What's Happening With WHLI's Listeners?

[jfrancispastirchak]

"Mixing" Doris Day with Donnie & Marie can sweeten-up a format by broadening it's playlist, while presumably boosting it's listener base as well. Actually, WHLI tested these waters much sooner than you think. In the late 60's & early 70's, WHLI played BJ Thomas' "Raindrops" in between Jack Jones and Peggy Lee numbers. Petula Clark was getting airplay too, and so was Glen Campbell. The old WHN (NYC, pre-WFAN) and WVNJ (New Jersey) were mixing too.

Here in the west, Denver's version of WHLI is KEZW. "EZ" captivates it's small but loyal audience with a spicey mix of memories from the '50's to the 90's.

I am no longer in this business, but my take is that, for whatever reason, the musical interests of today's radio listeners are broader than before. In the more mature formats, like what we once called Easy Listening, the paramaters of taste are not as tight as they once were. None of this speculation serves to explain WHLI's situation. Then again, WHLI's headcount slip might only be temporary. Check their numbers again in the Spring.

 

[klutch00]

Well, Kevin, with all due respect to you, we will agree to disagree. To me it's like mixing in hip hop tunes on CBS FM, the split format is annoying because they are mixing in some pretty crappy music with some great American Standards. One exudes a certain the class, the other a certain simplicity. Whatever...the "sounds" don't mix well to my ear and I listen to all kinds of music and all kinds of radio stations. I supposed you could argue there is no other place to go for the music of the 50's and 60's and early 70's even, and that is true, but I don't think WHLI's pitch should be to Octogenarians, however the format should be consistent, so it'd be OK to mix in Harry Connick, Jr., Norah Jones, some Barry Manilow (check out the Swing Album) Manhattan Transfer, Diana Krall, John Pizzarelli, Micheal Buble, even Rod Stewart and Linda Ronstadt who recorded great interpretations of the great American songbook and who are modern artists, along with Ella, Sinatra, Bennett, et al...That would be a consistent mix...I'd even mix in some great jazz, like Brubeck, Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell, Thad Lewis, etc..which would also be consistent and I'd throw in some swing..Goodman, Miller, Dorsey etc... I would pitch this to a younger generation that does not just listen to Hip Hop and Rock. Many are educated in this type of music, and like all music there is a time and place for it in the diet. As to fans of 50-s and 60-s...I don't have an answer other than there should be a radio station for that. 740 would have been perfect, but Dr. Yoon was only interested in leasing it out--to anyone. 540 would also be a good signal for it...but again the owner just wanted to lease it. And 1240 would be good. They do have Mickie B on Friday nights. But the owner is more interested on only airing Chinese during the daytime hours when the signal is strong. That leaves Sirius XM.

I think you're onto something here.

Something I have suggested repeatedly is that standards and maybe even MOR stations might want to do for an income source is to hold concerts and/or dances which could feature a live big band. For a dance, having a dance instructor to hold lessons beforehand would be great. Another suggestion might be to sponsor an antique car show.