RE: WWZN speculation

["elipolo@earthlink.net" <elipolo@earthlink.net>]

> From: rogerkirk rogerkirk@mail.ttlc.net
> Date: Mon,  4 Aug 2003 14:49:55 -0400
> To: boston-radio-interest@bostonradio.org, elipolo@earthlink.net
> Subject: RE: WWZN speculation
>
> Eli Polonsky "elipolo@earthlink.net" noted:
>
>> I'd love to see 1510 go 50's/60's oldies like WSAI or 
>> WWKB, but anyone who would possibly want to do it seems 
>> to know better than to consider trying it with that 
>> albatross of a facility!
> 
> Didn't Jim Grant (a.k.a. The Q) and others already try 
> that once?

I don't recall 1510 ever having an oldies or rock'n'roll format 
of any sort since the original WMEX died in the mid 70's. 

(The only exception being Little Walter buying time on weekends 
for "The Time Machine" for a while in the early 80's on WMRE, 
which was a short-lived big band/standards/nostalgia format on 
1510 that sold a lot of airtime).

You may be thinking of 1150 AM, the second WMEX in Boston. That 
was run by Greater Media, and was oldies from 1985 to late 1989. 
Quentin "The Q" Migliore was originally the music director and 
mid-day host for the first couple of years.

Besides mismanagement which included consistently letting their 
best talent go to save money and running boring generic birdfed 
oldies at times in a major market, 1150 AM WMEX couldn't survive 
as an oldies station for long after 103.3 FM flipped to oldies 
as WODS in fall 1987.

However, at that time, WMEX and WODS were competing playing music 
from the same era, from the mid 50's to the very early 70's. 
There was very little to differentiate the two, and WODS had the 
far superior signal. 

A new incoming PD in fall 1988 got rid of all the lesser-heard 
oldies that gave WMEX a "cult following" 1 share against WODS that 
year and playlisted it with the same hits that WODS was playing, 
but with an AM signal. That was the nail in the coffin for oldies 
on 1150 WMEX, it was down to .02 when it died a year later.

FM oldies stations such as WODS had not yet gone into mid-to-late 
70's/early 80's disco and soft rock and dropped everything pre 
1964, as most major market FM oldies stations now have. The few 
stations like WSAI have come on to fill a niche for 50's and early 
to mid 60's oldies that is no longer being served by most major FM 
oldies stations, and is doing fairly well with it in Cincinnati 
considering that it's an AM playing music that's considered passe 
these days.

Nowadays with WODS no longer playing any 50's and playing a lot 
more 70's than 60's music, there could be a niche for a "Real 
Oldies" format like WSAI here. It would be no ratings topper by 
any means, but could probably at least hold it's own if done well 
on a decent signal, even if largely voice-tracked (like WSAI).

1510 has a decent signal over the city and the immediate metro 
suburbs within Route 128, even at night. Since it's been dying 
with it's current programming, I think it would be a good place 
for a "Real Oldies" format now. However, everyone seems to have 
the sense to stay away from that problematic money pit of a site. 

Eli Polonsky




--------------------------------------------------------------------
mail2web - Check your email from the web at
http://mail2web.com/ .