Oldies, as a format...is far from dead.
It's just not a commercial radio format, hardly, anymore.
Yeah...go ahead. Scream about too-tight playlists, Bad signals, whatever. Here's a few facts from an oldies programmer's perspective:
A 300 song playlist is a tactic successfully used in certain specific competitive circumstances. Many successful oldies stations play from a library universe of around 800 to 1,500 songs, but rotate a smaller number to "keep the hits coming", while sprinkling the library songs in on features. (which increases the "oh wow" factor.)
Bill Drake was once quoted as saying "never take a s----- signal". (He was referring to the smaller signal of WUBE-AM in Cincinnati, which failed ultimately as a "boss radio" station, despite the fact that it, really sounded pretty good if you listen back to air checks of the station.) A bad signal, or a less than desirable signal will always give you less than desirable ratings results, regardless of format, talent on staff, etc.
Oldies can't survive on most commercial radio stations because of the same reason there are few successful beautiful music stations, classic country stations...even though every single one of those formats WILL draw listeners to a big station. Why can't they survive? Few advertisers buy ads on a station with an audience age of largely 55 plus!
Sorry...that's the way it is. I don't agree with it. But it is what it is.
Oldies will become the format of choice (for a while, anyway) on some LP-FM's. AM stations, and some websites. It will bring listeners to the medium. How many will actually make money, though? That jury is still out...
It's just not a commercial radio format, hardly, anymore.
Yeah...go ahead. Scream about too-tight playlists, Bad signals, whatever. Here's a few facts from an oldies programmer's perspective:
A 300 song playlist is a tactic successfully used in certain specific competitive circumstances. Many successful oldies stations play from a library universe of around 800 to 1,500 songs, but rotate a smaller number to "keep the hits coming", while sprinkling the library songs in on features. (which increases the "oh wow" factor.)
Bill Drake was once quoted as saying "never take a s----- signal". (He was referring to the smaller signal of WUBE-AM in Cincinnati, which failed ultimately as a "boss radio" station, despite the fact that it, really sounded pretty good if you listen back to air checks of the station.) A bad signal, or a less than desirable signal will always give you less than desirable ratings results, regardless of format, talent on staff, etc.
Oldies can't survive on most commercial radio stations because of the same reason there are few successful beautiful music stations, classic country stations...even though every single one of those formats WILL draw listeners to a big station. Why can't they survive? Few advertisers buy ads on a station with an audience age of largely 55 plus!
Sorry...that's the way it is. I don't agree with it. But it is what it is.
Oldies will become the format of choice (for a while, anyway) on some LP-FM's. AM stations, and some websites. It will bring listeners to the medium. How many will actually make money, though? That jury is still out...