HOT 89.9 MD blasts listeners for requesting rock

[william]

The music director/evening announcer of Ottawa's HOT 89.9 (CHR/Rhythmic) chastized some listeners last week for repeatedly calling in and requesting rock hits. He asked listeners to respect HOT's "Hip Hop/R&B and Whatever" format by only requesting those types of songs. The "Whatever" comment was obviously a jab at crosstown Classic Hits' BOB-FM's slogan: "80's, 90's.. Whatever", and implied the left-over music HOT plays (in this case Dance) that wasn't HipHop/R&B.

I'm not sure that telling the audience off was entirely fair. HOT 89.9 does air the Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 on weekends, a countdown show which does include rock songs. HOT's slogan: "Ottawa's #1 Hit Music Station" could also confuse listeners, since a lot of people identify Hit music as songs being on the CHR/Pop chart, not just Rhythmic. Ottawa recently lost their lone english language CHR/Pop station (KOOL-fm) when it flipped to Classic Hits. They promoted themselves as a Hit Music station and played the top pop/rock tracks of the time. Perhaps the MD of HOT 89.9 should consider the history of the term Hit in the Ottawa market before blasting all the former KOOL listeners who switched to HOT. Those KOOL listeners did afterall help HOT 89.9 become the most successful Urban/CHR Rhythmic station in Canada.

[Ragin]

I'm never for DJ's blasting listeners unless they are really doing something wrong. However, in this case hopefully it made enough of them mad to switch stations. If they want rock songs they really should be listening to something else.

[BFMR]

c670769 said:

I'm never for DJ's blasting listeners unless they are really doing something wrong. However, in this case hopefully it made enough of them mad to switch stations. If they want rock songs they really should be listening to something else.

but that doesn't excuse what the DJ did... the term "Ottawa's #1 Hit Music Station" is not appropriate if they want to play only R&B/urban songs... so for anyone to say "if people want to listen to rock, they should be listening to something else" is not appropriate in this case... either they agree to play HIT MUSIC or they change their slogan entirely...

[iceman]

The urban station here (Vibe 98.5) uses the slogan "Today's Hottest Music".

[irice22]

The urban station here (Vibe 98.5) uses the slogan "Today's Hottest Music".

That's out rhytmic stations slogan. I guess hot = urban and rhythmic, hit = pop.

[william]

I remember driving through Texas back in 1997 and was surprised to tune into a Country station with the slogan: "Today's Hit Music". I guess the terms hottest and hit are subjective and can encompass many formats.

[HER MINAJesty]

Here in Toronto, Flow 93.5 (CHR/Urban) doesn't beat around the bush with their slogan, it is

Toronto's Hip Hop and R&B

it used to be "Toronto's ONLY Urban FM" ...when it was competing with Kiss 92

z103's slogan is "The Hit Music Channel"

remember when they used to be called Hits 103.5 ?? lol I was trying to say it to myself a few days ago, and it sounds sooo awkward...I dont know how people used to say that, or even the on-air DJ's...it sounds so weird

[HER MINAJesty]

but that is dumb of Hot 89.9's MD..

I mean, if they are a Hip Hop and R&B station, WHAT are they doing playing Rick Dees?

He shouldnt have gotten mad at the fans...they probably got excited when they heard some rock songs like Stacy's Mom or Simple Plan, so wanted to request them

What a dumb azz, I hope they lose all their audience and have to flip formats

[william]

I hope they lose all their audience and have to flip formats

...they may have to. Although they are doing well in the ratings (tied for 6th this past summer), sales are lousy. Apparently even Team 1200 (who ranks below top 15) outbills them.

[HER MINAJesty]

Interesting...

[Matt4319]

irice22 said:

That's out rhytmic stations slogan. I guess hot = urban and rhythmic, hit = pop.

My city has a station called "Hot 104" that is CHR/Pop.

[EvanJ]

WWHT and WIHT are rhythmic-leaning "Hot" CHR-Pop stations.