RE Maltshop Memories

[AllTheGold]

Ok, looks like I may have stirred the pot just a little with my post. I want to thank all that replied, I especially liked the reply from the person that would mix the Oldies format with Classic Country…….that was very interesting however I believe that Oldies is Oldies and Oldies Country is Oldies Country. Over the past few years I have noticed that most “”Oldies” radio stations have strayed away from artists like Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Bill Haley and most of the other popular 50’s artists and concentrated on the 60’s 70’s and early 80’s. There is nothing wrong with this however quite a few Classic Rock artists/songs are showing up in the mix. Sometimes I don’t know if I have on an oldies station or a classic rock station. With this in mind, here is what I’m thinking: “Hot” 50’s tunes from artists like Freddy Cannon, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis, etc.etc. Pop/Feel good tunes from the 60’s 70’s and 80’s with no hard rock/heavy metal or rap, but on the other hand no Nat King Cole, Johnny Mathis or other selections you’d most likely find on the music of your life station . So, that’s what I’m talking about. Format could be used on AM or FM Comments please!

 

[sbe1]

If you want maltshop memories, then play the music of the era..... All OF IT.... Which means extensive country crossovers, a lot of standards, all mixed in. This was the real Top 40. Get a Billboard chart of the era and see what was played. Remember, this was the day of only AM radio. FM had not come into its own yet with its many variations of the exact same format. I remember one of the biggest top 40 stations skewed mostly older during the day....even carried Don McNeils breakfast club. Then at nite carried the younger rock music. I cannot believe you can pick only a part of the music of the era and have anything that will last very long..... I was a nite and weekend jock at a top 40 in Michigan in the mid 60's. The playlist had a lot of country like Marty Robbins, Jimmy Dean, Johnny Cash along with standards from Dean Martin, Frankie Laine. Various Do Wop artists and what most people would call oldies. The station had only a playlist of 16 currents, about that many recurrents and played the songs to death....Whenever someone would request a current, no problem, we made them happy because it always came up in the rotation quickly... I had the coveted blue piece of paper from the FCC which allowed me to work a critical directional array at nite so that's why I was always working at nite.... I just hated having to go out and read the base current meters in the middle of the night... A severe thunderstorm was always fun. Watching the sparks jump the johnny balls....somehow the meter readings got faked during that time....

 

[RoneRigger]

"I just hated having to go out and read the base current meters in the middle of the night... A severe thunderstorm was always fun. Watching the sparks jump the johnny balls....somehow the meter readings got faked during that time"....

WoW !! Been there !!

 

[Mike_Serio]

Maybe it's just me, but this looks, feels and smells like someone fishing for some free consultancy advice.

Okay, I'll play along.

Ditto everything that my friends Jeff and Frank has already added about superserving the North Pinellas area including Dunedin, Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs and even the booming metropolis of Oldsmar.

Musically, here's how to figure out what to play. How old do you want your listeners to be... 70? (and trust me, 70 ain't old anymore! For the most part they're still healthy and haven't exhausted their Social Security or pensions... so they have some cash and haven't been locked up in an ACLF yet.)

Then do some simple math. It's 2008... someone who is 70 was born in 1938. Studies have shown that people spend the most time with the radio and have the most connection with the music when they are in their teen years...(except the current generation) so let's just say 17...their junior or senior year of high school. 1938 + 17 = 1955. Your "target year" is 1955. (+/- 2 or 3 years) So take Billboard's charts from 1954-1958 and play em. You have to find a way to pay live, local jocks (6a - 7p) AND... the station has to have the sound and feel of a station in 1955. Don't be afraid to cherry pick the other charts for crossover artists to augment your library. But, don't play music from the "60's, 70's or 80's" to attract a younger audience... STAY FOCUSED on your "target year" and go deeper into the charts for variety and to slow down the rotation. As time goes by and the current batch of 70 year olds die off, then move your "target year" and slowly start coming this way... but you're a couple of years away from having to do that. Also look for regional hits from the mid-west markets.


You've also got to make it interactive and hourly contesting is a must. Birthday and Anniversary clubs are a slam dunk and advertisers like them. On your website, create an interactive page where listeners can send you pictures of themselves wearing your logo on their vacations.

- Since 70 years olds do go to bed a little earlier, pick up DHS, or PHUHS Friday night football... it should be easy cash.
- Add some specialty weekend talk programming suited to that demo.
- Think of low-cost creative ways to get your name out there... consider the roadside beautification programs... they'll put your name on a plaque and plant it alongside US 19.

Plus... my favorite suggestion... put the studios in the most public place possible where your target listeners will see you. Countryside Mall... lower level (where Schnickle Fritz was located.) Treat the extra cash that you'll spend on rent as part of your promotions budget. Make sure the mall picks up the costs of cleaning out the smell of sauerkraut !!!

Here's the biggest piece of advice... get the BEST promotions and marketing director you can afford. Get the station out at EVERY seniors event, every arts & crafts festival, every health fair, not to mention all the old car shows around North Pinellas.

There you go... I dare you to try it.

 

[MichaelCrose]

Michael,

You have always wanted to own-run-be in charge of... 1470.

Your kids must be older now, your still young....

Go for it. It would be magic.... just friggen do it.

We wanna watch.... and listen.

 

[landtuna]

I'd strongly recommend Michael for the fading Gumpdusky 'Lumberyard' (KAZG 1440-AM) broadcasting from the canal bank in beautiful downtown Snottsdale, AZ. Seniors by the carload out here. ;D

'Course, we don't have a "Snickle Fritz" but could cook up some menudo instead.

 

[sbe1]

Maybe it's just me, but this looks, feels and smells like someone fishing for some free consultancy advice.

Okay, I'll play along.

In other words, recreate WGUL.

 

[OldSchoolWoman]

I'd work at this for nothing. I remember listening to WABC, KQV, and WLS in the Sixties. By today's standards of narrow casting radio, they were what the industry now calls trainwrecks. They played all the hits from country to soul, to rock'n'roll to blues, to real schmaltz, and touches of early 'Rock". The jingles were long and often sounded big-bandish like the Johnny Mann actually recorded them. DJ's used terms like "swingsville". This would be absolute cornball by today's standards. Listening to airchecks of KQV, it is hard to believe this was the cutting edge of cool. I think it could work today if the expectations and expenses were low. Put in on a non-functional AM or get a show on WMNF if they'd go for it. Back in the days on WNNNBC, Howard and Imus were on together. Imagine MJ and Bubba on the same station. But back to main point, if anybody remember WVOK in Birmingham Alabama, you might have an idea how country and rock'n'roll actually worked and WVOK made KXEL in Waterloo Iowa sound really slick.

 

[OldSchoolWoman]

For the record if anybody cares, I post on two computers , but could not get on with the same name for some reason. Therefore, you can call me OldSchoolWoman,Ms MusicRadio, but do not call me Ray or Jay. I was Radiogirl years ago before my first PC crashed. Like, I mean, you know,wow (wink)

 

[drt]

For the record if anybody cares, I post on two computers , but could not get on with the same name for some reason. Therefore, you can call me OldSchoolWoman,Ms MusicRadio, but do not call me Ray or Jay. I was Radiogirl years ago before my first PC crashed. Like, I mean, you know,wow (wink)

For the record.......... I care!

Seriously, glad to see you posting again, regardless of nom de plume!

drt

 

[jefflaurence]

Mike has it right. the mall might even give space for nearly free if every hour the ID includes the name of the mall, and an hourly "wheel spot" (three 20's back to back) featuring mall merchants and eventss.

Absolutely right on the promotions person..get out there..be seen, and interact.

 

[David Sharp]

mix the Oldies format with Classic Country…….that was very interesting however I believe that Oldies is Oldies and Oldies Country is Oldies Country.

The station I work for in Australia is a mix of "classic country" and "classic gold" (that's what they call "oldies" over here). To me, if properly formatted, it would work. And honestly, some of the classic country stuff crossed over to the pop charts. As an example, I think "Behind Closed Doors", "I Fall to Pieces", "Daydreams About Night Things" and "North to Alaska" are classic country songs, that would fit in. Just keep with the really hot songs everyone knows and perhaps a few lesser-played hits (for the "wow" factor) and I think it could be pulled off. But again, and I stress this...the scheduling of the music would be critical to the format sounding right.

 

[OldSchoolWoman]

Thanks, dude

 

[David Sharp]

Hi, again I think the format could be pulled off IF packaged properly. But again, it's that way with any format. I remember, while working at The Point (when it was 102.5), a certain staff member, who was VERY PROMINENT and VERY knowledgeable with music, used to draw pictures of trains wrecking, at the bottom of each playlist sheet. It was pretty funny and he got the "point" across, much to the dismay of management, who insisted he STOP drawing the "offensive pictures" on the playlists. This person was later "let go" and we speculated his comments on the poorly programmed music was a key reason for this.

 

[MsMusicRadio]

Back in the Sixties, WVOK was a 50,000 daytimer in Alabama. It covered much of Alabama and Missisippi. WSGN was the mainline Top 40 in Birmingham at 610. WVOK had higher statewide ratings. Much like WKY and KOMA in Oklahoma City. WVOK played both country and rock. It was sister station to WAPE 690 in Jacksonville. I think WVOK could work again in Florida. Maybe not

 

[Wazzie]

DJ's used terms like "swingsville". This would be absolute cornball by today's standards. Listening to airchecks of KQV, it is hard to believe this was the cutting edge of cool.

Every generation has their own version of "cool". Trust me, the "cool" stuff the kids hear today will be laughable in 10+ years. Remember when the 80's stuff was cool?

Back to topic, I vote Jeff to do the voicers. He has a little experience at it. ;D

 

[missammusic]

I though I was the only one who appreciated music like this...when I worked WDAE...we played em...called it MOR...had great personalities....free flow radio...no written liner notes...no pd breathing down your neck. IT was PERSONALITY RADIO...wouldn't that be a fresh approach to todays computerized who cares music. And think of the playlist....WOW. Some AM frequency could make money...not roll in it, but I think its better than simulcasting a signal.

Come on Corp geeks...go for it.....I dare ya!

 

[TheFonz]

I though I was the only one who appreciated music like this...when I worked WDAE...we played em...called it MOR...had great personalities....free flow radio...no written liner notes...no pd breathing down your neck. IT was PERSONALITY RADIO...wouldn't that be a fresh approach to todays computerized who cares music. And think of the playlist....WOW. Some AM frequency could make money...not roll in it, but I think its better than simulcasting a signal.

Come on Corp geeks...go for it.....I dare ya!

Looks like some good ideas in this thread for the questions you asked in a recent post on the '50/'60s Oldies board.

 

[Kahuna]

I'll tell ya this.... The 50's 60's 70's format would go great if the Dj's were allowed to play "The Music" instead of playing "The Hits"... There are a lot of good songs that you do not hear on the radio today...Does anybody remember "Run Joey Run" or "The Blind Man & The Bleachers" or "The Wildwood Weed by Jim Stafford"? They are all stuck in this Top 500 songs to play.. Also, What about playing some "Grateful Dead" on the radio every once in a while.. Not only Touch of Grey, or Casey Jones..some of the other stuff..Radio needs a "GREAT BIG COLON CLEANSING"... The stations like W.L.C.Y.,W.D.A.E.,W.H.B.O., & The Original Q105 did it right..we need to really get things back to what they were back then.....(Off Of My Soapbox)

 

[MsMusicRadio]

I'll tell ya this.... The 50's 60's 70's format would go great if the Dj's were allowed to play "The Music" instead of playing "The Hits"... There are a lot of good songs that you do not hear on the radio today...Does anybody remember "Run Joey Run" or "The Blind Man & The Bleachers" or "The Wildwood Weed by Jim Stafford"? They are all stuck in this Top 500 songs to play.. Also, What about playing some "Grateful Dead" on the radio every once in a while.. Not only Touch of Grey, or Casey Jones..some of the other stuff..Radio needs a "GREAT BIG COLON CLEANSING"... The stations like W.L.C.Y.,W.D.A.E.,W.H.B.O., & The Original Q105 did it right..we need to really get things back to what they were back then.....(Off Of My Soapbox)

I Agree with you