Oldies format enjoy a heavy return to strong FM`s!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Goodtimesandgreatoldies]

In the last few months, it appears that the longtime concept of an Oldies station- 1950`s-early 1970`s has returned to a number of absent markets on strong FM`s. Scott Shannon`s True Oldies Channel has helped this in a big way. Markets like Atlanta, Cleveland, Knoxville, Myrtle Beach, New York, etc. now have strong 50`s and 60`s Oldies powerhouse stations and are doing very well! many of these True Oldies stations are greatly increasing live local d.j.`s. They as a rule, don`t play anything past 1974. This is the way that Oldies were meant to be played. Another reason for the strong comeback is a VERY large Oldies playist of over 5,000 songs!!!!!!!! Not the crappy same 200 Oldies played over and over again. Stations like 100,000 watt WYAY-FM True Oldies 106.7 in Gainesville/Atlanta, GA is leading the way in a market that sadly was without Oldies for 3 years because of Cheap channels stupid decisions. It is fantastic to see the Oldies -1950`s-1970`s getting sizzlin` HOt of FM again!!!!!!!!

 

[Whiplash]

I've seen your posts now several times. Sorry to burst your bubble, but Scott's True Oldies Channel is NOT playing 5,000 songs, and does now feature music post 1974 including some titles from the 80's. While the format is making a comeback, it is also evolving and any station, sorry, AM or FM that is playing 5000 titles is not going to be successful!

 

[Goodtimesandgreatoldies]

I beg to differ with you!!!!!!!!!! The True Oldies Channel NEVER plays any 80`s songs-they even run ads saying that they don`t. And yes, they run ads saying that they have an Oldies library of over 5,000 songs. Just listen to them. I think that you have them confused with Westwood One`s Oldies feed which does have a few 80`s. The True Oldies Channel is mostly 50`s-early 1970`s with NO 1980`s songs!

 

[Goodtimesandgreatoldies]

I just checked the True Oldies Channel`s website at www.trueoldieschannel.com. They state on the website that they play NO 1980`s and stop with most 70`s songs at 1974. They also say that they have a huge Oldies library of over 5,000 played in no particular order. This is what makes them special. Check out the website for yourself!

 

[Whiplash]

Sorry to disagree. Sorry their website says they don't play them. I've heard them played.

 

[TheFonz]

In the last few months, it appears that the longtime concept of an Oldies station- 1950`s-early 1970`s has returned to a number of absent markets on strong FM`s. Scott Shannon`s True Oldies Channel has helped this in a big way. Markets like Atlanta, Cleveland, Knoxville, Myrtle Beach, New York, etc. now have strong 50`s and 60`s Oldies powerhouse stations and are doing very well! many of these True Oldies stations are greatly increasing live local d.j.`s. They as a rule, don`t play anything past 1974. This is the way that Oldies were meant to be played. Another reason for the strong comeback is a VERY large Oldies playist of over 5,000 songs!!!!!!!! Not the crappy same 200 Oldies played over and over again. Stations like 100,000 watt WYAY-FM True Oldies 106.7 in Gainesville/Atlanta, GA is leading the way in a market that sadly was without Oldies for 3 years because of Cheap channels stupid decisions. It is fantastic to see the Oldies -1950`s-1970`s getting sizzlin` HOt of FM again!!!!!!!!

I wish them success. But it may be too late. Much of what was a loyal Oldies audience has given up on terrestrial radio and has found other sources for their music. Once an audience has left, it's hard to get them back.

 

[AZJoe]

In the last few months, it appears that the longtime concept of an Oldies station- 1950`s-early 1970`s has returned to a number of absent markets on strong FM`s. Scott Shannon`s True Oldies Channel has helped this in a big way. Markets like Atlanta, Cleveland, Knoxville, Myrtle Beach, New York, etc. now have strong 50`s and 60`s Oldies powerhouse stations and are doing very well! many of these True Oldies stations are greatly increasing live local d.j.`s. They as a rule, don`t play anything past 1974. This is the way that Oldies were meant to be played. Another reason for the strong comeback is a VERY large Oldies playist of over 5,000 songs!!!!!!!! Not the crappy same 200 Oldies played over and over again. Stations like 100,000 watt WYAY-FM True Oldies 106.7 in Gainesville/Atlanta, GA is leading the way in a market that sadly was without Oldies for 3 years because of Cheap channels stupid decisions. It is fantastic to see the Oldies -1950`s-1970`s getting sizzlin` HOt of FM again!!!!!!!!

I wish them success. But it may be too late. Much of what was a loyal Oldies audience has given up on terrestrial radio and has found other sources for their music. Once an audience has left, it's hard to get them back.

Bingo!! Many oldies listeners have turned to Sirius & XM, internet radio or ipods for their dose of real oldies. In fact the rating for the decade channels on Sirius & XM are amongst the highest for those services, where they don't have to worry about appeasing an advertiser, subscription money spent by a 56 yr old spends the same as it does for a 25 yr old. Terrestrial is almost irrelevant any longer for most oldies audiences. When you hear "You Can't Hurry Love" by Phil Collins on an terrestrial oldies station now instead of the one by Diana Ross & The Supremes, you know its over & there is no going back!! ;D

 

[Goodtimesandgreatoldies]

I tend to disagree! Great music is great music, regarless of the age. Atlanta is the prime example of a large market that was without a good 1950`s-1970`s Oldies outlet for almost three years! WYAY-FM True Oldies 106.7 signed on with 100,000 watts and they are a big success because they have a large Oldies playlist. A small Oldies playlist is what killed the other stations. By the way, 1980`s songs are NOT Oldies, and they do not play them on Oldies stations around here! Go to www.wyay.com for a great Oldies stream. 1960`s Oldies music is HOT again!

 

[TheFonz]

Go to www.wyay.com for a great Oldies stream.

I did, and went through the "songs played" list on the homepage. Not one '50s song in there. I was out of there in a hurry.

 

[davideduardo]

WYAY-FM True Oldies 106.7 signed on with 100,000 watts and they are a big success because they have a large Oldies playlist.

Being 23rd is a big sucess? They are even lower in 25-54 sales demos.

A small Oldies playlist is what killed the other stations.

No, being too old is what killed most oldies stations.

By the way, 1980`s songs are NOT Oldies, and they do not play them on Oldies stations around here!

70's with some 80's, is classic hits. And that is what the smart oldies stations changed to.

1960`s Oldies music is HOT again!

Yeah, among people over 60.... there are no sales demos over 55.

 

[davideduardo]

In the last few months, it appears that the longtime concept of an Oldies station- 1950`s-early 1970`s has returned to a number of absent markets on strong FM`s. Scott Shannon`s True Oldies Channel has helped this in a big way. Markets like Atlanta, Cleveland, Knoxville, Myrtle Beach, New York, etc. now have strong 50`s and 60`s Oldies powerhouse stations and are doing very well!

NY has no 50's & 60's oldies station. They have a 70's based classic hits station.

Atlanta's station, WYAY, is 23rd in the last trend, and not doing well. After a format change, it takes a station several books to do well, if the demos in 18-54 are there.

Cleveland's WMJI has evolved from being an oldies station to Classic Hits, playing Police and Elton John.

In Knoxville, no station lists itself with Arbitron as oldies, but WPFT lists itself as Classic Hits and is relatively new. It got a 0.7 in its first book, but it is a 500 watt rimshot from Sevier County, far from Knoxville.

many of these True Oldies stations are greatly increasing live local d.j.`s. They as a rule, don`t play anything past 1974.

The stations mentioned, except for low rated WYAY, play lots of 70's and not too much 60's.

It is fantastic to see the Oldies -1950`s-1970`s getting sizzlin` HOt of FM again!!!!!!!!

"Hot" means, in radio, that you have great ratings and sales to match. The only one of the mentioned stations that has that "hot" quality is WMJI, which is decidedly 70's and 80's. Rod Stewart and Journey are not 60's acts.

 

[Goodtimesandgreatoldies]

I beg to differ. You must see that WYAY-FM True Oldies 106.7 is a work in progress. They have only been an Oldies station for a very short time. They have an advertising budget of 0. However, the station is catching on. Go the the Atlanta board and you will see many favorable posts. They are a 100,000 watt blow touch giving Atlanta a much better Oldies station than the late WFOX-FM Fox 97. Wyay True Oldies is in the process of increasing their live and local jocks. And yes, they do play alot of 50`s tunes such as Connie Francis. The True Oldies Channel is really growing with more large FM`s to be announced soon. Yes, my friend, the Oldies format IS hot once more.

 

[davideduardo]

I beg to differ. You must see that WYAY-FM True Oldies 106.7 is a work in progress. They have only been an Oldies station for a very short time.

Then don't say that the station is a roaring success. It is, so far, not even in the top 20 in ratings, and is billing next to nothing.

However, the station is catching on. Go the the Atlanta board and you will see many favorable posts.

I can go to the LA board and there is, maybe, a mention of the #1 station occurs maybe once or twice a year. So mentions of stations on message boards have nothing to do with with listenership.

They are a 100,000 watt blow touch giving Atlanta a much better Oldies station than the late WFOX-FM Fox 97.

There are 8 100kw stations in Atlanta, and another with 99 kw. That is not a big deal. What is a big deal is that WYAY misses putting a usable signal over more than a third of the market, as it is a Gainsville station, not an Atlanta one. In fact, it does not even put a 65 dbu over half of Fulton County. The old WFOX is also a rimshot...

Wyay True Oldies is in the process of increasing their live and local jocks. And yes, they do play alot of 50`s tunes such as Connie Francis. The True Oldies Channel is really growing with more large FM`s to be announced soon. Yes, my friend, the Oldies format IS hot once more.

It can't sell much advertising in markets like Atlanta, which is very transactionally driven. There is really not much in the way of business for a station that targets 60 year olds.

 

[Goodtimesandgreatoldies]

Once again si, I beg to differ!!!!!!!! Do you know the Atlanta market? Do you know that people there have been starved for a real Oldies station (one that has a large playlist). Alot of young folks dig the Oldies. I have three young kids and teenagers. They really like the Oldies too. Great music is still great regarless of how old it is. Keep your eye on WYAY True Oldies 106.7. Many new live local jocks are coming on the air and maybe- just maybe- The return of longtime Atlanta Oldies pros Randy ans Spiff!!!!!!! I can tell you that the next book numbers for Oldies 106.7 will really surprise you!!!!!!!! It is hot as a firecracker!!!!!!!!!! Long live the Good Times and Great Oldies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[davideduardo]

Once again si, I beg to differ!!!!!!!! Do you know the Atlanta market?

Yes, and my daughter lives there. It does not require living in Atl though to know that WYAY is a rimshot, is now below #20 in ratings and not billing very much.

[/quote] Do you know that people there have been starved for a real Oldies station (one that has a large playlist).[/quote]

Neither you nor I would know this without doing an extensive research project.

Alot of young folks dig the Oldies.

Then that would make Atlanta unique, because 50's and 60's oldies get only residual ratings among anyone under 35, and not much in 35-44. Certainly not enough to sell by.

Great music is still great regarless of how old it is.

That's no doubt why those Charleston revival events are filling arenas all over the nation.

I can tell you that the next book numbers for Oldies 106.7 will really surprise you!!!!!!!!

What will surprise nobdy save you is that 90% of the audience will be over 55 and pretty much unsalable. When they nuke the 50's and 60's stuff and go 70's they have a good chance of being sucessful. But while they play Chubby Checker and Danny and the Juniors they won't make it.

It is hot as a firecracker!!!!!!!!!! Long live the Good Times and Great Oldies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[/quote]

 

[SuperRadioFan]

There is a very rapidly diminishing audience of Connie Francis fans, so mentioning her does not help your case. Not many ppl care to hear, let alone remember, such gems as "V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N", "My Happiness, "Who's Sorry Now" or "Mama". The only time I ever hear Connie Francis on the radio is when KFI's Bill Handel uses the beginning verse/chorus of "Where the Boys Are" to introduce his next topic about pedophile priests and such LOL!!

 

[landtuna]

David,

I'm not one to argue the comeback of Oldies subject as I'm definately no expert on the issue, however, it seems that Arbitron (and other rating services) are doing the radio industry a disservice by coding genre's which have similarities and overlap.

For instance, there is a station in my market that advertises itself as playing "anything we want". Although I've not heard Rick Nelson or Def Leppard together yet there are many combinations of songs spanning early 60's through late 80's on this station. Just what catagory would it fit in the ratings game? And what chance would it ever have of being a highly rated station if it spanned multiple genre's?

Seems the real measurement should be on billings and forget just who is listening although I understand that would make it very difficult for the sales staff to target prospective buyers.

What think ye?

 

[davideduardo]

For instance, there is a station in my market that advertises itself as playing "anything we want". Although I've not heard Rick Nelson or Def Leppard together yet there are many combinations of songs spanning early 60's through late 80's on this station. Just what catagory would it fit in the ratings game? And what chance would it ever have of being a highly rated station if it spanned multiple genre's?

Arbitron does not let every station define it's own format, so each one must pick among those offered by Arbitron. Generally, if there are a number of rated market stations with a unique enough format, Arbitron polls all of them and gets the preferred definition.

Once there were a few "Jack" like stations, "Adult Hits" came up as the best choice. When the same concept hit Spanish language radio, "Spanish adult hits" was allowed. Rhythmic Oldies is the solution for the jammin and movin formats. Classic Hits is 70's based pop oldies, while Oldies is the 50's and 60's format.

As formats develop, Arbitron allows new definitions. And as formats change, names may change, such as Smooth Jazz now being Smooth AC.

 

[landtuna]

I understand your Arbitron coding answer but you didn't seem to address mine.

How would a station playing mid-50's thru early-80's popular music be catagorized, if at all? I'm thinking that it would fall into "the greatest music of your life" but that is commonly defined as Standards/Big Band/Swing, isn't it?

And, what chance does a non-conforming playlist such as the above have against a "pure" Arbitron-defined catagory? Seems like this station would always be down in the dumps ratings wise.

 

[amfmsw]

Now, you all should know better than to try to make a point here. The enthusiasm for WYAY is great. Let me remind those who don't know how to market to anyone over 45, that the station's alleged lack of full city grade coverage of Fulton County means total defeat, and the station should shut down, and target 18-24 year-olds who no longer care about radio. The consultants have seen to telling us how much that demo is the holy Grail, while chasing them all away and making our industry irrelevant to an entire grnreration.

Look at the failure of Philly's #2 WOGL...it only covers 3 of it's metro counties with city grade signal completely, the other 5 counties get only partial coverage...such a loser, only rated #2.

I guess the mighty Wibbage, WIBG 99 was a rimshot as well, as its' towers were in Lafayette Hills, PA, not Philly. Same for WIP 610 (NJ), WCAU (WPHT) 1210(NJ), WFIL 560, WPEN 950. Is WEMG 1310 a Philly rimshot too? It's tower is 500 yards across the Delaware River in Camden. VERY poor arguement with 100kw that's 15 miles from Atlanta.

May WYAY kick ass and take neames as well as WOGL! Prove these gassbag oafs wrong.