Whenever I drove through Philly back through the years, WPEN was a great station. The music, jocks, and most of all...the PRESENCE/AMBIENCE made magic for lovers of music-based personality AM radio. However, it went to the oldies format and was never handled right.

Many so-called experts say that AM doesn't work for music.

That is so untrue.

In case you didn't know, corporate research moguls decide what format to run at stations like WPEN. However they do not know radio. Programmers today have gotten away from their 'gut' and use 'stats' to format stations. WPEN should have remained 'Station Of The Stars', with a little tweaking here and there...rather then gutting the 'identity' and 'heritage' to fit the 'formula' of the current 'real oldies' craze.

Furthermore, it is not enough to PROGRAM an oldies station today. One must know how to SELL it!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have programmed, jocked, and sold time at both AM and FM oldies stations in major markets. I don't know everything, but I know enough to be dangerous. Seriously, oldies must be programmed in the same throwback style in which we first heard the music...meaning hot jingles, contests, personalities and ad-libbed spontaneous fun...or the format will sound too bland and will not work.

When I programmed smaller AM oldies stations back in the 90's, the jocks from the big FM stations would listen to us for entertainment. I think that about says it all right there.

I could go on and on, but Nanci's observations about the 'death' of another heritage oldies outlet couldn't go by without a response.

I am so glad the Good Lord has given me the opportunity to play and program these shows on Ultimate Oldies....and I hope we can continue on for a long time.

Thanks, Bob

• RE: WPEN Philadelphia - Janet 09/12/2006 21:54:59 EDT (0)