J
John-Summers
Guest
Gee, this board is quiet.Lately I’ve been listening to the HD2 channel of Classic Rock WCSX Detroit, which is on the air in Detroit and streamed on-line. While the main channel is as mainstream as they come, the HD2 channel is “Deep Trax,” songs that AOR stations used to play but have been swept out of rotation. Not everything I’ve heard deserved to be unearthed, but it’s great to hear cuts from Hendrix, Santana, Pink Floyd, Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, et cetera, that haven’t been played in years, as opposed to the few that are played all the time. I’d like to hear something like that in this area.I mention this because no one has taken much advantage of HD so far in the H-L-Y market. I think WARM and WRVV are simulcasting their main channels and perhaps WITF is doing something, but that’s it as far as I know. And simulcasting isn’t a very exciting way to use HD.Let’s have a discussion about what formats we would like to hear on HD2. Please, don’t just bash the technology and say it won’t work. For this discussion, let’s assume that the receivers will eventually have greater availability and pricing low enough for the public to become interested. Then, what should these listeners be given? Some stations are simply doing an extension of their main format. Country stations are doing Classic Country or Hot Country; Rock stations are doing True Alternative; Smooth Jazz stations are doing Traditional Jazz, and that sort of thing.In addition to the aforementioned Deep Trax, I’d like to hear Adult Album Alternative. AAA is radio’s indefinable format. It’s different market to market. KGSR out of Austin TX is a great station that leans Country, playing people like Roseanne Cash, Rodney Crowell and others who have never been embraced by Country radio, in addition to Neil Young, Mark Knopfler, Los Lonely Boys and other guitar-oriented artists. By comparison, KFOG from San Francisco is more rock and more classic, but still plays contemporary singer-songwriters who don’t get play elsewhere, like Paul Simon. Both stations are good listens.If there’s Classic Country, might 50s/60s Oldies have a home in HD? How about “Vegas” music, Sinatra and the like? Progressive talk? Sports talk? Classical? Real Jazz? Remember, nobody is going to staff these stations and they won’t make money for years, so there’s no limit to what can be tried.If you could program an HD2 channel, what would you put on it and why?
