Charlotte's Brand New Radio Station

[Traditional]

Ok most of you seem to be good people, I am not trying to attack anyone. The whole thing is I see mostly positiveness towards the new Oldies 106.1 but also some negativity. I know there are some people here who don't like how Adult Standards was dropped for Oldies. The only thing I am trying to do is get people to maybe perhaps become a little more open minded towards Oldies 106.1. Give the folks running the station a week or 2 to get it together and hopefully some of you will have a more positive opinion about the whole situation. Mike Sheridan, are you familiar with WTHZ Majic 94.1 which covers the triad area of North Carolina? Back when Majic 94.1 was an 80's rock station they were way down in the ratings, now that they are an Oldies station playing the greatest hits of the 60's 70's and early 80's they are currently tied for 8th position in the ratings. That is not the best rated radio station in the triad but atleast it is now a good solid top 10 radio station. You never know, Oldies 106.1 could climb into Charlotte's top 10 as time goes on. It would really be nice if everyone here would spread the word about Oldies 106.1 and say positive things about the format change. If you look at the Charlotte radio ratings you will see that the top ten spots are occupied by big high power radio stations owned by large commercial broadcasting companies. It would really be nice to see a great little C2 Oldies station owned by a small company competeing with these big stations in the Charlotte area.

[wmgcbs]

I wish 106.1 well with this format but I don't know if it will catch on without a lot of promotion and a live local presentation in all dayparts.  

A very good point...  If they're just going to have Ken Conrad mornings and a satellite-fed format for the rest of the day, I can't see the station doing as well as it could be doing with a live, local airstaff.  Even if some shifts are voicetracked, it's better than listening to a satellite-fed station all day long.  Don't get me wrong.  I'm very pleased to see oldies back in Charlotte proper.  With WTHZ to the north and WOLS (and, to an extent, WRBK) to the south, all of the Charlotte suburbs should have access to some form of Classic Hits or Oldies.

Charlotte is the Queen City, and its listeners deserve the royal treatment.  Unfortunately, with a lot of Charlotte's radio these days, "the royal treatment" would be far from the truth.  I just hope to see a live, local oldies station on 106.1 in the future.  Oldies, unlike the Gold-based AC/Timeless Favorites they had running on 106.1 for the past couple of years, is a personality-driven format which requires more attention than I think the format will see at 106.1. 

So far, are the jocks on the satellite station decent and speak often enough (more than three or four times an hour)?  Does the station have good imaging and jingles?  Unfortunately, the station is not available online, so I do not have access to listen to the new station (Does WOLS even have a website?).  My comments are just based on what I've read here and seen at Yes.com with regards to the playlist.

To close, I'll leave you all with a quote from Brother Dave's Magic 96.1 Tribute site, Tragic96.com:

Another station can play all of the same music, but it would likely be little more than a jukebox without the heart, soul, sweat, grit and soaring unbridled glee of the live-in-the-studio people getting the audience involved that made Magic 96.1 the south's leading oldies station for over ten years.

I hope that the new 106.1 can prove this statement wrong.

[audiomusiclover]

You seem older than simply a 20 yr old with a casual interest.  I also appreciate the fact that 106.1 has moved to oldies but I am frustrated at only having rim shot radio stations available that are worth listening to here in the largest city in the Carolinas.  Charlotte is such a pit for radio considering its large metro population.  I hope the best for 106, I just wish there could be a station that could at least cover the entire metro with this or similar format.  Also, let’s hope it will be more of a live sounding format.   

Ok most of you seem to be good people, I am not trying to attack anyone. The whole thing is I see mostly positiveness towards the new Oldies 106.1 but also some negativity. I know there are some people here who don't like how Adult Standards was dropped for Oldies. The only thing I am trying to do is get people to maybe perhaps become a little more open minded towards Oldies 106.1. Give the folks running the station a week or 2 to get it together and hopefully some of you will have a more positive opinion about the whole situation. Mike Sheridan, are you familiar with WTHZ Majic 94.1 which covers the triad area of North Carolina? Back when Majic 94.1 was an 80's rock station they were way down in the ratings, now that they are an Oldies station playing the greatest hits of the 60's 70's and early 80's they are currently tied for 8th position in the ratings. That is not the best rated radio station in the triad but atleast it is now a good solid top 10 radio station. You never know, Oldies 106.1 could climb into Charlotte's top 10 as time goes on. It would really be nice if everyone here would spread the word about Oldies 106.1 and say positive things about the format change. If you look at the Charlotte radio ratings you will see that the top ten spots are occupied by big high power radio stations owned by large commercial broadcasting companies. It would really be nice to see a great little C2 Oldies station owned by a small company competeing with these big stations in the Charlotte area.

[Mike Sheridan]

I like oldies, I really do and hope that 106.1 finds a way to do even better than #8 in the market.  It would send the big group owners scrambling which I would personally love to see!

I'm glad to hear that WTHZ is doing well and I hope it continues.  I also liked their previous format, it was better than most but that's just personal opinion.  It didn't do well so obviously changes needed to be made and I'm glad they went in the direction they did.  There was a void in the market left by the previous oldies station and they saw that and filled it.

I also remember what happened to WSAI 1530 in Cincinnati.  They were a great standards station that became a great oldies station and the numbers went down hard.  I hope that doesn't happen to 106.1, I don't think it will.

My only fault with 106.1 so far is the music overlaps with the two A/C's in the market a bit too much.  I'd rather they play more songs not heard on the other stations.  The jocks are fine and I think the satellite jocks do more than the ones on the standards format to try to be entertaining.  I can't say that I've heard jock content that was funny or thought provoking so far.

[hschutte]

I think 104.7 and 102.9 should drop their oldies stuff. I agree that 106.1 is now playing similar stuff that could be heard on the other stations. Maybe the AC stations should take over some of the standards artists.

[wncc]

I listened today, and the playlist was eerily similar to 95.7 (when 95.7 doesn't play classic rock).

[nextline]

I'm hearing a lot of music I haven't heard in years, and I'm liking it!

[Mike Sheridan]

I think 104.7 and 102.9 should drop their oldies stuff. I agree that 106.1 is now playing similar stuff that could be heard on the other stations. Maybe the AC stations should take over some of the standards artists.

Trust me that won't happen. Neither one wants to have the image of "Your father's radio station". The only time you'll hear either of the AC stations play any standards artist is Christmas muisc.  If anything they will play newer artists, not older.

The definition of A/C and standards keeps changing for example These artists were considered standards but now would be called old standards: Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Bing Crosby, Doris Day, Johnny Mathis,Henry Mancini.

Newer standards artists would be Barbara Streisand, Neil Diamond, Barry Manilow, Celine Dion.

A/C stations play songs and artists they would never have touched just a few years ago as we all get older.

[amfmradio1]

IMHO, I do enjoy the new Oldies106.1

Glad Ken Conrad is still there.

Do miss Angie Michaels, Scott Reeves & Vic Thomas, though - the Radio Hosts that were simulcast on the satellite bird Mix106.1 was using.

It will take some time for the new personalities to hopefully grow on us.

It would be interesting to see how the format performs in other markets.

Jonesradio.com

The music seems more upbeat than Mix.

Lots of Beatles!

[vchimpanzee]

The problem is now artists like Barry Manillow,John Denver,Kenney Rogers are no longer played on the air. Lite and K-104.7 play the usual AC artists. Mix 106 was able play artists forgotten by most radio stations. Another format gone in charlotte..

Depending on what time of day you listen (obviously nighttime is out of the question) try WEGO 1410 AM or WAME 550 AM.

Edit: oh, yeah, and the farther north you go, the more likely you are to hear WSAT 1280 AM. Which plays REAL standards. Like what Mix 106 played up until two years ago. Again, depending on when you listen, and not at night.