Oldies On An AM Station - Can It Get Enough Listeners/Advertisers to Survive?

[everydayguy]

Wondering if a 60s-70s Oldies format will get enough listeners and advertisers on an AM station these days?

There's a fairly large market I know about with no Oldies format on the FM band but a couple of under-used AMs. Probably 90% of the market only listens to FM.

Is 2012 too late to start up an Oldies format on an AM signal?

(FYI - I've also posted a similar question on The Business of Radio board)

 

[CTListener]

I'd imagine a computer in a closet running a canned oldies format might be able to grind out a small profit, but a fully staffed oldies station would struggle mightily to pay the bills.

 

[RadioMan203]

I'd imagine a computer in a closet running a canned oldies format might be able to grind out a small profit, but a fully staffed oldies station would struggle mightily to pay the bills.

From what I've heard, there's one AM station running True Oldies that ads are practically given for free when they advertise on group's other AM and companion FM.

In that circumstance it seems the AM Oldies outlet is a stepchild to the group's co-located FM and other AM.

 

[ok walters]

We have a True Oldies station in Jacksonville - WZNZ 1600 the Beach. Been on for about four months and has very few local advertisers despite having a rated AM and several religious FMs in the cluster. Almost all satellite and no local and no station promotion make for a questionable future. I have my doubts on this one.

 

[CTListener]

I'd imagine a computer in a closet running a canned oldies format might be able to grind out a small profit, but a fully staffed oldies station would struggle mightily to pay the bills.

From what I've heard, there's one AM station running True Oldies that ads are practically given for free when they advertise on group's other AM and companion FM.

I wonder if that's the situation in Hartford with hard rock WCCC 106.9 and its format-in-a-can classical AM 1290. I'd guess not; who'd want to be on both stations?

 

[Fastphilly]

If the 45's were pitched up with energy driven DJ's and some awesome jingle package I would be a fan ;D

One could only dream though

 

[firepoint525]

If the 45's were pitched up with energy driven DJ's and some awesome jingle package I would be a fan ;D

Leave the pitch as nature intended. If you want your music "pitched up," listen to the Chipmunks.

 

[Whiplash]

Whose the owner of AM 1600 in Jacksonville?

 

[davideduardo]

Whose the owner of AM 1600 in Jacksonville?

Queen of Peace Radio, which also owns WQOP 1460 in Jax.

 

[davideduardo]

We have a True Oldies station in Jacksonville - WZNZ 1600 the Beach. Been on for about four months and has very few local advertisers despite having a rated AM and several religious FMs in the cluster. Almost all satellite and no local and no station promotion make for a questionable future. I have my doubts on this one.

What does Queen of Peace own besides 1460 AM? The FCC filings do not show any interlocking ownership attribution beyond the two Jax AMs.

 

[davideduardo]

If the 45's were pitched up with energy driven DJ's and some awesome jingle package I would be a fan ;D

Leave the pitch as nature intended. If you want your music "pitched up," listen to the Chipmunks.

Most of the Top 40's of the late 60's and earlier 70s' pitched up the music; that's how we first heard it. I find stations that don't recognize this fact sound somewhat draggy.

 

[firepoint525]

If the 45's were pitched up with energy driven DJ's and some awesome jingle package I would be a fan ;D

Leave the pitch as nature intended. If you want your music "pitched up," listen to the Chipmunks.

Most of the Top 40's of the late 60's and earlier 70s' pitched up the music; that's how we first heard it. I find stations that don't recognize this fact sound somewhat draggy.

The other side of that coin: stations that "pitch up" the music sound too "chipmunky" for me.

 

[Groove1670]

What does Queen of Peace own besides 1460 AM?

Were they involved with some AM's in Fort Myers? Seems like I saw something? Might of been a Corp. with a similar name.

 

[davideduardo]

The other side of that coin: stations that "pitch up" the music sound too "chipmunky" for me.

If the pitching up is only about 1%, it's not noticable... but when compared to a competitor, makes you sound brighter.

A number of digital storage systems allow global pitch change, and more stations than we might guess do that.

The downside: if those stations decide to link into one of the "see the video while you hear the song on the radio" services, the video will go out of synch.

 

[cd637299]

David, what did you think of XEROK's playlist in the 70s?

cd

 

[davideduardo]

David, what did you think of XEROK's playlist in the 70s?

cd

That was a long time ago for specific memories... but what I do recall is thinking that the format was good for its target, which was rural mid-America.

 

[ok walters]

Queen of Peace owns 1600 and 1460 in Jacksonville. They are a religious broadcaster. WZNZ 1600 has been leased to Chesapeake Portsmouth Broadcasting and they are the ones running the True Oldies Channel. They are also a religious broadcaster with several low on the dial FMs and WBOB 600 news talk here in Jax and many other stations up and down the east coast. The lease started in May or June.

As posted before, there has been no advertising of the format change and there are very few local sponsors other than a few they brought over from WBOB. The station is in a very visible place at the base of the Atlantic Boulevard bridge over the ICW, but it has been pretty invisible to most people for years due to the religious format. I met with the GM Henry Hoot right after the switch and suggested that they at least put up a sign at the site, but I don't think that has even happened. I have my doubts on the long term success of this one due to the lack of promotion, but it sure would seem to be a good concept for this area due to the average age of the population.

 

[firepoint525]

The other side of that coin: stations that "pitch up" the music sound too "chipmunky" for me.

If the pitching up is only about 1%, it's not noticable... but when compared to a competitor, makes you sound brighter.

I grew up in a small town in rural northwest Tennessee where the radio station there did not "pitch up" the music, so I really noticed it on a trip to Knoxville when WNOX "pitched up" their music. I had no idea at the time that it was intentional! At any rate, I had a stereo system (a cheap one) which "pitched up" the 45s, the albums, and even the tapes. It annoyed me, but there was nothing that I could do about it. I seem to recall that it was most noticeable on the 45s.

If these stations get any "brighter," (whatever that means), I might need to put my sunglasses on! :

 

[Fastphilly]

If the 45's were pitched up with energy driven DJ's and some awesome jingle package I would be a fan ;D

Leave the pitch as nature intended. If you want your music "pitched up," listen to the Chipmunks.

Most of the Top 40's of the late 60's and earlier 70s' pitched up the music; that's how we first heard it. I find stations that don't recognize this fact sound somewhat draggy.

The other side of that coin: stations that "pitch up" the music sound too "chipmunky" for me.

You've been listening to FM too long
KTNQ was known to pitch up their records in the late 70's and that didn't hurt ratings against pwerhouse KHJ? Rich Brother Robin, Bill Lee, Jack Armstrong, etc. All those high energy jocks pitched up the 45's. I think your overstating the pitch. You would have to go above 2% before the record would sound over pitched IMO.

 

[Fastphilly]

David, what did you think of XEROK's playlist in the 70s?

cd

I have an XEROK 80 Phillips & Wall aircheck from 1977 and the songs that were played sounded too AC (with the exception of KC's "I'm Your Boogie Man").