What ever happened to AC

[jdweaver]

From the look of the sub-2 share AC stations in Seattle (KPLZ & KLSY), we are following the trend in other markets. Lite AC - which is really a recurrent/oldies format - is now the AC leader and every other AC variation (except URBAN in some markets, not here for sure) is dying.

Heritage AC stations - WSB-FM Atlanta, KVIL Dallas, and KKCW Portland have all gone soft in the playlist and succeeded greatly.

SO the question is - what killed the involved, hi-personality AC format we all knew so well in the 80s and the better part of the 90s?? Love to hear your opinions on this...

 

[asdf5]

You're right to point that out. Here's some of my ideas on the issue....but it is a complicated issue so these only address a few of the issues at hand.

1. It's harder to program. I know I was hard on KLSY in the below thread, but it is very hard to hit young adult female demos, which is what I consider Hot AC. Women's tastes and moods are very trendy and constantly changing. They tend to move in flocks and are hard to predict. Where as a guy listens to the same stuff his whole life. Like for example, whatever a guy listens to between the ages of 18-23, he is probably going to be listening to the same stuff when he is 35. He may change a bit in between but he will come home to the same old stuff. Some people say males like the rthyms of music where as women enjoy the memory of the music, the message, etc..(yea it's annoying, but women actualy have standards and stuff, and all that deep stuff...(crap!))

2. The digital conversion and emergence of media conglomerates due to the 1996 FCC act has caused problems. The birth of ridiculously huge media conglomerates has downsized the industry. This is inconjunction with the emergance of digital servers replacing carts has created a bias towards short, speed breaks that aren't creative. it's opened the flood gates for low caliber, lazy people.

This means,in my opinion, the pool of air-talent has gone down. A lot of young people are getting weeded out early on due to automation. I mean where can an 18-23 y.o. get an overnight live air-shift these days to get their skills up?? There really isn't the opportuntiies that there was in the 80s. I think it's starting to catch up to the industry. So how does the industry deal with it? They make matters worse by making up for the lack of talent in smaller markets by voice tracking middays, afternoons, and nights with bigger market jocks. So now, young people can't even get jobs in smaller markets. Young people just aren't developing like they use to and SMART young people are getting frustrated and taking their creative talents to do other jobs like web design and independent film which is booming right now.

3. Regardless, there is one true personality driven high Energy station that I know about. Listen to WTMX Chicago online at wtmx.com They are very good at what they do. I think they won the station of the year either last year or the year before. They are the one other Hot AC stations struggling ot find their niche should turn their eyes too. I know for a fact that they design the station with a single 28 y.o. female in mind. That comes through on their website, promotions, on-air talent, etc... That's the way programming needs to be done, especially in bigger markets, you gotta work backwards. You have to ask the question first, who are we trying to reach? Then, you have to draw a battle plan to reach them and execute the plan. That is what WTMX does.




> From the look of the sub-2 share AC stations in Seattle
> (KPLZ & KLSY), we are following the trend in other markets.
> Lite AC - which is really a recurrent/oldies format - is now
> the AC leader and every other AC variation (except URBAN in
> some markets, not here for sure) is dying.
>
> Heritage AC stations - WSB-FM Atlanta, KVIL Dallas, and KKCW
> Portland have all gone soft in the playlist and succeeded
> greatly.
>
> SO the question is - what killed the involved,
> hi-personality AC format we all knew so well in the 80s and
> the better part of the 90s?? Love to hear your opinions on
> this...
>

 

[bushwickbill]

WTMX in Chicago is off 30% from last year dude. They
pulled a 2.4 and are the only game in format in CHicago. Bad example.
HOT-AC and Bright AC are dead. KPLZ and KLSY are pounding
each other into a grave. The reason is simple, the music
is dull. These dying stations still make bunches of money,
but for how long?

 

[asdf5]

interesting...I probably should have done my homework. I haven't been in Chicago for a couple years and they sounded okay when I listened online last week. (lol) Their still better than the local examples though.

> WTMX in Chicago is off 30% from last year dude. They
> pulled a 2.4 and are the only game in format in CHicago.
> Bad example.
> HOT-AC and Bright AC are dead. KPLZ and KLSY are pounding
> each other into a grave. The reason is simple, the music
> is dull. These dying stations still make bunches of money,
> but for how long?
>

 

[asap]

> > WTMX in Chicago is off 30% from last year dude. They
> > pulled a 2.4 and are the only game in format in CHicago.

Quoting those 12+ numbers is ridiculous. WTMX has huge female
18-49 and 25-54 numbers in Chicago.

Top 5 biller in the market.

"the only game in town"!!?? So, there's only one station in Chicago
going for women 18-54?

Your post has no credibility.

 

[TheOriginalLarry]

> From the look of the sub-2 share AC stations in Seattle
> (KPLZ & KLSY), we are following the trend in other markets.
> Lite AC - which is really a recurrent/oldies format - is now
> the AC leader and every other AC variation (except URBAN in
> some markets, not here for sure) is dying.
>
> Heritage AC stations - WSB-FM Atlanta, KVIL Dallas, and KKCW
> Portland have all gone soft in the playlist and succeeded
> greatly.
>
> SO the question is - what killed the involved,
> hi-personality AC format we all knew so well in the 80s and
> the better part of the 90s?? Love to hear your opinions on
> this...

Telecom '96. Corporate greed, fewer owners meaning fewer owners really working to craft great radio. It's a cookie cutter business unfortunately where things are measured in numbers, but the radio will rise again. What we need are LEADERS today. We used to have them. Not departments and divisions.....
>
<P ID="signature">______________
"If I were in this business only for the business, I wouldn't be in this business." Samuel Goldwyn

[email protected]


</P>

 

[djdan]

You are both correct. WTMX is off 30% pretty much
across the board from a year ago and do not face direct
HOT/AC competition in Chicago. There is a difference
between facing other formats and a direct attack.

It is also correct to say the WTMX is the number 6
biller in Chicago and is top five in women 25-54.
KPLZ is the number 6 biller in Seattle and top three
in 25-54 women so both stations are very similar. KLSY
also does well in women 25-54, but has been challenged
recently. 12+ means nothing.

It is incorrect to say that AC is in trouble. Soft AC
is doing very well across the country and so does Urban
AC. Hot-AC is facing difficult times in several markets
and Seattle just happens to have two.

 

[Jay_F]

> From the look of the sub-2 share AC stations in Seattle
> (KPLZ & KLSY), we are following the trend in other markets.
> Lite AC - which is really a recurrent/oldies format - is now
> the AC leader and every other AC variation (except URBAN in
> some markets, not here for sure) is dying.
>
> Heritage AC stations - WSB-FM Atlanta, KVIL Dallas, and KKCW
> Portland have all gone soft in the playlist and succeeded
> greatly.
>
> SO the question is - what killed the involved,
> hi-personality AC format we all knew so well in the 80s and
> the better part of the 90s?? Love to hear your opinions on
> this...
>


I have noticed this trend for at least 15 years, although it seems to be getting more extreme now. IMO, Soft AC stands for something. It serves a purpose. It has a position and niche in the marketplace.

Hot ACs started getting in trouble years ago when they used liners such as "Not too hard, not too soft, no rap, no heavy metal, and no sleepy elevator music". Of course that failed, they positioned themselves by saying what they weren't instead of what they were.

A lot of the music on Hot AC sounds stale and sounds alike. The good news for the format is that it has one of the highest power ratios (high billing for low ratings). No matter how much the format declines,the remaining listeners are in such advertising desired demos that the format bills well.

 

[NwzAir]

'AC' meaning 'Adult Contemporary' Still?

DO the letters really 'stand-out' for this format anymore? I mean, 'cmon!

'AC' stood for "Adult Contemporary' for radio back in the 50's/60's:
-Frank Sinatra
-Tony Bennett
-Perry Como
-Al Hirt
-Sandpipers
-Letterman
ETC
**like AM 880 KIXI is today**
(No FOLK, SOUL (?) or any other format 'crossovers')
===================================================
In the 70's:
-Gordon Lightfoot
-Neil Diamond
(some SOUL/COUNTRY crossovers that FIT the format)
-Anne Murray
-Diana Ross
ETC
===================================================
80's and 90's:
-Made it obscure and labeled it "HOT"...

What's condsidered "contemporary" NOW in 2006?
..just turn on the TV to the MTV or BET channels...

Were we born at the right time or WHAT?

 

[TheOriginalLarry]

Re: 'AC' meaning 'Adult Contemporary' Still?

> DO the letters really 'stand-out' for this format anymore?
> I mean, 'cmon!

No. It just stands for "Air Conditioning". Light, breezy, hint of potpurri - you know....

The AC at KLSY must be broken. I heard "Blurry" Puddle of Mudd on KLSY the other night...ON KLSY!!

I KNOW thrash metal can't be too far off at this rate. After all, we used to joke 20 years ago that the heavy metal hair hits of the '80s would one day become AC fodder. How right we were....
<P ID="signature">______________
"If I were in this business only for the business, I wouldn't be in this business." Samuel Goldwyn

[email protected]


</P>

 

[semoochie]

Re: 'AC' meaning 'Adult Contemporary' Still?

> DO the letters really 'stand-out' for this format anymore?
> I mean, 'cmon!
>
> 'AC' stood for "Adult Contemporary' for radio back in the
> 50's/60's:
> -Frank Sinatra
> -Tony Bennett
> -Perry Como
> -Al Hirt
> -Sandpipers
> -Letterman
> ETC
> **like AM 880 KIXI is today**
> (No FOLK, SOUL (?) or any other format 'crossovers')
> ===================================================
> In the 70's:
> -Gordon Lightfoot
> -Neil Diamond
> (some SOUL/COUNTRY crossovers that FIT the format)
> -Anne Murray
> -Diana Ross
> ETC
> ===================================================
> 80's and 90's:
> -Made it obscure and labeled it "HOT"...
>
> What's condsidered "contemporary" NOW in 2006?
> ..just turn on the TV to the MTV or BET channels...
>
> Were we born at the right time or WHAT?
>
I never heard of "AC" or "Adult Contemporary" until the 70s. Before that, the same format was called "Progressive MOR", which evolved from "Middle of the Road".