC didn’t play “Taxi”. Maybe Sebastian Stone (PD at the time) didn’t want a six-minute downer, even if it was top ten at KHJ and number one at WRKO (both KFRC’s sister stations).

The line “we spent the night in ‘Frisco at every kind of disco” didn’t stop KFRC from playing The Jacksons’ “Blame It On The Boogie” a few years later.

 

[vchimpanzee]

There is only, I think, one Beautiful Music station still around, and it sells subscription streams. That format died in the late 80's... I know because I had a syndication company that had nearly 100 stations playing my format. But the format did not die due to age, but due to changes in audience taste.

Several low-power stations do the format, and there is one in the N.C. mountains which plays a lot more vocals than the format usually does.

"Oldies" is what all pop classic song formats used to be called. They played Buddy Holly and Little Richard up to CCR and some of the early 70's stuff. But the old music and the associated name caused stations to both move to an 80's music core and the use of a new name: Classic Hits.

Because "Oldies" attracts listeners way over 55, it does not get revenue in big rated markets. But it works for secondary stations and ones in unrated markets where advertisers themselves are older and like the music. Nostalgia is the name for the big band and crooner music format... mostly gone along with its listeners.

Several stations on AM with translators in the Charlotte NC area. One goes way back into the 50s and doesn't even make it to the 70s, but the owner likes the music and has a supposedly successful classic rock FM , and every hour is sponsored. Some commercials run in addition to the hour's sponsor. One of the others has been successful for years and uses mostly satellite, has a popular morning show hosted by the former owner, and it does community service. Ten years ago it was still doing standards.

Greensboro NC is a market that has the format but the station covers only part of the area and none at all at night.

Raleigh NC had a full-power oldies station but sold the land that had multiple towers. It might still be full power during the day but it's definitely not at night. It was borderline standards.

Myrtle Beach SC has a station doing the format on FM. Not sure how successful it is but there are three simulcast signals on smaller FMs so it can cover the whole market.

Soft AC is a mood format, and it often does as well in 25-34 as 45-54.

This is another format that works in Myrtle Beach. Mainstream AC was something the market didn't have and the station tried it, but they went back to this. The format was borderline standards as recently as 2017.

 

[Mark Roberts]

Having lived in the SFBA since 1982, we are pretty "live-and-let-live" about a lot of things, but saying "Frisco" immediately pegs you as either a newbie or a visitor with contempt for us.

"San Fran" is even worse.