Re: WQSO now "The Wave" (was "96.7 due to switch")

[SteveOrdinetz <steveord@bit-net.com>]

Mike Thomas wrote:
>WQSO is doing what a lot of oldies stations around the country are 
>starting to do--updating the music library and dropping the "oldies" 
>moniker.  Since the format has been so resistant to change over the years, 
>the term "oldies" is widely considered to mean "50's and 60's feel good 
>oldies for older baby boomers."  Many people in the younger demos just 
>don't relate to the term "oldies" and don't consider the music they grew 
>up with to fall within that description.


Heh heh.  I work with a fellow who can get himself all worked into a lather 
on this subject.  He's in his mid-ish 50s and apparently worked in 50s/60s 
based oldies much of his career.  He does not consider anything past the 
late 60s to be an oldie (asked him what he DID consider it & got a vague, 
evasive answer).  It's interesting to see how the format has evolved...back 
in the 70s most oldies stations were almost totally pre-1962.  What few 
songs newer than that were songs & artists associated with pre-British 
invasion time (4 Seasons, Spector stuff, Roy Orbison for example).  NEVER 
any British acts!!  Since there really weren't that many big rock hits in 
that era, the music tended to consist a lot of low-to-mid charting songs.


>   Since WQSO does not have the heritage in the format of a WODS, WWBB, 
> WCBS-FM or a WDRC-FM, it's not a suprise that they dropped the term 
> "oldies" from their presentation.


That's putting it mildly.  96.7 doesn't have ANY heritage other than that 
of another format of the month station.


>   Traditional oldies stations are chasing after the boomers into the less 
> profitable 55+ demographic and becoming the next Music Of Your Life format.


It's been discussed here before, but it seems odd that no one seems to be 
targeting the 55-65 age group...the 1st rock & roll generation.  MOYL still 
seems to be programming for the 65+ MOR crowd.  Obviously, it would have to 
be called something other than MOYL or Stardust or any of the other 
standards-based nostalgia services, but could easily include non-rock music 
from that era (Johnny Mathis, etc.)