First Thoughts on The Harbor

[Retro]

I have been listening for just about an hour now, and I'm impressed! It sounds even better than Mike-FM did when they first signed on. This station seems to be working on a proven format, whereas when Mike-FM started, the format was still in its infancy. What are your thoughts on the station?

 

[chrocket87]

If you like the other CC Adult Hits stations, which I do, you'll like it. It's not bad.

 

[Ciao9999]

I have been listening for just about an hour now, and I'm impressed! It sounds even better than Mike-FM did when they first signed on. This station seems to be working on a proven format, whereas when Mike-FM started, the format was still in its infancy. What are your thoughts on the station?

The music selection is very white.

 

[mclenrd]

its just more of the same.

 

[MR. JAROME_CALVIN]

it's not (everything) that's for sure.
All I hear when I put it on is Rock and Roll
I'm not satisfied at all
Best of good luck to them

 

[HHH]

I don't think they are playing anything that I can't hear someplace else.

I just wish stations like this would knock off the "we play anything" B.S.

 

[raccoonradio]

Mentioned to Barry Scott on facebook that even if it's a longshot maybe he could consider
trying to get on WHBA but adnmitted their we play everything bit is BS. He agreed saying most we play anything stations are doling out BS with the claim. And of course they tend to not hire jocks anyway but who knows.
As for content I would say their flavor is vanilla or maybe chocolate chip at best.

I'd say narrow playlist but maybe more like narrow focus. Maybe time to take our boats out of the Harbor and into the River.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

The mainstream majority listeners who want to hear their favorite hits over and over again do not want to believe that they are closed-minded about music, even though they are. They want to be told that they're listening to a wide "variety", and hearing "anything" and "everything", because it makes them feel as if they are open-minded and adventurous, although in reality, if something they didn't know came on, or something in a genre of music that they didn't identify with, their fantasy would end for that station, and they would turn the dial looking for more of their favorite hits elsewhere.

These "adult/variety hits" stations that say "we play anything" (The Harbor) or "we play everything" (the former Mike-FM), and then play a very narrow, repetitive playlist of mainstream hits, pander to this psychological phenomenon more effectively than any other format.

 

[jlehmann]

Unless something has changed today, the first two days of the harbor were very repetitive. I heard quite a few songs both Tuesday and Wednesday night, which certainly would not be expected with this format. Some of these repeat songs weren't even that well known. I also heard two different Eddie Money songs within minutes of each other last night. Hopefully they're still working the bugs out of their music scheduling.

 

[beantownradio25]

The music selection is very white.

Why does it matter? You know, if I said the music selection on one of those illegal pirate stations was "very black", I would be labeled racist. It must be bad to have a "very white" music selection in a market that is still "very white". Radio isn't a business or anything is it? There are plenty of African American and Hispanic artists who get heavy airplay, give me a break.

 

[raccoonradio]

True but you can't dispute that black America has really been a major influence in pop music what with
jazz, blues, gospel, and soul--and early or modern rock. And yes it's true that the artists you mention do get heavy airplay, it's just kind of weird to see them for the most part not a part of the Harbor mix. But maybe there are more than I noticed, including multi-racial rock bands. But you do have a point.

 

[surfin bird]

The music selection is very white.

Why does it matter? You know, if I said the music selection on one of those illegal pirate stations was "very black", I would be labeled racist. It must be bad to have a "very white" music selection in a market that is still "very white". Radio isn't a business or anything is it? There are plenty of African American and Hispanic artists who get heavy airplay, give me a break.

Chill out dude.

 

[promixcuous]

I have been listening for just about an hour now, and I'm impressed! It sounds even better than Mike-FM did when they first signed on. This station seems to be working on a proven format, whereas when Mike-FM started, the format was still in its infancy. What are your thoughts on the station?

The station oscillates between boring, patronizing, and revolting. Speaking as someone in their target demo, their music mix is completely wrong for this market. This is a third-rate-market station being imposed on us by Texans who don't understand our tastes here.

Does taking a worse version of WROR and putting it on a weaker stick seem like a good strategy to you? It will fail or be significantly overhauled within a year.

 

[trock]

I't Almost seems like they are trying to suck up to (unsuccessfully) to the old FNX listeners. I'm surprised by the lack of new wave as that was very popular in Boston on the 80's. Also it wouldn't hurt to put in some Whispers Rock Steady or Stevie Wonders Superstition/I Wish for examples. Good music don't have a color.

 

[promixcuous]

I't Almost seems like they are trying to suck up to (unsuccessfully) to the old FNX listeners. I'm surprised by the lack of new wave as that was very popular in Boston on the 80's. Also it wouldn't hurt to put in some Whispers Rock Steady or Stevie Wonders Superstition/I Wish for examples. Good music don't have a color.

Yup. And, what's on the PA for those lucrative 40-something shoppers at Legacy Place? Poison? Yacht Rock? Nope. New Wave.

WHBA programmers have their 80s wrong for this market.

Hello, did you never see a John Hughes movie? Your target audience sure did. Leave the cheese rock behind.

 

[Retro]

I't Almost seems like they are trying to suck up to (unsuccessfully) to the old FNX listeners. I'm surprised by the lack of new wave as that was very popular in Boston on the 80's. Also it wouldn't hurt to put in some Whispers Rock Steady or Stevie Wonders Superstition/I Wish for examples. Good music don't have a color.

Now that was my complaint about WFNX in general, that they were ignoring their roots.

 

[MR. JAROME_CALVIN]

You know what's everything? I will tell you what's everything. This is an example of what everything is. (Mike FM) could've done this as well, but them too (like 101.7 The Harbor) is doing, which is not playing (everything) They're playing mostly Rock and Roll

Now. What everything is

For beginners, if they say they're going to play everything, this is what everything is.

(Example)
-Week-
-Midnight-3pm "Hits and Favorites" Cumulus Media Network or "Today's best Hits" Cumulus Media Network or "HOT AC" Dial-Global.com use any one of those at this time
-3pm-7pm "The Doug Banks Show" AURN.COM
-7pm-Midnight "Hits and Favorites"......(see Midnight-3pm above)
That is everything

 

[MR. JAROME_CALVIN]

I have more example, but don't want nobody to take my thoughts away and use them
Copyright 2012..

Anyways, that is everything.
Even I could program that station, and it would be sucessful for a long time!!

 

[NHRadio]

Even I could program that station, and it would be sucessful for a long time!!

Doubtful. You really think putting a satellite formatted, researched to death, 350 record bird feed with 2nd rate (on a good day)
voicetracked jocks in a top 10 market is a good idea? Especially with those formats already in Boston? Dude, think again.
OTOH, THANK YOU for not mentioning Urban AC.

 

[MR. JAROME_CALVIN]

it would be a lot better than what it is now, that's for sure

and if you all don't like that. Even this would be (everything)
-Week-
-Midnight-6am "Hits and Favorites" Cumulus Media Network
-6am-10am "Today's Best Music" Cumulus Media Network
-10am-3pm "Classic Hits" Cumulus Media Network
-3pm-7pm "The Doug Banks Show" AURN.COM
-7pm-Midnight "Today's Best Music" Cumulus Media Network
-Weekend Overnights-Midnight-7am "Today's Best Country" Cumulus Media Network
-Weekends Noon-6pm "Today's Best Music" Cumulus Media Network
-Other times, have some (Two Hour) Urban AC Syndicated Shows, and some Smooth Jazz shows
It'd be a lot better than what it is now.