Foundation For The Format

A New Format Approach for 25-40 year olds

Towards the end of every decade we’ve witnessed the rise of another gold based format. As we approach the last few years before 2010 the opportunity for a 90s based approach is right on our doorstep.

Take a trip back to the late 70s when the first “Mostly 60s” based Oldies stations were starting to pull in healthy ratings or signing on.

Move on to the late 80s when Classic Rock was a mostly 70s based rock format and rose to the successful franchise it still enjoys with the large baby boomer population.

In the late 90s we saw the rise of the 80s stations which have evolved into the Variety – Jack/Bob formats in the last few years.

Now we are heading for the late 2000’s and the stage is set for a specialized approach that keys in on the new 30 something audience.

This group is the leading edge of the maturing Y and N generations which quickly aging into their 30s. If you were 16 at the dawn of Grunge in 1993 you are now over 30. The Y and N generations are maturing and ready to present the next opportunity for your station to stake out a solid brand and position that is likely uncovered in your market.

Target Audience

The target audience for The 90s Station was born from 1975 to 1985 and they make will make up all the 25-34 cell within the next 2 years. The current U.S. Census population estimates for this group is just over 41 million or around 14% of the population.

As consumers they are quickly becoming a very valuable group as their careers mature they are getting married, buying cars, homes, starting families, and growing out of their spend thrift college years into full fledged adult consumers.

The success of Oldies, Classic Rock and the 80s formats proved that as listeners approach their 30s they began to settle into the music that they grew up with when they were 15-22 and for this emerging 25-34 cell that’s the 90s.

But, which radio formats are playing the music 90s lovers grew up with?

· Alternative: A 30 day analysis of the leading stations in the format shows their percentage of 90s titles averaging around 46%. The rest are ‘recurrent and current’ titles and the trend is towards more currents in this format with advent of the new Indie-Pop alternative music.

· Active Rock: The 30 day analysis shows only 30% of the titles here coming from the 90s era.

· Hot AC: On the female side and with many different approaches in the percentage of current music played most are only showing 15 to 20% of their titles devoted to the 90s era.

Chances are there is a significant HOLE in your market.

The Music

The key in developing The 90s Station lies in picking the songs that stand the test of time from the decade. This was the key with Classic Rock, it became the key with Oldies stations as they evolved, and it will determine the success of the 90s Stations.

Drawing on over 15 years of consulting and group programming roles involving a lot of library music tests and current music research through the 90s here are 5 types of music from the decade worth evaluating:

Boy Bands – Teen Pop: This is a lost cause with most of the stars fading quickly into the Britney bandwagon. While some of the stars here have been able to mature into current pop music like Justin Timberlake, their library is largely seen as too young and pop to stand up as this audience approaches 30, 10 years later.

Rap/Rhythmic: While this genre came on strong in the last 3-4 years of the decade it was very trendy and even though there is an old skool world there are very few stand out songs that will test today. Rap is more about current and recurrent trends than its past.

Pop: There was also some pop from divas like Celion Dion, Jenifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera and others but much of the appeal on CHR and Hot AC radio for these artists was often directed at the Moms and keeping 25 plus audience on CHRs in the 90s.

Grunge: The noteworthy music influence of the decade that still dominates the research, sales and 90s airplay from the decade.

Alternative: Another cornerstone genre of the decade with a number of the artists here crossing over to multiple formats and still strong today.

Pop-Alternative: While some of this genre has burnt out with multiple format airplay much of it still tests strong and many of the artists are still doing well.

90s Rock: Including bands like Metallica and the left over 80s rockers like Aerosmith, Tom Petty, U2 and AC/DC a lot of these songs test well enough with the older side of the demo to merit inclusion.

The final mix for The 90s Station is mostly a Rock based world with a wide range of styles which can be fine tuned to the competitive landscape in any market. The mix and audience expectations will lean towards Men, but the mix is 'female friendly' with the accent being on including all the best music from the 4 noted groups. If you would like to see sample log hours or full days email - dlange210@comcast.net or call 574 273 0559.

The attitude and stationality of the 90s Station is not built on the 'all male - babe of the day' style we often see in Active Rock and even some Classic Rockers. The fun and entertainment comes from being topical, having strong community ties, and relating to a strong music mix.

Seizing the Opportunity

Noted Programming Consultant Dave Lange has drawn on over 30 years of experience with Rock formats to develop the 90s Station to help you build a successful brand with strong ratings potential and marketable demos. In consulting, programming and SVP Programming roles Dave has worked with over 300 stations in nearly every format and over 100 rock outlets.

You get a full range of services including:

· All Music Needs custom tailored to take full advantage of the opportunities for The 90s Station in your market.

· Training and Coaching for all on-air talent, programming staff and promotions. Also assistance in finding qualified staff.

· Design and analysis of all research opportunities both traditional and on-line systems.

· Sales assistance in profiling the target audience in both quantitative and qualitative presentations.

· Full assistance in developing promotions, marketing, web designs and client NTR opportunities.

· Building a complete package of cut through imaging between the songs to make your 90s Station stand out in the market.

To learn more just call Dave Lange at 574 273 0559 or email dlange210@att.net.

Learn More about McVay Media and Dave Lange at the McVay Media Website or Dave Lange's Rock Radio Blog