Barry45RPM said:
Also to note that in 1972 and onward, CBS FM played music that was NEW then, too... "Future Gold"... Its all similar sounding and familliar.
From what I recall, "Future Gold" began in early 1973 and was a result of some nervousness on the part of advertisers as to the viability of oldies.
The point of mixing compatable currents is often overlooked by those who anaylized what went wrong with the format.
Simply put; Future Gold
did not damage the format, it was frequently #1 from fall '89 through 1992, and if used correctly, it would have continued to provide a gentle transition as time went by.
Some months back Don K Reid appeared on Jory Reynolds' WOR show and pointed to the fact that up untill 1990 WCBS had incorporated selected songs from the previous decade, at that point he was told by management that this would not occur with 1990s material. I did hear some currents untill 1992, after that, time froze.
One of the arguments against the inclusion of 1990s currents was ofcourse the rise of hip-hop, however there were/are
many good mainstream hits that would fit and there isn't any need to worry about the hip-hop audience as they don't seem to be interested in "oldies" of that genre anyway.
Eventhough the motives for the return of oldies are probably have more to do with how audiences will be measured in the immediate future (PPM), It's good to hear them back.
Lino
