Rodger, say it ain't so....I keep hearing more and more 70's music and less and less 50's classics. I keep hearing Brandy by that sad Looking Glass group and I keep hearing Tony Orlando with Dawn......Hard to stomach. I did a little listener survey as I listened this weekend and heard 2 70's tunes for every 50's song. Is this the future of our beloved Oldies station? Say it ain't so Rodger
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Oh My God-Oldies 1480 Now Playing 70's!
- Thread starter FRR
- Start date
When we were there a couple weeks ago, I had just the opposite feeling...my "core era" of oldies based on my age is 1963-1971. I couldn't stomach it because most of what I heard that hour was pre-1963. Brandy & Candida play well with me, but Tie a Yellow Ribbon, that's going a tad too far...
If that is your sweets spot for oldies, it does make you quite and old gentleman. Do you use a cane or a walker? ;DBobOnTheJob said:
Having grown up listenting to the AM stations of the Top 40 era from 1960 through its demise, and having heard many of the legendary stations and personalities, I find it hard to listen to WDJO or any retro stations. I'd rather go to ReelRadio and listen to the original DJ's. Yes, I know that Dusty fits the legen category. Just my opinion.
For oldies stations, i do like 63 or so, up to about 69 or 70.
XM has the 60's on 6 and that is OK. I always thought that Rodger did a better job with it, compared to XM.
I am not too sure about dipping deeply into the 70's, though. WOMC is just slaughtering their oldies playlist here and sometimes it sounds more like WRIF did in 72 or so. I am not too sure i can say much here, not being an Oldies expert.
My personal preference IS the station that copies the underground stations that i grew up with. Namely, WABX, WWWW and WRIF.
I was a solid CKLW listener until i got enlightened and my folks bought me a Hi Fi, tube, FM rig with separate tuner, preamp and amp. Lots of speakers, driving Led Lepplin, Nugent and the Dukes, Jimmy, Janice, Etc.
Now that the kiddies are grown, i am back putting together a real audiophile system. Back to the components. Woo Hoo!
XM has the 60's on 6 and that is OK. I always thought that Rodger did a better job with it, compared to XM.
I am not too sure about dipping deeply into the 70's, though. WOMC is just slaughtering their oldies playlist here and sometimes it sounds more like WRIF did in 72 or so. I am not too sure i can say much here, not being an Oldies expert.
My personal preference IS the station that copies the underground stations that i grew up with. Namely, WABX, WWWW and WRIF.
I was a solid CKLW listener until i got enlightened and my folks bought me a Hi Fi, tube, FM rig with separate tuner, preamp and amp. Lots of speakers, driving Led Lepplin, Nugent and the Dukes, Jimmy, Janice, Etc.
Now that the kiddies are grown, i am back putting together a real audiophile system. Back to the components. Woo Hoo!
As one who likes each era of the perception of 'what is Oldies'.... Time marches on and so do core listening... Hey? How about those 80's on second generation Oldies stations...One day you will wake up and here early 90's on these second and future third generation past hit stations.... 
FRR said:
Actually, you are so right. No one is going to listen to 70's music on AM. 50's
& 60's Oldies are the right thing to build a large audience. The 70's are already
mixed in with Classic Rock, AC, and Classic Hits formats. If I need to explain
that nobody will listen to music on AM that is on FM-then I must be writing to dorks?
Keep the 70's off AM or the station will fail. Jim Croce is on AC. Spare us from Donny Osmond!and no Doobie Brothers!
A
anti-em
Guest
but I am 50 years old and I love the Doobies--
but I can only hear it with one ear---- maybe my ipod will do better
but I can only hear it with one ear---- maybe my ipod will do better
I appreciate everyone's comments on my post. It is interesting that advertisers still believe that listeners over 60 aren't worth targeting. I guess they really believe that we don't spend money or have any money to spend. I don't know what they will do when they learn that we may live 25 more years, and will still be consumers. I know many "seniors" that have more money to spend then they have ever had in their lives. Kids are raised, house is paid for, college paid for, now it is their time. I do know this; if we have to listen to Donnie Osmond or Jim Croce on our "Oldies Station", we will continue to be forced to pay for Sat radio or invest in more Ipods. But maybe programmers don't really care, and I guess if the demographics support it, I understand them. I am reminded of an uncle who loved 40's music several years ago when all these options weren't available, and how he hated the fact that no station ever played "his" music anymore. I told him that problem was that there wasn't enough folks around his age to listen anymore. He laughed and agreed. Maybe that will be the story of the "early boomers" pretty soon.
KyDXIn said:
Don't buy it...go try selling a traditional "oldies" station these days. (The few that are still around). Yes, you'll get some local/direct business. But call on any agency and you'll most likely hear the buyer tell you..."your audience is too old". Been there...done it...and listened to the crap from the buyers and their clients.
Now, I don't agree with the analysis...in fact, I just read an article last week lambasting ad agencies (and the 20 somethings who work there) and big national clients for demanding 18-34 and 18-49 numbers, while ignoring the upper demos which, the article contended, could be worth far more in advertising results and subsequent sales because of the higher buying power that's there.
But, yes...the 55 plus demo is, at this point in time, "unsellable". Radio's not to blame for the disappearance of the "traditional" oldies stations. The blame is on the big-ticket clients and the demands they make to the agencies, who continue to parrot what they learned in college...that 18-34 is everything.
Where I lose the connection is when I walk in the big box home improvement store that's playing oldies as background music, yet their very own ad agency is refusing to buy what was then the local oldies station for the exact reason stated...your audience is too old. Whoever chooses the music for this chain & whoever buys the advertising for this chain really need to talk more often.
Well, you're both right there.
I don't deny there's a "disconnect". In many cases, it seems absolutely illogical. However, a couple of thoughts:
With TV shows: yes, there are programs that appeal to "older" viewers, no argument there. But...why is it that, say...a program of 1960's pop stars singing their hits today is relegated to PBS? You don't see those shows on the alphabet nets. I would suspect the TV shows that appeal to "older" viewers have a sufficient complement of 30-45 year old viewers to keep the nets happy. (Remember, to reach a 30 to 45 year old on radio, you have to be playing Fleetwood Mac, Billy Joel, Orleans, Hall & Oates, The Bee Gees, etc.)
As to the big box home improvement store, I'd love to walk into that store with the ad agency buyer and ask him or her that question. But, I would imagine the agency buyer wouldn't "get" what I was saying.
There are many alleged "experts" (and they may actually know what they're talking about) who are saying over and over again that major advertisers and the ad agencies who buy for them are missing out on a gold mine not targeting at least some of those ad dollars at the upper demos. Just google it on the internet and you can read it in day-glow orange. I only know that older bias exists with major advertisers and their buyers.
(My God! When you program a station that's #1 25-54...and you're still told "your audience is too old, I can't buy you"...you gotta wonder.)
I'm not saying there isn't value in buying the younger audience, but I'll contend till I take my last breath that there is still value in buying upper demos, too...perhaps even more potential value in the upper demos...that's being ignored by clients and by Madison Avenue. But, the fact is, advertisers use means other than radio to reach the upper demos. And, as Cronkite said: That's the way it is.
I don't deny there's a "disconnect". In many cases, it seems absolutely illogical. However, a couple of thoughts:
With TV shows: yes, there are programs that appeal to "older" viewers, no argument there. But...why is it that, say...a program of 1960's pop stars singing their hits today is relegated to PBS? You don't see those shows on the alphabet nets. I would suspect the TV shows that appeal to "older" viewers have a sufficient complement of 30-45 year old viewers to keep the nets happy. (Remember, to reach a 30 to 45 year old on radio, you have to be playing Fleetwood Mac, Billy Joel, Orleans, Hall & Oates, The Bee Gees, etc.)
As to the big box home improvement store, I'd love to walk into that store with the ad agency buyer and ask him or her that question. But, I would imagine the agency buyer wouldn't "get" what I was saying.
There are many alleged "experts" (and they may actually know what they're talking about) who are saying over and over again that major advertisers and the ad agencies who buy for them are missing out on a gold mine not targeting at least some of those ad dollars at the upper demos. Just google it on the internet and you can read it in day-glow orange. I only know that older bias exists with major advertisers and their buyers.
(My God! When you program a station that's #1 25-54...and you're still told "your audience is too old, I can't buy you"...you gotta wonder.)
I'm not saying there isn't value in buying the younger audience, but I'll contend till I take my last breath that there is still value in buying upper demos, too...perhaps even more potential value in the upper demos...that's being ignored by clients and by Madison Avenue. But, the fact is, advertisers use means other than radio to reach the upper demos. And, as Cronkite said: That's the way it is.
L
LuvGoodRadio
Guest
"One who knows" does know what he is talking about. Go into most any family resturant , doctor or dentist offices, the big box stores and they are playing the safe sounding Oldies of 60's & early "70s music, and surprising my grandchildren never complain about it even when I have WDJO 1480 on in the car.
I have lot's of my friends in their late 50's & 60's who make an annual $100K + income, money to spend , who pay cash for most of their big purchases with little or no monthly credit card debt. I just puchased a new car from Walt Sweeney Ford ,one of the dealers that advertise on my favorit radio station Oldies 1480, I want to support the station advertisers that plays my music, and that is what I told the sales person at the dealership when ask how did I know about their dealership.
Thanks to" one who knows", he does know that we young seniors are being underserved by most advertisers and their media agencies and made the point.
Thanks to Oldies 1480 for what they do for their listeners everday , please don't knock them for playing a few 70's songs from time to time , it does not bother me.
I have lot's of my friends in their late 50's & 60's who make an annual $100K + income, money to spend , who pay cash for most of their big purchases with little or no monthly credit card debt. I just puchased a new car from Walt Sweeney Ford ,one of the dealers that advertise on my favorit radio station Oldies 1480, I want to support the station advertisers that plays my music, and that is what I told the sales person at the dealership when ask how did I know about their dealership.
Thanks to" one who knows", he does know that we young seniors are being underserved by most advertisers and their media agencies and made the point.
Thanks to Oldies 1480 for what they do for their listeners everday , please don't knock them for playing a few 70's songs from time to time , it does not bother me.
A point worthy of noting where WDJO is concerned...those of us who are "long term" listeners (if such a thing is possible with a 3 or so year old station) can't help but notice that many of the sponsors who are on there today were there when the station began. The Ford dealer, Bella Luna (my wife still proudly shows off the picture of her & Kathy Young taken there) & North College Hill Bakery are just three that come to mind. These businesses simply could not thrive, especially in a down economy, if they were not getting good bang for the buck in the advertising choices. Radio works, Oldies work..it's the 20 somethings running the ad agencies that are missing the boat....and the well to do, debt free 'young seniors' that are buying said boat.LuvGoodRadio said:
The agencies do what the marketing department of the client tells them to do. I don't know who has been to Proctor and Gamble to tell them that they need to brand and market to seniors. WDJO can do well with direct advertisers, and they certainly are. The overhead is on the low side there, however.
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