WKY.... WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

[Radio55]

I remember the day when WKY was one of the powerhouse stations in OKC. Now, it has fallen on hard times in the ratings. So, just for kicks, what would you do if the owners (CC?) just said "We've had enough. We've run out of ideas. Here are the keys to the place... good luck!" What would you do?

OK, I'll start ... I would put an oldies format on it from the mid 50's to late sixties (1968 as the "trim" point) as the core, with select songs from the late 60's to early 70's. Now it may not get huge ratings, but I expect it would be a format you could sell - kind of like sports ratings are rather lame, but you can sell the heck out of it. Sure, AM music would be tough, but the listener is used to hearing these songs on AM--and any really good engineer can get the AM signal sounding pretty darn sharp.

WKY is a great heritage station in OKC. I hate to see it in the condition it's in. And you have those great historical call letter. "The Big 930 ... W-K-Y!!" Man, what fun.

Your thoughts? Agree/disagree?

 

[MacNCheez]

Let the cheezzzzz-master handle this...

Okay first of all not to bash you, but ummm, 1968..2008? Forty years, I think you have to put into account the music has changed, the technology has changed, pretty much the world is different. You are not going to have these powerhouse stations anymore like this today because of how technology and people's tastes change. That's like saying, I wish Laugh-In stayed on the air, and I could smoke in restuarants, and pump leaded gas. Got to change with the times, those days are long gone. Powerhouse? Like saying I want my MTV, but all I get is The Hills & Tila Tequila, when I really want my Quiet Riot and Van Halen videos.

It's fun to go back to a simpler time, but we have to realize those days are long gone. AM is for pretty much sports/news/talk and an occassional music station which there is at least one or two in every radio market.

Basically you have to make change with the changes, want to have that classic 930 powerhouse feel then create a one hour show via podcast or internet radio, or even a 5-watt pirate you can get one of those for $50 on ebay.

It sucks cause we love GIANT radio, we love really great phoners and production, and when the jock's show was a show and not a shift. Sometimes you have to say funk it (cleaner version) and do what you gotta do.

Anybody know where any good malt shops are around here?

 

[Radio55]

Well, MacNCheez, I have to admit, I think you're right. Looks like I was in a time-warp there. Come to think of it, it is kind of hard to find a good malt these days.

Thanks for your input, Mac, it made a lot of sense.

 

[Zero Zagnut]

Steak-n-Shake has good chocolate malts! And yes, it's sad that the age of innocence got assimilated by corporate america. It's pretty much the norm in about every industry in these United States. We have a generation of bean counters and uncreative "buddy system" benefactors running the ship that is our nation's entertainment industry and they've pretty much steered it right into the shore.

 

[OKCRadioGuy]

I remember the day when WKY was one of the powerhouse stations in OKC. Now, it has fallen on hard times in the ratings. So, just for kicks, what would you do if the owners (CC?) just said "We've had enough. We've run out of ideas. Here are the keys to the place... good luck!" What would you do?

It's not owned by CC. They rented it from Gaylord for a while several years ago but that ended when Cit. bought it for 10 mill in cash and trade. I would find someone stupid enough to buy the damn thing for the signal ONLY, sell the studio space for a premium to Renda and sell the back property where the towers are for developement. The new station owner would have to move it within a certain amount of time elsewhere, etc. That's what I'd do.

OK, I'll start ... I would put an oldies format on it from the mid 50's to late sixties (1968 as the "trim" point) as the core, with select songs from the late 60's to early 70's. Now it may not get huge ratings, but I expect it would be a format you could sell - kind of like sports ratings are rather lame, but you can sell the heck out of it. Sure, AM music would be tough, but the listener is used to hearing these songs on AM--and any really good engineer can get the AM signal sounding pretty darn sharp.

I don't disagree that it's a viable format, however, it's probably not going to happen. Everyone in radio advertising wants the 18-34 demo, and mainly females. All the rest of us be damned.

WKY is a great heritage station in OKC. I hate to see it in the condition it's in. And you have those great historical call letter. "The Big 930 ... W-K-Y!!" Man, what fun.

You can't stuff the genie back in the bottle. More corporate crap and flakers on the cheap is all you'll find on AM. I'd love to see some dignity restored to those calls and frequency, but what will happen in the year 2008 will continue to be running a ESPN outlet and a flanker to the Sports Animal. That is what is most useful to Cit. I wouldn't expect more as they are corporate and are interested in either the bucks or protecting the bucks. Entertainment is only a means of getting more bucks in some instances.

 

[billyg]

Nice Idea, WKY could be run just like WDJO in Cincy ( http://www.oldies1160.com/ ) with veteran local jocks and plenty of 50's-60's oldies (with a few early 70's sneaking in). And really go after the old KOMA listeners who are so tired of 70's Fleetwood Mac, Steve Miller Band and the Bee Gees.

Won't be a ratings buster, but I think if it was promoted the right way it'd get better ratings than what WKY and KOKC are doing now.

 

[Radio55]

Well, thank you, Billyg.... I feel redeemed. Have a great year.

 

[OKCRadioGuy]

I'd be a listener for sure! I just don't have ANY hope any of the local corporate clowns will have enough originality to go out on the limb and try it. They could stand to make quite a bit more running Real Oldies while keeping it cheap on costs, selling spots for about 35 bucks a pop to the local biz out there, and loading up the spotbreaks. To me it's a no-brainer, however, Corporate America isn't going to do it.

 

[Radio55]

Ok, here is an hour of music.... (the idea is to get a Beatles or 50's/Elvis about every hour)

Paperback Writer – Beatles
Baby Don’t Go – Sonny and Cher
Positively Fourth Street – Bob Dylan
Friday on My Mind – Easybeats
A Must To Avoid – Herman’s Hermits
Look Through Any Window – Hollies
Him or Me What’s It Gonna Be – Paul Revere and Raiders
Call Me Lightning – Who
Little Girl – Syndicate of Sound
Soul Finger – BarKays
Jenny Take A Ride – Mitch Ryder
Don’t Worry Baby – Beach Boys
Lonesome Town – Ricky Nelson
Mustang Sally – Wilson Pickett
Good Lovin’ – Young Rascals
Lightning’s Girl – Nancy Sinatra
The Last Time – Rolling Stones
Time is Tight – Booker T and the MG’s
Homburg – Procol Harum
You’re Gonna Lose That Girl – Beatles
Joanne – Michael Nesmith
Count Me In – Gary Lewis and Playboys
I Got Stung - Elvis Presley

Other artists would include the Chambers Brothers, Fabian, Byrds, Beau Brummels, Impressions, More Stax than Motown, many others.

Your thoughts? Ideas?

 

[Zero Zagnut]

I totally agree about leaning more toward Stax & Volt than Motown. Motown is so worn out, especially the Supremes catalog. Willie Mitchell was producing some great music on his label, Hi Records back then, too. Some great "real" soul music came out of Memphis. I would also suggest great 50's rock-n-roll from Little Richard, Fats Domino, Chuck Berry & Bo Diddley. Too many oldies stations have made the mistake of featuring only Elvis' softer hits like "Love Me Tender", "Are You Lonesome Tonight", etc. and totally overlooking his great rockabilly and rock-n-roll catalog.

 

[MacNCheez]

I like the lineup of songs....

I gotta say in Oklahoma, you gotta have Braum's for a damn good malt & shake

 

[billyg]

I'd be a listener for sure! I just don't have ANY hope any of the local corporate clowns will have enough originality to go out on the limb and try it. They could stand to make quite a bit more running Real Oldies while keeping it cheap on costs, selling spots for about 35 bucks a pop to the local biz out there, and loading up the spotbreaks. To me it's a no-brainer, however, Corporate America isn't going to do it.

Yeah Chitadel will never do it, too many consultants and bean counters with their data sheets telling them 50's/60's Oldies wont make any money, pointing to the failures of WSAI and WWKB.

What's making WDJO (and nostalgia KAAM in Dallas) work is that they are locally owned and ran stations. They run them like a small town station. The owners and jocks love the music, know what their audience wants and keep a low overhead running it (WDJO is voice tracked much of the day - but they do an excellent job of it). They target small "mom & pop" businesses instead of trying to lure big accounts.

It takes more "old school" work to make these stations successful, and it's the reason why big corporate broadcasters won't do it. Too hard for these "professionals" who've never worked a 12-6pm DJ shift in their life. Stick some prefab sports network on that stick, and sell it cheap to national accounts and maybe a few local suckers. I wish WKY could have wound up in the hands of the Tylers...

 

[billyg]

Another locally ran/programmed oldies station (but not as good as WDJO)
http://www.wpon.com/

 

[OKCRadioGuy]

Personally I like the music of www.WVKZ.com . It's not nearly as good as WDJO's personality line-up but the music is pretty damn good.

 

[Radio55]

billyg, you are absolutely right. You would have to run our imaginary-WKY like a LOCAL station. Every city has it's "neighborhoods" and I would suggest getting in the remote van/truck and just go to places around town where events are happening. This would really be a summertime activity, catching people playing baseball--the little local teams... go to some of the car washes... just do some of the simple goodwill, audience building things that stations DON'T DO ANYMORE--and that is the point. People would be astonished that you showed up and were going on the air to talk about their little fundraiser--they would tell everyone they know (their parents especially) and they would love you forever.

As far as the playlist I developed, the idea is to spread out the song titles.... Instead of Pinball Wizard, it's Call Me Lightning.... Rather than Whiter Shade of Pale, it's Homburg... instead of Love Me Tender, it's I Got Stung... songs that are instantly memorable, but rarely played. I have had tense discussions with programmers that this song or that song doesn't "test" well, to which I replied, "You mean you have to TEST these songs?" People know these songs, there is tremendous Wow factor... and many of them you simply have not heard in decades.

And thanks for the oldies station websites... all of them are just great.

Now, if I only had a few million dollars laying around.....

 

[hello4]

Okay, I can't resist a playlist! I created two CDs of "what if KOMA wasn't boring", just to have it to listen to; but I subsequently have found that KOMA has this syndicated overnight show called "Classic Top 40", which is quite more progressive than KOMA is during the daylight hours. Doesn't do me any good, since I'm asleep; but at least it's there. Instead of trying to sucker all the Bob/KRXO heads into KOMA's engines, they simply need to go Classic Top 40. People listen to the "extreme" variety when they listen to the old Casey Kasem shows on Sunday morning, and they certainly would listen to that the rest of the week as well. But here's my CDs' playlist:

Swearin' To God - Frankie Valli
Ebony Eyes - Bob Welch
Don't Say You Don't Remember - Beverly Bremers
Workin' At The Car Wash Blues - Jim Croce
Thinking Of You - Loggins and Messina
Hummingbird - Seals and Crofts
Bad Time - Grand Funk Railrod
Rainy Night In Georgia - Brook Benton
Daisy Jane - America
Gone At Last - Paul Simon and Phoebe Snow
Stumblin' In - Suzi Quatro and Chris Norman
A Cowboy's Work Is Never Done - Sonny and Cher
Summer - Bobby Goldsboro
Love Is Blue - Paul Mauriat
My Melody Of Love - Bobby Vinton
Me And My Arrow - Nilsson
New York Mining Disaster - Bee Gees
Tijuana Taxi - Herb Alpert
Goodnight Tonight - Wings
Dreidel - Don McLean
El Condor Pasa - Simon and Garfunkel
The Windmills Of Your Mind - Dusty Springfield
Do It Or Die - Atlanta Rhythm Section
Something's Burning - The First Edition
Love Is Like Oxygen - Sweet
Summer Rain - Johnny Rivers
Honesty - Billy Joel
My Boy - Elvis Presley
If You Really Love Me - Stevie Wonder
The Last Farewell - Roger Whitaker
Touch Me In The Morning - Diana Ross
Lay Down - Melanie
Lonely Night - Captain and Tenille
Tip Toe Thru The Tulips With Me - Tiny Tim (oh wow rotation, not regular rotation!)
A Very Special Love Song - Charlie Rich (#11 Pop crossover)
I'm Stone In Love With You - The Stylistics
Peg - Steely Dan
Girl - The Beatles
Hey You - Backman Turner Overdrive
Sweet Pea - Tommy Roe
Use Ta Be My Girl - The O'Jays
Someone That I Used To Love - Natalie Cole
To Sir With Love - Lulu
Lady Blue - Leon Russell
I Love - Tom T. Hall (#12 Pop crossover)
Living Inside Myself - Gino Vannelli
Watching The Wheels - John Lennon
This Time I'm In It For Love - Player
Day By Day - Godspell
Diary - Bread
Brand New Key - Melanie

As for oldies, here's a station that's not afraid to brag of its 10,000 songs! They go from the 50s to a smattering of 80s, moreso stuff from 60s and 70s hitmakers, i.e. "Abracadabra", "No More Lonely Nights", etc. It's not major market, though...I believe it's at the east end of Long Island. But there's so many people living out there nowadays, I think they're their own market now...

http://www.wlng.com/

 

[OKCRadioGuy]

WLNG, the station that never forgot that entertaining and informing the listener was one of the most important functions of radio. WLNG is one of the last real radio stations left IMHO. If we had more WLNG's nationwide radio wouldn't have to worry about the internet or satcasters. Too bad Corporate America doesn't go hire WLNG's owner to help them turn their properties into the same effient sales machine that WLNG is. Notice how he doesn't run a CHEAP operation. I bet his overall profit is BETTER than Corporate America's.. With revenue dropping year after year I would have thought at some point the big guys would finally have thought "Hey.. What are we doing wrong?!" It just amazes me that something so damn simple as running a GOOD operation and providing a real service to both the listener and advertiser can be so oblivious to the Corporate America broadcasting companies.