Some suggestions on how to get adult standards back in the philadelphia market

[antennatv]

The Philadelphia market has been without the Adult Standards format for way too long. I have some suggestions on how we can get it back. Here me out. These are only suggestions. Very good ones in fact.

First one: Drop Sports from 97.5 and put on the "America's Best Music Satelite Feed or Bring in a live Adult Standards format like the one on the new Legends 100.3 WLML in West Palm Beach, Florida. Great Station by the way.

Second one: Drop the CBS Sports Network from WTEL AM 610, and put on the " America's Best Music" Satelite feed on there if they would rather have a satelite feed instead of local programming.

Third one: Have Connosouir Media who owns 1100 WHLI in Long Island, NY purchase WWJZ AM 640 here in the Philadelphia market and simulcast 1100 WHLI on there.

Fourth one: If we can't have an Adult Standards format here, then how about having am or fm station station here simulcast WMID CLASSIC OLDIES or simulcast an oldies station from the Jersey shore here.

You have to admit these are great suggestions, but only suggestions. I know a lot of you are going to say that none of these suggestions will work because they won't generate any financial revenue, or make any money. But don't you think it's high time the Philadelphia market finally had a radio station catering to Seniors 50 years and over? Why is the Philadelphia market the only place in the United States where you cannot find at least one Adult standards or oldies station with a great transmitting signal? It's high time the Philadelphia radio market saw a major change for the better, instead of all the trash that is currently on all your Philadelphia radio stations? I'd like to hear what most of you think about what I just said? And you have to admit that I'm right about what I just said just now.

 

[antennatv]

Some suggestions on how to get adult standards back in the philadelphia market

The Philadelphia market has been without the Adult Standards format for way too long. I have some suggestions on how we can get it back. Here me out. These are only suggestions. Very good ones in fact.

First one: Drop Sports from 97.5 and put on the "America's Best Music Satelite Feed or Bring in a live Adult Standards format like the one on the new Legends 100.3 WLML in West Palm Beach, Florida. Great Station by the way.

Second one: Drop the CBS Sports Network from WTEL AM 610, and put on the " America's Best Music" Satelite feed on there if they would rather have a satelite feed instead of local programming.

Third one: Have Connosouir Media who owns 1100 WHLI in Long Island, NY purchase WWJZ AM 640 here in the Philadelphia market and simulcast 1100 WHLI on there.

Fourth one: If we can't have an Adult Standards format here, then how about having am or fm station station here simulcast WMID CLASSIC OLDIES or simulcast an oldies station from the Jersey shore here.

You have to admit these are great suggestions, but only suggestions. I know a lot of you are going to say that none of these suggestions will work because they won't generate any financial revenue, or make any money. But don't you think it's high time the Philadelphia market finally had a radio station catering to Seniors 50 years and over? Why is the Philadelphia market the only place in the United States where you cannot find at least one Adult standards or oldies station with a great transmitting signal? It's high time the Philadelphia radio market saw a major change for the better, instead of all the trash that is currently on all your Philadelphia radio stations? I'd like to hear what most of you think about what I just said? And you have to admit that I'm right about what I just said just now.

 

[TheBigA]

You obviously don't like sports. However, lots of other people do. No one will be dropping sports to carry a satellite adult standards format. That's just financial suicide. It won't be happening on any FM frequency. There are lots of major markets where there is no adult standards station. Why? No money. Same with 50s-60s oldies. Radio stations are in the business to make money. Adult standards is the format you pick before going either brokered ethnic or dark.

 

[TheBigA]

You obviously don't like sports. However, lots of other people do. No one will be dropping sports to carry a satellite adult standards format. That's just financial suicide. It won't be happening on any FM frequency. There are lots of major markets where there is no adult standards station. Why? No money. Same with 50s-60s oldies. Radio stations are in the business to make money. Adult standards is the format you pick before going either brokered ethnic or dark.

 

[Unregistered]

There are a large number of Internet audio streams playing adult standards. If you can post here, you can listen online. I don't see the problem; the music is available.

 

[K.M. Richards]

I know a lot of you are going to say that none of these suggestions will work because they won't generate any financial revenue, or make any money. But don't you think it's high time the Philadelphia market finally had a radio station catering to Seniors 50 years and over?

We say that because it is true. There are zero radio agency buys for audiences over 55. Even those products marketed at seniors (such as reverse mortgages, walk-in tubs, and life insurance) go to television, where the proverbial picture sells better than radio's thousand words.

I can say, without fear of being rebutted, that if there was advertising money available to resurrect the Adult Standards format, you would see them popping up everywhere. There are plenty of qualified programmers for such a format, my friend Chuck Southcott among them, but their phones aren't ringing off the hook from stations demanding their services.

In fact, the lack of such stations proves the point, because a couple of decades ago, pretty much every top-100 market had at least one. They didn't all quit the format because they were making money with it.

 

[davideduardo]

First one: Drop Sports from 97.5 and put on the "America's Best Music Satelite Feed or Bring in a live Adult Standards format like the one on the new Legends 100.3 WLML in West Palm Beach, Florida. Great Station by the way.

WLML is a hobby station owned by a rich fellow. It bills less than $10 k a month.

Second one: Drop the CBS Sports Network from WTEL AM 610, and put on the " America's Best Music" Satelite feed on there if they would rather have a satelite feed instead of local programming.

Where is the revenue going to come from? Sports makes money. Standards don't.

Third one: Have Connosouir Media who owns 1100 WHLI in Long Island, NY purchase WWJZ AM 640 here in the Philadelphia market and simulcast 1100 WHLI on there.

WHLI is a part of a cluster on LI. It bills a little, but would likely not be profitable as a stand-alone. There is no synergy in having a simulcast in Philly. The two markets are bought separately.

Fourth one: If we can't have an Adult Standards format here, then how about having am or fm station station here simulcast WMID CLASSIC OLDIES or simulcast an oldies station from the Jersey shore here.

You have WOGL. An "older oldies" station would have no sales appeal.

60's oldies appeal to people 65+. Standards appeal to people 75+. No ad revenue for either.

You have to admit these are great suggestions, but only suggestions. I know a lot of you are going to say that none of these suggestions will work because they won't generate any financial revenue, or make any money.

Correct. No revenue, no ability to survive.

But don't you think it's high time the Philadelphia market finally had a radio station catering to Seniors 50 years and over? Why is the Philadelphia market the only place in the United States where you cannot find at least one Adult standards or oldies station with a great transmitting signal?

Few Top 100 markets have an oldies station unless it is a marginal AM or suburban rimshot FM. And they don't do very well.

Practically no markets have standards stations any more, except as musical fill on brokered stations.

It's high time the Philadelphia radio market saw a major change for the better, instead of all the trash that is currently on all your Philadelphia radio stations? I'd like to hear what most of you think about what I just said? And you have to admit that I'm right about what I just said just now.

Your "gold" is other people's "tin". There are nearly no larger market advertisers who would buy an oldies or a standards station. That is why there are practically none of them any more.

 

[benale]

WLML is the exception. Dick Robinson loves the music and programs the station. I agree, it is a great station..pure adult standards and no soft AC mixed in. There are a few of these stations left, and they are available on line. That is where you'll find the majority of 50's-60's and standards stations. WHLI on Long Island and WMTR in New Jersey are two suburban stations that do the formats well, but they are few and far between. Get an Internet radio or stream from your Smartphone. Also Sirius XM with their 40's,50's and 60's channels. There are a lot of ways to hear all that great music. unfortunately, commercial radio is not one of them.

 

[John Gallagher]

Unless you played select songs from Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Michael Buble and more contemporary recordings, not many would listen. Music from 1940s and 1950s is just way too old. I'm 55, and as much as I love some of those artists, I wouldn't want to hear it 24 hours a day. The days of Al Ham's Music Of Your Life format have long passed. It was a different time and place vs. the late 1970s and 1980s when that format was at its peak.

 

[John Gallagher]

It appears there are two threads with this topic, so here's what I said in the other thread:

Unless you played select songs from Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Michael Buble and more contemporary recordings, not many would listen. Music from 1940s and 1950s is just way too old. I'm 55, and as much as I love some of those artists, I wouldn't want to hear it 24 hours a day. The days of Al Ham's Music Of Your Life format have long passed. It was a different time and place vs. the late 1970s and 1980s when that format was at its peak.

 

[Bob Eubanks]

Drop sports for standards? Maybe--maybe--the fourth AM sports station in a small market with nothing else to do but switch satellite feeds. But WPEN? Not going to happen. Even if, and I'm saying it simply for the sake of the illustration, they gave up on sports, it's not going to be for standards. Never.

And why would Beasley feel the need for an unsellable standards feed on 610? Even if they look to eventually get out from CBS Sports Radio entirely, there are going to be other options ahead of standards.

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

Some thoughts ......

It was around 1992 when WWJZ signed ON with Standards. Wow, were they OLD songs, though. 1930 stuff ......

The thought here is that any return of standards would fit far better, financially, on a daytime AMer ......

Wasn't WHAT Standards not too long ago ? .........

Most satellite or syndicated Standards formats would insult the intelligence of the retiree crowd. They did not grow up or enjoy modern programming interpretations such as power rotations, commercial clusters, backsells, 'safe' songs, lame 1-800 commercials or 'clever' sweepers ......

On Long Island, WHLI already has a simulcast going -- with WALK 1370 AM. That's the small AM kid sister, formerly a daytimer, to WALK 97.5. WHLI used to make, consistently, six different books. I hear that their great signal into coastal Connecticut and the Jersey Shore didn't translate that much into additional revenue, inasmuch as WHLI was and is a local-business voice. No way Connoisseur buys a station in New Jersey to simulcast WHLI with the intent on serving Philly .........

All of that doesn't leave too many choices for Standards in Philly, AntennaTV. Heck -- I love the stuff. As a kid I grew up listening to it; my parents' music, enough to appreciate it even then, with rock and roll all around. But until some multi-millionaire altruist decides to buy one of those Philly AM daytimers on a Canadian-clear freq (690, 740, 800 {?}, 860, 990, 1540 {?}, and * do it right * the closest Philly will get to the Standards is when WBEB plays some of the stuff every Christmas.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

Why is the Philadelphia market the only place in the United States where you cannot find at least one Adult standards or oldies station with a great transmitting signal?

I'm guessing you wouldn't consider most of the "classic hits" stations in other major markets to be oldies stations, so I wonder what you would say to the following statement:

No top ten markets have standards or oldies on great transmitting signals.

If you disagree, I'd like the call sign of such a station in the top 10 market of your choosing.

 

[benale]

In the New York area there is WHLI and WMTR. WHLI is audible in Queens. Dallas has KAAM at 770 and Boston has a small station at 740,WJIB. Los Angeles has standards on KKGO's HD channel. Not great signals,but that's about all there is.

 

[K.M. Richards]

You have to admit these are great suggestions, but only suggestions.

Now that you've started two threads with identical posts and gotten some replies, perhaps you'd reconsider the use of the word "great" in the sentence above.

 

[DG02816]

Steve. 800 is a Mexican primary; 1540 is the primary assigned to the Bahamas. I heard Zed-N-S on a car radio during some strange conditions while sill in RI.

 

[Bill_W]

If Greater Media wanted to do standards, they're not going to drop sports on WPEN-FM. They would have done it on WPEN-AM instead of selling it.

 

[Steve Green NEPA]

@ DGO :

>>" Steve. 800 is a Mexican primary; 1540 is the primary assigned to the Bahamas. I heard Zed-N-S on a car radio during some strange conditions while sill in RI. <<"

Yessir. The frequencies I was unsure of I tagged with a {?} . Either way, that's six stations with decent coverage of Philadelphia which have, for the most part, little nighttime coverage. I can't think of any other major-major market with so many virtual daytime AM signals licensed to it; a market with so many stations licensed on former 'clears'. Perhaps someone aboard here knows a place with more. New York City, by comparison, has nine full-time 'regionals' with decent signals. Philly has four.

Even when you toss in the 1180 station, and the 1110 facility (two more 'clears', of course), the odds of putting the Standards on any one of them still get more hopeless with each fallen calendar page.

Of course, I asterisk all of this by considering the Standards a daytime format in modern times (if there still * is * a time for it). My Folks are a small sample, I realize, but with them all through their later 30 years or so it always had been Matlock and Murder She Wrote or a ball game at night. I doubt it was much different in too many other AARP households.

 

[radiophiler]

Well, if not Standards as they were defined previously (MOYL), how about one of these two options:

1. Very soft AC. Virtually no currents. Heavy reliance on soft 70s and 80s tunes with just a bit of more current material added in for flavor. I believe Miami and San Diego have FM versions of this. As long as no one in the Philly market is doing this on FM, why not an AM, rather than being another sports talk station or another conservative talk station? Not unlike the last iteration of Sunny.
2. Something like The Bridge on Sirius/XM. I see this format popping up in a couple of places, including Cape Cod, Mass. Folk rock, softer 70s classic rock. Just a touch of compatible pop tunes for flavor. Maybe even pick up some 90s softer pop alternative hits ... singer-songwriter type stuff, but the softer side. This would be decent counter-programming to WOGL which tends to lean toward Motown and 70s disco.

 

[hangman]

I have been saying for years that WMID should try and get on one of the local HD-subs, but never received any answer from anyone. Is it legal to do this, rebroadcast from another location on another sub, it would be nice. One another note, looking at your username I do not watch antennatv anymore they became another updated channel, they used to be great with all the old 50 shows, now they are updating and moving stuff around. I stick to Cozi, Decades, Insp and a few others, I did notice on my friends Dish TV (I have crapcast) there is another new channel WT something or other that had the original Lone Ranger on all day yesterday. ATV used to be good when first launched but now its going the way of the other nostalgia channels, they start good then start to add newer programs.