Z93 BACK AS A CLASSIC HITS STATION??

[crguy]

I read that the guy who runs CBS radio used to run WZGC "when it was good." I don't know if thats true, but:

What is the chance that instead of coming back as a classic rock, Z93 comes back with djs, a deeper classic hits library and more fun than they have on air at The River??? Also it seems like dave fm has a playlist where a lot of the titles/artists could make the transfer and I think dave has the image that they play alot of that music anyway. That and the dave demo may be more excited about a personality classic hits station instead of the jukebox at 97.1. Don't a lot of people still call it Z93 anyway??

What would the dj line up look like? I'd start with putting Willard in morning drive and team him up with someone fun but not overly chatty........but anyway....

Would it make sense or is The River too entrenched after a year and a half of its classic jukebox format??

 

[livingfruitvirus]

Are you talking about Dan "Southern Guy" Mason? Nothing will happen. Mason actually believes in giving more control back to the local stations.

 

[RADIOGM]

I'm sure Dan Mason would love to see Z-93 back and succesful - just as he had the station in 1976 when he was the Program Director. I don't believe the River is entrenched in the Atlanta market. Z-93 or Dave FM has a much superior signal than the River that can be heard in downtown and midtown Atlanta. These are areas that are very poor reception for 97.1.

I think we all agree that the "Dave" format is extremely lackluster from a ratings and revenue standpoint. CBS would love to have the results of it's sister V-103, currently Atlanta's number 1 rated radio station.

RGM

 

[Radio K!]

Giving control back to local stations...Boy! I wish! I hate cookie cutter radio!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't mind the classic rock format. But do people realize that it could include more than just main stream rock from the 60's & 70's?
There's garage rock, punk from the late 60's, 70's, and 80's, new wave, and metal from the 80's. Even local bands from the past 30 years.

*Sigh* I guess I can still dream...

 

[middlega]

I don't mind the classic rock format. But do people realize that it could include more than just main stream rock from the 60's & 70's? There's garage rock, punk from the late 60's, 70's, and 80's, new wave, and metal from the 80's. Even local bands from the past 30 years. *Sigh* I guess I can still dream...

You're dreaming of decent cume but terrible AQH?

 

[AMCM]

i love the idea, but untill changes are made in managment i don't think those changes will ever happen.

 

[DashRiprock]

??? I wonder how things will change at Z93 under the Neil Millman administration. ...And how will those changes affect Q100?

 

[IT_Guru]

I would rather see CBS flip 92.9 to "The Greatest Hits of the 60's & 70's" like their station 98.1 WOGL in Philly. While they still play some music from the late 60's, their playlist leans more 70's.

I really enjoy listening to their "I Love the 70's Sunday" where I've heard them play EVERYTHING from the 70's including the Beatles and Motown to Glen Campbell, Chic, KC & the Sunshine Band and the classic hits you hear on the River. I even heard them play "The Streak" by Ray Stevens one Sunday. Reminds me of when B98.5 had their all 70's weekends.

If they were to do that I'd be listening to them all the time instead of just my iPod, XM, CD's or WOGL online.

 

[crguy]

I would rather see CBS flip 92.9 to "The Greatest Hits of the 60's & 70's" like their station 98.1 WOGL in Philly. While they still play some music from the late 60's, their playlist leans more 70's.

I really enjoy listening to their "I Love the 70's Sunday" where I've heard them play EVERYTHING from the 70's including the Beatles and Motown to Glen Campbell, Chic, KC & the Sunshine Band and the classic hits you hear on the River. I even heard them play "The Streak" by Ray Stevens one Sunday. Reminds me of when B98.5 had their all 70's weekends.

I like the idea of SOME 60's but more 70's and 80's rock/pop/"urban" hits of those eras. Make it more of with a top40 approach with jocks having fun, listener interaction and features that highlight what the listeners want and like.
I'd say artists like:
STONES
BOSTON
EAGLES
BOWIE
SEGER
SPINNERS
FOREIGNER
STEVIE WONDER
CARS
SUPERTRAMP
TEMPTATIONS
EWFIRE
JOURNEY
ELO
ELTON JOHN
BTO

YEAH PLAY SOME OF THOSE "THE STREAK" AND "CONVOY" TYPE SONGS THAT WERE SORT OF JOKE SONGS BACK THEN TOO.

JUST A FUN STATION WITH NO "ATTUTUDE" AND SOMETHING THAT "EVERYONE CAN AGREE ON"

 

[SalesWeasel]

I like the idea of SOME 60's but more 70's and 80's rock/pop/"urban" hits of those eras. Make it more of with a top40 approach with jocks having fun, listener interaction and features that highlight what the listeners want and like.
I'd say artists like:
STONES
BOSTON
EAGLES
BOWIE
SEGER
SPINNERS
FOREIGNER
STEVIE WONDER
CARS
SUPERTRAMP
TEMPTATIONS
EWFIRE
JOURNEY
ELO
ELTON JOHN
BTO

YEAH PLAY SOME OF THOSE "THE STREAK" AND "CONVOY" TYPE SONGS THAT WERE SORT OF JOKE SONGS BACK THEN TOO.

JUST A FUN STATION WITH NO "ATTUTUDE" AND SOMETHING THAT "EVERYONE CAN AGREE ON"

Isn't this stuff already on The River? Besides, Dave plays PLENTY of Rolling Stones music; too much. Keep your repetitive "Classic Hits" format and allow us to have a few music stations that don't suck, thanks.

 

[IT_Guru]

I've NEVER heard The Spinners, Stevie Wonder or the Temptations on Dave or The River.

This is an example of what I want to hear (What WOGL played from 8-9 tonight)

The Four Tops - Reach Out (I'll Be There)
Elton John - Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
Wilson Pickett - Land Of 1000 Dances
Daryl Hall & John Oates - Rich Girl
Stephanie Mills - Never Knew Love Like This Before
The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
George McCrae - Rock Your Baby
Three Dog Night - One
Diana Ross - Ain't No Mountain High Enough
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Mr. Bojangles
Donna Summer - On The Radio
The Beatles - Yesterday
Sister Sledge - We Are Family
The Doors - Love Her Madly

and on the 70's at 7:

The O'Jays - Love Train
Paul Simon - Loves Me Like A Rock
Stevie Wonder - If You Really Love Me
Neil Sedaka - Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
Michael Jackson - Don't Stop Til You Get Enough
The Grass Roots - Temptation Eyes
Alicia Bridges - I Love The Nightlife
James Taylor - How Sweet It Is To Be Loved By You
Bee Gees - Tragedy
Gladys Night & The Pips - Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me
David Bowie - Fame
Anita Ward - Ring My Bell
John Lennon - Imagine

Right now they are playing Walter Murphy's "A Fifth Of Beethoven"

With a playlist like that it always makes me wonder what they will play next!

I like the idea of SOME 60's but more 70's and 80's rock/pop/"urban" hits of those eras. Make it more of with a top40 approach with jocks having fun, listener interaction and features that highlight what the listeners want and like.
I'd say artists like:
STONES
BOSTON
EAGLES
BOWIE
SEGER
SPINNERS
FOREIGNER
STEVIE WONDER
CARS
SUPERTRAMP
TEMPTATIONS
EWFIRE
JOURNEY
ELO
ELTON JOHN
BTO

YEAH PLAY SOME OF THOSE "THE STREAK" AND "CONVOY" TYPE SONGS THAT WERE SORT OF JOKE SONGS BACK THEN TOO.

JUST A FUN STATION WITH NO "ATTUTUDE" AND SOMETHING THAT "EVERYONE CAN AGREE ON"

Isn't this stuff already on The River? Besides, Dave plays PLENTY of Rolling Stones music; too much. Keep your repetitive "Classic Hits" format and allow us to have a few music stations that don't suck, thanks.

 

[middlega]

This is an example of what I want to hear

So basically you want a station that targets the 45+ demo. Or maybe 50+.
'Cause I'm 40 and would have button pushed all but one of those songs, possibly two if I was in the right mood for the Wilson Pickett.

With a playlist like that it always makes me wonder what they will play next!

Whereas that's pretty much the last thing I want in a radio station, at least in terms of genre.

 

[Radio K!]

I don't mind the classic rock format. But do people realize that it could include more than just main stream rock from the 60's & 70's? There's garage rock, punk from the late 60's, 70's, and 80's, new wave, and metal from the 80's. Even local bands from the past 30 years. *Sigh* I guess I can still dream...

You're dreaming of decent cume but terrible AQH?

Why do you say that? I know what cume, and AQH are. But to further my understanding I'd like to know why you think the AQH would be bad?

 

[middlega]

Why do you say that? I know what cume, and AQH are. But to further my understanding I'd like to know why you think the AQH would be bad?

Because the playlist is too diverse and more critically without enough common ground for most listeners.
Even worse, there's outright animosity between the fans of some of these genres and the others.

Just for example, I can speak pretty well from the standpoint of what 80's metal fans thought/think of some of the other types, likewise I'm sure others would have choice words for my personal music of choice. It ends up frustrating the listener that's left to wonder why the heck they're playing crappy song X, Y, and Z when we know good & well that they could be playing good song A or B.

You can get cume, might even be able to keep some of it beyond initial sampling because cutting that broad a swath you'll be able to get some brief scan/seek listening as you're accidentally playing at least some song that a listener likes occasionally as they pass by. But it wouldn't hold up for AQH because 3/4 of the songs are tuneouts for too many different segments of the audience, and they aren't coming back until the next station forces them to button push.

 

[Radio K!]

Thanks for taking the time to explain middlega. I do appreciate it. And your right. Being an old punk I should have thought about that.
And a few other things you mentioned.

But still I keep dreaming....

 

[middlega]

Thanks for taking the time to explain middlega.

Heck, I'm happy to do it.

Given the contentious nature of this place sometimes, I was at least half-expecting some sort of violent disagreement from somebody. I'd have been 3/4 expecting it if I had known you were an old punker

 

[Radio K!]

Naw.. I really did appreciate you explaining it further. I think we radio folk tend to forget the business side of things. And there are those of us, silly, or not. That do really still care about the music. even though most of the listeners out there do not.


But ya know....I could make the argument that the listening lines have blurred a lot over the years between punks, and
metal heads. Thank God for Moterhead! LOL!

 

[knozall]

Dan Mason wasn't nearly as successful with Z93 as was John Young.

 

[Sgeirk]

Middlega,

I've seen broad-playlisted stations work more and more...in the wake of superserved formats these past 15 years.

Circa 1977, CHR was THAT broad. There are stations around this country successfully playing a very broad cross-section of music from between 64-1995, yet focused mainly in the 70's. KCMO in Kansas City comes to mind.

Of course, it takes local human beings in the market with a furtehr direction to make it local...to get it to work.

A lot of those songs WILL all test together. Most PD's, RVPP's, consultants would never test them all together, or test that broad...but rather research a limited number of titles to a "super core" that just doesn't exist in the REAL WORLD.

If you're only going to test 500 songs at a time, guess what, you'll have about that or less on a playlist. Most budgets just don't allow.

As PPM comes about, radio will be programmed more and more for "the ear." Rather than the diary...playing a wide-cross section and wide variety of music for the MASSES will not just become common-place, it will become necessary for a station's SURVIVAL.

Watch over the next 5-7 years.







Because the playlist is too diverse and more critically without enough common ground for most listeners.
Even worse, there's outright animosity between the fans of some of these genres and the others.

Just for example, I can speak pretty well from the standpoint of what 80's metal fans thought/think of some of the other types, likewise I'm sure others would have choice words for my personal music of choice. It ends up frustrating the listener that's left to wonder why the heck they're playing crappy song X, Y, and Z when we know good & well that they could be playing good song A or B.

You can get cume, might even be able to keep some of it beyond initial sampling because cutting that broad a swath you'll be able to get some brief scan/seek listening as you're accidentally playing at least some song that a listener likes occasionally as they pass by. But it wouldn't hold up for AQH because 3/4 of the songs are tuneouts for too many different segments of the audience, and they aren't coming back until the next station forces them to button push.

 

[crguy]

I like what you're talking about Sgeirk. It seems that Jack could have taken off a lot more if they would have come on with jocks and contests and promotions. It seems like when you bring the WHOLE PACKAGE, people connnect with it. A broad playlist is pretty much "everyone" listened to before the early 90's whenhen RAP became a niche of CHR, Alternative became a niche or Rock and AAA, both became huge and mainstream stations went.....country! LOL!

Some of the playlist suggestions above could work if all the songs were HITS of that particular era. A HIT BASED station covering the 70s and 80s with SOME 60's and a SPRINKLE of 90's is working in some markets. Look at Chicago with what amounts to the old WLS on FM at 94-7, the "new" KFRC in San Francisco and the fact that there's no oldies in Atlanta???...seems like a natural in Atlanta with the right talent from the start.

Also as Sgerik says it must be kept local and I'm sure most would agree it should play more than 500 titles. Thats a good amount for a niche format, not a mainstream across the spectrum of genres...format. Load up a ton of music that people (25-54) would recognize and eventually you get to a point where..almost anything from those eras that was a HIT, sounds like a FIT! Apologies to the late J. Cochrane.