Date Posted:
09 | 27 | 05

Oldies And The Fatal Flaw

The reason some Oldies stations are signing off has nothing to do with programming. It has everything to do with advertisers spending their money elsewhere. And it also has everything to do with programmers not following advertisers' dollars.

Remember the Taco Bell ads with the dog? People loved those ads, but the ads didn't sell tacos. Revenue went down and the campaign was scrapped. The question is: does oldies radio as we know it sell cars? Does it sell tacos? Sadly, that's not our question to answer. It's a decision for those spending money on airtime to peddle their wares.

Without their money, the format will die.

Personally, I think the oldies format is fatally flawed. Oldies radio, in general, is constantly targeting an older and older audience. Twenty years ago, a forty year old grew up during the 50s and 60s. Oldies radio played songs from his or her youth. Today, a forty year old grew up during the 70s and 80s. I don't hear those songs on oldies radio.

Why not?

"Remember the Taco Bell ads with the dog? People loved those ads, but the ads didn't sell tacos. Revenue went down and the campaign was scrapped. The question is: does oldies radio as we know it sell cars? Does it sell tacos?"

Not only do I think the format is flawed, I even hate the term oldies. If I were programming one of these stations, I'd work towards distancing my station from that word. I'd play "Greatest Hits," not Oldies. The term "old" is derogatory to very same people oldies radio needs to reach. How ignorant is it to image a format around a term that is precisely what the listener doesn't want to be? I'd also carefully move my oldies station forward with late 70s and 80s records.

Honestly, I think Jack is a better oldies format. Musically, it's brilliant. Most of those songs are oldies to someone in their 30s and 40s, but you don't feel old when listening to Jack. (Jack's struggle will be personality and connecting over the long haul - but musically, it's dead on)

Oldies began as a format that played favorite songs from your youth. Today, oldies is a format of songs from before you were born. It's a format for grandparents. As I type this, the 80's station is playing Heart "What About Love" and the oldies station is playing the Hollies "Bus Stop." My point there is made.

Do enough advertisers want to reach grandparents to keep oldies radio on the air? Time will tell.

Colophon:

  • I designed and coded this website using just a text-editor and a whole lot of patience. It's powered by Movable Type and hosted by Dreamhost.

  • All opinions expressed here are mine and do not represent any other person or entity. You know how it goes.

  • If you have any comments, get in touch. I'd love to hear them.

  • All Content © 2003-2010

Think About It:

  • Know Your Core:   Countless heritage CHR's are gone today because they were either stupid, stubborn, or both. Good riddance to bad rubbish I say. CHR is not a 25-54 format anymore. You play that game and a more focussed station will win.

  • An Open Letter To The RIAA:   Walk into any high school in America and ask kids what they want. They're already speaking. They have been for years. It is time to listen.

  • What It Takes:   I'm tired of hearing people complain about how hard it is to find a job in radio, and that these jobs don't pay. Flame me all you want, but think about it first: With no college degree and no ambition - what the heck did you expect?

In The Archives: