The Day The Oldies Died

[soundblast]

I am in Beaumont were we have had a oldies station that started targeting younger. They were number one in key demos while targeting younger and before when they targeted older'

In the Houston situation I am not sure what happened but I noticed that when on Radio Info's Houston ratings results that the 107.5was not even listed. Were their ratings really bad.

I can say that they use to have happy sounding jocks with a smile in there voice and that has gone to a more serious approach. An oldies station needs to sound fun and the jocks and other programming elements need to radiate the same feeling the songs do

 

[RADIO TRUTH]

The absolute best place for 50s and 60s music and the sound of 60s top forty radio is http://60sradio.com

 

[LibertyNT]

I like KLUV in Dallas Platinum 96.7 Is Pretty good too. A little soft for me but
give it a try platinum967.com.
Or Sometime in the future check out my tagline.

 

[cyberdad]

I am not sure exactly how many oldies stations there are in Texas, but the best oldies station in Texas has to be KONO 101.1 in San Antonio.

I was in central Texas earlier this week. Maybe I'm missing something or maybe I didn't listen long enough, but I thought KONO sounded rather stale to me. On the a.m. side with 5kw at 860 basically aimed east-west, they might make it to Houston. But if they do, its probably not listenable.

Best oldies station in Texas? Radio Bop...absolutely! With a strong honorable mention to Radio Bop '60s. If you stream it through your computer, you can go to Wal-Mart or Best Buy and pick up an fm modulator (transmitter), and broadcast it to fm radios throughout your home and/or your boombox in the back yard, etc. Modulators start at around $15. Other option is buy a cable at Radio Shack and run it from your computer to your stereo.

Another idea, which I discovered just last month is get an iPhone or an iTouch. Install Shoutcast (free), or Wundertuner ($7) and either listen on the go, "walkman-style" with headphones....or get a jack or modulator and listen via your car radio. It works great anywhere there's cell (or wi-fi) signal, and the high-quality Radio Bop streams sound great on a car or home stereo!

 

[Questor]

The oldies will never die. 

In my Second Life, I'm a freelance keyboardist.  (In my first life, I'm a PC keyboardist, doing the Sales & Marketing day gig.)

I absolutely love performing for the public, especially certain oldies.  In the words of Barry Manilow, "I'm young again, even though I'm very old."  (If you're ever asked in a trivia show, Barry Manilow did NOT compose "I Write the Songs.")

Here's something I find very interesting with regards to ages and music.  I do play in those digital bands with the loops and repeats like that (e.g., hip hop.)  I also play in classic rock bands because that's one of my personal preferences.

And I play in this one band that has carved a unique niche for itself in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Their song list has some variety for everyone.  Their main concentration is Motown, R&B, and danceable music.  People of all ages really like to get up and dance.  We do songs like "Shout," "Land of 1,000 Dances," "Nowhere to Run," "Superstitious," "Chain of Fools" as well as "Shake Your Booty."  (And to reach out to the growing Hispanic market, we also do "Oye Como Va.")

The one song that people of all ages ask us about is an extremely simple yet captivating "Shake and Fingerpop."  I can't believe how many people especially in their 20's who you think only want indies for their iPods ask us about that.  They ask who does it, what's it called so they can buy/download this tune from Jr. Walker & The All Stars.

Here's another one of our secrets.  Just because our birth certificate says "old" we don't act old.  We don't dress old, we don't talk old. 

That's what oldies stations need to do.  They need to market the music in ways that appeal to everybody, regardless of age and income.  It's great party music, whether you're turning 26 or 62.  As much as "Mustang Sally" is irritating to some, another vast array of people all ages can't ignore the allure of singing "Ride, Sally, Ride."  (At one place, a 27-year old would tip us on Sundays so he could sing along with us.)

And when it's 1AM and we're doing the Motown/R&B "Youngblood", they want to hear more.

If you really want to get oldies to sell, you have to stop marketing it with demographics.  You must instead use psychographics.  Michael Savage says that while he's physically 67, he's mentally 25.  He gets a lot of callers in their 20's.  I'm not 67, I'm not 47, I just know "what a drag it is getting old."  So I can't sell anything that way, not myself, not other people's music, not a product like a radio station.

Why would you?

 

[schmave]

I am in Beaumont were we have had a oldies station that started targeting younger. They were number one in key demos while targeting younger and before when they targeted older'

In the Houston situation I am not sure what happened but I noticed that when on Radio Info's Houston ratings results that the 107.5was not even listed. Were their ratings really bad.

I can say that they use to have happy sounding jocks with a smile in there voice and that has gone to a more serious approach. An oldies station needs to sound fun and the jocks and other programming elements need to radiate the same feeling the songs do

In my experience, and I don't listen to every station in town, 107.5 has the cheeriest-sounding jocks. Many sound pleasant, but Dan Gallo probably has the most cheer on a consistent basis.

 

[mrbeasley]

I go to a combination pizza/game parlor called Incredible Pizza with my grandkids on Seniors Night, ocassionally. They have the music of the 50s and 60s on their overheads. They also run old TV shows in certain sections of the dining areas. My grandkids love the music. I know, because I hear them singing it later on. And, what a grand time when I can sing along with them when we're sitting there downing pizza and root beer floats, like they did at the malt shop in the 50s and 60s.

I grew up listening to the likes of KNUZ, KQUE and KILT; because that's what my parents had on the radio. I still identify with what I heard on the radio in those days. And, not just the music. It was the fun contests and crazy (but clean) antics of some of the personalities, as well. When was the last time you heard a drive time personality play a joke or cornball record? When have you ever heard and country station stick a hip-hop bit into the mix; just to get a rise out of their audience. You might hear one of Rush Limbaugh's parodies on the network broadcasts. That's what makes people listen to folks like him, Stern and Imus. But, try anything like that on local radio and you'll be shot by the station bean counters. It's like it's against the law to have fun on the air anymore.

So, I agree with the premise that radio needs to stop targeting demographics and just shoot for doing fun radio that eveyone (regardless of age) wants to listen to. If I don't teach my grandkids anything else; I'll at least tell them how radio shaped the history of the nation and the world, in the days before television. How much of an impact it has had on my life. And, how sad it would be to see such a valuable medium disappear because of incompetent management and programming. Enough with the sterilized formats. Let's get back to basics before the next generation relegates radio to obscurity.

 

[downthedial]

Don't feel badly. I agree the death of Oldies is sad. At 31, I'm in the generation raised with iPods and internet radio and am old-school enough I don't have those contraptions. I was raised on and around the inner workings of commercial radio with family members in the business. While I understand the business end of things, I miss hearing the 50s and early 60s music on radio, and it doesn't make the decisions less painful, even if a necessity to survive.

 

[One Who Knows]

OK, now that you've all given your radio "wish-lists", let me bring you back to facts here.

What do you want the radio station to tell the ad buyer who says, "I understand the buying power, living longer, staying active longer psychographic arguments for buying the over 55 market, but the client is demanding 25-54 adults. Does your station meet the cost-per-thousand I need? If not, thanks for contacting us, goodbye."

You can't eat psychographics folks.

 

[piggy]

I go to a combination pizza/game parlor called Incredible Pizza with my grandkids on Seniors Night, ocassionally. They have the music of the 50s and 60s on their overheads. They also run old TV shows in certain sections of the dining areas. My grandkids love the music. I know, because I hear them singing it later on. And, what a grand time when I can sing along with them when we're sitting there downing pizza and root beer floats, like they did at the malt shop in the 50s and 60s.

I grew up listening to the likes of KNUZ, KQUE and KILT; because that's what my parents had on the radio. I still identify with what I heard on the radio in those days. And, not just the music. It was the fun contests and crazy (but clean) antics of some of the personalities, as well. When was the last time you heard a drive time personality play a joke or cornball record? When have you ever heard and country station stick a hip-hop bit into the mix; just to get a rise out of their audience. You might hear one of Rush Limbaugh's parodies on the network broadcasts. That's what makes people listen to folks like him, Stern and Imus. But, try anything like that on local radio and you'll be shot by the station bean counters. It's like it's against the law to have fun on the air anymore.

So, I agree with the premise that radio needs to stop targeting demographics and just shoot for doing fun radio that eveyone (regardless of age) wants to listen to. If I don't teach my grandkids anything else; I'll at least tell them how radio shaped the history of the nation and the world, in the days before television. How much of an impact it has had on my life. And, how sad it would be to see such a valuable medium disappear because of incompetent management and programming. Enough with the sterilized formats. Let's get back to basics before the next generation relegates radio to obscurity.

I love reading people long for the days of "just for fun" radio that didn't worry about demographics or research, who cite examples of stations of old... who worried about demographics and did lots of research.

Radio formats didn't come about by accident. They just sound like they did.

 

[Silkie]

I just know "what a drag it is getting old."

You are mistaken, my friend. Those of us who are getting old didn't miss anything. Those of you who only know "what a drag it is getting old" missed it all.

 

[cowboybud]

The oldies will never die.

In my Second Life, I'm a freelance keyboardist. (In my first life, I'm a PC keyboardist, doing the Sales & Marketing day gig.)

I absolutely love performing for the public, especially certain oldies. In the words of Barry Manilow, "I'm young again, even though I'm very old." (If you're ever asked in a trivia show, Barry Manilow did NOT compose "I Write the Songs.")

Nor was he the first person to record it...David Cassidy's version, released only in the UK, came out a year earlier.

Carry on.

 

[bigtom101]

OK, now that you've all given your radio "wish-lists", let me bring you back to facts here.

What do you want the radio station to tell the ad buyer who says, "I understand the buying power, living longer, staying active longer psychographic arguments for buying the over 55 market, but the client is demanding 25-54 adults. Does your station meet the cost-per-thousand I need? If not, thanks for contacting us, goodbye."

You can't eat psychographics folks.

Not now...but maybe in a year or two they will be the way to go for ad buys. Who knows.

Back to the topic..."Oldies" at 107.5 has been dead for years unfortunately, ever since the decision to dump that moniker & the KLDE calls. Even before then, it was a mediocre station at best as far as oldies stations go - Cox acquired it and proceeded to make the music rotation just plain old suck. I lived in Houston until 2002, and almost always listened to tapes of WOGL in Philly & WCBS-FM in NYC from when I would visit Central Jersey on vacation in the summer & winter. Not that PD's like Dennis Winslow or Ron Parker had much control over the music anyways...

Will "The Eagle" be the bird that gets the ratings worm? Outside of AM drive, nope. Being "Classic Hits" that ignores pop/R&B from the late 60's thru the 80's is just watering down the Arrow's playlist without the classic rock attitude that makes the station work. But seeing as how Cox wouldn't know a good pop/R&B record if I hit them over the head with a 45 of "L.T.D - Back In Love Again", my guess is that they don't know HOW to rotate those songs along with the smash Top 40/CHR hits from the rock side of the music aisle.

If 107.5 had music like CBS Radio's classic hit stations (WCBS-FM or WODS especially), I could see them filling a format hole. But being a softer Arrow? Who the hell wants to hear that outside of Dean & Rog unless the station has some personality. That, unfortunately, costs money. And that is in short supply in radio these days.

Maybe they will wise up and blow up the Point and make that the more r&b leaning station - much like the webstream "Rhythm 'n' Gold" that goes from the late 60's to the 80's.

I do love "classic oldies" - so much so that on the weekends and on overnights I have my college station http://www.1077thebronc.com playing 50's & 60's oldies (and 2 early 70's songs per hour), and I host a doo wop show on a Classic Oldies AM station in NJ Friday nights http://www.wmtram.com.

It's a shame that the music is being swept away, but that's the business unfortunately. Best get a iPhone and drive around with that plugged in, and only punch up AM/FM when you need traffic & weather. But I think there's an app for that....

 

[Mike Krehel]

Try 181.FM on the internet. It's one of my favorites and free! http://www.181.fm/ Scroll down to Classic Hits... Lots of great 60's and 70's! You can also listen to it in 128K http://www.181.fm/winamp.pls?station=181-greatoldies&style=&description=Classic%20Hits%20181 mostly commercial free.

There are also free apps to listen to it on the iPhone.

 

[Marv-L.A.]

Does anyone know if Barry Kaye is still on the air anywhere?

I really enjoyed listening to him when he worked here in LA at the legendary 93/KHJ while I was in college, although he returned to Austin (KLBJ?) in 1974 or thereabouts after a far too short stint at KHJ.

 

[soloflyr1]

Hey Thomas a.k.a. Big Tom, glad to see you are living your radio dream. Hope it last a long time & eventually makes you some decent money.

For those that don't know Big Tom, he is a young man with a burning passion for radio. When he came to town to visit his dad, he chose to spend his days hanging out with the radio folks inside the Cox fortress. You have to have a passion to spend your vacation time getting to the studio at 4:30 a.m. just for the pleasure of it.

By the way Thomas, what's your dad doing these days.

To answer Marv-L.A., the last time I talked with Barry Kaye was at last years radio reunion here in the Houston area & sadly he was not on-air anywhere. Been living on his ranch NW of Houston since before Cox put him on ice.

 

[bigtom101]

Hey Thomas a.k.a. Big Tom, glad to see you are living your radio dream. Hope it last a long time & eventually makes you some decent money.

For those that don't know Big Tom, he is a young man with a burning passion for radio. When he came to town to visit his dad, he chose to spend his days hanging out with the radio folks inside the Cox fortress. You have to have a passion to spend your vacation time getting to the studio at 4:30 a.m. just for the pleasure of it.

By the way Thomas, what's your dad doing these days.

To answer Marv-L.A., the last time I talked with Barry Kaye was at last years radio reunion here in the Houston area & sadly he was not on-air anywhere. Been living on his ranch NW of Houston since before Cox put him on ice.

Wow...you remembered, whoever you are?! It was at the Legends studios that Tubby (known to me as "Dad") taught me how to run a board/use Maestro, and being the oldies lover that I am, would make a b-line down the hall to the KLDE studios and watch Ron/Jackie and their producer Keith do the morning show. Best vacations ever were spent getting up at 3 AM and helping fetch the paper/showprep for Ron & Jackie...and editing phoners on the VoxPro for dad. It has served me well - I work part time for 3 stations here in Jersey (Classic Hits, the classic oldies, and a soft rock station), and enjoy every minute of it. Allot of great people with passion for radio work/worked at the Cox Houston compound - was great meeting Jack da Wack....err Cactus Jack.

Dad is currently in sales - not as exciting as the radio thing, but it helps pay the bills. Sorry to hear that Barry Kaye is still on the beach - listening to him on the way home from school & the "Car-toons" every day at 5 was great. I have 1 aircheck of KLDE from 2002, and he's the one on it.

 

[Kevinc]

Tom, I remember you too... from the KLDE visits.. good to hear you're doing well. Barry Is now living in the Woodlands area again I think. I had a call from him a month or two ago saying he was back and wanted to be back on air somewhere. He had been doing some voice tracking work for a florida station from his "ranch" near Brady at one time but that has ended... Sadly there's not much work out there these days.

Tell your dad we say Hi..

 

[RonParker]

> Best vacations ever were spent getting up at 3 AM and helping fetch the paper/showprep for Ron & Jackie.<

Tom, anytime you want to cross the river and pull show prep for me at WCBS - FM...CMON - You're always welcome. (lol)

 

[bigtom101]

> Best vacations ever were spent getting up at 3 AM and helping fetch the paper/showprep for Ron & Jackie.<

Tom, anytime you want to cross the river and pull show prep for me at WCBS - FM...CMON - You're always welcome. (lol)

I'd love too, but I don't think Brian would be too keen on visitors LOL.