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Time Is Running Out For WRLL AM-!690 'Real Oldies' Format

G

GrampaSquirrel

According to the Rober Feder Column Of The Chicago Sun-Time

Rober Feder had said that of all the stations on Chicago radio's "watch list" (if there were such a list, that is), the one in most critical condition has to be Clear Channel Radio's "Real Oldies" WRLL-AM (1690).

Nothing is official, but insiders say it could be only a matter of weeks before Clear Channel bosses pull the plug on the format and a talent lineup that includes such personalities as Larry Lujack, Tommy Edwards, Scotty Brink, Tom Murphy and Ron Smith.

Plagued from its inception in 2003 with a substandard signal that barely covers the metropolitan area, "Real Oldies" has languished at the bottom of the ratings all along.

Any hopes of growth were dashed when ABC turned its WZZN-FM (94.7) from active rock to "True Oldies" last fall. Despite its lackluster lineup and promotion, WZZN wins by default with its superior signal.

No decision has been made on a new format, but the most likely scenario would turn WRLL into a time-brokered outlet that would lease all of its air time to an outside company.

Clear Channel of WRLL AM-1690 may go from Real Oldies to a all sports-talk format or it can go as a news-talk format, or better yet; Air America Radio.

If worse come to worst, most common time-brokered formats include religious, ethnic and foreign language programs, or even playing hip hop & rap music.

If Clear Channel does pull the plug on oldies, at least one of the station's stars shouldn't be idle for long.

Tommy Edwards, the Chicago radio legend who serves as morning personality, program director and operations manager of "Real Oldies," already has been approached about a drive-time on-air job at a bigger and better local station, sources said.

Too bad he won't be able to bring Ol' Uncle Lar along with him this time.

Might as well say goodbye to real oldies and say hello new fangled Cockroaches!!!...
 
Oldies is declining everywhere, unfortunately. As much as I like the format, it's what the times of today are dictating.
 
The story interestingly notes that it was former CC regional VP John Gehron who "nurtured and protected the format". That would seem to answer why Air America never ended up on 1690. This demise of "Real Oldies" can't be much of a surprise; though there was a slight boost after the demise of WJMK 104.3, it went back down when WZZN flipped to "True Oldies".

Even though Feder mentioned that the station would go brokered, it's hard to believe that CC would do that. For one, I can't think of any brokered stations that they own. At the least, they could throw "La Preciosa" on it and clear Chicago for national advertising.
 
[Oldies is declining everywhere, unfortunately. As much as I like the format, it's what the times of today are dictating.]


Terrestrial music radio is declining everywhere. Can you name anyone you know who is happy with it, other than maybe Country or Hip-Hop listeners?
 
I don't think it has anything to do with the format......... although I work for a country station and the people love us.

it's all to do with the presentation of the music and jocks
 
It Might be that time again, to go back to do some sneaky pirate broadcasting,
(Only during the evening hours with one full watt) transmitting on 91.1 FM
it's could be Super Rabbit Radio to the rescue playing the rare
obscure oldies! (this was way before WRLL AM-1690 had sign on the air)

Super Rabbit Radio is only a very local micro powered radio station,
that can transmitt up to about 1/2 of a mile or so. But I will not say or start to broadcast again, untill WRLL AM-1690 has finished it broadcasting days.

However, we were warned first before Chicago radio market
starts to changed it socks again.
 
That's the way it goes. Every "sound" has it's time. Let's not forget "The Music of Your Life" format . My dad listened to only WJJD when they broadcast that service but my dad was in his late sixties and now he is gone as is most of his contemporaries.

I am now 63 and the music of WRLL is of my era but, frankly, even I won't listen to it because it makes me feel older than I care to. My generation will be reaching our end point soon. More importantly, our ability to consume goods and services is reachhing it end point.

There are specialty radio shows that service the "older" markets. Polka shows is but one example. The advertisers are very narrow: travel, cemetaries, some Medicare services, local small retailers. You get the drift.

Real Oldies may not be able to work effectively anymore.

The oldies of the 60's were great. I remember being at KOMA in Oklahoma City at the time. Great fun but it is coming to an end.

Bruce
 
.

[My generation will be reaching our end point soon. More importantly, our ability to consume goods and services is reaching it end point.]


Wow, Bruce. Sorry to hear that you had to enter that rest home at such an early age. I'm a bit older than you, but my consumption of goods and services certainly hasn't stopped. Two cars in the last two years; 1 or 2 vacations a year; several trips to Arlington Park each week; an occasional trip to the casino; several home remodeling projects; planning a LCD TV purchase soon. And yes, I subscribe to satellite radio! Unfortunatly, radio advertisers don't know that I'm out here. So I have to depend on my daily newspaper to find goods and services.
 
EXCELLENT post Fonz. I'm 60, just bought a new home theater and about to take a 2 week cruise. I guess we are invisible!
 
It looks like the new genoration is trying to out number us old squirrels like us.
they must of found our treetop and want to tear it down! I suppose I would have to fine another secret hinding treetop for us old fashion squirrels.

just to let you know that I'm an real old fashion Grandpa, and someone said to me earlier on the old radio-info.com told me and said to me "Hey you old grandfather! who let you on the copmputer? old geezards are not permitted on this board!" and one other person said to me "Hey oldtimer! haven't you've heard of machine called the phonograph?"

I thought record players are outdated and replaced by CDs???...

Grampa Squirrel
 
WDJO-AM in Cincinnati is proving the "Oldies is dead" crowd wrong. The station is on 1160 with a decent daytime signal and poor night signal, but has jumped from an average 0.4 share as Salem's News/Talk format to a 1.2 in the latest Trend as Oldies. They've only been full-bore Oldies since March. That's better than 1160 did when it was All Sports and the Home of the Bengals. TSL has grown exponentially and cume has, too. Agencies are asking for rates and they're running full stopsets of local spots. The station is owned by Christian Broadcasting Systems and is LMA'd by local guys who used to run the old 1530 WSAI before it went Air America. WDJO is getting better numbers than 1530 does now with AA.

It would be small potatoes to CC or CBS, but for these guys it's huge.

www.oldies1160.com
 
Bear in mind that for the most part, WDJO's staff and management is donating their time. They don't need to make a lot of money for the LMA. Agencies may be asking for rates, but if there are no 55+ buys from the agencies' customers, WDJO won't be getting in on the buys. I think they're doing agreat job there, but it is a unique situation. I also don't believe that WZZN won't be changing formats.
 
Ya, I know what you're saying. My wife and I bought a second home in Union Pier, Mi. just a couple of years ago, we totally renovated it and I've wired it for video and sound, etc. In the process, we spent about $120,000 to get it in shape. All of it was done without looking for advertised goods and services. I already know that ABT usually gives the best prices, I check Consumer Reports for best value and I checked with my realtor for who is the best and most honest Gen. Contractor in the area.

While I don't have satellite radio (I'm happy with the XM selections on DirecTV), I am racing forward with my Broadband upgrade and going wi-fi at home for my new computer which I plan to use while on the backyard patio. (I am a telecom consultant with my own "S" type Corp.)

I am also the President of a national retiree association and that requires much travel.

It's not that we don't consume, we don't consume enough and it's very costly to motivate old folks to switch products or brands. As an example, we own two cars. One bought last year (that's OK) but the other one is 10 years old! I just love that old Toyota Camry and no amount of advertising will sway me (that's a problem for advertisers). In comparison, my neighbor owns 4 (FOUR) SUV's!!. One each for him and her, one for hauling stuff and one for just because it's a big Suburban. (They're all less than five years old!!)

I didn't mean to infer we're ready for the crapper, it's just that for the purposes of advertising and programming, we're a tough sell. Just look at many of the posts. There is an incessant rant about tweaking different formats that are basically very similar and all geared toward reaching those who are so young that they believe the financial gravy train will last forever and so are willing to spend all of it but are not as savy as us old guys on what is good value.

Therefore Real Oldies is an expensive proposition for advertisers.

My basic concept for growth is to invest first and spend second.

Do you disagree?

Bruce
 
Actually gr8, Brian is a full time GM, Mike Gavin is a full time SM, and they have a few full time sales people. There are full time salaries on the payroll. Sure, the airstaff is part-time voicetrackers, but that's not unusual in a major market these days.
 
[Therefore Real Oldies is an expensive proposition for advertisers.]


I don't disagree with that. And that's a much bigger problem for radio than it is for listeners. Listeners of ALL ages have so many other options. With fewer young music listeners coming in to terrestrial radio, what will it do as current listeners "age out of the demo"? Any given market can only support a certain amount of Talk radio.
 
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