WABC v. Drake

[MsMusicRadio]

WABC has been called the best TOP 40 station ever. Compared to a Drake station, they sound almost folksy. Can anybody explain the difference in these sounds?

 

[BruceS8852]

I am not in the radio business, so here is my take on this.

The Drake format minimized the role of the DJ and emphasized the music. In its hey day WABC was very personality intensive. Both WABC and WOR-FM under Drake had very tight playlists. The numerous commercials on WABC were annoying, but the station is a business and has to make money.

Bruce

 

[BACKnUSSR]

I am not in the radio business, so here is my take on this.

The Drake format minimized the role of the DJ and emphasized the music. In its hey day WABC was very personality intensive. Both WABC and WOR-FM under Drake had very tight playlists. The numerous commercials on WABC were annoying, but the station is a business and has to make money.

Bruce

The "myth" of Drake formatted radio is that it minimized the role of the DJ.
Actually, Drake stations were probably the best producer of air talent throughout the 60's.
You had to become really great at what you did to thrive as an air personality in such an environment.
Robert W. Morgan, Real Don Steele, Rick Dees, Joe McCoy, Max Kinkel, Charlie Tuna, Charlie Van Dyke,
and many many more legendary air personalities spent some time developing in the Drake format. So it indeed
emphasized air personalities...but you had to be good. Ingram and Lundy would have done fine under Drake.

WABC was an incredible radio station, but the "Drake format" was much more influencial.

 

[RADIO TRUTH]

The "myth" of Drake formatted radio is that it minimized the role of the DJ.
Actually, Drake stations were probably the best producer of air talent throughout the 60's.
You had to become really great at what you did to thrive as an air personality in such an environment.
Robert W. Morgan, Real Don Steele, Rick Dees, Joe McCoy, Max Kinkel, Charlie Tuna, Charlie Van Dyke,
and many many more legendary air personalities spent some time developing in the Drake format. So it indeed
emphasized air personalities...but you had to be good. Ingram and Lundy would have done fine under Drake.
WABC was an incredible radio station, but the "Drake format" was much more influencial.

This is truly a load of crap. The Drake format only allowed the djs to talk over intros and into commercial breaks. The intros of most of the songs were short. The Drake format was designed to make untalented djs sound at least mediocre. The WABC format was much more difficult to do because you actually needed talent. In New York, while WOR-FM was pulling 3 shares, WABC was pulling 23 shares. If you argue that WOR-FM was pulling 3 shares because it was too early in the game for FM penetration, WOR-FM pulled lower numbers than WPIX-FM did with a personality format.

 

[BossJock1947]

The "myth" of Drake formatted radio is that it minimized the role of the DJ.
Actually, Drake stations were probably the best producer of air talent throughout the 60's.
You had to become really great at what you did to thrive as an air personality in such an environment.
Robert W. Morgan, Real Don Steele, Rick Dees, Joe McCoy, Max Kinkel, Charlie Tuna, Charlie Van Dyke,
and many many more legendary air personalities spent some time developing in the Drake format. So it indeed
emphasized air personalities...but you had to be good. Ingram and Lundy would have done fine under Drake.
WABC was an incredible radio station, but the "Drake format" was much more influencial.

This is truly a load of crap. The Drake format only allowed the djs to talk over intros and into commercial breaks. The intros of most of the songs were short. The Drake format was designed to make untalented djs sound at least mediocre. The WABC format was much more difficult to do because you actually needed talent. In New York, while WOR-FM was pulling 3 shares, WABC was pulling 23 shares. If you argue that WOR-FM was pulling 3 shares because it was too early in the game for FM penetration, WOR-FM pulled lower numbers than WPIX-FM did with a personality format.

Radio Truth...again you have it wrong. I was one of the "Boss Jocks" at KHJ. Yesi only did parrtime on air but i later became a programmer unfer Bill Drake. Both WABC and KHJ were great stations. But my misquided friend you're comparing apples to oranges.

IMHO I think you had to be "Quicker" on your feet doing the Drake style. Bill drilled it into our heads less is more. Indeed, I think the Drake Jocks said more in 15-30 seconds than most in 2 min. Not to degrade Dan Ingram but we use to listen to his airchecks and think man he's rambling on about nothing. Breavity was the course at Drake much like a disciplined talk show host. Plenty of content but said in a more "Prepared" manner.

 

[BACKnUSSR]

This is truly a load of crap. The Drake format only allowed the djs to talk over intros and into commercial breaks. The intros of most of the songs were short. The Drake format was designed to make untalented djs sound at least mediocre. The WABC format was much more difficult to do because you actually needed talent. In New York, while WOR-FM was pulling 3 shares, WABC was pulling 23 shares. If you argue that WOR-FM was pulling 3 shares because it was too early in the game for FM penetration, WOR-FM pulled lower numbers than WPIX-FM did with a personality format.

Actually WABC's format only allowed the djs to talk over intros and into commercial breaks too. The Drake format was designed to make djs work hard enough so that they meshed with the format. Why are so many of these "mediocre" jocks so copied? WABC and KHJ (for instance) were quite different, and its tough to make the apples to apples comparison. And the WOR-FM/WPIX comparison is quite silly.