Re: while in Portland....

["Roger Kirk" <rogerkirk@mail.ttlc.net>]

Kevin Vahey wrote:
>The better half remarked that she was hearing oldies 
>on Portland radio, and earlier Portsmouth she hadn't 
>heard in YEARS, and also remarked that now depending 
>where she is when driving listens to Cool 96 in NH, 
>or B-101 from RI, NEVER WODS. <snip> The sad reality 
>is that while much of what she heard tonight was 
>syndicated, it was still far better than what Boston 
>is offering. 

I heard "Pretty Ballerina" (Lefte Banke) on The Dick
Bartley show last Sunday.  I don't think that song
has graced the 103point3 airwaves in a loooong time.
And if it has, it was probably showcased to death in
the infrequent "Great Songs We Almost Never Play, Even 
Though You Really Like Them - Weekend."  Whereas, "Renee
Has Been Walking Away" forever.

Conventional wisdom says "tighten the playlist and you
won't offend so many listeners"  Therefore, it stands 
to reason that a nationally syndicated show should have
the tightest playlist of all because it has to appeal 
to many audiences (in many states) each with their own 
dislikes - i.e. intersection of sets of "likes" should 
be smaller.

WHY then do we hear so many oldies that have been silent
in Boston because they "supposedly" don't test well?  
Does this mean that Boston listeners are unlike listeners 
anywhere else in the US?

>Barry Scott can't even clear his own shown in the Boston 
>market, when IMHO WODS might be better served with Scott 
>rather than Little Walter who probably now loses more
>listeners than he attracts.

Li'l Walter apparently appeals to a significant number
of OLDIES fans who love doo-wop and the other songs of 
that era.  I listen to his show to learn about songs 
I never heard on the radio when they first came out.  
But outside of the 50+ year old crowd, I'm sure he's 
batting less than .100.

Personally, I like both Walter's show and Barry Scott's. 
Having both would be a bonus.

If I had my druthers, I'd like a station promising a 
no-repeat month.  There's enough music I truly like to 
easily fill 31 days and much, much more.  Perhaps I'm 
just too gosh-darn easy to please.

Roger Kirk (Being Too Easy 99.1)
rogerkirk@ttlc.net