WMMO

[radiobum]

WMMO has now been doing a rock/AC/AAA hybrid for 20 years in Orlando. Why do you think more AC stations don't try something innovative like that instead of the same exact old overplayed songs every single day or two ?

 

[RBRadioWaves]

Not so sure about the AAA part of that hybrid: there are no deep tracks like you find on AAA stations.

 

[Earlyriser]

They are just running it on a shoestring, doing the bare minimum.

 

[radiobum]

Yes but so are so many stations. My questions is why an AC station(s) in ANY market doesn't try something like this if their ratings are poor instead of the same old same old.

 

[Seltzer]

Yes but so are so many stations. My questions is why an AC station(s) in ANY market doesn't try something like this if their ratings are poor instead of the same old same old.

Most aren't doing the "same old same old" if their ratings are bad. Most have abandoned the 70s (finally), only play a couple 80s songs an hour, a few 90s (cause this decade has traditionally tested horribly), and the rest 2000 and forward where the music got better. Having opened up to some rock product in the last 10 years, some rhythmic type tracks are now finding their way onto AC stations. Pop songs rule though. This makes the stations sound more contemporary.

 

[carolinaradio]

Yes but so are so many stations. My questions is why an AC station(s) in ANY market doesn't try something like this if their ratings are poor instead of the same old same old.

Most aren't doing the "same old same old" if their ratings are bad. Most have abandoned the 70s (finally), only play a couple 80s songs an hour, a few 90s (cause this decade has traditionally tested horribly), and the rest 2000 and forward where the music got better. Having opened up to some rock product in the last 10 years, some rhythmic type tracks are now finding their way onto AC stations. Pop songs rule though. This makes the stations sound more contemporary.

Unfortunately, Premium Choice AC's (as well as most Entercom AC's) have yet to do what you're describing. Sometimes a couple of 70s songs, a ton of 80s, and very few current hits.

CBS and Cox have the AC format right. So does Clear Channel in some markets, but they tend to be too old leaning. Premium Choice is just too conservative and boring. Same for most Cumulus AC's.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Yes but so are so many stations. My questions is why an AC station(s) in ANY market doesn't try something like this if their ratings are poor instead of the same old same old.

Most aren't doing the "same old same old" if their ratings are bad. Most have abandoned the 70s (finally), only play a couple 80s songs an hour, a few 90s (cause this decade has traditionally tested horribly), and the rest 2000 and forward where the music got better. Having opened up to some rock product in the last 10 years, some rhythmic type tracks are now finding their way onto AC stations. Pop songs rule though. This makes the stations sound more contemporary.

Unfortunately, Premium Choice AC's (as well as most Entercom AC's) have yet to do what you're describing. Sometimes a couple of 70s songs, a ton of 80s, and very few current hits.

CBS and Cox have the AC format right. So does Clear Channel in some markets, but they tend to be too old leaning. Premium Choice is just too conservative and boring. Same for most Cumulus AC's.

Now I disagree about "conservative and boring". But if their 80s material would include Bon Jovi, Prince, Pat Benatar and Rick Springfield anyway, then I say go all the way.

I still feel someone should be doing "conservative and boring" in every market. But that would not include the artists I listed.

 

[carolinaradio]

Problem is, conservative and boring isn't liked with the target demo of females 25-54. Those artists (as well as burned out tracks from Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, etc) make up the majority of the station. I don't mean "Sleepy" boring and conservative, I mean that they are the same exhausted songs the format has played to death for years.

Variety Hits is the way to go if you want a good variety of older music mixed with some newer now, IMO. There's not a huge difference between the two anymore as AC has evolved, except that AC probably plays more newer stuff, has airstaff, and is way more repetitive.

 

[EJ204]

I'm always amazed at how well WMMO performs in the Orlando market. There really aren't too many hybrid Rock/AC stations around anymore. I guess the fact that there's no Classic Rock station in the market leaves that format hole.

At one time there were plenty of what were called "Soft Rock" stations, meaning they played only the softer songs one might hear on a Rock station. WKTU and WYNY NYC, KNX-FM LA, WEEI-FM Boston were leaders in the format. CBS owned several of the stations. Carole King, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Elton John, Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Linda Ronstadt, Fleetwood Mac, The Eagles, Billy Joel were the core artists. But these days Rock stations rock so hard, there's no chance for many crossovers.

Orlando really is an odd market. It is the only sizable market where a non-commercial Christian AC is often #1. And then Cox-owned WMMO, a Rock/AC hybrid, is in the top 10, even with a limited signal. Meanwhile Clear Channel Soft AC WMGF seems to swing widely in the ratings, sometimes in the top 5, sometimes out of the top 10.