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Anybody remember City/Citi FM format?

T

Timothy

I'm not talking about Canada's CITI-FM, but does anybody remember an attempted national AC format called Citi-FM from the early 90's? I've been trying to find info on it here at my office (Radio World) but can't pin it down. I was sure RW had run articles on it and ads when I was just starting in radio.

The whole pitch of Citi-FM was that you could can your talent, or have them sell ads. I think it was a complete failure. I remember seeing a report that they signed all of one client.

This network was notable not because it was just like the SMN formats at the time, but because they aggressively marketed it as a way to replace expensive jocks in large markets.

Anybody remember?
 
Hi Timothy,

CITY-FM (the actual name) IIRC, was the brainchild of the people at Superradio (The people that brought you "Open House Party"). The idea was for a nationwide Hot AC format which would had been somewhat unique as it would had been hotter than what was classified as Hot AC by early 90s standards. They would had played a lot of uptempo Dance and Pop records, but would draw the line by not playing Rap, which would had made them essentially a CHR format. Personalities that I remember being mentioned as part of CITY-FM was Matt Siegel (of Kiss 108/Boston) and Domino (who was working at WAPW/Atlanta at the time). None of the them, IIRC, had worked at CITY-FM when it was on the air.

The ads that I remember seeing in "Radio and Records" compared several different types of business over the last 40 years (at that time) that had been operated by "mom & pops" only to have conglomerates come in with a "brand" and start selling at a discount which would leave the business owner to do a number of choices (A, B, C, or D) of what to do in order to stay in business. "D" would always be "Inquire about a franchise". So, CITY-FM would have been the early 90s version of "McRadio"-Same programming, but in different markets.

So, what happened? There was only 2 takers to this service. After several months of no additional affiliates, the service was folded by the end of 1992. Satellite Music Network and other services had the market locked up, not to mention that computer automation was just getting underway.

Robyn
 
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