CBS-FM dumps the format

[David Tomm]

WCBS-FM came in eighth 12+ at last check.  They were hardly "tanking" 
in the ratings.  Of course, if you're talking about 25-54, where the 
money is,  then you'd be right.  Like many oldies stations, their 
billing has been stagnant or declining for the last several years.  
Once the station parted ways with legendary personalities like Harry 
Harrison and Dan Ingram, there wasn't much left to save.  They tried 
"younging up" the format to include 70's and some eighties, but the 
younger demos never came to the party and the core audience resisted 
the changes.  In LA, Infinity switched it's classic rocker to Jack 
awhile ago, and the result is that sister oldies station KRTH has taken 
the bulk of the ratings hit.  That's why they switched their oldies 
stations in New York and Chicago to Jack, as opposed to putting the 
format on another frequency and watching CBS-FM and WJMK die slow, 
painful deaths.

Like it or not, Jack is the new "oldies" format that traditional oldies 
couldn't evolve into.  Eventually, I think Jack will need jocks, but I 
firmly believe this format is not a fad.  People thought that Hot AC 
and Alternative were "fad formats" in the early 90's but they wound up 
becoming mainstays in most markets.  If "MIke" doesn't get it's act 
together, it won't work, but the real Jack stations do.  Despite the 
existence of WMKK, II wouldn't be too shocked if WODS went Jack, but my 
guess is that unless the billing there is really bad, it won't happen 
anytime soon.

Dave Tomm
"Mike Thomas"


On Jun 3, 2005, at 8:25 PM, SteveOrdinetz wrote:

> At 07:29 PM 6/3/2005, Jeff Lehmann wrote:
>> >And that format is????
>>
>> Jack FM... Good thing 93.7 made the flip here, or I bet we would have 
>> 103.3
>> Jack FM right now. 104.3 in Chicago is also Jack FM now.
>
>
> Maybe, maybe not.  WODS is doing quite well in the ratings, WCBS's 
> numbers had been in the tank for several years now.  Dunno about the 
> Chicago station.
>