Oldies Upgrade?

[Retro]

Back in the 80's, WHTT was the radio station that I loved to hate. They were quite slow at adding new music, where both WFNX and WBCN had an edge.

 

[Retro]

I was not thinking of the call letter change in terms of nostalga.
I was thinking in terms of alingment. (similar to the CBS setup in New York.)

BTW, WHTT was a very good listen back then. I met Cindy Bailen (SP?)
at Uncle Sam`s Down in Hull in `83. The station was doing a live remote outside
In the parking lot. She was very gracious and nice. Didn`t she also host a local
video show on Channel 5 late on friday nights that was also sponsored by WHTT?

Actually it was Ch. 7 WNEV at the time.

 

[chitchatjf]

Back in the 80's, WHTT was the radio station that I loved to hate. They were quite slow at adding new music, where both WFNX and WBCN had an edge.

HTT seemed to play the same 20 or so songs over and over and over again.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

Back in the 80's, WHTT was the radio station that I loved to hate. They were quite slow at adding new music, where both WFNX and WBCN had an edge.

HTT seemed to play the same 20 or so songs over and over and over again.

WFNX and WBCN were trying to be alt-rockers then. They were supposed to feature new music. WHTT was a Top 40 format, which is supposed to play established current hits.

 

[Retro]

FNX unboubtably was, however WBCN was more straight forward rock. For example, they played Don't You Forget About Me when it was brand new. WFNX didn't touch it ironically.

WBCN broke U2's I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For.

WFNX was the first to play Where The Streets Have No Name.

 

[ArtSpooner]

I used to have Oldies 103 on in my office all day long. It got to the point where I started humming the next song BEFORE they played it. I've never understood why, with all of the thousands of songs to choose from, they play the same ones over and over again and many times in the same order.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

I used to have Oldies 103 on in my office all day long. It got to the point where I started humming the next song BEFORE they played it. I've never understood why, with all of the thousands of songs to choose from, they play the same ones over and over again and many times in the same order.

Because those are the ones that the masses who actually don't want variety want to hear the most? I don't mean radio and music aficionados who post here and have heard everything overplayed to death for years, I mean the majority of casual listeners who would never post on a radio board, and just want to hear their same few tried and true favorites over and over again whenever they have the radio on in the background.

 

[chitchatjf]

If they want to hear the same few siongs over and over and over and over,just burn them to a CD and play that instead.

We want SOME variety!

 

[Garrett]

I know That I am in the minority on this one, but I think they should change the call letters---To
WBZ-103.3 FM.......Playng the hits of the 60`s, 70`s and the 80`s. and expand theif format some.

And in what way would changing call letters help them? The WODS calls have been on 103.3 for 20 years now...they're definitely well-established. Add to that the fact that WBZ has not been a Top 40 station in 40 years...the demo that remembers them as such is all 55+...not exactly advertiser-friendly territory.

You know, this is a very interesting and creative suggestion, since "WBZ 103" is what the station actually called itself before all the "0s" were added in the 70s and 80s. While I think its a valid point that WBZ hasn't played Top40 in a while, it's actually only been since the early 90's that WBZ AM stoped playing music at all. And since the "Oldies" name is now being dropped in favor of the more sellable "Classic Hits" label, it is indeed time to start talking a about a name change, sooner or later for 103-3. And there's no reason why both the "Classic Hit Radio" and "WBZ" labels can not both be used, espeically since 80s are in the future of the format. However, WHTT can not be used, those calls now belong to someone else.

Just like they were "Hit Radio 103, WEEI FM" (paired with their sister CBS News radio station back then), why can't they be "Classic Hit Radio 103, WBZ FM" now? It would also make it much easier for CBS Radio, since they'd now be able to sell WBZ AM and FM air time as packages, while also being able to tie WBZ TV to WBZ AM.
The WBZ FM idea is an EXCELLENT idea, imo!

 

[radiorama1]

I know That I am in the minority on this one, but I think they should change the call letters---To
WBZ-103.3 FM.......Playng the hits of the 60`s, 70`s and the 80`s. and expand theif format some.

And in what way would changing call letters help them? The WODS calls have been on 103.3 for 20 years now...they're definitely well-established. Add to that the fact that WBZ has not been a Top 40 station in 40 years...the demo that remembers them as such is all 55+...not exactly advertiser-friendly territory.

You know, this is a very interesting and creative suggestion, since "WBZ 103" is what the station actually called itself before all the "0s" were added in the 70s and 80s. While I think its a valid point that WBZ hasn't played Top40 in a while, it's actually only been since the early 90's that WBZ AM stoped playing music at all. And since the "Oldies" name is now being dropped in favor of the more sellable "Classic Hits" label, it is indeed time to start talking a about a name change, sooner or later for 103-3. And there's no reason why both the "Classic Hit Radio" and "WBZ" labels can not both be used, espeically since 80s are in the future of the format. However, WHTT can not be used, those calls now belong to someone else.

Just like they were "Hit Radio 103, WEEI FM" (paired with their sister CBS News radio station back then), why can't they be "Classic Hit Radio 103, WBZ FM" now? It would also make it much easier for CBS Radio, since they'd now be able to sell WBZ AM and FM air time as packages, while also being able to tie WBZ TV to WBZ AM.
The WBZ FM idea is an EXCELLENT idea, imo!

Garrett, I don't believe they picked up the "Hit Radio" moniker until they actually changed the calls to WHTT. When they were WEEI I remember they were softer, but kept leaning it more and more Top 40 as they came closer to the flip.

One thing I have never seen mentioned on here: I know that in between WTTT and WODS they became an album rock (?) station, w/ calls that escape me... but does anyone else remember when WHTT went from the slogan "Hit Radio" to "Power 103.3"... when they became "Power 103.3" (dropping in more dance hits, and cutting back on the New Wave and Rock) I think they were after more of Kiss 108's audience, but the experiment failed and hence they flipped to that album rock station for a short time before eventually they became Oldies 103.3 ...
I recall the steady and sturdy night-time guy Alex Stone being replaced with a DREADFUL host, I belive he went by the name of Tony "Wild Child" _______?

Id' like to say "Hit Radio 103.3" became "Power 103.3" (still w/ WHTT calls) , sometime in 1986(?) with the album rock format following late 86-early-87, then the eventual "Oldies 103.3" in mid-1987.... can anyone verify? The reson I can't recall the exact timing of it all is becuase I was living in another part of the counrty for a short time... no "on-line" listening back then! lol

Discuss?

 

[jlehmann]

Garrett, I don't believe they picked up the "Hit Radio" moniker until they actually changed the calls to WHTT. When they were WEEI I remember they were softer, but kept leaning it more and more Top 40 as they came closer to the flip.

I have a couple airchecks of them using "Hitradio" as WEEI-FM, from 1982, I believe.

 

[radiorama1]

Garrett, I don't believe they picked up the "Hit Radio" moniker until they actually changed the calls to WHTT. When they were WEEI I remember they were softer, but kept leaning it more and more Top 40 as they came closer to the flip.

I have a couple airchecks of them using "Hitradio" as WEEI-FM, from 1982, I believe.

Wow, I stand corrected! I don't recall that...

Another side note on HTT--- back then they played those long-play extended 12" versions... ex: 12" Freedom Mix of Bruce's "Born In The USA"... (which you NEVER hear anymore)... also club versions of Madonna, Billy Ocean, etc. ... but they didn't play them EVERYTIME, so when you DID hear the extended versions, you had the feeling that you were getting something special...

Kiss 108 frequently played club versions during this period also, and I belive they also had their own "Kiss Mixes" of tunes that were remixed "in-house"... (although the production values of those would be archaic by today's standards)... man, you NEVER hear radio like that today--- and never will again.

 

[radiorama1]

Also I remember the old "Rainbow logo" of the old WEEI-FM! haha

 

[Retro]

WMRQ 1986-1987. I think their positioner was quality rock. I also have very old tapes of 103 calling themselves Hit Radio just before the call letter change as well. Didn't like WHTT by the time they were Power 103.

 

[radiorama1]

WMRQ 1986-1987. I think their positioner was quality rock. I also have very old tapes of 103 calling themselves Hit Radio just before the call letter change as well. Didn't like WHTT by the time they were Power 103.

Agreed, they went downhill BIG TIME when they switched to "Power 103"... they had had it at that point.

I'm glad that I'm not the only one that remembers "Power" lol

While we're at it, does anyone else remember the WHTT "Hit Lists" that they had at Musicland/Sam Goody's? It was basically a small sheet that had the top 40-50 hits of the week (and a few add-on's)... complete with the ultra-cool WHTT logo (with the thunderbolt on the first "T") at the top!

 

[Retro]

Sure, I remember those. They listed 50 songs when they were "Hit Radio". They reduced it to only 35 songs by the time they were "Power 103".

 

[SheaTheDJ]

The aircheck of the WEEI-FM to WHTT is posted on FormatChange.com.

http://www.formatchange.com/1033-weei-fm-becomes-hitradio-whtt/

 

[Eli Polonsky]

WMRQ 1986-1987. I think their positioner was quality rock.

Yes, it was their stab at a "Triple A" (Adult Album Alternative) format, back when WBOS was still Country, and WXRV "The River" was still WLYT ("Light FM") Soft AC. Though there was no other such station in the market at that time, I don't recall that WMRQ was very successful.

If I remember correctly, the switch from WMRQ to WODS was abrupt, to prevent another full-power FM station (I think it was WBOS??) from going FM Oldies at the time. There was no FM Oldies station in the Boston market when 103.3 made the switch. WZLX was playing Classic Hits (Classic Rock with a few pop and soul oldies hits mixed in, sort of like WROR now), but they went fully Classic Rock shortly thereafter. Greater Media's 1150 WMEX (now Salem's WTTT) was all Oldies at the time in AM Stereo, but that signal couldn't compete with a full-power Oldies FM. WBOS ended up going "Triple A" a little while after 103.3 abandoned that format for Oldies.

 

[ssetta]

The aircheck of the WEEI-FM to WHTT is posted on FormatChange.com.

http://www.formatchange.com/1033-weei-fm-becomes-hitradio-whtt/

Can you tell me how to play it? I can't figure it out.

 

[radiorama1]

The aircheck of the WEEI-FM to WHTT is posted on FormatChange.com.

http://www.formatchange.com/1033-weei-fm-becomes-hitradio-whtt/

Yes, I have heard that one... the sound quality is VERY good...

I would love to hear the precise moment when HTT went from "Hit Radio" to "Power 103", or when HTT "Power" flipped to MRQ, or even the flip from MRQ to Oldies...

if there's someone out there that has any of these, maybe they can upload them to yousendit and post the link here?