Is there still soft AC?

[vchimpanzee]

http://boards.radio-info.com/smf/index.php?topic=149671.0

Someone misinterpreted what is meant by "soft AC" and posted a topic for this board on the wrong board. But it brings up an interesting topic. I've already had my say on the other board.

[Jay F]

Few markets have Soft AC these days. I still think there is a market for it. The composition of the audience would probably be 55+ heavy (which is the reason it's so rare.) Even so, I still think the actual 25-54 share would be higher than many of these warm ACs that are common today. Many newer ACs are slightly hotter than the heritage AC, they usually make little impact. If they went softer than the heritage they could really shake things up.

If there truly is no audience for even one Soft AC per market and the softest station listeners will accept plays songs such as "Livin La Vida Loca" that means there has been a major cultural shift, a loss of civility.

[Jay F]

To drive home my point I was thinking about all the FRESH FMs who generally haven't made a dent against their heritage AC competitors. They took the approach to be a notch hotter. The problem is the heritage ACs aren't that soft to begin with these days so there really isn't much of a hole. There would have been more opportunity if they took the opposite approach with music softer than what pre-existed.

[vchimpanzee]

I should have made an effort to redirect the debate on what is soft AC. If you go to the link in my first post, there is a debate about what to call stations like WDUV in the Tampa market.

The comment above about why soft AC no longer seems to exist sounds more like an argument for standards. If you're going to go soft, then go all the way. True, no one will listen except old people. Or maybe not. Just this morning I heard standards coming from an office in the library at the college. I don't think the people there are THAT old.

Here is what I said on the other thread, with a correction. I said Timeless, the satellite format, wasn't playing much 80s AC. actiually, some of the worst songs they play are from the 80s. I was thinking in terms of the even newer stuff that DaIal Global actually plays, even though they lean more toward standards.

I've looked at WDUV's playlist online from time to time. I don't like it, but I wouldn't call it AC.

I don't know what WLOW in Hilton Head is doing. The competing station,, 98.7 the River, once had its playlist online and it was truly soft AC. Some on this site said WLOW was actualy louder (with all the disco), even though the newspaper article said they had Sinatra in their playlist. I've seen no details lately aout the station.

Myrtle Beach, SC, had Yes 94.5. I don't know when I heard it when it was actually soft. Wikipedia claimed they were soft then mainstream before switching entirely. When I heard the station it was still softer than most AC's but not as soft as I had seen described. Perhaps whoever updated Wiipeida eard them change.

Also in Myrtle Beach there is WEZV Easy 105.9. A newspaper article called them soft AC. I emailed the reporter to correct him. He understood my complaint but said Arbitron called the station soft AC. So does this site's arbitron ratings section. I've contacted this site. I don't know how you get the Arbitron corrected.

But there's no description that fits WEZV. Easy listening implies instrumentals, yet most standards stations play more instrumentals than they do. I would say standards based on the redefining of that format.

Even Dial Global has gotten more traditional in recent years, whereas a few years ago some might have called that soft AC.

Timeless from ABC--well, no one knows just what that mess is. I would say oldies because there's almost nothing from after 1990 or even before 1960. When they first changed it, at least they had true standards form this decade. A lot of what they play overlaps with what is now consdiered standards, but true standards are very rare there. You can't call it AC because even Dial Global plays more post-1980 AC.

[Jay F]

While the large bulk of the WDUV audience is old (and there sure are a lot of elderly in that area, especially St Pete), I have seen several books where WDUV hits the top 10 25-54 and actually beats stations that do target 25-54! Pretty crazy. I do believe a lot of the music on WDUV is timeless and will be enjoyed by those who discover it for a long time to come.

I would call WDUV a "classic soft AC" they play few standards compared to say WEZV where standards are part of the mix. I would argue the hole exists in most markets right now for an AC that is softer than what currently exists, yet it doesn't have to be as old as WDUV. Play some of the WDUV songs as spice, but not the bulk of the playlist.

[the golden boy]

WBAQ Greenville, MS is one of just a few stations out there I would classify as a true soft AC station. The "hardest" song I can recall them playing is "Big Girls Don't Cry" from Fergie. There's also another soft AC in the Saginaw/Bay City market. Can't think of the calls right off.

[carolinaradio]

CC has killed almost any "softer" AC they had due to most airing their premium choice AC format.  Selections such as Shakira, "Livin' La Vida Loca", "Hot N Cold", several hard Nickelback songs, etc are in the rotation.  VERY poorly programmed.  These songs don't really make these stations as doctors office-friendly as they once were.

[Jay F]

CC has killed almost any "softer" AC they had due to most airing their premium choice AC format.  Selections such as Shakira, "Livin' La Vida Loca", "Hot N Cold", several hard Nickelback songs, etc are in the rotation.  VERY poorly programmed.  These songs don't really make these stations as doctors office-friendly as they once were.

My dentist office had a CC AC on for over a decade. Was I ever surprised during my last visit when they switched to XM radio AC. I'm not sure if it was the music that caused them to switch. The CC AC where I live in softer than most ACs these days (except on the weekends now), although they do play most of the songs/artists you mentioned.

[carolinaradio]

CC has killed almost any "softer" AC they had due to most airing their premium choice AC format.  Selections such as Shakira, "Livin' La Vida Loca", "Hot N Cold", several hard Nickelback songs, etc are in the rotation.  VERY poorly programmed.  These songs don't really make these stations as doctors office-friendly as they once were.

My dentist office had a CC AC on for over a decade. Was I ever surprised during my last visit when they switched to XM radio AC. I'm not sure if it was the music that caused them to switch. The CC AC where I live in softer than most ACs these days (except on the weekends now), although they do play most of the songs/artists you mentioned.

As I've said, CC needs to soften this premium choice thing or they are going to be in worse trouble.  Memo to them: somebody listening to Firefall or Elton John or using them as background music isn't likely to want to hear Ricky Martin and vice versa.  JMO.  I swear I almost drove off the road when WLYT started blaring "Livin' La Vida Loca."

[MsMusicRadio]

WDUV plays the music that was the core of AC stations in the 70's and 80's. I'd call it Soft Gold Based AC.