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.
Velcome.
Still like that old time rock’n’ roll
That kind of music just soothes the soul
I reminisce about the days of old
With that old time rock ’n’ roll
Bob Seger/Silver Bullet Band
all for the loser-boomer generation who used to cry about property being a crime but now complain if their Harley's aren't delivered on time
hey, hey, my, my...rock and roll will never die
Yes, and Country ain't exactly plowing much new ground either.
Yes, and Country ain't exactly plowing much new ground either.
Country today is where rock was in the 60's just
not as good. IMHO
A NY Times product, I believe.
Don't tell me...Bob Stroud will be one of the "personalities."
Had a great radio station here that went to completely 80's music (like I want to re-live that again) with no warning at all, not even to the employees. One day it was there, literally the next it was gone. I had a friend who was out of state at the time and when she crossed back into the border and couldn't get it, called me freaking. All of my friends who loved it prior to no longer listen to it, including myself. For God's sake, how many times can you tolerate A Flock Of Seagulls?
Here is a good Oldie Goldie band!!
http://www.theba6ix.com/
dig this,Fred
http://www.theba6ix.com/
For God's sake, how many times can you tolerate A Flock Of Seagulls?
There is one station in Jackson Ms
I have renamed the "Elton John Station"
every 3rd song i swear is EJ.
Surely you jest with such a comment.
I missed your post earlier.
Of course I was jest jesting.
What do you think I am some hill billy
redneck from the backwoods of Ms.
Surely you jest with such a comment.
WK--When did you change your name to Shirley? Is it because you married Laverne? How are your cousins BillyJoBob and Earl doing? How about your sister Patty Sue? How about your uncle Roy and nephew Lamar?
bttt
Wow, I had forgotten about the station until your post. I grew up, or at least older, in south florida during the late 60's and that was the only channel I listened to. They organized some of the best concerts in history, including I think the infamous Doors public nudity show at the Fonton.
Sorry to hear of it's passing.
The Jack format is supposed to attract more young male listeners, but in NY, ratings have plunged more than 50% in less than three months.
If ABC is smart, they'll hire some of the jocks from WMJK, including the legendary (and ageless) Dick Biondi, the "Eye-tallion Stallion" who was part of the original crew at WMJK. WZZN, BTW, has never done much in any format, so the shift to oldies makes sense. And finally, the Jack disaster in Chicago and NY proves that a lot of radio executives know nothing about their business...
I've been listening to hard rock bands since the late '60s. But after hearing "Stairway to Heaven" and "Hotel California" for the 30,000th time I found myself listening to modern metal bands that my teenage son was listening to.
Disturbed
Shinedown
Chevelle
System of a Down
30 Seconds to Mars...and others are damn fine bands.
My son cringes with the knowledge that his old man likes the same music he does. :-)
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