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WOGL Playlist
- Thread starter Fakeem
- Start date
Here it is....Play nothing but purely burned out songs, rinse then repeat. Add unnecessary long winded banter and 8 minute commercial stop sets where desired or necessary. Avoid overexposure. Take precautions. Apply protection. Keep out of reach of children. Hazards on radio may be closer than they appear.
....just couldn't resist.
....just couldn't resist.
As long as the Purple People Meters keep sending those steady checks in the mail, that playlist isn't going to budge.
True but sad.
So, they can sit there on States Avenue and collect the rent on their two houses. Shrug.
And let the rest of the world go by. Which it is. Daily.
The last time we had on WOGL here in NE PA -- through a good outdoor antenna -- the greatest greaser-jock of all was on : Don Cannon. And he was playing the same songs. That had to be last century.
True but sad.
So, they can sit there on States Avenue and collect the rent on their two houses. Shrug.
And let the rest of the world go by. Which it is. Daily.
The last time we had on WOGL here in NE PA -- through a good outdoor antenna -- the greatest greaser-jock of all was on : Don Cannon. And he was playing the same songs. That had to be last century.
Fakeem said:
They're playing approximately 2000 songs; certainly not "every record ever recorded" or even every song that would fit the format. From year to year they add and drop songs from the list. Anyway, to see a rolling 7-day list of what's been played (which is not completely accurate, but it's all that's available publicly), see here:
http://www.yes.com/#WOGL
Its time and years after they BLOW up this station; from the GM down to the Imaging Director. Time to let us radiophiles rid of Britain, Holiday, Knight, Lewis, etc. etc. I cant find those songs even on Sirius 80, 90's formats. We need a smooth jazz, country format or a station to compete with Q-102.
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imhomerjay
Guest
Which is why radiophiles shouldn't be making business decisions.
Disagree, Homer.
Radiophiles and musicphiles were the ones who checked the weather while laying the foundation in the first place for the suites that today's 'radio/businesspeople' now occupy.
Admittedly, I'm an ex-jock (and a DXer long before that) and as such, biased. But I could never understand why *only games in town*, like WOGL and New York's WCBS-FM and WAXQ, treat their listeners like prisoners.
Deepen the playlists within the genre (if it's not too late). And do it daily, not just on holidays when no one is listening anyway. The PPMs aren't going to short out and cause a fire. There's no other faithful station to go to for those demos anyway. These only-games-in-town have lacked guts and pioneering instinct when it's come to attending to their chief product of nostalgia.
There is just one main group of people in the radio society of Classic Rock and Oldies who are set in their ways. And it's not the listener demo. It's been the approach of these petrified wingtips, which has too long been 'contempt breeds familiarity'.
Radiophiles and musicphiles were the ones who checked the weather while laying the foundation in the first place for the suites that today's 'radio/businesspeople' now occupy.
Admittedly, I'm an ex-jock (and a DXer long before that) and as such, biased. But I could never understand why *only games in town*, like WOGL and New York's WCBS-FM and WAXQ, treat their listeners like prisoners.
Deepen the playlists within the genre (if it's not too late). And do it daily, not just on holidays when no one is listening anyway. The PPMs aren't going to short out and cause a fire. There's no other faithful station to go to for those demos anyway. These only-games-in-town have lacked guts and pioneering instinct when it's come to attending to their chief product of nostalgia.
There is just one main group of people in the radio society of Classic Rock and Oldies who are set in their ways. And it's not the listener demo. It's been the approach of these petrified wingtips, which has too long been 'contempt breeds familiarity'.
I
imhomerjay
Guest
The job is to bring in revenue. Sitting generally near the top of the heap on a fairly consistent basis is evidence of success in that, and that they're providing what a decent sized slice of the listener "pie" is happy with. They cannot please everyone--no one can. Adding a bunch of stuff that will drive those decidedly non-prisoners away is contrary to fundamental business strategy. That no one else is launching a drect assault, playing this allegedly so appealing music, is evidence that there's not enough of a market for it in terrestrial radio. It's found it's natural home elsewhere, the same way niche TV content finds it's home on satellite/cable.
I don't listen to WOGL, the music is the same 300 songs day in and day out. So many great oldies to choose from and they play the ole same ole, BUT apparently there are enough of the demo WOGL's advertisers want who DO listen. As imhomerjay pointed out, the job is to bring in revenue and make as big a profit as possible for the stockholders or the owners in the case of radio.
Radio as with any business be it industrial corporations, banking, automobile manufacturing, fast food, etc, etc, all are in business to make money, bottom line. If a radio station thought they could make money playing polkas 24/7 in the Philly market, we'd be hearing some station playing polkas. Thankfully that's not the case. So as WOGL is near the top of the Philly ratings with the PPM's, which don't depend on the listener to record the data correctly, means that people are actually listening to WOGL. Anytime I've scanned past 98.1 they are either playing the same ole same ole or they're airing local spots, plenty of local spots. So even though I won't listen, and find the station boring, enough someone's who the advertisers want to hear their spots are. So WOGL is minting money playing a format that skews to an older, but not too old demo. You can't argue with success.
WOGL found an oldies format that most of us here find to be boring and too repetitive, but it apparently works for the Philly market. Doesn't seem to do as well in the Wilmington ratings even though there are no other Oldies stations available here with as solid of a signal as 98.1, but WOGL isn't really interested in or even targeting Wilmington as that's small potato's compared to Philly. WOGL's format might not do as well in Lancaster, Harrisburg, Baltimore, Washington, or Boston, but it works in the City of Brotherly Love. From CBS radio's point of view, what's not to like?
Radio as with any business be it industrial corporations, banking, automobile manufacturing, fast food, etc, etc, all are in business to make money, bottom line. If a radio station thought they could make money playing polkas 24/7 in the Philly market, we'd be hearing some station playing polkas. Thankfully that's not the case. So as WOGL is near the top of the Philly ratings with the PPM's, which don't depend on the listener to record the data correctly, means that people are actually listening to WOGL. Anytime I've scanned past 98.1 they are either playing the same ole same ole or they're airing local spots, plenty of local spots. So even though I won't listen, and find the station boring, enough someone's who the advertisers want to hear their spots are. So WOGL is minting money playing a format that skews to an older, but not too old demo. You can't argue with success.
WOGL found an oldies format that most of us here find to be boring and too repetitive, but it apparently works for the Philly market. Doesn't seem to do as well in the Wilmington ratings even though there are no other Oldies stations available here with as solid of a signal as 98.1, but WOGL isn't really interested in or even targeting Wilmington as that's small potato's compared to Philly. WOGL's format might not do as well in Lancaster, Harrisburg, Baltimore, Washington, or Boston, but it works in the City of Brotherly Love. From CBS radio's point of view, what's not to like?
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imhomerjay
Guest
Thankfully no polkas 24/7? Shoot, I thought that would be great. 
Well, you'd have to hit the right Polka demos there too, Homer, : -)
Lol -- even though I knew that my post was going to wind up going earphones-first into quite a resolute wall, I had to include it for balance.
That would be for the only-game-in-town balance. I'd worked at a fairly successful Soft A/C once. Lotsa requests .... a lot of freedom afforded by the PD after I was there only two shifts .... the possibility of getting the next full-time shift opening .... a fun crew. Our main competitor was a few points ahead of us and we were closing.
New PD comes along. He whittled down the playlist to about 250 songs. Instead of requests there now came complaints -- and really swift response at that. A lot of the fun and morale just evaporated. The station started to tank. We were no longer the enthusiastic newcomer underdog. The station changed format altogether several months later. And goodby PD. That tourniquet of a playlist made the difference.
Of course, there was direct competition. It's not likely that any Philadelphia station will go into head-to-head competition with WOGL for Classic Hits ever again -- not for those demos. 'We're the Only Game Left' is rightfully content to sit on their successes with no more of a fear of erosion than, say KYW or WBEB.
Thing is, big marketing is now looking -- what took them so long? -- to sell more to the 55-64 demo. No doubt the station is loaded with numbers in that range anyway to the point of the demo being a silent majority. The thinking here is that, if there's anything involving a honest new emphasis on that older end ..... that more jaded/set in their ways crowd .... then the music is likely the best place to start. You'd have to DO it as well as promote that you're doing it. At those times, if the venture is ever seriously attempted, it's doubtful that simply putting back another cue-burnt ten pre-Beatles songs is going to stir up or convince this 'new' market slice.
If you're really dead against skewing older, then go deeper with what you've got. That's all I've been saying. That's the only option left. Deeper into the 60s and 70s. There is a huge amount of songs that peaked maybe #12 instead of #9 to freshen up matters, and which wouldn't disturb the status quo in the least.
Not at an only-game-in-town.
* * * * * *
Lol, Homer. Up this way, there are a lot of Polka and other specialty shows. There's no telling how they'd fare in the PPM methodology, though. Schuylkill County is not only too small to be a PPM market ; it's not even a RATED market.
Lol -- even though I knew that my post was going to wind up going earphones-first into quite a resolute wall, I had to include it for balance.
That would be for the only-game-in-town balance. I'd worked at a fairly successful Soft A/C once. Lotsa requests .... a lot of freedom afforded by the PD after I was there only two shifts .... the possibility of getting the next full-time shift opening .... a fun crew. Our main competitor was a few points ahead of us and we were closing.
New PD comes along. He whittled down the playlist to about 250 songs. Instead of requests there now came complaints -- and really swift response at that. A lot of the fun and morale just evaporated. The station started to tank. We were no longer the enthusiastic newcomer underdog. The station changed format altogether several months later. And goodby PD. That tourniquet of a playlist made the difference.
Of course, there was direct competition. It's not likely that any Philadelphia station will go into head-to-head competition with WOGL for Classic Hits ever again -- not for those demos. 'We're the Only Game Left' is rightfully content to sit on their successes with no more of a fear of erosion than, say KYW or WBEB.
Thing is, big marketing is now looking -- what took them so long? -- to sell more to the 55-64 demo. No doubt the station is loaded with numbers in that range anyway to the point of the demo being a silent majority. The thinking here is that, if there's anything involving a honest new emphasis on that older end ..... that more jaded/set in their ways crowd .... then the music is likely the best place to start. You'd have to DO it as well as promote that you're doing it. At those times, if the venture is ever seriously attempted, it's doubtful that simply putting back another cue-burnt ten pre-Beatles songs is going to stir up or convince this 'new' market slice.
If you're really dead against skewing older, then go deeper with what you've got. That's all I've been saying. That's the only option left. Deeper into the 60s and 70s. There is a huge amount of songs that peaked maybe #12 instead of #9 to freshen up matters, and which wouldn't disturb the status quo in the least.
Not at an only-game-in-town.
* * * * * *
Lol, Homer. Up this way, there are a lot of Polka and other specialty shows. There's no telling how they'd fare in the PPM methodology, though. Schuylkill County is not only too small to be a PPM market ; it's not even a RATED market.
Thing is, big marketing is now looking -- what took them so long? -- to sell more to the 55-64 demo.
If what you say is true, I say Yahoo !! Finally. I guess those marketing folks have noticed the PPM numbers for NPR stations and probably also have found out that the babyboomers are major supporters of NPR meaning we have money to spend. So they're finally figuring it out that maybe they ought to target some of the discretionary spending from the babyboomers.
We Babyboomers are still the largest population block that still intentionally listens to the radio. We've heard for years that the advertisers don't want us, because we're too set in our ways. Radio has pretty much stopped even wanting us to listen as they've programmed their music stations to play for the kids. Many of us have migrated to News/Talk on AM, or to our type of music if found on some obscure AM station or online listening for our music, and many of us including me have migrated to NPR stations and college non-comms that target us as an audience at least some of the time.
Granted with some things that are advertised we may be stuck in our ways like toothpaste, laundry detergent, aftershave, deodorant, and things like that where allergies can play a factor. However, I am a Ford owner, in my life time, I've owned a Honda, and a two Chevy's. So if GM, or whomever other than Ford convinces me that my driving experience, comfort, plus reliability, less cost, etc, etc comes with owning THEIR vehicle, then they'll make a sale. Boomers eat out a lot, so the local restaurants advertisements interest us as we like discovering a new great place to go for a fine meal. We travel, so airlines, trains, hotels, travel packages, etc, would catch our attention. We use computers and many have Blackberries and Iphones, etc. In short the boomers spend money. I've said for years that some smart marketing person should figure out how to tap into that essentially ignored market.
So yes, a large market like Philly should easily be able to support a couple boomer oriented stations. WOGL might be one, but I believe at least one other boomer station with a different mix of music, say more Classic Hits of 60's both pre-British invasion and post into the 70's with no Disco, far less Motown and Soul and some of the milder classic rock hits thrown into the mix. This might be a good format for WYSP or WMGK, even Wilmington's 93.7 WSTW which has a solid signal into Philly, but has poor numbers in Philly and isn't as stellar as it used to be in Wilmington.
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imhomerjay
Guest
Not suprisingly, the big push about more marketing to the "boomer" (for now, someday in the not so distant future the Gen Xers and on and on) market is coming from media sellers, not buyers. As the broadcast networks have seen the more desired--by buyers--demos leave, they're left trying to sell what they have. And...coincidence of coincidences...they suddenly see value in what's left on their shelves.
The bigger question is are there enough dollars in that upper audience to make it viable, and, for how many outlets? Nothing has changed in the research into brand preferences--they're formed--generally speaking--at the lower end. So you're trying to find enough marketers with enough products and enough marketing dollars to spend on products the boomers are just starting to need (and thus, don't have pre-ordained preferences/habits) for. That, plus some other incidental spending, may be enough to prop up a low-cost outlet here and there, but a wholesale shift in the landscape it's not. It's pushing the borders out a bit, not turning everything on its head...and it remains to be seen if the marketers will suddenly decide to swallow what the content owners are trying to sell them.
The bigger question is are there enough dollars in that upper audience to make it viable, and, for how many outlets? Nothing has changed in the research into brand preferences--they're formed--generally speaking--at the lower end. So you're trying to find enough marketers with enough products and enough marketing dollars to spend on products the boomers are just starting to need (and thus, don't have pre-ordained preferences/habits) for. That, plus some other incidental spending, may be enough to prop up a low-cost outlet here and there, but a wholesale shift in the landscape it's not. It's pushing the borders out a bit, not turning everything on its head...and it remains to be seen if the marketers will suddenly decide to swallow what the content owners are trying to sell them.
Cable sure has found a way to advertise to the baby boomers. Sally Fields, I mean Gidget or the Flying Nun (talk about going from one extreme to another), selling Osteoporosis medication; Henry Winkler, Fonzie, selling whatever; Lindsey Wagner, the Bionic Woman, selling some sort of medication; some other couple that's our age selling life insurance, etc, etc. So why can't radio? What it means is radio has to go after DIFFERENT ad accounts for a boomer station than the ad accounts for their teenybopper station, or their Urban Rap station, etc, etc. There are businesses out there who want to reach and get their hands into the boomer wallets, but maybe it's just a too young, lazy, unimaginative sales team at some radio station that doesn't want to bother, because they might have to think outside the box to get their commission.
Granted, most markets could only afford one or two such stations, but for one or two of the FM's that's down in the pecking order, just maybe bringing the boomers to those advertisers could be a real money maker for them. Apparently it's working for WOGL. So why not WYSP, WMGK, or WSTW?
Granted, most markets could only afford one or two such stations, but for one or two of the FM's that's down in the pecking order, just maybe bringing the boomers to those advertisers could be a real money maker for them. Apparently it's working for WOGL. So why not WYSP, WMGK, or WSTW?
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imhomerjay
Guest
Why would WSTW give up the good thing they have going in their market? And for that matter, WMGK iS in decent shape.
But that aside, it's hardly fair to assume that it's the sales teams not working thenright way or hard enough. Marketing budget are what they are, and the comparatively smaller slices are being used where they can get the right bang for their buck. If those marketers don't plan for radio to be part of that mix...well, the old cliche about blood from a stone comes to mind.
But that aside, it's hardly fair to assume that it's the sales teams not working thenright way or hard enough. Marketing budget are what they are, and the comparatively smaller slices are being used where they can get the right bang for their buck. If those marketers don't plan for radio to be part of that mix...well, the old cliche about blood from a stone comes to mind.
My point was, if the cable TV sales force can find plenty of advertisers for the babyboom generation then it does appear that the radio sales force is being lazy. The voice of Sally Fields, Henry Winkler, etc, can just as easily sell whatever product on the radio as sell it on Cable TV. Maybe the radio sales force needs to start letting those companies know that radio can reach the babyboom, possibly better than Cable TV. But given the fact that Radio has pretty much thrown the babyboom population under the bus in favor of the 6-30 year old crowd, it's not a surprise that those marketers didn't plan for radio in their ad budgets.
WSTW used to be in a tie with WJBR for the #1 spot in the Wilmington market (this went on for years), now it's more like 4th or 5th. So given that history, maybe a format change would help them regain their former glory. WMGK is doing pretty well in Philly, but WYSP certainly could do better and maybe the format discussed would make a difference for them was my point.
WSTW used to be in a tie with WJBR for the #1 spot in the Wilmington market (this went on for years), now it's more like 4th or 5th. So given that history, maybe a format change would help them regain their former glory. WMGK is doing pretty well in Philly, but WYSP certainly could do better and maybe the format discussed would make a difference for them was my point.
I
imhomerjay
Guest
Radio doesn't get every account TV does (nor vice versa...and the same with print, outdoor, etc.). Some clients are going to go with a certain media mix, and all the high-pressure selling (and fancy PowerPoints) in the world isn't going to affect that change. Real, proven data will.
I also love the exaggeration that sometimes comes up. Under 30? Please. The CHRs, maybe, but we all know the ACs, rock, adult hits and various other formats are most certainly not going solely 30-and-under. It is funny though, how now that the Boomers are in the uppper end of the demographics, now it's a problem that media isn't catering to their every whim. When the world largely revolved around them, the complaints were minimal, with maybe some lip service paid on occassion.
I also love the exaggeration that sometimes comes up. Under 30? Please. The CHRs, maybe, but we all know the ACs, rock, adult hits and various other formats are most certainly not going solely 30-and-under. It is funny though, how now that the Boomers are in the uppper end of the demographics, now it's a problem that media isn't catering to their every whim. When the world largely revolved around them, the complaints were minimal, with maybe some lip service paid on occassion.
That may be true about how some companies choose TV, but not radio, some choose print, but not TV or Radio, etc. It doesn't mean that radio can't try to get their business, but I understand that's probably a long shot.
I realize they target 6-49, but it seems that most of the programming on radio and TV aims at those under 30, or at least to this 60 year old it does.
Frankly, it's no big deal to this babyboomer anymore, as I listen to NPR- WHYY-FM; also I listen to both of my local news/talkers (WILM) for news/traffic/weather in AM drive, (WDEL) has one decent lib local talk host (Al Messitti). Allan Loudell for midday news and commentary on WDEL. For music: if I'm in the mood for Jazz or Classical WRTI's 107.7 Wilmington repeater. For Oldies, Country, and Big Band I go online and listen. For sports talk, I listen to 1290 WWTX Fox Sports Talk, or 97.5 the Fanatic. I listen to the Phils on WDEL and the Eagles on either WYSP or WDEL. For some Christian programs and music I like I go online. I also buy many CD's of my favorite music. Many of those I download onto my MP3. So Music on radio is not the big issue for me that it once was. Radio for me is mainly spoken word programming of NPR, sports talk, sports, and local news/traffic/weather.
Yes, I like a lot of different music and programming, but as radio won't give most of what I want, I simply go online and find it. So it may actually be too late for commercial radio to harvest that older boomer market as many of us have migrated to NPR, playing our own CD's and MP3's and online. But as this topic was about WOGL's playlist and 98.1 favors an older demo than most Philly stations, the issue of babyboomers is part of that discussion.
I realize they target 6-49, but it seems that most of the programming on radio and TV aims at those under 30, or at least to this 60 year old it does.
Frankly, it's no big deal to this babyboomer anymore, as I listen to NPR- WHYY-FM; also I listen to both of my local news/talkers (WILM) for news/traffic/weather in AM drive, (WDEL) has one decent lib local talk host (Al Messitti). Allan Loudell for midday news and commentary on WDEL. For music: if I'm in the mood for Jazz or Classical WRTI's 107.7 Wilmington repeater. For Oldies, Country, and Big Band I go online and listen. For sports talk, I listen to 1290 WWTX Fox Sports Talk, or 97.5 the Fanatic. I listen to the Phils on WDEL and the Eagles on either WYSP or WDEL. For some Christian programs and music I like I go online. I also buy many CD's of my favorite music. Many of those I download onto my MP3. So Music on radio is not the big issue for me that it once was. Radio for me is mainly spoken word programming of NPR, sports talk, sports, and local news/traffic/weather.
Yes, I like a lot of different music and programming, but as radio won't give most of what I want, I simply go online and find it. So it may actually be too late for commercial radio to harvest that older boomer market as many of us have migrated to NPR, playing our own CD's and MP3's and online. But as this topic was about WOGL's playlist and 98.1 favors an older demo than most Philly stations, the issue of babyboomers is part of that discussion.
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