RMarino said:
You want another boring AC format instead of these wonderful '60s classics which have been missing from the airwaves for far too long now?
Clear Channel is not the saving grace of radio... You know what they would have done with 98.7? They would have done one of two things.. It would have been yet another CHR as "98.7 Kiss-FM" with jocks voice-tracked from other markets (probably Atlanta and Tampa) or it would have been another AC as "My 98.7" with voice-tracked jocks from other markets and the worst 300 songs from the '70s, '80s, '90s and today
Yes, actually I WOULD have preferred either of those choices. I've always thought Clear Channel does the best job with CHR formats anyway, and their "Kiss FM" stations are some of the better sounding CHR's in the country. They GET that format and know how to produce it and really sell it. In other words, they don't try to lean older and veer from being a true CHR because they don't have the ability to sell the 18-34 demos. They have enough stations and experience in the CHR format that they are able to group them and sell them to the advertisers as real 18-34 CHR's. Also, with either of these formats you mentioned, they might have been voicetracked, but at least they would have been automated locally, have had good production, good sweepers, and a good jingle package. I'd certainly prefer this over a satellite fed format that should be relegated to small markets and suburban/rural signals. I'm not saying Clear Channel is better to work for, but from a listeners standpoint, I think they do a better job at sounding slicker and also at choosing and researching formats more wisely. You can even look down the road to Chattanooga where both companies own stations, and I just think the CC properties sound better (and more like larger market stations). Just look at the country format. Compare Citadel's WIVK against some of the area Country stations that Clear Channel owns. I would personally say that of the 3 CC countrys that are listenable in much of the area (WUSY Chattanooga, WGSQ Cookeville, and WKSF Asheville), all sound far better and more fun to listen to than WIVK.
But as far as oldies goes; Don't get me wrong. I have nothing against the format or the music at all and I really enjoy it. I simply wish they had done a local format (even if it is jockless and automated or voicetracked). And also, even though the numbers will certainly be better for the oldies format, you still have to recognize that the demos that the format reaches are not what the advertisers want anymore. People who were in their teens and early 20's when these hits were being played are now completely out of the coveted 25-54 demo. Just think, a person who was 20 in 1967 is now 60. And advertisers just do not buy the 55 plus demo. Even though it probably shouldn't be the case, they assume this demo is living on fixed incomes and that they are set in their ways and do not make a lot of purchases of newer products. It's always been that way with the ad agencies. There is nothing wrong with 60's oldies and the music is awesome so it is not personal, but the same thing happened with the previous generations and with formats like Easy Listening and Adult Standards. Those formats were relegated to smaller AM's and surburban signals and finally began to dissapear. Now the same thing is happening with oldies the last 3 or 4 years. It was inevitable as the demos edged older and older. In order to stay in even the very upper end of the 25-54 demo, you now have to go into the early and mid 70's era for hits. So as I said, don't get me wrong. I love the music, but from an advertising standpoint, I really don't see oldies as a wise move for the longhaul anyway. Maybe they will be able to sell it well to smaller, local advertisers, but the big agencies aren't going to be interested. And as far as ratings go, they really won't tell the whole story. When it comes to advertising dollars, I'd say a 1.5 share AC that reaches the 25-54 and 18-34 demos would be able to bill more than an oldies format with a 4 or 5 share that trends 55 plus.
Also, as I said in the earlier post, female targeted formats bill better than male targeted formats as well. Ad people will tell you that on the whole, females make a much larger percentage of spending decisions than males (the only exceptions being cars and homes). That's why most markets have so many AC's, CHR's, and other female leaning formats. And in that area, Knoxville is underserved. There is definately room and ad dollars for another female leaning format or two. (and I would argue that oldies typically leans more male in most studies). It just seems like Citadel Knoxville, is not interested in trying a female targeted format on any of their signals even if there is a market for it. This doesn't seem to be the case with Citadel as whole, but it is the case with their Knoxville cluster. Personally, I think both Journal and South Central do a better job with choosing formats and with the way they manage their local clusters in the Knoxville market. I still say that if we had ended up with Clear Channel instead of Citadel in the market (along with S. Central and Journal), it would have been a much more creative and fun radio market.
Anyway, just my two cents worth and some random thoughts. And btw, I also used to work in radio too, but am now purely a listener and fan and that is ususally the standpoint that I am looking at. I didn't work for Clear Channel and am only saying that I like their stations from a listener's standpoint. They may not be great as an employer, but I do admire a lot of their stations as a fan and listener.
