Why Isn't Anyone Doing Oldies in New York?

[musicradio77]

Jon Bradley posted on NYRMB:

The format is there for the taking. CBS-FM had a 3.4 rating and last year billed $34 million with oldies before CBS Radio dumped the format. Six months later still no one is doing oldies in New York? Why?

Here are some stations which I thought would have grabbed the opportunity, but did not.

WPLJ: They remain undefined. What is their format and what is their image? Scott & Todd in the morning? Ratings are around 2.5, but they are strong in the New Jersey suburbs. WPLJ should go oldies and finally get some distinct branding.

WQCD: As part of the Emmis 3-station cluster (Kiss-FM and Hot 97), I guess they figure the cool jazz format makes it a good fit for the multi-station buy to reach a wide demo in the urban market. Flip 101.9 to oldies and you have that market all to yourself.

WQEW 1560AM: Maybe when Disney finally gets out of the radio business, the new owner will program oldies on 1560. The audience is there.

If oldies is done again in New York, it should be done with a 1500 song playlist and include songs from the 50s, 60s, 70s, and early to mid 80s. The key to its' success is in the way it should be programmed. Let's hope 2006 is the year oldies radio is back in New York.

Up in Kingston, I have Cool 92.9 is still playing oldies, but in New York City why isn't anyone playing oldies?

Discussion.

[Steve M.]

Check out WMTR at 1250 AM in Morristown, NJ. They play everything from 1955 to 1964.

[Ireneparalegal]

too bad you don't live here where I live...we have soooo many stations dedicated to oldies.

[musicradio77]

Originally Posted by Steve M.

Check out WMTR at 1250 AM in Morristown, NJ. They play everything from 1955 to 1964.

Great idea except towards sunset, I would listen to KB 1520 AM to hear Jackson Armstrong at night. That 50,000-watt station is in Buffalo which it could beam New York City at nighttime so that fans of the old CBS-FM especially in their cars would tune in to WWKB in Buffalo to hear oldies for the fans that were missing in New York City. In addition to that, WABC is still doing a Saturday Night Oldies Show with Mark Simone on Saturday Nights from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM. You should listen to WABC and find out. I first listen to the Saturday Night Oldies Show last month and it was great. Mark Simone did a great job. I listened to it on WABC if I'm up in the Hudson Valley area where Cool 92.9 overlaps and it's still a full time oldies station. I'm a former CBS-FM listener that I can listen to 92.9 in Saugerties to hear oldies, just like CBS-FM does since they changed the format last year to "Jack!". If not, I can listen to it on my iPod.