Rant here about Timeless Classics

[RMarino]

If it's classic rock and I like it, chances are The Ride plays it. But like I said, these days it's on Timeless Classics too.

Ah I see where you're coming from now. I thought you were putting down "The Ride."

But just because I like a classic rock station, doesn't mean I don't know or like soft AC and standards. Most people like more than one kind of music.

 

[vchimpanzee]

If it's classic rock and I like it, chances are The Ride plays it. But like I said, these days it's on Timeless Classics too.

Ah I see where you're coming from now. I thought you were putting down "The Ride."

But just because I like a classic rock station, doesn't mean I don't know or like soft AC and standards. Most people like more than one kind of music.

I am open to Huey Lewis, or softer Elton John, or America, or Crosby, Stills and Nash, but that doesn't mean I necessarily want to hear them when I can do better.

Like last Sunday I was looking up something and found out, while on a computer where I could have sound and not need earphones to keep from disturbing others, I tried out DMX and Muzak easy listening. One song in one of the samples I heard was one Worthless Classics used to play. I had missed that one! I don't know the name or the artist.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Continuing with classic rock artists, I like some of what The Doobie Brothers did. And soft Eagles.

Now, about Saturday. whatever happened to sounding better than usual with Billy Vaughn's "Look for a Star"? No, I get "Wasted On the Way", followed by "Margaritaville", followed by "Five O'clock World", followed by the news and then "Fire" by The Pointer Sisters. I don't object to any of those songs individually, but come on!

 

[hammondo]

Chimp, you sound so annoyed and unhappy. Here is a a suggestion for you; Screw them all.

Instead of crabbing about the radio formats, why not forget them (though I LOVE Jeff Rollins - and use "Pandora" so YOU can play EXACTLY what you want to hear. I've been doing that for a couple of years since the local timeless classics change to Spanish.

Gracias.

Former owner of a self-programmed 1945-1985 format station

 

[vchimpanzee]

Chimp, you sound so annoyed and unhappy. Here is a a suggestion for you; Screw them all.

Instead of crabbing about the radio formats, why not forget them (though I LOVE Jeff Rollins - and use "Pandora" so YOU can play EXACTLY what you want to hear. I've been doing that for a couple of years since the local timeless classics change to Spanish.

Gracias.

Former owner of a self-programmed 1945-1985 format station

I was thinking about XM, but it's too complicated and expensive. Right now, Dial Global makes me happy when that's what the station is doing.

But the fact is Useless Classics does make me happy sometimes.

I did hear "A Walk In The Black Forest" by Horst Jankowski. And most of the good songs are still there. But Dial Global's music is so much better.

 

[hammondo]

I think somebody should tell the big boss here about vchimp acting like a timeless spastick "monitoring" of timeless classics and dial global. He needs to get a life. I really don't give a shit about their playlist. I grew up and use my i-pod and Pandora. Don't need radio anymore.

 

[Chuck]

I keep wondering why we need a place to rant. Don't like the station? Don't listen.

 

[vchimpanzee]

I have a better suggestion for both of you. Don't like what I have to say? Don't read.

I'm reporting what I hear for those who might be interested.
And right now radio is all I have and I'm not spending a ton of money.

I heard "Babe" by Styx last night on Useless Classics.

Plus on Sunday night at 11 there were two live concert performances by America. I'm sorry, what? Standards radio is supposed to be ashamed to play America, but obligated nevertheless because of the need for a younger audience.

 

[hammondo]

Just a friendly suggestion;

If all you have is crappy classics on your radio, I'm sorry for you. Really. It's the 21st century these days.

WHY don't you use the very computer you are constantly crabbing on and go to PANDORA. You might look it up on Google.

There you'll have what YOU like 24/7 and won't use up all the bandwith documenting stuff NONE of us care about.

Peace!

 

[vchimpanzee]

Just a friendly suggestion;

If all you have is crappy classics on your radio, I'm sorry for you. Really. It's the 21st century these days.

WHY don't you use the very computer you are constantly crabbing on and go to PANDORA. You might look it up on Google.

There you'll have what YOU like 24/7 and won't use up all the bandwith documenting stuff NONE of us care about.

Peace!

I really don't believe no one cares what I'm documenting.

If you go to the Dial Global thread you'll see I have good music I can listen to, if I'm in the right area and it's the right time of day, and there are no sports pre-emptions at the time I want to listen.

I don't want to wear earphones or slow down the other sites I'm looking at, so I'm not listening on the computer.

 

[vchimpanzee]

"Right Down the Line" by Gerry Rafferty?

I don't really dislike the song, but too much of this gets on my nerves.

My morning DJ had the day off Friday (that means satellite). I was almost at my destination and I had just heard Paul Harvey. Just checking to see what was on.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

I see no problem with ranting here as long as it's constrctive and doesn't get ugly. This is probably one of those cases where a format is put in place to try to please everyone and ends up pleasing no one. Still the play some good songs so my complaint is small.

I listen to Timeless Classics on occasion and in genral I like what they do. My problem is when they start playing the over played A/C songs that I can hear on any other station 20 times a day.

I listen to Timeless Classics for something different. Forget paying for Satellite, I'll stick with my iPod rather than pay for radio.

You know who did a good job of Timeless Classics? Whoever the PD was at 1530 WSAI Cincinnati before they went oldies had a good sense of what the format was about, a very good balance of music. I have no idea who the PD was at the time.

 

[vchimpanzee]

I see no problem with ranting here as long as it's constrctive and doesn't get ugly. This is probably one of those cases where a format is put in place to try to please everyone and ends up pleasing no one. Still the play some good songs so my complaint is small.

Sometimes I get lucky.

I listen to Timeless Classics on occasion and in genral I like what they do. My problem is when they start playing the over played A/C songs that I can hear on any other station 20 times a day.

Those are the songs I don't want to hear at all. I'm really looking for true standards.

You know who did a good job of Timeless Classics? Whoever the PD was at 1530 WSAI Cincinnati before they went oldies had a good sense of what the format was about, a very good balance of music. I have no idea who the PD was at the time.

It did sound good. The term "Timeless Classics" only refers to the one format. Those were standards on WSAI.

Toward the end, even before the switch to oldies, though, they seemed quite watered-down.

 

[vchimpanzee]

I should mention that after I did a history section for the Wikipedia entry on what used to be my favorite station, I decided Wikipedia needed an entry for Timeless Classics. It's very basic (and I called it a stub), though I did a lot of work and benefitted a lot from outdated web sites. It sure will be hard to find the history of the format, based on the searching I've already done, but maybe there are people who can find the details and add them.

 

[hammondo]

You said; "My problem is when they start playing the over played A/C songs that I can hear on any other station 20 times a day."

No radio station is trying to MAKE somebody shut it off. WHY do you thnk those ac songs are IN the format, to get YOU angry? The radio statin WANTS TO MAKE MORE MONEY from SELLING MORE ADVERTISING. WELL.............Those ac songs tend to make the audience YOUNGER - THAT'S WHY they are there, to attract as YOUNGER auience.

It seems to me that the problem with the "classics" YOU (and I) prefer on the radio is, playing MORE of those attracts more OLDER people, and being the "radio scholars" they are, they "balance the music" (certainly using the computer program Selector to pick the songs) and TARGET what ever age TO whatever age they are seeking. Google selector and you'll see this wonderful music tool. Chick Watkins is a Selector GOD!

ME? I'd LOVE to hear LOTS of big bands (I LOVE Tommy Dorsety, I LOVE Harry James). I'd LOVE more Kay Starr, Perry Como, Jo Stafford, Frankie Laine, Eydie Gorme, Robert Goulet, even deeper Dean Martin, deeper Sinatra, etc. - but that will skew the format's target age OLDER and make it more difficult to not only sell the 2 ad minutes for their network barter to enable the local stations to "pay" for this programming, but also make it more difficult for the local station to sell advertising.

After doing this format for over 10 years, WESTOOD KNOWS, MOYL KNOWS what they are doing.

Sad to say, (the voice of experience here) the formula in paragraph 4 would attract ads for mosty funeral homes, nursing homes, ointment, life insurance, and investment companies.

In "smaller markets" you run out of prospects quickly. Even the programming of "Westwood 1 Adult Standards" in St. Louis, MO could NOT be supported by a 5 person sales staff. THEY TRIED - but it wasn't enough. For a time Westwood Standards and MOYL were on competing stations (heaven for you-hell for 2 sales staffs) so there were LOTS of sales people and sales opportunities available - but BOTH stations changed format after a few years. One of those stations had maybe only 3 regular clients, (one for a vehicle trade). WHAT PAYS THE BILLS?

Grand Rapids, MI (a conservative place) also had 2 stations for over a year, but both changed format - BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T sell enough advertising.

The FACT IS that target audience for the music in paragraph 4 (above) is dying. For you and me, i-Pod and.or Pandora are the solution.

 

[Chuck]

You said; "My problem is when they start playing the over played A/C songs that I can hear on any other station 20 times a day."

It seems to me that the problem with the "classics" YOU (and I) prefer on the radio is, playing MORE of those attracts more OLDER people, and being the "radio scholars" they are, they "balance the music" (certainly using the computer program Selector to pick the songs) and TARGET what ever age TO whatever age they are seeking. Google selector and you'll see this wonderful music tool. Chick Watkins is a Selector GOD!

ME? I'd LOVE to hear LOTS of big bands (I LOVE Tommy Dorsety, I LOVE Harry James). I'd LOVE more Kay Starr, Perry Como, Jo Stafford, Frankie Laine, Eydie Gorme, Robert Goulet, even deeper Dean Martin, deeper Sinatra, etc. - but that will skew the format's target age OLDER and make it more difficult to not only sell the 2 ad minutes for their network barter to enable the local stations to "pay" for this programming, but also make it more difficult for the local station to sell advertising.

That is certainly the conventional wisdom, and maybe it is right, but I'm not sure how accurate it actually is. I run a small Adult Standards station. The intent was for it to appeal to people 50+, which is an underserved but growing group in our small market. Because we are low power, we do not cover the entire rating area, so it is difficult to do some direct comparisons, Even so, according to Radio Research Consortium's Arbitron reports, we do surprisingly well with 12+ in the rated county we cover. We do really well with 50+, but that is who it is aimed at. Where we don't do much is in 18-49, except after 3 PM. We don't know, but could that be because school gets out about then? Or maybe it is drive time. Whatever it is, we'll take it.

Conventional wisdom says you can't sell this format. I think that is mostly because people don't want to sell it. It can be sold, although it may take more effort than some people are willing to give it. Since radio is a business, I can understand why people program for the lowest common denominator. Why sell sushi, when most people want hamburgers? Yet the sushi bar can have a loyal following and be very profitable..

Our station is supported by underwriting, not spot sales, but it has not been that hard to find underwriters. In fact, it can be pretty easy once they discover the radio station. Many of them come to us. If you want to be successful in adult standards or other niche formats, I believe you have to be willing to work outside of the conventional ways of doing business.

By the way, Harry James just played a minute ago. Rosemary Clooney is on right now. There is no soft rock. Just standards. www.kzqx.com

 

[Captainfirst]

Chuck, am listening to KZQX right now- very good sounding station you have there, and a nicely designed website too.

 

[Chuck]

Chuck, am listening to KZQX right now- very good sounding station you have there, and a nicely designed website too.

Thanks for the nice words. I hope you continue to enjoy it!

 

[Mike Sheridan]

Chuck, I think you understand what I'm talking about and I plan to listen to your station later on tonight.

You don't have to go big band to do standards. You can also play the missing hits from the top 40 era that were adult hits. The oldies stations never played these songs even though they were hits in the '60's, '70's and there were probably a few in the '80's too.

I think you might find that after some exposure to this "new" format you would see some younger people listening. Many of them are disenchanted with the music of their generation or they want to dig deeper and explore other types of music.

Right now "Timeless Classics" is the best we have on the air where I live.

Mike

 

[Chuck]

Chuck, I think you understand what I'm talking about and I plan to listen to your station later on tonight.

You don't have to go big band to do standards. You can also play the missing hits from the top 40 era that were adult hits. The oldies stations never played these songs even though they were hits in the '60's, '70's and there were probably a few in the '80's too.

I think you might find that after some exposure to this "new" format you would see some younger people listening. Many of them are disenchanted with the music of their generation or they want to dig deeper and explore other types of music.

Right now "Timeless Classics" is the best we have on the air where I live.

Mike

You'll note that a lot of our music IS the top 40 hits from the 50's & 60's. There was a lot of good stuff from Perry Como, the Ames Brothers, Pat Boone, Rosemary Clooney, Brooke Benton, Nat Cole, Dean Martin, etc. We don't choose to go very far into the 70's, but there are some songs from that era work fine too. Those top 40 hits don't happen to be rock based, and we avoid soft rock songs of the 70's and 80's. Back in the 50's and 60's, not everyone wanted to listen to Chuck Berry, so the MOR format was very popular. We are simply revisiting the format.

You'll also note that a lot of what we play is contemporary versions of standards. There are a lot of them from people like Tony Bennett, Michael Buble, even artists like Elvis Costello, Rod Stewart, Alanis Morrisette, Queen Latifa and Eric Clapton get air play when they do songs that fit the genre. Even though those artists are primarily known for other musical styles, I think these people know a good song when they hear one.

I do agree that a lot of kids are interested in this music. We get calls from them, and sometimes they ask some really interesting questions about the music and the times. It may come as a big surprise to the record companies, but not all kids love rap or hip-hop.

We're certainly not perfect, but I think we do OK for an all-volunteer operated station. It seems to work for us. (And there is no Timeless Classic or MOYL station in our area).