WLTW - This is what they consider A/C ...

[dawhite76]

Some examples of what WLTW, a supposed A/C station, plays in its regular rotation:

"Ain't No Stoppin Us Now" - McFadden & Whitehead
"Bad Girls" - Donna Summer
"Born To Be Alive" - Patrick Hernandez
"Call Me" - Blondie
"Cold As Ice" - Foreigner
"Disco Inferno" - Traamps
"Edge Of Seventeen" - Stevie Nicks
"Finally" - Cee Cee Penniston
"It's Raining Men" - Weather Girls
"Lights" - Journey
"Love Is A Battlefield" - Pat Benatar
"More Than A Feeling" - Boston
"Purple Rain" - Prince
"The Logical Song" - Supertramp
"Under Pressure" - Queen/David Bowie

[Michael1973]

Unfortunately, the AC format is no longer synonymous with "lite" music, despite many stations using that term to describe themselves.

[Hervard]

dawhite76 said:

Some examples of what WLTW, a suppposed A/C station, plays in its regular rotation:

"Ain't No Stoppin Us Now" - McFadden & Whitehead
"Bad Girls" - Donna Summer
"Born To Be Alive" - Patrick Hernandez
"Cold As Ice" - Foreigner
"Disco Inferno" - Traamps
"Edge Of Seventeen" - Stevie Nicks
"It's Raining Men" - Weather Girls
"Lights" - Journey
"Love Is A Battlefield" - Pat Benatar
"More Than A Feeling" - Boston
"Purple Rain" - Prince
"Under Pressure" - Queen/David Bowie

Those sound like songs that WLIT in Chicago would play for their "Flashback Weekends".

[tico]

I've heart "Lights" and "Purple Rain" on AC before, so those aren't too far out of the ordinary. As for the other songs, I probably wouldn't play it (at least on a regular basis) unless it was on a dance or flashback show.

[Libra]

Every so often I hear "Edge of Seventeen" on WGER.

Last week I heard "Love is a Battlefield" on WCRZ.

[JCMF3]

I don't see anything wrong with some of those songs you posted. What's wrong with some 70s disco or early 80s pop rock on an AC station?

[jimmy74747]

Its the most listened to FM station in the country. I'm not gonna knock what they do.

[Slinky]

I don't see a problem with it either. It's the natural evolution of the AC format, and it makes sense that in New York it would be more rhythmic. Jim Ryan is a very smart programmer. He's broadened the station's appeal without losing the core listeners.

There might be a hole for a softer AC station in New York, but even if one came along, I think Lite-FM would stay on top.

[Arson]

Speaking of what is considered AC, I was listening to an AC station today (not WLTW) and the DJ said, "The new 'Hoobastank' CD hits stores soon. It will be nice to hear something new from them." LOL, as if the average AC listener would flock out to buy the next Hoobastank album.

[dawhite76]

The "big deal" is that they are ignoring the legacy of great A/C music that would be available for them to play by cherry-picking hits from every other format but their own. Is it working? Yes, they are presently ranked #1 in New York. But, they should not call themselves "Lite" or "A/C" when they are playing tunes like "Hurts So Good," "I'm Coming Out" or "Brass In Pocket" as they did just this morning. The format may evolve as all formats do. But, if you listen to WLTW, you would think yesterday's A/C was only rock or dance leaning Top 40 from the last 30 years.

Ironically, WLTW recently featured a classic-Lite weekend in which they played artists such as the Carpenters that they ordinarily would not play. The weekend was to ostensibly promote its new HD2 station with that format. But, the weekend was such a success that they revisited the idea just a few weeks later. Clever marketing for its HD2 station? Perhaps. But, if the weekend was a bust, you know they would not have tried it again so quickly thereafter.

[Hot AC Archiver]

AC targets women of a certain age (25-54? 35-54?). Programmers probably believe that women of these ages are most familiar with what was closer to CHR/Pop when the women were younger. Since they want to play familiar songs, they play the pop songs. This is the evolution of the format.

In 30 years AC may be playing Usher, Black Eyed Peas, etc. This is what's popular now with the younger women who will be in the target demo then.

[dawhite76]

Yet, there was plenty of Pop music that was equally successful on the A/C charts from that era. Take Streisand's "Guilty" album. Its first three singles reached Top Ten Pop and A/C. But, WLTW does not play any of those songs today. There are several other artists that had A/C hits that were equally, if not more, successful on the Pop charts (e.g. Olivia Newton-John's "Hopelessly Devoted To You" - # 3 Pop, # 7 A/C) that WLTW does not play. If middle aged women want to be reminded of the Top 40 of their youth, those "A/C" artists and songs should be included as well.

That's the contradiction of WLTW - they will play Diana Ross' "I'm Coming Out" which never charted A/C in Billboard. Yet, they won't play "Endless Love" or "Theme From Mahogany" which were both #1 Pop and A/C hits. And why isn't WLTW playing some of the schmaltzy balladeers like Barry Manilow or Kenny Rogers that were successful at both Pop and A/C? Aren't these now middle aged women that WLTW is targeting the ones who usually enjoy that type of "gushy" music best?

What Jim Ryan has done is transform A/C into an updated version of oldies radio. Instead of emphasizing '60's music as earlier oldies radio did, he has updated the sound to feature music from the 70's forward with compatible newer tunes to balance the mix. Judging by the ratings, it obviously works. But, Ryan's station is not A/C and it is definitely not "Lite."

[Arson]

dawhite76 said:

Yet, there was plenty of Pop music that was equally successful on the A/C charts from that era.  Take Streisand's "Guilty" album.  Its first three singles reached Top Ten Pop and A/C.  But, WLTW does not play any of those songs today.  There are several other artists that had A/C hits that were equally, if not more, successful on the Pop charts (e.g.  Olivia Newton-John's "Hopelessly Devoted To You" - # 3 Pop, # 7 A/C) that WLTW does not play.  If middle aged women want to be reminded of the Top 40 of their youth, those "A/C" artists and songs should be included as well.

That's the contradiction of WLTW - they will play Diana Ross' "I'm Coming Out" which never charted A/C in Billboard.  Yet, they won't play "Endless Love" or "Theme From Mahogany" which were both #1 Pop and A/C hits.  And why isn't WLTW playing some of the schmaltzy balladeers like Barry Manilow or Kenny Rogers that were successful at both Pop and A/C?  Aren't these now middle aged women that WLTW is targeting the ones who usually enjoy that type of "gushy" music best?

The programmers are probably working on the assumption that the middle-aged women of today were listening to the more upbeat and rockier/dancier/poppier songs in the 70s rather than the softer AC-type songs (which occasionally crossed over to pop but may not have been favorites of the young).

As at20fantoo said, in 30 years, they may play Nickelback and Pink and maybe ballads by Jessica Simpson, but they won't play current AC music by Celine Dion or Michael Bublé since they aren't as popular with pop-leaning young women today. 

But despite the reality, I too would prefer if AC stations dug into their rich catalogue of AC songs from the last few decades, rather than selecting harder songs from 70s and 80s pop or rock charts.

[dawhite76]

More "A/C" from WLTW: The Go-Go's! They have played both "Our Lips Are Sealed" and "We Got The Beat" in their regular rotation.

[BillboardBoy]

dawhite76 said:

Some examples of what WLTW, a suppposed A/C station, plays in its regular rotation:

"Ain't No Stoppin Us Now" - McFadden & Whitehead
"Bad Girls" - Donna Summer
"Born To Be Alive" - Patrick Hernandez
"Cold As Ice" - Foreigner
"Disco Inferno" - Traamps
"Edge Of Seventeen" - Stevie Nicks
"It's Raining Men" - Weather Girls
"Lights" - Journey
"Love Is A Battlefield" - Pat Benatar
"More Than A Feeling" - Boston
"Purple Rain" - Prince
"Under Pressure" - Queen/David Bowie

I don't see anything wrong with that. Most, if not all, of those songs have been played on AT10 at one time or another.

[JCMF3]

I heard Pink's Get This Party Started on my AC station today! :o

[dawhite76]

And another ... the queen of "Adult Contemporary" herself - J Lo!

[Hervard]

dawhite76 said:

And another ... the queen of "Adult Contemporary" herself - J Lo!

Which song?

[dawhite76]

Songs - "If You Had My Love" and "Waiting For Tonight" ... in regular rotation.

[Arson]

My local AC station has been playing "Get This Party Started", "If You Had My Love" and "Waiting For Tonight" for years now. I've actually written to complain about Pink. I like her, but talk about jarring when "Get This Party Started" comes on. I guess soccer moms can jam to it when cleaning up the house after their teen daughter's house party.

[dawhite76]

And another ... Chic's "Le Freak."

This was actually an A/C "hit" ... it spent two weeks on Billboard's A/C chart peaking at # 48. FYI - the #1 song during the two weeks it charted was Engelbert Humperdinck's "This Moment In Time." Don't suppose WLTW would ever play that one, huh?!?

[dawhite76]

And another ... "You're The One That I Want." Admittedly, this one is not a terrible stretch for A/C and it did reach #23 on Billboard's A/C chart. But, Newton-John had 10 #1 A/C hits and 12 other Top 10s. Couldn't WLTW play at least one of those other, non-"Grease" hits from Newton-John?

[dawhite76]

And another ... Alicia Bridges' "I Love The Night Life." Makes "sense" ... when I listen to A/C, "I want to boogie on the disco round."

[Marv]

Since there are THREE radio stations in NYC chasing the same under-25 demographic (WHTZ/WPLJ/WQHT/), the local Hot AC station (WPLJ) is targeted to a much younger audience than a typical Hot AC station, and the only other NYC-based radio station that is aimed at the same 25-54 demo that is WLTW's target demo (women 25-54) is New York Chill 101.9 (a Smooth Jazz station) then Mr. Ryan can play a MUCH wider variety of music on WLTW than a major percentage of the nation's other AC stations can; keep in mind that NYC doesn't have a Country station either.

I won't do too much handwringing over their 'Lite-FM' handle; they're not about to blow that off and risk blowing off TONS of listeners in the process; think what happened in the automobile industry when Datsun became Nissan, widely regarded as the biggest blunder in the history of marketing in North American business history.

It's certainly not a 'typical' AC station, but it's among Clear Channel's biggest cash cows, and one of thier most prestigious radio properties.

[John77]

dawhite76 said:

Some examples of what WLTW, a suppposed A/C station, plays in its regular rotation:

"Ain't No Stoppin Us Now" - McFadden & Whitehead
"Bad Girls" - Donna Summer
"Born To Be Alive" - Patrick Hernandez
"Cold As Ice" - Foreigner
"Disco Inferno" - Traamps
"Edge Of Seventeen" - Stevie Nicks
"It's Raining Men" - Weather Girls
"Lights" - Journey
"Love Is A Battlefield" - Pat Benatar
"More Than A Feeling" - Boston
"Purple Rain" - Prince
"Under Pressure" - Queen/David Bowie

A lot of this "AC" stuff can be heard on KBIG here in L.A... which not coincidentally is also owned by "crap channel"...

Of those songs, "Lights" by Journey can be considered AC (or CHR or Rock or Hot AC IMHO)...  the rest... uh well NO!!!

[dawhite76]

The original version of "Lights" did not chart A/C. However, a live version peaked at #30 in 1993. So, WLTW will play the studio version that did not chart of a live song that was at best a minor A/C hit. Yet, look at the songs that were in the Billboard A/C Top 10 the week that the 1993 "Lights" peaked:

1 Peabo Bryson/Regina Belle - "A Whole New World"
2 Restless Heart - "When She Cries"
3 Whitney Houston - "I Will Always Love You"
4 Genesis - "Never A Time"
5 Elton John - "The Last Song"
6 Peter Cetera/Chaka Khan - "Feels Like Heaven"
7 Go West - "Faithful"
8 Michael Bolton - "To Love Somebody"
9 Kenny G - "Forever In Love"
10 Michael Jackson - "Heal The World"

Except for Whitney, when was the last time WLTW ever played any of those other songs?

[JCMF3]

I don't understand why people have this big problem with 70s hits being played on AC radio. This is the format for these songs to be played on. Arguably, I guess we could also say HAC, but that is more "contemporary" than AC. What's the big deal with Kool & The Gang and Chic getting played on AC?

[dawhite76]

The problem is the '70's (or any other decade's) music they choose to play. The artists you cite are the perfect example. Chic's "I Want Your Love" was a Top 10 A/C hit; "Le Freak" was not. Guess which one WLTW plays? (The answer is "c'est chic." ) Same with Kool & The Gang. "Cherish" was a #1 A/C hit; "Celebration" was not. Guess which one WLTW plays? (The answer entails a "woo hoo.") If you are going to call your station "lite," "soft" or "easy," the music should also be the same.

There are plenty of other formats that could ... and do ... play songs like those from oldies to various rhythmic formats. The same holds true for more rock-leaning songs like "More Than A Feeling" or "Love Is A Battlefield." Does A/C really need to play those songs also contributing to the incredible redundancy afflicting the airwaves today? If a New Yorker wants to hear "I Love The Night Life," he/she can choose from two rhythmic and two R&B stations...and WLTW. If a New Yorker wants to hear "Edge Of Seventeen," he/she has a classic rock, a "Jack" and a hot A/C to choose from...and WLTW. If a New Yorker wants to hear any classic A/C hit, he/she has to hope that his/her radio can pick up an A/C station from the suburbs that is not trying to emulate WLTW's format.

The legacy of Adult Contemporary is being ignored by WLTW and many other A/C's nationwide. The Top 10 from 1993 that I posted above is the perfect example. Not only does A/C rarely play any of those songs anymore, but what other format would even consider playing any of those tunes other than Whitney's? A/C has such an incredible trove of its own music to draw from ... there's no need to pillage every format but your own for their playlists as WLTW has become notorious for.

[JCMF3]

Yeah, I can see your point, but I still don't find a problem with it. *shrugs*

[Libra]

WLTW seems more like a wanna-be Jack station than AC. The problem is a station calling itself something that, at times, it tries to avoid being.