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What will it take to get a radio format of true oldies back in Seattle radio?

F

fordranger797

I know that I will probably never live to see the day, however a guy can dream. I used to listen to KBSG 97.3 growing up, which catered to 50's and 60's oldies. Yes, I do realize in hindsight that the KBSG playlist was limited, and yes, I do realize KBSG rarely played any "forgotten" tracks. That being said, I still would love to have a commercial media source (other then some badly put together satellite radio station) which plays the true oldies.

Its too bad all of these commercial radio conglomerates think that oldies only appeal to people over the age of fifty. I personally am eighteen years old and can name a ton of people my age who love oldies, and would definitely be tuning into a station like that in the Puget Sound.

Who knows? Maybe when the Seahawks season is over, KIRO's ratings will tank again and a new format could be considered on Seattle's first Tiger Mountain signal. I know I for one am sick and tired of driving around listening to my girlfriends favourite station, a terrible 'country' music station
 
I am in the same boat. I a bit older, I moved here in '88 and listened to Gene Autry's Company owned KVI. A decent, if not a bit better oldies station on AM when I was growing up as a kid. KBSG going to FM and improved sound and yes I agree playlist was limited, but was the only oldies format after a while (not sure when KIXI came around). It seems that KMCQ is trying to plug more oldies in its playlist, but still more like KJR FM then anything else. Let's see some more oldies on the airwaves around here. There are more than the baby boomers listening to this music.
 
Wanna know what it will take? A time machine to go back to 1990. And even then the core demo was high - 35-44.

Mark my words: Oldies radio is DEAD. Literally and figuratively. Load up an iPod and go.
 
I'll give you heads' up on expectations (since I worked for many of the oldies stations in town I saw this first hand)...the stations usually start with a deep library and lots of fun. They end up craving large share so drop all the depth and go for the core, well-tested songs and repeat the hell out of them. It's only when the commercial interest is gone that the stations are actually a lot of fun ... which was the case when KMCQ had the "filler" format running. When they had financial folks looking over the shoulder, the pro-talent was brought in, the library shrank...and the fun left the air about the time the liners began which tell us how much "fun" we are having! You are better off doing the I-Pod, Internet oldies, or even picking up KRTH or WCBS. Even the "fun" online formats that have depth tend to dwindle when the deep pockets supporting them dry up...though KISN resurrection in Portland (was the URL goodguyradio.com?) still is interesting (though talent recorded generic liners so don't listen for jock interaction).
 
What will it take? A desktop computer, tablet or smartphone. Then download TuneIn, IHeartRadio, Radio.com and Live365 and choose from among hundreds of Oldies Internet radio stations.
Or there's always 106.9-2 or 95.7-1.
 
At the point in my life I am at right now, I am more into current music than anything else, only a couple years older than the op. I agree, KBSG was a great station. I'm sure you could find airchecks of them if you really wanted. I do agree though, that Seattle does need a station like WCBS or KRTH.
 
I cannot say I think WCBS or KRTH are all that great. I tried listening to WCBS before, but did not find it to be worth the effort as they barely played any music from the 1960's. That being said, if that station was here in Seattle, I would for sure make it my number one preset anyway. Ideally they would actually play some 50's hits and 60's motown, but it would be a station I could live with.

I really do not understand why KJR and KMCQ have the listenership that they already do. I can admit, its maybe fun to listen for a day, but beyond that, you have a radio station playing the same boring 1970's pop songs over and over again. It would be so much better if they elected to expand atleast 40% of their playlist to 60's songs, and perhaps a few select 1950's songs.
 
fordranger797 said:
I really do not understand why KJR and KMCQ have the listenership that they already do.
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Simple. It's because their listeners WANT to hear the same 200 songs over and over. They want what's familiar, not what's obscure.

The only ones who are pining for more variety are those on this board (and maybe a few others). Stations program for the BROADEST audience - and it's been proven over and over again that the tighter the playlist, the higher the ratings are.
 
....and that's EXACTLY the problem with why the format is dead. EVERYTHING is hyper-researched and consulted. Sure, you need familiar songs, but from time to time, why not play an obscure tune a few times an hour. Gives a listener that feeling of, "damn, I haven't heard this song in awhile." and makes a station more unique; also creating a positioning statement of "songs you're familiar with, and ones you haven't heard in awhile."
 
Mike Brewer said:
Simple. It's because their listeners WANT to hear the same 200 songs over and over. They want what's familiar, not what's obscure.

The only ones who are pining for more variety are those on this board (and maybe a few others). Stations program for the BROADEST audience - and it's been proven over and over again that the tighter the playlist, the higher the ratings are.
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.....and the quicker the burnout.

It wasn't much "fun" listening to KBSG during most of their run. It was audio wallpaper. If you grew up in the '60s (and this was one complaint I've heard over and over from boomers about KBSG), you remember a few more than the same 200 songs over and over. The only reason they listened to 97.3 back then was there was nothing else for them to listen to on the radio in the '90s/2000s. Web radio wasn't portable and too confusing and satellite radio was just too bizarre - PAYING for RADIO?. Now with mobile streaming ready car radios and the programming of terrestrial stations getting narrower, that tide is turning.

So perhaps now the only real choice for serious oldies fans is streaming. Either the web-only jukebox channels or some station out in wherever that streams online. And a few of those small town local oldies stations are still live and locally programmed. Some of the young jocks aren't exactly ready for the big leagues, but more power to 'em. I'd sooner put up with hems and haws and "uuuuuhs" and bumbled PSAs and weather reads than another slick-but-stupid sounding canned liner telling me how much fun I'm allegedly having.
 
Thanks for the info Bongwater, I know KBSG was not close to perfect. However, in hindsight it was actually a lot better then any other choice I could think of.

I have tried listening to the satellite radio stations, the pandora, the live 365, and I cannot stand any of them! I know its strange coming from a kid, but listening to oldies on terrestrial radio, or on the vinyl it was cut on is really the only way to really enjoy the music. I remember growing up and hearing the songs on KBSG 97.3 or CISL 650, where it truly felt like I knew the person behind the mic.

I just get disgusted thinking about the public airwaves being wasted on some of the stations available today. Most notably, the god awful country stations (or as you put it Bongwater, radio for the soccer moms).
 
Better yet, what is it going to take to get a true AOR station in this market? KZOK is "Classic Oldies Rock." They never play anything from the late 70's, 80's or 90's. KISW is too metal, all the time.
 
I didn't even know AOR still existed. I thought the camps divided in the '80s between the headbangers and old rockers. There didn't seem to be much middle ground between them.
 
fordranger797 said:
I just get disgusted thinking about the public airwaves being wasted on some of the stations available today.
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My young friend - a nice romantic sentiment, but in reality there hasn't been "public airwaves" since well before you were born. Actually, before many of us were born.

The closest thing to "public airwaves" is anything between 88 and 92 MHz. And even those are more commercial than "public".
 
This has been cussed and discussed in numerous threads in Radiodiscussions. Most are in the 60s/70s/80s section. Surveys have shown time and time again that if there are two competing oldies stations playing basically the same songs, the one that has the smaller playlist, playing only the most liked songs (now, not back then) will attract and keep more listeners than the station that plays the "deep cuts". And those listeners attract advertisers who pay the paychecks and utility bills.
 
I think any oldies station, no matter how narrow the playlist would be well received in the Seattle market. The reality, there is a very large demographic of people who want to hear oldies on the radio, as it can be enjoyed by older AND younger people. Perhaps one day we will see a station like WCBS or KRTH (at the very least) spring up. How many stations can we possibly have that play the same junk? My radio dial is a bit like my household thermostat. Hot, Warm, now all we need is "Cold FM".

If I ever won the lotto or made an abundance of money, I would love to buy off a station such as KIRO 710, KOMO 1000, KJR 950, or KFNQ 1090, completely reform the station into an oldies format, covert the station to AM stereo, and see what happens in the market ;) :D
 
e-dawg said:
Tell the baby boomers generation to find the fountain of youth to the advertising agencies.
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I don't know where the agencies get that "young people have more disposable income" figure. Snotty teenagers who get an allowance from rich parents? Is this who radio is trying to cater to today? Please......

Overall, younger people these days make my generation at their age look like billionaires. College grads are still struggling to find ANY entry level postition. Some work two jobs to merely make ends meet and many can't even afford to leave home, period. I shudder to think what it will look like for my kids a few short years from now

And their PARENTS may have a little more. But they're in no spending mood either. We have retirement to think about (or at least we HOPE for one......)
 
You seem to have missed the extensive discussions about how the major advertisers aren't interested in reaching people over 55 by radio, despite the fact that they have "more disposable income" because it takes more money to reach them than can be made on the sale. It is not the radio stations nor the ad agencies, pulling the purse strings. It costs less to reach a young person than an older one. That's only three lines, David and Michael. How did I do?
 
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