'Oldies' shift over one decade to embrace the '80s

[scottwmro]

I got this email that has come out in the Chicago Tribune. This article is an example why 97.1, WRQQ stopped calling themselves "Oldies" and now are classified "Classic Hit's". I tend to agree with this. It even mentions that some stations have stopped playing 60's music totally. Sorry Pat Julian, Bill Buntin & Chris Romer, the 50's & 60's stuff to the consultants is fossel to the industry.

Some of the Sixties Music by 2010, (which is only less than 2 years away) will be nearly 50 years old, a half of a lifetime. It's time the world to meet the masses of today's working environment. I would say Mix 92.9 is the closest station that fits today's music standards, Oldies and Currents.

"IMHO...The 70's and 80's are "THE NEW OLDIES"!

Here's the article:

NEW YORK - The music blaring from the speakers of a small pub on a recent Friday night seemed like typical oldies fare: Aretha Franklin's "Respect," the 1970s tune "Disco Lady" and the 1950s surf instrumental "Tequila." Then, "Karma Chameleon" -- the 1983 hit by Culture Club -- came on.

The music was from WCBS-FM, a New York-based station that used to rely on songs from the '60s and '70s, and occasionally, the '50s. Now, like similar stations around the country, WCBS has deemed music from the '80s as the new oldies.

[EDIT]


*****DON'T BLAME ME, TALK TO CBS IN NYC******


[EDIT-post truncated because originating material is copyrighted]

 

[SwissVol]

I used to like to read the New York radio message forums, but they guy that runs that forum gets annoyed so easily and pulls posts faster then we can blink, I seldom go there anymore. A few years ago, this guy said that radio would soon reshape the definition of oldies. That is because of people aging out of the prime demos (Demos, you know that thing that some radio people fall down and worship at the alter), that the radio world would soon see more eighties music being passed off as oldies. The way this guy put it, the thing made sense. He also said Classic rock would see the same thing. I think we have already seen that happen to classic rock formats. Less Doors to more Night Ranger.

Not just radio either, but the classic TV cable Chanel, TV Land<is now passing off "Designing women" and "Just shoot me" as classic TV. Those shows were nineties programs.
Anyway, Scott might be right, satellite radio here we come in big time numbers? You did say that Scott?

 

[deltas69]

i suppose to cun-sultants, oldies per se' as a format is dead..just like big band music. when we bought 104.5, we wanted to go rock..just think a 50k rocker FM in 1971..the handful of listeners to the format (big band/beautiful music) screamed OUCHHH!!! from behind their walkers and shawls. looks like at least to the conned-sultants my age group has reached the geritol and viagra crossroad in time..i guess when the greatest generation finally dies off..there will be no one left to appreciate the beatles era. but i reject the notion that they know what they're talking about anyway...and i wouldn't program a station for insultants..i'd do it for the listeners.. i'm really curious if the class of say..1985 would be dancing to dead leopard, or (not)quite riot at their 50th reunion ? ???

 

[Tibbs4]

Delta --- the con-slutants are paid to keep their jobs by never allowing a radio company or station to get the game figured out
and get a perfect score. They move the targets to keep employeed. And like weathermen, they're paid to be wrong most all of
the time.

I am 45, and I don't know a person my age that would begin to believe when they are 60 they will suddenly go into the funeral
music mentality. The con-slutants on the other hand, still seem to try to lump today's listeners into formulas from the past forty
years. They are wrong.

The real problem is there is nothing left good to listen to, and all the listeners 45+ are giving up on the garbage on radio and
the younger demos think radio is a joke anyway...all forced away because the magic is gone.

Simple similar scenerio: How much longer will video stores be around? Nada. If these pencil pushing, close minded. predictors
of the future don't wake up they will all be out of jobs, since radio will be DEAD.

Simple solution: Give radio back to real creative talent and get it's heartbeat going again. Timeless fact --- people always want to
be a part of something special --- re-include them in on the experience and they'll see that radio COULD far exceed lonely iPods or
Satellite radio.

Oh, and get rid of the letter "C" from the alphabet.

 

[scottwmro]

i suppose to cun-sultants, oldies per se' as a format is dead..just like big band music. when we bought 104.5, we wanted to go rock..just think a 50k rocker FM in 1971..the handful of listeners to the format (big band/beautiful music) screamed OUCHHH!!! from behind their walkers and shawls. looks like at least to the conned-sultants my age group has reached the geritol and viagra crossroad in time..i guess when the greatest generation finally dies off..there will be no one left to appreciate the beatles era. but i reject the notion that they know what they're talking about anyway...and i wouldn't program a station for insultants..i'd do it for the listeners.. i'm really curious if the class of say..1985 would be dancing to dead leopard, or (not)quite riot at their 50th reunion ? ???

Pat,
This is just a part of life. You knew in you're 20's and early 30's this day would come, and it has. The article is NOT a put down of the 60's era, but a understanding that it has gotten to old for the "majority working demo" ages 25-54.
I'm in that bracket, you and Bill are not. Like Bill said yesterday, this day had to come. WHIN will never be the same again. Jack does what he has to do to make a living. Gallatin & Hendersonville are clashing for corporate business that caters to 25-54 year olds.
Yesterday, I was listening to WQKR, and I heard Rick Nelson's "That's All" from the early 60's, then they poped into a 70's song and even an 80's song. You can not just sit there and play music from one era 1962-1971. Those days are gone and that's why 96.3 ratings were falling and falling. It's really not good for AM anymore. 97.1 made a terrible mistake in "05" of going to that format.
As far as Coyote is concern, he can play today's AC Hit's, just as well as he play the hits between 1960-1969 and still get an audience. He proved that on Y-107 in the early 90's. Scott Shannon plays Hot AC mornings on 95.5 WPLJ in NYC. At least Scott stays intouch with life! Coyote is more of a county music writer and I think that is where his true love is, career wise.