Hear about the rise of the Classic Rock radio format from the people who were there.
Tom Bender – KRQX/Dallas, WCSX/Detroit
“Radio’s best ideas are found not in an auditorium test or a focus group, but when we take that knowledge and understanding of the audience and then go crazy and try to do things differently.”
Read MoreBob Bellini – WKLH/Milwaukee
“Despite the fragmentation and turbulence around it, Classic Rock has become embedded in our lives, a virtual soundtrack to our experiences.”
Read MoreJon Coleman – Coleman Insights
“Up until that point, those who ran most Rock radio stations dismissed the idea of playing oldies in their format.”
Read MoreJoel Denver – All Access Music Group
“The Classic Rock format galvanized and united a passionate group of rock music radio listeners and fans – and it became an instant ratings/revenue success.”
Read MoreSteve Godofsky – WRFX/Charlotte
“A funny thing happened: the clients loved it and believed it!”
Read MoreSteve Goldstein – Saga Communications
“A large body of music was being ignored. The baby boomers, the largest population America had ever seen, were being left behind.”
Read MoreGary Graff – The Detroit Free Press
“I could sense the beginnings of a new generational divide.”
Read MoreJay Hoker – KCFX/Kansas City
“We decided that to really define the new format it would be about the music that we would not play.”
Read MoreBill Jacobs – Jacobs Media
“Classic Rock was not just a big market phenomenon, but a format that could (and still does) work and win big in markets of any size and in any part of the U.S.”
Read MoreTom Joerres – WKLH/Milwaukee
“A clean sweep in all three major demos.”
Read MoreBuzz Knight – Greater Media
“It remains one of the strongest brands in our business.”
Read MoreHerb McCord – Greater Media
“I remember almost every major AOR programmer lampooning the idea.”
Read MoreJon McGann – KBFX/Anchorage, KEGX/Tri-Cities
“Our numbers went to the highest levels ever!”
Read MoreDavid Moore – KBFX/Anchorage
“There was this incredible body of music — from the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, CCR, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and the Who — that was only receiving sporadic airplay on rock radio. “
Read MoreMarc Morgan – WCKQ/Chicago
“It could stand the test of time and remain a consistent, money-making format.”
Read MoreBob Ottaway – WMMQ/Lansing
“The phones never stopped ringing. The morale boost was heart-warming.”
Read MorePat Paxton – Entercom
“One of the most surprising phenomenons I’ve seen over the past couple of years is the resurgence of Classic Rock music with 18-34 years olds.”
Read MoreLarry Rosin – Edison Research
“Hundreds of years from now, mankind will still be listening to Mozart, admiring Picasso, and reading Shakespeare. Similarly, it is likely that the works of Lennon & McCartney, Brian Wilson, Page & Plant, and others of their era will live on through the millennia.”
Read MoreTim Sabean – WCKG/Chicago, WYSP/Philadelphia
“This new format called ‘Classic Rock’ started popping up around the country and was cutting big stations down to their knees.”
Read MoreLarry Sharp – KSAN/San Francisco, KZOK/Seattle, KUFX/San Jose
“We had heard of this new format called ‘Classic Rock.'”
Read MoreBill Sherard – WCXR/Washington, D.C.
“Everyone failed to realize that this huge library of archived music met all the criteria for building a new strong listener base.”
Read MoreTim Siegrist – WMMQ/Lansing
“I had no idea how big the format would become or how much a part of people’s lives it would remain.”
Read MoreGreg Stevens – KCFX/Kansas City
“They just couldn’t understand how a Rock station could get by without playing any currents.”
Read MoreNorm Wain – Metroplex Broadcasting
“We survived and grew a valuable franchise.”
Read MoreTom Yates – KLSX/Los Angeles
“Classic Rock also revived many a musician’s career and gave the new Compact Disc format a real shot.”
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