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Oldies Stations

Discussion pertaining to Detroit, Ann Arbor, Port Huron, and SW Ontario
stopnswop2
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Oldies Stations

Post by stopnswop2 » Thu Nov 29, 2018 6:20 am

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.

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Art Van Damme
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Re: Oldies Stations

Post by Art Van Damme » Thu Nov 29, 2018 7:53 am

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.🤔



Deleted User 14803

Re: Oldies Stations

Post by Deleted User 14803 » Thu Nov 29, 2018 1:35 pm

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.



Tman
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Re: Oldies Stations

Post by Tman » Fri Nov 30, 2018 5:20 am

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 .



Y M Ionhere
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Re: Oldies Stations

Post by Y M Ionhere » Sat Dec 01, 2018 2:02 pm

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.



Mega Hertz
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Re: Oldies Stations

Post by Mega Hertz » Sat Dec 01, 2018 2:06 pm

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."
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Deleted User 14803

Re: Oldies Stations

Post by Deleted User 14803 » Sat Dec 01, 2018 2:16 pm

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.



ascher2
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Re: Oldies Stations

Post by ascher2 » Sat Dec 01, 2018 2:55 pm

Go to Big 8 Radio. com. You won't be sorry!



Deleted User 14803

Re: Oldies Stations

Post by Deleted User 14803 » Sat Dec 01, 2018 3:13 pm

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.



innate-in-you
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Re: Oldies Stations

Post by innate-in-you » Sat Dec 01, 2018 3:30 pm

Y M Ionhere wrote:
Sat Dec 01, 2018 2:02 pm
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.
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.

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



SixPlusOne
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Re: Oldies Stations

Post by SixPlusOne » Sat Dec 01, 2018 3:38 pm

stopnswop2 wrote:
Thu Nov 29, 2018 6:20 am
what is stopping Oldies stations from making a comeback too?
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".



Deleted User 14803

Re: Oldies Stations

Post by Deleted User 14803 » Sat Dec 01, 2018 3:52 pm

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.



stopnswop2
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Re: Oldies Stations

Post by stopnswop2 » Sat Dec 01, 2018 4:23 pm

What do you mean "Canada doesn't approve" ?
Is this some law or your opinion ?


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innate-in-you
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Re: Oldies Stations

Post by innate-in-you » Sat Dec 01, 2018 6:06 pm

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.
Last edited by innate-in-you on Sat Dec 01, 2018 6:21 pm, edited 2 times in total.



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Turkeytop
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Re: Oldies Stations

Post by Turkeytop » Sat Dec 01, 2018 6:13 pm

stopnswop2 wrote:
Thu Nov 29, 2018 6:20 am
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?

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 started out with nothing and I still have most of it.

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