Dancerev889 said:
Let's get our facts straight first. Mega did not decide on a dance format because of a music coalition. They originally were going on the air as a Top 40 station but they hired Joel originally as a consultant and he recommended a dance format. Joel had the original Hot 97 streaming online for a while before Pulse went on the air. He was a huge supporter of dance music. Not to slam Tony, but please give the credit where it is due.
Nick we get it you dont like Party. Guess what you don't have to listen. Party is not a bad station. Most people like dance music like hip-hop. If you ever look into the past both genres go hand and hand with each other. Why do dance stations have to avoid hip-hop? Because a small minority of dance fans don't like it? That's like a rhythmic station not playing dance music.
I mean come on, dance music is making a major push and is making its presence felt in the top 40 world. Get over your hatred of a station. To be honest people wont take you serious
Admittedly, I was actually rather "hesitant" when I saw the coalition name on there.
The only thing we did was to rally people together to make noise for dance music. I did walk around the parking lots during Beatstock in '07 gathering names on a petition so that in the event we needed it as proof, it was there. Granted, I wasn't in the office when Mega Media and Joel Salkowitz had their talks, and if we ARE going to add to this, Troi Torain ("Star") was the EXECUTIVE PD there at Pulse and he was the one that got Joel on board. That's a fact that doesn't get discussed much but with Pulse being history, it should be noted for the record. However, to a small extent (not taking a big note here; I am being modest about this), we did have SOME influence. If we didn't make enough noise then how would radio know about the dance music audience that wanted this format back on NYC radio? I was pestering away on another board about this so radio pros knew we were out there (however anyone wants to take that last part, lol).
No, I did not sit down with Alex Shvarts, Star and Joel when they made the decision to go dance on Pulse but they knew, based on what Joel had said, that there was an audience out there that wanted an edgier form of dance than what 'KTU had offered and going Top 40 would have been a mistake at the time due to the powerhouse known as Z-100. And if we were waving that "flag" hard to show them that we were here, then I'll take credit on that
.
Brett....I think you may know the history about the disdain regarding hip-hop amongst dance music fans in New York, which goes back to Hot 97 flipping format in 1992, to which that was the
BEST THING EMMIS COULD DO since the station did get number 1 on most of the 90's books and saved the company from bankruptcy at the time. Yet there was still that bitterness regarding hip-hop taking over dance formats (in other markets too). Granted, there are dance fans that love hip-hop, yes. But for those that don't, they REALLY detest it, and it actually is not this small minority number either. And that is exactly why there is this "tension" of sorts regarding Party FM's "brand" of format. Granted, I know why Party
HAS to do this and if hip-hop keeps the station afloat, then they have to do what they have to do; I can certainly understand. Yet, the "tension" is something that will never go away. I'm just hoping for that "big picture" down the road where 87.7 could be fully branched off, yet still under the Party FM banner, to play more dance whereas 105.3 could lean more hip-hop to get at Eastern Suffolk County. I can wait for that should it come to fruition
