The Track going Hot AC?

[bigtime]

[
so, i guess you think "if they keep doing the same thing, they will get a DIFFERENT result". they might get an Agency buy for Lexus, Cadillac, Mercedes and other high end things, my station did. remember THIS is the DEMO that buys things and has MONEY!- that is not lost on Agencies. talk-radio is getting the SAME demos and they are doing ok too. c'mon get your head out of the sand...like i've said ad nauseum, somebody is wrong,all the stations doing this format including Chicago, NY NY, LA Dallas and a thousand others ORRRRRRR
you.
[/quote]

I don't think people here are arguing with you, just stating the facts. Your arguement is with ad agencies & station owners.

 

[cspotrun]

[
so, i guess you think "if they keep doing the same thing, they will get a DIFFERENT result". they might get an Agency buy for Lexus, Cadillac, Mercedes and other high end things, my station did. remember THIS is the DEMO that buys things and has MONEY!- that is not lost on Agencies. talk-radio is getting the SAME demos and they are doing ok too. c'mon get your head out of the sand...like i've said ad nauseum, somebody is wrong,all the stations doing this format including Chicago, NY NY, LA Dallas and a thousand others ORRRRRRR
you.

I don't think people here are arguing with you, just stating the facts. Your arguement is with ad agencies & station owners.
[/quote]
i haven't seen any "Facts", i've seen opinons and the same tired arguments against a VIABLE format that is being done nationwide. are they all successful? NO! there are plenty of Hip-Hop. CHR's, Country and Active Rockers and news talkers that don't make it either(but i'm not going to tar them all with the same brush.) i don't have an argument with ad agencies either, i get my share.

 

[bigtime]

Radio operators nationwide have been moving away from oldies formats for the past several years. Ad agencies and radio ad buyers in general are not showing a major interest in reaching people 55+.
Those are not opinions, they are facts. If there WAS a big demand for that demo, there would be one or maybe even two stations in Indy chasing them. That is an opinion. Operators and advertisers are crazy to totally ignore this demo. That is an opinion, one I would agree with you on.

 

[mouseman]

For everyone here who thinks an older demo wouldn't be sellable, I have another set of call letters in this market that does it every day - WIBC.
Yes, they switched to FM to try to drive their demos down but last I checked the average age of the listener there is still in the high 40's, and most of the audience is on the "wrong side" of the 25-54 demo.
Folks, this station billed $6mil+/year on the AM dial for years, and moving to the FM has not dramatically changed the make up of their advertiser base. Are their agencies that won't buy them? Sure. They do a ton of direct, relationship business.
If I launch an oldies station in Indianapolis, there's my first source for leads. Then it's the newspaper, because the demos are the same -older adults, so every casino, every retirement/assisted living community, every health service, the list goes on and on.

Programmers cannot fix sales. Only good sales management can fix sales. If you believe it's programming's responsibility to fix sales, then you are living on ratings only, and really only taking orders based on ratings, not selling the virture of the product to anyone.

Program a good oldies station. Program a good anything - that's the PD's responsibility. And that's it. The money - the business is management's, if they're up to the task.

 

[cspotrun]

For everyone here who thinks an older demo wouldn't be sellable, I have another set of call letters in this market that does it every day - WIBC.
Yes, they switched to FM to try to drive their demos down but last I checked the average age of the listener there is still in the high 40's, and most of the audience is on the "wrong side" of the 25-54 demo.
Folks, this station billed $6mil+/year on the AM dial for years, and moving to the FM has not dramatically changed the make up of their advertiser base. Are their agencies that won't buy them? Sure. They do a ton of direct, relationship business.
If I launch an oldies station in Indianapolis, there's my first source for leads. Then it's the newspaper, because the demos are the same -older adults, so every casino, every retirement/assisted living community, every health service, the list goes on and on.

Programmers cannot fix sales. Only good sales management can fix sales. If you believe it's programming's responsibility to fix sales, then you are living on ratings only, and really only taking orders based on ratings, not selling the virture of the product to anyone.

Program a good oldies station. Program a good anything - that's the PD's responsibility. And that's it. The money - the business is management's, if they're up to the task.

there is nothing more to be said.....well said.

 

[gr8oldies]

WIBC (or any other station with upper demos) better be HUGE in 45-54 to get those buys. If you're exclusively 55 plus, it ain't happening.

 

[Flying-Dutchman]

Hey! Us old farts still have 25 years until time for the nursing home.

 

[BobOnTheJob]

Hey! Us old farts still have 25 years until time for the nursing home.

AMEN BROTHER!!!!

 

[Radio Dav]

If I was the Track I would drop music after 1999, a lot of stations try to play 10 song sets or around that.

Try to play at least 1-2 songs from the 50's, 2-3 songs from the 60's, 2-3 songs from the 70's, 2 -3 songs from the 80's, and 1-2 songs from the 90's every hour. This might be done playing 12 songs sets every hour. Just think if you cut down on the 90's and today's music WZPL may get better numbers also. The Track playing alot of 90's and today may hurt WZPL more than thought.

Then 107.9 would have around a 50% blend of oldies.

I don't think 93.9 would go oldies but if they did, they may try it after Christmas. I don't think the stations playing AC are trying to keep anyone from going oldies. If 93.9 was to try oldies, you may see them trying to pry out on the AC stations.

 

[gr8oldies]

I can think of zero reason to listen to a format like that. Dream on folks, oldies is not gonna happen in Indy unless it's an AM, rimshot or LPFM.

 

[Radio Dav]

I can think of zero reason to listen to a format like that. Dream on folks, oldies is not gonna happen in Indy unless it's an AM, rimshot or LPFM.

It can be done if it's done like WGRR...

 

[cspotrun]

I can think of zero reason to listen to a format like that. Dream on folks, oldies is not gonna happen in Indy unless it's an AM, rimshot or LPFM.

as for me, i can't think of ONE reason to listen to a HIP-HOP, CHR or Country station, its not MY thing, but even-I -can understand why others would. have a OPEN mind. ahhh.... get real.

 

[ChiefEngineer]

Oldies is a family friendly format for the most part. From a time when we grew up and the world wasn't Obamcised. (new in Webster's next Edition) Common Sense made sense.

No one under 40 wants to run an oldies station. Most sales people these days are? How old? Most agency buyers are how old?

WIBC still has the same problem they had with old demos on FM. They don't have the equally unnerving problem of agency buyers asking WIBC reps : "...what is AM? I don't think I have that on my radio. And can you tell me what your numbers are? And where you're located?"

Oldies now on 89.1 Wilkinson, 91.7 Edinburgh, 105.3 Anderson. Love the format. Shannon is a pistol. Reminds me of Shirk without the evil twin.

 

[gr8oldies]

I meant the 2 50s, 2 60s, 2 70s, 2 80s and 2 90s format someone mentioned. WGRR is not oldies as they were in the mid 90s (50s and early 60s). They are classic hits with a heavy emphasis on 70s and even quite a lot of 80s. It is working well for tem, as long as they can stay super-strong in 45-54 (a lot of folks complained when they dropped the 50s and 60s; most of those listeners have moved on the 1480, as well as most of the air staff from the old WGRR).

If you want 55 and over buys, you have to get the clients' marketing department to design campaigns for 55 and over. Right now, they don't, because of the cost of a sale to upper demos. The agency can't go against the client's wisher ("I know you said 25-34, but i went ahead and bought a 55 and over station".)

 

[Mid West Clubber]

Oldies and or rhythmic ac can work in Indy if done right. Too bad bruce doesnt own 107.9,,,,l he always gave us good oldies that other stations didnt play. bring back bruce to indy and have him buy at least a lpfm.

 

[mouseman]

Chief - you offer opinion.
I'm quoting facts. Yes, the WIBC reps probably always had AM band arguments, and yes they always had to sell the 45+ side of the age cell to media buyers. All of this is only relevant if WIBC didn't product revenue. But, as I said, EVEN on the AM BAND, this station billed an average of $6mil+ year in and year out, and the programming hasn't changed much with the move to the FM band. It's still an old audience, and to the sales department's credit there, they're alway done an outstanding job of monetizing the station. Older demos can be sold, if sales knows what's it's doing. No one can argue the fact that WIBC does it every day.
Now, could an Oldies station do as well. Doubtful - wouldn't have the heritage with the audience or especially with the advertising community WIBC has. BUT, could an Oldies station be sold and be profitable. Absolutely, even at half the revenue levels of IBC.

 

[cspotrun]

I meant the 2 50s, 2 60s, 2 70s, 2 80s and 2 90s format someone mentioned. WGRR is not oldies as they were in the mid 90s (50s and early 60s). They are classic hits with a heavy emphasis on 70s and even quite a lot of 80s. It is working well for tem, as long as they can stay super-strong in 45-54 (a lot of folks complained when they dropped the 50s and 60s; most of those listeners have moved on the 1480, as well as most of the air staff from the old WGRR).

If you want 55 and over buys, you have to get the clients' marketing department to design campaigns for 55 and over. Right now, they don't, because of the cost of a sale to upper demos. The agency can't go against the client's wisher ("I know you said 25-34, but i went ahead and bought a 55 and over station".)

you are right, it IS some kind of "Bigotry" in terms of those in power at agencies, some GM's and so forth under 40, they don't get it, they don't personally LIKE it, so they can't understand there are THOSE THAT DO like the format- A N D ignore a large segment of listeners who by the way have more MONEY to spend then 18-34's and DO.

 

[Radio Dav]

If I was the Track I would drop music after 1999, a lot of stations try to play 10 song sets or around that.

Try to play at least 1-2 songs from the 50's, 2-3 songs from the 60's, 2-3 songs from the 70's, 2 -3 songs from the 80's, and 1-2 songs from the 90's every hour. This might be done playing 12 song sets every hour. Just think if you cut down on the 90's and today's music WZPL may get better numbers also.

The Track playing alot of 90's and today may hurt WZPL more than thought.

Then 107.9 would have a 50% blend of oldies, you couldn't call it totally oldies but a better variety with more oldies...

I don't think 93.9 would go oldies but if they did, they may try it after Christmas. I don't think the stations playing AC are trying to keep anyone from going oldies. If 93.9 was to try oldies, you may see them trying to pry out on the AC stations.