WILL MOVIN' 107 FLIP FORMATS? AND TO WHAT?

[BRH]

It truly amazes me how this format was put together. If Alan Burns was a new 25-year-old "I'm-so-cool-and-I-can-fix-it" consultant, (God forbid we need another one), then I would understand this massive blunder a bit more. But he's not. He's been around a long time and he should have known better. His general idea was right on track. There has been a HUGE hole for the audience left stranded after Jammin' Oldies bit the dust. Burns should have had the smarts to take the heart of that format, rip out the tired oldies that KLUV and all the other ultra-repetitive oldie stations play, and NAIL IT. It could have been the hottest format to hit terrestial radio in years. He could have OWNED the 25-54 female demo along with all the 40-year-old guys who would take the radio knob while he had "You Dropped A Bomb On Me" by the Gap Band pounding through the speakers in his BMW and rip it off the Bose Sound System. They were TIRED of the ridiculously boring Lite 103.7. They wanted to crank something up besides Stevie Ray Vaughn. But Burns was thinking "younger." In other words, the great over-paid consultant wasn't thinking. The advertising dollars were NOT at the low end of this demo. There were MILLIONS of dollars in advertising just sitting there waiting for someone with at least half the brain matter of Barney Fife to cash in, look like a savior to many already-faltering radio stations, PLUS give ADULTS (not 25-year-olds who THINK they are an adult. Hell, they're so in debt with credit cards and trying to impress the world that they have to use a debit card to buy a Hershey bar), the music that really mattered. Burns had a least 1,000 red-hot, instantly recognizable, already tried and true smash hits at his disposable. All he had to do was play them in a reasonable rotation and keep the "wow factor" alive, but he blew it because he was more interested in a mid-20's woman than a 38 or 44-year old woman who can actually AFFORD what was being advertised on the Movin format. Even Rick Dees himself couldn't put this format on the hot map. He has to be sitting there going "what the hell are you guys doing!!??" So now Mr. Burns gets to deposit those fat checks regardless of delivering the anticipated results, and the format is already DEAD, unless the sales people want to print out something that says that Movin is #1 in every Toni & Guy salon. It could have been a viable format with a long life. All he had to do was have the station play ADULT dance music, (not rap and hip hop), talk to ADULTS, (not a bunch of gum-chewers who have zero in their 401k), and have ADULT, PROVEN, jocks do it right. Not helium-voiced card-readers who haven't a clue how to actually connect with adult experiences and life in general. Oh how this was such a simple project Mr. Burns. Shame on you. But I have to give you credit for one thing. You actually talked them into buying this one-share effort. It just goes to show you who's flying the plane at CBS. Pretty scary.....and they wonder what's happening to radio on Wall Street.

Let me start by saying that I actually LIKE the "Movin" format and "Movin' 107". I don't live in the Dallas area, but listened to it a lot on a trip I made a few months ago. (I've also listened to "Movin 100.7" in Jacksonville online a lot too). I don't understand why there is such hatred for this format. I think these rhythmic AC stations are pure fun to listen to. (My favorite is "Jammin 105-9" Austin).

But anyway, I wanted to disagree with the whole statement made by the above poster. His whole point was that the rhythmic AC format went "too young" and should have focused more on the 70s Jammin Oldies format to attract the 30 and 40 somethings. HUH???? Maybe you need to check your calendar or admit you might be getting a bit older because I hate to break this to you, but those 80s/90s hits on "Movin" are the songs that 30 and 40 year olds listened to back in the day. I was born in 1969 and am 37 now. I grew up on 80s and 90s music (not 70s), and I'm not some "young" 20 year old as the poster stated. I think his numbers about the ages of persons and the types of music they grew up on are about 10 years off. The people who grew up on the type of 80s/90s music on "Movin" are about 30 to 47 (not 25!). Yes, you may hate to admit it, but time flies, and it really has been 20 years now since "Wild Thing" and "Bust a Move" were out (not 10)! The more 70s based Jammin' Oldies type format he advocates actually would appeal more to mid 40s-50s aged people. Also, I hate to bust the posters bubble but the horrible "hip hop and rap" that he says only appeals to "gum chewers" and young people also now appeals to many adults. Hip Hop has been around since the very early 80s and those of us who grew up on it and listened to Run DMC, LL Cool J, Tone Loc, DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, Salt n Pepa, Young MC, etc. are now near 40 years old (or more).
The points he makes might have been valid 10 or 15 years ago, but I hate to bust your bubble, it's 2007, not 1997. Whether the baby boomers want to admit it or not, time marches on. The Generation X'ers and Y's ARE moving into and becoming that desireable 25-54 demo, and the boomers are moving out of that desired category, just as the older generation before it did. That's why 10 or 15 years ago you saw formats like Adult Standards and Easy Listening die out. Now with boomers, you are seeing Oldies formats and 70s formats fading and being replaced with things like rhythmic AC "Movin" stations, and Adult Hits "Jack FM" type formats that focus more on the 80s and 90s.
I'm not trying to be a smart *ss or anything, I'm just trying to be realistic about why things are changing. I think some of the boomers don't realize that they are in fact aging (just as all generations do), and that yes, time and radio formats will change and move on to the next generation of adults and what they listened to in their formative years. And as I said, the poster may not realize it or be willing to accept it, but the 34 to 45 year olds that are at the heart of the 25-54 demo graduated high school between 1979 and 1990 and grew up with rap and 80s/90s hits (not 70s disco and funk). That 70s based, jammin' oldies format would appeal more to the very upper end of the 25-54 demo (around 50). And traditional oldies formats that have a 60s focus now trend about 60 years old. That's why formats and advertisers are moving into 80s/90s formats now.

Sorry, hate to be the bearer of bad news, but time really does fly and we are all getting older. That's just life (and Radio

 

[panner]

BRH,
First of all, you're not bustin any bubbles here. I see the point that you're trying to get at but it doesn't work, sorry. You say you don't live in the Dallas area? The bottom line here that YOU might like Movin, that's fine, but it's NOT WORKING. So enjoy while you can. Everything you said about growing older is true, the clock is ticking on everybody, but great music is great music, and an extremely LARGE portion of dance music was produced in the 70's, 80's, and early 90's. I'll agree with your statement about the early rap artists. It belongs on Movin and I probably generalized a bit too much, however, what people want to hear is not being put together on this radio station. You can talk about Generation A-thru-Z, you can talk about young, old, boomer, 50-yr-olds, whatever, but regardless, people aren't listening to it. Maybe YOU are, but that ain't enough. (don't want to bust your bubble, but that "upper part" of the upper demo rules the world my friend, and they have the bank account to prove it). Now go charge something. I'm paying cash. Later.