95-5 KYOT looking for a new name

[johndavis]

Out of all due respect John, isn't EVERYTHING obscure for the masses until it gets played on the radio? How do you think people actually get to know songs? If you only played songs that everyone already knew, you wouldn't be playing new songs, right? So how do you explain CHR playing new songs?

Only in AAA did we listen to every track on a CD and pick out which songs to play. Every other format I've worked in we play what's worked to radio.

What does a station look for in a song to add?

- crossover from another format
- it's worked in the clubs first
- it's a cover of something that the audience already knows (country artists love to cover pop hits because they're instant adds)
- it's in a movie or a trailer first
- it's in a commercial
- it sounds like something else that's currently hot
- there's a guest artist singing backing vocals
and my favorite...
- if you add these three crappy songs for a few weeks, the label will let you have a track act for your station concert

CHR, in turn, will try to bring back records that stiffed three years earlier that sound like something that's currently hot when they don't like what's currently being worked. In any event, you surround new music with familiar music and pound the hell out of it. If it catches on, you keep playing it, and if it doesn't, you try something else. But the preference is that someone else breaks the song for you, whether it be in a TV show or movie soundtrack, club, or crossover hit and then you jump on the trend and act like you've been there all along. It's all smoke and mirrors in CHR.

In country, artists will go from town to town playing acoustic sets for stations to get exposure and airplay. We had The Band Perry playing our festival 3 years straight before they hit it big with If I Die Young. There's a more direct relationship between the artists and radio than in other formats.

 

[Ford]

Question for all the radio experts...can the typical listener tell if a jock is live or memorex?

Well I'm not going to claim to be an "expert," but I think the problem goes a bit deeper. Given enough time and incentive, I could do a voice-tracked show that would be not only indistinguishable from live, but entertaining to boot. Remember, Casey Kasem did every single show "in the can," but it was always well done and entertaining.

The thing about voice-tracking is that (in my opinion) you can hear the lack of time and effort put into the show. When you've just got done doing your mid-day shift in (fill in the market here), you've got a stack of work from your (production, promotion, programming etc.) other "job" at the station, and you've got only a short time to track your "other" show(s) in other markets, the quality is going to suffer.

Add to that the fact that some companies (like oh, perhaps Clear Channel?) are going out of their way to strip any hint of personality from their jocks in service to PPM, and you wind up with a voice tracked jock that a typical listener might not be able to identify as recorded, but they do know that the jock sucks.

And maybe in another context the jock might not suck, but after being beaten down by the machine and expected to track other shows in other markets for a 10th of what they'd be paid to actually do those shows live, they're not willing to do anything more than just phoning it in.

I have a theory...well its more like a hypothesis...actually more like a guess...that listeners can on some level tell when the performance is being phoned in. When I listen to "EVA," I hear a whole station being phoned in.

 

[johndavis]

Add to that the fact that some companies (like oh, perhaps Clear Channel?) are going out of their way to strip any hint of personality from their jocks in service to PPM,

I don't blame PPM. Good jocks can be downright brilliant even when speaking in very short breaks. I'll listen to someone who is clever and brief any day over someone who talks to hear himself talk. Personality isn't measured in the length of the break, but in what you get out of the break.

The problem is there aren't very many good jocks.

 

[Ford]

I don't blame PPM.

Clarification:

The problem is the failure to properly interpret PPM and/or to use data from PPM to reach incorrect conclusions.

 

[2Son]

Out of all due respect John, isn't EVERYTHING obscure for the masses until it gets played on the radio? How do you think people actually get to know songs? If you only played songs that everyone already knew, you wouldn't be playing new songs, right? So how do you explain CHR playing new songs?

Only in AAA did we listen to every track on a CD and pick out which songs to play. Every other format I've worked in we play what's worked to radio.

What does a station look for in a song to add?

- crossover from another format
- it's worked in the clubs first
- it's a cover of something that the audience already knows (country artists love to cover pop hits because they're instant adds)
- it's in a movie or a trailer first
- it's in a commercial
- it sounds like something else that's currently hot
- there's a guest artist singing backing vocals
and my favorite...
- if you add these three crappy songs for a few weeks, the label will let you have a track act for your station concert

CHR, in turn, will try to bring back records that stiffed three years earlier that sound like something that's currently hot when they don't like what's currently being worked. In any event, you surround new music with familiar music and pound the hell out of it. If it catches on, you keep playing it, and if it doesn't, you try something else. But the preference is that someone else breaks the song for you, whether it be in a TV show or movie soundtrack, club, or crossover hit and then you jump on the trend and act like you've been there all along. It's all smoke and mirrors in CHR.

In country, artists will go from town to town playing acoustic sets for stations to get exposure and airplay. We had The Band Perry playing our festival 3 years straight before they hit it big with If I Die Young. There's a more direct relationship between the artists and radio than in other formats.

I appreciate you taking the time to explain this.

 

[Hamp]

I think the key element in your post DJ Perry is that when you have spun at a "mainstream" event. Of course if you DJ at a wedding or a sweet 16 party, those people are going to want to hear the same stuff. But what about at a club that specializes in ACTUAL Club (house, electro house, etc.)? Do those crowds want to hear the same stuff? I don't think so.

But that's not the subject. I'm not trying to impress you with how much underground I know. I'm simply admitting that while CC dominates much of our media, I can recognize that the majority of what I get asked for is refected on those stations. It's not about whether I like it or not, I'm just trying to pay bills. And with CC having 5 stations in the Top 11 (including #1 and 2), how can you really debate their success?

The point I was trying to make was not ALL audiences to go a club to hear the same songs over and over. Some audiences want to hear different things. Not saying YOU PERSONALLY have to like or dislike it, I am just stating fact, nothing more. Also, it was just like I said before when a company owns a majority stake in a market of course they are going to be successful, that is by DEFAULT, not necessarily because they do such a bang-up job in programming. Not to say EVERY station owned and operated by Clear Channel is programmed badly, but you cannot ignore the fact where they dominate in a market, of course their stations will ALWAYS be in the top ten.

 

[Hamp]

I think the key element in your post DJ Perry is that when you have spun at a "mainstream" event. Of course if you DJ at a wedding or a sweet 16 party, those people are going to want to hear the same stuff. But what about at a club that specializes in ACTUAL Club (house, electro house, etc.)? Do those crowds want to hear the same stuff? I don't think so.

Where I work (which is not Clear Channel) we cume about a million people right now. We got there by playing songs that people know and love. If they didn't like what we played, we'd have a cume of zero. If we didn't play songs that people knew, we'd have a cume of zero. (and I worked for the old AAA KZON - I know a thing or two about what happens when you play really obscure records on a 100,000 watt station on South Mountain)

I know all the words to every song in the library where I work, and after 20-30 years there are songs that I'm sick of, but there's stuff I still crank up every time I hear the first note no matter how many times I hear it. That's why it works.

This is how radio worked before consolidation, and this is how radio will continue to work whether it's on FM, IP, or something that hasn't been invented yet. If you play stuff that a lot of people know and love, you will do well. If you play 10 in a row that people don't know, you won't.

In your attempt to trash DJ Perry, you undercut your own argument. Radio IS mainstream. If you want electro house, the place to get it is either in a nightclub where you can fit all of the fans of the genre under that roof or online where you can amass enough of a cume over a wider area. But if you want a million or more ears from across a couple hundred miles on the radio, you can either go mainstream or you can go broke.

Dude, no one was trashing anyone. Don't put words in my mouth. The only point I was making was that not every audience at an event wants to hear the same thing. That's it, Elvis has left the building. No one was doubting was he said wasn't true, I was just saying not every audience is the same. Can't there be a difference of opinion without someone getting so overly offended??? Geez.

 

[beauduran]

I've been impressed reading the recent posts in this thread. Every couple months it seems like a "music radio sucks and doesn't give people what they want" argument breaks out on here. This is the first time I can remember everyone is being civil and taking time to explain things to each other and people are actually LISTENING! Impressive communication for a bunch of people who communicate for a living.

There is no shortage of places those of us who like new and different music can focus the blame for this situation. Certainly the size of CC (and CBS, Cumulus, Entercom, etc) and their resulting hyper focus on the bottom line is part of it. Absolutely the change to PPM methodology in the Top 50 markets has an impact as well. And no doubt the overextended workload placed on programmers in markets of every size plays a role. But the biggest culprit here is the lives each one of us leads.

The average radio listener (and honestly the vast majority of them) use radio in a MUCH different manner than you and I do. To them it is at best something they listen in bits to on their 30 minute drive to work and at worst background noise while they shuttle the kids to and from soccer practice, run around shopping or talk on the phone to their sister in Wisconsin. And when that is the case if you're playing anything unfamiliar...ANYTHING...they are hitting their preset for Mix or Kiss before you even get to the first hook of whatever "new fun and cool" song you're playing. But as John said if they've heard that song in a commercial or a movie or on a video game, it is no longer "strange" it is now "recognized." Huge difference. Radio simply is not a vehicle for breaking new music anymore. It hasn't been for years.

Success in this industry is based on two somewhat related measures. First and way foremost: billing. A distant second: ratings (which obviously impacts billing.) "Cool factor" or the number of people who "Like" your Facebook update about playing the great new song are not measures of success. Successful stations now are the ones who reflect what is already out there, not forcing the issue. Disagree? Head on over to the ratings section of this site and look at the top 10 stations in the top 20 markets. Find me ONE station whose focus is breaking new music...

 

[DJ_Perry]

Exactly. Thank you Beau, I must admit you opened my eyes to the truth about Radio when we were at our old stomping grounds. I have admitted things in this post that I originally would frown on. As much as I dislike many of the methods, the proof is in the pudding. CC dominates nearly half of the Top 10 stations in the valley. If you want to succeed in Radio, then there's no room for being a snob.

 

[2Son]

I've been impressed reading the recent posts in this thread. Every couple months it seems like a "music radio sucks and doesn't give people what they want" argument breaks out on here. This is the first time I can remember everyone is being civil and taking time to explain things to each other and people are actually LISTENING! Impressive communication for a bunch of people who communicate for a living.

There is no shortage of places those of us who like new and different music can focus the blame for this situation. Certainly the size of CC (and CBS, Cumulus, Entercom, etc) and their resulting hyper focus on the bottom line is part of it. Absolutely the change to PPM methodology in the Top 50 markets has an impact as well. And no doubt the overextended workload placed on programmers in markets of every size plays a role. But the biggest culprit here is the lives each one of us leads.

The average radio listener (and honestly the vast majority of them) use radio in a MUCH different manner than you and I do. To them it is at best something they listen in bits to on their 30 minute drive to work and at worst background noise while they shuttle the kids to and from soccer practice, run around shopping or talk on the phone to their sister in Wisconsin. And when that is the case if you're playing anything unfamiliar...ANYTHING...they are hitting their preset for Mix or Kiss before you even get to the first hook of whatever "new fun and cool" song you're playing. But as John said if they've heard that song in a commercial or a movie or on a video game, it is no longer "strange" it is now "recognized." Huge difference. Radio simply is not a vehicle for breaking new music anymore. It hasn't been for years.

Success in this industry is based on two somewhat related measures. First and way foremost: billing. A distant second: ratings (which obviously impacts billing.) "Cool factor" or the number of people who "Like" your Facebook update about playing the great new song are not measures of success. Successful stations now are the ones who reflect what is already out there, not forcing the issue. Disagree? Head on over to the ratings section of this site and look at the top 10 stations in the top 20 markets. Find me ONE station whose focus is breaking new music...

Ultimate focus? Not really anymore. I'm not sure it was the ultimate focus in the past; however, one only needs to look to the past to find radio stations that at least made an effort to focus on breaking new music. I don't know enough about the industry to understand how well that worked (I imagine it did then to some degree) and why something needed to be changed if it did work. Was radio more successful then? Did radio kill itself by changing?

 

[Hamp]

I and most people get that radio corporations are in the business to make money. That's TOTALLY understood. I think where most people have a problem with radio is there isn't enough room for compromise. The compromise would be where people can hear their favorite song, BUT at the same time there is room for other music (within the format guidelines). People don't have a problem with radio wanting to make money, they just want variety. That can easily be solved by speciality shows, which adhere to the format in question without scaring off listeners.
Case in point, stations such as V-103 in Chicago (a Clear Channel owned station, by the way) has a tight playlist during the weekdays and evenings. But at Noon, they have a daily mixshow which focuses on more R&B, House etc., that isn't heard at any other time. On Friday evenings, they have an extended version of this type of show. On Saturday Mornings and Sunday Afternoons, Herb Kent has a R&B oldies show which plays the soul classics you don't hear during the week. There is even a Saturday Night show, "The Saturday Night Stepper Set" as well as the "Midnight Mix". My point is, V-103 is the second highest rated station OVERALL in Chicago, but there is a compromise. They play the standard cuts that have to be played, but there is also room for other things as well and they DON'T lose ratings or billing.
Before anyone says, well that's Chicago, not Phoenix, they are missing the point. Why can't a valley programmer do something similar (catered to phoenix audiences) to that with 95.5 (or any other station, for that matter)?
For example, with Eva 95.5, what about a slow jam old school R&B show in the late weekday evenings? A DEEP disco show on Friday or Saturday nights? Shows that would accent the format even more. There are many stations around the country that have set programming methods, but they also have specialty programming to fit the format. Guess what (GASP!!!), the station still gets ratings AND makes a profit!!!!

 

[johndavis]

I'm not sure it was the ultimate focus in the past; however, one only needs to look to the past to find radio stations that at least made an effort to focus on breaking new music.

Who would you consider as a station who tried to break new music in the past?

Even going back to the Boss Jock days of Top 40, there have been consultants, rigid formatics, tight rotations, and heavy use of research. These are not new inventions!

Neither is low pay, long hours, and no job security. Yet here we are...

stations such as V-103 in Chicago (a Clear Channel owned station, by the way) has a tight playlist during the weekdays and evenings. But at Noon, they have a daily mixshow which focuses on more R&B, House etc., that isn't heard at any other time. On Friday evenings, they have an extended version of this type of show. On Saturday Mornings and Sunday Afternoons, Herb Kent has a R&B oldies show which plays the soul classics you don't hear during the week. There is even a Saturday Night show, "The Saturday Night Stepper Set" as well as the "Midnight Mix".

V-103 has been an established station for many years. You can get away with specialty programming after people know who you are and you have a base to build on. Until that foundation is built, stations don't mess around with specialty programming. At least that's what I was taught 20 years ago, pre-consolidation. I would guess that V-103 didn't launch with those features, but they evolved over time.

 

[beauduran]

I and most people get that radio corporations are in the business to make money. That's TOTALLY understood. I think where most people have a problem with radio is there isn't enough room for compromise. The compromise would be where people can hear their favorite song, BUT at the same time there is room for other music (within the format guidelines). People don't have a problem with radio wanting to make money, they just want variety. That can easily be solved by speciality shows, which adhere to the format in question without scaring off listeners.
Case in point, stations such as V-103 in Chicago (a Clear Channel owned station, by the way) has a tight playlist during the weekdays and evenings. But at Noon, they have a daily mixshow which focuses on more R&B, House etc., that isn't heard at any other time. On Friday evenings, they have an extended version of this type of show. On Saturday Mornings and Sunday Afternoons, Herb Kent has a R&B oldies show which plays the soul classics you don't hear during the week. There is even a Saturday Night show, "The Saturday Night Stepper Set" as well as the "Midnight Mix". My point is, V-103 is the second highest rated station OVERALL in Chicago, but there is a compromise. They play the standard cuts that have to be played, but there is also room for other things as well and they DON'T lose ratings or billing.
Before anyone says, well that's Chicago, not Phoenix, they are missing the point. Why can't a valley programmer do something similar (catered to phoenix audiences) to that with 95.5 (or any other station, for that matter)?
For example, with Eva 95.5, what about a slow jam old school R&B show in the late weekday evenings? A DEEP disco show on Friday or Saturday nights? Shows that would accent the format even more. There are many stations around the country that have set programming methods, but they also have specialty programming to fit the format. Guess what (GASP!!!), the station still gets ratings AND makes a profit!!!!

Point very well taken, and V103 is a great example. I work in Chicago now and it is one of the 3 stations I listen to most. I fully agree that if Eva were to add a nightly slow jams show it would be a nice touch. That being said though I think Fred did a great job turning Mega into the Quiet Storm every night at 7. And I know I'm biased but I think R Dub does one of, if not THE best slow jams show in the country (which currently airs on the Beat.) With those competing factors I understand Tim and Smokey maybe thinking staying with the regular format during those times gives them a competitive advantage and picks up the listeners who might not want slow jams and believe me, there are PLENTY of them.

As far as a deep disco show and other specialty programming that is going for the "Oh Wow" effect programmers still need to be very cautious. In the PPM world NOTHING is worse than tune out. Because once the listener leaves, they might not come back for a long time. And as Perry can attest to first hand, One man's treasure record (in Old School think pretty much anything freestyle done by someone not named Lisa Lisa, Stevie B or Debbie Deb) is many other people's "WTF?!?" moment and they're gone. My philosophy with specialty shows (and mixshows specifically) was if you're going to go "Oh Wow" get in and out quickly and make sure there are two HUGE format staples on either side.

 

[johndavis]

With those competing factors I understand Tim and Smokey maybe thinking staying with the regular format during those times gives them a competitive advantage and picks up the listeners who might not want slow jams and believe me, there are PLENTY of them.

How do you beat a station playing 500 titles?

Play their best 250 when you first sign on.

 

[2Son]

I'm not sure it was the ultimate focus in the past; however, one only needs to look to the past to find radio stations that at least made an effort to focus on breaking new music.

Who would you consider as a station who tried to break new music in the past?

Even going back to the Boss Jock days of Top 40, there have been consultants, rigid formatics, tight rotations, and heavy use of research. These are not new inventions!

Neither is low pay, long hours, and no job security. Yet here we are...

Explain to me how Top 40 stations in the Houston market (KKBQ, KNRJ, KRBE) programmed their stations in the late 80's-early 90's based on the popularity of Club 6400. How was it that a station such as KHFI (Austin) was playing in heavy rotation (sometimes) multiple songs from bands like Cause & Effect, Anything Box, Erasure, Yaz(oo), The Other Two, Peter Schilling, T42, Camouflage, Book of Love, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Electronic, etc., along with stuff like Vanessa Williams, Black Box, Stevie B, Del Amitri, Bingoboys, The Party, Eon, TKA, Wilson Phillips, St. Etienne, NKOTB, and Bon Jovi, etc? KHFI had great ratings then. These were Top 40 stations. These stations did not seem to have "tight" playlists.

I remember KKFR in the mid-90's. A great station...and great ratings. Do you know the song, "Girl in My Eyes" by Giovanni? It played on Power in regular rotation. Just an example of a song that most people don't know, so how was Power able to do that with songs that weren't recognizable, yet still have strong ratings?

 

[johndavis]

Explain to me how Top 40 stations in the Houston market (KKBQ, KNRJ, KRBE) programmed their stations in the late 80's-early 90's based on the popularity of Club 6400.

Simple. They were programming to the market and letting the club jocks break the records for them. 93Q did a remote from 6400 and played from the club's mixing board late weekend nights. Songs that blew up there could make it into more regular rotation, others would be limited to nights. Y-95, Power, and KZZP would do this back in the day, too, both by talking to the club jocks and belonging to the local record pools. We all also used to call record stores to get top 45 and 12" sales. Neither of those exist anymore. KZZP would also cross dance records over from Hot Mix.

How was it that a station such as KHFI (Austin) was playing in heavy rotation (sometimes) multiple songs from bands like Cause & Effect, Anything Box, Erasure, Yaz(oo), The Other Two, Peter Schilling, T42, Camouflage, Book of Love, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Electronic, etc., along with stuff like Vanessa Williams, Black Box, Stevie B, Del Amitri, Bingoboys, The Party, Eon, TKA, Wilson Phillips, St. Etienne, NKOTB, and Bon Jovi, etc? KHFI had great ratings then. These were Top 40 stations. These stations did not seem to have "tight" playlists.

But they were tight playlists. They dayparted the hell out of records, as did Y-95, KZZP, and Power back in the day. Some titles would only play at night (some titles would only play on Saturday nights during Party Patrol type shows) and some only during the day. If callout research showed that those songs did well with adults, they might creep into daytime. You played the same (limited) number of songs, but you would swap out a day record for a night record in that category.

For that matter, even Power used to play Bette Midler, Cher, and Bad English during the day if they tested well with Hispanics, even while playing stuff like 2 Live Crew at night. Those AC-ish songs would never play after 3 or 4 in the afternoon, though. Once the kids were out of school, all three of the Phoenix CHRs would shift dramatically.

I remember KKFR in the mid-90's. A great station...and great ratings. Do you know the song, "Girl in My Eyes" by Giovanni? It played on Power in regular rotation. Just an example of a song that most people don't know, so how was Power able to do that with songs that weren't recognizable, yet still have strong ratings?

The Don Kelly consulted format at KKFR was targeted squarely at Hispanics to take advantage of diary weighting. If the song tested well with Hispanics, they'd pound it because those diaries counted more than other diaries. We played the crap out of a bunch of anonymous chick and drum machine acts back in the day that never charted well but they tested well with Hispanics. All of the CHRs in town did a lot of callout research back then... and may still do.

 

[2Son]

Explain to me how Top 40 stations in the Houston market (KKBQ, KNRJ, KRBE) programmed their stations in the late 80's-early 90's based on the popularity of Club 6400.

Simple. They were programming to the market and letting the club jocks break the records for them. 93Q did a remote from 6400 and played from the club's mixing board late weekend nights. Songs that blew up there could make it into more regular rotation, others would be limited to nights. Y-95, Power, and KZZP would do this back in the day, too, both by talking to the club jocks and belonging to the local record pools. We all also used to call record stores to get top 45 and 12" sales. Neither of those exist anymore. KZZP would also cross dance records over from Hot Mix.

How was it that a station such as KHFI (Austin) was playing in heavy rotation (sometimes) multiple songs from bands like Cause & Effect, Anything Box, Erasure, Yaz(oo), The Other Two, Peter Schilling, T42, Camouflage, Book of Love, Siouxsie & The Banshees, Electronic, etc., along with stuff like Vanessa Williams, Black Box, Stevie B, Del Amitri, Bingoboys, The Party, Eon, TKA, Wilson Phillips, St. Etienne, NKOTB, and Bon Jovi, etc? KHFI had great ratings then. These were Top 40 stations. These stations did not seem to have "tight" playlists.

But they were tight playlists. They dayparted the hell out of records, as did Y-95, KZZP, and Power back in the day. Some titles would only play at night (some titles would only play on Saturday nights during Party Patrol type shows) and some only during the day. If callout research showed that those songs did well with adults, they might creep into daytime. You played the same (limited) number of songs, but you would swap out a day record for a night record in that category.

For that matter, even Power used to play Bette Midler, Cher, and Bad English during the day if they tested well with Hispanics, even while playing stuff like 2 Live Crew at night. Those AC-ish songs would never play after 3 or 4 in the afternoon, though. Once the kids were out of school, all three of the Phoenix CHRs would shift dramatically.

I remember KKFR in the mid-90's. A great station...and great ratings. Do you know the song, "Girl in My Eyes" by Giovanni? It played on Power in regular rotation. Just an example of a song that most people don't know, so how was Power able to do that with songs that weren't recognizable, yet still have strong ratings?

The Don Kelly consulted format at KKFR was targeted squarely at Hispanics to take advantage of diary weighting. If the song tested well with Hispanics, they'd pound it because those diaries counted more than other diaries. We played the crap out of a bunch of anonymous chick and drum machine acts back in the day that never charted well but they tested well with Hispanics. All of the CHRs in town did a lot of callout research back then... and may still do.

I can tell you that despite the dayparting, these stations did not seem to have tight playlists like the stations do now. I used to listen for HOURS during the daytime and evening hours and on many occasions not hear the same artists or songs repeated like what is happening nowadays. Now, we can hear one artist being played sometimes 3-4 times in 2 hours whether it is afternoon or evening. Can you honestly say that the playlists were as tight back then as they are now on even these stations I mentioned? I monitor the PHX stations almost everyday now and I don't seem to see many if any new songs added each and every week. Also, is it just my perception, or are artists releasing more songs more frequently now than they used to? (having 2, 3 songs released relatively close together)

 

[johndavis]

I can tell you that despite the dayparting, these stations did not seem to have tight playlists like the stations do now. I used to listen for HOURS during the daytime and evening hours and on many occasions not hear the same artists or songs repeated like what is happening nowadays. Now, we can hear one artist being played sometimes 3-4 times in 2 hours whether it is afternoon or evening. Can you honestly say that the playlists were as tight back then as they are now on even these stations I mentioned? I monitor the PHX stations almost everyday now and I don't seem to see many if any new songs added each and every week. Also, is it just my perception, or are artists releasing more songs more frequently now than they used to? (having 2, 3 songs released relatively close together)

If memory serves, the CBS CHR stations are turning over their powers about every hour and fifteen, and that's in line with Y-95's rotations at its peak. CHR has always been about high cume (number of listeners) and low TSL (time spent listening) [or whatever the equivalent term in PPM is now.]

I'm not sure if artists are releasing songs faster, but the problem I recall from the late 80's was new singles would hit before interest in the previous one had subsided. The prime offenders then were Paula Abdul, Bobby Brown, and Janet Jackson. You may have one or two on the chart, but you have another couple of songs in recurrents that are too strong to stop playing and then the artists all clump together.

I think stations are more relaxed on artist separation now than they used to be. Part of that probably comes from so many artists doing guest vocals on other people's singles now.

 

[2Son]

Interesting read:

http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20110916/03140815978/how-payola-works-today-why-you-only-hear-major-label-songs-radio.shtml

 

[Hamp]

I'm not sure it was the ultimate focus in the past; however, one only needs to look to the past to find radio stations that at least made an effort to focus on breaking new music.

Who would you consider as a station who tried to break new music in the past?

Even going back to the Boss Jock days of Top 40, there have been consultants, rigid formatics, tight rotations, and heavy use of research. These are not new inventions!

Neither is low pay, long hours, and no job security. Yet here we are...

stations such as V-103 in Chicago (a Clear Channel owned station, by the way) has a tight playlist during the weekdays and evenings. But at Noon, they have a daily mixshow which focuses on more R&B, House etc., that isn't heard at any other time. On Friday evenings, they have an extended version of this type of show. On Saturday Mornings and Sunday Afternoons, Herb Kent has a R&B oldies show which plays the soul classics you don't hear during the week. There is even a Saturday Night show, "The Saturday Night Stepper Set" as well as the "Midnight Mix".

V-103 has been an established station for many years. You can get away with specialty programming after people know who you are and you have a base to build on. Until that foundation is built, stations don't mess around with specialty programming. At least that's what I was taught 20 years ago, pre-consolidation. I would guess that V-103 didn't launch with those features, but they evolved over time.

I would have to disagree with you on that somewhat. In order for V-103 t(as well as other stations) to stay competitive, you have to find a way to distinguish yourself from the competition in order to be succesful. That is what EVA needs to do. Trying out a specialty show isn't going kill them. If it doesn't work, then try something else.