Station Break

Paul Farhi
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 4, 2006 1:00 PM

Station Break's Paul Farhi will be online Tuesday, April 4, at 1 p.m. ET to discuss two stories affecting the Washington area: radio station WBIG is changing its programming format of '60's and 70's oldies to playing classic '70's rock, and radio station WTWP began broadcasting last Thursday. How do you feel about these changes in the Washington radio landscape?

Farhi is a reporter in the Post's Style section, writing about media and popular culture. He's been watching TV and listening to the radio since "The Monkees" were in first run and Adam West was a star. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Los Angeles, Farhi had brief stints in the movie business (as an usher at the Picwood Theater), and in the auto industry (rental-car lot guy) before devoting himself full time to word processing. His car has 15 radio pre-sets and his cable system has 75 channels. He vows to use all of them for good instead of evil.

A transcript follows.

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Paul Farhi: Greetings, all, and thanks for coming by for this Very Special Episode of Station Break (Very Special because a) we've got big news busting out all over, what with WBIG's canning of oldies, WaPo Rado's debut and Katie's apparent departure for CBS, and b) because I'm going to be on vacation next week when a regularly scheduled and Not Particularly Special Episode of Station Break is supposed to air, and, well, I just couldn't wait that long)...So, let's hoist our Bic lighters in tribute to lost Oldies. I feel like an Oldie here myself; I've been listening to that music ('60s pop) since, um, the '60s. I've always loved it, and apparently every TV advertiser that needs a musical soundtrack to influence Baby Boomer-age consumers does, too). Personally, I don't quite "get" the decision to do away with so much great music. But I'll leave the paranoia and conspiracy theories to you. And Katie-to-CBS and WaPoRadiO? We like what we hear, yes? No? Your thoughts welcome....Let's go to the phones...

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Colesville, Md.: With the death of oldies on 100.3, is there anywhere an oldies fan can find radio in D.C?

Paul Farhi: Other stations play it, just not very consistently. Andrea Bray on WPFW-FM gets into it some on Saturday afternoons, and WMMJ-FM dips into the ol' nostalgia bag from time to time with older R&B artists. But don't count on hearing "Kicks" by Paul Revere anytime soon.

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Bethesda, Md.: It's Dave from research here!

So we now have two radio stations playing Hotel California and Don't Stop (Thinking About Tomorrow) 20 times a day.

Comments and insights? Any chance that WARW might veer in a slightly different (better) direction?

Paul Farhi: Yeah, the "new" WBIG has already worn out the grooves on everything from "Rumours" already, hasn't it? I would think--and this is pure guesswork and off-the-cuff speculation--that WARW might want to go a little deeper into its album cuts to differentiate itself from WBIG, whose format is a bit softer already (with more Billy Joel and Elton John than WARW is comfy with).

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Alexandria, Va.: Why does terrestrial radio continue to tinker with their stations? Do they not realize that they're just driving more and more listeners to satellite radio? HD Radio is being touted by Clear Channel and the like as the savior of corporate radio, but compared to satellite, they can't come close to what you can get for just $13 per month.

Corporate radio needs to come to terms that listeners have other options, and their audiences will continue to decline as the refuse to maintain the audiences they already have with stable, familiar program.

Paul Farhi: Well, not to defend "corporate radio," but the tinkering with stations very much reflects the suits' awareness that listeners have other options. Say what you will about it, but conventional radio is still a pretty dynamic and flexible medium (note all the format switches in the past year). Your "stable and familiar" programming might just be someone else's "tired and boring."

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Lexington Park, Md.: Where can we find Murphy and Cash (WBIG) now?

Paul Farhi: Nowhere. They're off the air and out of work. Want to offer them a job?

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Arlington, Va.: Yeesh. I feel ill. What is happening to radio? Or at least radio in this area? When I moved to D.C. in 1997 as a bright-eyed 23-year-old there were so many stations to choose from I had to decide what to leave OFF my presets. Now, I have three that are worthy. And the only reason one of them is on my clock radio is that it's so annoying I have to get out of bed to turn it off. (Jack Diamond, I'm looking at you.)

I like Oldies. I like Motown and older Beatles and the Beach Boys. I don't want to hear "Hotel California" three times a day. Should I just give in to XM?

Paul Farhi: It's certainly an option, isn't it? Both satellite services have '60s music channels. Those may be the only places you'll ever hear "Wouldn't It Be Nice" on a radio again (I mean, outside of a commercial).

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Vienna, Va.: Why in the world did my favorite station "Oldies 100" disappear overnight and become some stupid station just like so many others? What happened to all the great deejays? Overnight everything just changed! I don't like it one bit! I hope the new format goes BUST and fast. I miss my Oldies station and all of the good people that really made my day!

Paul Farhi: I'll say this, because it's certainly true in my case: Radio stations are habit forming. You listen because you're comfortable with the sound. Mess with the sound and you mess with the habit. I don't blame you (or the folks who were upset last month about losing WHUR's now-cancelled morning show) for being testy about not getting your fix.

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Washington, D.C.: If I wanted to listen to that '70s and '80s junk I would have arranged to be born ten years later so I could stomach it.

Bring back '60s music!

Paul Farhi: Is that an option? Because if it is, I would arrange to be born about 20 years from now, when everyone will have tune-able chip implants in their ears.

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Centreville, Va.: Hi Paul,

I read recently that the consensus among the "powers that be" at ABC is that Vargas doesn't have the gravitas to solo anchor ABC WNT. I've always found her capable and experienced. What is it that she's missing?

Paul Farhi: Testosterone? "Gravitas" sounds a bit sexist to me. It's rather indefinable altogether, and in this case, it seems like a way of putting a woman down. She's a NEWSREADER. And she's quite good at it. End o' story.

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Centreville, Va.: Hi Paul,

Now that Katie Couric is leaving "Today," who do you think is the best candidate to replace her?

My preference is Natalie Morales, but would be happy with Campbell as well. I think NBC bringing on Meredith Vieira would be a mistake -- would alienate other up and comers. What are your thoughts?

Paul Farhi: Meredith Viera looks like the front-runner, and she would do fine. The calculation here for NBC is pretty simple: With whom would the most possible viewers be the most comfortable with waking up in the morning? It's a very subjective question, but Vieira has had a long career and is quite familiar to viewers. No knock on Campbell Brown or Natalie Morales, both of whom are great, but Meredith has more experience and familiarity, I think.

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Big Changes: So,

No Guess Who but there will be Bachman Turner Overdrive.

No Zombies but there will be Argent.

No Beatles but there will be Wings.

Paul Farhi: Well, some Beatles. And yeah, WBIG is NOT trading up in the examples you gave. How a real contest: No Wilson Pickett but there will be Billy Joel...

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Catoctin County, Va.: I'd love to listen to the new WaPo station, but I tried and couldn't. The FM signal gets stepped on by some country station out here in Howard, Fredercik and Loudoun Counties. Do I have to go AM? Is it worth it?

Paul Farhi: I've found occasional interference on the FM side, too, but 1500 AM is a very strong alternative to 107.7 FM.

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Silver Spring, Md.: First impression of Washington Post Radio:

AWFUL!

On WTOP the most jarring, awkward moments were always listening to the anchors attempt a very short interview and other extemporaneous speaking. Reading the news and unscripted interviews seem to require very, very different skill sets. Now on WP Radio the torture is extended from 60 seconds to 2-5 minutes! Mike Moss simply cannot conduct an intelligent interview. It is really painful.

Paul Farhi: Will pass this on to management.

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Katie to CBS: Perfect! They found the only person less watchable than Dan Rather.

That Katie is as credible as a possum in a molasses tank.

Paul Farhi: You seem madder than a hungry grizzly in a bear trap, more excited than Yogi finding a picnic basket, more...

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Greenbelt, Md.: My personal favorite for the "Today" slot would be Ann Curry. Why isn't she being considered?

Paul Farhi: Well, she might be under consideration; not clear. But she's got "sidekick" kind of imprinted on her, doesn't she? I mean, it would sort of be like Ed McMahon taking over for Johnny, no?

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Buzzard Point, Washington, D.C.: For Katie Couric's replacement, the Today show should take a risk on another WRC'er like they did in '91 -- they should pick Eun Yang.

Paul Farhi: I think Eun is really good--excellent reporter, storyteller, "presence," etc. But she's completely unknown outside the D.C. area (just as Katie was when she left WRC to be an NBC reporter). Dues, you gotta pay 'em.

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Washington, D.C.: Can I just say that as a 24 year-old female with an advanced college degree I may be way too bummed about 100.3's switch. I LOVED Oldies 100 and have listened for several years, even at work where I was told that I had an "old soul." I know Oldies had a wide-ranging audience, so my world is a little darker now thanks to the Race For The Bottom Line. What do I replace it with on my car presets?

Paul Farhi: I'm quite startled by the number of young people I've met who say they listen to, and know, oldies. It's really crossover music that way (again, maybe all the movie, TV and commercial soundtracks has pounded those songs into everyone's head)...As for changing your pre-sets, choose one: WBIG or WARW. They're not significantly different by my listening.

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Herndon, Va.: "as credible as a possum in a molasses tank"? Paul, you can retire now, we've found your replacement.

Paul Farhi: That was Dan himself. I know he's out of work, but he can't have my job.

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Rockville, Md.: Does WaPo Radio have a schedule as to when the Post reporters are on? All I found on the Web site was a general schedule. What I would need to listen to it would be to know when Tom Boswell was going to be interviewed, or Dana Priest, or even Paul Farhi! Are there any plans to publicize the times various Post reporters could be heard from?

Paul Farhi: "Even" Paul Farhi? Now I'm madder than a possum in molasses, or whatever that Rather puppet said...

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Arlington, Va.: Doesn't the change at WBIG just reflect the aging of the generation who grew up to '50s and early '60s music? Nobody plays big band oldies on the radio anymore, because there's such a small audience left for it. Now there's fewer people out there who came of age listening to doo-wop and pre-Beatles pop (and those people are undesirable to advertisers), so that music is disappearing.

Paul Farhi: The aging of the audience for oldies is the rationale for scrapping it, but I would offer a few rejoinders. One: the audience for oldies isn't THAT old (lots of 40- and early 50-somethings in there, a very prime radio audience). And two: Does moving to '70s rock hits really move the needle that much younger?

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Silver: Could the recent changes to FM radio be attributed to the threats posed by satellite radio, iPod, MP3 players, etc? 10-15-20 years ago, were significant changes made to stations formats like is/has happened now? WHFS goes Spanish, BIG moves to target a lower demo w/lite-classic rock, WHUR cuts cost by going to syndication, Z104 - a top 40 station- disappears. Are similar changes happening nationally? I'm 33 and grew up here, and the only significant format change I can remember when I was when WCXR (105.9?) went to smooth jazz.

Paul Farhi: Yes--satradio, iPods, Internet streaming. It's ALL part of the reason for format turbulence. Radio is really no different from the news business. All mainstream news sources are under bombardment from all non-mainstream news sources. We're all scrambling, trying to figure out what'll work in the new world. And, truth be told, no one REALLY knows what the answer is because no one can predict the future.

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Reston, Va.: What's the difference between HD radio and satellite radio?

Paul Farhi: HD radio is broadcast by regular old radio stations using a digital sub-band. Satellite radio comes down from a, uh, satellite. HD radio--misnamed, it's really "digital" radio--offers more channels of programming, but you need a new receiver (about $300 or so right now) to get it. Otherwise, it's free, unlike satradio, which you pay a monthly subscription for.

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Oldies for a younger demo: My mom listened to "oldies". I grew up listening to Sam Cooke and the Everly Brothers and Elvis. I think my generation (Gen-X or whatever) likes the music because it's good music. Not that there aren't good '70s tunes, but enough with the "Hotel California." It's not that good a song.

Paul Farhi: Elvis. Gone. Can you believe that? Hard to imagine.

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Lost Springs, Wyo.: It's odd that corporate radio is abandoning oldies, but companies like Big Blue ("I'm Not Like Everybody Else" by the Kinks) and HP ("Picture Book" also by the Kinks) are embracing oldies for their commercials. I bet Ray Davies has made more money lately on commercials than he ever did selling records. He was interviewed on "Fresh Air" yesterday -- his new album sounds terrific, and his classic Kinks tracks ("Waterloo Sunset," "You Really Got Me") still sound great! Thanks for your great work Paul!

Paul Farhi: Thanks, Wyo...That's the point--oldies still "sell" to a very good demographic of people. Just not as a radio format, I guess.

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Ann Curry?: Katie used to be able to feign a serious demeanor; Ann Curry still reads a hard news story like it's a children's book about puppies and bunnies.

Paul Farhi: She needs to work on her bad-news frownie face that they teach you in anchorperson school, I guess.

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Burke, Va.: Paul,

With the change in WBIG, my question is: What IS the definition of "classic" rock? This morning on 94.7 "Classic" rock, I heard Green Day's Good Riddance. IT'S FROM 1997? What makes it classic?

Paul Farhi: Good question. Every format has wrinkles and exceptions. WARW, for example, will play newer stuff from "classic" artists like Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen just to keep things fresh without straying too far from the basic concept of "popular '70s and '80s album rock cuts."

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Alexandria, Va.: I thought the new Washington Post Radio was supposed to offer an alternative to the often politically motivated NPR?

This new station doesn't seem to have a real format, and is just a series of non-sequitur interviews and unrelated blather. At least on WTOP you knew when things are going to happen so you can avoid the endless commercials (almost 25 minutes an hour I counted recently), but this new station is burdened by even longer commercial breaks and a format that doesn't make much sense. Without a pdt (satellite radio scroll), there's no way to tell what's going on, and I don't seeing the station lasting very long in this format.

Maybe Bonneville can revive an Oldies format since Clear Channel is out of the oldies business?

Paul Farhi: This also goes in my daily "Memo to Management."...Yes, there are some kinks in WaPo radio. But--not to be too much of a homer--come on. The station went from nothing to on the air in less than 90 days. Wouldn't you expect some kinks?

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Thought the trend was away from 'Classic Rock': I thought I saw many of the classic rock stations realizing they needed to move into 90s and 00s, even for us boomers. Why not in D.C? Instead we're going to have 'two' stations doing this tired format. Maybe if they wouldn't play the same '70s hits all the time, they could get an audience ...

I'll miss being able to punch in a '60s oldie, but WBIG would have also benefited from not playing the same few songs.

I don't have a problem with radio stations going for the bottom line, but often it doesn't seem they know how to serve their own self-interest.

Paul Farhi: Before we go much further, I should note the following: WARW had a 1.7 rating in the last Arbitron survey. That's 1.7 percent of the area's population tuning in, on average. That's not a lot of people. Again, why WBIG wants to compete for this tiny sliver of pie remains a mystery.

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Reston, Va.: How can the HFStival still go on even though the station no longer exists? Is there a corporate sponsor who is just continuing to use that name?

Paul Farhi: WHFS continues to exist. Infinity gave the call letters to one of its stations in Baltimore.

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Bethesda, Md.: Random but related ... how old is Campbell Brown?

I'm distraught that she's off the market.

Paul Farhi: Didn't I read 37 in today's Reliable Source? Could have sworn...

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Oldies: At 41 I'm in the demographic that WBIG is aiming for now but I LIKE Motown and '60s music. Considering that Hollywood and commercials use a lot of '60s music -- so you know it's been focus grouped to death -- why would they ditch it? American Idol has Motown night for cripes sake. I can hear the same tired Fleetwood Mac and Tom Petty on 104.7. That's actually how I taught my husband, a classic rock fan, to find 104. Move down the dial until you hear Tom or Stevie Nicks. I haven't been wrong get.

Paul Farhi: Yep. Part one.

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Oldies and Katie: Goodbye, Oldies 100 -- I'll miss you! I may be in my early 30s, but I'm a huge fan of oldies. Probably comes from having a father that has always been a music buff. Listening to the Beach Boys, Mamas and Papas, and groups like that always reminds me of childhood. Guess I'll have to rely on my own CD collection now.

As for Katie, I'm glad she's leaving Today. She's insipid.

Paul Farhi: Yep. Part II.

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Vienna, Va.: Another question about digital radio. Is it really as simple as buying a digital receiver? We bought a HD/digital TV, hoping to get a few extra channels and better reception (no cable at our house). But found it wasn't quite that easy. $300 later with a new digital antenna installed, it worked great. Will I need to do something similar if I buy a digital radio receiver?

Paul Farhi: No. Just plug and play. The HD radio antenna is built in to the receiver.

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RE: WaPo Radio: "Wouldn't you expect some kinks?"

Yeah, I'd love to hear some Kinks on WaPo radio!

Paul Farhi: Stay tuned for the "Lola" hour...

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Chantilly, Va.: In sports, when a team is doing poorly they usually fire the coach and GM, the players generally stay the same. In radio, when the station is doing poorly, they fire the on-air personalities and change the format, but leave the program and music directors (who really call the shots and issue the directives)in place. Radio should follow the ways of sport and get rid of the management people when things are not going well, ratings-wise.

Thanks for 11 great years of fun-filled and entertaining morning radio shows, Gary Murphy and Jessica Cash!

Paul Farhi: I don't get that either. The music isn't SO different that they need a whole new crew to introduce it. But Clear Channel has a new director of programming and a new general manager, so maybe it was all about starting over with their own team, including the deejays.

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You learn something every day: I didn't realize there was a difference between oldies and classic rock. But if oldies are 50's and 60's and classic rock 70's and 80's, what is music from the 90's called ?

Paul Farhi: We should name it. Or at least give a catcy name to a radio format playing strictly music from the '90s. Suggestions, anyone?

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For Vienna, Va.: You paid $300 for a digital antenna so you could pick up an HD signal? Man, you got hosed!

Paul Farhi: How much ARE those things?

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Washington, D.C.: I'm in my early twenties and so far in the last two years I've lost all my radio stations. First 99.1 (that was the rock station right -- so long ago), then Z104 and now the oldies stations. So I'm left with DC101 and 94.7. Now I really will be purchasing that iPod.

Paul Farhi: That sound you hear is the stampede of people rushing to get satellite radio subscriptions and/or buy iPods...

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Katie: Will she wear still black on bad-news days and bright colors on good-news days?

That's little filly's wardrobe is as predictable as a cloudburst at a church picnic.

Paul Farhi: Gosh, I love Rather-isms, including the made-up ones...

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Fairfax, Va.: I found the statement in today's Wash Post article that WARW's classic rock format has less market share than WBIG interesting. How could they justify the switch? Makes no sense to me. I didn't listen to WBIG a lot, but it was nice to have a little variety.

Paul Farhi: One theory on this--and I'm just throwing this out there--is that Clear Channel, WBIG's owner, isn't trying to compete with WARW so much as it's trying to better differentiate its many stations from each other. In other words, it wants WBIG to sound a lot different than its soft-rock station, WASH-FM, which sometimes slips in an oldie. And it wants to carve out a non-overlapping audience from WMZQ-FM, its country station. Nerdy but interesting.

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Augusta, Ga.: I'm Tom DeLay, and I'll paint any car for $99.95.

Paul Farhi: Hey, get outta here you...

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Odenton, Md.: Murphy and Cash are what I always woke up to. I followed them from MZQ to BIG. How can we get them back!? My days will never be the same without them. If they go anywhere else how will I find them?

Paul Farhi: M&C have a long history in this market. They're a proven commodity. Whether that means someone will pick them up locally I don't know. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of morning-show vacancies around right now...

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Sopranos : So now that this silly Kevin Finnerty dream is over (and all for a set up of a scene where he chooses to live), maybe we're finally getting some action.

And with Paulie too. I've wanted to see him whacked since he tried to kill that Russian. The failure to continue that story line is the GREATEST missed opportunity I've seen in episodic TV.

Paul Farhi: I thought something bad was going to happen to Paulie the other night, what with the mother/aunt trauma going on. But, no, he proved himself to be the same loveable sociopath we've come to know...I don't know, though--with the number of "Sopranos" episodes dwindling, some very major characters are going to have to get whacked. He could be on the firing line...

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Hamilton, Va.: Here's a unique concept ....

Let DJ's be DJ's and have them earn their pay by bringing back free form AOR radio.

Paul Farhi: Oh, you crazy hippies! That's like world peace: Wonderful to contemplate but not very likely to happen.

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Hunh?: Did you just say Billy Joel is an improvement over Wilson Pickett? Or am I reading your statement wrong? Please say I'm reading it wrong -- I don't want to have to add another item to "The Reasons Paul Farhi is a wacko" list.

Paul Farhi: No, no. My point is that BOTH Wilson Pickett and Billy Joel are great artists, so the listener is ultimately the loser in having to give up one for the other. Let's have both. As for your list, you should talk to my wife. She has much to add.

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Couric/Vieria: Did the timing of this rumor/news happen so poor Campbell would have something else to do when she got the bad news ?

Paul Farhi: Yeah, those crumbums are leaking the news about Vieira just as Campbell is enjoying her honeymoon. Not fair!

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Sterling, Va.: A lot of the WBIG music was lame. They always played the same songs by the various artists. The music of the '60s was the greatest this country will every have, The Beatles, Byrds, Beach Boys had many hit records many more that the same stuff Big played over and over. The thing I will miss is Murphy and Cash along with Chuck the producer. They made the morning a fun-filled time with lots of laughs and upbeat feelings.

The music in D.C. basically sucks and always has compared to towns like LA, and Nashville but I'm a musician that grew up playing in the Georgetown bars when music came from the heart and the soul.

Paul Farhi: L.A. and Nashville are one thing. I'm just hoping we can get up to the level of Boston or S.F. or Chicago...

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Homer Says ...: "I'm tired of those songs. Why don't they make some new oldies?"

Paul Farhi: Thanks, Homie...

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Severna Park, Md.: Whatever happened to the Bob Dylan XM radio show? Wasn't that supposed to start by now?

Paul Farhi: XM has moved the show's debut from March to May. Says Dylan has delivered a few episodes, but he's tinkering with it. Bob is a perfectionist, I guess, even with radio shows.

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Paul Farhi: Well, that was invigorating, wasn't it? Or as my man Rather would say, "Martha, bar the door and turn out the lights, we're done with the chat and going to take a nap." Let's do this again in two weeks, when we'll probably have even more radio format changes to diss. Until then, adjust your presets. Regards to all...Paul.

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