Ryan Seacrest to be new host of American Top 40

[Mega248]

F**k that. Who the hell is interested in hearing the American Idol dude count down forty top songs generated by an internet poll? Who cares if the current AT40 doesn't really show what's the most popular, at least it's 100% accurate with what it does show. You can't possibly garuntee 100% accuracy with a chart that's derived from an online poll.

[Mega248]

mst3k1 said:

If they're dropping the official R&R/Mediabase chart for some sort of interactive/request format, I'm done listening. To me, that's just tarnishing the AT40 name by not using a "real" chart.

My thoughts exactly. If all of this is indeed true, I refuse to refer to it as "AT40" anymore as it would be an insult to the original show.

[Matt4319]

The Pulse 100 is more accurate than the new AT40! :)

[Matt4319]

LOL, chart fans everywhere might remember today as "Black Tuesday" or something. On my birthday. :(

[lacrosseboy]

I don't like the changes.

However I have something larger to worry about. I have a friend who works on the AT40 staff, and recently a co-worker of his was laid off (it's no secret that Bill Stroum is no longer mentioned in the credits) I'm not at liberty to say why he was laid off, but I'll have to say that this really disgusts me.

Now he's working 7 days a week! That's just ridiculous. I am really worried about him--everyone needs a break--and what a better time than on the weekend! (Can you say "Office Space")

[Rob64]

Mega248 said:

F**k that. Who the hell is interested in hearing the American Idol dude count down forty top songs generated by an internet poll?

That's so true.. the American Idol host.. online voting. PLEASE. AT40 was a very respectable show, now it's turning into a teen/pre-teen voting show. I'm so angry.. they're gonna ruin the At40 name. I still love the Rick Dees top 40 so at least I still have that to listen to. Sure, the chart isn't 100% accurate, but the show itself is entertaining to listen to

[Cerebro]

ulij20 said:

I believe Adam Curry did a Top 40 countdown that was based on votes, since the now defunct countdown didn't seem to be based on any publication's chart.

The show was Adam Curry's Top 30 Hitlist which, eventually, morphed into just The Hitlist when Z100's Elvis and Elliot took over as hosts. If I recall correctly, I think their chart was based on the playlists of all of the stations that subscribed to the show.

Snipped from Premiere's announcement:

...It will focus on the interactive quality of American Top 40's website...

What! AT40 has a website? When did this happen? URL, anyone?

I must say, the upcoming format change is a huge disappointment to me. If they're gonna go and do this, they may as well just give Ryan a new show to do and leave AT40 alone. This just sucks that it won't be an "official" chart anymore.

Truly, the end of an era, folks.

[insect2]

I'd better find a radio station that broadcasts online this weekend!

I haven't listened to AT40 in more than a year. I would've really liked to start listening again, but this just kills it. I remember when I first started listening around October 2000. I would only hear the top 12 or so but it was always good. I liked listening to a definitive count down of the week's hits one by one. I started listening to the whole countdown around last year. I stopped when I moved and the time differences (and the fact that Kiss 106 doesn't play the show) didn't make listening to it feasible. Hopefully I can find a way around it.

And exactly where are people supposed to be voting for this poll? One of those quoted articles said the "American Top 40 website". What exactly is that?

And I am really weary of the idea of Mr. American Idol doing the countdown. Although, I would've liked to have heard him do one of the shows earlier this year just to hear what that would've sounded like. But this is really a blow. I actually don't know how I feel about this. Even if Ed McMann was going to be the permanent host, it still wouldn't feel right listening to the show without Casey Kasem. I don't think I'm overstating it when I say that he is the definition of pop radio. He's been broadcasting for around 50 years or so and to continue to this day is a remarkable feat. The idea, whether true or not, that he may be considered "too old" for pop listeners is just crap.

I suppose if people are lucky, there'll be some sort of boycott or something and the ratings will go down and the whole situation will blow right back in Premiere's face. I'm referring to using an internet poll for American Top 40. I agree that it's sacriliege to the show. I would much rather they went to that chart they used from October 2000-August 2001. Sure, the recurrent rules may have been screwy, but I thought it was fun to listen to nonetheless.

[Matt4319]

Noooooo, it's not the end of an era! ...not on my birthday! :(

And I'm kinda disappointed in the people dissing the internet voting format, heh. What is the Pulse 100 then?

And you get this when trying to access www.at40.com:

Forbidden

You don't have permission to access / on this server.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Apache/1.3.27 Server at www.at40.com Port 80

So maybe Premiere is saving the site for the new launch.

I did a WHOIS search and this turned up:

at40.com

Registrant:
Premiere Radio Networks (AT21-DOM)
15260 Ventura Blvd.
Suite 1200
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403-5339
US

Domain Name: AT40.COM

Record expires on 17-Feb-2005.
Record created on 18-Feb-1998.

So Premiere had the domain registered for nearly 6 years with no site? That's pathetic.

[krazymack]

GordonUM said:

Now how exactly is doing two completely different countdowns for different formats competing with yourself? Is Clear Channel competing with themselves by owning CHR and AC stations in the same market? Of course not. They're offering different things to different audiences. And didn't Premiere already have a dumb rule that there could only be one of Casey's shows running on any station in a particular market?

I think Casey's definitely being pushed out for someone younger. But he's probably getting a pretty sweet deal for continuing the other shows, so he probably can't complain. It looks like the people this hurts the worst is us hardcore fans. Premiere gets a big name who can attract a younger audience for their CHR/Pop show while hanging onto another of their big names for AC shows. Casey may have some mixed feelings about leaving a show that he created and has been doing in some form for 33 years, but if he's not retiring completely, he must be getting a big paycheck in his new contract.

It's sad to see an era end like this. I'm sure most people here would say that Casey was the one who brought them into following the charts. Hearing Casey announce a hit just makes it official for me, in a way no one else can. I knew he'd be retiring eventually, and I had a feeling that either Carson Daly or Ryan Seacrest would replace him, but I wasn't expecting anything this soon. I haven't heard any of Ryan's guest hosting work, but I hope the show will keep up the high standards we're used to.

To close, sorry to be obvious but I gotta say it, keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars.

Amen to that GordonUM, excellently said! You said it beautifully! :) I've heard Ryan on an episode of AT40, he is okay, but it is just not the same when Casey counts them down. He is indeed the main reason why I got in the pop charts.

Honestly, I don't even think I'm going to even waste my chance hearing AT40 anymore with the new host. I am going to look for a new pop chart countdown to listen to. And I'm not reverting to Rick Dees that's for sure!

If they're dropping the official R&R/Mediabase chart for some sort of interactive/request format, I'm done listening. To me, that's just tarnishing the AT40 name by not using a "real" chart.

Right on mst3k1, I am not listening to a "fakey" chart either.

[insect2]

Matt4319 said:

And I'm kinda disappointed in the people dissing the internet voting format, heh. What is the Pulse 100 then?

I think the Pulse 100 is different than simply just "voting" for our favorite songs. It's like each chart is the station playlist and AT40 (or in reality, the R&R Pop chart) bring those playlists all together to count them down. The charts aren't made specifically for the Pulse 100 (at least I would hope not), but for the edification of the music fan who creates them. Same thing with the radio playlists in that they reflect what's being played on the station and not what the station managers want to see rise up the charts (again, I would hope not).

At least, that's the way I always saw it.

[top30countdown]

This is sad. I've been listening to Casey ever since I was 11 - that's almost 24 years! As GordonUM said, hearing Casey announce a song makes it sound official. I have mixed feelings about Ryan Seacrest taking over. I don't think he has a great DJ voice, but I think his style is OK. I do like the fact that he throws in some comments which you wouldn't hear Casey do, but he doesn't overdo it. As long as he continues to not overdo it with the side comments, I think the intergrity of AT40 will stay there, to some degree, at least. I think it's important that they pick someone who is good and who will last a long time. There's no integrity to a show which changes hosts every few years. However, pretty much all integrity is lost if they switch from the R&R chart.

Other posts have mentioned that people will be able to vote for the Top 40 via a website. Let me tell you something - in order for them to air a show for January 10, they had better get it up and running pretty quickly. The show for January 10 will probably be taped around January 5. In order to write the show in time for taping, they would probably need to have the first week's worth of voting in by around January 1, at the absolute latest. This means that for 1 week's worth of voting, the website would have to be up by December 25. That's only 16 days (at the absolute most) that they have to publicize the website. I doubt that they have enough time to do that. I don't think enough people would even know about the voting and the website in time for the first show.

[Matt4319]

top30countdown said:

I don't think enough people would even know about the voting and the website in time for the first show.

Either that, or they'll use the VH1-style "picking names out of a hat" method for the first couple of shows.

[Matt4319]

Another question that needs to be asked is what the method will be for picking the songs for which you can vote. There would have to be some way of writing in a song, which would likely create problems as far as distinguishing among misspellings of song titles and the like.

[Rose "Payola" Nylund]

It's bad enough that Casey is leaving AT40. It was definately him and him alone that got me interested into charts and his show. But to change how AT40 is done!? They're going to be a bunch of bimbos and morons doing the chart so that crappy pop will always be #1! I'm disappointed. However, I'll continue to track the chart for my Top 40 records. :)
So disappointing though. :( Maybe I should use this time to officially let go of something since we can consider this an end to the AT40 era. :(

Rob, remember when Tarzan Dan left the Hitlist? That's what AT40 might turn into. :(

[mst3k]

top30countdown said:

The show for January 10 will probably be taped around January 5.

Not necessarily... from what I understand, the show will only be sent to radio stations via satellite or the internet, so conceivably they could record it a day or two before it airs. I'm assuming they'll start mentioning the voting procedures no later than the January 3rd show (again, I don't know what format or host that particular week will use).

[mst3k]

The said:

But to change how AT40 is done!? They're going to be a bunch of bimbos and morons doing the chart so that crappy pop will always be #1!

Ugh... can you say TRL?

[GordonUM]

Like you guys I've got mixed feelings, leaning negative toward the request format. While I would've missed Casey, it would've still been nice having a professionally done R&R chart show with a younger edge. And I might have been able to hear it on the radio, unlike now when I can't hear AT40 because the Clear Channel AC station runs AT20. But I'm not sure how well a request show would work. As I see it, AT40's listeners are either devoted chart followers or more casual types who like to tune in every once in a while to see what's hot. Will obsessive teen voters listen to a four-hour show just to see where their favorite song is?

One thing though, this does leave the door wide open for someone else to pull Casey away for a new show. His old syndicator, Westwood One, is still around. Can they show enough money to bring back Casey's Top 40?

[ljaesch]

I have a subscription to the online version of the entertainment trade publication, "Daily Variety." This story has now appeared there.

Some of the details in the story we already know, but I think there's some details here that we didn't already know. To encapsulate the report from "Daily Variety":

*Casey Kasem's final countdown will air the weekend of January 3-4
*Ryan Seacrest will make his debut on AT40 the weekend of January 10-11
*Casey Kasem will continue doing the two versions of AT20
*AT40 has a new interactive spin; a web site will allow listeners to vote for favorite songs, compete for contest giveaways and communicate directly with Ryan Seacrest
*As part of the switchover, AT40 has gained a new affiliate: KIIS-FM in L.A., which will air the show Saturday mornings. Seacrest has recently signed a deal to serve as KIIS morning jock Rick Dees' official fill-in personality; he's widely believed to be in line to eventually replace Rick Dees
*Ryan Seacrest is also getting ready to launch a new TV show, "On Air With Ryan Seacrest," which is scheduled to premiere January 12.
*It's unclear at this time whether Ryan Seacrest will continue as the afternoon drive personality on Clear Channel's L.A. Modern AC KYSR-FM

[Matt4319]

Yikes... Seacrest is the new Carson Daly, if he wasn't already.

[jimmy74747]

While I don't like the new format of AT40 or the internet countdown, I do think Seacreast will make a fine host. Far better than a Rick Dees or Carson Daly. I think he is the perfect host for Idol based on his personality and his ability to banter with Simon and the contestants, who are two completely different kind of people. His personality carries over well on radio, as I heard him on Star the two times I've been in LA. He is perfect for an interactive type show.

I think he'll get a raw deal because he is replacing a legend.

[chebingeo]

Where can we go to protest?

[kmo]

It will focus on the interactive quality of American Top 40's website, letting the audience vote for their favorite songs, enter contests for concert flyaways, and communicate directly with Seacrest.

I was just wondering....it doesn't explicitly say that the countdown is based on online voting, just that people can vote for their favorite songs. Maybe they'll still use R&R, but implement the "favorites" into the intro or conclusion of the song. Or they could do a top 5 listeners choice. Maybe I'm holding on to hope too much, but I also haven't heard any news about AT40 NOT using R&R.

[Hervard]

That sounds logical. Does anyone remember the "Rockin' America Top 30 Countdown" back when it became a request countdown sometime in 1990? How much did the show differ from the R&R chart? (since Scott Shannon said that it was based on requests and the R&R chart). I know that the year end Top 60 show was different, but how about the weekly charts?

[GordonUM]

Yeah, I was gonna point that out too, that they haven't clearly stated that the entire countdown will be based on requests/voting. But that worries me that we'll get a Rick Dees-style countdown, with positions switched around arbitrarily. I'm sure we'll learn more specifics soon.

If you're looking to protest, Premiere's site is at www.premrad.com. The contact address they have there is
Premiere Radio Networks, Inc.
15260 Ventura Blvd. 5th Floor
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403

From what I've heard (not from them but in general), real mail gets a lot more attention than e-mail, and online petitions are virtually useless at getting the attention of anyone important, though they could help to make more people aware.

[Slinky]

I don't really see this as a bad thing. Yes, Casey is a legend, but all legends must retire sometime. I remember hearing Seacrest sub for Casey this year and thinking to myself that he would be the one to take Casey's place. I had no idea that time would come so soon though. I will be sad to hear Casey go, but the time has come to pass the torch.

I'm going to go ahead and guess the R&R chart will still be used for AT40. I just can't see a top 40 countdown based on Internet voting, and I don't think Premiere would screw with the AT40 legacy like that. If anything, they should have learned from AT40's previous mistakes in switching charts in the mid-90's.

I'm also going to guess that with even with all the new features, AT40 will stick mostly to what it does best: counting down the hits and giving some background info. I don't think Seacrest will become the new Rick Dees.

If my assumptions hold true, this switch presents some advantages:

1. It could expand the countdown show audience. While stations bury Casey at odd hours of the night, they may be willing to feature Seacrest at hours people actually listen to the radio. Seacrest could bring in new stations, new fans, even new posters to boards like these.

2. The new features could make AT40 sound fresher. I don't know if anyone remembers what AT40 with Shadoe Stevens sounded like in 1992-93, but I remember it sounding a lot more fun than the AT40 of today. It had flashbacks, artist interviews, cool production elements, all within the confines of a "traditional" countdown (i.e. no corny parodies, or substituted/skipped songs). In fact, I would have considered this my favorite countdown if it had been counting down R&R instead of Billboard's Airplay Monitor.

3. It could bolster American Top 20. With AC and Hot AC stations no longer having to share Casey with CHR, more stations may want to pick up AT20. This would ensure that Casey is still heard "coast-to-coast" and by an audience that he can still relate to.

[Rose "Payola" Nylund]

GordonUM said:

One thing though, this does leave the door wide open for someone else to pull Casey away for a new show. His old syndicator, Westwood One, is still around. Can they show enough money to bring back Casey's Top 40?

Never thought of that! But I doubt while he's doing AT20...

I'd be really disappointed if Ryan replaced Rick Dees too.... oy. Imagine having AT40 with Ryan Seacrest AND Ryan's Top 40....

Personally, I don't mind them NOT using R&R because it would make the show fun to listen to. Remember when they used Mediabase in 2000? It was unexpected! It was fun! But the whole online thing bothers me.

[mst3k]

Yeah... I'll keep my fingers crossed that they'll continue to use R&R or Mediabase for their main top 40, and the "interactive" part will just be used for extras and such (maybe as replacement for the Long Distance Dedications).

[chebingeo]

If AT40 is going to be a weekly version of TRL, who would've thought that Rick Dees would one day be the most reliable source for countdown shows?

[BFMR]

chebingeo said:

If AT40 is going to be a weekly version of TRL, who would've thought that Rick Dees would one day be the most reliable source for countdown shows?

LOL! this is so true... not only will generation TRL be corrupting the system, but this will also bring in generation AI to the mix?? ugh! end of an era for sure...