The 'Wow Factor' Is Ready, The Format Just Needs A Client

Veteran radio programmer John Sebastian believes he's ready to reinvent radio with The Wow Factor, his new radio format.

By super-serving the baby boomer age group of 55-72, he thinks he can not only dominate in the ratings but in ad revenue as well, in part by bringing advertisers back to radio that long ago left for television, according to Richard Wagoner at The L-A Daily News.

Sebastian has been in radio 51 years, and has worked at or programmed numerous stations over the course of his career, including KDWB/Minneapolis,  WCOZ/Boston, KSLX/Phoenix, KUPD/Phoenix, KISW/Seattle, WSM-FM/Nashville, KPLX/Dallas, and here in Los Angeles, KHJ (930 AM), KTWV (94.7 FM), KZLA (now KLLI, 93.9 FM), and KLAC (570 AM).

Wagoner reports Sebastian believes that boomers not only are getting the short end of the stick when it comes to programming but that stations owners are missing out on a lot of boomer income.

“Sure, there are stations that boomers listen to,” he explained, “but that’s more of an accident. Most stations try to attract a younger audience, some go for an older audience, and boomers will tend to listen to those stations because they like radio and it’s the best they have.

John Sebastian

“But no one programs directly to them. And yet they are the group most loyal to radio

At the same time, Sebastian says that radio has ceded to television most of the advertising directed toward boomers … to their own detriment. The 75 million boomers, he says, hold 70% of the wealth in the United States and account for 42% of consumer spending. Sebastian claims that radio stopped trying to directly attract them long ago.

Highlights of The Wow Factor include:

• A wide variety of music boomers literally grew up with. Top-40, AOR, classic rock, smooth jazz and country are all part of the mix. “We are testing the entire wide-ranging library right now,” Sebastian says, calling the mix “eclectic.”
• Few traditional elements of music radio’s past. “The days of constantly giving traffic and weather are gone,” Sebastian explains. “Smartphones give us all that and more, making much of what we’ve always broadcast superfluous. With The Wow Factor, I am going against my own philosophies I’ve held in the past. I want to reinvent radio … everything is being thrown out.”
• The morning show will be unique and feature a “storyteller.” Think fascinating histories behind the music, songs and artists … with brevity.
• Surprises, as in “Wow, I can’t believe they’re playing that song,” i.e. The Wow Factor.

To back up the format, Sebastian says the sales effort will be as unique as the programming and help bring both local and national advertisers back to radio. “Upscale auto dealers, banks, investment companies, insurance companies, upscale restaurants, vacation clients, retirement homes and communities, senior care, specialty physicians, plumbers, handymen … “in general what you see on television right now and not heard much on the radio.”

He’s holding out for a full-power FM station as his first client and says he has some good stations interested.  Sebastian can be reached at 480-305-3962.