KOAI Flips to The Wow Factor

[Deus Ex Machiato]

Color me skeptical.

One of the things Sebastian mentioned a couple times is the songs. He's testing songs. The playlist will appeal to this demo, etc.

But is that what boomers remember fondly about the radio stations they grew up with? Just the songs? I'm guessing the answer is no.

I'm just shy of the demo being targeted, and what I remember from the radio stations of my youth are things like larger than life personalities. Booming signals that seemed to cover the whole world. Jingles and in your face imaging. Processing dripping with compression and a bit of reverb. Station bumper stickers and contests to win fabulous prizes (or at least prizes that seemed fabulous).

For me, I don't really need a station that plays the songs I used to listen to. I've got them in my personal collection (thanks to a long career in radio) and streaming services. What would be a true "wow factor" for me is a station that not only played the songs, but presented them and the station generally in the way I remember from those days. Not "here's some songs a research project has determined that old people like you enjoy," but "here's the radio experience you miss."

I realize that's too much to ask. That expecting "The Wow Factor" to be reminiscent of a flame-throwing Top 40 is a bridge too far. But that would actually wow me.

A mix of songs "both eclectic and completely familiar" with some unmemorable imagining in between? Not so much.

 

[TheBigA]

But is that what boomers remember fondly about the radio stations they grew up with? Just the songs? I'm guessing the answer is no.

Exactly. Ask the people who post here what they liked the most about KOOL. And what's missing now.

 

[CTListener]

I agree. I view his mentioning older GenXers as lip service for advertisers. He didn't mention it at all in the August interviews.

I can't imagine someone your age sitting through some of the early stuff. Ask a boomer to sit through Johnny Ray.

When Dexy's Midnight Runners sang about "Poor old Johnny Ray" in "Come On Eileen," I knew they were referring to a singer but had no idea what songs he was known for. I'm 64, so I was around 30 then. I'm sure a lot of listeners in all age groups were wondering why they were singing about a Pittsburgh Pirates infielder.

 

[2Son]

Color me skeptical.

One of the things Sebastian mentioned a couple times is the songs. He's testing songs. The playlist will appeal to this demo, etc.

But is that what boomers remember fondly about the radio stations they grew up with? Just the songs? I'm guessing the answer is no.

I'm just shy of the demo being targeted, and what I remember from the radio stations of my youth are things like larger than life personalities. Booming signals that seemed to cover the whole world. Jingles and in your face imaging. Processing dripping with compression and a bit of reverb. Station bumper stickers and contests to win fabulous prizes (or at least prizes that seemed fabulous).

For me, I don't really need a station that plays the songs I used to listen to. I've got them in my personal collection (thanks to a long career in radio) and streaming services. What would be a true "wow factor" for me is a station that not only played the songs, but presented them and the station generally in the way I remember from those days. Not "here's some songs a research project has determined that old people like you enjoy," but "here's the radio experience you miss."

I realize that's too much to ask. That expecting "The Wow Factor" to be reminiscent of a flame-throwing Top 40 is a bridge too far. But that would actually wow me.

A mix of songs "both eclectic and completely familiar" with some unmemorable imagining in between? Not so much.

I'm with you. I loved the jingles, imaging, and personalities back then as well. Of course, I grew up listening to WLS and WBBM in Chicago, which had some of the best. I especially loved the imaging for radio stations that leaned more rhythmic/dance or at least didn't ignore it. It used to be a habit of mine just to listen to hear what the latest new music was. I would get upset when a station in a different market would play a song that I didn't hear in my own hometown.

I used to enter all kinds of contests from radio stations back in the day. I would win vinyl, cassettes, and concert tickets (Thompson Twins, OMD, Starship, Outfield, etc.) from several different stations. When I was a freshman in high school in Dallas in '86, I entered a contest that KZPS in Dallas was running (was Z92.5 - Power Station at the time). Contestants had to sell these "Dream tickets" and to be honest, I can't remember exactly what the proceeds went towards. However, the winner(s) would win a Mr. Mister concert for his/her/their high school. I sold the hell out of those tickets, walked through neighborhoods with friends, knocked on doors, etc. Unfortunately, we didn't win and came in second, but had a blast doing it. In any case, I still got to see Mr. Mister at a concert at Six Flags.

 

[2Son]

I agree. I view his mentioning older GenXers as lip service for advertisers. He didn't mention it at all in the August interviews.

I can't imagine someone your age sitting through some of the early stuff. Ask a boomer to sit through Johnny Ray.

Although I think KOOL probably believes it is catering to my generation, I can barely stand (or sit through) listening to them since I feel like I'm on my 3rd lifetime of listening to that same old music. No true variety at all

 

[TheBigA]

I can barely stand (or sit through) listening to them since I feel like I'm on my 3rd lifetime of listening to that same old music. No true variety at all

They could add variety, but it probably wouldn't make it more listenable. They could do what Sebastian is doing and add music from another genre.

That would add variety, wouldn't it?

 

[Deus Ex Machiato]

They could add variety, but it probably wouldn't make it more listenable. They could do what Sebastian is doing and add music from another genre.

That would add variety, wouldn't it?

Variety? Yes. But what does that really mean?

If Sebastian is really targeting boomers, he'd understand that a whole lot of them didn't grow up with stations that mixed genres. Again - and this is only my experience - when you tuned into a station in 1983 or so, you didn't necessarily hear a "both eclectic and completely familiar" mix of music.

If you were a rock fan, you listened to rock radio. If you were a pop fan, you listened to Top 40. There was not a one-size-fits-all station that played Madonna and The Gap Band alongside a Van Halen album track. If you liked "alternative" music you had a different outlet, so a station playing Madonna, Van Halen, and The Cure would be like "wait...what?"

As I see it, the problem with "classic hits" stations is that they seem to think everything that was popular across a broad spectrum is automatically what everyone wants to hear. So Huey Lewis into AC/DC into The B-52's is all the same music because people in this certain demo know those songs. It's not. So when a station throws all these songs together in a quarter hour and fills in the blanks with "these are the songs of your life...aren't you impressed?" imaging, it just doesn't work.


For me.



Your mileage may vary.

 

[TheBigA]

So when a station throws all these songs together in a quarter hour and fills in the blanks with "these are the songs of your life...aren't you impressed?" imaging, it just doesn't work.

The curious thing to me is the addition of the country songs from the 2000s. How does that fit into all of this?

 

[davideduardo]

The curious thing to me is the addition of the country songs from the 2000s. How does that fit into all of this?

Yes, the country songs plus the yacht rock make an odd combination.

 

[CTListener]

The curious thing to me is the addition of the country songs from the 2000s. How does that fit into all of this?

Another 2-hour playlist sampling turns up results identical to my last: The country songs are from the baby boomer sweet-spot years, not the 1990s and 2000s. "Wichita Lineman" and "Always On My Mind," to be specific. Maybe the later songs were, somehow, being played in error. These two songs, by artists who had plenty of crossover appeal in the '70s, certainly make more sense in the format.

 

[asugeorge1]

Another 2-hour playlist sampling turns up results identical to my last: The country songs are from the baby boomer sweet-spot years, not the 1990s and 2000s. "Wichita Lineman" and "Always On My Mind," to be specific. Maybe the later songs were, somehow, being played in error. These two songs, by artists who had plenty of crossover appeal in the '70s, certainly make more sense in the format.

Let’s not forget too that those BOSS radio stations in the 60’s and 70’s didn’t just play rock and Mo-Town, they also played some country, folk and even instrumental music that were cross-overs from other genres of music. If WOW is trying to replicate that, more power to them! 2000’s country, though, does not fit the Baby Boomer generation. Glenn Campbell, Peter, Paul and Mary, Frank Sinatra and Booker T & The M.G.’s would fit the “BIG” radio sound from WLS, KHJ, WCFL, etc... This station is probably a work in progress, I would hope that they keep playing the 60’s music!

 

[EricStein]

This morning, they played "Superman" by Five For Fighting. This came out in 2001, right around the time traditional AC started to move away from the softer stuff and started putting more "edgier" songs on their playlist. Were boomers still listening to AC radio at that point in time? Did they move on to the format that used to be called "Oldies" in 2001? Maybe the younger end of the generation. But mixing that in with stuff like "Walk On By" by Dionne Warwick and "Sunshine Of Your Love" by Cream is really throwing things off balance.

 

[tbolt909]

This morning, they played "Superman" by Five For Fighting. This came out in 2001, right around the time traditional AC started to move away from the softer stuff and started putting more "edgier" songs on their playlist. Were boomers still listening to AC radio at that point in time? Did they move on to the format that used to be called "Oldies" in 2001? Maybe the younger end of the generation. But mixing that in with stuff like "Walk On By" by Dionne Warwick and "Sunshine Of Your Love" by Cream is really throwing things off balance.

This WOW Factor is not a AAA format. Maybe the strategy is to play hits from 5 decades of music and hope people find it unique. There will be a lot of Train Wreck segues and many people will find it jarring. Any WOW factor will soon fade and become "Oh NO not that song again"...

 

[davideduardo]

This morning, they played "Superman" by Five For Fighting. This came out in 2001, right around the time traditional AC started to move away from the softer stuff and started putting more "edgier" songs on their playlist. Were boomers still listening to AC radio at that point in time? Did they move on to the format that used to be called "Oldies" in 2001? Maybe the younger end of the generation. But mixing that in with stuff like "Walk On By" by Dionne Warwick and "Sunshine Of Your Love" by Cream is really throwing things off balance.

If you look at the 55+ ratings, you find bits of nearly everything... AC, new country, R&B, Urban AC, classic hits, classic rock, Regional Mexican, and even tiny shares for CHR and other very young formats. And, of course, talk, news, sports.

I looked at 55+ for Phoenix, and KESZ is #1 with double digit shares. Following are KOOL, KTAR (FM), KYOT, KJZZ, KSLX and KAZG all with over a 5 share. Then comes KBAQ, KNIX, KFYI, KMXP, KMLE, KMVP, KOAI all over a 2 share.

The Persons Using Radio in that group is around a 7, while for 25-54 it is 8. So there is good radio usage by 55+, better by about 10% than for 18-34.

 

[JRH]

The curious thing to me is the addition of the country songs from the 2000s. How does that fit into all of this?

Maybe the thinking is the target audience who grew up on pop/rock was tired of that by the time they hit middle-age, and had "gone country"? But I think country got really big in the 90s (when Garth came along) with people who switched from pop, not the early 2000s.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

^ This is radio done right; Serving your particular unique market. I applaud you; Well done!

It works in part because our competitors are older and more male heavy then we are

 

[RadioBill]

I've listened to the stream, and on my way to work this morning, listened on the radio. The song quality SUCKS. It sounds worse than AM. One song may sound normal and the next song's quality sounds like it was a recording of a recording from an AM station 30 years ago onto a cassette tape. I've never heard Fine Young Cannibals sound so horrible.

I frequently drive between Tucson and Show Low via Globe. Ever since the Oasis came on the air I had one of my car radio pre-sets on 95.1. In recent months I've noticed that their signal is much weaker than in the past. Also the audio quality has been degraded now for about a year and it was so bad on Monday that I took 95.1 off my pre-sets. To be honest I didn't even notice the format change - just that it sounded so poor.

 

[KeithE4]

I frequently drive between Tucson and Show Low via Globe. Ever since the Oasis came on the air I had one of my car radio pre-sets on 95.1. In recent months I've noticed that their signal is much weaker than in the past. Also the audio quality has been degraded now for about a year and it was so bad on Monday that I took 95.1 off my pre-sets. To be honest I didn't even notice the format change - just that it sounded so poor.

I can hear them in NE Mesa, but not well. But given that their tower is closer to Prescott than Phoenix, that's not surprising.

 

[EricStein]

I frequently drive between Tucson and Show Low via Globe. Ever since the Oasis came on the air I had one of my car radio pre-sets on 95.1. In recent months I've noticed that their signal is much weaker than in the past. Also the audio quality has been degraded now for about a year and it was so bad on Monday that I took 95.1 off my pre-sets. To be honest I didn't even notice the format change - just that it sounded so poor.

The Optimod (or Omnia) settings were definitely changed with the format. Add that with the compressed audio source, and it sounds a little bit too bright with not as much lower end (except when they play the handful of RealAudio-quality songs that were put in the hard drive).

 

[EricStein]

I can hear them in NE Mesa, but not well. But given that their tower is closer to Prescott than Phoenix, that's not surprising.

The Bradshaw rimshots are strange creatures. I'm in the East Valley, and they all boom in where I'm at. However, drive north on Power closer to the Red Mountain area, and you get multipath interference due to the mountains shielding the signal.