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When will 97.1 go back to Oldies?
- Thread starter GETALIFELOSERS
- Start date
Truly a guess, but I am thinking sports programming for 97.1. Something along the lines of Versus channel for radio. Vanderbilt has signed to 97.1. NASCAR is already there. If Predators also get Zone's schedule conflict games (but wasn't the Preds versus Vanderbilt broadcast priority original issue?) I could see MMA talk, NASCAR, maybe a return of the man who never met a cliche he didn't like: Darren McFarland.
On the other hand, sports talk would mean salaries. So a jump to oldies may not be so far fetched. All 80's all the time got old quickly for Star.
On the other hand, sports talk would mean salaries. So a jump to oldies may not be so far fetched. All 80's all the time got old quickly for Star.
courier37027 said:
I don't think it's a good idea to try to build a radio station using another station's discards. Ever since the Zone tightened up and added ESPN, they've been heading upward. Last book spotted them #6 overall, latest trends have them at #4 overall. When the Titans start playing again, they'll get an even bigger boost.
Unfortunately, this means KDF won't get its annual Titans boost. Best guess what KDF does to make up for it?
Personally, I think 97.1 plays better music than 105.9, 102.9, 100.1, and even Jack. However, 102.9 and 100.1 have a very loyal following and the rock has a flame-thrower signal (not that 97.1 is bad) and rock legacy, so it'll always be an uphill battle for rock on 97.1. I think 106.7 missed the mark by not going oldies, or hispanic, but I've gotta say I've been very surprised with how many people I've found listening to them over the river, despite numbers not showing it. That's another issue though. Too much oldies and people get wore out with repeats. Too much talk and well, it's just boring. Maybe we're on to something. Fill in the sports gap with oldies and the oldies gaps with sports. That's an interesting concept. Too bad it's waaay to risky and creative for Cumulus or Nashville radio. Doesn't Oldies 101.7 out of Columbia have the UT games? What's that saying..."Well, it's not like we have anything to lose."
the problem with "oldies"..(HATE THAT TERM)..is if they do..they will play the same old 300 songs over and over and over and over..but they won't go to that format..54 plus demo is a dead horse to hear the ad people say it..and no salespeople in nashville know how to sell it..because they're not old enough to know the music and how to approach prospective clients..meanwhile..i'll just sit out hear with my little internet station with a 4000 song play list, vintage spots and jingles and the 100 or so people that stumble through on sat and sun nights...a small but fermented crowd to be sure..but i play what i want..when i want..and nobody in a suit can tell me what to do...making money?? no..but sure having a better time than anyone in town that is..and the beer is always cold.. ;D
"I don't think it's a good idea to try to build a radio station using another station's discards. "
Umm correct me if I'm wrong but the Zone did just that. The Preds were on WWTN. Vandy was on WSM-AM Titans were on WKDF. ESPN was on WNFN. George,Willy, Darren were on WWTN. Kevin was on WSM. Mark was on WTVF and Frank was on the Titans.(haha) Oh and lets not forget Brent,he was on WLAC. Almost forgot Dan Patrick he was also on WNFN. All some other stations "discards"
Umm correct me if I'm wrong but the Zone did just that. The Preds were on WWTN. Vandy was on WSM-AM Titans were on WKDF. ESPN was on WNFN. George,Willy, Darren were on WWTN. Kevin was on WSM. Mark was on WTVF and Frank was on the Titans.(haha) Oh and lets not forget Brent,he was on WLAC. Almost forgot Dan Patrick he was also on WNFN. All some other stations "discards"
All the comments above are pretty good. You just have to remember it's never going to work right
on 97.1 NO MATTER WHAT Dudulus does. Cursed signal. I actually think it might save 97.1 as a rock
station to have these sports programs on. As for the music, it's much worse now than six months
ago. And yeah, 80's was a joke on that station because they played it to conservative. 50 songs,
most which were overplayed in the year they were released, killed any chance of success. Why
can't these clowns get two books behind them before they alter the music? I have never seen
anything like this in a market this size...(except 96K-O-S, CR, remember? Ladies at the lunch
counter want rock. No AC. No Beautiful Music.)
on 97.1 NO MATTER WHAT Dudulus does. Cursed signal. I actually think it might save 97.1 as a rock
station to have these sports programs on. As for the music, it's much worse now than six months
ago. And yeah, 80's was a joke on that station because they played it to conservative. 50 songs,
most which were overplayed in the year they were released, killed any chance of success. Why
can't these clowns get two books behind them before they alter the music? I have never seen
anything like this in a market this size...(except 96K-O-S, CR, remember? Ladies at the lunch
counter want rock. No AC. No Beautiful Music.)
Tibbs2 said:
I remember...trying to forget. started as "M-96"...then Bear Bradley screaming CHR "96 chaos"...then the next week AC/Oldies...
with The Flying Dutchman "we're kings of sound"...then just AC via reel-to-reel. I did a few weekends there in
the broom closet studios in Murfreesboro: had to hit AP news at the top...AP sports, too I think at :30 (been a long time)
while trying to backtime and playing tunes (in order) on four reel-to-reel machines. Ouch.
Big signal...no numbers...with good reason. And let's not forget Valentine on "MMMMMMMMMMMaaaaaaaaaaagic 96" ...
or the well-thought out "W-MIX" fiasco...or the successful 96KISS with Zippo et al.
I still have a box of the "Kings of Sound" license plates...complete with crown logo.
B
BobSacamano
Guest
"Oldies" is a "High maintainence" format; you need jingles, sweepers, contests, personalities etc to do it right, All those things cost money, And in todays current business landscape,...well you know..
The biggest problem is not the "jingles/contests/personalities" part with oldies.
The biggest problem is advertiser support.
I don't deny...a good, well programmed oldies station could be #1 these days in just about any market. But even with ratings like that, the over abundance of people over 55 the station would attract would blow off advertisers. I don't agree with it. I don't like it. But advertisers use means other than radio to reach the 55 plus audience.
These days a station could try the "WCBS-FM" style of "classic hits" which is basically 60's to the 80's, with a small touch of the early years music for "spice". It's working well for them (#2 6 plus last time I looked). But, it would take at least a good morning show, midday jock, and PM jocks...then you could syndicate Tom Kent at night, and robojock overnights. This lowers your demos to more 35-65, which can get you on some buys if you have a good 35-54 contingent.
As for jingles, if you're that cheap, you can barter them now...
The biggest problem is advertiser support.
I don't deny...a good, well programmed oldies station could be #1 these days in just about any market. But even with ratings like that, the over abundance of people over 55 the station would attract would blow off advertisers. I don't agree with it. I don't like it. But advertisers use means other than radio to reach the 55 plus audience.
These days a station could try the "WCBS-FM" style of "classic hits" which is basically 60's to the 80's, with a small touch of the early years music for "spice". It's working well for them (#2 6 plus last time I looked). But, it would take at least a good morning show, midday jock, and PM jocks...then you could syndicate Tom Kent at night, and robojock overnights. This lowers your demos to more 35-65, which can get you on some buys if you have a good 35-54 contingent.
As for jingles, if you're that cheap, you can barter them now...
D
Davy D
Guest
Tibbs2 said:
It's not the signal as much as much as the programming. They just don't know what to do. The 80's were working somewhat, but you're right about the same songs over and over again. And when the 80's expanded, the program director put Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide" in a country catagory, so a song that was scheduled to play, never played! You can imagine what the rest of the playlist looked like, and you heard what it sounded like. Could have been better, but there was no instinct. It was all research.
And don't worry about 106.7 not changing to Oldies - it will fiip again in 6 months. It always does.
I wouldn't worry too much about what 97.1 does. If you don't like it, just wait, and they will change to something else in six months, even if they don't promote it as such. (They have been 'RQQ through several incarnations over the past couple of years, after holding the "Star 97" moniker through several tweaks several years prior to that.) They may as well put sports on 97.1. Oh, wait, they already have. I wish they would go ahead and add Vols football as well (that is, if it has to be on an FM station in Nashville). 105.9, despite some well deserved criticism in the past, still does music better than 97.1 ever has.
Star 97, as some of you have said, didn't do the '80s as well as they could have. What they did was working fine when they only did it for five hours a week (Friday night '80s), but when they expanded it to an entire weekend, and then to a full week, I found myself wanting to hear some long-forgotten classics from the '80s. I remember asking them to add Julian Lennon. Instead of going deeper into the '80s well, they padded the playlist with stuff from as far back as 1975, and into the early to mid '90s as well. Instead of going deeper, they went wider.
And give 106.7 some credit. They at least kept the sports programming for a few years! :
Star 97, as some of you have said, didn't do the '80s as well as they could have. What they did was working fine when they only did it for five hours a week (Friday night '80s), but when they expanded it to an entire weekend, and then to a full week, I found myself wanting to hear some long-forgotten classics from the '80s. I remember asking them to add Julian Lennon. Instead of going deeper into the '80s well, they padded the playlist with stuff from as far back as 1975, and into the early to mid '90s as well. Instead of going deeper, they went wider.
And give 106.7 some credit. They at least kept the sports programming for a few years! :
The current problem with 97.1 is a problem unique to corporate radio — cluster glut. It's not that the cluster isn't able to program it correctly, they can't get maximize use out of it because of (a) the other formats in the cluster and (b) the formats of the other clusters in the market. The result is that they have too many frequencies in the cluster.
For instance, when you think about what could fit well at 97.1, you could think of country, but the cluster already has a county station. A classic R&B station would be good, but that could burt the cluster's adult-skewing urban station. There are a lot of talk shows not in the market, but a new talk station at 97.1 would cut into Supertalk. i106 could become i97 and get more attention with a better signal, but then it would lose the advantage of being next door to the River.
Another owner wouldn't have the same problem, depending on the owner. South Central might clone the X in Knoxville. Citadel could bring in one of their ABC formats. Cox may want a spot to bring Rick and Bubba back. An independent owner could program whatever they think would work in the market.
Whatever the case, it seems obvious to me the current owner may have at least one, and maybe two, too many frequencies in the cluster.
For instance, when you think about what could fit well at 97.1, you could think of country, but the cluster already has a county station. A classic R&B station would be good, but that could burt the cluster's adult-skewing urban station. There are a lot of talk shows not in the market, but a new talk station at 97.1 would cut into Supertalk. i106 could become i97 and get more attention with a better signal, but then it would lose the advantage of being next door to the River.
Another owner wouldn't have the same problem, depending on the owner. South Central might clone the X in Knoxville. Citadel could bring in one of their ABC formats. Cox may want a spot to bring Rick and Bubba back. An independent owner could program whatever they think would work in the market.
Whatever the case, it seems obvious to me the current owner may have at least one, and maybe two, too many frequencies in the cluster.
Firepoint, agreed. When Star went all 80's all the time it felt like new wave version of 105.9 playlist strategy: same 300 songs every day. Jack-FM will have an all-80's weekend every couple of months, which are essentially same Star songs. Adding some 80's college rock tunes here and there couldn't hurt.
When Jack started doing their all-'80s weekends, I thought that they should do it every weekend. But what you have suggested here (NOT doing it every weekend) makes sense.courier37027 said:
Yesterday, I heard them play "You Can Still Rock in America." I don't even particularly like that one, but it was great to hear it again. Hadn't heard that one in years! I don't even remember who sang it. Night Ranger?
("You Can Still) Rock in America" is Night Ranger. There you go, a less popular and less worn out tune than "Sister Christian".
There are plenty of 80's cheesy tunes and deep cuts to go around. I wish Jack would add Frank Zappa's "Valley Girl". Retro Lightning does a very good job with late 70's/early 80'stunes.
There are plenty of 80's cheesy tunes and deep cuts to go around. I wish Jack would add Frank Zappa's "Valley Girl". Retro Lightning does a very good job with late 70's/early 80'stunes.
I wish JACK would bring back retro AT-40 on Sunday mornings (or whenever). Apparently, that was just a one-shot deal. :'(
When I tune in 101.7 WKOM (which comes in like crap) I always hear a ton of
songs never heard on other local stations. A couple days ago in the car, I heard "You're So Vain", "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me"
even some late 70s disco classics (I was 16 around that time) and love hearing
those songs on the radio. WRQQ is at the bottom of the barrel with a 1.0 share right now.
No one (hardly anyone) is listening! It does not take a brain surgeon to realize that
if something does not work, try something else. Anything. A rhythmic AC, rhythmic oldies,
"true" oldies would get a lot more listeners.
songs never heard on other local stations. A couple days ago in the car, I heard "You're So Vain", "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me"
even some late 70s disco classics (I was 16 around that time) and love hearing
those songs on the radio. WRQQ is at the bottom of the barrel with a 1.0 share right now.
No one (hardly anyone) is listening! It does not take a brain surgeon to realize that
if something does not work, try something else. Anything. A rhythmic AC, rhythmic oldies,
"true" oldies would get a lot more listeners.
with a slight twist on the oldies subject and at a self imposed risk of shameless promotion..my show "chuck lundi's rock box does play all those and tons more 4000, tunes, vintage commercials, and jingles..but my point here is this weekend the Carl Perkins Center in gibson county is webcasting the first two hours of the show for their yearly fund raiser from 5 til 7 over the PA system there via laptop hookup..just wondering out loud is something like this a viable income producing alernative to remotes ?? pc into bigscreen..remote entertainment from another location..?? just curious on thoughts concerning this type of media event..granted there are inherent risks..bad internet, pc failure, power outages, and the very real possibility that on the other end..those in charge of sound don't under stand how to set up a PA properly..still..wondering if a buck could be made ?? :
C
Classicoldies
Guest
So my response to those who think the over 50 crowd is dead and not what the advertiser want is a insult and crap. Where do they think the young teenagers and kids out there get there money. From there parents who are over 50. So when the thinking that a oldies radio station won't make it because that's not the demographics they want to hit, is pure garbage. If Madison Avenue has that thinking let me tell you the baby boomers will rise again. After all look what Madison Avenue has done to our economy. A bunch of no it all's that no nothing. As our population grows older and I'm sure the new 2010 census will show ignoring the baby boomers will be a giant mistake. Yes I agree that not not every market will support a oldies station but I do believe Nashville area will. The radio rags are full of rock and rap and country. I do believe there is a fair market for all. But lets lay down our un-forward thinking and use our brains to realize that Nashville is a big enough market for all formats.
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