Does Soft AC Belong on Variety Hits?

[Nu_Roo_2]

Columbus has a weak-signalled, rimshot Class A Variety Hits station theat goes by Ted-FM (103.9 WTDA). Locally-owned North American Broadcasting fired up Ted at the beginning of November '04, when it flipped from a 70's-80's rock hits format which was decidedly classic rock-leaning.

What surprises me about this station is that they play Soft AC. Not a lot, although it's definitely there. We're talking stuff like Bette Midler's "Wind Beneath My Wings" and "Rose", Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You", Ronstadt/Neville's "Don't Know Much", Elton John's "Can You Feel The Love Tonight", and LeAnn Rimes' "How Do I Live". They also play some pretty sappy oldies like "Precious & Few".

Some of this stuff may at least have credentials that earn it an entree to the format, e.g., maybe any hit by Elton John is fair game for an occasional play. But "Wind Beneath My Wings" and "Rose"????

And it's not as if there's a big hole in Columbus for this stuff. Saga's full-signalled powerhouse AC WSNY (Sunny 95) is definitely on the soft side of mainstream, and Clear Channel's full-signalled early-2004 move-in WLZT (93.3 Lite-FM) plays tons of this stuff (they play no currents at all, BTW).

Other than the Soft AC (and the deficient signal), Ted sounds just fine. And lately they seem to be doing a better (but not perfect) job making sure there is a lot of separation between Soft AC spins. But I still don't get why it's there at all.

I've heard a tad of Soft AC fare on other Variety Hits stations, e.g. "Lady in Red" on the super-successful Bob in Austin. But in general, I don't think this stuff fits at all, and I don't see why Ted plays it...especially when your talking about something as schmaltzy as "Wind Beneath My Wings". I think Ted could be driving away potential cume permanently when this pablum is what a potential listener hears after seeing a billboard for the station and deciding to sample it for the first time.

Comments? Does anyone know of other Variety Hits stations that play stuff like "Wind Beneath My Wings"? Variety Hits is largely built on train-wreck segues, but to me. "Wind Beneath My Wings" into "Back in Black" isn't a train-wreck, it's warfare.
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Nu_Roo_2 formerly Nu__Roo formerly Nu_Roo</P>

 

[OldiesCat]

Soft AC - Variety Hits?

If they also play somewhere toward the pop/rock side, they'd probably be Variety Hits. Also depends on their era span (what years are included on this station)?

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

Re: Soft AC - Variety Hits?

> If they also play somewhere toward the pop/rock side, they'd
> probably be Variety Hits. Also depends on their era span
> (what years are included on this station)?
>
In order of frequency, they play 80's; 90's-00's; 70's; current/recurrents; and 60's (but no pre-Beatles). They definitely sound like a Variety Hits station overall. Ted-FM is positioned as, "We Play Everything". But I don't think the Soft AC belongs there. Does the Variety Hits station in your town play stuff like Bette Midler ballads?<P ID="signature">______________
Nu_Roo_2 formerly Nu__Roo formerly Nu_Roo</P>

 

[Yeziknoradio]

Re: Soft AC - Variety Hits?

In the case of Jack, I feel there's nothing wrong with Howard Cogan saying "At Jack, we play what we want...right now...Jack wants to slow things down..."

It may be more of an issue of what Jack follows it up with.

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