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Somebody out there still believe oldies / classic hits isn't a viable format?

On and off the air. I donated my entire 45 rpm collection to a church bazaar, and every last record was gone in no time.
 
Yes... there's a reason stations have dropped the format. Reasons that have been pointed out numerous times on this board. It doesn't matter if you know a lot of people that still prefer this music. It's about revenue. If it's not pulling in the numbers to support it it's not going to survive. Thats why you're finding the format on HD2's now. There's still an interest but that alone is not enough.
 
TheBigA said:
The linked article doesn't say anything about revenues. That's what makes a format viable.
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The numbers quoted are all meaningless 6+ stats. Plus there is no definition of what "Oldies/Classic Hits" is...many if not most of these stations aren't playing 50's-60's.

Also many of these numbers might be juiced by unsalable 55+ demos.

The biggest reason I would want to see a Oldies/Classic Hits format in Houston is to give it a chance to fail.

I grew up with Top 40 AM musicradio in the 60's and early 70's and loved it, but I am pretty much over it now. I've outgrown much of the music, some of which is now embarrassing to listen to. As has been discussed elsewhere, once a hit does not mean always a hit.
 
TheBigA said:
The linked article lists KGLK as a classic hits station in Houston.
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I noticed that - but they are a classic rock station. They even identify themselves as Houston's only classic rock station. Given the format differentiations - Houston still lacks an oldies / classic hits station, a format available in almost all other markets. Somebody is making money with it - or all those stations in other markets wouldn't be on the air.
 
The demographics of Houston is different from those other markets....

Demos is what drives format choices....age, sex, race, etc.. Houston is a very young market compared to others (listener wise). As much as I am a fan of, and was a DJ during, top40 music stations of the 70s, I am not sure it would work in Houston, especially the way corporate radio would ruin it...
 
What goes around, comes around.
The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Oldies = Recycled Baby Boomer Top 40

Funny thing, I remember my grandparents complaining about stations flipping from OTR, MOR or full service to Top 40. They made the same arguments then their grandchildren make now. Everybody I know likes it. Disposable income. This current stuff is terrible; the old stuff is better. Yada yada.

Karma's a bitch.
 
Everybody can keep rationalizing why Houston is the one place in the country where the format wouldn't work.

Maybe downtown and the Galleria are younger demographics - they do keep electing Anise Porker after all. But outside of a a few little younger trending areas, the city is surrounded by very conventional suburbs filled with demographics similar to any other city. I just don't see the Houston metro area being that different from other metro areas that support oldies. Like San Francisco which tends very young and liberal - but they have an oldies station that rates 11th. Austin is probably similar to central Houston, KLBJ rates 11th. Granted they lost their oldies station.
 
rbrucecarter5 said:
Everybody can keep rationalizing why Houston is the one place in the country where the format wouldn't work.
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It's not the only place. I believe Atlanta also doesn't have an oldies station. It's also a market that didn't have an all-news station until 2 years ago. Like Houston, they started one and it failed.
 
Come on folks. If a "market" for Oldies really existed in Houston, there would be at least one station playing them. That's the way the market works. Little or no demand, no station. Plenty of people say they like Oldies, but not nearly enough to convince owners and advertisers that it would be a profitable format.

As ContinuousWave observed, Houston is a very "young" market, and, generally speaking, people under the age of 40 don't like the same Oldies that people over 50 or 60 tend to like. It's a generational thing.

I think the only way Houston will get a Classic Oldies station is for one of the congloms to install the format on one of their stations as a loss-leader. Let it stay on the air whether it makes money or not, and I predict it wouldn't.
 
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scotiafilio said:
As ContinuousWave observed, Houston is a very "young" market, and, generally speaking, people under the age of 40 don't like the same Oldies that people over 50 or 60 tend to like. It's a generational thing.
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Houston has also become a very ethnic market. 17% Black, 34% Hispanic. That's over 50%.
 
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Maybe those who sing along about dancing with Jagger can listen to some good old rock and roll, and maybe they'll learn something, while good old rock and roll tells on them. And their generation. Maybe the younger generation will learn something about telling the world who they are.
 
duty_calls.png
 
Silkie said:
Maybe those who sing along about dancing with Jagger can listen to some good old rock and roll, and maybe they'll learn something, while good old rock and roll tells on them. And their generation. Maybe the younger generation will learn something about telling the world who they are.
Click to expand...

The music from decades ago endures today. Most of today's crap will not.
 
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