J
Jul
Guest
I hope they are not preparing to change the format on 98.1 . I'm stunned by these layoffs. CBS is basically messing up a heritage radio station .
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The latest at the WOGL helm
- Thread starter cyber
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I hope they are not preparing to change the format on 98.1 . I'm stunned by these layoffs. CBS is basically messing up a heritage radio station .
There is, in my opinion, no "heritage" unless a station has as big an audience today as it did in the good old days of yesteryear. A consistently good station with big audience today is a heritage station because it has built a future on its past and is constantly renewing itself.
Today's WBEB and the 60's WDVR are an example of a heritage station reinventing itself every so often to stay current.
While I hate to see great programmers and talent depart any station, it is WOGL's job to stay fresh and current for today's listener.
But stations can sound fresh without laying off people. Just "retrain" the older jocks with what's expected today. KRTH did the same, dumping legendary talent only to sound fresh. I'm sure Shotgun Tom can adapt and play a 90's song, just as well as the ones they played before. It's one thing to simply retire (like Mr. Rock & Roll did), but it's wrong to dump them like that.
Funny, when the times change.....you don't see legendary baseball announcers being fired. The great Vin Scully (1950-2016) comes to mind.
And we can't forget the great, late Hal Fishman on KTLA for 32 years?? Yeah.
The only way to keep a station true to it's "heritage" or "roots" is to keep the legends you have, not discard them like underperforming new hires on 90 day probation.
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David makes a great point about Philly's 101--beyond the name changes, they've turned over the staff from time to time (and long since eliminated the overnight slot). It happens, and it can be disrupting, but it happens in all businesses. And while what constitutes "legendary" may be subjective, there certainly are sports announcers for whom the same thing happens. Yes, there are exceptions, of course.
It's not true that the only way to keep a station true to its heritage or roots is never changing the air staff. There's more to it than that.
Yeah, I was just using that as a main example. There are other factors, of course. You can play newer music, you can change presentations, you can change the jingles, but you can keep the same talent. Newer audiences can appreciate experienced legends and talent too. As Clint Eastwood once said..."Improvise, Adapt, Overcome".
For what reason? I think it was obvious to anyone who listened to Casem Kasem in his last years as host of AT40 that he had no knowledge or connection to the music he was playing. To him, the names were words on a script, not people making music. That hurts the credibility of the host and the show. When that happens, it's time for talent to change to better reflect the music and the new audience. Other CBS stations have made similar moves during the past few years.
Take two examples:
Mercedes-Benz. A heritage marque. But every new model incorporates bits of new technology and lets go of aging styling in favor of contemporary lines and even color modifications.
Cadillac: a brand that lost its way in the period when nearly all American cars failed to adapt to new consumer tastes and preferences. They stuck with land-yacht size cars and stodgy styling too long. Only bankruptcy woke them up and enabled them to, essentially, become a new brand with an old name. The line now has some of the most radical styling on the road, and they have been trying desperately to un-link themselves from the "old fart car" image of the past.
Again, successful updating of a heritage facility is seen in WBEB, not in WOGL (yet).
KRTH's improvements have been significant. In the Jan-Mar three month average, they were 7th in 25-54, and in the latest book they are now #3. The freshening has had a definite impact, and that move upwards means revenue. They are very close to jumping from a 0.4 rating to the top of the market 0.5 level.
I would argue that (however long ago) shifting from the Oldies 98 name to simply 98.1 WOGL was a successful update of the heritage facility.
Good point. Simple but effective.
Quite fair--though anecdotally, and sitting smack in the heart of the age range for the station, I've yet to hear anyone refer to it anything other than Oldies 98. It means nothing in the big picture of course, but I find it an interesting example of how a brand can take root and be tough to change (barring something more "drastic" a la EZ 101 to B 101 to More FM).
Side note: it was amusing not long ago when WOGL promoted a concert via social media that is billed as Ben-FM's "Summer Bender" (mentioning only the artists--not the Ben connection). Ben playfully responded that it was nice to see "Oldies 98" excited about their event.
Exactly. I have friends my age (mid 30's) always say "I can't believe what Oldies 98 is playing now!" Some people will ALWAYS call it that.
It means nothing to the listener, but I LOVE when little jabs like this go back and forth between stations, playfully or not!
It's amusing that they've now reached the point they're playing the same songs as they were as Hot Hits---and in many cases, songs that came out after the switch. Circle of life and all that.
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andreajesus
Guest
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andreajesus
Guest
Are WOGL and Ben-FM sister stations? If not, why did they promote "Summer Bender"?
WOGL is owned by CBS/Entercom and Ben-FM is owned by Beasley, so this "Summer Bender" thing must be a gimmick.
Foreigner and Cheap Trick are touring, and Ben FM attached their name as a sponsor when it hits Philadelphia--they did the same thing for several years now, when a tour with core artists passes through. The concert was listed somewhere just by the bands, and being core artists to WOGL, they happened to note it would be a cool concert. That's what Ben picked up on and had some fun with.
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