If anyone still enjoys listening to oldies on AM radio, WHAT has altered their format of all time standards, with oldies from the 60' and 70's...Johnny Rivers, BJ Thomas, Helen Reddy...etc.
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WHAT tweaks their format
- Thread starter Super Jock
- Start date
Well, sounds like they are heading more to a MOR format, reminiscent of 610 and 950.
Not sure if this change was necessary however. They could have varied the song list more such as playing less Frank and Tony and adding songs to their other artists. Example, one great song they never played was Separate Tables by Vic Damone and Sunday in NY by Darin.
Maybe they will incorporate those songs as well as others.
Best of luck to them.
Regards.
Not sure if this change was necessary however. They could have varied the song list more such as playing less Frank and Tony and adding songs to their other artists. Example, one great song they never played was Separate Tables by Vic Damone and Sunday in NY by Darin.
Maybe they will incorporate those songs as well as others.
Best of luck to them.
Regards.
Super Jock said:
Upon further review and listen, I like the change. More upbeat songs while playing the classic standards as well. Not bad at all IMHO.
Regards.
Regards.
O
oasisrulz
Guest
Kudos to the fine folks at WHAT, I do not listen to the station that much being an old 58 year old Alternative/Metal person but I have to give them lots of credit for trying this format on a weak AM'er. I hope they soar... but with that signal who knows....would love to see them on a more powerful frequency...I thought 800 TMR and 900 URD, were up for sale months ago....not much better signals but better than 1340.
klutch00 said:
WTMR seems to get out pretty well at night--makes it to Trenton, not perfect but respectable. From the radio-locator.com maps it looks like it puts more signal into NJ than PA. If they'd had a fulltime license back in the '70s they probably would have lasted a lot longer as a music station.
WTMR is decent in Oreland at night but CKLW is right under them and takes over in their null. A 3rd tower could give them 1 kW at night. Present night signal isn't bad for 500 watts, though....
WURD gets kicked around badly at night by CHML in Ontario; their 105 watts at nignt is barely usable up here..I'd put the HAT for mat and calls on 800 and TMR on 1340.....
WURD gets kicked around badly at night by CHML in Ontario; their 105 watts at nignt is barely usable up here..I'd put the HAT for mat and calls on 800 and TMR on 1340.....
O
oasisrulz
Guest
You are all correct, WTMR has a great signal daytime and at night they are listenable in most sections, where-as WURD has a very good signal daytime, makes it to the shore in some spots, at night not bad going north. I think both signals are much better than what WHAT has now in the Metro area.....I know WTMR uses WKDN's 600+ tower as their second, they have the real thin one for their first, both are non painted and only WKDN has lights which are stobes. WURD has the new two stand alones next to Pacifico Ford on the bad curve of the Industrial Highway, the 3 tower array which was knocked down used to house WFLN. Where I am in South Philly both signals are fantastic day and night....Many people I know have said it many times, for what WURD claims to be reporting signal wise, they sure seem much stronger...
WHAT sounds great streaming from their website. Too bad this is not an FM station. I had it on during Bill Webber's show yesterday and today. It reminded me of WIP in the 1970s and WPEN's brief flirtation with MOR/AC in 2000-02. I heard the following songs:
1) Where is the Love-Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway
2) Theme from Midnight Cowboy-Ferrante and Teichler (I have this on my ipod, but haven't heard it on the radio in years-why isn't this song on WOGL?)
3) Baby I Need Your Lovin'-Johnny Rivers
4) Cats in the Cradle-Harry Chapin
5) Love Will Keep us Together-Capt. and Tennile
6) The Candy Man-Sammy Davis (the only clunker in the bunch)
7) Scarborough Fair-Simon and Garfunkel
It's definitely worth tuning in again.
1) Where is the Love-Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway
2) Theme from Midnight Cowboy-Ferrante and Teichler (I have this on my ipod, but haven't heard it on the radio in years-why isn't this song on WOGL?)
3) Baby I Need Your Lovin'-Johnny Rivers
4) Cats in the Cradle-Harry Chapin
5) Love Will Keep us Together-Capt. and Tennile
6) The Candy Man-Sammy Davis (the only clunker in the bunch)
7) Scarborough Fair-Simon and Garfunkel
It's definitely worth tuning in again.
Agreed, Rich. Dramatic improvement in their playlist. A fun station to listen to, not knowing what great song will be up next.
Now, if they could just get more live jock time.........
Regards.
Now, if they could just get more live jock time.........
Regards.
rich610 said:
rich610 said:
You know, that's an interesting point. Driving home from a soccer game yesterday, my dad made the comment how there was absolutely nothing to listen to on the radio, both AM & FM. Then on went the CD player. (We can't get WHAT at all in South Jersey).
Of course, I tried to explain how radio stations aren't in the business of trying to please him; what matters is what the advertisers want... and those advertisers aren't interested in reaching his generation. To quote Bruce Hornsby, that's just the way it is.
But I do have to wonder how a format such as WHAT's might do on FM or, at least, a more powerful AM signal. I can remember listening to the old WRDR on 104.9 and Jonathan P Casey's afternoon show on WSNJ-FM. I also remember going to restaurants and other businesses we heard advertised on those stations. So they can't say senior citizens over 55 don't spend any money.
It just seems that the people more apt to listen to the old-fashioned regular radio in the first place - those not technologically savvy to bother with iPods, HD radio, internet streams, etc - are the ones old-fashioned regular radio has turned its back on.
Otto,
I too see WHAT sounding a lot like WRDR. The music was great and had fantastic jocks like Gene Packard, aka Geno Packardo, Jean Picard...........or something similar in spelling, Andy Kortman, Tom Moran, and Ivory Blackwood.
It also had a distinct local sound and flavor to it, such as live Friday broadcasts with Geno playing Sinatra from the Smithville Inn, which we attended more than once. That certainly brought in revenue for the restaurant and surrounding businesses.
I am grateful that they stream as that is the only source that I use to listen.
Best regards.
I too see WHAT sounding a lot like WRDR. The music was great and had fantastic jocks like Gene Packard, aka Geno Packardo, Jean Picard...........or something similar in spelling, Andy Kortman, Tom Moran, and Ivory Blackwood.
It also had a distinct local sound and flavor to it, such as live Friday broadcasts with Geno playing Sinatra from the Smithville Inn, which we attended more than once. That certainly brought in revenue for the restaurant and surrounding businesses.
I am grateful that they stream as that is the only source that I use to listen.
Best regards.
(Before the moderators move this over to the Jersey board...)
Yes, Longstreet, I remember those jocks, as well as Bob Canavan in the morning and Dan Morrow on mid-day. Toward the end, Gene Packard had a Saturday night ballroom or bandstand show partnered with a female jock whose name I can't recall. (It wasn't Ivory). And Michael Tearson did a show early Sunday evenings.
"The Unforgettables" most definitely had a local flavor. I went to one of those "out & abouts" at the old Settlers Inn in Medford Lakes. It was either a home show or health fair and all the jocks were there. Remember Ivory's "Who's been barbecuing on my car" commercial for a local auto detailer?
I don't know when that format started on WRDR, but from time to time, they had some good features over the years. One I remember from the '80s was where the announcer would say something like, "The Winter of 1946," then reported the big news stories from that period and followed it by playing a hit song of the time. For holidays they ran the "Easter in the Air" and "Customs of Christmas" series. And in the late '90s they even brought back the old Chickenman serials. Going way back to the '70s, we used to listen to their South Jersey high school football scoreboard every Saturday at 5:30.
The thing I liked was hearing the completely unexpected oldies you would never ever hear anywhere else... "Morgen" by Ivo Robic, "Born To Be With You" by the Chordettes, "Morningtown Ride" by the Seekers, and these rather snappy numbers - "Calypso Melody" by David Rose, and "Baubles Bangles & Beads" by the Kirby Stone Four.
I think WRDR had pretty good ratings, too. So naturally, the format needed to be changed when the station was sold 10 years ago. Yet another example of radio's "if it ain't broke, we'll fix it anyway" philosophy.
Yes, Longstreet, I remember those jocks, as well as Bob Canavan in the morning and Dan Morrow on mid-day. Toward the end, Gene Packard had a Saturday night ballroom or bandstand show partnered with a female jock whose name I can't recall. (It wasn't Ivory). And Michael Tearson did a show early Sunday evenings.
"The Unforgettables" most definitely had a local flavor. I went to one of those "out & abouts" at the old Settlers Inn in Medford Lakes. It was either a home show or health fair and all the jocks were there. Remember Ivory's "Who's been barbecuing on my car" commercial for a local auto detailer?
I don't know when that format started on WRDR, but from time to time, they had some good features over the years. One I remember from the '80s was where the announcer would say something like, "The Winter of 1946," then reported the big news stories from that period and followed it by playing a hit song of the time. For holidays they ran the "Easter in the Air" and "Customs of Christmas" series. And in the late '90s they even brought back the old Chickenman serials. Going way back to the '70s, we used to listen to their South Jersey high school football scoreboard every Saturday at 5:30.
The thing I liked was hearing the completely unexpected oldies you would never ever hear anywhere else... "Morgen" by Ivo Robic, "Born To Be With You" by the Chordettes, "Morningtown Ride" by the Seekers, and these rather snappy numbers - "Calypso Melody" by David Rose, and "Baubles Bangles & Beads" by the Kirby Stone Four.
I think WRDR had pretty good ratings, too. So naturally, the format needed to be changed when the station was sold 10 years ago. Yet another example of radio's "if it ain't broke, we'll fix it anyway" philosophy.
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