AT20 LDD Nitpick

[Topay]

I listened to the Long Distance Dedication on AT20 this weekend (Jan 22).  It was by a petite woman in honor of her recently deceased father.

In the letter, she mentions that "many years ago" she made a request and asked if they would play it again this week.  The song they played?  "Beautiful" by Christina Aguilera!

Now, I know that the request must have been something suited to AC radio (looking at the AT10 thread for this week I see "Just The Way You Are" by Billy Joel).  But not everyone thinks about Casey and his 2 shows.  If I were someone who ONLY knew about AT20, and I had made this request, only to hear a totally different song played, I would have been ticked!  Errr....hopefully the woman was a regular AT10 listener.

[Michael1973]

I noticed this too, and it ticked me off. In fact, I posted about it on the AT40 Fun & Games site. It greatly saddens me that radio programmers are so strict nowadays that people can't even get their dedications played as requested, especially when they're as touching as this one.

[Hervard]

I know, what are they worried about, that someone tuning into their favorite Hot AC station and hearing "Just The Way You Are" is going to scream, "WHAT THE F*CK IS THIS??" and switch the station, never to listen to it again?
Even if that would happen, who needs a listener with that attitude?

[johnm1120]

Is Don on the phone?

[Hervard]

Yeah, he's saying, "I don't care how AC-unfriendly my song 'Dirty Laundry' is. If Allen from Texas requested it in memory of his father, who he used to attend Eagles concerts with, then play it. Do NOT play 'Hole In The World'. As far as I know, they both hate that song!"

[Devil Marlena Nylund]

Don Bustani, perhaps? Get *him* on the phone. Put Don Henley on hold.

[Michael1973]

According to sources at the AT40 Fun & Games site, the letter writers are asked for permission before Casey plays a replacement song.

This still leaves me with one nitpick. If song being replaced was chosen for a special reason, they should really alter the letter to disguise that fact. Hearing Casey say something like, "I want to dedicate my sister's very favorite song" and then play a different song just doesn't sound right at all.

[Topay]

Or, in this case, leave out the part that said "many years ago" or anything else that implies the song is definitely not the replacement song. In other words, change the letter so that it is still accurate, even if reworded.

[Hervard]

Sort of defeats the whole purpose.

[Michael1973]

ulij20  said:

Sort of defeats the whole purpose.

Not really. We're not suggesting they rewrite the entire letter, just edit out a few words that are no longer applicable if they're not playing the originally requested song.