beejus
New Member
Joined: September 2007
Posts: 282
|
Post by beejus on Sept 19, 2007 11:35:47 GMT -5
One of the CHRs is an insanely bad Hot AC & Rap blend. Transitions are horrible, and so are their ratings. The other station is a very good sounding, well balanced CHR. They'll spin Lifehouse and Shop Boyz, A Bay Bay and Before He Cheats. "Everlong" by the Foo Fighters fits in very well to the station believe it or not. It's not TOO rocking to drive people away. We don't play "Monkey Wrench" or "Stacked Actors" mind you... but Everlong, Learn to Fly, Times Like These, Next Year... they all fit in well. Yeah, Star 94.1 does the same thing. They'll play something like "Lips Of An Angel" then Cyndi Lauper or Madonna. I hate it because they'll play harder rock songs then go to like really cheesey girly pop songs and it does NOT blend well. Well they don't segue like that... I was just giving examples of their extremes in their playlist. They make it pretty smooth transition-wise.
|
|
|
Post by mrclimbfall20 on Sept 19, 2007 12:10:55 GMT -5
Yeah, Star 94.1 does the same thing. They'll play something like "Lips Of An Angel" then Cyndi Lauper or Madonna. I hate it because they'll play harder rock songs then go to like really cheesey girly pop songs and it does NOT blend well. Well they don't segue like that... I was just giving examples of their extremes in their playlist. They make it pretty smooth transition-wise. Ohhh, okay. I gave you another example in a PM too LOL
|
|
beejus
New Member
Joined: September 2007
Posts: 282
|
Post by beejus on Sept 19, 2007 12:40:52 GMT -5
Well they don't segue like that... I was just giving examples of their extremes in their playlist. They make it pretty smooth transition-wise. Ohhh, okay. I gave you another example in a PM too LOL First Time into Building a Mystery... both songs fit the format... but texture wise... Lifehouse is a full song... Sarah McLachlan at the beginning there is pretty thin sounding. I still like both songs though (Sarah McLachlan = big guilty pleasure)
|
|
|
Post by mrclimbfall20 on Sept 19, 2007 12:56:21 GMT -5
Ohhh, okay. I gave you another example in a PM too LOL First Time into Building a Mystery... both songs fit the format... but texture wise... Lifehouse is a full song... Sarah McLachlan at the beginning there is pretty thin sounding. I still like both songs though (Sarah McLachlan = big guilty pleasure) Then they played "Upside Down" after that. They should have played "Upside Down" after "First Time" but whatever.
|
|
atlantaboy
9x Platinum Member
Joined: June 2007
Posts: 9,251
|
Post by atlantaboy on Sept 19, 2007 17:46:36 GMT -5
One of the CHRs is an insanely bad Hot AC & Rap blend. Transitions are horrible, and so are their ratings. The other station is a very good sounding, well balanced CHR. They'll spin Lifehouse and Shop Boyz, A Bay Bay and Before He Cheats. "Everlong" by the Foo Fighters fits in very well to the station believe it or not. It's not TOO rocking to drive people away. We don't play "Monkey Wrench" or "Stacked Actors" mind you... but Everlong, Learn to Fly, Times Like These, Next Year... they all fit in well. Yeah, Star 94.1 does the same thing. They'll play something like "Lips Of An Angel" then Cyndi Lauper or Madonna. I hate it because they'll play harder rock songs then go to like really cheesey girly pop songs and it does NOT blend well. Yeah that actually (for some reason) works well for stations, b/c that way the females can sit through the harder rock songs, and then the males can sit through "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", knowin that they'll be a song that's "their style" coming up (Star 94/San Diego has really good ratings for Hot AC so it must be working even though it sounds weird) CHRs do the same thing - both Star 94/Atlanta and Q100 play a rock song, then a pop/R&B song, then a rock song, etc.
|
|
Kid Pulse
3x Platinum Member
I wanna be that someone that you're with.
Joined: April 2007
Posts: 3,957
|
Post by Kid Pulse on Sept 19, 2007 18:08:41 GMT -5
^ Yeah, I agree with atlantaboy on this one. The only reason I don't switch around when "The Sweet Escape" comes on is because I know Nickelback or Daughtry could be up next.
|
|
|
Post by mrclimbfall20 on Sept 19, 2007 18:21:18 GMT -5
Yeah, Star 94.1 does the same thing. They'll play something like "Lips Of An Angel" then Cyndi Lauper or Madonna. I hate it because they'll play harder rock songs then go to like really cheesey girly pop songs and it does NOT blend well. Yeah that actually (for some reason) works well for stations, b/c that way the females can sit through the harder rock songs, and then the males can sit through "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", knowin that they'll be a song that's "their style" coming up (Star 94/San Diego has really good ratings for Hot AC so it must be working even though it sounds weird) CHRs do the same thing - both Star 94/Atlanta and Q100 play a rock song, then a pop/R&B song, then a rock song, etc. Their ratings are so strong because they have the biggest morning show in San Diego. They've been here for 20 years so everyone listens to thema nd lingers around afterwards. As for their music, it's WAY too predictable and not smooth at all. I'm really annoyed because they reduced the airtime for "If Everyone Cared" and gave "Chasing Cars" another bullet to replace it in the top 7 songs (which all get 40+ spins a week). They should have put a NEW song up there and reduce "How To Save A Life" too.
|
|
John77
Diamond Member
Carrie Pass
Joined: December 2005
Posts: 11,149
|
Post by John77 on Sept 26, 2007 0:12:58 GMT -5
So I'm scrolling through the boards, looking at all the threads about which new songs are doing well and which aren't... but it made me wonder... what about the gold tracks? A lot of stations really don't do much with their gold libraries, spinning the same what... 200-400 songs over and over again. Sure most of them were big hits, but what about having "The Best Variety" like most station slogans claim? What tracks should Hot AC stations be playing in their gold libraries that most aren't? Looking through my station's library... I've noticed I've made a LOT of fans in the 18-35 crowd by adding some tunes like: Cake- The Distance Presidents of the USA- Peaches Toadies- Possum Kingdom Foo Fighters- Everlong Radiohead- Karma Police Big Audio Dynamite- Rush AC/DC- You Shook Me All Night Long (sadly was missing from my station) Some stations are shying away from 80s, in my area, the 80s live on stronger than ever, and opening up the old 80s library has proven beneficial as well. Digging up some "not quite huge hit songs" for the oh-wow factor. Now RebelSweetheart can tell you, I'm a 90s rock fan...but that's not why I added them. It opened up the playlist, made the station sound MUCH fresher, and actually bumped requests up after I added them. What is everyone else's opinion? Should stations throw their playlist wide open... or is a tight playlist of a couple hundred songs the better way to go? A wider playlist is almost always better, but within reason... other than YSMANL there's a HUGE problem with recognziability amongst that list of songs... by and large, more gold is a good thing but there needs to be a little more familiarity in your gold if you want to have a truely successful station.
|
|
John77
Diamond Member
Carrie Pass
Joined: December 2005
Posts: 11,149
|
Post by John77 on Sept 26, 2007 0:18:28 GMT -5
Also, the transition thing is VERY crucial to a station's success... to many fast or slow songs in a row can kill a station real quick... A set like this for example is what a Hot AC with some good transitions would look like:
"You And Me" - Lifehouse "The Sweet Escape" - Gwen Stefani "Wanted Dead Or Alive" - Bon Jovi "Hey There DeLilah" - Plain White T's "Far Away" - Nickelback "Before He Cheats" - Carrie Underwood "Blue Monday" - New Order "You're Beautiful" - James Blunt "How Far We've Come" - Matchbox 20 "Stay" - Lisa Loeb "Over You" - Daughtry "You'll Think Of Me" - Keith Urban "Big Girls Don't Cry" - Fergie "Photograph" - Def Leppard
And no, I didn't grab this off anywhere, just did it off the top of my head... I have the mind of a PD. :)
|
|
atlantaboy
9x Platinum Member
Joined: June 2007
Posts: 9,251
|
Post by atlantaboy on Sept 26, 2007 14:33:23 GMT -5
So I'm scrolling through the boards, looking at all the threads about which new songs are doing well and which aren't... but it made me wonder... what about the gold tracks? A lot of stations really don't do much with their gold libraries, spinning the same what... 200-400 songs over and over again. Sure most of them were big hits, but what about having "The Best Variety" like most station slogans claim? What tracks should Hot AC stations be playing in their gold libraries that most aren't? Looking through my station's library... I've noticed I've made a LOT of fans in the 18-35 crowd by adding some tunes like: Cake- The Distance Presidents of the USA- Peaches Toadies- Possum Kingdom Foo Fighters- Everlong Radiohead- Karma Police Big Audio Dynamite- Rush AC/DC- You Shook Me All Night Long (sadly was missing from my station) Some stations are shying away from 80s, in my area, the 80s live on stronger than ever, and opening up the old 80s library has proven beneficial as well. Digging up some "not quite huge hit songs" for the oh-wow factor. Now RebelSweetheart can tell you, I'm a 90s rock fan...but that's not why I added them. It opened up the playlist, made the station sound MUCH fresher, and actually bumped requests up after I added them. What is everyone else's opinion? Should stations throw their playlist wide open... or is a tight playlist of a couple hundred songs the better way to go? A wider playlist is almost always better, but within reason... other than YSMANL there's a HUGE problem with recognziability amongst that list of songs... Unless he's got a real Alternative leaning audience which he must have or else his station would have the current ratings of the Sophie station in San Diego (under 1.0 I think )
|
|
|
Post by mrclimbfall20 on Sept 26, 2007 15:49:13 GMT -5
A wider playlist is almost always better, but within reason... other than YSMANL there's a HUGE problem with recognziability amongst that list of songs... Unless he's got a real Alternative leaning audience which he must have or else his station would have the current ratings of the Sophie station in San Diego (under 1.0 I think ) The problem with Sophie is that the signal isn't that great and it's only 3 months old. Plus, it's targeted specifically towards women and the marketing style is that of a light AC station. It's very contradicting because they play lots of "alternative" music. That station is a mess in my opinion.
|
|
beejus
New Member
Joined: September 2007
Posts: 282
|
Post by beejus on Sept 26, 2007 16:31:19 GMT -5
A wider playlist is almost always better, but within reason... other than YSMANL there's a HUGE problem with recognziability amongst that list of songs... Unless he's got a real Alternative leaning audience which he must have or else his station would have the current ratings of the Sophie station in San Diego (under 1.0 I think ) I really don't have that Alternative of an audience... I have a healthy at-work listenership, great mornings and afternoons, and a younger crowd at night. I'm bordered in by two rock stations, two pop stations, an adult hits station, and a mainstream AC station. I just found my station's niche filling a Hot AC/Alternativeish hole that's helped our ratings jump higher than that of Sophie's :). Although considering market size... I'm sure with a sub 1.0... there's still more people listening to Sophie ;)
|
|
atlantaboy
9x Platinum Member
Joined: June 2007
Posts: 9,251
|
Post by atlantaboy on Sept 26, 2007 16:54:22 GMT -5
Unless he's got a real Alternative leaning audience which he must have or else his station would have the current ratings of the Sophie station in San Diego (under 1.0 I think ) I really don't have that Alternative of an audience... I have a healthy at-work listenership, great mornings and afternoons, and a younger crowd at night. I'm bordered in by two rock stations, two pop stations, an adult hits station, and a mainstream AC station. I just found my station's niche filling a Hot AC/Alternativeish hole that's helped our ratings jump higher than that of Sophie's :). Although considering market size... I'm sure with a sub 1.0... there's still more people listening to Sophie ;) Wouldn't it make more sense to go Triple A (if ur gonna play those relatively eclectic Alternative songs from the 90s that only real educated music listeners recognize?) - if these songs improve your ratings, than the market prob. needs a Triple A station IMO - I think one of the biggest differences between Hot AC and Triple A is that Hot AC listeners WANT gold songs to be familiar, while Triple A listeners want gold songs to be interesting songs they haven't heard in a long time, and which they might have in their CD collection
|
|
beejus
New Member
Joined: September 2007
Posts: 282
|
Post by beejus on Sept 27, 2007 6:59:26 GMT -5
Wouldn't it make more sense to go Triple A (if ur gonna play those relatively eclectic Alternative songs from the 90s that only real educated music listeners recognize?) - if these songs improve your ratings, than the market prob. needs a Triple A station IMO - I think one of the biggest differences between Hot AC and Triple A is that Hot AC listeners WANT gold songs to be familiar, while Triple A listeners want gold songs to be interesting songs they haven't heard in a long time, and which they might have in their CD collection Not really, in my station's case. While I can get away with playing a broad 90s selection and new music most Hot ACs won't touch... my listeners still like 80s music and pop-ish new music that AAA wont touch. Elliot Yamin and Fergie have been huge hits for us... while the 80s don't die. Tone Loc, Bon Jovi, I even get requests for stuff like the Jeff Healey Band and (mainly during the lunch hour, where our motto is "if we have it we play it) Chicago. It took me a while to see how diverse my listening audience is, and now I realize that we say "The Best Variety" and we really mean it as our listeners want it!
|
|
atlantaboy
9x Platinum Member
Joined: June 2007
Posts: 9,251
|
Post by atlantaboy on Sept 27, 2007 16:55:37 GMT -5
Wouldn't it make more sense to go Triple A (if ur gonna play those relatively eclectic Alternative songs from the 90s that only real educated music listeners recognize?) - if these songs improve your ratings, than the market prob. needs a Triple A station IMO - I think one of the biggest differences between Hot AC and Triple A is that Hot AC listeners WANT gold songs to be familiar, while Triple A listeners want gold songs to be interesting songs they haven't heard in a long time, and which they might have in their CD collection Not really, in my station's case. While I can get away with playing a broad 90s selection and new music most Hot ACs won't touch... my listeners still like 80s music and pop-ish new music that AAA wont touch. Elliot Yamin and Fergie have been huge hits for us... while the 80s don't die. Tone Loc, Bon Jovi, I even get requests for stuff like the Jeff Healey Band and (mainly during the lunch hour, where our motto is "if we have it we play it) Chicago. It took me a while to see how diverse my listening audience is, and now I realize that we say "The Best Variety" and we really mean it as our listeners want it! Sounds like a combination Triple A/Hot AC station
|
|
|
Post by mrclimbfall20 on Sept 27, 2007 20:20:24 GMT -5
Not really, in my station's case. While I can get away with playing a broad 90s selection and new music most Hot ACs won't touch... my listeners still like 80s music and pop-ish new music that AAA wont touch. Elliot Yamin and Fergie have been huge hits for us... while the 80s don't die. Tone Loc, Bon Jovi, I even get requests for stuff like the Jeff Healey Band and (mainly during the lunch hour, where our motto is "if we have it we play it) Chicago. It took me a while to see how diverse my listening audience is, and now I realize that we say "The Best Variety" and we really mean it as our listeners want it! Sounds like a combination Triple A/Hot AC station Like Sophie? ;)
|
|
atlantaboy
9x Platinum Member
Joined: June 2007
Posts: 9,251
|
Post by atlantaboy on Sept 27, 2007 20:37:41 GMT -5
Sounds like a combination Triple A/Hot AC station Like Sophie? ;) Hopefully with much higher ratings He sounds like he plays pop Hot AC hits along with Triple A like I think he said Fergie and Eliot Yamin...I think it must be one of those really small market stations that can literally cover multiple formats cause its listeners are completely dedicated to the local "town" station, want to hear the local news not news from an adjacent urban area, etc. The only station I've ever heard like that was when I spent a summer in Northern Wisconsin and there was a CHR station which played the big HAC hits during the day and the more rhythmic CHR hits at night, mixed in (during the day) with Glass Tiger (I guess cause it was near Canada), Death Cab For Cutie, Augustana and Snow Patrol (when they were just comin out), "Miracle" by the Foo Fighters (when it came out), "We Are One Tonight" by Switchfoot, new Contemporary Christian hits, and even some new Country hits that leaned pop...I loved that station cause you never knew what new song you were gonna hear next
|
|
Pipa
Diamond Member
Sinner
1 week at #1: Of Monsters and Men - Alligator
Joined: December 2004
Posts: 10,448
My Charts
|
Post by Pipa on Sept 27, 2007 21:14:15 GMT -5
The only station I've ever heard like that was when I spent a summer in Northern Wisconsin and there was a CHR station which played the big HAC hits during the day and the more rhythmic CHR hits at night, mixed in (during the day) with Glass Tiger (I guess cause it was near Canada), Death Cab For Cutie, Augustana and Snow Patrol (when they were just comin out), "Miracle" by the Foo Fighters (when it came out), "We Are One Tonight" by Switchfoot, new Contemporary Christian hits, and even some new Country hits that leaned pop...I loved that station cause you never knew what new song you were gonna hear next That certainly sounds like a Canadian station ("Miracle" was never a single in the US), but it definiately sounds like a Winsconsin pop station too. ;)
|
|
beejus
New Member
Joined: September 2007
Posts: 282
|
Post by beejus on Sept 28, 2007 7:28:31 GMT -5
Hopefully with much higher ratings He sounds like he plays pop Hot AC hits along with Triple A like I think he said Fergie and Eliot Yamin...I think it must be one of those really small market stations that can literally cover multiple formats cause its listeners are completely dedicated to the local "town" station, want to hear the local news not news from an adjacent urban area, etc. Kind of but kind of not at the same time. My signal covers a bunch of towns in Kansas and Missouri, we do football games for one of the towns etc. We're small market, and small town, but with big city mentality if that makes sense. I just run everything new music wise by the listeners before it gets added full time. For gold titles, I keep in touch with family and loyal listeners, and expanded the playlist on their suggestion. It's working :) And I'm pretty sure Foo's "Miracle" was a single in the US... I spun it for a brief time, but it didn't do anything.
|
|
Pipa
Diamond Member
Sinner
1 week at #1: Of Monsters and Men - Alligator
Joined: December 2004
Posts: 10,448
My Charts
|
Post by Pipa on Sept 28, 2007 9:16:06 GMT -5
And I'm pretty sure Foo's "Miracle" was a single in the US... I spun it for a brief time, but it didn't do anything. At AAA, maybe...but I don't know about anywhere else.
|
|
beejus
New Member
Joined: September 2007
Posts: 282
|
Post by beejus on Sept 28, 2007 9:27:43 GMT -5
And I'm pretty sure Foo's "Miracle" was a single in the US... I spun it for a brief time, but it didn't do anything. At AAA, maybe...but I don't know about anywhere else. Mediabase says it peaked at 33 on AAA, 39 on Hot AC, and 115 on Alt. Not really much, but it was there.
|
|
|
Post by mrclimbfall20 on Sept 28, 2007 11:15:59 GMT -5
Hopefully with much higher ratings He sounds like he plays pop Hot AC hits along with Triple A like I think he said Fergie and Eliot Yamin...I think it must be one of those really small market stations that can literally cover multiple formats cause its listeners are completely dedicated to the local "town" station, want to hear the local news not news from an adjacent urban area, etc. The only station I've ever heard like that was when I spent a summer in Northern Wisconsin and there was a CHR station which played the big HAC hits during the day and the more rhythmic CHR hits at night, mixed in (during the day) with Glass Tiger (I guess cause it was near Canada), Death Cab For Cutie, Augustana and Snow Patrol (when they were just comin out), "Miracle" by the Foo Fighters (when it came out), "We Are One Tonight" by Switchfoot, new Contemporary Christian hits, and even some new Country hits that leaned pop...I loved that station cause you never knew what new song you were gonna hear next Oh so its a true pop station then? haha
|
|
Pipa
Diamond Member
Sinner
1 week at #1: Of Monsters and Men - Alligator
Joined: December 2004
Posts: 10,448
My Charts
|
Post by Pipa on Sept 28, 2007 16:43:02 GMT -5
At AAA, maybe...but I don't know about anywhere else. Mediabase says it peaked at 33 on AAA, 39 on Hot AC, and 115 on Alt. Not really much, but it was there. Thanks :) I think back then Mediabase still posted its Hot AC and AAA charts as a top 20.
|
|
atlantaboy
9x Platinum Member
Joined: June 2007
Posts: 9,251
|
Post by atlantaboy on Sept 28, 2007 17:15:48 GMT -5
Mediabase says it peaked at 33 on AAA, 39 on Hot AC, and 115 on Alt. Not really much, but it was there. Thanks :) I think back then Mediabase still posted its Hot AC and AAA charts as a top 20. I def. remember seeing "Miracle" on the "Going For Adds" column for Hot AC, and I remember seeing it edge into the Hot AC Top 40 - remember thinkin it should've been much bigger, esp. cause it was pretty big in Wisconsin that summer - BTW, why is Wisconsin so different from every other state in its CHR taste? Pop/rock/alternative songs that bomb everywhere else are huge in Wisconsin...You guys should look up the playlist for WIFC/Wausau on the Radio&Records site (click formats, then type in name of station under playlist)...and it's ratings are huge!! WIXX/Green Bay's playlist is pretty "out there" too and it also has huge ratings!
|
|
johnnywest
5x Platinum Member
Joined: September 2003
Posts: 5,879
|
Post by johnnywest on Sept 28, 2007 19:44:41 GMT -5
I'm surprised no one has mentioned this, but I'd definitely add some syndicated programs to the weekend schedule. My personal favorite is "American Top 20 With Casey Kasem." Ever since I was a kid, I've always been a fan of countdown shows. And both "AT20" and "AT10" used respected charts (Mediabase 24/7) that use a recurrent rule. If you know what the chart looks like, you can look forward to hearing those songs on the radio. Casey's pretty good at playing true Hot AC hits and will sometimes throw in those songs you haven't heard in years (he's played a few Van Halen songs this summer that I hadn't heard on the radio in a long time!).
My second syndicated choice would either be "Backtrax USA" or "Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 - Hot AC."
My last choice, but I would still include it, would be "American Top 40 - Hot AC," so I'd probably put that on late Sunday night or something.
|
|
beejus
New Member
Joined: September 2007
Posts: 282
|
Post by beejus on Sept 28, 2007 23:01:18 GMT -5
I do run Kid Kelly's Backtrax 90s and Nina Blackwood's Absolutely 80s. Two great shows.
Rick Dees, All the American Top # countdowns, Randy Jackson, gobbled up by other stations.
|
|
BillboardBoy
3x Platinum Member
"Fantastic 4": #212 At The Box Office!
Joined: October 2003
Posts: 3,146
|
Post by BillboardBoy on Oct 1, 2007 8:20:44 GMT -5
Like someone else mentioned, I would also include AT20. One of the fun things about listening to AT20 is to hear the songs that you DON'T normally hear on your local stations. It seems that PDs do prefer that syndicated shows play songs that are already on their own playlists, but it's a lot funner for the listener to hear songs that you don't hear all the time.
BTW, "Backtrax 90" is a great show! (better than the 80s version), but I don't think I've ever heard "Nina Blackwood's Absolutely 80s" before.
|
|
|
Post by circlecircledotdot on Oct 1, 2007 19:14:13 GMT -5
I have the mind of a PD. :) LOL, what?!?!? Ummm, no.
|
|
|
Post by mrclimbfall20 on Oct 2, 2007 12:56:29 GMT -5
Like someone else mentioned, I would also include AT20. One of the fun things about listening to AT20 is to hear the songs that you DON'T normally hear on your local stations. It seems that PDs do prefer that syndicated shows play songs that are already on their own playlists, but it's a lot funner for the listener to hear songs that you don't hear all the time. BTW, "Backtrax 90" is a great show! (better than the 80s version), but I don't think I've ever heard "Nina Blackwood's Absolutely 80s" before. Who is the host of the 90's version?
|
|
beejus
New Member
Joined: September 2007
Posts: 282
|
Post by beejus on Oct 2, 2007 13:01:14 GMT -5
Kid Kelly does both the 80s and 90s Backtraxx.
I found Nina Blackwood's Absolutely 80s to be the better 80s show though, and went with it.
|
|