The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum » Oldies & Local News Spark Huge Ratings Rise At This Ont. Station

RadioActive · February 23, 2017 11:04 pm

Interesting article from the Peterborough Examiner that shows there's apparently life in the old oldies format yet - if it's done properly.

"Oldies 96.7 FM has seen a meteoric rise in popularity. It now promotes itself as being number two in overall market share, up from number six just last year...Another key to the success has been maintaining a strong emphasis on local news. While other radio stations operated by larger corporations have reduced their payroll, My Broadcasting has maintained or even added to its staff."

Hmm, the big guys could take a lesson from that. But you know they won't.

Ratings rise for My Broadcasting's for 96.7 FM in Peterborough after switch to Oldies format

Kilgore · February 24, 2017 6:57 am

Nice of the Examiner to publish this friendly pat-on-the-back, but no. 1 & 2 in overall market share is argueable. No. 1 & 2 in market share for locally-operated would likely be a more accurate statement. Toronto signals are tough competition in Peterborough (& Lindsay).

Toronto competition is often mentioned by experts here when the question of why Mississauga or Aurora don't have a "local" radio station

andysradio · February 24, 2017 9:22 am

Kilgore wrote:
.... and Aurora don't have a "local" radio station

Aurora soon will. Any news on CHRA 101.5?
There is an interesting note in the article: My Broadcasting plans to change format of one of their local stations this year.

Last edited by andysradio (February 24, 2017 9:25 am)

Kilgore · February 24, 2017 9:56 am

Charlie wrote:
Seems like a no-brainer that an 'Oldies' music format would appeal in a town that has seen such an influx of retiring 'Oldies' in recent years

Peterborough's Oldies station AM-980 KRUZ (Cruisin' - get it?) failed BECAUSE it was a no-brainer. Playlist weaker than AM 1050 CHUM and 1150 CKOC * -- both of which could be picked up in Kawartha Lakes region. The audience turned to AM-800 Belleville/Trenton for its weekeday 2 - 7:00 nostalgia program.

* - if that's even possible

zed · February 24, 2017 9:57 am

Kilgore wrote:
. Toronto signals are tough competition in Peterborough (& Lindsay).

Toronto competition is often mentioned by experts here when the question of why Mississauga or Aurora don't have a "local" radio station

Actually, Toronto signals fade pretty fast when you get into Peterborough city itself which must sit in a hole (lower elevation)... they're really not much of a factor in the city itself.

andysradio · February 24, 2017 10:10 am

Peterborough has a ridge of high hills to the west of it. As soon as one drives up the 115 and starts to come down [just past the Tapley 1/4 line], we lose all FM from TO.
The signals come back but are weak and noisy the closer you get to the centre of town. They are there but are not really listenable.

Kilgore · February 24, 2017 10:45 am

Being only an occasional, seasonable visitor I don't intend to negotiate with you residents so let's focus on AM radio. Monaghan Lumber has advertised on AM-640 for years. And when my friends ask how to get to High Street fish 'n chips I assume they have been listening to John Oakley. Last but not least, AM 740s Norm Edwards & Ben Mercer get calls from Peterborough to participate in their Face the Music trivia show Thursdays + Fridays at 2:00 where grand prize is a coffee mug

A coffee mug! So perhaps this new oldies station has found a niche. I wish them well

Last edited by Kilgore (February 24, 2017 10:48 am)

andysradio · February 24, 2017 11:00 am

Most TO AMs are solid in Peterborough (during the day)

Dale Patterson · February 24, 2017 7:10 pm

I thought the "Oldies" branding was pretty much dead and buried. Evidently not.

kevjo · February 24, 2017 8:07 pm

Dale Patterson wrote:
I thought the "Oldies" branding was pretty much dead and buried. Evidently not.

Agreed, the term OLDIES has more or less been abandoned by most of the industry as being a dirty word. Not so with MY Broadcasting although they have simply redefined OLDIES.While tunes from the mid or late 60's slip in there occasionally, the bulk of the playlist consists of 70's and 80's with some 90's sprinkled in.
Also, to correct a historical error in an above posting, AM980 KRUZwas not a failure. It was relatively successful and held up even better when it flipped to FM in 2009.A few years later, however, the music shifted from oldies to 80's, 90's and 2000's pop - basically it became FRESH in all but name. That changed a few years later when Corus simultaneously rebranded several of its stations to FRESH. All this time there was no one in Peterborough playing older pop music - the station that came closest was Cobourg-based Classic Rock 107.9 or perhaps Lindsay-based BOB-FM. Bringing back only made sense as the increased numbers indicate.

Kilgore · February 25, 2017 4:59 pm

kevjo wrote:
they have simply redefined OLDIES. While tunes from the mid or late 60's slip in there occasionally, the bulk of the playlist consists of 70's and 80's with some 90's sprinkled in

Nostalia isn't what it used to be. Rock 'n roll's been goin' downhill ever since Buddy Holly died

Last edited by Kilgore (February 25, 2017 5:02 pm)

Kilgore · February 25, 2017 10:11 pm

ONEIL wrote:
my kids like . . . stuff we had on the radio or stereo at home when they were young. The term grew up when we weren't looking.

Time isn't on our side?

Dale Patterson · February 26, 2017 10:04 am

ONEIL wrote:
For most of us when we hear "Oldies" we think of Buddy Holly etc. But those pesky millennials don't have the same reaction. So if they're playing tunes that were on the radio when they were growing up...they're Oldies to them. As an example both my kids like The Eagles and Huey Lewis...stuff we had on the radio or stereo at home when they were young. The term grew up when we weren't looking.

The term "throwback" has also emerged in recent years as a way to describe older music.

http://www.q102sf.com/

Kilgore · February 26, 2017 10:36 am

Dale Patterson wrote:
The term "throwback" has also emerged in recent years as a way to describe older music

Have personally been called "throwback" and "throwaway" many times

zed · February 26, 2017 7:14 pm

Kilgore wrote:
Being only an occasional, seasonable visitor I don't intend to negotiate with you residents so let's focus on AM radio. Monaghan Lumber has advertised on AM-640 for years. And when my friends ask how to get to High Street fish 'n chips I assume they have been listening to John Oakley. Last but not least, AM 740s Norm Edwards & Ben Mercer get calls from Peterborough to participate in their Face the Music trivia show Thursdays + Fridays at 2:00 where grand prize is a coffee mug

A coffee mug! So perhaps this new oldies station has found a niche. I wish them well

Sorry Kilgore, I wasn't even thinking of AM radio... which I guess is a real problem. Peterborough doesn't have any AM'ers left but you're right, the Toronto AM signals are available if anyone is interested in listening. Monaghan lumber I believe is advertising to Toronto area residents with cottages in the Ptbo area and has been doing so for many years, they also advertise heavily on Peterborough radio & TV.

February 26, 2017 8:05 pm

The top rated Toronto station in Peterborough is FAN 590, which comes in after all of the local/Cobourg stations with a 1.2 share. Top Toronto FM is CFNY with a 0.7.

Last edited by Don (February 26, 2017 8:07 pm)

kevjo · February 26, 2017 10:37 pm

Don wrote:
The top rated Toronto station in Peterborough is FAN 590, which comes in after all of the local/Cobourg stations with a 1.2 share. Top Toronto FM is CFNY with a 0.7.

As has been said earlier, Peterborough is a black hole for Toronto FM's due to being in a bit of a valley. Out of all the T.O. FM's to sneak in, I wouldn't have bet it would be 102.1 whose signal can at times be sketchy east of Newcastle.

Kilgore · February 27, 2017 6:50 am

Resident Ronnie Hawkins told AM 740 in a birthday interview that AM 740 is his favorite listen, so take that, Fan 590

StevieB · March 2, 2017 3:21 pm

Don wrote:
The top rated Toronto station in Peterborough is FAN 590, which comes in after all of the local/Cobourg stations with a 1.2 share. Top Toronto FM is CFNY with a 0.7.

I can only imagine that they haven't been doing that great of a job getting the word out about Extra 90.5 then. It has some great sports programming, and Bubba the love sponge mornings (Who I have been listening to for more than 10 years)
Mind you Extra 90.5 is running at a smokin' 200 watts right now.