Why is classic hits less popular in the southeast?

[carolinaradio]

Most markets outside of the south have some form of classic hits station, especially since the format's late 2000s revival. However, the south seems to have missed it. These are some notable markets in the southeast that lack classic hits:

Greensboro/Winston-Salem, NC
Atlanta, GA (got around a 3 share 6+ last book, flipped to News)
Augusta, GA
Greenville/Spartanburg, SC
Charleston, SC
Charlotte-Gastonia-Rock Hill, NC
Nashville, TN (sold to EMF Jul '12)
Little Rock, AR
Oklahoma City, OK
New Orleans, LA
Houston, TX
Jacksonville, FL (oldies did well in PPM from Aug '10-Apr '12, 4-5 share 6+, flipped to rock leaning Jack FM in April '12)
Birmingham, AL
Pensacola, FL - Mobile, AL
Tallahassee, FL (had oldies until April '12 - good ratings, dropped for no reason for a weird AAA)

These markets in the southeast have the format:

Raleigh, NC
Virginia Beach, VA
Richmond, VA
Orlando, FL
Tampa-St. Petersburg, FL
Miami, FL
Columbia, SC
Myrtle Beach, SC
Greenville-New Bern, NC
Memphis, TN
Chattanooga, TN
Lexington, KY
Savannah, GA/Hilton Head, SC
Huntsville, AL
Montgomery, AL
Dallas, TX
Austin, TX
San Antonio, TX
All coastal FL markets

Is there any demographical pattern here? Most ALL of the markets in the first list had "oldies" stations (most doing well) until the mid-2000s, when the format started to struggle nationwide. However, the format seems to have held up better in the northeast/midwest/west, and in markets where it went away in those regions, it returned in - especially those with PPM. How come the south seems to have embraced the 50s/60s/70s oldies format in the 90s-mid 00s, but has missed out on the late 60s/70s/80s evolved "classic hits" format? Especially in PPM markets, which favor classic hits? It seems like it would do well in markets like Charlotte, Houston, Charleston, and Greensboro/WS. I know I would love to have classic hits here in Greenville, SC.

Classic Hits isn't the only format that has struggles in the southeast; many don't have Hot AC, either.

 

[firepoint525]

Nashville, TN (sold to EMF Jul '12)

Rejection of the station, not the format. 97.1 constantly tweaked, constantly flipped, treated many of their main artists like de facto "one-hit wonders," played the SAME song as many as FOUR times in a row, and started the day with Bob & Tom. :

Our hot AC (when we had one) was on a historically weak signal, and the sports station that occupies that frequency now is also fielding complaints that their signal "is not strong enough" to cover the entire city. But I suppose that that is what you get when your frequency is a "move-in." (I should point out that our mainstream AC got "hotter" when we lost our hot AC, and they are still consistently #1 in the ratings.)

 

[carolinaradio]

Nashville, TN (sold to EMF Jul '12)

Rejection of the station, not the format. 97.1 constantly tweaked, constantly flipped, treated many of their main artists like de facto "one-hit wonders," played the SAME song as many as FOUR times in a row, and started the day with Bob & Tom. :

I remember back in 2005 when WMAK flipped, Cumulus literally threw "Oldies 97.1" together overnight. It lasted a while, then they went in to that "Classic Hits 97.1" classic rock sound, then the horrible "97.1 The Tower", "97-1 RQQ", then finally back to "Classic Hits 97.1 RQQ."

The station would have been much better off if they would have just stayed oldies and "evolved" in to classic hits (the mainstream pop kind like they were doing towards the end). That was before PPM, though. Given all of their flaws towards the end, I think the station was doing pretty decently.

 

[PirateJohnny]

I believe there is an audience. The failure is in presentation and management.

 

[BIGSTICK]

I believe there is an audience. The failure is in presentation and management.

You hit it right on the head.....

 

[firepoint525]

Nashville, TN (sold to EMF Jul '12)

Rejection of the station, not the format. 97.1 constantly tweaked, constantly flipped, treated many of their main artists like de facto "one-hit wonders," played the SAME song as many as FOUR times in a row, and started the day with Bob & Tom. :

I remember back in 2005 when WMAK flipped, Cumulus literally threw "Oldies 97.1" together overnight. It lasted a while, then they went in to that "Classic Hits 97.1" classic rock sound, then the horrible "97.1 The Tower", "97-1 RQQ", then finally back to "Classic Hits 97.1 RQQ."
The station would have been much better off if they would have just stayed oldies and "evolved" in to classic hits (the mainstream pop kind like they were doing towards the end). That was before PPM, though. Given all of their flaws towards the end, I think the station was doing pretty decently.

The irony there is that they nearly came full circle. As "Star 97" (which was still their best-ever name, by the way), they had been a primarily '80s station, back in the early 2000s. In their final incarnation (at least under those god-awful 'RQQ call letters, and Cumulus ownership) as "classic hits 97-1 'RQQ," they had added a lot of '80s, including even late '80s, back into their rotation.