Rubbing It In

[Nu_Roo_2]

One of today's top stories on Taylor on Radio-Info gives me yet another opportunity to point out how screwed up this market is:

"September PPM stories – The Classic Hits format continues to tear up the competition."

Yet not one viable signal in Columbus has ever even tried this format.  (And I'm talking about the version that is ubiquitous and highly successful most places today -- think WGRR Cincy  -- which are totally different animals from a couple of old Columbus formats that used that moniker but played a very different kind of music mix.  Did you ever hear the Eurythmics or Grand Funk on just-plain-oldies B97.1 or the original "Classic Hits" version of Magic 99.7 that lasted less than a year??)

Meanwhile, of course, we've got two city-grade mainstream AC's, country up the wazoo, tons of rock, and other duplication among the viable signals.

Reading reports like the one in today's T-R-I, and then looking at the Columbus radio landscape, you really have to wonder what local managers are smoking.  Even if you don't personally care for the modern Classic Hits format.

 

[alans613]

There ought to be a new law put on the books-NO NEW COUNTRY STATIONS IN COLUMBUS!!! Their up the wazoo alright...they even put a Country station on where the WAZU used to be. Classic Hits and/or Adult Hits on a big stick should be given a good looking-at in this town, especially seeing how successful WGRR in Cincy and WGTZ/Fly 92.9/Dayton have been.

 

[dawg4life]

Ya'll outta jus lay off dem fellas over thur runnin all dem darn country stations down hur in Cowlumbus, Ohiya.

 

[One Who Knows]

Well...WCBS-FM in New York is #2 in PPM with the "Classic Hits" format.

WGRR seems to do pretty well in Cincinnati...

It is kinda interesting that none of the "big sticks" in Columbus seem interested.

Of course right now the only one or two that might be ripe to consider it would probably screw it up if they tried...

 

[tr130]

Classic hits may get good numbers but doesn't generate the revenue. Marketers don't want to buy advertising on a station that draws mostly 55+ audience because this group is already set in their ways on spending.

 

[xmusicmatt]

My feeling is if someone in this market (SAGA is doing Classic hits sorta on WODB) ... felt they could make a lot of money on it they would be doing it already on their big stick. Radio programmers in this market arn't stupid.. They are looking to program to what is making money for them... simple enough if it stops making money they will go with another format.

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

My feeling is if someone in this market (SAGA is doing Classic hits sorta on WODB) ... felt they could make a lot of money on it they would be doing it already on their big stick.   Radio programmers in this market arn't stupid..  They are looking to program to what is making money for them... simple enough if it stops making money they will go with another format.

So managers always assess things perfectly, and make the best possible moves (or non-moves) based on correct info and correct interpretation of market opportunities?  That notion is patently absurd.  It is basically saying that businesses always make the optimal decision, end of story.   What possible reason is there for believing that?   No disrespect intended, but that's crazy.  Enlightened operators (in any business) come in (or existing ones change what they're doing), sometimes decimating the dominators-to-date in the process.  These new winners often weaken -- or wipe out -- the competition with different approaches based on different strategies that sometimes even fly in the face of the conventional wisdom (not that there's anything remotely exotic or risky about my current suugestion of Big Stick Classic Hits).  But no one's even trying in Columbus -- particular the big sticks, because they can be lazy on this count given the limited number of big-stick competitors for a market this size.

Change and continual re-assessment (even where something is still "performing") is vital to growth.  That is business 101.

And BTW, WODB is a joke.  Why even bring it up?  They were on a bad signal before, and they're on a pathetic one now -- and using a poor, syndie version of Classic Hits (so much for Ed Christian's preaching "live-and-local.")

 

[jakej]

I'm playing two Classic Hits tonight on "Yesterday's Top Secrets" for those of you who are pining for some -- Rare Earth's "Born To Wander", and "You Better Run" by the Rascals. It'll be the first of four straight episodes (the others airing tomorrow night and next Thursday and Friday) that will feature running-related music, in light of the upcoming Columbus Marathon on the 18th. Classic NON-Hits will also be offered up during this evening's show from Big Dipper ("When Men Were Trains"), the Creation ("Try And Stop Me"), the Go-Betweens ("Head Full Of Steam"), Hot Tuna ("Keep On Truckin'"), Darlene Love ("Stumble And Fall"), the New Christy Minstrels ("Gotta Get A Goin'"), Laura Nyro ("He's A Runner"), the Rondells ("On The Run"), Secret Affair ("Time For Action"), the Undertones ("She's A Runaround"), XTC ("That's Really Super, Supergirl"), Xymox ("Stumble And Fall", but completely different from Darlene Love's "Stumble And Fall"), and the Zombies ("Road Runner"). 8-9pm, and please tell all of your running friends! If you guys don't like 104.3's signal, just wait'll you "hear" ours at 98.3 and 102.1!! (But please don't forget the streaming option described to the left.)

 

[Jay F]

Classic hits may get good numbers but doesn't generate the revenue. Marketers don't want to buy advertising on a station that draws mostly 55+ audience because this group is already set in their ways on spending.

Several classic hits stations are doing excellent 25-54.

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

Classic hits may get good numbers but doesn't generate the revenue. Marketers don't want to buy advertising on a station that draws mostly 55+ audience because this group is already set in their ways on spending.

Several classic hits stations are doing excellent 25-54.

In addition, research has shown that the old canard about 55+ being set in their ways spending-wise is a highly fallacious stereotype today. Go out in the real world and you'll see today's upper-middle-aged and older folks constantly switching makes of cars, trying new restaurants, switching cellphone brands, switching from cable to satellite, switching car insurance policies, buying HDTV's, swapping computer brands, trying new food products...you name it. The only thing that might have made this a relatively less lucrative demo is a recent phenomenon -- the sour economy's impact on 401k's, etc. But I haven't yet seen any solid research that quantifies this.

 

[Al Timiter]

Yes, today's 55+ is not the same 55+ as it was 30 years ago. That's an old stereotype that is no longer viable. However, the ad agencies and 25 year old buyers (still) don't see it that way. Too bad, because those 55+ boomers are not only the largest demographic but have the most money to spend. And also too bad for the nearly-dead Oldies format. That format would still be alive and well were it not for the aversion for the over 55 crowd. It's a shame. I know of two public radio stations that are playing Oldies. I predict more to come. Then there's SAT radio and the internet. And when those LPFM's start getting built, look out. If traditional radio won't serve it up, they'll find somebody who can. Screw 'em.

 

[jakej]

Screw 'em.

Couldn't have put it any better myself!

Another great show coming up tonight -- Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, Paul Revere and the Raiders, the Stooges, the Supremes, Traffic, the Turtles, the Zombies ... and Dinosaur, the Room, Sonic Youth, the Three O'Clock, Ultravox, Volcano Suns, and Xymox. Oldies from the '60s mixed in with alternative from the '80s and late '70s, for that cross-generational appeal. Why stop with the 55+ crowd when you can get the 15+, too? And the feedback I get is that the 55+ also love the alternative, and the 15-54 very much enjoy the oldies. All the tunes are fun, that's their common denominator, and who doesn't enjoy hearing fun? A second common denominator is that none of them have ever been played to death on the radio, which GREATLY adds to the fun, and a third special common denominator tonight is that most of the stuff is going to be running-related again, in honor of the upcoming Columbus Marathon. Thanks, Dispatch, for yet another listing today. That's the 12th time we've been in "Today's Highlights" since August 3.

Commercial radio? Screw 'em.

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

I doubt this comment will generate any response (or minimal at best), so instead of starting a new topic I'm appending it to an existing thread that mentioned WODB and the Classic Hits format:

The syndication service WODB uses has made some major improvement in their 60's/70's music mix recently. A tad of 80's would be welcome, and they still play some turkeys, but this is a welcome improvement over what they had before.

It's nice to be able to compliment a "Columbus" station for a change, even if there ARE more cows than people in their strong-coverage area, and even if it still sounds as NON "live & local" as you can get...despite all the press Saga CEO Ed Christian gets for hammering on the importance of a station's strong connection to its community.

Classic Hits really needs a big signal here. For the umpteenth time, just look at what WGRR Cincy and WMJI Cleveland are doing, with sales reflecting their lofty ratings. Too bad we have 99.7 stubbornly married to rock to the bitter end even when their ratings fall off a cliff; and 93.3 married to...well, never mind.

OK, this kind of devolved into a complaint, so I'll close by reiterating the compliment that WODB's music mix has improved a lot.