Any one seen today's Tulsa ratings?

[Kent]

I doubt this Gen-X format will last long if there's not that many great songs to choose from. 90's CHR pop was a wasteland of way too many one-hit-wonders.

It hasn't lasted long in a lot of places. It lasted less than a year in Kansas City, and Entercom gave the "90's Buzz" in Sacramento just over 2 years before flipping it recently. I'm really surprised it's lasted as long as it has in Tulsa and Louisville. Clear Channel has already flipped three of its Gen X stations, and it had fewer than 10 to begin with.

Noting how many Classic Hits stations are doing so well now around the country, would a reboot of 106.1 - maybe with the KAKC-FM calls.. that might generate some buzz -and a wide "Tulsa's Greatest Hits" playlist from 64-84 - work in Tulsa?

That was basically what KOOL 106.1 became about five years ago, and it was a disaster. I don't think branding would make a difference. However, I do think Kevan Seal was onto something with the format. He just made the critical mistake of focusing too much on pop. Randy Kabrich was the architect of several 80's stations, and his research indicated that rock from that era still tests well while most of the pop and dance doesn't.

 

[GeneSavage]

I think the problem with the 70s version of KOOL was that it wasn't playing enough hits! The cuts he pulled (and I'm sure he had his reasons) were songs from the 70s and 80s that are neither evergreens nor high-charting songs back in the day... it was almost as if he was programming marginal charters... maybe in the hopes of avoiding burnt-out songs and creating a huge "oh-wow" factor? I have no idea.

The result was a listening experience that went like this (at least for me):

Don't like it
Don't like it
Don't KNOW it... and don't like it
HATE it

...and on and on.

I was a child of the 70s, and a teen in the 80s. There are lots and lots and lots of 70s and 80s songs you could play that I would LOVE. KOOL seemed to miss most of them. It was like they had a consultant who "had it in" for the station and was reversing the numbers on their song surveys or something.

I think it's a shame KOOL wasn't able to move forward into the Classic Hits format successfully. It seems like they did OK going from 50s / 60s to 60s / 70s... so why the trouble going 70s / 80s?

I wasn't on the inside, so I have no clue how that format got so mangled by the time it came out of our speakers... I just know it didn't work, and the lack of numbers reflect it.

I think a "classic alternative" format would be interesting, although it would have to be programmed VERY carefully to have mass appeal.

I also think Tulsa is missing a soft alternative: EZ listening, Beautiful Music, Smooth Jazz, Soft AC, classic MOR, lounge... there's a hole now in this market for something for the listener looking to relax and unwind, for the office environment, and for older listeners. A truly older-skewed format would be suicide, but if you could come up with a "young" and "gentle" format, you might have something... maybe your slogan is "The World's Best Lovesongs, 24 Hours A Day?" "Love 106.1," anyone?

...Of course, years ago, they were Lite 106, KLTE...

 

[billyg]

I also think Tulsa is missing a soft alternative: EZ listening, Beautiful Music, Smooth Jazz, Soft AC, classic MOR, lounge... there's a hole now in this market for something for the listener looking to relax and unwind, for the office environment, and for older listeners. A truly older-skewed format would be suicide, but if you could come up with a "young" and "gentle" format, you might have something... maybe your slogan is "The World's Best Lovesongs, 24 Hours A Day?" "Love 106.1," anyone?

...Of course, years ago, they were Lite 106, KLTE...

I would love to see that happen for the the older listeners. But it seems when someone tries these kinds of formats, they always get poor ratings. And advertising agencies stay away from them like the plague because the audience winds up too old, despite the station mixing in more modern cuts to get a younger audience.

I think the the problem is you now have a couple of generations of radio listeners who grew up on CHR Pop, Rock and Hip Hop. And they dont want to get "gentle". I think adult contemporary radio has finally burned out listeners on the big Celene, Micheal Bolton, Mariah Carey and Lionel Richie ballads.

CHR had such a great year in 2011 because you had moms who were tired of AC radio and liked their kids LMFAO, Maroon 5 and Black-Eyed Peas hits. And a lot of AC's had to get really upbeat last year to stay with them.

 

[billyg]

I think the problem with the 70s version of KOOL was that it wasn't playing enough hits! The cuts he pulled (and I'm sure he had his reasons) were songs from the 70s and 80s that are neither evergreens nor high-charting songs back in the day... it was almost as if he was programming marginal charters... maybe in the hopes of avoiding burnt-out songs and creating a huge "oh-wow" factor? I have no idea.

It was messy but for a music geek like me I kind of liked the hodgepodge. I agree it was too pop and obscure. I listened to the webstream and heard things like Donnie Iris.. and nobody outside of Pittsburgh really plays him regularly.

I was thinking of something like what KOMA-FM, WAKY and WCBS are doing.. mostly 60's 70's hits (no rarities), old school personality jocks and jingles. Or is Tulsa burned out on this kind of radio?

 

[ionosphere]

I like Kevan, and I worked in the building with him when he took over Kool, but his programming of that station was a complete disaster. And someone already said it...he had about a 50/50 mix of 70's hits and completely obscure cuts that no one remembers (for good reason). I can't tell you how many times I heard the Andrew Gold version of "Thank You For Being A Friend" on 106.1. The programming was awful.

After Kevan left and they took a more 80's approach, I thought they were on to something, but they abandoned it too soon. Not that all-80's works, but a 70's/80's pop format might've been interesting to hear.

 

[Kent]

From what I heard, KOOL 106.1's "Classic Top-40" format was actually Kevan's creation and not backed up by much research or consulting. Much like NightAire, I wasn't in the building. So, I can't vouch for that statement, but it had been mentioned on this board before. If you read it on the internet, it's probably true, right?

Pretty much everything played on the "Classic Top-40" format KOOL aired was a top-40 hit. Yes, as bad as it was, "Thank You For Being A Friend" by Andrew Gold was a hit (#25) in its day. However, like many other hits, it dropped of the charts pretty quickly and was replaced even more quickly. This is pretty common and why a top-40 hit is anything but timeless. Another example of this is Styx's top-5 hit from 1983, "Mr. Roboto." While the song hit the top-5, it made Styx seem like a bunch hucksters to their longtime fans and was little more than a novelty song. The result is that you almost never hear one of their biggest hits on the radio today. The only reasons that song hasn't been completely forgotten are because of how truly bad it was and how it ruined everything for Styx. While they reinvented themselves as a soft rock band about five years later, they never had the success they had as rockers and have been considered mostly to be sellouts all because of that hit song.

As a personal example, the last time I did top-40 radio was 2005, and I remember spinning the hell out of Vanessa Carlton's date rape themed "White Houses" in the summer of '04 for a few weeks to a month. That song pretty well ruined her career and was a top-40 hit more because there wasn't anything better during that time period. By the time it popped in on the year end countdown at #84, pretty much everyone had forgotten it, and those who hadn't wished they could've! I can't imagine it ever being played again, but it would be possible because quite-a-few of the classics that still get played today were relative stiffs during their time. Fleetwood Mac, for example, only had one #1 hit, and I think the only album that produced any top-10 hits was "Rumours." While their album "Fleetwood Mac" was a number one album and was very successful, the best any of the songs on it did were #11. Van Halen is another one that receives airplay on classic rock and classic hits stations, but the only number one they had was "Jump."

 

[ionosphere]

Fleetwood Mac, for example, only had one #1 hit, and I think the only album that produced any top-10 hits was "Rumours." While their album "Fleetwood Mac" was a number one album and was very successful, the best any of the songs on it did were #11. Van Halen is another one that receives airplay on classic rock and classic hits stations, but the only number one they had was "Jump."

Fleetwood Mac had top 10 hits on all of their Buckingham/Nicks era albums. "Dreams" is the only number 1. But, like you mentioned, even the big hits aren't always timeless. Fleetwood Mac's song "Tusk" peaked at #8, and it certainly isn't something you hear much on the radio anymore, though it does occasionally get play on Classic Rock formats.

But even though Andrew Gold's song was technically a top 40 hit, there's a reason it isn't played on the radio today, and should've never been on Kool's playlist.

 

[stan]

I think a version of KAKC-FM could do well. Image it like KRTH in LA.

 

[billyg]

Another example of this is Styx's top-5 hit from 1983, "Mr. Roboto." While the song hit the top-5, it made Styx seem like a bunch hucksters to their longtime fans and was little more than a novelty song. The result is that you almost never hear one of their biggest hits on the radio today. The only reasons that song hasn't been completely forgotten are because of how truly bad it was and how it ruined everything for Styx. While they reinvented themselves as a soft rock band about five years later, they never had the success they had as rockers and have been considered mostly to be sellouts all because of that hit song.

I jumped the Styx bandwagon when "Babe" came out, and the album it came out on (Cornerstone) was wimpier sounding than their earlier albums. The next album (Paradise Theater) was better but the damage had been done with the older fans.

"Roboto" had a little resurgence a few years ago when it was used in a Volkswagen commercial, that's probably why it was programmed.

Did this station do any testing?