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Oldies Stations
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Oldies Stations
I was reading an article yesterday on the return and boom of Traditional (Soft) AC, and how advertisers are finally starting to "get it", that people 55+ have more money to spend and listen more than the younger demos, and it got me thinking.... if the new Soft AC format comebacks continue to do as well as they are now (or better), then what is stopping Oldies stations from making a comeback too?
Music is my life.
- Art Van Damme
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Re: Oldies Stations
I think it’s a relevant discussion. P1 Listeners to Oldies stations were (are) very passionate and loyal. But, since the question asked was “what’s stopping Oldies stations from making a comeback”, I’ll address a few angles.
Music Fatigue - The entire library consists of 600 - 1200 songs. That’s not a lot of songs to base an entire format without “new music” coming in. As I hear it, a lot of those songs haven’t been played on regular radio for a long time, save for The Beatles, The Stones, Motown. Maybe the catalog has been rested enough.
Market research - Is there enough of a specific radio audience that wants an Oldies station as a choice and will make it their first or second choice? Do stations do market research anymore? I would say that there isn’t one in Detroit because there isn’t enough of a sellable demographic that would listen. Coleman or Edison could find out.
Promotions & Personality - A successful Oldies station needs larger than life personalities and promotions. Because the music is a staple (a listener knows most of the songs already) you need those other aspects to keep them interested and locked in. That costs $$$.
Station life - Sadly, I think an Oldies station would have only a 3-5 year life, then the plug would get pulled. Unless a station is consistantly making boatloads of money with a low overhead, it won’t be around very long.
I think there is more likelihood of a Jack or Doug coming back on the air before an Oldies station.
Just my opinions. Go ahead. Flame away.
Music Fatigue - The entire library consists of 600 - 1200 songs. That’s not a lot of songs to base an entire format without “new music” coming in. As I hear it, a lot of those songs haven’t been played on regular radio for a long time, save for The Beatles, The Stones, Motown. Maybe the catalog has been rested enough.
Market research - Is there enough of a specific radio audience that wants an Oldies station as a choice and will make it their first or second choice? Do stations do market research anymore? I would say that there isn’t one in Detroit because there isn’t enough of a sellable demographic that would listen. Coleman or Edison could find out.
Promotions & Personality - A successful Oldies station needs larger than life personalities and promotions. Because the music is a staple (a listener knows most of the songs already) you need those other aspects to keep them interested and locked in. That costs $$$.
Station life - Sadly, I think an Oldies station would have only a 3-5 year life, then the plug would get pulled. Unless a station is consistantly making boatloads of money with a low overhead, it won’t be around very long.
I think there is more likelihood of a Jack or Doug coming back on the air before an Oldies station.
Just my opinions. Go ahead. Flame away.
Re: Oldies Stations
Perhaps it’s time for Oldies again count me in I’ll listen,We could even use a Classic Soul in the “D” if done correctly.
Re: Oldies Stations
Classic oldies does not mean you have to play the over played number ones that we are still tired of . If done creativitly musically It could rule . Talent . I think a lot of old and new fun talent would show up to work for a resonable pay and enjoyment it if it is done fun and well .
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Re: Oldies Stations
You all forgot about CKWW? Biggest problem is the cancon law which throws in a bunch of songs listeners on this side of the border dont know or want. Its also on AM, which no one listens to and reception is bad. If it was moved to FM with a few tweaks to the playlist, that would be an easy way to guage audience interest.
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Re: Oldies Stations
Something will have to happen to buck the trend. A lot of us younger set grew up on a lot of those tunes. My YouTube suggestions are chock full of "oh wow!" songs even I forgot about. I have to believe there's money to be made there.
"Internet is no more like radio than intravenous feeding is like fine dining."
-TurkeyTop
-TurkeyTop
Re: Oldies Stations
The CanCon is fine but get rid of the lesser known titles,and go to FM preferably 93.9 and bring back traditional Oldies 1955-1974.
Re: Oldies Stations
Go to Big 8 Radio. com. You won't be sorry!
Re: Oldies Stations
Heard it and love it ,to bad that is not on the radio hell even an HD2 it’ll never happen though none of the Windsor stations are in HD ,but HD is now available in Canada There’s about 4 or 5 stations in the Toronto area trying it out.But it’s to little to late.
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Re: Oldies Stations
Not only is it an AM, but it is highly directional and was designed to serve only the Canadian side. Only in Downtown and east side Detroit, the Pointes, SCS and along the St. Clair River, do they have a good signal on the American side.Y M Ionhere wrote: ↑Sat Dec 01, 2018 2:02 pmYou all forgot about CKWW? Biggest problem is the cancon law which throws in a bunch of songs listeners on this side of the border dont know or want. Its also on AM, which no one listens to and reception is bad. If it was moved to FM with a few tweaks to the playlist, that would be an easy way to guage audience interest.
There's a few places around Metro Airport, only about 12 miles west of CKWW's array, where I've heard WILL instead.
I can't help notice that CKWW lacks treble in their audio, and not only because they are AM.
WNZK and WDTW (AM) sound much better.
Sadly for CKWW, Canada disapproves of oldies on FM
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Re: Oldies Stations
WPON-AM 1460 is an "Oldies" station when they're on the air. They seem to be on a couple of days a week at the present time for their "measurements and testing".stopnswop2 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 29, 2018 6:20 amwhat is stopping Oldies stations from making a comeback too?
Re: Oldies Stations
Innate,If Canada disapproves Oldies on FM how Come AM 740 in Toronto has an FM at 96.7 and CKDO 1580 in Owsawa has FM at 107.7 ,Now granted those are translators they are still on FM.Now here’s another approach ,they would probably be more of a Classic Hits and could get away with that.Another thing that could stop them is I don’t think in Canada you can have 2 stations doing the same format in the same market now I could be wrong.
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Re: Oldies Stations
What do you mean "Canada doesn't approve" ?
Is this some law or your opinion ?
Is this some law or your opinion ?
Music is my life.
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Re: Oldies Stations
I don't have the Canadian regs in front of me as I type this, but Canada has, for decades, regulated broadcast content and demanded an outline of what styles of programming a station intends to broadcast. It's not like the US, where one is free to change content at will once they have a station.
One interesting case was CKLW's FM sister on 93.9, known as CKLW-FM, CKEZ, CFXX and CKMR, all in short order.
They planned to do CHR as "The Fox", but, at the moment they were scheduled to launch, announced that they had to remain easy listening (though they were later allowed to carry CHR in afternoon drive only).
As "More 94", with oldies, they spent evenings playing instrumental tracks, or, more accurately, snippets of such tracks, "Quota Quickies", allowing CKMR to report that they played more instrumentals than vocals.
The Vancouver area recently went through an interesting situation. Several stations on the US side started broadcasts aimed at ethnic groups across the border. The US stations had an advantage in that they are free to broadcast in one language (any language), while Vancouver stations were not (In Canada, stations may be English, French, Aboriginal, or multilingual - a station broadcasting only in one foreign Language is a no-go.
It was a well-intentioned law, avoiding a situation in which one ethnic group has abundant program hours to the detriment of other foreign language speakers).
I believe the Canadian government blocked the transfer of funds to US ethnic broadcasters.
One interesting case was CKLW's FM sister on 93.9, known as CKLW-FM, CKEZ, CFXX and CKMR, all in short order.
They planned to do CHR as "The Fox", but, at the moment they were scheduled to launch, announced that they had to remain easy listening (though they were later allowed to carry CHR in afternoon drive only).
As "More 94", with oldies, they spent evenings playing instrumental tracks, or, more accurately, snippets of such tracks, "Quota Quickies", allowing CKMR to report that they played more instrumentals than vocals.
The Vancouver area recently went through an interesting situation. Several stations on the US side started broadcasts aimed at ethnic groups across the border. The US stations had an advantage in that they are free to broadcast in one language (any language), while Vancouver stations were not (In Canada, stations may be English, French, Aboriginal, or multilingual - a station broadcasting only in one foreign Language is a no-go.
It was a well-intentioned law, avoiding a situation in which one ethnic group has abundant program hours to the detriment of other foreign language speakers).
I believe the Canadian government blocked the transfer of funds to US ethnic broadcasters.
Last edited by innate-in-you on Sat Dec 01, 2018 6:21 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Re: Oldies Stations
stopnswop2 wrote: ↑Thu Nov 29, 2018 6:20 amI was reading an article yesterday on the return and boom of Traditional (Soft) AC, and how advertisers are finally starting to "get it", that people 55+ have more money to spend and listen more than the younger demos, and it got me thinking.... if the new Soft AC format comebacks continue to do as well as they are now (or better), then what is stopping Oldies stations from making a comeback too?
I'm part of that demographic. I think we all got a bellyful of that stuff back in the 60s. We don't want to keep spinning our wheels in that same old rut.Most of us have moved on and developed a taste for other forms of music like jazz, classical or cowboy music.
I don't mean to brag, but I just put a puzzle together in 1 day and the box said 2-4 years.