Oldies 103.3

[ciao99]

The anecdotal thinking in the market is that WODS's 25-54 numbers are all really 45-54's. (And a look deeper into the ratings indicates that idea is not too far off the mark.)

So what? There are advertisers who want to reach those demos. Maybe they aren't top value....that doesn't mean they have no value. Should the radio dial program only to advertizers who want to reach 18-34 year olds and abandon anyone over 35? Did you think that people stop buying Lexus, Mercedes Benz and Acuras once they reach 35?

 

[SonicOverload]

'79? Cool. I wonder when The Clash and Elvis Costello will show up on Oldies!

what are you trying to do? Depress me??

 

[WMC2006]

Someone up above guessed November 6th as The Week Christmas Music Returns. Last year (or maybe it was very early this year), I think I posted the same thing with a return date of October 15th or something like that. I'm sticking with that timeperiod. Before Halloween anyway. ;D

 

[Garrett]

Dale's ratings in the morning are (somewhat) better than his predecessor in the slot Paul Perry's were. He does (barely) crack the 25-54 top ten. The only reason Dale doesn't do better is because of Loren and Wally having been on 105.7 mornings consistently for over 25 years, and all of the people who apparently seem to think that they're funny.

Dale is a very talented heritage jock with significant local recognition, but he was bounced around the dial and only began his WODS show a few years ago.

Uh... He was on one station, Kiss, continuously from 79-till 2004. Between that gig and ODS, what other station was be "bounced around" on? Was he on another station in between Kiss and ODS?

 

[chitchatjf]

Chubby Checker is playing the Topsfield Fair this year

if WODS' formula works, if the name works, why tinker with it?

I REALLY didn't need to hear about a rap version of "Mama Told Me Not To Come.'

Again?

This is like the third time in the past 10 years.

 

[JustinT]

I was just thinking, isn't this the last CBS station using the Oldies moniker? WODS seems to get borderline ratings, anyone else have a feeling that they'll drop the 'Oldies' name soon? Always thought it sounded pretty good.

The rule of thumb in Boston is that if your audience is white and suburban you don't mess with the format no matter how poor the ratings and even if the format is duplicated numerous times across the dial.

That aside, I agree with the above posters. The station has excellent ratings. And who cares if they don't attract 12 year olds? Furthermore, people don't just stop spending money once they turn 35. In fact the older folks have more disposable income.

I used to do market research for CBS TV stations, and ran into these objections about the mature audience once in a while. But despite the naysayers, the older audience brings in the ratings and the revenue. There is room for other advertisers than fast food joints and cheap beer.

I wouldn't expect the format to change, but dropping the "Oldies 103.3" moniker wouldn't be a surprise.

The best comparison is CBS' WOMC in Detroit, which became "104.3 WOMC" from "Oldies 104.3 WOMC" earlier this year. WOMC's numbers, at least 12+, appear to be around the same area as WODS. And wasn't WODS known as "Oldies 103 WODS" at one time? WODS listeners are likely familiar with the station's call letters, perhaps not as much as a WKLB listener but definitely more than a WMKK listener. And what listener wants to be reminded that they are old, even as the station's music blend becomes more modern?

As others have said, a logical move might be waiting either for the holiday music to start or for the holiday music to end before making such a change. But if CBS' other stations are any clue, "103.3 WODS" can't be too far off.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

Dale is a very talented heritage jock with significant local recognition, but he was bounced around the dial and only began his WODS show a few years ago.

Uh... He was on one station, Kiss, continuously from 79-till 2004. Between that gig and ODS, what other station was be "bounced around" on? Was he on another station in between Kiss and ODS?

No, but Loren and Wally have been on the same frequency they're on now for over 25 years. Their audience didn't have to follow them from another frequency with a completely different format. Many of Dale's original WRKO listeners didn't follow him (or stay with him) on Kiss because they weren't interested in current CHR as they aged into the 80's and 90's, and Dale was still on a station (Kiss) aimed at teens and younger adults until just a few years ago.

On Kiss, Dale was playing to the sons and daughters of his original WRKO listeners, who had mostly left CHR (and Dale) behind and went to adult music formats such as AC, Classic Hits/Rock, Oldies, etc... as they got older. They didn't tune in to Kiss in the 80's and 90's, it was a younger generations music, so to them Dale no longer existed on the air.

When Dale moved from Kiss to Oldies a few years ago, it was actually the first time many listeners had ever heard him because most Oldies listeners had not been listening to Kiss, and some Oldies listeners who had been in Boston long enough to remember him on WRKO in the 70's had wondered where he had been for all those years. They may not have noticed that it was Dale blaring out of their kids' boom-boxes on Kiss.

Except for a few years as Country in the mid 90's, 105.7 has always been some sort of AC or Classic Hits format as long as Loren and Wally have been there, even through different owners and call letter chages. This has given L&W a much more consistent opportunity to build an established long-time audience of around the same age demo on the same frequency than Dale had.

 

[sp113]

The anecdotal thinking in the market is that WODS's 25-54 numbers are all really 45-54's. (And a look deeper into the ratings indicates that idea is not too far off the mark.)

So what? There are advertisers who want to reach those demos. Maybe they aren't top value....that doesn't mean they have no value.

Right...it doesn't mean they have NO value...but definitely less value...and the advertisers will not pay premium prices for those demos.

Should the radio dial program only to advertizers who want to reach 18-34 year olds and abandon anyone over 35? Did you think that people stop buying Lexus, Mercedes Benz and Acuras once they reach 35?

The money demo is 25-54....so, no, it is not abandoning audiences over 35....but they are skittish about 50 & 50+.

As people age, they DO buy less. They are more likely to hang onto items longer. They are less likely to buy into "fads". They already have brand allegiance, etc.

If you are investing in radio....you probably want the biggest "bang" for your buck$!

Thats why everyone goes after the money demo.