A few posters have referenced Atlanta's various CHR rebrandings, and I have to be honest. There have been moments recently where I've wondered if Lincoln needs to completely blow up the Star 94 moniker and start anew. Listeners undoubtedly perceive Star 94 as a stodgy station with a 90's/early 00's heyday.
Quite simply, Star has lost its swagger and momentum. During the summer, I gleaned such pleasure from hearing a re-energized Star 94. Musically, the station was certainly benefiting from a wealth strong, upbeat Hot AC/Pop material, and they weren't afraid to be relatively daring. There was plenty of Nickelback and Shinedown, but not without uptempo pop from Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, Jessie James, Pink and even "edgier" acts like 3OH!3, Cobra Starship, Britney Spears, Beyonce and Black Eyed Peas playing all day - not just once a night. They even championed "Use Somebody" long before most Pop stations (and subsequently ran it into the ground, but that's beside the point). Point blank, the station just sounded fun.
What's more, the station was hyping Cindy & Ray's move to mornings with the enormous-sounding 1K/day promotion, the other dayparts had been refreshed, and the imaging sounded upbeat. Interestingly, the summer ratings brought Star to 6+ levels they hadn't seen in years.
I understand that Star hasn't historically been a haven for rhythmic records. But right now, they need to be playing Jay Sean and IYAZ, at least moderately, if for no other reason than maintaining balance. I might also add that those songs tend to test well with the upper end at CHRs across the country. This isn't 2000 anymore. They've settled back into this groove of over-reliance on recurrents and downtempo HAC material which blunts the station's edge completely. Playing every Daughtry record in existence is not going to solve any problems, especially for a station battling perception issues. For the record, you can emphasize these Hot AC/Alternative ballads while maintaining an overarching upbeat aura. See Kiss in Charlotte, The River in Nashville and XL in Orlando for proof. Meanwhile, here are some excerpts from Star's night show log tonight (a Friday night, mind you):
8:22 Nickelback - Never Gonna Be Alone
8:26 Taylor Swift - Fifteen
8:31 Daughtry - No Surprise
8:35 The Script - Breakeven
9:53 Adam Lambert - Whataya Want From Me
9:57 Nickelback - Never Gonna Be Alone
10:00 Lady Antebellum - Need You Now
10:04 Daughtry - Life After You
10:07 O.A.R. - Shattered (Turn The Car Around)
(stopset)
10:15 Uncle Kracker - Smile
Would you like a side of Prozac with that? Jesus! Delilah on B98.5 is more upbeat!
With respect to morning drive, I previously asserted that Cindy & Ray is a good show and I stand by that statement. They need to bring their A game EVERY MORNING, however. Although people suggest that The Bert Show is largely a product of media hype, I regularly talk to real-life listeners (i.e., not radio nerds) who declare their love for the show - and I'm not only talking about people who fit Bert and Q100's supposed "target audience." What Bert and company have accomplished with that program is nothing short of amazing, and attests to the fact that a truly quality product is airing each day. I hope Q100 realizes how lucky they are to have Bert on board, because they're mediocre at best otherwise. Regardless, Star has an uphill battle in mornings, and I hope C&R are getting proper guidance. To compete, they need to bring something new and exciting to Atlanta radio like their counterparts.
A few other quick fixes to pick up the pace? Add jingles again, start speeding the music up slightly (2.5% would sound great), and for crying out loud, get rid of that awful, AWFUL processing!
I suppose this post might read as an extensive evisceration of Star 94. Guess what, though? I love WSTR more than any other station in the Atlanta market and I want them to re-stake their position atop the ratings. The staff is in place. The resources are in place. This is Star 94 Atlanta. This is a radio institution in the truest sense. I challenge Star to start acting like it.