• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Could This Succeed Here?

B

Barry

An interesting article states that a format called Conversation Radio has been doing well in Canada. I think it can be described as a good morning show, running throughout the entire day. Avoiding politics, the personalities involve the audience in discussions about all sorts of things they have experienced, or have on their minds. In between the chats, a wide variety of music is played.
This seems to be the sort of thing local radio can still do much better than streaming services.

From InsideRadio
 
Barry said:
An interesting article states that a format called Conversation Radio has been doing well in Canada. I think it can be described as a good morning show, running throughout the entire day. Avoiding politics, the personalities involve the audience in discussions about all sorts of things they have experienced, or have on their minds. In between the chats, a wide variety of music is played.
This seems to be the sort of thing local radio can still do much better than streaming services.

From InsideRadio
Click to expand...
It might, but I can't see anyone trying it in NYC without first seeing success in another top 20 market.
 
Barry said:
An interesting article states that a format called Conversation Radio has been doing well in Canada. I think it can be described as a good morning show, running throughout the entire day. Avoiding politics, the personalities involve the audience in discussions about all sorts of things they have experienced, or have on their minds. In between the chats, a wide variety of music is played.
Click to expand...
That's pretty much how the BBC's local stations are programmed. Friendly, chatty hosts. Listeners chiming in on topics of the day or just making general conversation. Maybe a half dozen songs an hour. I can't see it attracting anything but seniors here, and even the older crowd generally wants all music or all talk.
 
CTListener said:
I can't see it attracting anything but seniors here
Click to expand...
That would probably depend on the topics that the hosts bring up. I would expect discussions on matters that resonate with younger demos, such as raising kids, dating experiences, buying homes, finding better jobs, etc.
 
Unlike the article that the original poster referenced, this article lists the stations that air the format.

Monday marked another step forward for Canada's hot AC/talk hybrid Conversation Radio format, under the “Now! Radio” banner, as Pattinson Media's CKPK-FM (102.7) switched from alternative “The Peak” to “102.7 Now Radio.”

With the flip, Vancouver becomes Pattison Media’s fourth station in the format, joining Edmonton and Winnipeg as “Now Radio” and Calgary where it is branded as “Today.” The format also airs in Toronto on Stingray Group’s “93.5 Today Radio” CFXJ-FM.
Click to expand...
 
There's a somewhat similar format that I've caught when driving from Orlando down to West Palm Beach in Florida. It's called "Real Radio" and it's basically 2 or 3 people in the studio bantering about whatever comes to mind - Current events, what's happened during their day, etc. From what I've heard they try and avoid politics and tend to skirt around political issues when they're brought into the discussion with all the live callers they take, etc. Personally I appreciated the format during a longer drive, but I'm not sure I'd listen to it all day, every day.
 
I have been listening to Vancouver's 102.7 Now!, and they have been playing more music than talking. Morning show hosts Christy & Fraser have been asking the listeners what is the weirdest thing that was stolen from them, and several listeners have been calling in with their stories.

Below is the playlist from the past hour. Canadian artists are in bold. The times listed are Pacific (ET-3).

7:20 am - "Waves of Blue" by Majid Jordan
7:29 am - "Human" by Rag'n'Bone Man
7:35 am - "The Old Me" by Ria Mae
7:40 am - "Unwell" by Matchbox Twenty
7:45 am - "Ghost" by Justin Bieber
7:54 am - "Hurts So Good" by John Mellencamp
7:59 am - "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley & The Wailers
8:03 am - "Cheap Thrills" by Sia featuring Sean Paul
8:09 am - "Sacrifice" by The Weeknd
8:14 am - "Mr. Jones" by Counting Crows
8:21 am - "Eastside" by Benny Blanco, Halsey, & Khalid
8:26 am - "I Wanna Sex You Up" by Color Me Badd
8:35 am - "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals

The hosts admitted that the station does not normally play the Bob Marley song, but they that thought it was a good time to play it.
 
In New York, WNYL 92.3 carries Channel Q on HD3. Though it's national programming aimed at the LGBTQ community, there is a resemblance to the format being discussed. There are discussions intended to be of interest to the station's intended audience, along with music.
 
New Jersey 101.5 is kind of like that. Early on they played some music between talk segments, but then they established their formula of all-local-talk weekdays and all-music weekends.
 
Conversation Radio sounds very different from NJ 101.5. The latter features lots of political talk, and does not play music during the week.
Conversation Radio is more music than talk. Politics is avoided.
It seems to be somewhat retro in terms of format, as it brings back personality along with the music. This is in contrast to most music formats, which have a minimum of talk, beyond reading liners.
 
Again, this sounds very much like the daytime fare on the BBC local stations. All are available on the BBC website, through the BBC app, or through any number of radio amalgamator sites. Radio Essex, Radio London, Radio Newcastle, Radio Leeds ... one size fits all.
 
iHeart had been recently pushing an initiative for afternoon drive talk-oriented programming at their top 40 stations, maybe it could work?
 
The first question anyone in radio asks when new programming ideas come up is: Who would pay for it? If fact, that's usually the only question. Give me a list of ten potential sponsors by name and their contact information. There's an audience for just about any idea anyone can come up with. But the real question is how to monetize it. If you can't do that, it's a hobby.
 
TheBigA said:
The first question anyone in radio asks when new programming ideas come up is: Who would pay for it? If fact, that's usually the only question. Give me a list of ten potential sponsors by name and their contact information. There's an audience for just about any idea anyone can come up with. But the real question is how to monetize it. If you can't do that, it's a hobby.
Click to expand...
If the idea is to meld Top 40/Hot AC with podcasting essentially, if it gains traction and an audience of a favorable demo I think sponsors would be willing to support it. It requires a bit of a paradigm shift from what commercial radio has been IMO.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom