Putting the 'Z' in a new FM Format

[Steve Green NEPA]

Here's a real treat for you overnight FM DXers in the Savannah-Brunswick GA corridor and elsewhere to try for soon.

From the NYRMB:

" ....... Soft AC station WOEZ 93.7 is in Burton, SC, on the Atlantic Coast near Hilton Head Island, between Charleston and Savannah. It's owned by Saga Communications, a medium sized broadcaster. It has decided to play nature sounds overnight, including rain and thunder.

It's not a joke. The head of Saga, Ed Christian, says he wants to help people sleep. The company is hoping a mattress store or similar client signs up. They would get two spots per hour, so it doesn't interfere much with the nature sounds. Christian says radio needs to try different thinking.

Craig Francis ....................... ' <<

Sheesh. Just open the windows!
Perhaps the sounds of a hurricane would make for a vivid DX TEST on AM.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

Here's a real treat for you overnight FM DXers in the Savannah-Brunswick GA corridor and elsewhere to try for doon.

From the NYRMB:

" ....... Soft AC station WOEZ 93.7 is in Burton, SC, on the Atlantic Coast near Hilton Head Island, between Charleston and Savannah. It's owned by Saga Communications, a medium sized broadcaster. It has decided to play nature sounds overnight, including rain and thunder.

It's not a joke. The head of Saga, Ed Christian, says he wants to help people sleep. The company is hoping a mattress store or similar client signs up. They would get two spots per hour, so it doesn't interfere much with the nature sounds. Christian says radio needs to try different thinking.

Craig Francis ....................... ' <<

Sheesh. Just open the windows!
Perhaps the sounds of a hurricane would make for a vivid DX TEST on AM.

Some people dont want the radio on at night, many people cant sleep with lots of noise.. so they turn the radio off. They dont necessarily come back first thing in the morning to your most lucrative day part.. morning drive

This will keep people tuned in overnight, likely relax them, help them sleep a bit better.. creating a sense of good will and appreciation and make some money on an alreadt usually unsellable segment of the day

And theyll be right there for morning drive.

Presented in a low key, warm/friendly way.. this an excellent idea.

I liek how people bitch about how cookie cuter radio is but then when radio tries something unique, they bitch about how odd it is.

further proof people dont realize they want tyhe same 500 songs not some massively wide 5000 song playlist

 

[b-turner]

A station in California, a tiny listener supported one, played the surf (their recording) from about 10 or 10:30pm to about 6 or 7am each night. Almost all of their donors came from those that listened to the surf.

I always thought it was a great idea.

You could bridge it with that acoustic instrumentals that are mixed with environmental sound to transition back to foreground music.

The trick is you want the spoken portions to sort of melt in with the environmental sound.

There's plenty that record environmental sound and sell recordings on demand. I bet they'd work a deal in broadcasting their recordings.

 

[CTListener]

In the analog days, it could have been branded Snore 94!

 

[kevtronics]

In the analog days, it could have been branded Snore 94!

Athough rare these days, some stations still do dial rounding. There's "Q105" on 104.7 in Delmarva, and "Webe 108" on 107.9 in Connecticut, including a "Studio 108" Saturday night dance show.

 

[cyberdad]

I sleep with white noise every night. There are apps you can get for your smartphone for that. The one I use (and have for about ten years) is called simply "White Noise". Not only does it offer white noise, but variations pink noise, blue noise, brown noise, etc. And then there's stuff like surf, babbling brook, rain, electric fan, wind chimes, and so on. You can also blend noises, adjust the pitch, and control the"tempo", such as of waves crashing. I'll occasionally mix ocean waves with pink noise (which is a slightly lower frequency than white noise. You can also set the volume for different elements of a mix at different levels.

Unless something has changed, he white noise app is free in the app store.

Or you could also just tune an FM radio to a blank spot.

 

[kwthom]

<...>
Sheesh. Just open the windows!
Perhaps the sounds of a hurricane would make for a vivid DX TEST on AM.

My thought would be to have a webcam installed. The audio from that could be fed to the board and go live with that.

Of course, the webcam location would have to be concealed and be private, since I'm not sure you'd want a couple of drunks to get at point blank range and interrupt your listeners with a knock-down, drag-out fight at 3 in the morning. ✊

 

[crainbebo]

This will be a meteor scatter beacon on 93.7, at least. Will stick out like a sore thumb in overnight Perseids recordings, for those that have 93.7 wide open in the east and midwest.
I sleep at night with a fan on in the background, as I wake up to the littlest noises. College students having conversations downstairs, toilets flushing, and occasionally a noisy truck at 2am.

 

[kwthom]

You could bridge it with that acoustic instrumentals that are mixed with environmental sound to transition back to foreground music.

The trick is you want the spoken portions to sort of melt in with the environmental sound.

The station is 'on the coast'.

I think having the PD/MD find a couple of hours to go record some of their local ambiance would be a good starting point for producing an hour of programming.

Using some of those same acoustic instrumentals with environmental sounds to transition to a 'NPR-style' spoken-word spot (again, with more of those sounds in the background...) then more instrumentals, then back to total environmental sound.

I could see the possibility of something similar in a mountain area, with wind blowing thru the treetops as the environmental sounds.

Somewhat like being camping, yet you're in your own bed.

 

[gr8oldies]

Some people dont want the radio on at night, many people cant sleep with lots of noise.. so they turn the radio off. They dont necessarily come back first thing in the morning to your most lucrative day part.. morning drive

This will keep people tuned in overnight, likely relax them, help them sleep a bit better.. creating a sense of good will and appreciation and make some money on an alreadt usually unsellable segment of the day

And theyll be right there for morning drive.

Presented in a low key, warm/friendly way.. this an excellent idea.

I liek how people bitch about how cookie cuter radio is but then when radio tries something unique, they bitch about how odd it is.

further proof people dont realize they want tyhe same 500 songs not some massively wide 5000 song playlist

Larry Lujack may have been way ahead of his time as he introduced 2 hours of ocean sounds between WCFL's top 40 and Beautiful Music formats. "everybody in the tub"

 

[spiritof67]

Here's a real treat for you overnight FM DXers in the Savannah-Brunswick GA corridor and elsewhere to try for soon.

From the NYRMB:

" ....... Soft AC station WOEZ 93.7 is in Burton, SC, on the Atlantic Coast near Hilton Head Island, between Charleston and Savannah. It's owned by Saga Communications, a medium sized broadcaster. It has decided to play nature sounds overnight, including rain and thunder.

It's not a joke. The head of Saga, Ed Christian, says he wants to help people sleep. The company is hoping a mattress store or similar client signs up. They would get two spots per hour, so it doesn't interfere much with the nature sounds. Christian says radio needs to try different thinking.

Craig Francis ....................... ' <<

Sheesh. Just open the windows!
Perhaps the sounds of a hurricane would make for a vivid DX TEST on AM.

Definitely a creative idea. A station like this creates a little free publicity, and might even attract some advertisers. I like it.

Look, if it fails, the station can always go back to playing The Eagles, and other songs in the safe 300.

 

[radioman148]

Larry Lujack may have been way ahead of his time as he introduced 2 hours of ocean sounds between WCFL's top 40 and Beautiful Music formats. "everybody in the tub"

Ahh, 5PM March 15, 1976. A classic moment.