Radio Days

It’s been a long time since posting on the radio board. At times, there were things I wanted to bring up. But, my motivation and time to do it just weren’t there. I had a good number of excuses but in the end, I think I just needed a break from radio, or at least from writing about it.

This past winter, I was at the Avenues Mall. I spotted Eden Kendall about 45 minutes prior to “River City Live” airtime. Eden is co-host of 99.9 Gator Country (WGNE) as well. Although she was doing “show prep,” she still took the time to talk with me. She was warm and gracious.

It was only 10 minutes of conversation but I felt the time was invaluable. She reminisced about “Morning Zoo” days on WAPE in the 90s. We talked about radio then and now. I mentioned I was “JohnJax” from the radio board. She was aware of my strong opinions. Well, I suppose we all have reputations and that’s not a bad one to have. I’m a pretty good judge of character. Eden is very nice and decent person. What will probably never change about me is I find radio folks so fascinating!

As I walked away, I thought a lot about radio and how much has changed. Then too, what hasn’t changed 180? I’ve become increasingly more interested in Jacksonville’s radio history. I'm hoping this string will help fill in some of the gaps as we move along. Internet research can be done but it’s not the same as hearing from those who lived it or even experienced it as a listener.

The title of this string is “Radio Days.” For a long time, I documented radio events I experienced as a listener. I planned on writing a book titled “Radio Days. A Listener’s Perspective.” That never happened. I thought that would have limited appeal. Sometimes you can talk yourself out of most anything. It will never happen because I was careless with all my radio data files and it's lost. Consider portions of this string as a Cliffs Notes version of my unfinished book. At any rate, I thought it could be interesting to draw analogies between radios’ past and present to include my own career experiences and where Corporate America is today. I didn't always regard radio as a business, especially in youthful days. I have a feeling I needed to remind myself of that fact even later in life. There's a story I'll share about visiting WABC Radio the first time when I was in college. I was so wet behind the ears then.

I made many radio recommendations over the years. I also wasn’t afraid to critique performance. Along life’s journey, I was blessed to have been “mentored” by very talented broadcasters and programmers. It seems for a good number of years, I was simply in the right place at the right time. There’s incredible memories of extraordinary radio moments. As with anything, there’s a flip side too. There’s a side of radio I find mean-spirited and unprofessional.

For a large part of my life, I studied radio as if it were a school subject. It’s why I felt confident in expressing my views on this board. I always came prepared. I always tried to be a straight shooter using facts, research, and “lessons learned” from both Jax and other markets. My biggest regret was not having a career in radio. I have no delusions of grandeur but I will tell you, I would have given it my all.

The listener would be in the center of my decision making. My philosophy was always - treat your listeners well and they will have a reason to be loyal. Those listeners in turn will deliver the sponsors. It was a strategy I saw played out many times. It worked. Today, appealing to the sponsor is everything. If we put a listener weight and a sponsor weight on a scale of justice, it would be far from being balanced in my opinion.

This subject is off the ground. I hope you will enjoy what follows.

Next: Hurricane Matthew and kudos.

I’ve made many trips between Jax and South Florida over the years. Practically all of my “radio” listening nowadays is via SiriusXM and sometimes I just enjoy my own CDs. Sometimes, I switch to the AM band to marvel at the daytime signal strength of AM 690 from Jax (WOKV) and 610 WIOD (Wonderful Isle of Dreams – best calls ever IMO) from Miami.

Probably half of my “Radio Days” book would have been devoted to the AM Band. Between you and me, I really do miss hit music AM radio. Both WOKV-AM and WIOD-AM cover a significant portion of Florida’s east coast. On these trips, I think about the power and influence these blowtorch signal AMs had in the past. Today, because of all the technology, AM sounds nothing like I remember it.

Two days before Hurricane Matthew impacted North Florida, I got in my car and headed to S. Florida to be with my mom as she was alone. We no longer have family there. At that time, the hurricane was projected to negatively affect the entire Florida east coast. I couldn’t take a chance leaving mom alone.

When I hit the road, I was locked on News/Talk 104.5 WOKV FM. I’m rather surprised no one on the board thought enough to talk about Hurricane Matthew and the media coverage of that event. Perhaps better late than never, WOKV did an outstanding job. It seemed like they anticipated every one of my concerns and questions. They presented facts. The hype was refreshingly absent and that didn't waste listener time. No doubt, they are a bright spot in the Jacksonville radio landscape.

When the FM started fading away near Daytona Beach, I switched to the AM. I can see why Cox Media decided to broadcast their news/talk format as a simulcast on two powerful AM & FM signals. I listened to WOKV AM for probably another 75 miles.

Then, I tuned into 610 WIOD because I needed to know what impacts I was heading to. After all, South Florida usually always gets the worst of these storms. I quickly noticed the difference between the two stations. South Florida is a huge radio market. Yet, Jacksonville’s WOKV was far more “big market” sounding. There’s a lot of radio stations that are run on the cheap. The unfortunate thing is when they sound like they are cheap, they lose credibility and listener interest.

In every hurricane preparedness guide I’ve ever seen, there’s a reminder to get extra batteries for that radio. And for a moment, AM radio had very significant relevance to this listener. Hurricane Matthew just brought a thunder storm to South Florida.Jacksonville had greater impacts. I had some minor damage to address once I got home.

Despite all the technology at our fingertips, terrestrial radio still has a place in our lives. We’re living in very crazy times. But then, if you look at history, each decade had major problems and issues. Radio listening is a habit and it’s also escape. There are times we need to seek information and radio proves a valuable resource. There are many more times, we all need an escape from politics and current events and we become one with the music. There's lots of competition but radio is still hanging on.

I don’t believe the average person thinks of radio much. But radio is like white bread. No one thinks of white bread but if it suddenly vanished, people would be beyond upset.

Next: Our Adolescent Years – Part 1

Our adolescent years make huge impressions on us that last a lifetime. Where we grew up plays heavily in our music tastes, the cuisine we favor, our voting preferences and so much more. Programming music radio has challenges because the population is a moving target. People move in and out of a community and there’s lots of diversity of tastes to consider. It probably explains why so many markets don't have significant differences from one another.There's a core list of songs for format and there's not much deviation from there.

My employer relocated me to Jacksonville in 1997. It was at that time that I first heard the song “Sweet Home Alabama” by Lynyrd Skynyrd. I’ve long considered myself a hit music expert but when I told co-workers and my boss, I never heard the song before and that I wasn’t familiar with Lynyrd Skynyrd, they were in total disbelief. In fact, I thought they were all talking about a guy named Leonard Skinner. I was really clueless.

“Sweet Home Alabama” was a hit in late summer 1974. I’d be surprised if the old 690 WAPE Big Ape didn’t play the heck out of it since this was Jax Hometown music. So, it would be logical that those who grew up in Jax and probably throughout the South as well liked the song and the band. Kids at that time eventually became parents. Their kids probably heard that song played in the household or even on the radio via the parent(s) controlling car radio listening etc. Obviously, the kids became familiar with the song s a golden oldie.

In 1974, I lived in the NYC Metro area and the station I listened to the most was WABC-AM. That song never aired on WABC. To confirm what I already knew, I went through the painstaking process of checking out their weekly music surveys for accuracy. It simply wasn’t there. By the end of the 70s, I had moved to S. Florida. CHR there was to my taste – highly rhythmic. By the mid-80s, I listened to oldies and sometimes AC. That would explain why I never heard the song.

But here’s something I find interesting. Perhaps it was around 8 years ago, NYC's Classic Hits WCBS-FM began airing that song. It also became a huge hit of sorts ranking in the Top 10 and Top 20 for years during their Top 500 countdown specials. In this past Memorial Day countdown, the song dropped out of the Top 100 for the first time. The song is 43 years old and is no doubt showing fatigue.

I find music testing an interesting subject on its own. It’s a foregone conclusion that just because a song was popular years ago, doesn’t mean it gets airplay today on gold-based stations. Likewise, I find it amazing how many songs weren’t considered hits or even got airplay as in the case of “Sweet Home Alabama” but eventually, they became the power-rotated songs on a stations' playlist.

No doubt, CBS Radio probably tested the song and it got great reaction because it wound up on all their classic hits stations. Also, it would seem logical that gold formats constantly need to update their sound to remain viable. The favorite songs of those who grew up in the 60s or 70s made way for the tastes and preferences of those growing up in the 80s or even 90s.

There must have been a sizeable enough audience of kids and teens listening to rock music stations in the 80s. If they loved a lot of those songs then, and they still like them today. It probably explains why a WCBS-FM has gotten so rock heavy. Radio does deliver many of the beloved songs listeners grew up with. The twist is you have to be of a certain age otherwise you are SOL. My attitude about the business of radio is I understand the parameters and the need to perform well in 25-54. Life goes on and I have alternatives. Usually, there are silver linings to things. “Sunnier” days are forecast for Jacksonville. More on that upcoming.

Next: More Adolescence

Welcome Back JohnJax; always so interesting to read your perspectives on radio!

In the Tampa/St. Pete market, the AM band has become almost all junk radio IMO and the FM band is almost with a very few exceptions unlistenable as well; which is why I have the Sirius XM app and listen to that and the tune-in radio app on my iPad and iPhone and about the only time I actually use a radio is for occasionally dx'ing.

Sad....but it seems to be that all the changes in radio are not for the better for the listener, but probably good for the stockholders until they kill the goose that laid the golden egg. I've have to remember that in weather or other emergencies is a good station to listen to as I'm in Eastern Hernando county Florida often and 600-AM out of Jax does come in here during the day.

Thanks drt for your kind remarks and input.
.
The older the reader, the more memories you will have of radio. They are personal and specific. But where we can all agree is the times were different. We were different.
I experienced many so called “radio wars.” New competition came along and there would literally be an all-out battle to win. It was something you can hear through the speakers. Sometimes there were David vs. Goliath competition and damn, if the little guy didn’t win sometimes. Today, the number crunchers determine if it’s worth fighting the battle. Giving up was not always an option.

I’ve read a good number of accounts where equipment would literally be falling apart. But the team made the best of it, often fixing and mending things themselves to stay on the air. Today, there’s state of the art equipment that doesn’t even require a live person to be around. It’s beautiful to behold but what about quality and creativity coming out the speakers? Is it there? Honestly, I no longer know the answer because people themselves have changed so much. Many have attention spans of fleas. I wonder if they notice anything because they don't stay with for long.

Radio is a business and it is no different than any other business. The trend is running lean and mean. There’s sameness everywhere you go. I hate dealing with customer service no matter the company. Most of it is automated. You can’t get through to anyone.

There’s frustration everywhere. Whether we are talking poor service or going through the motions radio, it’s the reality of where we are. It has been said countless times radio reflects current society. Many today have their heads buried in their phones or other technology. I just completed a scholastic school project working at home where interacting with another human was practically nil. There was online training and I got an email thanking me when it was all done. Is radio impersonal because that’s who we are? Good radio still exists although it's not as easy to find.

There’s a pizza place near me. I go there for lunch every once in a while. One day, 99.9 Gator Country was on in the background. Another time it was AC, WEJZ. Despite the fact these are two different formats, they were executed in exactly the same way. Radio is a lot of sameness. Yeah, the songs were obviously different. But take that away and it was the same 2 5 minute stopsets with a lot of the same spots, and the voice imaging even sounded like the same guy. They must get a discount for that. There was minimal participation by the host. They both mumbled something for a few seconds and then they were gone.I couldn't even tell you what was said. It was so mechanical.

I must be behind the times but I thought WEJZ did a request show at noon. There was no interaction with callers or even interesting songs played. I suppose that's gone. It got me thinking, many used to do noon time request shows. Middays are pretty neglected nowadays and I don't know why that is. Yes, I know the commercial rates are down then. But its; the perfect daypart for increasing time spent listening. There's a captive audience at work. There's many running lunchtime errands then in their car or eating out. You would think more effort would be the rule. I just don't get it.

I can appreciate managing costs. It’s what business does. I was responsible for that as well when I was a Market Manager in the banking world. My job had similarities to what a radio GM does. We both manage a cluster of either radio stations or banking centers. I’m sure radio GMs are incentivized just as we were. Therein can lie another problem for radio if you really think about it and who benefits the most from decisions. A lot has to do with the character of the person. Aside from that, it is what it is.

More to come.

When I was very young, mom controlled the radio in the kitchen. This was her domain. Before hit music radio became dominant, the station I heard the most way back when was WNEW. (AM of course) There were the Big Bands, Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Bing Crosby, Perry Como etc.

I may have been 5 or 6 years old but that’s when I remember wanting to be a “DJ.” That music and era happened well before I was born but it created a lifetime impression. Today, “Simply Sinatra” is among my Top 3 Sirius XM stations I listen to. The other two are “Soul Town” that presents awesome classic Motown, soul & R&B. The other is “Sirius XM Love.” They present an outstanding mix of music and a lot of wow songs so called Soft AC stations don’t tough because of 25-54 I would think.

I was aware of Jacksonville’s WKTZ-FM too in that they played beautiful music from 1964 to just a few years ago. Did Jax have an AM station in the 60s/70s like a WNEW that played previously mentioned artists? I’m just curious. I never cared for instrumental versions of hit songs. It was just a boring sound.

It was very hard getting answers to questions, especially if they were current events, prior to the internet. I kept radio notebooks.Whatever questions or comments I had from what I heard on the air, I jotted them down in date order like a diary. “American Bandstand” proved to be an excellent resource. Dick Clark had an easy-going but effective interview style. In less than a minute, one could get a better understanding of the artist or band.

By the early 70’s, at least in my environment, AM hit music radio got it nailed. I thought the playlist was just right, not too long and not too short. The music that was popular then reflected what mass appeal was all about. The early 70s got a bit more mellow overall and leaned heavily into Motown/soul/R&B. On both accounts, I was digging just about everything that was played. AM Radio had reached audience highs probably exceeding everyone’s expectations. That was never ever duplicated again.

Sometime in the 1990’s, I transcribed many of my notes to electronic docs on my computer. It took a very long time to finish because there was a lot of radio experiences. Discovering this board became another important resource. There was a time good discussions and exchanging of ideas took place. With sufficient participation, I sometimes changed my own views on occasion. I admit to missing that. It's a shame that has changed.

A great deal has been discussed and written about artists such as Barry Manilow, The Carpenters, Bread, Streisand etc. As FM grew in popularity, I noticed something puzzling to me at the time. Hit music stations on FM did weekly surveys just like AM counterparts. There were lots of differences. Some of Manilow’s songs were #1 on a WABC, for example, but perhaps was #11 on an FM challenger. How can that be? Why were there such stark differences? Casey Kasem’s AT 40 was another matter. That survey (supposedly) reflected national popularity but I was always suspect about their measuring methods. There were just too many stiffs for my taste too.

Over time, I attended many Manilow concerts in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. Obviously, I was a huge fan. But what impressed me besides his great showmanship was the audience that he attracted. There were grandmothers and granddaughters and everything in between. If some of the guys were dragged there by their wives or girlfriends, I saw them really getting into the music and having a good time.

For a long time, I remained puzzled why Mainlow’s music as well as other softer hit artists never received the kind of radio airplay they rightfully deserved? There were groups like America and those songs played but not the others. Why? IMO, it’s not just about 25-54. There’s something else. I’ll share my thoughts on that in the next segment as we recall those radio days.

Song selection has long been an interesting subject on the board. I’m not sure if this happened last year or two years ago. Time DOES go by so quickly. Entercom Communications fired practically the entire air-team, re-branded the station, and significantly changed the sound of former classic hits, Magic 102.7 in South Florida. Of course, I protested on the board.

I received a surprising number of responses back in private message. One was from a 40 year South Florida radio veteran who wrote at length about the importance of a station’s “image.” The information was an eye-opener to me. It’s not that I necessarily concur on all counts but it’s been the way of the radio world for quite some time.

Looking back at the playlist differences between the AM powerhouse I supported and the new kids in town on the FM. I can see how image would come into play. I’m sure this was a trend that was happening everywhere including Jacksonville. FM was edgier. There was a more obvious rock lean. Bubblegum and slower tempo songs gave way to hits by rock artists. It wasn’t too heavy but the idea was to differentiate themselves from AM hit music radio.

Today, it’s about target demos. And really, those 70s FM CHR playlists were the genesis of what exists today. On FM, niche stations were finding their way all over the dial. While AM was music for everybody, FM has specific stations for various tastes. No one was ever going to get ginormous ratings anymore but it was about playing music to attract certain listeners and to the advertisers who could sell to that audience.

Teens were probably an easy target for CHR. Manilow may have been perceived as their parents music. This is speculation on my part. But one thing is if FM CHR was an exact duplicate of AM, I doubt that would have been a winning strategy.

In Jacksonville, many of you may remember the Groovin’ Oldies format that aired on 105.3 and 105.5. It was among the best formats they put on there. It started out great but remember this was TAMA so things fell apart real quick. Anyway, one of their taglines was “We’re not your father’s oldies station.” That was directly aimed at the former Cool 96.9.

I couldn’t relate to it because I listened to my parents radio stations and enjoyed what I heard. But I was aware that many “kids” don’t like anything their parents like. I should know. I talked about that when the former Clear Channel signed Lex & Terry for the morning show on the defunct Planet 107.3. I was the lone voice against the idea. I didn’t think Planet’s audience would relate to L&T and if competition came along pounding away at the music, they would bail. I was spot on with that one as that is exactly what happened. It’s all about image.

As to why certain soft artists have a history of not being prominently featured on the radio, I believe it has to do with image too. Listener perceptions are powerful and they can take considerable time and expense to change if something drove them away. Perhaps playing certain artists conveys an image of being a wimpy station. No one wants to risk that. I never thought of soft hits as being wimpy. Even when I was in my teens, I ate that stuff up. Maybe I was an exception and it’s a reminder that radio appeals to the masses and not individual tastes.

Anyway, it probably explains why talent is often let go even when the format changes even if it’s just a little. Out with the old and in with the new. That’s radio but I don’t have to agree with all of it. Radio strategies can be very complex and in my case, it can take many years to figure out.

Next: More Jacksonville kudos.

If you like Manilow and artists like him, you might want to read the latest Clive Davis autobiography. Clive signed Barry to his first record label deal, and gave him a lot of songs (at least the ones Barry didn't write). Here's a quote from Clive: " I honed my ear to songs and [looked] for artists that didn't write, or if they did write, they didn't write enough pop hits for themselves. I looked for hit songs. And we got Arista off to a roaring start. The first [hit] record was "Mandy," which I gave to Barry Manilow." He had a series of those with Barry, and then did the same with Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin. Clive has done several speeches on his life, and there's a movie based on his autobiography. He talks more about those songs you talk about. The ones that sound more like your parents music. Those are the ones Clive looked for. He's a few years older than Barry. He thinks those songs help make an artist timeless.

Having said all that, those kinds of songs may be great for an artist, they make be great for record sales, and they make be great for radio airplay when they're currents. All of that is true. But they have their limitations when you talk about playing them as classic hits 40 years later. That may be why you don't hear as much Manilow on the radio now, even though he was popular in his time.

TheBigA said:

those kinds of songs may be great for an artist, they make be great for record sales, and they make be great for radio airplay when they're currents. All of that is true. But they have their limitations when you talk about playing them as classic hits 40 years later. That may be why you don't hear as much Manilow on the radio now, even though he was popular in his time.

Click to expand...

I will be sure to check out Clive Davis' autobiography. Thanks for the tip. I understand why formats such as classic hits offer a limited amount of titles over 40 years of age. But, in the case of Manilow and music of that genre, it's been slim pickins for over 10 years. There's the occasional "Copacabana" Saturday night fare or perhaps Barry's songs get their due in music speciality programming such as A-Z or #1 songs. Probably the only major classic hits station that has played Barry Manilow's hits consistently is Philadelphia's WOGL. WCBS-FM did air Barry's hits at one time, but as you say, these 40+ year old songs are heard less. WCBS FM is evolving into something else nowadays. With their heavier rock lean, I suppose Barry's music just doesn't fit their sound.

More Jacksonville kudos.

A while back, one of the posters reported that the “good time oldies station” was gone. He was from Daytona area. Obviously, he was talking about the AM and not the FM translator station at 102.3. I just assumed, it all disappeared.

A few months ago, I discovered 102.3 never went anywhere. Tony Mann is doing afternoon drive and they recently added longtime radio personality, Dr. A.J. Davis to morning drive. Good for them!

Let’s get the negative out of the way. CP Broadcasting (Chesapeake Portsmouth) apparently has made a deal with iHeartMedia as their WSOL FM is translating. Interestingly, iHeartMedia is listed as owner/ company in the ratings. Maybe the owner of the translator gets the credit? The signal, sadly, is not quality reception as is usually the case for translators. What a shame!

That aside, they have re-branded as” Sunny 102.3 Jacksonville’s Greatest Hits.” I love that. BTW. It would appear they are no longer using syndicated programing but I could be wrong. If the music is being programed locally, then kudos to whomever is responsible for that. I'd like to find out what the deal is with the music...it's good...really good!

There’s lots of wow songs. I listen when I can and invite you to the same. They still offer 60s but the focus is the 70s and they have a good number of 80s titles each hour. It’s like what Cool 96.9 would have sounded like, maybe 12 years ago. They’ve recently added Casey Kasem’s AT 40 The 70s to their schedule. They do stream. Give them a listen here…

http://jacksonvillesgreatesthits.com/

Despite not being on a big stick, I see lots of evidence of giving it their best. That's so important. It would appear management is giving this a shot. I wish them well. Tony and A.J both know the Jax market very well so this makes them valuable assets.

I should probably contact the station and arrange a visit. I’ve got tons of questions regarding their playlist. I don’t say this lightly but they offer the best music for upper end 25-54 and yes beyond that than any other station in N.E. Florida. It’s so refreshing to see different songs get airplay and not the same old same old.

The other day, I was tuned in and was at my destination. I couldn’t turn the station off until the commercials came on. I have lots of choices on Sirius XM but Sunny 102.3 has given me yet another choice. This is the song that kept me from turning off the station in the parking lot. One of my absolute favs from the 1970’s. I was in heaven! What a fun, upbeat and motivational song!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1TDZtoq5PU

I just wonder. Could these guys ever find themselves on a better signal? But where? It’s certainly deserving and with a few tweaks, Jacksonville’s Greatest Hits could be a great station to the Jacksonville radio landscape. iHeartMedia probably represents the best fit as they are already in a deal. Let's dream BIG.

More to come!

Albert Einstein once said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” If only radio as an industry could embrace this. Probably the number one reason, I enjoy both writing and reading retrospective analysis about the business of radio is that there is a wealth of lessons that could be learned.

Radio has long engaged in what I call excluding music based on "lines of demarcation." This makes the news all the time. Suddenly, a music decade vanishes completely. A song from 1979 is taboo but 1980 is okay. Of course, Christmas music has different rules.

If I were a music producer and we were nearing the end of this decade, I would release my singer’s song in January 2020 instead of November 2019. Now, it’s the same song, the same artist, the same everything but if current radio thinking continues to perpetuity, then that artist will see a helluva lot more radio airplay by waiting just two months. While this may sound funny, it’s a tried and true strategy. But there’s lots of evidence that it doesn’t always assure a win.

The first time I saw this backfire occurred in the early days of FM. Where I lived, a station emerged that was a 50/50 mix of contemporary music and oldies. There were album cuts and the oldies library went back to the 50’s. The playlist was quite extensive and the jocks picked their own music. This was a “Drake” formatted station. (WOR-FM) The emphasis was on more music and “DJ” interaction that didn’t require talking over every song until the vocals began. It was smart and it was an invitation to listen longer. It represented a welcome change to AM that had an incredible amount of commercials and repetition.

New management came along who ordered that no music older than 1964 would be played. Sound familiar? Mind you, this may have only been 1970. There weren’t that many oldies then so listeners were hearing what others were doing. Ratings dropped because there was less of an incentive to listen. A new CHR station came on the scene and they were never as successful. I read many accounts by radio pros that the station should have been given more time. How familiar is that too?


WCBS FM saw an opening and began playing oldies. They were a big hit. As I recall, they snagged 2 million listeners when they made the switch. The same kind of situation happened in South Florida. There was an oldies station that decided to get more contemporary. WMXJ (Magic 102.7) saw an opening and they had a 30+ year run.

I’ve seen this same kind of situation played out over and over and in city after city. Stations and formats get wrecked. People get fired. A new team comes in and often times the replacement format is not as good as the predecessor format. That’s happened quite a lot in Jax and that probably won’t change. Honestly, I think trying to make budget and achieving established goals creates an insanity situation as mentioned in Mr. Einstein's quote.

JohnJax said:

Radio has long engaged in what I call excluding music based on "lines of demarcation." This makes the news all the time. Suddenly, a music decade vanishes completely. A song from 1979 is taboo but 1980 is okay.

Click to expand...

You're engaging in what I call making a vast generalization about all of radio based on your personal experience. There are hundreds of exceptions to the examples you give. They may not be the most successful stations, they may not be on the best signals or owned by the biggest companies. But the eras that you say have vanished are still available on lots of broadcast radio stations throughout your home state. There are stations that even play music from the 1920s if you're willing to look. But the 50s and 60s are all over the radio throughout the country.

What's true is I am recalling my own experiences. As much as I try to be detail-oriented in providing information and examples, I also assume the reader understands none of my statements are absolutes. For example, in my 1979/1980 song reference, I could have said for most AC formats or wording like that to clarify. It is very common that stations/formats do designate which decades they feature. Based on listener preferences, it will either be a pass or a tune in.

Yes, there are radio stations that do play really old music. I discussed one in this string In Jacksonville as well. If I could make one correction, I said Sunny 102.3 plays 60's, 70's and 80's music. They also play an occasional 50's song too.

In 1968, the FCC decreed that FM stations had to be programed separately from their AM counterparts at least half the time in major cities where the same company owned both. I’m not sure how the FCC determined the criteria for a major city. Perhaps it was the top X cities by market, but I don’t know what X was or if this even affected Jacksonville. I know Jax is a Top 50 market today but was it that in 1968 and did that even matter?

I’ve often said decisions have consequences. Perhaps at the time, the companies involved with the FCC ruling thought this was just another pain in the arse government edict to deal with. AM Radio had such commanding numbers of listeners that perhaps few really saw the negative implications.

The big switch that happened where FM eventually had more listeners than AM has fascinated me for the last 40 years. But then, so has the Titanic. I found that story amazing, especially the arrogance and stupidity that played major parts. Parallels? Perhaps.

Many of my radio posts dealt with working hard as a cohesive team in order to win. I saw that in my own little world. It proved to me how fast things can change in radio. In the early 70’s you can be on top of the world (Titanic line) and by the mid 70’s the competition had seriously eroded the AM audience. By the end of the 70’s, most AM’s had lost the battle but what a fight it was.

It probably wasn’t the FCC’s intent to put AM stations in such a tough position. But it happened. In New York, WABC’s FM sister station was WPLJ. This was classic rock and it was performing very well. There were situations where the Top 40 AM station moved to FM where the FM under performed. Ironically, for those who did a great job creating a winner FM, they doomed the AM heritage station.

In 1978, one of my favorite jazz/rock bands “Steely Dan” released a song called “FM (No Static At All). If you think about it, this was pure genius as the band captured a major current event. I never thought much about static or even hearing songs in mono. The times were changing. It was then that I knew the handwriting was on the proverbial wall.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HV3zWSawJiw

Disco was huge in 1979. It was probably another nail in the AM radio coffin. Disco stations came on the scene on FM and even the urban stations were very disco oriented. Some FM stations promoted the tagline “disco sucks” and they offered themselves as the station you wouldn’t hear any of that garbage as they put it. These were mainly rock stations. Their influence lasted far longer and I see that even today. Disco was done in 1980.

The 1980’s proved to be an interesting decade on many accounts. One of the board members once talked about an event that took place in Jacksonville in the 1980’s that quite frankly surprised me big time. We’ll look back at that event later in this string and the influence it had.

Next: It wasn’t me who got into radio, it was my sister.

Call me crazy but I believe we fail to realize the side of our humanity that understands our senses when it comes to radio. I have heard it said to smile with you phone a potential customer because they can tell. I have heard the same as for cracking the microphone. Many of our decisions we make or don't make are based on what we might call feelings or hunches. I believe these are communicated via radio.

I'm thinking a bunch or radio people or average talent, all believing in their format and working hard to build a successful station, interacting as the work together in the same building create an 'energy' for lack of a better word, that is projected behind the words. I think, more than these words we heard, was this 'feeling' or 'hunch' was audible to our instinctive side. I have to agree the raw talent for most on the air back in the good old days was not so exceptional, yet it was exciting, fun and you felt a part of something.

My thought is that memory is not just because of age or our take on what radio was but the non-verbal connection that made you part of the pack for that station.

I think radio still serves those primal needs. For example, news in morning drive is to give assurance the outside world is known before you leave the safety of home. If you don't believe that then why does it anger you if you gt stuck in traffic because of a wreck that was not reported. You're angry because you were counting of your devise, source or traffic report on your chosen station to know where every accident is. Because you stumbled upon one means your world was not as safe as they seemed to indicate it was.

Maybe the reason radio does not seem to find the same loyalty is because some of that non-verbal stuff is gone. Few radio stations that the same interaction among employees today. Those in radio tend not to be offered enough depth in the personality to become more than a nameless voice. We listen but our primal part never establishes a bond. Granted morning shows are different.

John Jax scribed:

"In 1968, the FCC decreed that FM stations had to be programed separately from their AM counterparts at least half the time in major cities where the same company owned both. I’m not sure how the FCC determined the criteria for a major city. Perhaps it was the top X cities by market, but I don’t know what X was or if this even affected Jacksonville. I know Jax is a Top 50 market today but was it that in 1968 and did that even matter?"
----------------------
The former WLCY 1380, which had been the AM powerhouse in the Tampa/St Petersburg market, was still owned by Rahall Communications in 1968 and they basically kept their same format, but when ClearChannel purchased WLCY sometime in the mid-1970's, they did a shadow cast on the AM, technically it was not a simulcast but clearly it was not the intent of the FCC decree. The AM programming ran about 20-30 seconds behind the FM, IIRC; so that the time-checks were still accurate or nearly accurate.

Now 1380 like many so many former AM powerhouses, is a shadow of itself, with an alleged business format, that seems to be different business informercials a good part of the broadcast day. (Prior to this format, they were a Radio Disney station and then sold off to Salem communications)

The other AM popular/rock formatted station was 1110 WALT, but being a daytimer, they were at big disadvantage, they may have tried harder, but in early 1968, they threw in the towel and went through several format and call letter changes during the next decade. Now 1110- now WTIS is silent but has a CP to come back on the air with a translator.

Other powerhouse stations in Tampa/St. Pete during the 1960's and 1970's were WSUN-620(Now WDAE-620) and WFLA-970 which gradually over a year or two period went from popular music to their current talk format. Both 620 and 970 (along with 1250) are the AM i-Heart stations in Tampa/St. Petersburg.

DavidEduardo said:

There was no arrogance or stupidity. When FM started developing formats that improved on the mainstream AM offerings, such as Top 40, Country, etc., they won on various counts. First, in many markets the average full power FM covered better than all but, maybe, one or two AM stations. Second, they sounded better with less noise and static. Third, they were in stereo. Fourth, they limited commercial minutes.

Click to expand...

Add to that the fact that it was perceived as "new" and "cool." AM had grown old and stale. Even the DJs were leaving AM by the late 60s. Big Tom Donohue was one of the first in San Francisco. He had become very vocal about his dislike of the format at KYA. The growth of the "youth culture," which was built around music, became a driving force for the movement to FM. Everyone had a stereo at the time. It seemed antithetical to spend money on a stereo sound system and then listen to AM. Artists who were associated with the old generation found it difficult to get a hit with the new. After Good Vibrations, the Beach Boys were pretty much toast. No radio station would take a chance on their new music. The Beatles somehow reinvented themselves in a way that fit the new generation, the new stereo-based sound, and managed to continue until 1971. But there was a revolution taking place. It was generational. It was cultural. Radio was in the middle of it, as was music. And AM was just one of the casualties.

There are a number of items that I’ve promised to discuss in this string, and I have every intention to do so. However, I believe it’s necessary to take a little detour as I’d like to respond to previous comments.

One of my radio heroes was Rick Sklar who was PD during the heyday of WABC. He wrote a book entitled “Rocking America. An Insider’s Story.” Rick’s account of certain events were not always accurate. I also recognized there was considerable praise and adoration of himself. Putting that aside, I looked holistically at his story and walked away impressed. It is from Rick’s book that I cited the FCC edict I spoke of in a prior post. I couldn’t find anything in an online search so I wrote based on the info I had.

I enjoy when radio board topics have interaction. It’s far more interesting than reading the opinions of only one writer. Participation can also increase learning. The explanation as to why we found so many beautiful music and hard rock stations on early FM now makes sense. If the same company owned the AM cash cow, they didn’t want anything interfering with that. We even see some of that today in FM clusters. There's that one station that seems to be kept back.

Perhaps this board mirrors society. I often wonder what has happened to civility. People are at each other’s throats, and there’s virtually no tolerance for differing opinions. The board monitors do an outstanding job. However, it’s distressing when they had no other choice but to close down certain topics because the radio pros and the avid listeners bucked heads and acted childlike, not budging from their opinions.

The radio pros who participate on the R.D. boards have a wealth of knowledge and I truly have learned a good deal from the, especially years ago when civility ruled. I don’t like broad brushing as this doesn’t apply to all the radio pros or avid listeners. Remember your school days where you handed in a homework paper only to have it returned to you filled with red marks? You felt demoralized. It’s not a great way to learn either. Then there were teachers who gave you credit and acknowledged what you did correctly. They also included what you did wrong. That method is more conducive to learning. I’m still learning about a lot of things to include radio. Differences of opinion are healthy and they make reading the posts interesting. However, "red marking" certain sentences or paragraphs while never citing any type of agreement is not the way to go. In business, any manager who only coaches employees on negative things will probably have a lot of turnover.

I will agree with TheBigA’s prior comments. Being cool meant everything, especially if you were a teen. I was a teen for part of the 70’s. I picked up friends in the family car that only had AM radio. Man, I was ragged on big time. Next time I picked them up, I was the cool guy with FM in the car. When no one was around, I listened to whatever the hell I wanted. Peer pressure was another factor for sure.

I give a lot of thought to these subject strings. I try to stay within a certain word length otherwise few will want to read them. There’s a wide spectrum of readers. On the subject of radio in the 1970’s, I realize some of the readers weren’t even born then. However, I wanted them to walk away having basic knowledge that AM hit radio was very popular in the early 70’s, challenges and audience decline to FM were apparent in the mid 70’s, and the end of the 70’s saw FM proliferating. The fact that I needed to be corrected for having said 1979 instead of 1978 in one sentence is being petty.

In 1979, I moved to Florida. In the early 80’s, my sister got an internship and eventually an engineer/board op gig at WPLJ, FM sister station to WABC in NYC.

My sister, Ellen, knew of my radio junkie addiction so in one of my family visits, she arranged to have me come by the studios. WPLJ was at the time a classic rock station. This was 1981. I met a few people but I couldn’t even tell you who they are today. I never listened to the station so I was unfamiliar with everyone including on air folks.

I had a pre-conceived notion about what goes on or how people act at radio stations. It’s not reality. My early desire was to go into the studio to see the jock at work. As time went on, I realized I wouldn’t want anyone standing over my shoulders as I was working. So, unless I personally know someone on the air, I wouldn’t bother them. There’s really not much to see, especially today.

That same day, there was a visit to WABC on another floor. It was quieter than my first visit there, eight years earlier. I wasn’t dressed for success then. I should have known better. By design, I looked like my favorite Beatle George Harrison, or at least the very long hair part. Not good when you're trying to do research for a paper. As an Economics/Business Major student, I was tasked in writing about a successful company. So, I chose WABC Radio. It all ended so fast. I was handed a beautiful and well put together marketing package that had pics of all the jocks, signal info, audience figures and advertising testimonials. It was probably what was provided to potential sponsors. I never got a chance to ask the questions I had. Johnny Donovan was on the air that day. He and the engineer faced each other and there was lots of going on. It was all very fast-paced.

tn 1981, it was a different WABC. It was as if the life was sucked out of it. Johnny Donovan was once again the guy on the air. Gone was the on air excitement, all those jingles and great music. The station wasn’t contemporary anymore. It was all very bland. In less than one year, they flipped to talk. That seemed to be the fate of many AM stations. But, AM still had some life in her in the 80’s. We’ll get to that.

My sister wound up in public radio but automation and job elimination started happening, so opportunities were limited. She found a different career in 1983.

I learned valuable lessons from both my visit in 1973 and in 1981. Radio can change on a dime. My sister made friends with one of the WABC engineers, David K. I wound up becoming good friends with him as well. Dave answered many of the questions I had jotted down in my notebooks from long ago. He had the scoop on everybody.

Lastly, regarding Johnny Donovan. Sometimes, you never know how decisions in life will pan out. Here’s a guy who was “lucky” enough to be on FM. He left it in 1971 to go to AM – WABC. He remained there until the station went to talk in 1982. He stayed with talk in the production end where he retired just a couple years ago after a 43 year run. He remains the voice guy for the Rush Limbaugh Show. What an amazing career.

Yes indeed, decisions do have consequences. I appreciate this particular indulgence as this has little to do with Jacksonville radio per se. But, in many ways, we can all relate to making life altering decisions and reliving fond memories.