What an oldies station should be like...

[Nashradio300]

This is what an oldies station should sound like.
check it out. It is called "Great Oldies Music Station". It is an internet podcast station. I believe if Nashville had a station like this everyone would be happy plus ratings would be good. It isn't a fancy station but it is good.

www.greatoldiesmusic.bravehost.com

Please comment!
(Negative and Positive appreciated)

 

[deltas69]

i listened for several minutes, but it sounded like every other 300 song playlist oldies station. i don't buy for one minute the mindset that listeners don't remember more than a limited playlist. consultants be damned...anyone with a laptop 100 miles from home is a consultant. i don't believe that listeners want the same set of songs played during drive time. my playlist on my hard drive consists from '63 through '83 primarily, with songs earlier and later that are available and will run for 8 days, 24/7..and never repeat a song..and every one is a billboard top 100 charted record that i, and my fellow jocks back in the day, when this music was new, played. i've been a dj since 64, as well as a pro muscian, entertainer, audio engineer,..sound tech..just about every thing you can think of, and the one consistant comment i get concerning radio, is why do they play the same old s**t, day after day, (no reference to badfinger)..and the answer is ..they just don't know any better...even top suits around nashville will secretly tell you, no one has the balls to do it right..but the first station that that does will be in the top three..but they will have to hire top talent old enough to know who the buoys are...you asked for pos or neg..nothing personal..but i "tell it like is dandy"

 

[courier37027]

I know who The Buoys are. Rupert Holmes was in that group. Considering their hit "Timothy" and the current Utah mine disaster, I don't think that song is getting airplay anywhere this week. In the same vein, strike Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks" from any New Orleans station playlists.

 

[deltas69]

good..we'll put you on the "hire list" if a station ever has the balls to do it right with old rock jocks.. ;D

 

[OldiesCat]

good..we'll put you on the "hire list" if a station ever has the balls to do it right with old rock jocks.. ;D

Which is the philosophy that's gotten the Oldies format in such dire straits the past several years, doing it "the old way".

 

[romer979fm]

it's the same battle...and until someone decides NOT to play it safe...nothing changes.
and to some degree both sides are correct:

A. listeners are only tuned in for short periods of time...and you have to
give them something familiar
B. listeners are begging for something different...in short segments

the best analogy I've heard re: new or obscure cuts came from Jim Hicks (aka Ronnie Lake)...
who observed a group of people at a party listening to a stack of "forgotten" 45s (this was
a long time ago)...and he noticed how everyone got excited as each song started...and then
quickly ended it to try out the next tune. the "oh wow factor" is what the JACK format was
originally built on...

same basic thing with 'classic country'...stations playing long-forgotten cuts discover that while
a small core of listeners will absolutely declare they want to hear these songs...after a very short
time...they leave. think of the KDF country launch...and how they've morphed.

I don't pretend to have the answers...and yeah...I'm sick of the tight playlists, too...

 

[OldiesCat]

I think where a lot gets lost in the translation on playlist size is those who hate "safe" size playlist (same 250 cuts, ad nauseum). Problem is, most who are on that track think you should play 2000 titles (which is fallacy).

There is room for Oldies/60s-70s to have around 600-750 titles and at the same time play da hits WITH just enough "wow!" to keep it from getting stale. Of course, the less educated/experienced always chime in next with "well, gosh, there are thousands of songs out there- why limit it at all???". And, the beat goes on.

 

[radiodood]

I know who The Buoys are. Rupert Holmes was in that group. Considering their hit "Timothy" and the current Utah mine disaster, I don't think that song is getting airplay anywhere this week. In the same vein, strike Led Zeppelin's "When the Levee Breaks" from any New Orleans station playlists.

I don't believe Ruper Holmes was "in" the group..he is however, the writer of the song. The Buoys later evolved into a band called "Dakota" who had a marginal hit in the mid 80's..The Buoys song "timothy" was banned by some radio stations due to it's reference to cannibalism. The label did an edited single to replace the controversial lyrics.

 

[olebud]

And maybe you're all right!
Where Pat likes 63-87 or whatever, my taste goes back to the early 50s just before rock and roll and goes through the early 70s when I found "If you're gonna play in Texas, you gotta have a fiddle in the band."
And that was so true in Houston then. I worked country radio and liked it.
I could blow my credibility and mention some other music I enjoy, but I'd not like all you
guys making fun of me so I'll leave it at that.
And no, I don't like Janet Jackson, but you have to admit she gets your attention
with her presentation! >
Buddy

 

[romer979fm]

Buddy works in the next cube to me...so I know exactly what music he likes.
And since his advanced-age hearing is going...he likes it LOUD.
Today? All "Four Freshmen"...all the time. Earlier in the week it was Vic Damone.

 

[deltas69]

there's no excuse for buddy to listen to that, he can borrow buntin's "current playlist", of early/mid sixties backseat ballads that i personaly sweated over for many beers to produce...if thats too upbeat..he can always bring out the jerry vale...VOLARE'..WO WO WO WOOOH[/i ;D

 

[scottwmro]

there's no excuse for buddy to listen to that, he can borrow buntin's "current playlist", of early/mid sixties backseat ballads that i personaly sweated over for many beers to produce...if thats too upbeat..he can always bring out the jerry vale...VOLARE'..WO WO WO WOOOH[/i ;D

Pat,

Buntin's playlist consist of CD's I gave him 3 weeks ago. All the 50's, & 60's I had went out the door in his hands. Those old 45's I had went to the Gallatin Dump.

I loaded Buntin up with all the oldies CD's I had and I brought home the 70's stuff for me. Nothing older than 1980 left in the control room than 1980, at 1560. It's all now 1980 to the current stuff out in the studio, along with Wayne Akins's Gospel stuff. I was going to give those CD's to Lee Dorman up the road, but I didn't think he needed them.

I have to admit, Lee's station sounds good, but just needs more power towards Gallatin, although, I can hear WQKR very well on this end of Gallatin.


YAWNNNNNNNNNNN,

I'll let ya alone now, let you go back to sleep and let you, Buddy & Chris dream about the the "Good Ole Days". Why not one of you stream on the net your idea of Oldies? Plenty of bandwidth out there. If you need help streaming, I'll help get it started for you.

Scott


Sorry Buddy, I hate dreaming about the "Good Ole Days", for me, it was depressing! Personal issues on my end......Come over the house sometime and I have Leslie make us a big cake with coffee!

 

[Tibbs4]

Scott:

If you would just program Rupert Holmes, Chris and Buddy wouldn't have to always listen to Mix 92.9 in their cubicles (sp).

Volare is good stuff.

 

[romer979fm]

Buddy & Chris dream about the the "Good Ole Days

nothing wrong with keeping history alive...no need to put anyone down because you don't
care to look back...

and don't be confused: we don't "dream about the good old days"...we're just remembering how
things were when we were working in radio so many years ago...and comparing to how
things have changed now...while we're still working in radio.

now...we return you to Roller Derby...already in progress

 

[Journeyman]

Buddy works in the next cube to me...so I know exactly what music he likes.
And since his advanced-age hearing is going...he likes it LOUD.
Today? All "Four Freshmen"...all the time. Earlier in the week it was Vic Damone.

When we worked together it was Webb Pierce so consider yourself lucky!

 

[scottwmro]

Buddy & Chris dream about the the "Good Ole Days

nothing wrong with keeping history alive...no need to put anyone down because you don't
care to look back...

and don't be confused: we don't "dream about the good old days"...we're just remembering how
things were when we were working in radio so many years ago...and comparing to how
things have changed now...while we're still working in radio.

now...we return you to Roller Derby...already in progress

Chris,

Your were lucky you were already gone from 92Q when a guy named Jay Dubard was PD. Whew.........talking about depressing days and nights! This was a guy Sam drug in from Mississippi, and you talking about giving the staff a mental nightmare! The whole place turned into a hell hole!
We all had to do remotes for free. OH, that damn 92Q haunted house, just being in that hot, stinky, old van, and no pay AND, famous studio HOT LINE! Evertime the hot line rang it was you (the board op) being cussed out.
I remember early one morning the overnight chick got cussed out, being called a slut, and she ran out of the station, crying, and I saw here walking up Brick Church Pike as I was driving into the station. She was so mentally upset, her husband told me he was going down there to kick management's a**!
I was doing fill in 7 PM-12 mid in 88 and I woke Sam up at 11 PM and made a threat to shut the transmitter OFF, and walk out if I got one more call from this obnoxious, insane, PD that we had at the time.
That's why I hate reflecting back on the past! You missed all the Real Excitement of mental torture! I threaten to sue the station at time for a major ordeal that I'll have to tell you and Buddy about sometime.
I was listening to an aircheck not to long ago I have from a night/overnight when I pulled a 14 hour shift because nobody would show up. I'm glad those days are gone!

Sorry for the Rant....Rant mode off!

 

[romer979fm]

That's why I hate reflecting back on the past! You missed all the Real Excitement of mental torture!

I begin my 18th year with WSIX next week...and have been at this since 1975. Trust me...I haven't missed
anything...good and bad. I mentioned Leigh Jacobs as being a real **** on these boards (my edit)...and I'm
glad to say he e-mailed me, and we straightened a lot of things out. Nice guy now...back then at WGFX...NOT!

 

[scottwmro]

That's why I hate reflecting back on the past! You missed all the Real Excitement of mental torture!

I begin my 18th year with WSIX next week...and have been at this since 1975. Trust me...I haven't missed
anything...good and bad. I mentioned Leigh Jacobs as being a real **** on these boards (my edit)...and I'm
glad to say he e-mailed me, and we straightened a lot of things out. Nice guy now...back then at WGFX...NOT!

I don't know what ever happen to Jay Dubard, we kind of got things straighten between each other before Sam fired him and hired Michael St. John. When I left QQK, Magic Jackson was PD at the time. Magic begged me not to leave, but I was getting ready put 1560 on the following year.

Working for Magic Jackson was the FUN days for me at 92Q towards the end. Sam left me alone and Magic Jackson let me do what I wanted with my airshift (within reason). I left working for Sam in good terms, and I'll have to say, he did give me my real start on WVOL when I was a Senior at Gallatin High.

Chris, being pushed around somewhat in grammer school, made this 215 lb. guy sort of a rough, tough, guy and I just had to teach myself not to take no crap from nobody, especially the PD. Now, Leslie says I need to loose weight.

Scott

 

[scottwmro]

Scott:

If you would just program Rupert Holmes, Chris and Buddy wouldn't have to always listen to Mix 92.9 in their cubicles (sp).

Volare is good stuff.

Volare......wasn't that in a TV spot in the 70's?

 

[ARDONAVINDA]

The coolest radio I ever heard was in 1987 to 1988 on the now defunct 66 WNBC in NYC (now The Fan WFAN). They did a weekend show that kicked off Friday overnight at midnight and ran til 12 midnight on Sunday. It was called "The Time Machine" the station was primarily an AC sounding station until the weekend. They basically re-created 77 WABC during their glory years, a tinge of late 50's all the 60's & 70's Top 40. With heavy reverb and recreated PAMS jingle packages. Jocks included Big Jay Sorenson, Dan Taylor ( Dan Ingram soundalike), who's now morning man on WCBS FM. The Real Bob James, and a few more guys. I have a 10 year 66 WNBC Time Machine tribute cd that came out in 1998 it is the story on how it got started. I've never heard anyone since 1988 do it as well as them. There was a station in Crossville that also served into Knoxville area called Music Radio WLSQ 105.7. They copied the style that Chicago's Music Radio 89 WLS had 30 years ago, even had the jingle package from mid 70's. Knoxville loved them because there was no Oldies outlet in that city until just a couple weeks ago when WOKI flipped from it's failing 0.5 EARL style format to the 24 hr Scott Shannon "True Oldies Channel". Music Radio WLSQ was more of a 70's T-40 style format with some 60's and even early 80's Top 40 as well. They changed to Classic Rock two months ago, and boy if you read the posts on the East Tenn. board you will see how people really liked WLSQ and were upset that it went away only after 5 months of it's existance. Especially to a format that like country is all over the dial, Classic Rock. But if I had a shot at programing a Classic Top 40 format I would recreate the Top 40 style from the 60's & 70's, I'd use reverb on the air chain, order the vintage JAM/PAMS jingles, have heavy jock personality while still keeping the music flowing, not be afraid to go deep every now and then with the music, be out and about around town. Give aways, and other contests. Just make it a fun sounding station. When is the last time you could say terrestrial radio is FUN to listen to??? Even when Oldies 97.1 was on it played the same 200 songs over and over, the jocks weren't bad but the playlist was weak. I think a nostalgic angle could be refreshing. The boomers would have flashbacks and the younger generation that seems to like oldies, well it would be a new sounding presentation with a retro flavour to them. Alass I'm just a dreamer. Radio's major companies are run now by Wallstreet & stockholders and we all know Wallstreet doesn't like to take risks, it would be a risk for a major to try that. That's why an independant owner would be more likely to try a format like that because an independant owner has some room to take risks, they don't have consultants and corporate to tell them no. That's my take on what I'd like to do.