Tom Wells said:
These are the "LCD", least common denominator listeners, barely listening, who listen only enough to tune away when something they don't remember comes on.
Music test participants are generally mostly or totally P1 listeners to the station and must, generally, be in the top two or three quintiles of the P1 segment of the audience. P1's by nature are the heaviest listeners, those who produce about 75% of all quarter hours listened although they are only around 35% of the cume. Test participants are, then, the heaviest listeners because they produce the bulk of listening.
MANY, MANY people are listening for something more interesting and challenging.
Actually, that is untrue. Listeners to oldies who have been in peceptual projcets I am familiar with want very familiar songs that they sing along with and that, in many cases, evoke pleasant memories. Essentially none are looking for songs that were no both big hits and are enduring in value today.
In fact, most listeners are embarassed by the Big John and Yummy Yummy type of songs.
They won't be served ever by the present system. If they listen to oldies at all, it is for the "wow" songs.
"Oh Wow" songs are only accepted by most if a good reason is given for playing them and if they are played about once a year in the daypart that the individual lister tunes in. Remember that the average listener spends 5 to 8 hours a week with their favorite station, so they will hear the fastest rotated songs every two to three weeks at the most.
Where do the music testing services find a such a big bunch of squares to test?
Research companies use local research recruiters who do recruiting for a living... for radio, for consumer goods, for political parties, for government funding, etc. The take the recruit specifications and find people who fit the spec... for oldies it would be something like 50% each men and women, 35 to 54, with age balance on each 5 year subset, P1 to the station and listen for more than 7 or even 8 hours a week (making them typical P1s). If the market is heavily Hispanic, a percentage of recruits may be requered to be Hispanic, too.
There is apparently no effort to test hipsters. Perhaps they are the wrong demo.
The only usable demo for oldies is 35-54. As far as I know, essentially all oldies listeners would not be considered hip... they are conservative, less given to change, not terribly accepting of newer music types, etc.
Even Mc Donald's knew they had to widen their menu a bit, not everyone wants a hamburger, fries and a Coke.
Why is it more important in radio to serve the LCD while alienating the active, engaged listener?
Variety on the radio menu comes from listening to different stations, not by making one station unlistenable. If you go to McFonalds for a burger, you do not have to eat a salad. On radio, you have to listen to everything presented... you can't skip it like things you dislike or are not in the mood for on a menu. Bad, bad analogy.
How come almost none of my friends enjoy the worn out oldies but enjoy the cooler, more obscure stuff?
How come major market radio has been dis-serving hipsters for the last 25 years?
Because there are very, very, very, very, very (did I say "very?") few of them. Those of us who program only wish our competitor would start playing a deep playlist with lots of obscure songs or deep cuts.
If you think it hasn't, you are firmly planted in squaresville. Enjoy your 500 officially sanctioned oldies but don't ask me to.
Fine, then go away. Radio could never please folks like you, not just today.
