"Timeless Favorites" Format Gone in February

[eacalhoun1]

While I can no longer get a decent signal from a "Timeless Favorites" station, Citadel(ABC) is pulling the plug on the format Feb 13. Citadel says the format is victim of demographics and advertiser reluctance. This format was a former staple of the area's GHB stations. I currently know of only 2 western North Carolina stations running the format: WTOE Spruce Pine and WTZQ Hendersonville. Any other stations? I guess Dial Global is the only other sat music provider and do they offer a similar format?

Eric

 

[rufus]

Try the Dial Global/Local format called "The Lounge" from their Omaha base, localized satellite that sounds great..call Chris Reeves, Dial Global/Local director for more details.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Dial Global also does "America's Best Music" the same way as Timeless, with DJs from somewhere else.

The music is similar in some ways, but they're much more committed to the real standards (though at times the music mix can sound just like Timeless for 30 minutes or so) both old and new.

 

[hschutte]

I think it's really sad. Life 103.1 fm w-lhc plays timeless favorites. I think they are 50+ miles east of charlotte. I usually can listen to the them when I'm fish out at Badin Lake,NC. Great variety. What will happen when "Timeless Favorites" is gone? :-[

 

[vchimpanzee]

I think it's really sad. Life 103.1 fm w-lhc plays timeless favorites. I think they are 50+ miles east of charlotte. I usually can listen to the them when I'm fish out at Badin Lake,NC. Great variety. What will happen when "Timeless Favorites" is gone? :-[

Who knows? They overlap quite a bit with two Dial Global affiliates, and Sanford has oldies already.

I'm glad to know about this station. When everything else is too fuzzy to listen to I might see if this one works. There are still quite a few good songs in the format. I just hope those are the ones I hear.

 

[cjunkielover]

I just looked at the signal contour for WLHC in Robbins. With an upgrade, they could reach all the cities in the Triad and the Triangle.

 

[vchimpanzee]

I just looked at the signal contour for WLHC in Robbins. With an upgrade, they could reach all the cities in the Triad and the Triangle.

I picked them up yesterday, but I was amazed at how long it took to stop getting Lite 102.9 instead.

I didn't like it, except for "More" by Kai Winding. Is that the artist's name? I don't have time to look.

I also heard Glen Campbell, who I liked, but the signal starts to go again where there's another 103.1.

 

[jtudor]

I didn't like it, except for "More" by Kai Winding. Is that the artist's name? I don't have time to look.

Yep that sould be correct:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kai_Winding

 

[StinkyPete]

Unfortunately, sounds like another "Coming to an HD side channel near you" format.

 

[nightfly61]

Timeless is now into Xmas music mode. Though I like the regular format, there's lots of repetition. Like I mentioned on another thread, I don't see how Matthew Wilder's "Break My Stride" is a timeless Favorite. I will miss it. Maybe stations can just run the same tunes out of their Nex Gen (or whatever) library & even broaden it up if it was working in that market.
Something I don't like about Timeless is the same jocks (voice trackers) using different names at different times of the day. Some are also ABC Newspeople.

 

[carolinaradio]

Timeless has been declining in quality for a long time. When an area FM quit carrying it a couple of years ago I pretty much quit listening to it because I really can't stand AM (where it's mostly carried).

 

[vchimpanzee]

Unfortunately, sounds like another "Coming to an HD side channel near you" format.

The former Mix 106 actually does have one sort of like it.

Much better, for those who like standards.

And so far, it's still over-the-air on two of their AMs most of the time. Not at night unless you can see either station's tower from where you're listening.

 

[nightfly61]

There were a ton of great older one hit wonders that could've been added but never were. Guesws it's too late now. I prefer hearing older tunes like that on AM. Now it's back to nothing but talk on a.m unless it's bumper music. :

 

[vchimpanzee]

One reason I'm glad this format is gone: I was afraid my Dial Global station would switch to it.

When the current owner bought it, it was an oldies station that was getting softer, when it wasn't doing ESPN. The man came from a Timesless Classics station. Unforgettable Favorites was the station's format until that was shut down, but Timeless wasn't an option because other stations in the area had it, and Dial Global was close enough to what the morning show did, though after the switch the morning show was actually less conservative than the rest of the day.

Regarding whether Timeless could have been used, I heard from the owner of a station that was considering it that he wasn't allowed to use it within a certain distance of another station, even though the other station's directional signal put it out of range for his listeners. He wouldn't consider Unistar, which was the only other option at the time, saying it wasn't a good product.

Now, those other Timeless affiliates are gone, and I heard somewhere Unistar/Westwood One/Dial Global contracts last five years, so I was concerned about 2011. After all, Timeless sounds a lot like the morning show on the Dial Global station.

 

[jtudor]

Regarding whether Timeless could have been used, I heard from the owner of a station that was considering it that he wasn't allowed to use it within a certain distance of another station, even though the other station's directional signal put it out of range for his listeners.

That is one thing that has been a problem with most programming contracts for years, and I see that has not changed. Most of the contracts specify a mileage distance and do not have any provision for actual coverage area.

One station I was at had 5 other stations blocking us from getting AT 40, and not a one of those stations had a listenable signal within our primary coverage area.

There was another time that one station blocked us from getting Rush Limbaugh, yet that station didn't have a listenable signal anywhere in our entire county. They do now, due to a huge power increase but then with only 5kw they didn't.

Coverage area should really be taken into account, especially when directional antennas are involved.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Regarding whether Timeless could have been used, I heard from the owner of a station that was considering it that he wasn't allowed to use it within a certain distance of another station, even though the other station's directional signal put it out of range for his listeners.

That is one thing that has been a problem with most programming contracts for years, and I see that has not changed. Most of the contracts specify a mileage distance and do not have any provision for actual coverage area.

One station I was at had 5 other stations blocking us from getting AT 40, and not a one of those stations had a listenable signal within our primary coverage area.

There was another time that one station blocked us from getting Rush Limbaugh, yet that station didn't have a listenable signal anywhere in our entire county. They do now, due to a huge power increase but then with only 5kw they didn't.

Coverage area should really be taken into account, especially when directional antennas are involved.

I did mention there were several Timeless stations in the area. They were, in fact, co-owned, so they could get away with it.

 

[hschutte]

Timeless Favorites still exists on Life 103.1 w-lhc in the southern pines,nc. I assume it's now local for that station. Same disk jockeys too.

Listen at
http://den-a.plr.liquidcompass.net/standard_plr/audio_player.php?id=WLHCFM&playerType=silverlight

 

[Mike Sheridan]

I have been listening to the 50,000 watt WAGL Lancaster in the afternoon. With their very directional signal pointed away from me it's kinda like DX. They call it Music of Your Life, it sounds like it's all on their computer. A very broad mix of songs many you don't hear on the radio anymore. A friend of mine in Tampa can hear WAGL late in the afternoon before sign off. He can hear it as well and sometimes better than I can!

 

[vchimpanzee]

I have been listening to the 50,000 watt WAGL Lancaster in the afternoon. With their very directional signal pointed away from me it's kinda like DX. They call it Music of Your Life, it sounds like it's all on their computer. A very broad mix of songs many you don't hear on the radio anymore. A friend of mine in Tampa can hear WAGL late in the afternoon before sign off. He can hear it as well and sometimes better than I can!

I should try this when I go to the beach. Last year I couldn't pick up WAVO and just settled for Rush. He was fun. But I've run out of buttons and I'll just have to remember.

This isn't ideal, but there is a station similar to the old Timeless Classics (before the change in 2006) at 1280 if you're northeast of Charlotte. But if you're close to the city you won't put up with the amount of interference. Unless you're like me and you'd rather have music than signal quality.

That's only necessary if WAVO keeps cutting back on the music. I hope they dump that sports talk show, and I'd like them to get rid of the morning talk show as well.

There's no solution I know of at night.

Anyone know what WTZQ in the Asheville area is doing?

 

[kruxman]

Anyone know what WTZQ in the Asheville area is doing?

WTZQ has switched to Music Of Your Life, BUT, they're still running the old Timeless Favorites liners, figure that one out. WHKP, also in Hendersonville, dropped MOYL a year ago, because they thought the music was too old, and switched to Dial-Global's America's Best Music, which is slightly more upbeat/current, than MOYL.