What Is The Definition Of A "Heritage" Radio Station

[Wthom100]

Hello All -

Thought I would ask - what is the common defintion of a "Heritage" radio station? And what stations today can truely be called "Heritage" stations?

I would think the definition would include consideration of such factors as:
- History of the station (role in the the development of radio history, etc.)
- Broadcast power - i.e. 50,000 watts - is the station consodered a regional station?
- Role in the community the station serves - do they serve the to the benefit of the public in their communities (with lots of live & local programming, etc.)
- How much live and local is included in the stations daily schedule (note: a lot of stations will get knocked-out of the box on this one)

Stations that I think today deserve to be truely labeled "Heritage " stations are: KGO, KFI, WBZ, WWL, and perhaps WCCO. Maybe WLS and WGN. I think 20 years ago there were many stations that would have been labeled "heritage" but many have likely fallen off the list

Stations that I believe do not deserve to be called "Heritage": WJR - Detroit (only because they are bascially now a repeator station for syndicated programming. WJR used to be "Heritage" because they have the history- but not anymore - even though they call themselves Heritage in advertising).

Just wondering what other people think. Seems like many stations today do not really serve the communities they broadcast in as much as they could.

 

[charlestondxman]

Well, I would consider several stations around the country as heritage, as I would add WLW, with their all-local programming, all live and local, and they serve the community well.

In the Carolinas, others that I consider heritage stations are WBT in Charlotte, with 16 hours of local programming a day, a great signal, carrying all of the Panthers games, news most of the time, and being one of the first stations in the Carolinas, they are definitely heritage. WPTF could also be considered heritage, with lots of history in the market, eight hours of local programming each weekday (plus a Sunday night oldies show and plenty of other shows on weekends), a great role in the community, and also being one of the first in the Carolinas.

There were several others that were considered heritage, but are no longer, like WVOC Columbia (used to be WIS, could be heard in every county of the state, now except for morning and afternoon drive, repeats syndication), WYRD Greenville (used to be WFBC, station of the Upstate), WBMQ Savannah (the great signal from Jacksonville to Wilmington, lots of local history as WKBX and WSAV, was basically CNN Headline News for a while, now has some local talk).

 

[radioman148]

Hello All -

Thought I would ask - what is the common defintion of a "Heritage" radio station? And what stations today can truely be called "Heritage" stations?

I would think the definition would include consideration of such factors as:
- History of the station (role in the the development of radio history, etc.)
- Broadcast power - i.e. 50,000 watts - is the station consodered a regional station?
- Role in the community the station serves - do they serve the to the benefit of the public in their communities (with lots of live & local programming, etc.)
- How much live and local is included in the stations daily schedule (note: a lot of stations will get knocked-out of the box on this one)

Stations that I think today deserve to be truely labeled "Heritage " stations are: KGO, KFI, WBZ, WWL, and perhaps WCCO. Maybe WLS and WGN. I think 20 years ago there were many stations that would have been labeled "heritage" but many have likely fallen off the list

Stations that I believe do not deserve to be called "Heritage": WJR - Detroit (only because they are bascially now a repeator station for syndicated programming. WJR used to be "Heritage" because they have the history- but not anymore - even though they call themselves Heritage in advertising).

Just wondering what other people think. Seems like many stations today do not really serve the communities they broadcast in as much as they could.

I think WBBM & WHO can be added to that list

 

[BRNout]

Any longtime station that's locally/nationally influential in it's format and/or has been around with its present identity could be considered "heritage" in my opinion. Examples that I can think of from the FM side (as AM is too easy) are: WRVQ Richmond (CHR), WDRC-FM Hartford (was CHR for years, now oldies and has been for years), WCBS-FM New York (for oldies), KIIS Los Angeles (CHR), WCCC Hartford (AOR), WPLR New Haven (AOR, now classic rock), WHJY Providence (AOR), WBCN Boston (AOR, but on shaky ground), WPGC Washington (CHR, now CHR/U), WLUP Chicago (AOR), WBLS New York (urban), WBLM Portland (AOR, now classic rock), KSOP Salt Lake City (Country), WSM Nashville (Country), KRTH Los Angeles (Oldies), and KLUC Las Vegas (CHR).

There are many, many others around the USA - but these are some that occurred to me. The rules aren't hard and fast and because of that, I would add KOMA-FM Oklahoma City to the list. Yes, the original CHR and awesome oldies powerhouse was on 1520. But they then simulcasted on 92.5 for a number of years before going FM only. A lot of the same jocks moved to FM, as did the calls and imaging. So, I would count KOMA-FM too.

I'm sure that most of us could name at least 1 heritage radio station for our market. Basically, it's the station that's always been there.

 

[radioman148]

>>I would add KOMA-FM Oklahoma City to the list. Yes, the original CHR and awesome oldies powerhouse was on 1520. But they then simulcasted on 92.5 for a number of years before going FM only. A lot of the same jocks moved to FM, as did the calls and imaging. So, I would count KOMA-FM too. >>

Based on that definition would you include WLS-FM in Chicago now that they are airing oldies and using the WLS jingles from the 70s & 80s? Plus they have Dick Biondi one of the original WLS DJs.

 

[Goat Rodeo Cowboy]

I guess Heritage, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Heritage may be whatever you choose to define as heritage.

If I get a mailer from a broker announcing a "heritage" station for sale,
..I expect that to mean that it has carried the same call letters through the years.
..I expect it to be honored and valued by it's community. (Heritage is primarily local?)

Most of the previous posts have focused on high powered stations.

If I go to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia or if I go to Hutchinson, KS or I go to the Finger Lakes area of New York, or the coast line of Washington State, I would fully accept some "graveyard" station (1230,1240,1340,1400,1450,1490) as meeting my criteria if it met what I listed above or came close.

 

[radioman148]

I guess Heritage, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Heritage may be whatever you choose to define as heritage.

If I get a mailer from a broker announcing a "heritage" station for sale,
..I expect that to mean that it has carried the same call letters through the years.
..I expect it to be honored and valued by it's community. (Heritage is primarily local?)

Most of the previous posts have focused on high powered stations.

If I go to the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia or if I go to Hutchinson, KS or I go to the Finger Lakes area of New York, or the coast line of Washington State, I would fully accept some "graveyard" station (1230,1240,1340,1400,1450,1490) as meeting my criteria if it met what I listed above or came close.

I would tend to agree with this definition.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

I would definitely add some heritage FMs to the list. For example, Dallas has had:

WRR - classical
KZEW - rock
KEGL - rock

Houston has or had:

KRBE - top 40
KLOL - rock

Same formats for decades, consistantly top of the ratings, influential and recognized outside of the area, special features such as local bands in studio, national artists in studio, station albums, etc.

 

[gr8oldies]

I wouldn't delete WJR from the list..they still have local mornings and originate teh afternoon talk show. Presumably also they do news and traffic. I don't feel, contary to [popular belief on boards like this, that syndicated programming disqualifies a station from being "heritage" in and of itself. If it has the most popular shows it has them for a reason. So, yes, I'd consider WOWO, despite its diminished power, heritage with its local morning and afternoon shows, local news and the most popular shows. Same with WHIO in Dayton, now simulcasing with FM and showing the best ratings in years.

Other format heritage stations might be WTUE in Dayton (AOR since 1975), WEBN in Cincinnati (AOR even longer..since the late 60s IIRC), WRIF in Detroit, and countless more.

If "the public" isn't interested in local politics, why the insistence that it be forced on them (as though you could with that pesky ability to change channels or turn it off)?

 

[radioman148]

I wouldn't delete WJR from the list..they still have local mornings and originate teh afternoon talk show. Presumably also they do news and traffic. I don't feel, contary to [popular belief on boards like this, that syndicated programming disqualifies a station from being "heritage" in and of itself. If it has the most popular shows it has them for a reason. So, yes, I'd consider WOWO, despite its diminished power, heritage with its local morning and afternoon shows, local news and the most popular shows. Same with WHIO in Dayton, now simulcasing with FM and showing the best ratings in years.

Other format heritage stations might be WTUE in Dayton (AOR since 1975), WEBN in Cincinnati (AOR even longer..since the late 60s IIRC), WRIF in Detroit, and countless more.

If "the public" isn't interested in local politics, why the insistence that it be forced on them (as though you could with that pesky ability to change channels or turn it off)?

I agree. WLS just because they carry a load of syndicated programming is still a heritage station in my mind.

 

[BRNout]

WLS-AM, definitely; WLS-FM is a little more complex. One could argue that they are carrying the torch of their former heritage AM top 40 signal. However, the 94.7 frequency spent an awful lot of time with various other formats and calls and hasn't been oldies for very long and was only recently granted a change of calls from WZZN.

Not quite like KOMA, where the AM and FM simulcasted for years and the format eventually transitioned to FM only. WLS-FM lacks that continuity.

However, it is certainly debatable as they remain connected with the AM signal that was the "original" top 40 powerhouse. And they are doing a fine job of recreating some of the spirit of the old WLS (to the extent that the consultants let them!).

WLUP is probably more of a heritage radio station - at least for AOR.

 

[radioman148]

WLS-AM, definitely; WLS-FM is a little more complex. One could argue that they are carrying the torch of their former heritage AM top 40 signal. However, the 94.7 frequency spent an awful lot of time with various other formats and calls and hasn't been oldies for very long and was only recently granted a change of calls from WZZN.

Not quite like KOMA, where the AM and FM simulcasted for years and the format eventually transitioned to FM only. WLS-FM lacks that continuity.

However, it is certainly debatable as they remain connected with the AM signal that was the "original" top 40 powerhouse. And they are doing a fine job of recreating some of the spirit of the old WLS (to the extent that the consultants let them!).

WLUP is probably more of a heritage radio station - at least for AOR.

I agree on both. I'm on the fence with WLS-FM. I give them credit for bringing in Dick Biondi who was an original WLS jock in 1960 and adopting many of the WLS jingles.
However, with all the changes over the years on that frequency it's hard to acknowledge WLS-FM as a heritage station.

 

[BobOnTheJob]

WIBC/Indianapolis belongs without question. The interesting angle is that the vast majority of their heritage was earned on 1070 AM, but they moved to FM on one of the cities best FM signals (which was previously known as WIBC-FM over 40 years ago). I guess the question becomes...Does Heritage survive a move from AM to FM? The product is quite similar, perhaps skewed a little younger, but to the untrained ear, it's the same animal. IMHO, it qualifies with room to spare.

 

[kd8hho]

WIBC/Indianapolis belongs without question. The interesting angle is that the vast majority of their heritage was earned on 1070 AM, but they moved to FM on one of the cities best FM signals (which was previously known as WIBC-FM over 40 years ago). I guess the question becomes...Does Heritage survive a move from AM to FM? The product is quite similar, perhaps skewed a little younger, but to the untrained ear, it's the same animal. IMHO, it qualifies with room to spare.

could toss in WFBQ in there also. they been rock for years.

 

[radioman148]

WIBC/Indianapolis belongs without question. The interesting angle is that the vast majority of their heritage was earned on 1070 AM, but they moved to FM on one of the cities best FM signals (which was previously known as WIBC-FM over 40 years ago). I guess the question becomes...Does Heritage survive a move from AM to FM? The product is quite similar, perhaps skewed a little younger, but to the untrained ear, it's the same animal. IMHO, it qualifies with room to spare.

I guess it depends on how each individual looks at it.

 

[compubit]

I've always thought a "Heritage" Station was one of the "original" stations owned by a broadcasting group - e.g., CBS Radio's Heritage stations would include WCBS-AM, WBBM-AM, KCBS-AM, KNX-AM, but wouldn't include WINS or KFWB (since they were Westinghouse Heritage Stations that folded into the CBS Radio group...).

Oh, well, guess I wasn't on the same path as everyone else on that one.

Jim

 

[radioman148]

I've always thought a "Heritage" Station was one of the "original" stations owned by a broadcasting group - e.g., CBS Radio's Heritage stations would include WCBS-AM, WBBM-AM, KCBS-AM, KNX-AM, but wouldn't include WINS or KFWB (since they were Westinghouse Heritage Stations that folded into the CBS Radio group...).

Oh, well, guess I wasn't on the same path as everyone else on that one.

Jim

I don't think your description is that far off.

 

[FreddyE1977]

a Heritage Radio Station would be something like KDKA in Pittsburgh, which so thoroughly dominated market share in the 40's, 50's and 60's, that a vast majority of local radio dials simply rusted in place from being left at 1020 for so long, and they remained that way for many years to come. At some point the station management quits trying to do any sort of programming that is interesting or original, as there is no need since every dial in town is already frozen to them. These stations slowly drift into oblivion when, as their News Director once told me, they begin losing ten listeners a day via the obituary column.

 

[radioman148]

a Heritage Radio Station would be something like KDKA in Pittsburgh, which so thoroughly dominated market share in the 40's, 50's and 60's, that a vast majority of local radio dials simply rusted in place from being left at 1020 for so long, and they remained that way for many years to come. At some point the station management quits trying to do any sort of programming that is interesting or original, as there is no need since every dial in town is already frozen to them. These stations slowly drift into oblivion when, as their News Director once told me, they begin losing ten listeners a day via the obituary column.

Sort of like what's happening to WGN right now.

 

[davideduardo]

Thought I would ask - what is the common defintion of a "Heritage" radio station? And what stations today can truely be called "Heritage" stations?

To me, a heritage station is one that has done whatever it is it does well for many years and is still successful at it.

The moment a station is no longer successful, any heritage it had is lost.

WLNG in Sag Harbor is a heritage station... just as relevant to the community now as ever.

KHJ in LA is not a heritage station... the call letters mean nothing if nearly nobody is listening and there is no tradition behind the programming. KHJ is just old, but has no heritage today, as it passes nothing on to tomorrow's listener.