Oldies as a format...

[Steve.Gates]

Steve, your criteria (making the Top 100 from 1955-1999 alone) would result in a playlist of over *23,000 songs.
...

Well, that sounds like it might be enough to get started with. ;D

You could promo yourself as doing no repeat months. :

Ha Ha Ha --- You Guys (and Gals if Applicable) are having way too much fun at My Expense.

I merely meant that I consider ANY SONG From 1940 -through- 1981 As An ''Oldie''. That doesn't mean I would try and play 23000+ Songs on ONE STATION.

Even Sirius Satellite Has CH. 04 for 40s, CH. 05 for 50s, Etc. Etc.

That Said, I guess I could truly ''One Up'' Simon 98.7 by Claiming ''We TRULY Play Anything''. :


---Steve.

 

[Steve.Gates]

Lower TV channels have not entirely been abandoned. WCYB/Bristol is still on RF channel 5 (but they want to move).

I stand corrected. I knew there were VHF Digital TV stations (WTVI in Charlotte is on Channel 11) but was not aware there were Digital TV stations below channel 7. Learn something new everyday.

t123

Digital TV does not work very well on low VHF due to noise and interference. And it is even problematic for HiVHF unless the stations have a decent power level. There is WSPA RF7 in Spartanburg, WLOS RF13 in Asheville, and RF11 in Charlotte and Durham. And there is also an RF3 network affiliate in Roanoke, VA. But digital TV has worked out better for the most part on UHF, which is why WBTV Channel 3 is actually RF23, and WSOC Channel 9 is actually RF34. Both stations have strong signals with a clear digital picture, and I receive them good down here in GVL, SC, especially WBTV at 100%. And WGHP Fox8 in Greensboro actually moved back to UHF35 after they could not get a good digital signal on RF8.

My Family owns a Mountain House near Hendersonville, NC. I've always been able to get GREAT Reception on the Analog TV Stations. CH 03 and CH 09 from CLT, and CH 10 WIS From COLA, SC As Well As GSP. That was way before my Uncle fell for Dish and switched without the rest of us agreeing to that. I suspect the same rule governs Digital TV Transmissions: Antenna Height Matters. Oh, and having a Yagi Antenna doesn't hurt either. ;D

Steve.

 

[Steve.Gates]

PS: Could Not Edit Previous Post. Yagi for UHF Of Course. The Radio Shack VU-210 was one of the best TV Antennas ever made. Definitely Off-Topic though.

Steve.

 

[vchimpanzee]

What do you think about the oldies format? am I on the wrong track?


Yes and no... Standards, although I enjoy the format very much only had a brief fling on WSOC-AM from 1981-1985. It never generated the kind of numbers that the standards stations achieved in markets like Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Buffalo. I think you have an older population here who sticks with current Country, even Classic Country didn't do that well here.

WSOC wasn't the only standards station in the Charlotte area.

WGTL in Concord played a mix of music which included standards before it went off the air Christmas Day 1992.

WCGC in Belmont had standards at one time. I think it came before WSOC. I remember this because when my high school band played big band music in the late 70s the students liked it. This may be why WCGC thought they had found something interesting.

61 Big WAYS (I think they were calling it that again) played standards in the late 80s after Magic 96 took away their oldies audience. Then they went back to oldies when someone came up with the idea of just pre-Beatles oldies. They also played heavy metal in there somewhere.

And WIST (now Radio Disney) played standards in the mid-90s. They weren't getting big numbers but the owner of WHVN, which had planned to put that station's format on FM, simulcast WIST there instead. That gave that station enough listeners to make the format last a while, despite the insane idea that changed that to a chimpanzee format during the day for a month in 1997, and a better version of that same mess around 2000. They gave up and went oldies but another of that coimpany's stations was WAVO, and when WNSC gave up jazz, they decided WAVO could go extreme and attract that station's audience.

 

[nuffsaid]

You all need to give up on an Oldies station in Charlotte. Atlanta has a rumor it is coming back and there is excitement in the air. Charlotte has no hope for an oldies station and if you survey the radio broadcasters you will not find one that would make the switch. The logical choice, and we all know this will never happen, is WXRC making the big switch to a better format and greater revenue returns!

 

[Mike Sheridan]

When WLS-FM gives up "Oldies" for "Classic Hits" (there is a difference) you can give up ANY hope that Charlotte will ever see an oldies station. Those days are long gone! It doesn't matter, I still have my iPod of "Classic Oldies".

 

[Steve.Gates]

When WLS-FM gives up "Oldies" for "Classic Hits" (there is a difference) you can give up ANY hope that Charlotte will ever see an oldies station. Those days are long gone! It doesn't matter, I still have my iPod of "Classic Oldies".

Why would WLS-FM suddenly dump their ''Oldies'' Format? ???

They are in Chicago not Charlotte? Puzzled... Steve

PS: You are right we still have our iPods and Satellite Radio Tuners to fall back on.

 

[Steve.Gates]

What do you think about the oldies format? am I on the wrong track?


Yes and no... Standards, although I enjoy the format very much only had a brief fling on WSOC-AM from 1981-1985. It never generated the kind of numbers that the standards stations achieved in markets like Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Buffalo. I think you have an older population here who sticks with current Country, even Classic Country didn't do that well here.

WSOC wasn't the only standards station in the Charlotte area.

WGTL in Concord played a mix of music which included standards before it went off the air Christmas Day 1992.

WCGC in Belmont had standards at one time. I think it came before WSOC. I remember this because when my high school band played big band music in the late 70s the students liked it. This may be why WCGC thought they had found something interesting.

61 Big WAYS (I think they were calling it that again) played standards in the late 80s after Magic 96 took away their oldies audience. Then they went back to oldies when someone came up with the idea of just pre-Beatles oldies. They also played heavy metal in there somewhere.

And WIST (now Radio Disney) played standards in the mid-90s. They weren't getting big numbers but the owner of WHVN, which had planned to put that station's format on FM, simulcast WIST there instead. That gave that station enough listeners to make the format last a while, despite the insane idea that changed that to a chimpanzee format during the day for a month in 1997, and a better version of that same mess around 2000. They gave up and went oldies but another of that coimpany's stations was WAVO, and when WNSC gave up jazz, they decided WAVO could go extreme and attract that station's audience.

I read somewhere that "WSOC" Call Letters originally stood for "We Serve Our Community" --- is there any truth in this or is this an urban myth? Steve.

 

[vchimpanzee]

There are oldies stations in the Charlotte area. You just can't pick some of them up in Charlotte.

Albemarle has WZKY at least during the day. And if you're in Albemarle, at night too. It's not quite the Magic 96 sound but the format has been updated.

Hickory has WAIZ (pre-Beatles) and WNNC (True Oldies, I think), from the same people who brought you The Ride.

A lot of people seem to be able to hear WRBK in the Chester area. I found WRBK's latest simulcast partner in the Florence area last week. Some of their music sounds good. Other songs were too loud for me to actually like but they all had potential.

Don't those four stations in Gaston County that simulcast still have oldies?

 

[eacalhoun1]

There are oldies stations in the Charlotte area. You just can't pick some of them up in Charlotte.

Don't those four stations in Gaston County that simulcast still have oldies?

Don't believe there are any Gaston County-licensed stations playing oldies. You maybe thinking of what was once called the Piedmont Superstations when WGNC (1450-Gastonia), WLON (1050-Lincolnton), WCSL (1590-Cherryville), and WOHS (730-Shelby) all played oldies. The only one of this group still playing oldies is WLON, Lincolnton. The others were either spun-off or LMAd and are now doing their own thing. Though WOHS (now at 1390, the former WADA) and WCSL are simulcasting country music, but I think they break away for high school sports.

Regarding other CLT area oldies stations, is 1350 WHIP Mooresville still doing oldies?

 

[carolinaradio]

WLS simply "evolved" in to the viable format which is 70s/80s classic hits. Oldies, as a format, is no longer viable and is difficult to find. Classic Hits is a different story.

 

[yugoidar]

Why would WLS-FM suddenly dump their ''Oldies'' Format? ???

Word is the station was something like 15th in the ratings in their target demo. With a ratings like that, it's a pretty tough sell at the ad agencies. Seems WLS-FM, like many of today's "oldies" stations, appealed to a fairly small, but loyal and vocal audience. Unfortunately, not enough folks were listening to make the format viable even in a city the size of Chicago.

With a change to "Classic Hits", the addition of several big name Chicago radio talents (many from the Big 89. WLS AM days) and an adjustment in the playlist, Cumulus is hoping to carve out stronger position in the Chicago ratings in the future.

Listening today for a bit, I wonder why they bothered to hire the big name personalities and only allow them brief opportunities to speak - less than a handful of times an hour. One can hope as time goes on, they'll let these guys open up and show that they ARE indeed the personalities they were in the past. WCBS-FM in NYC is perhaps a better example of a Personality driven/Classic hits station.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

Why would WLS-FM suddenly dump their ''Oldies'' Format? ???

Word is the station was something like 15th in the ratings in their target demo. With a ratings like that, it's a pretty tough sell at the ad agencies. Seems WLS-FM, like many of today's "oldies" stations, appealed to a fairly small, but loyal and vocal audience. Unfortunately, not enough folks were listening to make the format viable even in a city the size of Chicago.

With a change to "Classic Hits", the addition of several big name Chicago radio talents (many from the Big 89. WLS AM days) and an adjustment in the playlist, Cumulus is hoping to carve out stronger position in the Chicago ratings in the future.

Right now with their lowest ratings yet WLS-FM is tied in 6th place with WLS-AM total persons 6+. There must be lots of people out of the money demo but hey nobody wants those people right? So by all means tamper with the format and play songs that the top 40 stations passed down to the A/C's and played to death because we are just dying to hear "Rocket Man" "She's Always A Woman" and "Jack & Diane" played every day! That giant sucking sound is the sound of the oldies audience turning off their radios.

There was a time when stations sold direct with people who knew how to sell a station. Now there are order takers lapping at the boots of agencies. Hey it's easier than working for the buy.

The 50+ demo still needs to buy goods and services. We use the same money as the 18-49 demo. The difference is we have more money to spend. We try new products all the time if we know about them.

 

[mp3RadioGuy]

Why would WLS-FM suddenly dump their ''Oldies'' Format? ???

Word is the station was something like 15th in the ratings in their target demo. With a ratings like that, it's a pretty tough sell at the ad agencies. Seems WLS-FM, like many of today's "oldies" stations, appealed to a fairly small, but loyal and vocal audience. Unfortunately, not enough folks were listening to make the format viable even in a city the size of Chicago.

With a change to "Classic Hits", the addition of several big name Chicago radio talents (many from the Big 89. WLS AM days) and an adjustment in the playlist, Cumulus is hoping to carve out stronger position in the Chicago ratings in the future.

Right now with their lowest ratings yet WLS-FM is tied in 6th place with WLS-AM total persons 6+. There must be lots of people out of the money demo but hey nobody wants those people right? So by all means tamper with the format and play songs that the top 40 stations passed down to the A/C's and played to death because we are just dying to hear "Rocket Man" "She's Always A Woman" and "Jack & Diane" played every day! That giant sucking sound is the sound of the oldies audience turning off their radios.

There was a time when stations sold direct with people who knew how to sell a station. Now there are order takers lapping at the boots of agencies. Hey it's easier than working for the buy.

The 50+ demo still needs to buy goods and services. We use the same money as the 18-49 demo. The difference is we have more money to spend. We try new products all the time if we know about them.

Amen!

 

[OldJockDude]

Programmers are so set in their ways! Classic Rock...Oldies...Etc.

The Jack format kinda had it right but their playlists revolved into the same 1500-to-3000 song titles.

Same thing with Country. There's New Country and Classic Country. Whatever happened to...Just Playing The Hits...Oldies and the New Stuff...or whatever format your station has.

I've done alot of work as a D-J at private parties. Folks (who by the way are radio listeners and haven't switched to Ipods or Satellite Radio) love to hear a mixture. Satellite Radio is just as bad...this format and that format. If it is good music...PLAY IT! I guarantee folks will listen! (Maybe a new format(s) for Satellite Radio!)

A great Classic Rock song followed by an Oldie works! A great country song followed by the "right" classic rock song can work, as well! I've seen it hundreds of thousands of times. Listeners are tired of cookie cutter formats and programmers thinking they know that listeners just want to hear one type of song!

If some station(s) owner(s) and/or programer(s) had the gonads to try this kind of format....as they say..."Build It and They Will Come" (or in the case of radio...listen!) That's my 2 cents and I'm sticking to it.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

You are describing what used to be top 40. The top 40 used to have country pop & rock on the chart and stations played it!

I don't know if the jack format stations are playing 1500 to 3000 titles I doubt it. It's rare that any station today plays more than 600 titles. I used to work for stations that played around 1100 songs and that was considered a large playlist! Some titles were in faster rotation than others of course.

 

[surfdude]

Everybody listened to Top 40 from around 1960 to 1975. Then new formats came on - AOR, Chicken Rock (soon to be AC).
Any Oldies style station must stop their playlist around 1976. There just isn't a consensus for music after that. Men ran from the Bee Gees and went off to their rock stations. That core audience for 1976 and earlier music is too old for today's advertisers.

The well programmed JACK style stations are today's Oldies format.

Sure, the 55+ crowd spends money. But it's the Ad Agency's client that decides who their target market is, not the agency buyer. 95% of businesses do not target is 55+ consumers.

 

[turkeydance]

TV has already made the turn....
notice the TV 'drug ads'...Viagra, etc.
it's time for radio to join in the money pit.
the +55 demo is hot. has been for a while.
radio is behind the trend. Clients can buy
what they want. it's their money to burn.
the Agency's fiscal responsibility is to show
their Client the 'money on the table'.

 

[carolinaradio]

I wish 102.9 The Lake sounded more like Chuck FM 97.7 in Greenville (I've said this before)....

http://www.977chuckfm.com/lsp/

Chuck FM is pretty much what I predict classic hits stations will sound like in 10 years. No new (or even recent) material, but sort of an 80s-based classic hits format with a good helping of 70s and then sprinkling of 90s.

 

[carrington]

I read somewhere that "WSOC" Call Letters originally stood for "We Serve Our Community" --- is there any truth in this or is this an urban myth? Steve.

My understanding is that WSOC stood for the "Sound Of Charlotte."