KOAI Flips to The Wow Factor

[Smiths and Smittys]

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

Let me fix this: It works in part because our competitors are older and more heavy males than we are

Trying to give K~WOW a chance. About 75% of the songs seem like they could fit together as some kind of a classic 60's-80's+ pop/rock/hits format, even if a stretch. But Ozzy Osbourne a few songs away from the Carpenters and some Doo Wop song just seems to be worlds apart. And there is ZERO life to the station. You could argue that people don't give a crap and/or like DJ/clutter etc. However most who grew up with this music were used to hearing some kind of theater around the songs. Screaming jock or your quintessential midday jock who just kept it clean. How is this any different from making your own Spotify list?

Also the station voice sounds like the Smuckers Jams and Jelly guy? I thought everything now is supposed to be so "organic" sounding. Maybe see what Pat McMahon would charge. Would fit better.

Then how about a weekend promotion idea. A Sham Wow weekend. Have Vince Offer voice the cue to text in.

 

[Deus Ex Machiato]

But Ozzy Osbourne a few songs away from the Carpenters and some Doo Wop song just seems to be worlds apart.

A good point, and something that IMO most "classic hits" stations miss.

Chances are that if you're old enough to fit into this demo, the stations you listened to back then didn't play everything. You had your Top 40 stations, you had your Album Rock stations, and there wasn't a lot of overlap between the two. If you were from some rust belt city, you were either a rock guy growing up, or a pop fan. The rock station you listened to wasn't going to play a Madonna song, and the pop station you listened to wasn't going to spin "Crazy Train." If they did, you'd throw something at your radio.

There were exceptions, of course, but in general every station stayed in their lane.

Now, stations like Wow will go from (for example) the Stones to Prince and say "hey, remember when you used to listen to this kind of mix of songs?"

I don't.

 

[davideduardo]

A good point, and something that IMO most "classic hits" stations miss.

Chances are that if you're old enough to fit into this demo, the stations you listened to back then didn't play everything. You had your Top 40 stations, you had your Album Rock stations, and there wasn't a lot of overlap between the two. If you were from some rust belt city, you were either a rock guy growing up, or a pop fan. The rock station you listened to wasn't going to play a Madonna song, and the pop station you listened to wasn't going to spin "Crazy Train." If they did, you'd throw something at your radio.

The thing is that a large percentage of Top 40 listeners also cumed AOR stations. If you looked at diaries from any market back then, you'd see that sharing was common and loyalty to one station alone was unusual.

So there may indeed be a niche for that blend. I don't hear it myself... as there are a lot of songs I don't even recognize... but let's give it a chance.

 

[TheBigA]

One thing I've noticed is that at night, they give the country music a rest. So its all a mix of 60s, 70s, and 80s hits.

Although it's quite a swing to go from Betcha By Golly Wow to Cruel To Be Kind. Even without Brooks & Dunn.

 

[asugeorge1]

One thing I've noticed is that at night, they give the country music a rest. So its all a mix of 60s, 70s, and 80s hits.

Although it's quite a swing to go from Betcha By Golly Wow to Cruel To Be Kind. Even without Brooks & Dunn.

I gave the station a listen to for a couple hours last night driving back from LA to Phoenix and I did not notice a single country music song so maybe they have already evolved the playlist to cut out those 1990’s and 2000’s country songs. I would agree that it’s an interesting mix and I love that they are playing some 60’s oldies, but mixing it with sports arena music like Gary Glitter with Rock and Roll Part 2 and other music you wouldn’t normally hear is different to say the least. I heard Lesley Gore transition to Ozzy Osbourne. That was weird!

 

[TheBigA]

I love that they are playing some 60’s oldies, but mixing it with sports arena music like Gary Glitter with Rock and Roll Part 2 and other music you wouldn’t normally hear is different to say the least. I heard Lesley Gore transition to Ozzy Osbourne. That was weird!

But keep in mind that there already is a station in Phoenix playing 60s oldies. So it's not that much of a stretch.

 

[KP]

Meh, listened today for the first time... Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind" into 38 Special's "Hold On Loosely" is not for me. ;-)

 

[CTListener]

Do non-radio people -- 99 percent of a typical station's listeners -- react to "trainwrecks" the same way radio people do or is the criticism seen in this thread just the super-involved, geeky 1 percent griping about things "real people" don't care about?

By the way, I remember hearing "Guantanamera" and "Psychotic Reaction" being played on WBZ Boston in the late summer of 1966, when BZ and WMEX were Top 40 rivals. Top 40 stations were full of such juxtapositions right through the late '60s and into the early '70s. Only when AOR found its mojo (thanks to Lee Abrams) did the rock and pop really start segregating themselves on the radio.

 

[tbolt909]

Do non-radio people -- 99 percent of a typical station's listeners -- react to "trainwrecks" the same way radio people do or is the criticism seen in this thread just the super-involved, geeky 1 percent griping about things "real people" don't care about?

By the way, I remember hearing "Guantanamera" and "Psychotic Reaction" being played on WBZ Boston in the late summer of 1966, when BZ and WMEX were Top 40 rivals. Top 40 stations were full of such juxtapositions right through the late '60s and into the early '70s. Only when AOR found its mojo (thanks to Lee Abrams) did the rock and pop really start segregating themselves on the radio.

Back when effort was actually put into Programming, song flow mattered. AOR and FM free form stations segued songs without station IDs in between. It created a mood and a "feel" to the station. Listeners did appreciate it. Stations like KZAP, KFOG and other Album Rock stations had staff who were capable of the "Art of Segue".

Top 40 stations were not concerned with flow. They just played the hits of the moment. The WOW format appears to be a "Song Blender or Stew". A random mix of hits from different eras. Sort of a JACK on steroids...

 

[EricStein]

A week in, all I can say about this format is that it sounds like the love child of Jack-FM and MeTV FM, with a few country songs thrown in.

 

[asugeorge1]

A week in, all I can say about this format is that it sounds like the love child of Jack-FM and MeTV FM, with a few country songs thrown in.

So for me, a 34 year old male who is a fan of sports radio (KQFN 1580 AM and Arizona Sports 98.7), all-news radio (nothing like that here in Phoenix so KNX 1070 at night is my only outlet), alternative music (ALT AZ 93.3 KDKB) and 50’s, 60’s and early 70’s oldies music (1440 AM KAZG / Oldies 92.7 and KIKO 96.5 FM) the WOW Factor on 95.1 FM gives me a little of what I like, but not enough to keep me tuned in. I hear a couple good songs, but the format is all over the map that I just tend to keep it on Oldies 92.7. If 95.1 FM was like MeTV 87.7 FM in Chicago, I would be more interested and would have a preset. This WOW Factor is a work in progress so we will see how it goes. I’m still wondering if this is just temporary until November before a flip to all Christmas music.

 

[CTListener]

So for me, a 34 year old male who is a fan of sports radio (KQFN 1580 AM and Arizona Sports 98.7), all-news radio (nothing like that here in Phoenix so KNX 1070 at night is my only outlet), alternative music (ALT AZ 93.3 KDKB) and 50’s, 60’s and early 70’s oldies music (1440 AM KAZG / Oldies 92.7 and KIKO 96.5 FM) the WOW Factor on 95.1 FM gives me a little of what I like, but not enough to keep me tuned in. I hear a couple good songs, but the format is all over the map that I just tend to keep it on Oldies 92.7. If 95.1 FM was like MeTV 87.7 FM in Chicago, I would be more interested and would have a preset. This WOW Factor is a work in progress so we will see how it goes. I’m still wondering if this is just temporary until November before a flip to all Christmas music.

Why Christmas music? Doesn't Phoenix have an established market leader in that format? What would the point be of a station that wasn't attracting many ears to begin with to go Christmas? Who would advertise on such a station?

As a 34-year-old you are an EXTREME outlier for music made at least a decade before you were born, so I wouldn't expect WOW Factor to keep you listening for extended periods.

 

[DrAkbar]

Not since Twice 103~Five have Nurse Jeff and I heard so many train wrecks. YIKES!

But at least BANG 545 is in regular rotation.

 

[EricStein]

So for me, a 34 year old male who is a fan of sports radio (KQFN 1580 AM and Arizona Sports 98.7), all-news radio (nothing like that here in Phoenix so KNX 1070 at night is my only outlet), alternative music (ALT AZ 93.3 KDKB) and 50’s, 60’s and early 70’s oldies music (1440 AM KAZG / Oldies 92.7 and KIKO 96.5 FM) the WOW Factor on 95.1 FM gives me a little of what I like, but not enough to keep me tuned in. I hear a couple good songs, but the format is all over the map that I just tend to keep it on Oldies 92.7. If 95.1 FM was like MeTV 87.7 FM in Chicago, I would be more interested and would have a preset. This WOW Factor is a work in progress so we will see how it goes. I’m still wondering if this is just temporary until November before a flip to all Christmas music.

Affiliates of the national MeTV FM network (not the original local Chicago version) stream, and for those who like softer oldies, that's definitely a good listen. I like the "21st-century MOR" sound of KDRI in Tucson as well. I think something along those lines would really take off in Phoenix. If I was able to get a hold of silent 1280 AM and their 96.1 translator that could reach the boomers in the NW Valley.

 

[TheBigA]

I’m still wondering if this is just temporary until November before a flip to all Christmas music.

I doubt Sebastian would sign on for a two-month gig. They could have stuck with their previous classic hits format if they were just waiting for Christmas.

 

[asugeorge1]

I doubt Sebastian would sign on for a two-month gig. They could have stuck with their previous classic hits format if they were just waiting for Christmas.

True, all very good points. It just seems like they flipped the format without really being prepared and ready for it. I was just listening on the drive home and I heard what was perhaps the worst audio quality of any song ever on FM stereo radio with Howard Jones “No One Is To Blame.” It sounded like someone was playing the song with the lowest bit rate possible from a YouTube video over a dial-up AOL connection. No joke, it sounded worse than hearing the song on AM radio. That is unacceptable and not the first time I have heard a song with awful sound quality since KOAI flipped to the Wow Factor. This awful sound quality was on both the KZON HD-2 signal and the 95.1 FM signal. They need to fix this up or else they are going to bleed listeners faster than when Randy Michaels flipped to FM News 101.1 in Chicago!

 

[asugeorge1]

Affiliates of the national MeTV FM network (not the original local Chicago version) stream, and for those who like softer oldies, that's definitely a good listen. I like the "21st-century MOR" sound of KDRI in Tucson as well. I think something along those lines would really take off in Phoenix. If I was able to get a hold of silent 1280 AM and their 96.1 translator that could reach the boomers in the NW Valley.

Actually, funny enough, I have been listening to KDRI AM 830 from Tucson recently because of their night-time stunt this past week of staying on daytime power at night and I was actually very impressed with their format. I think KDRI’s 1960-1970’s soft rock format works very well and does remind me of MeTV FM in Chicago. I have actually added it as a preset in my car. That AM signal comes in like a local during the day in the East Valley!

 

[EricStein]

True, all very good points. It just seems like they flipped the format without really being prepared and ready for it. I was just listening on the drive home and I heard what was perhaps the worst audio quality of any song ever on FM stereo radio with Howard Jones “No One Is To Blame.” It sounded like someone was playing the song with the lowest bit rate possible from a YouTube video over a dial-up AOL connection. No joke, it sounded worse than hearing the song on AM radio. That is unacceptable and not the first time I have heard a song with awful sound quality since KOAI flipped to the Wow Factor. This awful sound quality was on both the KZON HD-2 signal and the 95.1 FM signal. They need to fix this up or else they are going to bleed listeners faster than when Randy Michaels flipped to FM News 101.1 in Chicago!

I noticed a couple of sounds which I could describe as sounding like "early streaming with RealAudio" - Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" and Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water." I think Sebastian brought in his personal music collection. The version of Eddie Money's "Two Tickets To Paradise" is now the album version, not the radio single like they were playing as The Oasis.

Actually, funny enough, I have been listening to KDRI AM 830 from Tucson recently because of their night-time stunt this past week of staying on daytime power at night and I was actually very impressed with their format. I think KDRI’s 1960-1970’s soft rock format works very well and does remind me of MeTV FM in Chicago. I have actually added it as a preset in my car. That AM signal comes in like a local during the day in the East Valley!

I've got 830 as a preset too. I'd rather much just stream it for stereo high fidelity (they've yet to get their TuneIn profile set up), but it's there for convenience. They're kind of in between MeTV FM and The Wow Factor since they play some oddities too ("Dreadlock Holiday" by 10CC and "New Song" by Howard Jones are a couple that come to mind).

 

[TheBigA]

True, all very good points. It just seems like they flipped the format without really being prepared and ready for it.

That's the difference between a big corporate station and a smaller operation. The big corporate station has access to full music libraries. Probably not the case here.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

That's the difference between a big corporate station and a smaller operation. The big corporate station has access to full music libraries. Probably not the case here.

not quite true..... big corporations probably have in house music libraries for every possible format. A smaller station can get the same music, they just may not have it already and have to go out and find it