Treasure Coast Radio Alternatives

[John FL]

I’ve wanted to post this topic for some time. My reluctance involved the fact that there’s nothing new about alternatives to radio. I think some twists will come with this post though.

Long before the technology advances of today, there was services such as Muzak that provided “music by wire.” If you’re so inclined, you can read about that company online and all they accomplished long before Elvis. It's an interesting story and it shows incredible insight in recognizing and responding to certain business needs.

Muzak was the dominant brand that was heard in many elevators years ago. They will always be synonymous with that portion of their programming. If you are in your senior years, you would have likely heard their programming in establishments where ambiance, such as upscale restaurants, was part of the experience.

And that’s just it. Muzak didn’t just provide two-hour music loops for elevators. They offered other types of programming for various types of businesses. Unlike radio stations targeting key demographics for sales purposes, Muzak and some others had the business client in mind.

As I think about all of this in terms of where I’m living now – The Treasure Coast – I have noticed a definite shift away from conventional radio to alternatives in the various businesses and medical facilities I frequent. There are reasons for this which we’ll explore.

As I think back to childhood days, I remember going with my mom to pay utility bills. These places looked like banks with long lines and teller-like windows. Yes – way before online bill paying. In the background, you’d hear a unique mix of music, often on the softer side with their own commercials about that company’s’ various services.

Fast forward to today. I believe many people, if blindfolded, could figure they were at a Publix or an Olive Garden. It’s that distinctive sound that’s all a part of the established brand. If it’s a trip to the Outback Steakhouse, you just know Men at Work’s “Down Under” will eventually play in their rock-oriented music backdrop.

Whether it’s from the radio or other sources, the type of music chosen for a business is an important decision. If the business preference is to go with softer music, it’s highly likely it will be found outside of terrestrial radio. But there are exceptions. And we shouldn’t assume older folks don’t like rock music. The location of it comes into play. More on this upcoming.

Next: Lowering the volume.

 

[John FL]

The first time I became aware of requests to lower a radio station’s volume would have been at a doctor’s waiting room when I lived In Jacksonville. In my prior visits there, the music played from a tabletop radio that was ALWAYS tuned to AC WEJZ. As I recall, it was always at just the right volume.

However, one day the volume was louder than normal. I have no idea when this was, but Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer” aired. To that point, and as a somewhat infrequent listener, I was rather surprised to hear it on a supposed “lite” format.

There was a woman who was speaking to a staff member at the front window. Well, she lost it. She demanded someone lower the radio’s volume. There were a few patients who applauded her. From that time on, the radio volume got lower. This was not an isolated incident. As you’ll see, even here on The Treasure Coast, as the music got louder/rockier, the volume was turned way down.

Just a few weeks later at a Veterinarian’s Office in Jax, there was a similar outburst by a customer (maybe even the cat too – sensitive ears 😊) when Billy Idol’s remake “Mony Mony” graced the waiting room.

I’m not here to re-litigate the reasons for various music selections except to say where radio once worked perfectly fine in certain business environments no longer fit the bill for some.

Here on The Treasure Coast, Classic Hits WQOL has been evolving from their 60s/70s pop, soul & rock ‘n roll days to 80s & 90s variety, sometimes 2000s with a heavy emphasis on rock. In some establishments I had to listen closely as it wasn’t easy to even hear the station.

I’m certain WQOL has greatly improved its demographics and performance in the money demo. I get it. I also understand it’s about appealing to the advertisers. WQOL has long been a top tier station in the market. As with all music tweaks radio stations engage in, there will be some new listener tune in, and some long-time listener tune out.

Interestingly as WQOL features iHeart’s Premium Choice programming, it’s the same in Sarasota. There’s lot of seniors on the Suncoast, yet WSRZ is a perennial #1 fav in the market. Where a person listens makes a big difference. The volume can always be lowered or another station chosen with individual listening especially when songs such as “Paradise City” by Guns N’ Roses and all those hair band 80s rockers air.

Upcoming in this string:

Lessons from a Pizza Restaurant, 80s music programming, a SiriusXM channel that is gaining traction in many medical/dental offices on The Northern T.C. Can you guess what it is? We’ll also discuss shortcomings in Treasure Coast Radio & more. Stay tuned!

 

[TheBigA]

Lessons from a Pizza Restaurant, 80s music programming, a SiriusXM channel that is gaining traction in many medical/dental offices on The Northern T.C. Can you guess what it is? We’ll also discuss shortcomings in Treasure Coast Radio & more. Stay tuned!

You may be about to talk about this, but Sirius offers "Music For Business."

Music for Business

With SiriusXM, there is something for every restaurant, office & retail outlet. Choose SiriusXM Music for Business, and let our music work (and rock) for you!

www.siriusxm.com

They handle the royalties so the business doesn't have to pay. A lot of stores and restaurants use it because it has no advertising.

It has become the "new Muzak."

 

[ted chittenden]

You may be about to talk about this, but Sirius offers "Music For Business."

Music for Business

With SiriusXM, there is something for every restaurant, office & retail outlet. Choose SiriusXM Music for Business, and let our music work (and rock) for you!

www.siriusxm.com

They handle the royalties so the business doesn't have to pay. A lot of stores and restaurants use it because it has no advertising.

It has become the "new Muzak."

You may be about to talk about this, but Sirius offers "Music For Business."

Music for Business

With SiriusXM, there is something for every restaurant, office & retail outlet. Choose SiriusXM Music for Business, and let our music work (and rock) for you!

www.siriusxm.com

They handle the royalties so the business doesn't have to pay. A lot of stores and restaurants use it because it has no advertising.

It has become the "new Muzak."

Looking at the Sirius site, it appears that the satellite service is not selling just one business channel. (In fact, there are 240 of them plus additional channels designed for special occasions.) I think this is the smart way to go if you are going to offer channels for business--not every business is going to want the soft music described in the OP and certainly not all of the time.

 

[John FL]

You may be about to talk about this, but Sirius offers "Music For Business."

Music for Business

With SiriusXM, there is something for every restaurant, office & retail outlet. Choose SiriusXM Music for Business, and let our music work (and rock) for you!

www.siriusxm.com

They handle the royalties so the business doesn't have to pay. A lot of stores and restaurants use it because it has no advertising.

It has become the "new Muzak."

Very interesting....thanks for bringing this up. Like the last poster, I too looked this up on the SiriusXM site and had no idea this existed.
What's probably true is I've no doubt heard this service in my travels.

"It has become the new Muzak." It proves that something that worked well in the past is re imagined for today with certainly a lot more options that existed a long time ago.
And I'm hearing a specific SiriusXM channel in a lot of the medical facilities I've been to. Maybe that channel can be part of it.

Also, regarding advertising, I've found and probably not surprising that some business owners do prefer services that don't advertise because they can be promoting a competitor in their business. I've heard that complaint/issue for years.

 

[TheBigA]

It proves that something that worked well in the past is re imagined for today with certainly a lot more options that existed a long time ago.=

It fits your topic of radio alternatives. Also this news that Audacy sports & news stations will be carried on Sirus starting in September.

Audacy’s Sports Talk Playbook Extends Beyond Frequencies Building for the Future

"FM is just one distribution point in a much larger ecosystem that includes streaming, podcasts, satellite and whatever comes next. The goal is no longer to own a frequency. It's to own every moment a sports fan wants to listen."

barrettmedia.com

The point is that radio companies don't own the frequencies they use. They just license them. Older people grew up where they had no other option beyond the radio. People today don't have that limitation.

 

[John FL]

Before moving on to “lessons from a Pizza Restaurant,” I thought I’d take this time to explain my reasoning to that next segment before I post it later.

If we are seeking to explore alternatives to radio, would that include HD2 or HD3 channels? According to A.I., the answer would be no. Perhaps it’s also the opinion of most people. As someone who doesn't always see things in black & white terms , but gray, I'll take this time to state my reasoning.

In that pizza restaurant, the music they feature comes from an HD2 out of Detroit. When I first heard it, I honestly thought iHeart got into the satellite radio business. To me, it all sounded like iHeart’s version of SiriusXM.

There are major differences from analog counterparts. There’s far less commercials for starters. Given all the posts about it over the years from HD devotees, we’ve heard of investments in new equipment. As everyone knows, HD cannot be heard from an analog radio. Then there’s the sound. To keep it brief, let’s just say it’s superior to a typical analog FM station.

But the main reason I’m treating this as a radio alternative is because local radio was bypassed for something else in a completely different and far away market. Outside of a top of the hour ID, there’s no station brand name mentioned repeatedly, no frequency reminders, no local weather or news. It’s different alright. There’s jingles for “iHeart80s” and that’s it!

This is not the first time I’ve heard a station from another market playing in the background. Aside from West Palm Beach stations that do get significant listening on the T.C., I heard a Flagler County oldies station playing in a downtown Vero Beach store.

This had to be streaming as that translator signal would never reach these parts, maybe 150 miles away. Perhaps that choice was made by someone who once lived around Flagler County or who visits there to see relatives/friends or may have done a little research finding oldies formats.

The bottom line is if enough people are bypassing local radio seeking alternatives elsewhere even if it’s still in the world of terrestrial radio, that does not bode well for the local market IMO. You may agree or not and that's fine.

 

[MikeInFla]

There was Seeburg as well. I had never heard of them until a few years ago but they have a website and stream

Seeburg 1000 Background Music Radio | seeburg1000.com

The website streams audio which is interesting to hear when I am in the right mood.

I believe Seeburg wasn't wire to wire, it was a system sent to businesses with records and the store (or whatever) would play the records. There are quite a few videos on YT of Seeburg systems.

I really never understood how Muzak worked but never did a deep dive to look into it. I assume it was something that was "broadcast" to stores and the stores simply had a feed on their speakers.

 

[ted chittenden]

Before moving on to “lessons from a Pizza Restaurant,” I thought I’d take this time to explain my reasoning to that next segment before I post it later.

If we are seeking to explore alternatives to radio, would that include HD2 or HD3 channels? According to A.I., the answer would be no. Perhaps it’s also the opinion of most people. As someone who doesn't always see things in black & white terms , but gray, I'll take this time to state my reasoning.

In that pizza restaurant, the music they feature comes from an HD2 out of Detroit. When I first heard it, I honestly thought iHeart got into the satellite radio business. To me, it all sounded like iHeart’s version of SiriusXM.

There are major differences from analog counterparts. There’s far less commercials for starters. Given all the posts about it over the years from HD devotees, we’ve heard of investments in new equipment. As everyone knows, HD cannot be heard from an analog radio. Then there’s the sound. To keep it brief, let’s just say it’s superior to a typical analog FM station.

But the main reason I’m treating this as a radio alternative is because local radio was bypassed for something else in a completely different and far away market. Outside of a top of the hour ID, there’s no station brand name mentioned repeatedly, no frequency reminders, no local weather or news. It’s different alright. There’s jingles for “iHeart80s” and that’s it!

This is not the first time I’ve heard a station from another market playing in the background. Aside from West Palm Beach stations that do get significant listening on the T.C., I heard a Flagler County oldies station playing in a downtown Vero Beach store.

This had to be streaming as that translator signal would never reach these parts, maybe 150 miles away. Perhaps that choice was made by someone who once lived around Flagler County or who visits there to see relatives/friends or may have done a little research finding oldies formats.

The bottom line is if enough people are bypassing local radio seeking alternatives elsewhere even if it’s still in the world of terrestrial radio, that does not bode well for the local market IMO. You may agree or not and that's fine.

One thing to keep in mind about the HD2 and subsequent HD radio channels is that, for several years after they were introduced, both IHeart (then known as Clear Channel) and the portion of Audacy that was known as CBS Radio as a promotion did not broadcast advertisements on those additional HD feeds. As a result, when they finally did start accepting ads, the ad business was retreating from radio and a lot fewer national advertisers, both local and nationally, were willing to pay to have their ads heard on these channels. And it most certainly didn't help that the HD channels never caught on with consumers at large, despite all of the promotion of these channels.

 

[MikeInFla]

At home, when we are not watching TV we will use Music Choice and stream on the TV. Usually the Jazz channel or Singers & Swing. We have the app on our phones and will sometimes stream it thru the stereo or use it in the car.

They also offer "Music Choice For Business"

Music Choice For Business | Music Choice

I have been in a few businesses that use Music Choice.

 

[John FL]

There was Seeburg as well. I had never heard of them until a few years ago but they have a website and stream

Seeburg 1000 Background Music Radio | seeburg1000.com

The website streams audio which is interesting to hear when I am in the right mood.

I believe Seeburg wasn't wire to wire, it was a system sent to businesses with records and the store (or whatever) would play the records. There are quite a few videos on YT of Seeburg systems.

I really never understood how Muzak worked but never did a deep dive to look into it. I assume it was something that was "broadcast" to stores and the stores simply had a feed on their speakers.

Thanks for that Seeburg site. I never heard of them but I listened for a bit. I saved the site as a fav. Like you, when I'm in the right mood I'll give a listen.

It brought back some memories of the sounds of the past. Probably the most experience I had with Muzak is when I got a summer job in the Wall Street area being a messenger in the early 70s. I have no idea how I got that job but I had to deliver securities like stocks and bonds in a little attache case kind of thing to various brokerage houses. I also rode a lot of elevators.

There were a lot of comedy routines as time went along that would have these elevator scenes with loud instrumentals playing, especially "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head." I kid you not but that was an extremely popular rendition of the hit song for so-called elevator music. It was the #1 song on WABC in 1970 which meant it was #1 for many weeks and in those days it played every single hour. Talk about burnout!
But seriously, despite all the spins I still admit to liking that tune to this day. I've always been a Burt Bachrach & Hal David fan so there you go!

 

[John FL]

At home, when we are not watching TV we will use Music Choice and stream on the TV. Usually the Jazz channel or Singers & Swing. We have the app on our phones and will sometimes stream it thru the stereo or use it in the car.

They also offer "Music Choice For Business"

Music Choice For Business | Music Choice

I have been in a few businesses that use Music Choice.

I planned on saying a few things about Music Choice in this string...but sometimes I lose track. Thanks for the reminder!

 

[John FL]

One thing to keep in mind about the HD2 and subsequent HD radio channels is that, for several years after they were introduced, both IHeart (then known as Clear Channel) and the portion of Audacy that was known as CBS Radio as a promotion did not broadcast advertisements on those additional HD feeds. As a result, when they finally did start accepting ads, the ad business was retreating from radio and a lot fewer national advertisers, both local and nationally, were willing to pay to have their ads heard on these channels. And it most certainly didn't help that the HD channels never caught on with consumers at large, despite all of the promotion of these channels.

I admit to knowing virtually nothing about HD Radio. I've read many posts on these boards and that's about it. I think I read somewhere HD listening according Nielsen is just over a share. But what I do know are those who are HD fans seem really dedicated to it.

 

[John FL]

In the 8 years I’ve lived on The Treasure Coast, I’ve become a “regular” at a Pizza Restaurant in the area. Early on, local radio stations played in the background most of the time. No station seemed to last very long. Perhaps that says a lot.

Eventually the music choice became iHeart’s 106.7 WLLZ-HD2 branded as iHeart80s. Having gotten to know the manager well, I know he’s a long-time TC resident, but he grew up in the Detroit area. It is human nature for many of us to be nostalgic, and revisit what we enjoyed or remembered in younger years.

He’s in his mid-40s and obviously he would have been exposed to 80s music through a lot of his life. Most of the waitresses there are Gen Z and they’ve told me they’ve grown to like a lot of 80s music at their job and in their leisure time. If this is the norm for those in their 20s to have appreciation for 80s music, then I feel 80s music has a lot of life in it yet.

In my travels, I can attest for the 80s music appeal. I hear a lot of 80s music as a backdrop in restaurants especially. I’ve heard many hours of typical programming on iHeart80s. They do a really good job. The music is heavily concentrated on the mid to late 80s. I’ve come to expect a certain sound and it’s delivered each time. The flow of music is not hampered by long stopsets. Sometimes there’s no commercials at all. It’s got a satellite radio kind of vibe.

Interestingly, I’ve heard spots for local T.C. businesses voiced by Heath West, PD & midday host of iHeart’s Classic Hits WQOL. From an advertising perspective, there’s potential to reach a lot more listeners. How they do this, I wouldn’t know. Maybe they have a way of figuring out where the broadcast is being heard?

Regarding music volume, there’s a sign on the speaker that advises the customers “Do not touch.” Some of the diners were unplugging the speaker. The owner/manager laughed it off and tried to accommodate. The restaurant does endeavor to keep the volume a little lower during late afternoon “early bird” dining times and upon request. Sometimes there’s no music at all when the place is crowded with seniors.

Reality is some can’t hear well and there are those who have memory issues which make it harder to focus. Not being able to hear conversations with other diners at your table or to hear what the waitress is saying can be frustrating if there’s a lot of background noise.

Without appearing to be too insensitive, there’s also a reluctance for some/many seniors to get hearing aids. Yet, they want to instill their preferences on others. Dealing with the public has its challenges. In the end, the “right manager” will find a solution to background volume.

Thanks for all the comments & info. We’ll stay lost in the 80s a little longer…

 

[TheBigA]

How they do this, I wouldn’t know. Maybe they have a way of figuring out where the broadcast is being heard?

The streaming platform recognizes the ISP (internet service provider) and inserts local commercials appropriate to the market. It's very common in streaming radio. The same thing happens when you surf the web. Your web browser uses your ISP to inset ads for your market. Your browser also chooses ads that fit your browsing history. That information is saved in your browser.

Whoever runs the streaming service knows that someone in Florida is listening to a radio station originating in Detroit. It's possible that information is shared with someone at the radio station. Because it's out of market listening, it isn't counted in the Detroit ratings book.

Based on what you're saying, the restaurant is using the iHeartRadio app to listen to the Detroit station. That's why the voices in the spots are from iHeart talent. There's no point hearing Detroit commercials since you can't patronize their business. It makes more sense to have commercials local to where you're listening.

 

[MikeInFla]

Thanks for that Seeburg site. I never heard of them but I listened for a bit. I saved the site as a fav. Like you, when I'm in the right mood I'll give a listen.

It brought back some memories of the sounds of the past. Probably the most experience I had with Muzak is when I got a summer job in the Wall Street area being a messenger in the early 70s. I have no idea how I got that job but I had to deliver securities like stocks and bonds in a little attache case kind of thing to various brokerage houses. I also rode a lot of elevators.

There were a lot of comedy routines as time went along that would have these elevator scenes with loud instrumentals playing, especially "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head." I kid you not but that was an extremely popular rendition of the hit song for so-called elevator music. It was the #1 song on WABC in 1970 which meant it was #1 for many weeks and in those days it played every single hour. Talk about burnout!
But seriously, despite all the spins I still admit to liking that tune to this day. I've always been a Burt Bachrach & Hal David fan so there you go!

You can get lost down a YouTube rabbit hole when searching for Seeburg. Some videos are just the music, others show the actual system at work. Quite a few videos of the Seeburg 1000 either just playing the music or people showing them off.

 

[John FL]

As mentioned earlier, Xfinity’s “Music Choice” is another radio alternative. There’s so many apps on our TVs and you’ll find all sorts of music options right on your TV.

From a business perspective, I’ve seen mom & pop type establishments that have a bar and restaurant combo utilize this. There’s usually a TV or two at the bar tuned to sports and one placed in the dining area tuned to one of the music channels, often a decade-specific one.

Xfinity’s approach to programming these nostalgia channels can be likened to the mass-appeal style of those AM radio music days. I liked that sort of thing when it involved current music “on the survey.” There was a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

It seemed to work because even with the different genres the music still flowed nicely. I know I’m not explaining it well but if you listen to old airchecks, you’ll see what I mean.

Simply, Xfinity’s “Music Choice” is not radio-worthy. There’s an unevenness of the music. Since they play virtually everything that was a hit in the past, there’s also past hit songs that can be cringe-worthy and ridiculous even though they were a hit.

As much as people may complain about the rigidness of radio programmers, I’m finding many are doing a decent job of it. In my next segment I will explain why it gets more challenging to program a music decade the further away time passes.

I was back at that restaurant yesterday and heard an interesting feature in the noon hour. I think they do this on Fridays. A listener submits 3 songs to be a part of their dream tape or something like that. The D.J. was Martha Quinn who is with iHeart now. Oh, the right talent can do wonders.

Decade-specific formats can get stale quickly if you don’t spice things up on occasion. That’s where specialty programming comes in such as a themed weekend. Caution lies in not presenting obscure songs or stiffs just for the sake of doing something different.

It’s where I differ from the most well-intentioned radio devotee who feel the masses think just like they do. Anyway, iHeart’s 106.7 WLLZ-HD2 (iHeart80s) does that simple playback of 3 songs that’s on someone’s dream tape. A 70s song can be a part of it. I recall hearing in the past Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September,” The Steve Miller Band’s “Jet Airliner” and yesterday it was Paul McCartney’s “Live and Let Die.” Honestly, nothing seemed out of place. All hits and nothing obscure.

I may have mentioned this before but I’m quite impressed with the overall good job programmers do with the 80s. Perhaps this was more than 20 years ago now, but I can recall so much hysteria on these boards when classic hits formats were introducing 80s music into the mix. How wrong they were!

Next: Personal Thoughts & 80s Recollections

 

[ron772]

He’s in his mid-40s and obviously he would have been exposed to 80s music through a lot of his life. Most of the waitresses there are Gen Z and they’ve told me they’ve grown to like a lot of 80s music at their job and in their leisure time. If this is the norm for those in their 20s to have appreciation for 80s music, then I feel 80s music has a lot of life in it yet.

Thanks for all the comments & info. We’ll stay lost in the 80s a little longer…

I think the conventional wisdom that music is going to "age out" of demos the way that always has is slowly but fundamentally changing. There just isn't as much popular national product as there once was. Look at how long music stays on the charts. How many songs went Top 10 and were enjoyed in 1985 vs 2005 vs 2025? If there isn't enough new popular product as their used to be, younger people are going to seek out what they can find. Technology has also made it easier for younger people to find older music. They don't have to go to a record store to find older music. It's everywhere and it's free, whether on YouTube, Streams, or the radio. Companies aren't spending billions of dollars on catalogs from the 70s, 80s, and 90s because they have a hunch that the music is going to have legs. They are spending a lot of money on research telling them that. The old idea that "Jessie's Girl came out in 1981 so it's only relevant to people over 60" is just not true anymore. Even I was shocked when I saw a 10 year old African-American child singing along to "Maneater" at Wawa this week.

 

[TheBigA]

Xfinity’s approach to programming these nostalgia channels can be likened to the mass-appeal style of those AM radio music days. I liked that sort of thing when it involved current music “on the survey.” There was a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

I know one of the PDs at Music Choice. Music Choice isn't owned by Xfinity. It's owned and operated independently. It is the music version of C-Span, which means it's supported by all of the cable companies that use it. It's non-commercial and unhosted. But the channels are programmed by real live humans who have experience as radio programmers. The programmers work with the record labels just like broadcast stations. Some of the channels even report to the trade music charts. But because they don't have commercials or hosts, the music may seem to be random. It's not.

 

[John FL]

I know one of the PDs at Music Choice. Music Choice isn't owned by Xfinity. It's owned and operated independently. It is the music version of C-Span, which means it's supported by all of the cable companies that use it. It's non-commercial and unhosted. But the channels are programmed by real live humans who have experience as radio programmers. The programmers work with the record labels just like broadcast stations. Some of the channels even report to the trade music charts. But because they don't have commercials or hosts, the music may seem to be random. It's not.

Interesting with regard to Music Choice ownership...I just assumed it was Xfinity.
And yes, the music does sound random to me like they hit this big shuffle button with maybe some power rotations added. My listening is limited to 70s and 80s. During the holidays, their Christmas formats are pretty good IMO.

Music Choice is a radio alternative. I'm not expecting them to do exactly what radio does but I'm still surprised at some of the choices and positioning of songs.

In the end, it's in the ear of the beholder. I've seen lots of impressive records of PDs and GMs. But their performance left a lot to be desired in how they ran the station/cluster. If they didn't last long, I figured I got it right...and that does happen sometimes.