While for BUSINESS reasons, I can understand what's happening, I for one am SADDENED that yet another legendary radio station becomes something else yet again. They've done so many flips and flops with that station for SO many years, it's amazing that anyone was still listening. It's got a decent signal in most of Mercer and northern Burlington...another case of not being "ABLE" to see the "DEMO"..a/k/a
OLD. So..let's do FOX Sports because WPEN just switched to ESPN and 1040 is now ESPN simulcast. Are their that many people who need all those sports outlets? I don't have the research..so perhaps this IS the right way to go. So now, what do 55+ people do to hear music that pleases them? Satellite IF they even know what it is..and it's NOT repeaters of terrestrial radio as many still think. Or they gotta play Barry Manilow CD's in the car. Or IPODs IF they know how to do that. OR just throw in the towel and just listen to talk.
But my issue is how AM radio has been treated by MOST owners over the years.
I remember when I first came to the Mercer County area radio stations in '76. WHWH was SO huge in Mercer...it WAS Mercer radio then. Then Herb Hobler and the other decision-makers decided to do SOMETHING with their FM other than elevator music.
So ADULT ROCK was the buzz word.. and in the beginning, they mixed Tony Bennett with whatever was soft rock-type music in '75.. Ew..Then finally Tom Taylor and a lovely man name Phil Geiger were able to get them to let them make a real adult rock station..meaning FM pop music..HITS and some album stuff. WOW. I started there part-time..and was in AWE of the AM station across the hall....because SO much attention was given to the AM. I was then hired full time after moving to Lynchburg, Virginia for a few minutes. I came back and went full time. There was a lot of looking down their noses by the AM staff. While they LIKED us, they really thought THEY were the cat's meow. Suddenly within a very short amount of time, WPST started making real noise in the market..and overtook WHWH in billing. That was a HUGE task..and a BIG moment in local NJ radio. WBUD was still in the mix..and WTTM was still playing music for a while. PST just blew ALL of them away..and then KIX came on with the Lit boys.. They certainly gave PST a run for its money for a while..then Kix faultered. When PRESS took over 101.5, it took us about 4 months to figure out that SOMETHING else had to be done. The rest is history.
The point is..AM radio is all but over in most markets.. I guess there may not be any other thing for operators to DO with a 5000 watt station like WBUD. The only other alternative would be to make it Spanish or Religious. As it's program director for a short time in '89-'91 or so..I'm saddened that the tunes go away from that 1260 frequency. So long BUDDY. I wouldn't be surprised if all of the AM's at Millennium or however you spell it go that way.. However...in MY mind..OBM-AM still has a very loyal audience that likes the mix of music and talk. Messing with that MAY be a mistake just yet. But if it was up to ME.. I'd put reverb on it..and SMOKE it with 50's and 60's for those that can't get ANY other station that plays it. Get rid of the Manilow and say hello to Ricky Nelson..and The Beatles..and the 4 Seasons...etc..
I don't have the research to back that up..but with SO many people in Monmouth..and especially OCEAN...I don't think that's as left field as you might think. The OLD...OLDDDDD people will put up with it, because the SINATRA crowd is never gonna be served again..unless they go to Satellite..and it's just a matter of time before THAT goes away as the 70+ audience for Standards...um...croaks.
"It's evolution..well..you know", said Lennon.
BE BIG
www.reelradio.com WNBC's Time Machine..new hour posted now. It's fun.
