Time is running out for 'Real Oldies' format (VERY BAD LISTENING NEWS)

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | June 21, 2006 | ROBERT FEDER SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST

[Chi-townChief]

Of all the stations on Chicago radio's "watch list" (if there were such a list, that is), the one in most critical condition has to be Clear Channel Radio's "Real Oldies" WRLL-AM (1690).

Nothing is official, but insiders say it could be only a matter of weeks before Clear Channel bosses pull the plug on the format and a talent lineup that includes such personalities as Larry Lujack, Tommy Edwards, Scotty Brink, Tom Murphy and Ron Smith.

Plagued from its inception in 2003 with a substandard signal that barely covers the metropolitan area, "Real Oldies" has languished at the bottom of the ratings all along. Arbitrends released Tuesday show the station tied for 36th place with a 0.5 percent share and with a cumulative weekly audience of 116,200.

Any hopes of growth were dashed when ABC turned its WZZN-FM (94.7) from active rock to "True Oldies" last fall. Despite its lackluster lineup and promotion, WZZN wins by default with its superior signal.

John Gehron, who put "Real Oldies" on the air, nurtured and protected the format as Clear Channel's regional boss here. Once he left the company (only to resurface as head of Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Radio), the station's days were numbered.

No decision has been made on a new format, but the most likely scenario would turn WRLL into a time-brokered outlet that would lease all of its air time to an outside company.

Most common time-brokered formats include religious, ethnic and foreign language programs.

If Clear Channel does pull the plug on oldies, at least one of the station's stars shouldn't be idle for long.

Edwards, the Chicago radio legend who serves as morning personality, program director and operations manager of "Real Oldies," already has been approached about a drive-time on-air job at a bigger and better local station, sources said.

Too bad he won't be able to bring Ol' Uncle Lar along with him this time.

Dialing: Changing channels

*As if it weren't already hard enough to find Dick Biondi and the other great jocks who've been relegated to the Internet and HD Radio, now CBS Radio is switching their Web address.

Starting next week, Biondi, Greg Brown, Fred Winston and Connie Szerszen will be moved to a new site at www.OldiesChicago.com. They had been streaming oldies at www.wjmk.com since their old station, WJMK-FM (104.3), morphed into adult hits "Jack FM" last year.

"Since WJMK is 'Jack's' call letters, we want to distinguish the two entities more for clarification in the ratings process," said John Sebastian, program director of "Jack FM."

*Look for WGN-Channel 9 morning weatherman Paul Konrad and entertainment reporter Dean Richards to make special guest appearances on Steve Cochran's "Clean Comedy All Stars" show this weekend.

Cochran, a seasoned standup comic and midday personality at Tribune Co.-owned news/talk WGN-AM (720), will be the headliner at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Genesee Theatre in north suburban Waukegan.

*Radio One Communications, which owns and operates four stations in northwest Indiana -- WXRD-FM (103.9), WLJE-FM (105.5), WZVN-FM (107.1) and WAKE-AM (1500) -- has begun construction on expanded studios and offices in Valparaiso.

Tracking: 'Hippo' gets bigger

*"Nude Hippo: Your Chicago Show," an offbeat local treat on cable since 1997, is gaining a new outlet on WMAQ-Channel 5's Web site. Starting Thursday, segments from the weekly half-hour comedy/talk show will be streamed at www.nbc5.com.

Hosted by Tony Lossano and Amy Zanglin, "Nude Hippo" still airs at 7 p.m. Thursdays on Chicago Cable Channel 25.

*Janet Davies, entertainment reporter and host of "190 North," will be joined by Terri Hemmert, midday personality at adult rock WXRT-FM (93.1), in co-hosting WLS-Channel 7's coverage of this weekend's 37th annual Gay Pride Parade. The one-hour special will air at 11:35 p.m. Sunday on the ABC-owned station.

Grand marshal of the parade will be George Takei of "Star Trek" fame.

*The Museum of Broadcast Communications has received a $40,000 grant from the Chicago Community Trust to help create an exhibit on Chicago's radio and television history.

[Coldwater Creek]

I didn't know that, but makes sense that Clear Channel might do just that.

So far, here in the Memphis area they are behaving themselves.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

In the same vein.

[mc5cents]

Clear Channel is one of the major stockholders in X-M. Could be that they want listeners to migrate & pay for the format.

Bingo! We have a winner!

They recently dropped the last "oldies" station here in Buffalo, WKBW 1520 AM which was one of the 50,000 watt tower of powers during the heyday of rock 'n roll on the east coast and replaced it with, are you ready, Left Talk! That's right, those idiots from Air America et al. Guess since this IS one of the Bluest states in the USA they think it might have a chance. I removed it from my preset buttons in my cars. Oh,well. I still have XM.

[Tribune7]

My iTunes radio connects me to 16 streams w/ 50s -60s formats. No charge other than your broadband connection.

Granted you can't listen to it in the car.

Just an FYI.

[ErnBatavia]

Larry Lujack, Tommy Edwards

Would these be "Uncle Lare" and "Snotnosed Tommy"??

[Gay State Conservative]

Seriously boomers, the 60's are over ok? Can you please take your boot off the neck of the culture?

You can say what you want about us boomers.Much of it is likely to be correct.But we had,in the 50's and 60's,the greatest music ever known to civilization.

[Chi-townChief]

Absolutely.

[moonman]

"rock music didn't begin until 1965"

Sad! If that's what some think, then they missed most of it. I like Motown as much as anyone, but, it was merely an extension of what others a decade before them had created.

[SoFloFreeper]

XM or Sirius?

[CertainInalienableRights]

I wasn't born until '67, and I still spend most of my listening time in the era between around '42 and '65 (I also dig Sinatra, Martin, Bennett, etc, along with old R&R).

Unfortunately, finding anything from that era on broadcast is near impossible today - and its the preferred music of my parents and grandparents, who are still alive. You'd think there'd be a market for playing that music.

Sure, I have a lot of tunes in various formats, but as someone who didn't grow up back then, there was a lot of good music that I just haven't heard. Its a lot of work to have to collect that stuff because no one plays it and places like Napster don't stock it either.

[Condor51]

****Gee does that mean I won't be able to hear "Ain't too proud to beg" or the rest of the Mo-Town catalog for the 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,000s time?***

Awwwwww.
How about for the 10,000,000,000,000,000,000,001 time? Just for OLD TIMES sake.

Ain't Too Proud To Beg

I know you wanna leave me,
but I refuse to let you go
If I have to beg and plead for your sympathy,
I don't mind coz' you mean that much to me

Ain't too proud to beg, sweet darlin
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't to proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me, girl, don't you go

Now I heard a cryin' man,
is half a man with no sense of pride
But if I have to cry to keep you,
I don't mind weepin' if it'll keep you by my side

Ain't to proud to beg, sweet darlin
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't to proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go

If I have to sleep on your doorstep
all night and day just to keep you from walkin' away
let your friends laugh, even this I can stand
cause I want to keep you any way I can

Ain't too proud to beg, sweet darlin'
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't to proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go

Now I've gotta love so deep in the pit of my heart
And each day it grows more and more
I'm not ashamed to come and plead to you baby
If pleadin' keeps you from walkin' out that door

Ain't too proud to beg, you know it sweet darlin'
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Ain't to proud to plead, baby, baby
Please don't leave me girl, don't you go
Baby, baby, baby, baby (sweet darling)

Remember - NO dancing on the tables.

(If you have any other MOTOWN requests, speak up - I have them all)

[Graymatter]

>>...vinyl
>>>...needles

Amen brothers! Second best: http://www.angelfire.com/retro2/croonerjd/FullList.htm

All free, downloadable, huge selection, and none of that RealPlayer crappe.

[Our man in washington]

I wasn't born until '67, and I still spend most of my listening time in the era between around '42 and '65 (I also dig Sinatra, Martin, Bennett, etc, along with old R&R).

Unfortunately, finding anything from that era on broadcast is near impossible today - and its the preferred music of my parents and grandparents, who are still alive. You'd think there'd be a market for playing that music.

I was born in 1966, and I'm also a fan of the old stuff. The only radio station I know that consistently plays that kind of thing anywhere is in the Shenandoah Valley, where I don't live. But every time I'm about there, I'm finding "Music of our Life." I think it's 105.7, but I forget.

I would think the fan base is there. When I travel around the country, one things that strikes me is that there are lots of people who don't give a darn about top 40 or what Hollywood says. Just last month, for example, I was at a bluegrass festival in Georgia. It was a three-day festival and had at least 1,500 people there. The festival had almost no promotion and was held in a very rural area, but drew people from all over the east coast.

[CertainInalienableRights]

Just last month, for example, I was at a bluegrass festival in Georgia

I'm just starting to get into bluegrass. Its even harder to find than oldies.

Its sad how hundreds of years of great music (of which the last fifty offer an amazing variety) are overlooked by the bulk of the population, in favor or the latest carbon-copy spew released by thugs and weirdos.

If I listen to broadcast these days, its mostly C&W. I like it "enough" to listen to on the way back and forth to work, and every once in awhile I hear something I really like.

[tubebender]

Oh man...let's get older together. A station in Bakersfield carried Wolfman Jack when I was cruising Fulton street in Fresno from about 50 to 54. For years I thought his show originated from there until I read a story about him...

[don-o]

I'm just starting to get into bluegrass. Its even harder to find than oldies.

Bluegrass at 3 each afternoon and also on Saturday morning.

[Fudd Fan]

WMTRam-1250 in Morristown has a weak signal, but they do a nice internet stream. Great playlist!
http://www.wmtram.com/index2.htm

[Fudd Fan]

Edison cylinders are so neat. My husband has a collection and they're a hoot.

[don-o]

Mine was Dick Biondi from WLS. I got me a really good radio from being in a wreck with my Granddaddy. My head shattered his windshield when a truck pulling a house trailer lost it.

I carried that radio on my paper route, and when the sun went down, the big boomers came in. All batteery operated. No AC at all.

[CertainInalienableRights]

Thanks, Don-o!