Posted on 09/26/2005 2:15:20 PM PDT by My Favorite Headache
Chicago Loses Rock Radio Station To Oldies Format
By Douglas Maher- All Headline News Staff Reporter
September 26, 2005
5:06 PM EST
Chicago,Illinois (AHN) - Rock radio has taken yet another hit on the chin Monday as it loses an important outlet for rock bands in the city of Chicago, what many consider to be a cornerstone city for rock and roll for decades.
ABC Radio flipped the switch at noon Monday for WZZN (94.7 The Zone)/Chicago from Active Rock to Oldies, using the name "94.7 True Oldies." The station will run local programming in morning and afternoon drive and Scott Shannon's True Oldies Channel, distributed by ABC Radio Networks, in all other dayparts according to Radio and Records Magazine.
"This move was driven by two factors -- one is that this is a market that's oversaturated with Rock stations, and two is that there was an unthinkable void in the Oldies format," says WZZN President/GM Jim Pastor. "On one side, you've got a city full of rock listeners dividing their interest among five Rock stations, and on the other side, you've got a very large and passionate group of oldies fans who haven't had a station to call their own for several months now. When three of the top Rock stations in town are each generating 12+ shares under 2.0, something has to give. We're incredibly excited about this."
Pastor adds, "We decided that if we were going to do Oldies, we had to do it differently and better than others before us.We'll have a personality and energy missing from all those 'we play anything' formats. This isn't going to be the same 200 songs over and over; this is going to be an extremely large playlist, and we're going to play some of those forgotten favorites that oldies fans haven't heard in many years. Scott Shannon is really one of the best programmers in the business, and his vision of what Oldies should be is dead on. I think he cures what has ailed the Oldies format in recent years."
The format follows a growing trend in radio where many rock stations have become oldies stations, rap stations, and latin/spanish stations overnight with little or no official notice given to the public.
Leni
A Flock of Seagulls should never be tolerated....;^)
I have the same problem--"Sweet Home Alabama", for instance, is un-listenable anymore. Don't get me wrong--great song, but I've just heard it too many times.
Because even with an extensive music collection, and I have a halfway decent one, there are still songs that you hear that you don't have the CD for that you have forgotten about that plainly blow you away just like the first time you heard it.
There is absolutely still a market for radio. The best stations play an eclectic mix, not all oldies or 80's/90's or current hip hop or rock or country.
I have purchased many, many CD's for songs I love. You play it over and over. That's great because you can hear it whenever you want. But, what tends to happen is that song gets worn out fast that way. There is something to be said for the sheer joy of hitting the tuner button and just finding it there. It's like someone wrapped your radio in a ribbon and gave it to you as a present for three and a half minutes.
I'm a "child of the sixties" (born in 1954) and I love all kinds of music (except rap and most hip-hop). Some of the "new" stuff is really very good -- Rob Thomas, Maroon 5, Vertical Horizon, Anna Nalick, etc. etc.
LOL. My nieces cringe at the thought that I, at 51, like some of the same music they listen to.
"But thank you so much for not mentioning publicly my brother Leroy who is going to Miss State."
*GASP*
No wonder you want to keep that private.
That's worse than Lamar, who is doing 20 to life for crimes against nature on the hog farm.
You State fans (I think there are some) know I'm just teasin' y'all. ;o)
You State fans (I think there are some) know I'm just teasin' y'all. ;o)
I'm not.
Now now now my Oklahoma born Mother's name is Patty Sue. Show some respect! ;>)
"I'm not."
ROTFLOL!
You are such a mess. ;o)
You State fans (I think there are some) know I'm just teasin' y'all. ;o)
Yeah I is one of dos fans of Wahooselatonka State. One of my favorite prarie dogs is going there.
My great great grandma was named Maude. She was a pretty tough old bird. She formed the original Maude squad.
pinging Lucy
bttt
BTTT
"A Flock of Seagulls should never be tolerated"
Especially while you are having a picnic at the beach!
Stairway to Heaven?
That was a great Neil Sedaka song back in 1960.
"Climb up,way up high."
I've heard Good Vibrations too many times.
I used to love it, but then I snapped and couldn't take it anymore.
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