The True Oldies Channel

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The True Oldies Channel

Type	Radio network
Country	United States
Ownership
Owner	The True Oldies Channel / Scott Shannon (Distributed by United Stations Radio Networks)
Key people	Scott Shannon, host
History
Launch date	April 1, 2004
Coverage
Availability	National, through small, mid-sized, large, and major media market affiliates.
Links
Website	trueoldieschannel.com

Scott Shannon's True Oldies Channel (also known more recently as The True Oldies Channel: Greatest Hits) is a radio network begun in the spring of 2004. Originally distributed by ABC Radio Networks via satellite, the service plays a hybrid oldies/classic hits format comprising music mostly from 1964 to 1979 but also plays selected cuts from the 1955-1963 era and also from the 1980s. As of September 22, 2016, it is distributed via United Stations Radio Networks.

Prior to June 30, 2014; the service had over 100 affiliate stations across the United States. The service is available 24 hours a day online. Some stations ran the format full-time 24/7 while a few others ran it on overnights only. Many member stations, however, generally break away from the program feed at some points during the day to air some local programming, either a local morning show, a local afternoon show, or both; Cumulus also offered Imus in the Morning for The True Oldies Channel affiliates.

Scott Shannon was the founder, namesake and sole on-air personality (heard at all hours through voice-tracking) at the True Oldies Channel from its founding until he departed Cumulus Media (which had acquired Citadel Broadcasting in 2011, the company that in turn had bought ABC's radio assets in 2007) in February 2014. Weekend and guest hosts included Robby Bridges, Blake Hayes, Jay Michaels and Beaver Cleaver. In March 2014, Westwood One, the service's syndicator, announced it was canceling distribution of the channel at the end of June 2014, with no exact date announced, and planned to replace the service with "Good Time Oldies," a brand previously used by Jones Radio Networks as recently as the mid-2000s.^[1] Shannon confirmed the news through the network's Facebook page, but said the network and format is still available for streaming online. Shannon also hinted the possibility of "The True Oldies Channel" returning to the radio airwaves soon.^[2][3] It was unknown at the time who the network's new distributor would be, although SkyView Networks (which is also taking over distribution of ABC's other radio programs in 2015) was a possible candidate, as was United Stations Radio Networks, which teamed with Shannon for a syndicated program slated to air in November 2014.^[4]

On September 22, 2016, Scott Shannon and the United Stations Radio Networks struck a deal to relaunch radio syndication of the True Oldies Channel. A handful of radio affiliates, including WZTI in Milwaukee, Wisconsin were test-subjects for the new cloud based distribution created by Synchronicity before the nationwide reinstatement.^[5]