CHR/Pop Back in Toronto? Well, not exactly...

[BlahBlahBlah]

91.5 The Beat in Kitchener has started broadcasting. I can listen to them fine in the car, I'm in Mississauga. It seems like they're a CHR/Pop station more than CHR/Rhythmic, I was listening this morning and they were playing the original version of "Powerless (Say What You Want)."

www.915thebeat.com

[william]

For some reason, I can't access their stream. I have trouble with all chaincast streams it seems. How does it sound?

[BlahBlahBlah]

Before it didn't work for me either, now it works. They just finished playing Keshia Chanté's "Unpredictable", now they're playing "The Way You Move."

[BlahBlahBlah]

They're commercial-free now. I've been listening to them an hour now, here is what they played:

BABY BASH f/FRANKIE J/Suga Suga
WAYNE WONDER/No Letting Go
GLENN LEWIS/Don't You Forget It
NO DOUBT f/BOUNTY KILLER/Hey Baby (They played the crappy Internet bootlegged version though)
SNOW/The Plumb Song (They played the album version, I haven't heard this song in a loooong time)
PINK f/WILLIAM ORBIT/Feel Good Time
MAESTRO/Stick To Your Vision
R. KELLY/Step In The Name Of Love (Remix)
MYA/Fallen
LEE/Party
OUTKAST/Hey Ya!
LUMIDEE f/BUSTA RHYMES & FABOLOUS/Never Leave You - Uh Ooh, Uh Oooh!
SNOW/The Plumb Song (Again?)
NO DOUBT/Hella Good
IN ESSENCE/Friend Of Mine
TLC/Waterfalls

Definitely looks like a Rhythmic-leaning CHR/Pop station. They also played Kelly Clarkson and JC Chasez.

[Leafstorm]

Thanks for the heads up! I think I have trouble receiving that station here in Scarborough... The jazz station is 91.9 right?

[william]

Ya, The Beat is still in test mode...

The playlist reminds me of the early days of KISS-FM Toronto. Rhyhmic and pure pop with no rock.

[william]

As pointed out by another member on another topic, CHUM-FM Toronto will now be airing AT40 with Ryan Seacrest. "Tarzan" Dan Freeman is back doing swing (no pun intended). One of the weekend overnight guys (Rob Daniels I think) looks like he's only 16. The station is so close to going CHR I can almost taste it. Of course, I'll probably be proven wrong.

[Slinky]

CHUM has always leaned towards pop though, hasn't it? I don't think you'll see an all out flip there.

With CHUM covering the rock side and Z covering the rhythmic side, does Toronto even really need a mainstream CHR?

[william]

One can argue no city with a HotAC or CHR/Rhythmic or Urban needs a CHR/Pop. It's just wishful thinking on my part. Z's signal (from Orangeville) doesn't cover the entire GTA, so that's also a factor. I've just never seen a HotAC with such young talent (aside from RR&M) before.

[Slinky]

william said:

One can argue no city with a HotAC or CHR/Rhythmic or Urban needs a CHR/Pop. It's just wishful thinking on my part. Z's signal (from Orangeville) doesn't cover the entire GTA, so that's also a factor. I've just never seen a HotAC with such young talent (aside from RR&M) before.

Well, there are cities with a Hot AC and a CHR/Rhythmic that still have a big hole for a pop format (i.e. Norfolk, VA). It just seems to me that since the Hot AC in Toronto is playing pop like Britney Spears and the CHR/Rhythmic is playing rock like Evanescence, all the bases are pretty well covered.

You're right that Z's signal is an issue though. It would be nice to see them move to a stronger signal or duplicate the format on another station in the GTA.

[william]

I wouldn't classify Z as CHR/Rhythmic. They lean Dance for sure, but they also play key charting rock acts like Evanescence, Good Charlotte, Simple Plan, Finger Eleven, Fountains Of Wayne, Nickelback...

CHUM does lean pop and has for a long time. They are still a hotAC however, because they don't play hit hip-hop and alternative tracks that CHR does. Besides, the PD classifies the station as a hotAC. I think we also have to keep in mind that hotAC goes after a demo and picks music it thinks fits that target. Because most American hotAC's choose more rock to play is irrelevant. I think CHUM should be commended for playing what their target wants. The research has been out for a long time that shows young adults to 44 like pop and R&B songs (not to be confused with hard rap). When people freaked out and called chum more of a CHR because they were playing Beyonce over the summer need to relax. It's time to think outside the charts and look at the data.

[reception]

mms://66.250.188.20/CKBT_FM
That's the streaming link.

[reception]

www.fybush.com/nerw-031027.html#can
October 27, 2003 Initial reports suggest the 4000-watt signal is making it almost to the western suburbs of Toronto at least for DX aficionados.
100000watts.com says they are 10,000 watts.

[william]

mms://66.250.188.20/CKBT_FM
That's the streaming link.

:'(

I keep getting an error message saying:

"Unable to access this media, you may not be connected to the network."

Can anybody help me correct this problem?

[HER MINAJesty]

I heard Beyonce's version of "In Da Club" on CHUM FM more than once, and I never heard it on Flow or Z.

Some of the songs they play really make me wonder if they are just seconds away from flipping formats, but then they go and play Santana or Dido next, lol. I believe once last spring I heard them play "Rock Your Body". Sometimes I have to do a double take at the stereo in the car or at home, and wonder, "Wait, is this really CHUM FM??"

In the car on the way home tonight I heard "Hot in Herre" on CHUM FM. I know Saturday nights they have that dance party, and "Hot in Herre" was one of the biggest Pop hits of 2002, but still, CHUM FM? Last week I also heard them play Britney's "Toxic", maybe because of the concert announcement?

I was semi excited about The Beat 91.5, but I tried it on the stereo in my room, and I don't get it at all, I have better luck with CKEY Wild 101.1 Niagara Falls/Buffalo.

However tonight in the car I heard 91.5 The Beat just fine, they had Eamon's "F It" on, maybe cuz it was in the middle of snow, or we were up in Vaughan (the city above Toronto) that is why the signal was clearer, I don't know.

Someone who works at The Beat told me that they were trying to get the signal to be heard in Toronto, but that it could definitely be heard in Mississauga.

I don't think we will get a true CHR/Pop station with a loud and clear signal in Toronto for some time.

I'd love to see it happen, but I guess I don't want to believe in something that has slim to no chances of happening anytime soon.

I never thought I'd say this, but a part of me misses Kiss 92 (both the pop and rhythmic versions) and Energy FM 95.3 >:(

There was another Energy spinoff station on 93.1 FM, but it was weird...I didnt know exactly what format that was...sometimes it played new hit songs but most of the time it was weird Canadian AC sounding stuff. But that has also flipped and is no longer under the Energy name, it's "The new CHEY FM" or whatever.

Im starting to like Flow more than Z though. Z is kinda pissing me off with their whole "Woodbridge Italian gino" catering playlist, even though they do play pop, rock, urban, etc. I can't stand their morning show, and only listen if I can catch the Top 7 @ 7. If I wake up any later than 7.30 then Im waking up to Flow. Im starting to like Flow's morning show better also.

My beef with Flow is the CanCon Urban music they play, but I understand they have to do that.

Ahh well

[TheJakes]

Z is kinda pissing me off with their whole "Woodbridge Italian gino" catering playlist, even though they do play pop, rock, urban, etc.

I had to laugh at that description because that is exactly what pisses me off as well. they will be moving along loke a good CHR/Pop with a nice mix of pop, rock and R&B/HipHop when all of a sudden you will get several songs in a row that cause you to falshhback to a horrible experience you had when some "friends" persuaded you to trek out to some Woodbridge club.

[BlahBlahBlah]

lol, I totally agree. I really liked EnergyFM back in the days, even back when they were Energy 108. They played lots of songs that Pop stations wouldn't even touch. I agree about the CanCon Urban songs part. I really don't need to hear bland songs from Keshia Chante, Swollen Members or In Essence. Oh well, at least the Nelly Furtado remix takes away airplay from those crap.

Does Wild 101 have to follow CanCon requirements?

[william]

I believe Wild 101 only has to play 25% CanCon, as opposed to the regular 35%.

[HER MINAJesty]

I mean don't get me wrong, I am half Italian myself, but that doesn't mean I have to immerse myself in that stereotypical Z103 fare. and I dont TOTALLY despise the "gino" music, but I find I go through cycles, for some months I dont mind listening to it, but then there is a point that I will just self destruct if I hear another beat. Now is one of those times, ever since school started back again 2 weeks ago, I've been listening to Flow more (but heck I don't listen to the radio nearly as much as I used to, pre-holidays)

I used to LOVE Energy 108 as well, that was my first favourite radio station, back when I was in Grade 7 and 8, lol (1997, 1998)

Then they moved to 95.3 at the end of August, 2001, and it was all downhill from there, I suppose.

[william]

Z needs to even out their sound. The lack of flow on the station makes me dizzy. It's no wonder that despite doing pretty good in cume, the market share is fairly low. People tune in a lot, but don't listen very long.

[HER MINAJesty]

^ That's exactly what I do...I tune in for 10 minutes at a time, about 5-6 times a day

[BlahBlahBlah]

91.5 The Beat is officially launching next Saturday, January 31, 2004 with live personalities.

www.915thebeat.com

The station will over-achieve the industry standard with a play list featuring 40% Canadian content

Uggggh!!! >:(

[william]

LOL Blah!

Another thread about how much CanCon sucks.

When will you finally move to the USA to be free from it?

;)