Sunny 105.9 Is Here! "Orlando's Greatest Hits"!

[Whiplash]

I'll proudly list my credentials. And your right the format needs to evolve, and overall Sunny sounds very good.

But there's always a title or two that does not fit. And "Funky Cold Medina" is one of them. Really sounded like a train wreck.

There will be more. CBS FM had the same problems, and like every good PD, those songs will be removed.

As far as the life on the Big 810. It still has legs, for your mom and her friends.

 

[bdpop]

Since they are pushing HD radio so much, maybe they can put a 50's-60's type oldies format on their HD2 channel.

 

[DJ Mo]

I am all for those personalities who go overboard & 'too happy' in their breaks. I haven't heard that since the early 90's, & I miss it. Coming out with a live jock was the best thing that came out of this, along with this upbeat "Jack-like" format, which interests me. A wedding DJ's cheat sheet is here. They can do a whole lot of different specialty programming with this format. The potential for this station is huge.

Speculating on the effects on other stations, Magic 107.7 will be okay as long as they stay on the lighter side. WMMO 98.9 will be most affected, whom I expect to see them do modifications to their format. Mix 105.1's Friday night 80's will probably not be affected, since it draws my generation (I'm a 90's kid) by not playing any 70's or Disco.

Big 810AM will be okay as long as they're still the Oldies station that we had 10 years ago. I remember when WOLZ Oldies 95.3 in Ft. Myers was the old Oldies format before they added artists like Donna Summer & Rod Stewart into their playlist. My Dad called me up the first day WOLZ 95.3 flipped to the new Oldies format & asked me where the Oldies was since he knew I was into radio. It wasn't the "good times, great oldies" format anymore. I liked the previous Oldies format, too, since I used to sing along with my Dad in the car. Now it's like... uhhh... an awkward quietness.

If Sunny flipped directly from the Cool format Oldies, they'd be frowned upon like WOLZ 95.3 in Ft. Myers did. But since they starved us of Oldies in this area for some time, the feedback should be better. That's my take on it. I see a bright future for Sunny 105.9. (Pun not intended, I think?)

 

[billalm]

Just one man's thoughts on the affects of the sun....

- AM 810 will be fine. As others have eluded to, it's "true oldies". You're not gonna hear Duran Duran or Prince on 810.

- I'd expect Mix to skew even more current and modern AC. Image will probably be more "90's and Now". With the change CBS now has Jamz as your current hits station (even though it leans urban), Mix skewing just a bit older with some modern AC rock, and Sunny even older as classic hits. Sounds to me like a nice group to sell once Sunny establishes itself.

- Magic 107.7 shouldn't react much at all. Just like Mix it's established in the market as the softer AC. Heritage and strong.

- WMMO probably has the most to lose as they probably share audience with other stations more than anyone. I mean, is 98.9 anyone's FIRST choice? Probably more often than not, no. I think they've benefited greatly the last few years without either "Big" or "Cool" in the picture. Sunny changes the game and WMMO has to re-establish itself as the "it's about the music" station. The one thing you don't get from WMMO are the pop hits or dance stuff. They're rock AC.... is that audience still large enough. We'll see.

- WHTQ needs to get more 90's. Lose the 70's and become more like the Cox sisters WHPT and WFYV.

....and one more thing, I think they're gonna run the "O-Rock" alternative format on the HD-2 channel.

 

[David-Christina]

YES YES YES!!! BOB BERRY'S BACK . . . WHAT A GREAT SURPRISE TO US THIS AFTERNOON. IT'S GREAT TO GET THE FM OLDIES AGAIN . . . MID FLORIDA MUSTANG CLUB MEMBERS ARE PASSING THE WORD.

 

[JayR]

Sunny 105.9

I remember when WOLZ Oldies 95.3 in Ft. Myers was the old Oldies format before they added artists like Donna Summer & Rod Stewart into their playlist. My Dad called me up the first day WOLZ 95.3 flipped to the new Oldies format & asked me where the Oldies was since he knew I was into radio. It wasn't the "good times, great oldies" format anymore. I liked the previous Oldies format, too, since I used to sing along with my Dad in the car. Now it's like... uhhh... an awkward quietness.

Classic Radio

 

[van hespen]

Overall, a curious niche format not really worth a full class C. heh.

I'll save this quote for when the station gets a 5 share.

This format is really on to something! Sound a lot like the flanking format, H.E.R.O (High Enegy Rockin oldies) Radio started by Jim Zippo. This great, the hits from '67-'89! I love it! I need a station to play the upbeat hits to keep me going all day long. Go! Sunny 105.9!

 

[erwin33]

I like the new format. It's very upbeat and it's different from what I hear on CBS FM, but that's not strange. Orlando and New York City are different markets. Orlando is a city where the sun always shines so they formatted the station how the weather is It also sounds a little Jammin Oldies in my ears, nice classic dance tracks mixed with friendly upbeat rock tracks like Huey Lewis and The News and Eddy Money.

 

[DToTheJ]

Big 810AM will be okay as long as they're still the Oldies station that we had 10 years ago. I remember when WOLZ Oldies 95.3 in Ft. Myers was the old Oldies format before they added artists like Donna Summer & Rod Stewart into their playlist. My Dad called me up the first day WOLZ 95.3 flipped to the new Oldies format & asked me where the Oldies was since he knew I was into radio. It wasn't the "good times, great oldies" format anymore. I liked the previous Oldies format, too, since I used to sing along with my Dad in the car. Now it's like... uhhh... an awkward quietness.

Not to get off on a tangent to another station, but this really was not to be surprised, even in a market in which two relatively "B/EZ" stations flourish in the ratings, as WOLZ is a Clear Channel station, and CC has done their part in helping put "oldies" into extinction... Ironically, the format tweak you described came just weeks after CBS-FM first bit the dust and flipped to Jack back in June 2005.

 

[MN Maniac]

Did anyone catch the first song out of the 4:00PM Legal ID yesterday?

Carly Simon's "You're So Vain." But instead of saying "son of a gun" at the beginning, "CBS-FM" was dubbed in! So, it looks like at least some of the playlist was *literally* taken from CBS-FM!

As far as WEUS surviving: I would love to see this happen but wouldn't bet money on it. It's VERY tough for an AM station to compete when a direct FM competitor exists in the market. I realize WEUS focuses on "Traditional" (50s/60s) Oldies, but it's still going to be difficult for them. The precident for failure already exists in this market.

How many of y'all remember "Cruisin Oldies 54?" This was the rebirth of WGTO in early 1990. Relicensed to Pine Hills with brand new studios in Ocoee. That place was a palace! Best of everything and the most sophisticated equipment available at that time (Denon CD cartridge players, Otari 4-track reel-to-reels, etc.) They paid their jocks VERY well. The plan was to create an "Oldies alternative" to WOCL. WGTO skewed older and played deeper tracks.

It didn't work. Less than a year after the debut, massive budget cuts and staff layoffs were necessitated due to lack of revenue. Shortly thereafter, the station flipped to a News/Talk format.

Unlike WEUS' limited signal (which cannot be upgraded, due to 810/Bahamas and 820/Tampa), WGTO had 50,000 watts days and nights. But they just couldn't compete with a full Class C FM stick. I'd be surprised (pleasantly surprised, but surprised nonetheless) if WEUS doesn't suffer a similar fate.

Drew

 

[chrisorlando]

Just one man's thoughts on the affects of the sun....

- I'd expect Mix to skew even more current and modern AC. Image will probably be more "90's and Now". With the change CBS now has Jamz as your current hits station (even though it leans urban), Mix skewing just a bit older with some modern AC rock, and Sunny even older as classic hits. Sounds to me like a nice group to sell once Sunny establishes itself.

Mix has already started to adjust their playlist recently. Adding recent hits by Nelly Furtado, All American Rejects, Justin Timberlake, Pussycat Dolls and a few others I was suprised to hear. Hopefully it works.

 

[chrisorlando]

Just one man's thoughts on the affects of the sun....

- I'd expect Mix to skew even more current and modern AC. Image will probably be more "90's and Now". With the change CBS now has Jamz as your current hits station (even though it leans urban), Mix skewing just a bit older with some modern AC rock, and Sunny even older as classic hits. Sounds to me like a nice group to sell once Sunny establishes itself.

Mix has already started to adjust their playlist recently. Adding recent hits by Nelly Furtado, All American Rejects, Justin Timberlake, Pussycat Dolls and a few others I was suprised to hear. Hopefully it works.

Also Timbaland and One Republic - and Rihanna

 

[Froggy]

Did anyone catch the first song out of the 4:00PM Legal ID yesterday?

Carly Simon's "You're So Vain." But instead of saying "son of a gun" at the beginning, "CBS-FM" was dubbed in! So, it looks like at least some of the playlist was *literally* taken from CBS-FM!

As far as WEUS surviving: I would love to see this happen but wouldn't bet money on it. It's VERY tough for an AM station to compete when a direct FM competitor exists in the market. I realize WEUS focuses on "Traditional" (50s/60s) Oldies, but it's still going to be difficult for them. The precident for failure already exists in this market.

How many of y'all remember "Cruisin Oldies 54?" This was the rebirth of WGTO in early 1990. Relicensed to Pine Hills with brand new studios in Ocoee. That place was a palace! Best of everything and the most sophisticated equipment available at that time (Denon CD cartridge players, Otari 4-track reel-to-reels, etc.) They paid their jocks VERY well. The plan was to create an "Oldies alternative" to WOCL. WGTO skewed older and played deeper tracks.

It didn't work. Less than a year after the debut, massive budget cuts and staff layoffs were necessitated due to lack of revenue. Shortly thereafter, the station flipped to a News/Talk format.

Unlike WEUS' limited signal (which cannot be upgraded, due to 810/Bahamas and 820/Tampa), WGTO had 50,000 watts days and nights. But they just couldn't compete with a full Class C FM stick. I'd be surprised (pleasantly surprised, but surprised nonetheless) if WEUS doesn't suffer a similar fate.

Drew

My Professional Opinion is that there will be people "sampling' the new 105.9 but true OLDIES Fans and fans of the OLD "Cool 105.9" will go back to what they like.I am 46 and to tell you the truth...as far as SUNNY 105.9 goes-I can take it or leave it.I've been listening in the car because it gives me a break from COUNTRY at work & at home.

Van Morrison-Brown Eyed Girl,K.C & The Sunshine Band,Journey?????

To me OLDIES are Blood,Sweat & Tears-Spinning Wheel,Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes-If You Don't Know Me By Now,The Beatles-Can't Buy Me Love,Supremes,4 Tops,Temptations.

Call it what you will...but the DEMO WOCL Is Targeting is about 30-35 which makes me about 11 years too old.

John Barrett

 

[radio_connector]

HD -2 will coming soon for CBS Sunny will be running O-Rock on it's HD2 channel...atleast for now..Bobby Smith will be moving to afternoons on MIX. And Mix HD-2 will be like the Point in Tampa. I really believe CBS is squezzing this genre but I guess they know what there doing...Just a side note I posted this earlier when Oldies went to Rumba in this market MMO jumped up 25% in ratings. That is why CBS decided to go after those people, the perception or reality of a hole, we will see. If I have one complaint about Suny is that I wish they would skew more towards 80's but the imaging is awesome I love it...its old school 70's and 80's if you pay attention.
There was an earlier post about some of the songs...they have some strange versions of some songs like a john melencamp song with rapping in it...Live version and a 5 minute Benny and the Jet's Live Version with Elton John I don't think those songs will have much mas appeal but I am certain they will change those type of things out...like the post said and work out these minor details. Cushman moving to this station is a great move for CBS, I don't think he was being tested as much at MIX and now he can hang his hat on this station if he can turn it around. Tremedous opportunity...

By the way the library was literally sent from New York...it is an exact copy with Logs and Clocks from CBS- NY....I was there when they received it.

 

[MN Maniac]

they have some strange versions of some songs like a john melencamp song with rapping in it...Live version and a 5 minute Benny and the Jet's Live Version with Elton John

I also heard some wierd slow (acoustic?) verson of Bryan Adams' "Cuts Like a Knife" last night.

There also seem to be a few inconsistencies regarding album and single versions. For instance, the album version of Winwood's "Higher Love" was played, but the radio edit of Rod Stewart's "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?" was used. (Which Warner Brothers did for radio only since the commercial 45 was the full 5+ minutes.)

Hey, can y'all do something about the "trigger" for the webcast? It's hitting too early and cutting off the last several seconds of the audio feed before going into a stopset.

 

[radio_connector]

The trigger is controlled by some third party company in New York...Here is what I can tell you about that. CBS has launched HD1 for WOMX & WOCL(Last summer), Audio Vault, Streaming and a new Radio Station all in one 1/2 months. These things will get worked out. Because of all this they don't have clients for their streaming yet but will soon have some, as a matter fact they just landed their first. With that being written, I know it's horrible, especially that PSA about Farting for god's sake...but hang in there. Locally they don't have much control over the streaming it's more of a corporate thing...I suspect their engineering department is already being way overworked with all these huge projects.

 

[radiosanchez]

Mix has already started to adjust their playlist recently. Adding recent hits by Nelly Furtado, All American Rejects, Justin Timberlake, Pussycat Dolls and a few others I was suprised to hear. Hopefully it works.
Also Timbaland and One Republic - and Rihanna

...sounds like a return to the roots of the original "Mix" of early '90....After they 'blew up' BJ-105 they were originally categorized as "Adult Top 40" (well, so was XL after it gave up on the Y-106 identity, the famous "battle of the Orlando Adult CHRs" of 1990)...Except XL swung back towards Mainstream, and OMX eventually went more Adult, first with that "50/50 Music Mix of Yesterday And Today" they had for so long.

Mix had a "Hot Mixin" dance mixshow at one point in 90, too, not sure if anyone here remembers or was even around.

 

[radiosanchez]

the imaging is awesome I love it...its old school 70's and 80's if you pay attention.

Sunny is using some cuts off of JAM Creative Production's POSITRON jingle package, which was originally made for WABC-AM/NYC in the late 70s, btw....

IIRC Power 105.9 also used classic jingles in its' time.

 

[mark]

Since the jingles come from JAM they must sound "fat and huge" like the Cbs NY jingles, but they sound like they are sung with only 3 voices onstead of 7. Did anybody noticed ? Was it a bargain or were they sung in a hurry ?

 

[MusicMan11]

CBS station in tampa - Q105 - Tampa Bay's Greatest Hits

CBS station in orlando - sunny 105.9 - Orlando's Greatest hits.......