WROR

[jamjimaria]

Does anyone know what is going on with WROR? They are now billing themselves as playing "Boston's Greatest Hits" although the music sounds the same to me. Also Oldies 103.3 says they have been playing Boston's greatest hits for 20 years. It seems odd to me that 2 stations in the same market would have the same slogan.

 

[WMC2006]

I heard Loren Owens just this morning saying "Boston's Greatest Hits"...thought it was odd but didn't think much more of it at the time...until right now

WROR.com now ( I dont know when it changed) says "Boston's Greatest Hits" as well...no more "The Songs You Grew Up With".

WODS's site (Oldies1033.com) still says "The Greatest Hits of the 60s and 70s" and they are also celebrating their 20th anniversary so we'll probably hear lots of stuff from them.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

WROR.com now ( I dont know when it changed) says "Boston's Greatest Hits" as well...no more "The Songs You Grew Up With".

While WROR was saying "The Songs You Grew Up With", WODS was saying "The Music You Grew Up With". I'm not sure if they've dropped that as well.

 

[OldiesCat]

Smart flanking move on WODS. Can you believe WODS is #10 25-54 persons? When's the last time we saw that? WROR's doing well and, in what may be a surprise to many, Mike FM is also ahead of WODS.

 

[BRNout]

WODS is sounding too much like an oldies/AC operation. While that approach may seem wise on paper, it adds up to a pretty dull music mix. Only the specialty shows are interesting these days. While I have historically favored WODS over the "classic hits" of WROR - recently I have found myself listening to the latter more often. And, hearing it in other places too. Personally, I think that WODS has suffered from the softer music strategy.

Most people can take only so much of James Taylor and the same 150 songs over and over. :

Of course, I think that the best oldies station in the market is WBOQ! But, the best one is Boston itself may not be Oldies 103.3 anymore.

 

[OldiesCat]

WODS is sounding too much like an oldies/AC operation. While that approach may seem wise on paper, it adds up to a pretty dull music mix. Only the specialty shows are interesting these days. While I have historically favored WODS over the "classic hits" of WROR - recently I have found myself listening to the latter more often. And, hearing it in other places too. Personally, I think that WODS has suffered from the softer music strategy.

Most people can take only so much of James Taylor and the same 150 songs over and over. :

Of course, I think that the best oldies station in the market is WBOQ! But, the best one is Boston itself may not be Oldies 103.3 anymore.

I hate to break the news to you, but oldies stations that sound like "oldies stations" are the ones dying off. Those who refuse to evolve and compete 25-54 will be (and are being) left behind.

"Oldies", as it's been from the late 80s into the early 2000s, is o-v-e-r.

 

[Oldbones]

WODS is sounding too much like an oldies/AC operation. While that approach may seem wise on paper, it adds up to a pretty dull music mix. Only the specialty shows are interesting these days. While I have historically favored WODS over the "classic hits" of WROR - recently I have found myself listening to the latter more often. And, hearing it in other places too. Personally, I think that WODS has suffered from the softer music strategy.

Most people can take only so much of James Taylor and the same 150 songs over and over. :

Of course, I think that the best oldies station in the market is WBOQ! But, the best one is Boston itself may not be Oldies 103.3 anymore.

I hate to break the news to you, but oldies stations that sound like "oldies stations" are the ones dying off. Those who refuse to evolve and compete 25-54 will be (and are being) left behind.

"Oldies", as it's been from the late 80s into the early 2000s, is o-v-e-r.

I think he's referring more to tempo/texture than vintage. I don't think anyone's suggesting WODS start playing Chuck Berry and the Platters again, just that the music is too wimpy and AC-ish.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

I think he's referring more to tempo/texture than vintage. I don't think anyone's suggesting WODS start playing Chuck Berry and the Platters again, just that the music is too wimpy and AC-ish.

There was a good reason why WODS included a lot of soft AC from the 70's and very early 80's in their mix for many years. It was because until very recently, their main competition for their demographic was not another oldies or classic hits station, it was WMJX.

For many years, through the 1990's until just a couple of years ago, WODS and WMJX fought for the top rated music spot in the 25-54. WMJX always also included a lot of soft oldies and Motown in their mix, and the two stations duplicated a lot of promotions and formatics. WODS always included some soft AC to keep a piece of that pie that would've gone to further bolster successful WMJX, who were their main competition for quite a while.

But, the times they are a'changing, and it might be time for WODS to rethink that strategy. Over just the past couple of years, Greater Media finally focused WROR's classic hits format, brought more personality to their presentation, and is now taking a direct shot at WODS, so now WODS has to worry about keeping their hold of some AC listeners from WMJX, as well as competing with WROR's improved classic hits format.

Also, WMKK "Mike" has finally settled on being a mostly classic hits station as well, and they're getting the segment of the demo that doesn't prefer a personality presentation, they're getting the listeners who'd rather have their classic hits with no (live) chatter. They're another piece of the 25-54 pie.

WMJX is still playing lots of the usual AC hits from the 70's, 80's and 90's as well as some soft oldies and Motown, but they're also trying to attract a younger contingent as well with some of the softer mainstream "alt-rock" hits of the 2000's to today, some of the same artists WBOS might play.

So, the questions for WODS nowadays as I see them are:

Do they continue to keep playing a lot of '70s/'80s soft AC with the oldies to keep a segment of the AC audience away from WMJX?

If so, will they get older WMJX listeners who don't want to hear the "modern" rock artists they're now including, and would there be any advantage to that?

Or, should WODS minimize the AC to be a more effective competition to WROR, who have finally come up with a more focused classic hits format and are now nipping at their heels?

One thing is for sure, as much as some of us on this board would like it, it would be business suicide for WODS to go back any farther in years in their oldies music. The music of the 50's and early 60's is gone for major market radio. A station like that can't survive on increasing numbers in the senior citizen demo.

 

[chitchatjf]

Oldies started as a clone of the old CBS FM in New York.

Why not cloning the "new" CBS FM?

Add 80s and not just 80s hits by oldies artists.

 

[BRNout]

Thanks Oldbones! Yes, I was referring to the soft tone of the station more than the musical vintage. The "new" CBS-FM seems to be doing a good job of mixing a lot of 60's and 70's hits with 80's hits that fit well. Include the upbeat jingles (much better than ODS') and you have a young sounding "oldies" station that pleases the older crowd while leaving an opening for younger folks.

Clearly WODS is slipping and my observation relates to why that may be. Remembering that Boston is a slightly older market, there is room for the music. But, WODS is BORING! Waaaay too slow for my 40 year old taste. Liven it up and you'll see results.

By the way, with PPM technology, oldies stations are doing better - thanks to the relatively universal appeal of the music. The format's demise has been vastly overestimated.

 

[Garrett]

You know the Jingles thing is an interesting point! I remember in 1999 and 2000, WODS was using the same "Do it again" CBS FM package of TM Century. But when I was last back there, they were using something else, that wasn't as good and not as intersting. But I still think WODS is quality.

 

[jlehmann]

The CBS-FM "Do It Again" package was from JAM. The jingles 105.7 WROR used between when they signed on, and 2000 or so, were also from JAM, various packages made for WPLJ in the 80s.

 

[BoscoGoldBear]

Personally speaking, I think WODS (nee Oldies) should update its playlist to "20 years ago" and update that on a continuous basis. In short, groups and songs such as the following should be on 103.3:

-U2 (through "Joshua Tree" but EXCLUDING non-hits like "I Will Follow," "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "New Year's Day" and "Two Hearts Beat As One" - leave those to 'ZLX and/or 'BCN)
-Genesis/Phil Collins (through Invisible Touch/In Too Deep)
-"Word Up" - Cameo
-"The Rain" - Oran "Juice" Jones
-"Rumors" - Timex Social Club
-1980s Aretha
-early Madonna (through "Like A Prayer")
-Michael Jackson through "Bad" CD (including Smooth Criminal)
-"The One I Love" - REM (no "End Of The World" since it was a rock hit only and bombed on the pop charts; i.e. never made the top 40)
-"Just Like Heaven" - The Cure (also as FAR back as the retooled Mix 98-5 should go; really should consider dropping the Cure and the rest of the late 1980s in the next year or so)
-should start thinking about George Michael/Wham! hits
-Janet Jackson's first big solo CD "Control"
-Bon Jovi and Whitesnake; may be too heavy for 'ODS, shift them to 'ZLX and off Mix, which NEEDS to be more "from the 1990s into the 21st century"
-Richard Marx
-The Jets
-ABC
-Cyndi Lauper
-"Catch Me I'm Fallin'" - Pretty Poison
-"Rock Steady" - The Whispers

Just a few suggestions!

 

[Garrett]

The CBS-FM "Do It Again" package was from JAM. The jingles 105.7 WROR used between when they signed on, and 2000 or so, were also from JAM, various packages made for WPLJ in the 80s.

Oh yes, you're right, it is JAM, not TM Century... I was thinking of Jingles.com and for some reason TM Century came into my head.
My bad...

 

[DrPicky]

FYI, in the 90's WMJX was #1 25-54 Adults 22 times. WODS was #1 25-54 Adults only three times - and never after 1992. The only time WODS has been #1 in the 00's is last fall and that was all December numbers from Christmas Music (or as they call it, "Holiday Music").

 

[Eli Polonsky]

FYI, in the 90's WMJX was #1 25-54 Adults 22 times. WODS was #1 25-54 Adults only three times - and never after 1992. The only time WODS has been #1 in the 00's is last fall and that was all December numbers from Christmas Music (or as they call it, "Holiday Music").

WODS was often #2 25-54 to WMJX during those years though, and that's only when including music stations, not talkers. The two were the main competition for one another until the past couple of years when WROR and WMKK became more focused players.