Posted by Media Reader on February 8, 2025, 8:58 am
"For Keith Hastings Programming 97.1 The Drive Is A Dream Come True"
Truth be told, I stopped listening to The Drive years ago due to their repetition and their firings of Bobby Skafish, Steve Seaver, Phil Manicki, Greg Easterling, etc.
And IMHO, Janda should not be on afternoon drive in Chicago.
I don't know anyone else on there since I don't listen to it.
I agree with the repetition of songs, but it was different management before Keith Hastings' arrival when Phil Manicki, Greg Easterling, Bobby Skafish & Steve Seaver all left the on-air staff at 97.1 FM The Drive.
I wonder if the 2020 pandemic and budget cuts from WDRV's parent company Hubbard Broadcasting also figured into the equation. When Easterling lost his overnight time slot, The Drive decided not to fill it. It remains jockless to this day.
As for Janda, she did afternoons in a much different role when Seaver was spinning the tunes. That role was as a traffic reporter before transitioning to host & music director at the Hubbard-owned Classic Rock station. Janda also had big shoes to fill when Bob Stroud semi-retired in 2022 to take over middays. Janda then went back to afternoons last year when Stroud returned to his familiar midday slot in more of a voice tracking capacity.
The Drive also shuffled its daily lineup to make room for the syndicated "Alice's Attic with Alice Cooper" weeknights about a calendar year ago. They moved Janda back to afternoons with John "Byrd" Kempf going back to weekends.
The one on air jock who drives me nuts, no pun intended, is weekend/fill in guy Tim Spencer. What bothers me about Spencer is his gravely voice. It's nails through a chalkboard compared to Janda, "Byrd" & Dave Mazur.
If it were up to me, I'd like The Drive to do a no repeat policy & expand the playlist if it means more variety. It wasn't that long ago when they had "The '80s at 8". I'd like The Drive to start up new '80s & even '90s rock-themed shows on Saturday nights, similar to what the long since defunct 97.9 The LOOP did with "Rock of the '80s" many years ago.
Re: "Programming 97.1 The Drive Is A Dream Come True"
WLS-FM could capitalize on the Classic Hits 80s and 90 Dance hot mix shows. Or the Alternative music scene. Or the AOR/Rock history of Chicago. There are Fri, Sat, Sun nights to accommodate all of those.
The mixes on B96 are a joke these days, castrated to nothing. Used to drive the ratings through the roof in the late 80s and through most of the 90s. Same for the original WBMX and WGCI.
New Age/Jazz?
Hair Band show?
Beatles hour? Elvis hour? Beach Boys hour? Legends of the "Rock Era" show?
The specialty shows to solidify your audience are done. There are limited resources available to do these. The research might say it is not smart to do them. Bottom line, terrestrial radio is not giving people a reason to listen thought 13 minute commercial stopsets and hemorrhaging away to other offerings.
Z
Re: "Programming 97.1 The Drive Is A Dream Come True"
Actually, 93XRT still does "Breakfast With The Beatles" @ 8A (CT) Sunday mornings with host & "Fab Four" fan Terri Hemmert for 2 hours. It was a fixture for many years on the long defunct 105.9 WCKG when they were a Classic Rock station dating back to the '80s under different management.
If it were up to me, in addition to specialty shows featuring '80s & '90s rock on Saturday nights, something else that the old 97.9 The LOOP & the defunct CD 94.7 used to do is something called a "Midnight Album". Back in the day, those stations used to air a classic album from start to finish without commercial interruption Tuesday-Saturday @ Midnight. Nobody does that anymore either.
One other thing I wish stations like 97.1 FM The Drive, ROCK 95.5 & others would do is to get more interactive with its listeners. The days of putting a request into your favorite station also appears to be long gone. It could still be done by way of phone, text & social media, but I don't hear that anymore either.
I understand that it takes resources & likely manpower to do what I've mentioned, but I think radio has to do a better job catering to its customers, especially in this era of streaming & downloading.
Re: "Programming 97.1 The Drive Is A Dream Come True"
Headphones Only on the Loop was pretty spiffy as well. CKG had a CD Six Pack for awhile on Sundays, I think after they did away with the Psychedelic Supper? I have very fond memories of both Top 40 and rock radio in those days. Radio was on an entirely different level. At this rate even the '90s/'00s seem fantastic, the "edge of the cliff" years I suppose. I'm (sadly) convinced that it will only get worse from here.
Re: "Programming 97.1 The Drive Is A Dream Come True"
I think "Classic " formats are pigeonholed. Classic Rock purists believe the format has a certain sound for a certain audience. None of the music can be mainstream. Classic Hits can only have a certain sound which generally is rock based mainstream hits. Classic Hip Hop is pretty much 90s and 2000s based "crossover " or Top 25 Hip hop songs that were crossover hits. None of them radio stations are willing to expand these formats for fear of losing their core audiences. The only problem is that if they don't expand their Playlist, their audiences will disappear altogether as their core audiences age. As I stated before no one i know under the age of 40 even listens to radio. Between the repetitive and the commercials why would they?
Re: "Programming 97.1 The Drive Is A Dream Come True"
Classic Hits can only have a certain sound which generally is rock based mainstream hits.
Don't be fooled by WLS-FM or the former KHITS. This is not true everywhere. Chicago has always been averse to anything non-rock since Disco. The market has forgot 102.7 WBMX and B96 from 87 ~ 97. Like it never happened and when their ratings were overall, through the roof.
As I stated before no one i know under the age of 40 even listens to radio.
Amen. This really solidified in the past 5 years. The average Top40 listener is over 45 at this point and in some markets 50+, when it used to be 18 - 21. Looking at CHR 6+ numbers in the toilet, this makes sense. That is also proof that there are no new younger listeners coming in to replace those that are dying off. My famous line on here: "Last one exiting the building, turn the lights off, if ComEd has not done it already".
Z
Re: "Programming 97.1 The Drive Is A Dream Come True"
I think WRME does a good job with its Saturday night "Yacht Rock" and "Dance With Me" shows. I often have to drive alone on Saturday night (job related) and the latter certainly keeps me alert!
on February 8, 2025, 8:58 am