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Well, not all of the radio format changes are just to add to the endless list of stations airing only holiday music after all.In Atlanta, WYAY has dropped 'True Oldies', but in a slight format change has gone to 'Greatest Hits'. It's really less talking and changing out 50's and early 60's music for more 80's, but it is considered a format change. Somehow other radio experts consider "classic hits" to be different from "oldies" on the format wheel. In Chattanooga, the 'classic hits' format has come to WOGT 107.9, in this instance replacing the country format which aired for just over 5 years. By the way, the station was "oldies" prior to the 2005 change to country. And in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, WMYF 1380 dropped its adult standards format last week and picked up ESPN Radio to go all sports. The station also carries Boston Bruins hockey.
Another note to the radio executives while they continue to wonder why the AM and FM radio audiences continue to vanish. This may come as a shock, but millions of people are at home or in the car with more time than usual to listen to local radio stations on Thanksgiving weekend. This SHOULD have been a time for local stations to showcase their programming and talent in hopes of increasing their audiences.Instead, us listeners were slapped in the face (or the ear) with reruns of talk shows, substitute hosts, and part-time staff. I can possibly accept some degree of substitutions on Thanksgiving Day itself. Yet, moreso than past years, it seems that radio has made the entire weekend to be like a holiday and thrown away a chance to impress potential listeners.Airing a "Best Of" talk show which is outdated is not a way to keep a listener's attention when he or she has more time than usual to listen and perhaps sample a show he/she would not normally have an opportunity to hear. This past weekend should have been the chance to give people more and more reasons to CHOOSE "your" station.This was not a holiday for PPM's, diaries, or other ratings measurement tools. True, on-air talent deserves some time off just like anyone else. But at least prepare something ahead of time. Make an effort. Listeners have too many other options. My MP3 player wasn't playing music I don't normally listen to instead of my favorite songs. Many of the TV networks were showing marathons, special movie presentations, or some form of themed programming designed to attract and keep viewers for hours, knowing that more viewers than usual would be available. Check the movie box office figures for the weekend. Obviously, a lot of people seeing a lot of movies. Other forms of 'entertainment' were clearly ready for the long holiday weekend.Many smaller retailers, open for extended hours on the year's busiest shopping weekend, had local radio stations on. How annoying it must have been for their customers to have to listen to replays of talk shows or part-time hosts introducing music instead of the station's top guns.All except, of course, the stations in every city already burning us out on the same few hours of holiday music titles weeks before the next set of holidays gets here.I guess we will all have to adjust to the wishes of AM and FM Radio management. We should only listen to local stations between 6 AM and Midnight on working weekdays. Then we wouldn't have these issues.
As much as we yearn for competition among local stations, this takes it a bit too far.It's really not funny, but it fits in as an "only in radio" story.......http://cbs13.com/local/radio.dj.burglary.2.2003579.html
Oldies radio fans in the NYC area might wish to consider the "Oldies Lunch", scheduled for Saturday Nov. 13th at Ben's Deli on West 38th Street in Manhattan from 2 - 4 PM. Russ "Famous Amos" Di Bello and former WNBC and WCBS-FM's Big Jay Sorensen are two of the special guests, with WAXQ's Jim Kerr also expected to attend.
There is no extra cost to attend other than lunch at Ben's. (If only they would go back to 60's prices!!) Reservations are requested by calling (908) 403-8962. I wonder who is bringing the reverb chamber!
(Actually, this sounds like fun, and I wish I could make it.)
It's been rather quiet on the format change front, which is usually the case for November and December until the format switching heats up again in January.
KVI 570 Seattle will be switching back to oldies. The "back" is not about the music. This station stops its current talk format after this week to turn to oldies for the second time in its history. Simply put, this format change is "getting old".
Of course, there are format changes a-plenty coming up across the country over the next 6 weeks, as more and more stations abandon the rest of the year and go with holiday music. But I'm not going to bore you with those after this week.
Here it is November 2, and we already have some stations roasting chestnuts by the open fire all day long. Upstate New York seems to be leading the holiday spirit, for whatever reason.
Believe it or not, Albany NY already has not one but TWO stations on holiday. WTRY-FM 98.3 and Buzz 105.7 have changed over, while Syracuse has WZUN Sunny 102.1 jingling bells and Utica's WUMX Mix 102.5 is doing the same. Everything is up to date in Kansas City as Star 102 is holiday, and Grand Rapids has River 100.5 flowing with the snowy sounds of December already.
Nothing like hearing about the World Series during another hour of holiday music..........
Bob jacks classic rock. No, it's not a new radio station slogan, although it probably will be one of these days. Instead, it's what happened this week in Biloxi. Classic rock WHGO 105.9 has changed to "Bob FM". At least they are starting off by playing 10,000 songs in a row without commercials, and some of what they are playing are actually classic rock songs. Not sure how Bob differs from Jack, but we'll see what the Biloxi listeners think.
Norfolk VA has 3 times the fun this week, as 3 of the market's stations have done the switcheroo. Kiss-FM 105.3 has puckered for the last time, as the former urban contemporary station has become Magic 105.3 and gone further back in time to feature classic hits.
Ah, but that's not the end of urban programming in the market. Cool 92.1 has gone from light rock oldies to Urban Adult Contemporary, and 107.7 has dropped smooth jazz to also go Urban. These 2 stations are now in addition to 103 Jamz, which plays "urban pop". There will be a quiz on this later.
In Gainesville FL, the University of Florida owned WRUF will stop the rock music programming this weekend after years of being "Rock 104". Not for talk or sports, mind you. The school seems to think that music tastes are changing, and as a result, on will come "Country 103.7".
In Terre Haute IN, WSDM 92.7 has just dumped its "country rock" format. As of now, the station is simulcasting sports radio WSDX-AM. Yet, in this case there is something to it. The AM signal is 500 watts during the day and even less at night. The station hopes that since people can now actually hear the ESPN Radio station it will make a difference for the audience.
Stay tuned...............
This one is getting a lot of local media attention in Fresno. KRZR had been active rock for more than 20 years, and now has changed to "103.7 The Beat" (R & B oldies format). That's geared toward a different age group and audience.
The next one is technically not a complete format change. How about this? A station changes everything except morning drive. Killeen-Temple TX changes 101.7 from "The Eagle" (a rock station) to sports radio, yet keeps its syndicated Walton & Johnson morning show. We'll count it as a format change, but it sure will be interesting to see if or how much morning drive moves on the ratings scale over the next few months.
Finally, this one is almost too small to count. WDRD in Newburg KY (technically considered part of the Louisville market) has gone ESPN Radio sports in order to get ESPN back into that market. However, the station is only 1,000 watts during the day and barely 450 watts at night. Not to mention this move takes place as we close in on the least amount of "daytime" hours during the entire year.
It's one time when a radio station or network listens to some of its audience, and the reason is merely a fuss about a commercial?In case you missed the story, the Buffalo Bills Radio Network decided to pull a commercial from one of its sponsors after 2 weeks based on fans protest. Say what?Granted the commercial was from a web dating site which is designed to be for those who are currently married or in a relationship and might be seeking something "extra". This is not to say that I agree that such a web site is an ideal thing, but it's not up to me. I have seen and heard commercials for the organization in question via other sources, and simply exercise my right not to participate, as is the case with the majority of commercials I take in during the course of a day.Yet, these people don't complain about erectile dysfunction and female hygiene commercials. Or if they do, the station doesn't pull them.Radio stations should listen more to what the listeners have to say. But about the programming and NOT the commercials. Heck, if no one uses the "service" in question, the commercials won't be effective, and they'll go away. http://www.philly.com/dailynews/sports/20100922_Station_divorces_ads.html
Active rock goes inactive in Albany NY. And not even for a different format for the market. The WHRL is gone and now simulcasts News/Talk WGY as WGY-FM. In Burlington VT 96.7 FM has moved up more than 30 years, dropping its oldies format in favor of playing the hits of today as Planet 96.7. This is the sort of innovation that has AM/FM radio where it is today. One less music station to be replaced by something already on the air, and a station changing paths to now play the hits of the day.
WQFM Nanticoke PA has taken off its oldies format and sped ahead to a 90's alternative format. Now it will be known as WFUZ. I would have thought that "fuzzy" would have been better suited for oldies, but they didn't ask me.
Charleston SC area now has a third country station, and one less playing classic hits. WIOP 95.9 reportedly started the change by playing Alan Jackson's song "Gone Country".
Another attempt at "Mojo Radio" is working in Fargo ND. KMJO (get it?) 104.7 started working earlier this month.
Thanks to "reader" Jeff for the suggestion that we report on as many of the radio station format change announcements as possible around the country. He makes a good point that there hasn't been another good resource which consistently offers such info.
A new format is coming any minute now in Atlanta, as "Legend 96.7" and its country music format have been replaced. For now, the station is simulcasting "Groove 105.7", but that shouldn't last long. I do mean "shouldn't". There are 2 sides to this coin. I'm sure station officials figure that people will keep tuning over to 96.7 while awaiting whatever new format, and that it is a good way to hype the "Groove" format.
On one hand, there will be some people picking up on The Groove format, but won't realize they have to change over to 105.7 for it to continue. They could wind up thinking "The Groove" is gone when the station changes over to whatever it is going to do.
On the other hand, not tipping what the new format will do keeps any possible competitors in the local market from getting a jump, while curious radio listeners will monitor from time to time to see if and when the new format kicks off.
My feeling is they should have waited and gone to the new format within 24 hours. They forget that FM and AM Radio have so much competition and that listeners are no longer hanging around helplessly dependening upon radio. The question is whether or not people will break away from their MP3 players, portable phones, satellite radios, and other technology just to sample a "new" FM station.
Near Denver, KTNI Strasburg dumped its talk format and went R & B with Jammin' 101.5. Unlike the Atlanta story, KTNI pulled the switch right after a syndicated talk show (that it now used to carry) ended and rolled out the music. Since the station is actually located east of Denver, the station is already streaming, supposedly to enhance their "coverage" of the Denver market.
I'm not sure that going for the Denver market is going to work for the bottom line in this instance. They need to spend in order to promote the online "coverage" in Denver, as if people will be interested in a regional station over a true Denver station. And that's provided they are not distracted by the hundreds of online channels they could or may already be listening to.
More format change stories later in the week............
Fans of San Diego's Top 40 KCBQ from the late 50's into the mid-70's have a major treat coming up this Saturday, August 28th, when many of its former air personalities and other officials will gather to honor this once great station by dedicating a monument to be displayed on the site of the studios back in the day.
Here is the information:
http://www.falconvalleygroup.com/newsroom.php?id=129 For those who don't have your memories to listen to, keep in mind that airchecks are available today at:http://www.MajorLeaguePrograms.com So, yes, you can have the best of both worlds!
I have loved radio since I can remember. It got me interested in music and sports as a kid and that never stopped, and inspired early career decisions to make a living working for radio stations and networks.Over the past few years, I have observed helplessly as radio lost its competitive edge (primarily due to the drastic change in ownership restrictions), reduced its music playlists, started reporting sports rumors and speculations as if they were "news", and began to cluster more commercial time into a single break than they used to air during a full hour. During that same time, I have noticed how millions of others feel the same way, and thus the success of MP3 players, satellite radio (20 million subscriptons paying for a lot of content we used to get free), and online channels.Just when you think the current radio industry can't make it worse, along comes this bit of news:http://www.fmqb.com/article.asp?id=1919285 Are you kidding? The National Association of Broadcasters wants to make radio "mandatory" in cell phones? First question. At who's expense?Second question. How often can the police pull over a driver, bike rider, or even a power walker about listening on ear buds while on the road?If it's up to me, we should all demand that the members of the NAB pay for the 20 million satellite radio subscriptions and the millions of "replacement" cell phones for everyone in America who currently owns one. That's the one way their proposal has any merit.Whoever thought up this ploy should be sentenced to listen to his or her own station 24 hours a day for 10 years. It would save prison space, and probably have the same effect.This story had better be a hoax.
While the majority of over-the-air radio music playlists continue to shrink or hold steady at a few hundred, this makes what I term "invented oldies" even more of a shame.
After all these years, and the onslaught of MP3 players and music by download, most music stations still maintain rather restricted playlists.
As a "classic rock" and earlier "album rock" listener, I have long found it a disappointment that hundreds of tracks that used to be played within this format (going back to when the albums originally came out) have long since vanished from playlists.
It gets even more frustrating when it is a station which has been around for more than 25 years playing pretty much the same music. Stations like KSHE in St. Louis, WLUP in Chicago, and KLOS in Los Angeles come to mind in this category.
Yet, a listener not around in the 70's to listen to these stations, and ones like them, probably thinks that Aerosmith only released about 10 songs. That's about the number we hear. Yet, when their LP's would be released each year, these stations (and their likes in all markets) would generally play at least 3 or 4 selected tracks from each new album. My contention is that if these songs were good enough to be played on the stations then, they should be good enough to be played now.
Same thing with oldies stations. With most "oldies" stations now regularly playing songs through the 70's, I find it upsetting that most oldies stations continue to play only a few hundred songs.
Stations such as KRTH-FM in Los Angeles, which have been oldies or classic hits for the better of the past 25 years, started out playing a lot more songs from the 50's and early 60's than they do now.
Sure, I understand their argument that the age of the audience has something to do with not going back as far as often.
But what makes this all more aggravating is what I call "invented oldies". On the album or classic rock side, one example is "Moving In Stereo" by The Cars. It is from their first album, and it's a good song. However, I don't recall it being played at all when the LP first came out and for years after that. It seems to have become a classic rock "staple" within the past 15 years. It's as though we are being told it has always been a popular track. It wasn't. Same with Red Rider and "Lunatic Fringe". Many a classic rock station didn't play it when it was first issued, but now it plays as often as if it were a major part of their rotation the entire time.
The biggest example of an artist with "invented oldies" has to be KISS. Come on, people. When "Rock & Roll All Night" and "Shout It Out Loud" and others came out in the mid and late '70s, the album rock stations wouldn't even touch KISS or their songs. No way. Those were "teen" songs heard only on the top 40 stations. Yet, they are heard on classic rock stations and channels today as if they were always held in the same esteem as BTO or Bad Company.
From an oldies standpoint, I can't figure how Louis Armstrong's "Wonderful World" gets so much airplay. I even looked this one up. The song didn't even crack the national "Top 100" in the United States when it was first released in 1968. Yet, for the past few years, it has been played hundreds of times more than "Hello Dolly", which was a 1964 Top 10 hit for Armstrong. But I double dare you to show me any oldies station or channel that plays more than the Top 100 hits of any month from the 60's and 70's.
Another "invented oldie" is "You Got It" by Roy Orbison. Sure, it's a decent song, but it doesn't fit. It was released in 1988.
Again, I like every song named here. It's not that I don't enjoy these songs. What I don't understand is how these are among the songs "manufactured" within the respective format, while literally hundreds of songs that used to be a part of these formats haven't been played in years.
If I had the time, I would go through my personal MP3 player and count a total of the songs that I never hear on the radio any more, even though that is where I first heard and liked them enough to own them.
Then again, I shouldn't have to do that. The music directors of these classic rock and oldies stations are the ones who should have done so. Years ago. Instead, they wonder why so many people like me are listening to MP3 players instead of their stations. At least they can't "manufacture" an audience.
Hard to believe it was 40 years ago that Casey Kasem first told us to "keep reaching for the stars" at the end of his American Top 40 Radio Show. But it was. He took such a simple concept and yet made a successful national radio show out of doing nationally what top 40 radio stations had been doing locally for years. Just counting down (or should we say up) the hits week after week, and giving us faithful listeners an education about some of the songs and artists on the charts.
This very weekend (July 4th) marks the 40 year anniversary. The show still exists, although barely a shadow of its former self, and hosted by Ryan Seacrest. (Then again, that could be said about many radio and TV shows!)
To give you an idea of how far back AT 40 goes, the entire show for the coming week was actually mailed through the Post Office to each radio station. On vinyl records. With grooves between the segments of the show. Once a segment ended and the tech who was operating the radio station went into commercial, he or she (and it was mostly "he" back then) would simply cue up the next track on the album to be ready for the next segment of the show. It was the same as if he/she was getting the next song ready for airplay.
I remember it well. It was part of my responsibilities while running the board of a Chicago radio station on Sunday mornings, when Casey would "count 'em down" right after the religious and public affairs programming the station was required to air. Yes, in those days, radio stations had FCC requirements to run a certain amount of news, public affairs, and religious programming hours in order to have their broadcast license renewed. Many radio stations would cluster public affairs interviews and religious programming during the Sunday morning 4 AM to 10 AM (or less) time frame, when the audience was likely at its lowest available point.
Yet, I remember answering the station's phone line during the show, and people asking if they could talk to "Crazy Kasem" and variations, as if he was really in the studio playing the national hits. Never mind that he would have "a letter here from Joe in Tallahassee who wants to know......".
Of course, not all of the national hits were big in Chicago. The best example was in 1976 when the Miracles' "Love Machine" was in the national top 3, even "making it all the way to number one!" on American Top 40.....while Chicago stations were barely playing it.
Here's hoping that long-time radio listeners will "keep your feet on the ground, and keep reaching for the stars" in honor of American Top 40, after 40 years.
At Rock WCCC/Hartford, night talent Slater departs. As a result, overnighter Craig The Pornstar moves up to nights.
One more reason why what remains of truly "local" radio is starting to lose its identity. There I was this afternoon reading up on radio news from an industry source, as usual.
There was a story about WCCC Hartford losing its night personality and moving up its overnight host to replace him. At least that's what it should have been. Maybe I'm too old school for today, but I seem to like personalities that have names. Even if they aren't the real names, I can accept "Tom Jones" or "Bill Scott", etc.
Well, not anymore. The night personality who departed - "Slater". Sorry, but I can't identify with that. Male? Female? First name? Last name? Name of a movie? If it is "Bill Scott", my mind is comforted because I can listen to or read about a man and his program, even if I have no idea what he looks like or what his "real" name might be.
It didn't stop there. The all night personality moving up to nights to replace Slater? According to the story from an official industry source, the new night personality on WCCC will be......
"Craig the Pornstar"
Now, I would get it if I were listening to his show and he used that once or twice as a fun bit or a joke. However, unless the station is totally in existence to serve teenage boys, using this as a regular moniker doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
How is a longtime Hartford area resident supposed to identify with Craig the Pornstar? Could you tell your friends that you listen to him? Would you really go to an appearance? So you might like the music and the station, but now this sort of a name takes away the identity of the person.
It's either that or listen to "Bill Scott" on a national show or satellite playing the music, with no references to your local community. Some choices.
And they wonder why the AM and FM audiences are not what they used to be?
A recent article in the Columbus Dispatch caught my attention, given its partial focus on the death of jazz radio stations.
I have nothing against jazz stations, but have long believed that these stations really attracted a small niche audience while many others found it hip to act as though they listen. Back in the early 80's, I was a partner in an upstart radio ratings service in the Midwest which reported specifically on in-car radio listening. That research confirmed my belief, even then, that people sometimes reported what they considered "hip" stations to make it appear they were listening.
There was one survey of more than 3,000 drivers showing what they were listening to at the moment of the interview, and it showed a grand total of one person listening to a jazz station. That was among the findings which were NOT in line with the diary system also in use.
Since the PPM method has been introduced, and as the article points out, several jazz radio stations have bitten the dust. It doesn't surprise me one bit.
Considering that audience measurement is primarily for advertisers and potential radio advertisers, finding the truth about listening habits is the most important gain.
Stations should not be concerned about the jazz format, especially with satellite and online channels playing jazz for the small and niche audience that wants it. Rather, they should be concerned with getting the audiences to return to radio. With the trend of tighter and tighter playlists, endless clusters of commercials, and reduced local programming, this is where the stations should be concerned.
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2010/06/13/why-radios-changing-its-tune.html?sid=101
Another example of looking at this week's bottom line as opposed to months down the road. WWWQ Atlanta's morning show "The Bert Show" will be simulcast starting next week.
What's the big deal? The station that will also air it happens to be WNFN, which is in Nashville.
Don't these station manager's look at the possible consequences? Sure, this week they are giddy because they are paying for one morning show production and now airing it on 2 stations.
However, in Atlanta, listeners could either hear about Nashville, which is of no use to them in the morning, if that is the direction The Bert Show takes. If the show does include Nashville related content, it will totally bore the established Atlanta audience, which could scan the dial in search of more local content, and put the current success at risk. If the show does not include Nashville related content, then there is much less of an appeal to Nashville listeners. Instead they could compare The Bert Show to other syndicated content or stick with a truly local show.
Either way, this decision, albeit to save money now, could hurt the ratings for one or both in the long run.
Look before you leap.
