There's no getting around it: Most modern-day oldies terrestrial radio stations suck big-time.
Business pressures call for attempts to please the masses at the expense of "sophisticated" listeners who may prefer -- or even yearn for -- old-style radio formats. As a result, 200 to 300 songs are played to death, ignoring the fact that many listeners would prefer a "mix" that includes some records that aren't heard much anymore.
How can a station adequately represent music of the '50s, '60s and '70s with such a limited playlist? Even stations that claim to play "everything" can hardly do so when it's obvious that the same songs are heard over and over.
Not only that, on many modern-day stations, you rarely hear a live person because the station is automated, and all too often, the song titles aren't even announced, let alone the name of the recording artist and year of the song.
COULD OLD-STYLE FORMAT WORK TODAY?: However, let's face facts. The entertainment value of old-style Top 40 stations -- with music surveys, playlist variety and disc jockey "personalities" -- is no longer a viable option.
An argument could be made that an oldies station could logically atttract hefty audiences with a format that reverted to the style in vogue during the glory days of Top 40 radio. However, the reality of the situation indicates otherwise.
Radio officials who might actually consider "deviating" from the modern-style oldies format are often unwilling or unable to hire people who actually know about the music.
BROADCAST VETERANS WEIGH IN: Several prominent radio veterans of the Top 40 era -- each with DJ, programming and managing experience -- have their own perspectives on the topic, in addition to reasons why the old-style format probably wouldn't "fit" nowadays.
* DEANE JOHNSON, whose 40+-year career included a stint as program director at KOMA in Oklahoma City, observed: "There were many ingredients, the first being the flavor of the music, which fit with the fun and excitement of the format. Another key ingredient was that the disc jockey was a friend and companion. Today, people have many avenues for friendship with all of the existing communication avenues.
"I often wonder if a station with live jocks, fun, excitement, and localism could gain any momentum. Probably the current structure of the music would drag it down. I know we had that problem around 1970 with the music trends of the time. The protest music just didn't have the same effect as the 'Billie loves Susie' sounds of the '60s."
TERRELL METHENY, who spent more than five decades in the business, said: "Along the way, some (broadcasters) began to understand how to select and rotate music and how to communicate with the listener (and) at one time, radio was an excellent communication medium, and there were some fabulous stations that served the listeners, the sponsors and the public very well.
"Most of what was discovered over the years has been abandoned and even forgotten by most, and the listeners have moved on to something else that satisfies their desires for the 21st Century.
"The real problem with radio over the years was that there were really only a few programmers who really figured it out, understood and instituted and executed great radio. Then, there were thousands who simply blindly copied and didn’t even know when they were violating the original plan.
"As for a revival of the old-style format, I’m afraid it’s one whose time has passed."
SAM HALE, a prominent figure at the outset of the Top-40 era, added: "There are those who have (recently) pretty much programmed in that mode and found a significant audience in several markets ... (but) it appears many who have gone there haven't been successful in generating the advertising revenues to command respect.
"If I had $100 million to play with, I'd buy one of these frequencies and program from the golden vaults of standard popular music with seasoned professional hosts and say, 'To hell with the ad agencies.' In my heart of hearts, I am convinced that, in time, an audience would be built of such significant size and importance that the agencies couldn't ignore."
IN SUMMATION ...: There are undoubtedly a number of listeners -- and potential listeners -- who would prefer hearing a wider variety of songs and artists. And whereas there are undoubtedly many who don't listen to radio anymore, many stations don't seem willing to do anything to get those listeners back.
Why wouldn't it be a good idea to provide oldies that aren't likely to be heard on all those stations with repetitive playlists? And why are some programmers reluctant to play '50s music? In order to satisfy some of the Baby Boomers, '50s music -- which spawned the birth of rock 'n' roll -- should be more prominent.
Instead, station management is often under pressure to evolve as the audience ages, and there is the apparent perception that demand for songs of the '50s -- and even the '60s -- is constantly on the wane. And that perception dictates that people under age 50 simply don't remember music from the '50s and '60s, with the possible exception of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Hollies, etc.
But regardless of the deficiencies of modern-day radio stations, music of the '50s, '60s and '70s has many fine qualities -- including production, message and beat -- that should logically keep it alive for years to come.
Comments