WVLG format change

[daddymac1127]

Was looking forward to the 60's at 6; 70's at 7 and 80's at 8 tonight. Instead the format changed to something called "Night Track" or something like that.

I am listening to the songs but definitely not a fan. I loved the old format. It brought back many of the hit songs from the different eras that you do not normally hear with some background of those hits. Listening to those old songs also brought back many fond memories.

[tophcfa]

Was looking forward to the 60's at 6; 70's at 7 and 80's at 8 tonight. Instead the format changed to something called "Night Track" or something like that.

I am listening to the songs but definitely not a fan. I loved the old format. It brought back many of the hit songs from the different eras that you do not normally hear with some background of those hits. Listening to those old songs also brought back many fond memories.

Haven’t listened to that station since last winter when they polluted the airways with RAP (noticed I didn’t say song).

[ThirdOfFive]

Was looking forward to the 60's at 6; 70's at 7 and 80's at 8 tonight. Instead the format changed to something called "Night Track" or something like that.

I am listening to the songs but definitely not a fan. I loved the old format. It brought back many of the hit songs from the different eras that you do not normally hear with some background of those hits. Listening to those old songs also brought back many fond memories.
Seemed to have been a significant programming change after the 1st. of the year. Stuff they're playing now, with some exceptions, seems to be targeted at the people here who came of age in the 70s and early 80s, rather than in the 60s as many of us older geezers who live here (including me) did. It probably makes sense from a marketing standpoint; older folks dying off and younger ones moving in.

[ThirdOfFive]

Haven’t listened to that station since last winter when they polluted the airways with RAP (noticed I didn’t say song).
Bingo!

[JohnN]

I find I am too old and no longer the target audience yet again, this time in a retirement community!
Once the rap started and Kathleen Kane left, it's been spiraling downhill.

[GpaVader]

What is this RAP you speak of. Admittedly, I only listen in the car but I have yet to hear any RAP....

[njbchbum]

Was looking forward to the 60's at 6; 70's at 7 and 80's at 8 tonight. Instead the format changed to something called "Night Track" or something like that.

I am listening to the songs but definitely not a fan. I loved the old format. It brought back many of the hit songs from the different eras that you do not normally hear with some background of those hits. Listening to those old songs also brought back many fond memories.

Have you shared your disappointment with the radio station? Don't leave that to others to do!

[Wyseguy]

Have you shared your disappointment with the radio station? Don't leave that to others to do!

Agree, should definitely let the station know.

[mikeycereal]

New in the area and was going through radio stations for my car. Love 70's and 80's mostly so I programmed those as I shuttled through stations. Disco and smooth jazz also work for me. Unfortunately radio stations change and I get it about target audience being younger. We had a nice pure jazz station in Vegas and they changed their format to mix in other easy listening music. Was disappointed that their usual jazz stuff was no longer being played but I still tuned in to the newer format when I wanted to relax while driving. They had an oldies disco channel that stopped after 10 years too. I'll also turn on sports talk once in a while with Cowherd or Patrick, haven't found one here yet.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

The playlist is determined by the target demographic, as they are a commercial radio station. The target demographic are people who plan on being in the area and able to participate in the activities/buy products, especially those things that are advertised, for the next 20 years.

You might have convinced yourselves that you really do live in a bubble, but there are tens of thousands of people who do NOT live IN the Villages, who get this station on their radios. They buy products too. Most of them are younger than you. In fact, many of them are younger than the youngest moving in to the south side.

There is a wide variety of people who frequent the town squares and country club pools, where this station is automatically piped in for everyone present to hear. The oldest of the Villagers are being replaced by the newest. If you're in your 70's, then that'd mean you were born in the 1950's. Which means your 1950's sock hops were never yours in the first place. You wouldn't have been old enough to attend one. YOUR music was 1960's music, which was the advent of rock and roll. So oldies, for you, began in the 1950's with sock hop music. Your modern music - when you were a teenager old enough to go to dances and concerts, was rock and roll, and psychedelic music.

If you're in your 60's, then YOUR oldies are the older rock and roll and psychedelic music. YOUR modern music would be hard rock, progressive rock, heavy metal, disco, funk, and yes - rap. Rap is not new or modern, now. It's old stuff.

If you're in your 50's, then YOUR oldies would be most of what the 60's consider oldies, but add to it techno pop, hip hop, gangsta rap, and alternative rock.

MOST people living in the Villages now fall between their 50's and their 70's in age. The sock hop stuff is mostly a whimsey for this demographic, it's not a serious interest for most of us. It's fun to have an "old fashioned sock hop" now and then but it's absolutely not something we'd want to be stuck hearing day in and day out.

Our oldies are newer than your oldies. Your replaced hips are newer than our original ones that don't yet need replacing. That's just how it works as we age.

[ElDiabloJoe]

Seemed to have been a significant programming change after the 1st. of the year. Stuff they're playing now, with some exceptions, seems to be targeted at the people here who came of age in the 70s and early 80s, rather than in the 60s as many of us older geezers who live here (including me) did. It probably makes sense from a marketing standpoint; older folks dying off and younger ones moving in.

That's my demographic to which they are attempting to appeal. We are the younger ones buying-in now, and they need to keep the appeal for the longevity and success of The Villages.

My high school years were 84-87. I was born in '69. While I do like some rap (Blondie's "Rapture," Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It" and Aerosmith/Run DMC's "Walk This Way, and even Vanilla Ice's theft of David Bowie's "Under Pressure," but especially Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" and "White Lines" by Grandmaster Flash), I do not like anything that is considered glamorizing the crime and poverty of urban areas. I guess I like what might be considered "classic rap." I wonder if that will be a future genre, like classic rock. Should I trademark it now?

That all being said, I prefer Classic 60/70's rock, 80/90's and current day country, and 80's Top 100 and 80's New Wave music genres.

YMMV.

[Laker14]

That's my demographic to which they are attempting to appeal. We are the younger ones buying-in now, and they need to keep the appeal for the longevity and success of The Villages.

My high school years were 84-87. I was born in '69. While I do like some rap (Blondie's "Rapture," Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It" and Aerosmith/Run DMC's "Walk This Way, and even Vanilla Ice's theft of David Bowie's "Under Pressure," but especially Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" and "White Lines" by Grandmaster Flash), I do not like anything that is considered glamorizing the crime and poverty of urban areas. I guess I like what might be considered "classic rap." I wonder if that will be a future genre, like classic rock. Should I trademark it now?

That all being said, I prefer Classic 60/70's rock, 80/90's and current day country, and 80's Top 100 and 80's New Wave music genres.

YMMV.

I guess I'm going to have to learn to appreciate the new music. You know, like anything after Hotel California.

[Keefelane66]

Save yourself the trauma just stream SirisRadio and pick the era you like 50/60/70 and 80’s at home or in car.

[vintageogauge]

Get Sirius XM, it's cheap now, $6.00 month, free streaming, etc. with no contract and you can listen to any musical era you wish along with a lot of other stuff that might interest you.

[jojo]

Respond to
WVLGRadio@ thevillagesmedia.com

[dhdallas]

You mean there are actually people who still listen to radio! Do they like being bombarded with ads and having no control over the content? Do they also still have an 8-track player in their vehicle and a VCR at home? Wow! I will stick with Pandora and Spotify (look them up you fogies).

[jimkerr]

I like that they are starting to play better music now.

[airstreamingypsy]

I just say, "Alexa, play 70s rock...." Voila, 70s rock plays.

[mrf0151]

No worries. Stations out of Ocala and Orlando we can listen to and of course huge genre selections of music from the internet stations on computer, phone and TV.
Wide world of music out there!

[tophcfa]

A radical format change would include at least one day per year not being a perfect day to tour an open house!

[Carla B]

A radical format change would include at least one day per year not being a perfect day to tour an open house!

That's funny.

[dougawhite]

Out with the Oldies; in with the Not as Oldies...

[Babubhat]

Free Spotify is the answer

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I just say, "Alexa, play 70s rock...." Voila, 70s rock plays.

Wow I tried that and the next day a payloader showed up in the driveway and the driver asked where I wanted him to put all the boulders.

[Kahuna32162]

Just to clarify, WVLG is not anything like your average radio station. They don't depend on ratings, they are owned by The Villages and used exclusively as a marketing tool, and not by some large corporation who has to answer to shareholders and the almighty bottom line. Yes, there is some local advertising, but that's only because there isn't aren't many other outlets for clients to spend their ad dollars.

Programming a playlist to an audience with an age range from 50 to 90 is almost impossible. At some point every single listener is going to hear something they won't like...it's too old, it's too new, it's too much rock...ect. The best way I can describe is, Trainwreck Radio.