WPCH Jingles

[oldies981fan]

I would like to know if WPCH used any jingles when they were known as "FM 95 WPCH", and if they did, please let me know.

 

[jabba17]

You mean back in the Beautiful Music days? Not that I recall.

Just a soft-spoken announcer. "W-P-C-H. Peach. FM 95. (then usually a catchword such as...) Relaxing!", complete with Paul Harvey (RIP)-length pauses.

Not even any sweeps or theme music, unlike WLTA which used the theme to "Gone With The Wind", IIRC, to lead into a station break.

They did add jingles when they flipped (or, rather, eased into) AC, but nothing memorable like the "Atlanta's Soft Rock Favorites! Peach 94-9!" that they used near the end, (if you call that memorable).

 

[Delta767]

I know they used the WALK-FM (New York) Package from JAM in 90's... when they were still "Peach". It had a Top of the Hour ramp (slow of course) with the calls and city sung at the back.

 

[DuckBlue]

Back when they were programmed by SRP (Schulke Radio Productions), the standard ID was "WPCH. All music, all the time." When they went on the air in the early 1970s, they were an instant hit and soon became Atlanta's number one FM station. Jim Shulke exercised almost dictatorial control over the stations that he programmed. He supplied the music on 15-inch tape reels. Not only did he specify what music was to be played and when, but he specified the equipment that the station had to use.

 

[RoddyFreeman]

Back when they were programmed by SRP (Schulke Radio Productions), the standard ID was "WPCH. All music, all the time." When they went on the air in the early 1970s, they were an instant hit and soon became Atlanta's number one FM station. Jim Shulke exercised almost dictatorial control over the stations that he programmed. He supplied the music on 15-inch tape reels. Not only did he specify what music was to be played and when, but he specified the equipment that the station had to use.

I once heard Steve Goss speak about the beautiful music days. He said it was the only format with dead air programmed in. After the song ended before a break, the announcer would count to 3 before speaking. And when the announcer finished speaking going back into music, he likewise had to count to 3 before starting the music.

 

[romer979fm]

He said it was the only format with dead air programmed in. After the song ended before a break, the announcer would count to 3 before speaking.

the dead air even had a name: it was called "savor time". puhl-leeze. and in the Schulke II format days, no headphones
allowed in the control room. no need. savor this...

 

[T.G.]

Don't knock it...it worked. Schulke also specified that commercials had to be run at a lower modulation level. And if that wasn't enough, he insisted that the tape deck heads had to be changed before each new rating period. These antics help make a lot of money for his clients.

 

[Bored Op]

I once heard Steve Goss speak about the beautiful music days. He said it was the only format with dead air programmed in. After the song ended before a break, the announcer would count to 3 before speaking. And when the announcer finished speaking going back into music, he likewise had to count to 3 before starting the music.

Reminds me of WHLC in Highlands, NC, just north of Atlanta. I was one of many OPs managers there in the 90s. We had to count "1001, 1002, 1003" AFTER the song faded to nothing before we started talking. Then it was back to the "relaxing, easy favorites." I wanted to slash my wrists.

 

[jabba17]

I remember the "all music, all the time" blurb, too, as well as the commercials being played softer.

Did the guy who did the VO for the "Silence Channel/Radio Prozac" on the pre-Rock 100.5 stunt also do VOs for Peach back in the day? He nailed it with the pauses, tone of voice, patter, etc.

 

[romer979fm]

Don't knock it...it worked.

failed miserably in Nashville: WJYN "The Joy of Nashville"

 

[jabba17]

Don't knock it...it worked.

failed miserably in Nashville: WJYN "The Joy of Nashville"

When was that? BM hasn't been a viable format in most places for about 20-25 years or more. Remember, we're talking about Peach in the 1970s.

That's not to say that there aren't a handful of stations that are successful with BM, and a lot of AC stations put BM on HD subchannels because it's easy and cheap to program and it's not personality-driven. And Escape is one of the bigger-drawing channels on satellite.

 

[thefirstgenesis]

Don't knock it...it worked.

failed miserably in Nashville: WJYN "The Joy of Nashville"

When was that? BM hasn't been a viable format in most places for about 20-25 years or more. Remember, we're talking about Peach in the 1970s.

That's not to say that there aren't a handful of stations that are successful with BM, and a lot of AC stations put BM on HD subchannels because it's easy and cheap to program and it's not personality-driven. And Escape is one of the bigger-drawing channels on satellite.

There's one place where the beautiful music format is still successful. Check out WDUV FM in Tampa. That station has been number 1 on the Arbitron ratings in Tampa for at least 2 years now.

 

[Bored Op]

There's one place where the beautiful music format is still successful. Check out WDUV FM in Tampa. That station has been number 1 on the Arbitron ratings in Tampa for at least 2 years now.

WDUV is only #1 12+ which is only a beauty contest. Please don't make us re-hash why 12+ numbers aren't worth anything but bragging rights. They can't sell those numbers and WDUV runs bonused spots for buys on other stations in the cluster.

 

[T.G.]

The time period we're discussing was the 70's. During that era the Schulke stations could be counted on to be ranked near the top of every market they were in.

Those stations did very well financially until the agency buyers decided it was smarter to forget TSL and 18+ numbers and start focusing on target demographics.

One other Schulke mandate that was interesting. No audio compression could be used. Only very light peak-limiting. If the ratings took a dip it was the board operator's fault.

 

[RoddyFreeman]

WDUV is only #1 12+ which is only a beauty contest. Please don't make us re-hash why 12+ numbers aren't worth anything but bragging rights. They can't sell those numbers and WDUV runs bonused spots for buys on other stations in the cluster.

Except WDUV is in Tampa, one of the few markets where older numbers do make a lot of money. If that weren't the case, Cox would flip the format.

 

[OgOgglby]

Peach had one book in the 80's where they were number 1 12+ and it made a heck of a lot of money in that decade. I heard through part of the 80's when Jacor owned them it was among the highest revenue generators of the whole chain. Maybe Kramer or someone could verify that...

 

[DuckBlue]

One other Schulke mandate that was interesting. No audio compression could be used. Only very light peak-limiting. If the ratings took a dip it was the board operator's fault.

I was told that Shulke would put on his hearing protectors and fly to cities where his stations were not tops in the ratings. He would then spend several days sitting in a hotel room listening to them on his reference radio to diagnose the problem.

 

[oldies981fan]

I know they used the WALK-FM (New York) Package from JAM in 90's... when they were still "Peach". It had a Top of the Hour ramp (slow of course) with the calls and city sung at the back.

Which one, "Variety Pack" or "First Step" Delta 767?

 

[jabba17]

Peach had one book in the 80's where they were number 1 12+ and it made a heck of a lot of money in that decade. I heard through part of the 80's when Jacor owned them it was among the highest revenue generators of the whole chain. Maybe Kramer or someone could verify that...

96 Rock in the Citicasters/Jacor days and WGST in the Jacor days also did well.

For reference, Peach was still BM as late as 1985.