Q107

[Obtuse]

107's shift is no surprise, as many U.S. "classic rock" stations have done the same, adding Soundgarden, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, etc., and subtracting most of the 60's and a good chunk of the 70's from the playlist. Just shifting with the demo. Someone who was 18 in 1994 during the grunge era is now 38, right in the middle of Q107's demo. I suspect many of those folks are ones who have "aged-out" of co-owned CFNY, as they continue to focus on current and emerging artists, and as Sloan and Our Lady Peace give way to Arcade Fire and Death From Above 1979.

Modern Rock stations (including CFNY) are now playing a lot less early 90's material, and virtually no 80's (rightly so, as they are aimed at 18-34's). Q107 is simply filling the void (and keeping listeners in the Corus fold).

In the unlikely event "Nash" is in the cards for Buffalo, you'd probably see 97 Rock adding some 90's/newer material (a la Q107) and The Edge going bye-bye. Which would of course, be the best thing to happen to the 107.7 frequency since "Lite 96.9" until WBUF inevitably flips, of course (97.7 would get a piece as well).

Though it would be interesting to see someone take on WYRK on a decent (i.e not 107.7) signal, for now there is no obviously under-performing signal to flip.

 

[SirRoxalot]

That doesn't respond to the points I made. It just repeats your unsubstantiated opinion that gives no sources.

Just because a station doesn't do what you want doesn't mean they can't. Since you say you know the local landscape, show me some proof of what you say.

"Unsubstantiated opinion"? I'm a LOT closer to the situation than you or your "friend". You simply don't know what you're talking about. Show me some proof of what YOU say. Keeping my job is more important that showing you that you're being a big A.

 

[TheBigA]

"Unsubstantiated opinion"? I'm a LOT closer to the situation than you or your "friend".

How do I know that? Because you say you are? Show me some local facts that demonstrate what you say. Otherwise your opinion is worth no more than my "friend."

My proof is looking at online playlists and comparing local features at various Cumulus stations around the country. The features and songs in Buffalo are very different from the ones in Chicago. If the format was imposed by corporate, that wouldn't be allowed to happen.

 

[SirRoxalot]

There's a big difference between the daily playlist and feature material - particularly on weekends. That doesn't mean that the bulk of the week isn't dictated by corporate. And, Buffalo ain't Chicago. Top 10 markets get a lot more slack than markets outside the top 50.

Programmers here use features to avoid even more repetition of the core songs specified by corporate. So far, they're allowed that leeway, but there are very definite limits. The bulk of the week comes from the songs and rotations specified by corporate, and regional difference are minimal.

 

[TheBigA]

There's a big difference between the daily playlist and feature material - particularly on weekends.

Yes I know. That's why I mentioned both. And I said both are different in Buffalo & Chicago. And if local is given leeway, why wouldn't they begin slowly inserting a few 90s songs, as you suggest?

By the way, to read the published comments from Lew Dickey, Top 10 markets are under more pressure, and don't get more slack. That's why he just fired the airstaff at WLUP.

 

[SirRoxalot]

And, once again, the point is that local is NOT given more leeway, which is why they're not inserting '90s music. Take the same music list, broken down into the same categories, and feed them into the same music scheduling program, and you won't get the same list at different stations. If you study them over time, however, you will find that the same cuts will get the same number of plays in the same dayparts. Now, if you've stockpiled couple of weeks worth of playlists for the complete day, and tracked how often cuts get played, you can probably derive the category breakouts. You'll also be able to determine how often a song will get played. For the average listener, the repetition factor will be the same. For the casual observer, the playlists will look quite different, but over time the patterns will become evident.

 

[JustPastBuffalo]

A friend who programs a medium market Nash recently commented, "I don't have to deal with record people because all the music comes out of Atlanta." I take that to mean adds, currents and re-currents. He locally schedules the music as he see fit according to his "clocks," but using Cumulus' guidelines.

 

[TheBigA]

Take the same music list, broken down into the same categories, and feed them into the same music scheduling program, and you won't get the same list at different stations. If you study them over time, however, you will find that the same cuts will get the same number of plays in the same dayparts.

But if we're talking about the classic rock format, you'll see that at all stations in that format regardless of owner. Compare an Entercom classic rock station in South Carolina with a Cox classic rock station in Texas, and you're going to see Lynyrd Skynyrd,Led Zepplin, and many of the same songs. That's what the format is. Has nothing to do with a specific owner. To combine 70s classic rock with current music, as you suggest, influenced by the 70s is a different format. As I said earlier in the thread, Bonneville is doing that format now in LA.

 

[TheBigA]

A friend who programs a medium market Nash recently commented, "I don't have to deal with record people because all the music comes out of Atlanta."

Is your friend's station a monitored or reporting station for Mediabase and/or Billboard?

 

[SirRoxalot]

Does that really matter? It's not like a reporting station would ever tell Mediabase or Billboard a fib or two when what little promo stuff they have coming in is at risk. You simply don't want to accept what's going on with some of the big players.

 

[TheBigA]

Does that really matter? It's not like a reporting station would ever tell Mediabase or Billboard a fib or two when what little promo stuff they have coming in is at risk. You simply don't want to accept what's going on with some of the big players.

Mediabase and Billboard did away with stations verbally telling them what they play 20 years ago. They electronically monitor stations in markets the size of Buffalo. So a reporter can't "fib." If a station is simply running corporate playlists or 24/7 syndication, they get dropped. Period.

 

[SirRoxalot]

And just how will they know, "A"? It's not like your going to get the same songs in the same order. If you parse it over time, you'll find that they're the same songs in the same frequency, even though the order varies. There will be enough outliers in lunar orbit to keep the playlists from having identical results, but you're still dealing with corporate-controlled playlists that don't take regional differences into account.

 

[TheBigA]

And just how will they know, "A"? It's not like your going to get the same songs in the same order.

I could ask the same question of you. How do YOU know? At least in the case of Billboard, it's their job to know. They get paid to find out if a station makes local decisions or just carries out a corporate playlist. Billboard does this for the record labels, who aren't going to waste their money on a local station when the PD has no authority. And they regularly drop stations if they see or find out that their playlists are controlled by corporate. So that's how I know. How do YOU know?

 

[tbolt909]

Q107 played a BAD COMPANY album side on a show
Called PSYCHEDELIC SUNDAY.
That's embarrassing programming.
Guess the PD couldn't find a Foreigner record...