A couple of thoughts on this, Oldies 92 lasted from Sept. 1996 to a few years ago when they did the "Q" thing. It wasn't the format we radiophiles loved but your average 35 plus listener, a person who did not care for our "Inside Baseball" opnions loved it. The ad revenue was pretty good too. The hallmark of the Shamrock brand in this market has been consistency. Look at the staying power of Rock 107. Odies 92 had that potential, not a world beater but a nice little format that billed well.
I've been away from active listening because of some work, personal and blog related events. So I was surprised when a co worker in the week (a gal who does not nor cares to own a TV set despite various attempts by people to give her one) told me about the Beatles format. All Beatles all the time? My mind flashed back to the time counter Citadel used when putting on a station to challenge 107, the non stop 24/7 playing of "Louie Louie" in 1997 to launch Cool 94 which was a precursor to The Cat Country fiasco and the famous heartbeat used I believe by The Mountain. So I knew it was a stunt but by God my friends and I were going to enjoy it. I had been railing all week about how stuff was taken from my generation, (even the closing of the church I grew up in as a boy (here's my you tube video on it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qVjWyBNOqw) so I was in a bitter mood. The Beatles tonic was perfect for me at least this week and my wife loved it. I thought maybe this would be a lighter 107 type format.
Tonight I listened for a half hour and when you hear "Sweet Pea" and "Incense and Peppermints", well you know this isn't going to be anything near classic rock. I'm thrilled because this is music I grew up with. My buddy Gene from the Lehigh Vallety provides me with some oldies I thought were lost. I've played the CDs, enjoyed GEM 107 on 95.3 and valiantly tried to tune in WARM but could only get clear signals in my bathroom. (I live in Wilkes Barre's North End). So, as a listener I'm glad this music is back, in clear tones that can blast the neighborhood if I want to.
It will be interesting to see the impact this format has on GEM (which has done yeoman's work in community involvement) as well as WARM. I hope all can participate and thrive. Maybe this might push WARM to Junior's frequency but I think not.
Cool 94 was one great format in the late 80s ('87 I think it started) and proved as well as Oldies 92 that this is a viable format ratings and billing wise with staying power. Again, not top 5 but not lower teens either in the book. Remember, my brother in law loves the Oldies and really doesn't care how they got on his car or truck radio.
Closing thoughts, my YOU TUBE video featured The Beatles. I put them in there because they were the classic band of all time. When I was a kid, a friend in 1967 told me as we listened to "Srgn. Pepper's", "the Beatles will endure beyond the year 2000 and beyond". I thought he was nuts, showed you what I knew. What better way to kick off this format than with the Fab 4. The Beatles sell. When I was at WVIA FM, we did a Beethoven and the Beatles Fundraising weekend. Through the roof.
On the format, I wonder how long it will take Bobby Vanderheiden (who was Sales Manager at Oldies 92 and Programmer for a while there) to try to get a doo wop show on 92.1.
And in closing on consultants, here's my definition of one. "A person who thinks he or she knows everything. They will ask your opinion on the market, use it as an arguement for "change" and do the opposite. They will temporarily rule the roost and play with people's lives. After doing enough damage to friendships, careers and institutions they were entrusted with, the blithely blow out of town leaving someone else to pick up the pieces of the wreckage they wrought".
Yonkstur
