Does Anyone Else Think Radio Branding Is Idiotic?

[landtuna]

In any event, Cherry coke was first bottled to combat the growing popularity of Dr. Pepper outside the South, in that the "10 - 2 - 4" drink is a cola and cherry derivitive.

DP was a popular canned/bottled drink when I was a kid in Tucson in the 50's but it wasn't available throughout the West until a decade later. I think it originated in Texas.

I had always heard it was cola and prunes though, not cherry. Doesn't taste like cherry to me. But it also doesn't have that traditional prune effect either.

 

[gr8oldies]

I'm a little amuzed by the idea that only small town folks would think that if they are somewhere else they're listening to stations where they are instead of their home town stations. I just can't picture say, someone living in Dayton OH saying "I was driving through Atlanta and Glory Be, I heard Mix 107-7 and it was on 94.1!" (for example).

 

[PTBoardOp94]

Well, I've been answering phones at a station running a satellite morning show, and a guy was asking how it was possible he could hear the same morning guy in two different places.

I personally think brands like "Q95" or "B103" are dumb. You have to explain what Q means. Why not ... Rock 102? Hits 107?

Listeners to "Fresh" have a reasonable expectation of hearing new (fresh) music. Not Celene Dion.
And, pray tell, what does "Wolf" have to do with "country"?

WXYZ may not be any better, but it is no worse.

 

[markwooldridge]

Since someone else mentioned it, yes outside of North America, callsigns are rarely used. But then when it comes to branding, the BBC must be one of the most no-nonsense station namers around.

For radio, their national stations are numbered. Local stations are named after their geographical area. Originally you had BBC Home Service, Light Programme and Third Programme. Oh and World Service, though it wasn't called that until the 80's, long after Home, Light & Third morphed into Radios 4, 2 & 3.

TV is similarly branded. Originally it was "BBC Television Service". Then along came BBC 2, so Television Service changed imaginatively enough to BBC 1. They got re-branded so now the numbers are spelled out. Yes there's a BBC Three and Four now though they did start off life as Choice and Knowledge.

I guess they figured out long time ago that for them, the BBC is the brand, the rest is just a description or indicator of what they have to offer.

Just imagine Clear Channel working this way.

Mark.