WQIC "Lunch Boat- 70s edition" ... I LOVE RIMSHOTS

[vinyltapecd]

Man, is this the best thing I have heard on local commercial radio for about 10 years!!!!! During this week's spotlight on the 70s, I heard the following songs, just to name a few:

Sylvia's Mother- Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show
Never Gonna Fall in Love Again- Eric Carmen
Billy Don't Be a Hero- Paper Lace
Longer- Dan Fogelberg

YES...finally a spotlight on the 70s which doesn't consist of the same 100 overplayed songs. Screw you WSOX and screw you WARM. Your stale vanilla music is not something I am ever inclined to listen to even though I am a radio fan. Both of you used to be excellent when you actually played real music, but in this quest to be "cool" (and kowtow to advertisers I guess), you both took things too far and turned into pools of garbage. Hmmm, there is a common factor...I think I should really be blaming Cumulus. Anyway, nobody should say that the changes were for the sake of listeners, because I am willing to bet that about almost any listener will agree with me that WARM and WSOX define the words "stale" and "vanilla" better than a dictionary can.

Anyway, I just had to give some props to 100.1 WQIC!!! I just wish their signal was a bit better in York...the Spanish format on 100.3 seems to cause a little interference. WQIC is an excellent station...even their regular soft rock programming has 10 times more variety than WROZ and especially WARM. WQLV was also a very good rimshot AC before they changed format...they also had a 70s program which included tracks that were worth listening to, I posted a thread about it a few weeks ago. Why is it that the rimshots are always SO much better music-wise????? And sound quality wise as well...they don't sound overcompressed like both of the Cumulus stations. The rimshots really do a good job with their processing...just the right amount of dynamic range compression to make the music "come to life". GO RIMSHOTS!!!!!

 

[loeper]

"Billy don't be a hero by Paper Lace" you've got to be kidding. BOOOOOORRRRIIIINNNNGGG!!!!

Man, is this the best thing I have heard on local commercial radio for about 10 years!!!!! During this week's spotlight on the 70s, I heard the following songs, just to name a few:

Sylvia's Mother- Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show
Never Gonna Fall in Love Again- Eric Carmen
Billy Don't Be a Hero- Paper Lace
Longer- Dan Fogelberg

YES...finally a spotlight on the 70s which doesn't consist of the same 100 overplayed songs. Screw you WSOX and screw you WARM. Your stale vanilla music is not something I am ever inclined to listen to even though I am a radio fan. Both of you used to be excellent when you actually played real music, but in this quest to be "cool" (and kowtow to advertisers I guess), you both took things too far and turned into pools of garbage. Hmmm, there is a common factor...I think I should really be blaming Cumulus. Anyway, nobody should say that the changes were for the sake of listeners, because I am willing to bet that about almost any listener will agree with me that WARM and WSOX define the words "stale" and "vanilla" better than a dictionary can.

Anyway, I just had to give some props to 100.1 WQIC!!! I just wish their signal was a bit better in York...the Spanish format on 100.3 seems to cause a little interference. WQIC is an excellent station...even their regular soft rock programming has 10 times more variety than WROZ and especially WARM. WQLV was also a very good rimshot AC before they changed format...they also had a 70s program which included tracks that were worth listening to, I posted a thread about it a few weeks ago. Why is it that the rimshots are always SO much better music-wise????? And sound quality wise as well...they don't sound overcompressed like both of the Cumulus stations. The rimshots really do a good job with their processing...just the right amount of dynamic range compression to make the music "come to life". GO RIMSHOTS!!!!!

 

[John-Summers]

"Billy Don't Be a Hero" by Paper Lace? Yes, I know that was the original verion, but if you're going to play something that execrable, why not play the version that charted in this country by Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods?

I can hardly wait to hear "Blind Man in the Bleachers," another of the songs that made the 70s what they were.

 

[Seltzer]

Man, is this the best thing I have heard on local commercial radio for about 10 years!!!!! During this week's spotlight on the 70s, I heard the following songs, just to name a few:

Sylvia's Mother- Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show
Never Gonna Fall in Love Again- Eric Carmen
Billy Don't Be a Hero- Paper Lace
Longer- Dan Fogelberg

YES...finally a spotlight on the 70s which doesn't consist of the same 100 overplayed songs. Screw you WSOX and screw you WARM. Your stale vanilla music is not something I am ever inclined to listen to even though I am a radio fan. Both of you used to be excellent when you actually played real music, but in this quest to be "cool" (and kowtow to advertisers I guess), you both took things too far and turned into pools of garbage. Hmmm, there is a common factor...I think I should really be blaming Cumulus. Anyway, nobody should say that the changes were for the sake of listeners, because I am willing to bet that about almost any listener will agree with me that WARM and WSOX define the words "stale" and "vanilla" better than a dictionary can.

Anyway, I just had to give some props to 100.1 WQIC!!! I just wish their signal was a bit better in York...the Spanish format on 100.3 seems to cause a little interference. WQIC is an excellent station...even their regular soft rock programming has 10 times more variety than WROZ and especially WARM. WQLV was also a very good rimshot AC before they changed format...they also had a 70s program which included tracks that were worth listening to, I posted a thread about it a few weeks ago. Why is it that the rimshots are always SO much better music-wise????? And sound quality wise as well...they don't sound overcompressed like both of the Cumulus stations. The rimshots really do a good job with their processing...just the right amount of dynamic range compression to make the music "come to life". GO RIMSHOTS!!!!!

I suspect with the arrival of the York ratings yesterday, WSOX and/or WARM are now laughing if they read this post about your take on their "vanilla" music.

 

[bossjock 56]

Who's laughing? WARM, WSOX, and WQIC are ALL delisted by Arbitron for not subscribing.

 

[vinyltapecd]

Seltzer, do you know something that most of us don't? As in, why WSOX and/or WARM would be laughing about me labeling their music as "boring" or "vanilla"?

 

[Seltzer]

No, I know nothing, except at least in Lancaster, WSOX had a strong spring book pulling an 8 share 12 plus. The #s are posted at the usual places. WARM had its best book there since 08. So like it or not, Vanilla is the flavor of the month apparently among radio listeners in Lancaster. The big winner among stations that play newer stuff was WLAN. Country led the roost though as WIOV had a great book and took the market.

 

[vinyltapecd]

WOW...numbers don't lie...vanilla really is the the flavor of the month in Lancaster, no joke.

Most likely though, the single most important factor behind WSOX's 50% increase in Lancaster listener share is the format flip of MIX. I admit I completely forgot about the whole "MIX" thing. At first glance, WSOX is a good station because most of their music is good, there is no denying that. Now I remember...when I moved back to the area in 2007, I used to tune in to WSOX quite a bit because I hadn't listened to the radio for a while, and they WERE playing good songs, as they still are today. Just like vanilla ice cream is delicious, after all. THEN the songs started repeating, and repeating, and repeating..........

So what I'd like to see is whether they can keep these shares over the next few books.

And it's reasonable to think that a tiny portion of MIX's former listeners went to WARM as well, perhaps because they might be able to receive it a lot better than WSOX depending on location. Nevertheless, WARM hasn't suffered a tremendous loss of listeners as I predicted, so I was dead wrong in that regard.

I admit defeat in the fact that both of these station did WAY better than I thought. But I guess the real question is whether they will maintain these ratings once the "new brooms sweep clean" factor wears off. Only time will tell.....

 

[Seltzer]

You do bring up a real good point about Mix. I had totally forgot about their flip. Yes, the station they most closely sounded like was WSOX. That would explain almost a 3 point increase or at least some of it.

No defeat....you bring good discussions to this board. That's what the board is all about. Discussing the local radio scene; the good, bad, and indifferent.

 

[Interstate 78]

Just thought I'd weigh in to say WQIC is quite an interesting little rimshot AC in the middle of nowhere with an oddball but fun mix of music and they don't even have a website. How antiquated is that. And do they still sign off at midnight? Interesting and odd little station with a fun playlist. Reminds me of another similar such station in NE PA, "Magic 105" WMGH from Tamaqua. Kind of similar to WQIC.

 

[RockofHBG]

As stated, WQIC is a rimshot and can't compete with the class B's, so they opt to be less mass-appeal. Actually, they probably think they are more mass-appeal. For stations like WQIC, it's like trying to compete with Wal-mart. They'll never win the game, so they opt for another sport.

 

[Radio Babe]

perhaps this is just a sleeping giant that needs awakened?

Who is the PD?

 

[vinyltapecd]

For stations like WQIC, it's like trying to compete with Wal-mart. They'll never win the game, so they opt for another sport.

It's true that stations like this will never win the game, but I think it's solely due to their weak signals and lack of marketing, etc...NOT because "more variety chases listeners away" or anything like that. Not that it proves anything, but WQIC announced that they'll be continuing the 70s Lunch Boat next week due to an "overwhelming request from listeners" to do so. Believe it or not...listeners actually asked for more "sissy" Dan Fogelberg, Neil Diamond, Eric Carmen, and Stylistics tunes. You could argue that these listeners are all 100 years old, but I doubt it.

 

[RockofHBG]

All right, then why do the vast majority of stations with TIGHT playlists win? I don't know for sure other than it makes them very mass appeal. Massive amounts of research have been done and time and time again, it's the tight stations that win. Don't you think the vast majority of radio people hate tight lists and would find a way, any way to make a longer playlist work? I guarantee you if you could get a 20 share, even a 10 share with a longer playlist, programmers would swarm. Time to stop thinking that would you like would work .....it is common for folks who either listen a lot or work in radio, that makes their gut better. IT DOESN'T.

 

[vinyltapecd]

I guarantee you if you could get a 20 share, even a 10 share with a longer playlist, programmers would swarm.

Remember the old WARM? They used to be pulling 10 shares in the 90s and early 2000s. Their regular programming used to include songs like "Chain Gang" by Sam Cooke (1960) and "Stand By Me" (1961)...stretching all the way to currents like Celine Dion, Hootie and the Blowfish, Britney Spears, etc. In between were the popular soft rock like Fleetwood Mac, America, Chicago, Elton John, Phil Collins, etc. and the so-called "sissy" soft rock like Bread, Dan Fogelberg, Lobo, Stephen Bishop, etc. And they also used to feature Dick Bartley's "Rock and Roll's Greatest Hits" which was pretty much oldies from the 60s and late 50s/early 70s.

Doesn't sound like a tight playlist by any stretch of the imagination. Sounds like good music though.

 

[RockofHBG]

Hate to be the one to have to break it to you, Vinyl....it's 2010!!! Look at this:
graduated 1978 turns 50 this year
graduated 1988 turns 40 this year

Don't you think if the "sissy" crap worked, there would be some radio "genius" who'd be doing it, racking up great numbers? You'think you're the only guy smart enough to discover this "lost" format? Really? It's over. Go get your 8-track player serviced or sign up for XM.

I do understand how you feel. I loved Nick-At-Nite circa 1988. Car 54 Where Are You, Mister Ed, The Donna Reed Show,and Danny Thomas were all a part of the mix. I'd still watch that black and white lineup today and I miss it. Now, I never watch Nick at Nite or it's sister TV Land. However, I'm smart enough and humble enough to know my opinions are not necessarily those of the masses and I accept that that lineup is never coming back. You'd be advised to do the same with "Sissy" radio.

 

[vinyltapecd]

Let's stay on topic here...

You said that playlists with even a little bit of variety don't work in radio...and then I mentioned the success of the old WARM as a simple counterexample. I wasn't focusing on the fact that WARM used to play a couple of sissy songs here and there...I probably shouldn't have even brought that up. I was trying to point out that the old WARM had lots of variety but made sure they consistently played good music, which is why I think they were so successful back in the day. But instead of addressing that point, you changed the topic to 8-track players, which weren't even used anymore when I was a baby, by the way.

Food for thought: is "Chain Gang" by Sam Cooke "sissy" or "archaic"? It sounds like something a 20/30/40 year-old could get up and dance to. So...could a song like this, along with bunch of similar, carefully selected songs possibly attract more listeners to a station like WSOX (or even WARM) by relieving the boredom? I say yes...what do you say?

 

[RockofHBG]

Variety is definitely a good thing, but variety is in the eye and ear of the beholder. Think about it. Variety translates to "...what I like". If an ice cream store has three flavors you like rather than twenty you don't care for, to you that's a "good variety" The key is finding those songs that a majority of people agree are good. Let me tell you, there are not many titles that are truly mass appeal hits. It would seem that there are, but really there are not. Many of those who have never had access to research or who have programmed a radio station wrongly believe there are literally thousands of acceptable songs just laying around, not getting airplay. So for a radio station like WARM or The Rose if you can come up with 275-300 songs that are mass appeal (test well), You're doing well. Remember, a radio station has about 46-50 minutes an hour to fill with music. In that time, you gotta grab all available listeners. It's a different scenario than if listeners tuned in for 8 hours at a pop. As far those old songs, they're radio roulette. You risk tuning out the 30 -40 year olds when you play them. By the way 70s music is fine, just not the soft 70s like Dan Fogelberg, Carpenters, and slow Elton John. Todays ACs play Barry White, KC and the Sunshine Band and lots of upbeat dance and disco.

 

[vinyltapecd]

The key is finding those songs that a majority of people agree are good.

Excellent point. Now take a look at the songs that stations like WARM play in heavy rotation (stuff by Kelly Clarkson, Pink, Daughtry, Nickelback, Leona Lewis, etc). I've been wondering this for some time now: are these songs actually popular with even, say, 25% of today's 20/30/40 year old women?? Taking a look at different people in various places, I can definitely tell that a song like "Haven't Met You Yet" by Michael Buble or most songs by Taylor Swift and The Fray have the mass-appeal you are talking about, at least before they were overplayed to death. But I don't get that picture for the other 5 artists I mentioned. In fact, based on my interactions/observations, I get the impression that a song like "Sweet Caroline" appeals to more younger women than those 5 artists do. So I've been wanting to ask: is there any data or statistics that could actually reveal how popular the AC heavy rotation songs really are?? And furthermore, EVEN IF these songs are in fact mass appeal, there is a bigger problem: can even the biggest fans of these songs tolerate hearing them SO OFTEN??

Anyway, back to the topic of the old WARM, which you seem to be carefully avoiding for some reason. All I want to say is: the fact that their soft rock variety sampled both the 60s and the 90s heavily didn't seem to hurt them at all, considering that they topped most ratings books. Apparently, hearing Sam Cooke AND Hootie and the Blowfish within minutes of each other didn't cause too many people to tune out...to me, THAT is what screams "mass appeal". Not today's WARM. I'm just going by the ratings.

 

[RockofHBG]

One final point.....things have greatly changed. Tempo is more important than ever before at AC. Didn't used to matter. Today's 35-44's were listening to top 40 in the 80s. They like that energy, that produced feel. "Sweet Caroline" is their grandma's music. Contemporary does not mean 25-30 years old, at least in sound. Today's AC is different, Some people have a hard time accepting that. You appear to be one