NOW, where's this "younger approach?"

[Soon Yi CIV.V]

Before I launch into today’s tirade, I want to say I enjoy that there are no commercials on Now 97.5 during the workday. But after listening all day, I headed over to yes.com and looked at some of the songs I was missing on B101 and WISX. B101’s music already looks better than it did yesterday! But WISX stunned me because they were simply playing more songs that I wanted to hear. Commercials though! Bother! This raised the question: How can I hear more of the songs I like without commercials? Oh, that’s right. Duhh. My iPod.

As I said, I’ve been listening to Now 97.5 all day so here goes my tirade: Where is this alleged “younger approach?” I mean, I heard some songs that definitely appeal to the younger end of the demographic…but I also heard a bunch of things that I can’t imagine test even-close-to-well with anyone under 40. Below, I’ve pasted in a sampling of songs Now played during my workday which I just don’t think appeal to the group they say they’re trying to serve.

“Now,” I totally get that the station is new and the actual PD isn’t in place and all that other stuff…so I could understand if a few odd titles popped up. But geez, look at this list! I’m not an expert on music testing so maybe someone can tell me that I’m wrong here: Do these songs actually test well with any females under 40?

(And why must I be constantly accosted with Rod Stewart and Genesis/Phil Collins? I mean, honestly. Why not just gag me until I vomit?)

• Bill Medley with Jennifer Warnes / I’ve Had the Time of My Life
• Boston / More Than a Feeling
• Chicago / If You Leave Me Now
• Chicago / You’re the Inspiration
• Darryl Hall & John Oates / I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)
• Darryl Hall & John Oates / Sara Smile
• Eagles / I Can’t Tell You Why
• Eddie Money / Baby Hold On
• Eddie Money / Take Me Home Tonight
• Genesis / Invisible Touch
• Genesis / Throwing It All Away
• Huey Lewis & the News / Heart and Soul
• Journey / Lights
• Michael McDonald / Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
• Peter Frampton / Baby, I Love Your Way
• Phil Collins / You Can’t Hurry Love
• REO Speedwagon / Take It On the Run
• Rod Stewart / Tonight Is the Night
• Rod Stewart / You’re In My Heart
• Rod Stewart / Young Turks
• Steve Perry / Foolish Heart
• Yvonne Elliman / If I Can’t Have You

 

[imhomerjay]

Like you I wouldn't have access to specific song testing, but that any of the songs you cite would test well wouldn't surprise me. As tastes mature, many people can appreciate songs that may be a bit before their own formative years (depending on how far "under 40" we're talking about). Coming a little closer to 40 even, some of these songs were right in the high school years--and no matter what we may think of high school per se, the music often (not always, but often) seems to evoke positive memories.

 

[Soon Yi CIV.V]

I'm not too sure how I feel about that. For argument's sake (not to be argumentative--LOL), let's pick a nice round number to represent the alleged target demo. Let's go with 35. The vast majority of these songs were released in the '70s, many around the time today's 35-year-old was between three and five.

With the exception of the Michael McDonald cover (which only ever appealed to old ladies), the most recent songs on the list would be "Take Me Home" (Eddie Money), "Invisible Touch" and "Throwing It All Away" (Genesis)...but even then we're talking about pre-high school.

Throwing some of these songs in once in while might be nice. (Like, on a "Year You Were Born Weekend" or something. 8)) But it seems to me a station trying to play to the younger end of the AC demographic should be concentrating on hits from the years spanning high school through the late twenties. I just feel like the heaviest concentration should be on songs from 1988 to 2000. Going way back to hits from 1975 seems tragically off-course.

 

[TheBigA]

Well if they do what you say, they crash headfirst into Ben. Can't do that, can they?

 

[TheBootlegger]

This is undoubtedly one of the lamest stations I have ever heard in all my years in the business. Like CBS' failed (only working in New York where there is only ONE competitor) Fresh format, this is a snooze. Also, what is the big problem with these groups always launching half-assed websites?? Can't they plan it, get it done and launch it all at once? Don't even get me started on the lame, canned, female voice forcing her way through the backsell on every dam song. BORING. Bring back Star 104.5 to Philly and they would have a much better chance of dinging B101. At this point the people across the street must be laughing pretty hard. LAME. LAME. LAME RADIO. AGAIN!!

 

[DToTheJ]

This is undoubtedly one of the lamest stations I have ever heard in all my years in the business. Like CBS' failed (only working in New York where there is only ONE competitor) Fresh format, this is a snooze.

Surely, you speak of the "Blink" format, one of the previous formats on 102.7 before the current Fresh? Knock it all you want, but to an extent, it appears to be working. Lite-FM in NYC has actually lost ground as a result! Perhaps GM Philly looked at that and that is what they based their decision on... With that said, I hope that CC New York doesn't look at Philly in return - if I ever hear Lite-FM backselling songs, this truly is the end of radio as we know it...

Also, what is the big problem with these groups always launching half-assed websites?? Can't they plan it, get it done and launch it all at once?

I think it's the Internet-savvy radio geeks like me that keep them on their toes... ;D

 

[BigDangDudeFan]

Several of those songs you listed most DEFINITLY appeal to the younger audience.... Down the shore this summer on any given weekend you would hear a band or DJ playing eddie money's "take me home tonight" and the girls would go insane... any journey song will do nowadays as well, and the one you mentioned "lights" is probably second only to "dont stop believin".... the younger people nowadays are into that stuff, believe me...

There are many more on that list as well that I know the younger audience is getting into... before you think I'm attacking, I'm not.. I'm just giving you another point of view and letting you know that the younger crowd is getting more into that type of music.. If for nothing more than novelty reasons

 

[Beejus]

Several of those songs you listed most DEFINITLY appeal to the younger audience.... Down the shore this summer on any given weekend you would hear a band or DJ playing eddie money's "take me home tonight" and the girls would go insane... any journey song will do nowadays as well, and the one you mentioned "lights" is probably second only to "dont stop believin".... the younger people nowadays are into that stuff, believe me...

There are many more on that list as well that I know the younger audience is getting into... before you think I'm attacking, I'm not.. I'm just giving you another point of view and letting you know that the younger crowd is getting more into that type of music.. If for nothing more than novelty reasons

Agreed on all counts. Some people will think of the music as stale... but when I DJ weddings, I could put on Journey's Greatest Hits and let that play through and no one would complain.

 

[Soon Yi CIV.V]

Well if they do what you say, they crash headfirst into Ben. Can't do that, can they?

I don't think BEN is even a factor. The two stations would obviously just differentiate themselves. Ben has been '80s/Rock-intensive before. They can do that while Now 97.5 concentrates on '90s/Pop. Sure, they'll share some titles but that's not a big deal. Plus, in that scenario, GM is really running the gamut here in Philly. Sounds like it can only make things easier for the sales people.

 

[Soon Yi CIV.V]

Several of those songs you listed most DEFINITLY appeal to the younger audience.... Down the shore this summer on any given weekend you would hear a band or DJ playing eddie money's "take me home tonight" and the girls would go insane... any journey song will do nowadays as well, and the one you mentioned "lights" is probably second only to "dont stop believin".... the younger people nowadays are into that stuff, believe me...

There are many more on that list as well that I know the younger audience is getting into... before you think I'm attacking, I'm not.. I'm just giving you another point of view and letting you know that the younger crowd is getting more into that type of music.. If for nothing more than novelty reasons

That's interesting! I wonder though if that enthusiasm carries over to the station they want to listen to every day at work. If they like it because of the novelty, that's gonna wear thin pretty quickly if a station plays the stuff every day!

PS- Why do people always think they're being attacked on these boards? LOL. No way I would have read that as some sort of attack! No worries.

 

[Irishfl]

A station can appear young with basically the same playlist as the b, by simple havning the newer songs in heavier rotation, while giving the older tunes only a few spins a day.

If lets say b 101 gave the the 70's 80's 90's and today all equal amounts of play (I know they don't just go with me)

Then wouldn't now appeal to a younger crowd with a 10% 70's 20% 80's 30% 90's and 40% today mix?

 

[imhomerjay]

Several of those songs you listed most DEFINITLY appeal to the younger audience.... Down the shore this summer on any given weekend you would hear a band or DJ playing eddie money's "take me home tonight" and the girls would go insane... any journey song will do nowadays as well, and the one you mentioned "lights" is probably second only to "dont stop believin".... the younger people nowadays are into that stuff, believe me...

There are many more on that list as well that I know the younger audience is getting into... before you think I'm attacking, I'm not.. I'm just giving you another point of view and letting you know that the younger crowd is getting more into that type of music.. If for nothing more than novelty reasons

That's interesting! I wonder though if that enthusiasm carries over to the station they want to listen to every day at work. If they like it because of the novelty, that's gonna wear thin pretty quickly if a station plays the stuff every day!

PS- Why do people always think they're being attacked on these boards? LOL. No way I would have read that as some sort of attack! No worries.

\

If I remember correctly, when Z/Y-100 first launched as the adult top 40 or whatever they wanted to call it, Lights--even in 1993--was getting tons of airplay. But that's another story.

I'm not sure it's really a novelty factor--I think, sincerely, that a good chunk of the target audience will take those songs in regular rotation. I look at how much the radio geeks loved to slam oldies radio for playing the same songs, but the people who mattered kept listening because, no matter how many times they heard it (within reason to people who don't think of things like spin counts), they didn't tune away. I don't see why that facet of behavior would suddenly change as a new generation moves to the oldies phase--even if us Gen X-ers have some aversion to calling 25 year-old songs oldies.

So here's the question I'm pondering ("Are you pondering what I'm pondering, Pinky?")--how do you really differentiate Now from the B when you're playing in the same corner of the sandbox? Is it the ratio of '70s/'80s vs. '90s/'00s? Is it personalities or lack thereof? Is it just marketing the heck out of it and trying to convince people it's really a "younger" approach? Or is it a balancing act of the three, and how do you approach each "leg" so to speak?

I know it's week one, so there's plenty of time to evolve, but right now they sound like a near clone of the B, are using a tagline that is almost the same, and have a song-tag voicer that's nearly indistinguishable from the B. Maybe that's the perfect formula in a PPM world! Just clone the other guys and hope people stumble across you, like the song, and don't think to change the dial back to 101.1. No pesky diaries to worry about.

 

[Soon Yi CIV.V]

A station can appear young with basically the same playlist as the b, by simple havning the newer songs in heavier rotation, while giving the older tunes only a few spins a day.

If lets say b 101 gave the the 70's 80's 90's and today all equal amounts of play (I know they don't just go with me)

Then wouldn't now appeal to a younger crowd with a 10% 70's 20% 80's 30% 90's and 40% today mix?

Yes, a station can absolutely appear younger while sharing titles with B101. I agree it's about those percentages. What I'm saying is that Now's percentages are all askew! LOL. Those crusty-ass songs I listed yesterday were a handful that I picked out just during the time I was at my desk yesterday! Now needs to change the percentages. (And I would venture to say some of those songs could be dropped altogether and no one in the targeted demo would miss them. It would only be an improvement.)

 

[CTNYRADIO]

The other problem is that most of the songs you list are overly consulted and considered safe....despite being burned out with massive overplay over the last 2 decades...it amazes me that the suits think setting up a cheap copycat of the brand leader (which also play many of the same stale, overplayed, and overly consulted songs) is going to lead to even mediocre ratings...don't they remember the 2nd incarnation of sunny???...Overall-lame, unimaginative, and unlikely to take much away from the brand leader, B101.
Just gives people another reason to defect to Satellite, IPODS etc.

 

[Soon Yi CIV.V]

It really is crazy that they think these crispy songs are gonna do the trick. Like they're suddenly gonna become favorites again after years of making people want to subscribe to satellite radio. The sad reality is that if GM runs a copycat of B101 cheap enough, it probably will get enough listeners to make it profitable.

I'm not sure I get the Sunny reference though. That station had a great personality all its own and it wasn't at all copying B101. And for what it was, I think a 3-share was pretty admirable.

 

[Rockin Rob]

It really is crazy that they think these crispy songs are gonna do the trick. Like they're suddenly gonna become favorites again after years of making people want to subscribe to satellite radio. The sad reality is that if GM runs a copycat of B101 cheap enough, it probably will get enough listeners to make it profitable.

I'm not sure I get the Sunny reference though. That station had a great personality all its own and it wasn't at all copying B101. And for what it was, I think a 3-share was pretty admirable.

Gotta agree there: at the outset, Sunny was unique. This Now is in no way unique.

 

[somerton]

Hey Person!!! Cant agree with you more. However, you did more research than any person would ever do.
Now 97.5 is just another music station on the FM dial. In this market, we have 9 'rock' stations. How long
will C.C. go with this format? How can they say jazz wasnt making the bucks, when they go with a format
that many stations are doing and one station has been successful for years. What about Fox Sports Radio
or top 40.

 

[TheBigA]

It's hard for me to tell, based on the various sceen names, but are there any people posting here in their target demo? As in: Women?

There are a lot of radio stations I find lame. Then I see the ratings, and I understand why.

 

[Soon Yi CIV.V]

It is hard to tell. Back in the old days, we'd ask once in a while for people to say how old they are and whether they are male or female. People resisted answering hard-core! I guess they thought it would reinforce the thoughts that their posts were based on opinions vs. reality? I don't know.

Here on the boards, I like to think I speak for the demo though. ;D Being a 34-year-old gay guy, I may be the closest thing we have! LOL