100.3 The Sound hires Andy Chanley

[SuperRadioFan]

100.3 The Sound hires Andy Chanley to be their first DJ- He starts June 2nd and will be on in the afternoon sometime. Chanley was the morning DJ at Channel 103.1. More details at Radio and Records.

Here's the link:

http://www.radioandrecords.com/RRWebSite/NewsStoryPage.aspx?ContentID=ZFZrIYt1Qxg=&Version=0

 

[LA_Guy]

Good!

I worked with Andy at Channel 103.1. He's the perfect pick for that station. He knows the music, has genuine talent and is one of the nicest people I've known.

Good for you, Andy!

Now, if they'd only take my word for it that technically they sound like crap and hire ME to fix it!

Oh well....Engineers are commodities these days. Just wait until we all out of radio and you go off the air, chumps!

 

[TimmyWA]

Re: Good!

Now, if they'd only take my word for it that technically they sound like crap and hire ME to fix it!

Are you referring to sound processing or the automation smoothness or....?

 

[LA_Guy]

Re: Good!

Now, if they'd only take my word for it that technically they sound like crap and hire ME to fix it!

Are you referring to sound processing or the automation smoothness or....?

All of the above. Especially the processing-there's a weird tonal balance and crappy separation. BUT the problem is more systemic then that. Radio stations sound best when the entire transmission system is optimized to run that way-as a system. You can't just throw a new box on line and have that magically fix all your problems. For example, a bass thin station might be so because the capacitors in their board, STL or exciter are dried up, or a transformer is improperly loaded or the transmitter is even tuned too narrow. Putting a multi band processor in won't fix these problems-they might EQ in more bass, but it will be a funky sounding bass. Same thing with separation. If you don't have your L-R gain and pilot phase set correctly, your separation will suffer. Putting in a separation 'enhancer' might restore the separation-but it does so at the cost of lower mono moduation and less bass. Yet..how many set up the L-R gain and pilot phase at the output of the stereo generator and never bother to consider the possible affects that the STL and Exciter might have on them?
Finally, in broadcaast engineering, less IS actually more. The fewer processing boxes, amplifiers, IC chips, transformers, and even capacitors and resistors you have in line the better you will sound. Period.

I can hear EVERY ONE of what I write about above on The Sound.

 

[EasyBakeOven]

Congrats to Andy and to Bonneville for making an excellent hire! I worked with Andy at both Y107 and Channel 103.1. He is a true pro, knows a lot about music and is among the nicest people I’ve had the pleasure of working with in this industry.

 

[murcuryvapor]

This is a small sample, but this is schitzo:

Tonic, into that 'My Sweet Lord' 'soundalike' (Silver Lining by Rilo Kiley), into the Stones' 'Bitch', into Jack Johnson.

Not a AAA, really.

 

[SuperRadioFan]

This is a small sample, but this is schitzo:
Tonic, into that 'My Sweet Lord' 'soundalike' (Silver Lining by Rilo Kiley), into the Stones' 'Bitch', into Jack Johnson.

Not a AAA, really.

"into that 'My Sweet Lord' 'soundalike' (Silver Lining by Rilo Kiley)"

You mean that "He's So Fine"-The Chiffons soundalike heh heh

[Hey are you stalking me? ;D ]

Yeh may be schitzo, maybe not better than 'RXP but different from them in a certain sense.

The Sound plays way too much Classic Rock for my tastes and a lot of other people. BUT maybe this is how "AAA" sounds in 2008 because it's not 1998 anymore or 1994.

 

[murcuryvapor]

This is a small sample, but this is schitzo:
Tonic, into that 'My Sweet Lord' 'soundalike' (Silver Lining by Rilo Kiley), into the Stones' 'Bitch', into Jack Johnson.

Not a AAA, really.

"into that 'My Sweet Lord' 'soundalike' (Silver Lining by Rilo Kiley)"

You mean that "He's So Fine"-The Chiffons soundalike heh heh

A double dip! Do I win a prize?

[Hey are you stalking me? ;D ]

Yeh may be schitzo, maybe not better than 'RXP but different from them in a certain sense.

The Sound plays way too much Classic Rock for my tastes and a lot of other people. BUT maybe this is how "AAA" sounds in 2008 because it's not 1998 anymore or 1994.

No, not stalking-just taking all the current movements; interesting, and not so.

 

[ChannelFlipper]

The Sound plays way too much Classic Rock for my tastes and a lot of other people. BUT maybe this is how "AAA" sounds in 2008 because it's not 1998 anymore or 1994.

.

This is odd because I thought they weren't playing enough. I don't know if AAA has changed that much in the last several years (I don't think it has - I listen to KFOG regularly) but it seems that the new stuff on the Sound isn't doing it for me. But their classic rock library song selections have been great, not the same ol same ol. I have literally been listening to them from one library track to another.

As for the new AAA stuff the Sound is playing, is it too much to ask for some bands that actually rock a little? They all sound like they are the house bands at Starbucks. I am not that old...yet.

 

[scooty430]

Re: Good!

Now, if they'd only take my word for it that technically they sound like crap and hire ME to fix it!

Are you referring to sound processing or the automation smoothness or....?

All of the above. Especially the processing-there's a weird tonal balance and crappy separation. BUT the problem is more systemic then that. Radio stations sound best when the entire transmission system is optimized to run that way-as a system. You can't just throw a new box on line and have that magically fix all your problems. For example, a bass thin station might be so because the capacitors in their board, STL or exciter are dried up, or a transformer is improperly loaded or the transmitter is even tuned too narrow. Putting a multi band processor in won't fix these problems-they might EQ in more bass, but it will be a funky sounding bass. Same thing with separation. If you don't have your L-R gain and pilot phase set correctly, your separation will suffer. Putting in a separation 'enhancer' might restore the separation-but it does so at the cost of lower mono moduation and less bass. Yet..how many set up the L-R gain and pilot phase at the output of the stereo generator and never bother to consider the possible affects that the STL and Exciter might have on them?
Finally, in broadcaast engineering, less IS actually more. The fewer processing boxes, amplifiers, IC chips, transformers, and even capacitors and resistors you have in line the better you will sound. Period.

I can hear EVERY ONE of what I write about above on The Sound.

In a day and age when people are largely listening to horrendous mp3 recordings on tiny headphones, I wonder if this matters to the average Joe.

The Sound needs some heart and soul. I hope the jocks will inject some life into the thing. Personally, I hope they go a little wider and harder than AAA, which, as someone above said, sounds a little too much like the Starbucks house band. Sleeeeepy. They need some interesting shows and features to jazz it up. And no, I do NOT means an "Acoustic Sunrise" on Sunday morning! Dave Morey's 10@10 on KFOG would be a great model.

 

[SuperRadioFan]

Let's hope they do AAA in LA better than previous runs at it.
I echo that acoustic sunrise BS. It won't happen but I'd like The Sound to morph into a combo of KSCA/Indie/the old KMPC-FM-The Edge KEDG, now that would be a station worth a high TSL.
And the 10@10 as I've mentioned in the past is also on 107.1 The Peak ("in New York's Backyard")

BTW Andy Chanley has the 3 - 8 pm shift starting tomorrow. In his first official shift, the first song he should play should be Tom Petty's "The Last DJ" -- played by the first DJ

I said "official" because Andy had some mic time during the 6 pm hour Sat night. I guess he was "tuning up"

 

[radioresearcher]

Problem is PPM is heavily reliant on cume. KSWD needs to probably break 800,000 cume to be a major player. I've always been a believer in programming for cume - and more than ever, that will be the calling card for successful radio stations.

 

[TVC1500]

Problem is PPM is heavily reliant on cume. KSWD needs to probably break 800,000 cume to be a major player. I've always been a believer in programming for cume - and more than ever, that will be the calling card for successful radio stations.

Just curious how many stations have you programmed?

Also for the record you predicted that the station would be all News correct?

 

[radioresearcher]

Problem is PPM is heavily reliant on cume. KSWD needs to probably break 800,000 cume to be a major player. I've always been a believer in programming for cume - and more than ever, that will be the calling card for successful radio stations.

Just curious how many stations have you programmed?

Also for the record you predicted that the station would be all News correct?

Programmed two, consulted 25-30 ... although I don't see what that has to do with the conversation at all.

What everyone predicts the format will be means nothing... Bonneville opted for a music format. They've hired some great people with AAA experience. If anyone can make it work, they can.

The methodology is what it is. PPM is driven by cume, not TSL. I've spoken to researchers, consultants, and programmers in PPM markets and looked through some data.

David is probably an even better person to comment - but it the new methodology will be highly based on cume.

It's too early to tell whether AAA will be a PPM friendly format. Philly is a non-com and New York has only been on three months.

 

[djmimi]

I agree with LA_Guy...there's some "wrongness" about the airsound at The Sound (has nothing to do with the music). I don't like the processing at all. I hate to use the word "limp" but that's what it seems to me.

 

[Gregg]

Anyone notice that NYC's new rock station, WRXP, a mix of AAA, Classic Rock and new Alternative just debuted at less than a one share. It's the lowest rated commercial FM station in New York. It debuted a little over three months ago.

Will The Sound suffer a similar fate? Are there just not enough listeners for such a challenging blend of unfamiliar rock music in very diverse cities like LA and NYC? Is LA more friendly to rock stations than NYC?



Gregg
[email protected]

 

[SuperRadioFan]

Gregg, I've known about WRXP almost since their first day. They are a little different from a typical USA AAA station, and thanks to all the posts about them on the New York board, that led me to revisit WXPK 107.1 The Peak, a more typical AAA station and that station I liked a lot more. So I was a daily listener to The Peak until The Sound came along and shocked me that it was a AAA format.

As to your question, I don't know... The first couple of ratings for any new format have to be considered the "getting to know you" phase for listeners. People are discovering 100.3 for the first time on a daily basis. I think 'RXP will improve, and I think once all the elements are in place on The Sound... GM, PD, MD are all there now, more DJs are to be added, a media director has to be hired, sales people and sales mgr, etc... once all are in place and that may not be 'til the end of the summer, who knows? Once all that happens, then you have to give them another 2 ratings books to see where they'll be headed. I sure hope Bonneville has a lot of money to sink into this!

BTW I don't find too much of the music to be either challenging or unfamiliar and their listeners so far as I can see don't either. No one station gets everyone to listen... They just want to get a slice (a real thin slice) of the pie in the adult demos they are after. I think they are going to do it better than KSCA or Channel 103.1 did and I also believe they will siphon off some listeners from KLOS, JACK, KYSR, KROQ, Indie, and My in that order. Maybe even a few KRTH fans. Also some have put down their iPods and listen to the radio (The Sound, of course) again.

 

[LA_Guy]

I agree with LA_Guy...there's some "wrongness" about the airsound at The Sound (has nothing to do with the music). I don't like the processing at all. I hate to use the word "limp" but that's what it seems to me.

Yep.

To me, it sounds rather like a 96 kbps MP3 file...The music is there but it's *uninvolving*. It doesn't *grab* you....it's just 'there'.

It's especially frustrating for someone like me who knows WHAT to fix and HOW to fix it, yet knowing I'll never get the chance TO fix it!

I even wrote them a letter and never even got the courtesy of a reply...

Oh well...