Is it just me or is the playlist at Hear Music becoming more of a true mainstream Adult Alternative, Coldplay, Jamie Cullum, Tracy Chapman, with fewer new artists and classic blues cuts? I also seem to occasionally hear a jock, which I never heard before a couple of months ago.
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Hear Music going true AAA?
- Thread starter gwinnettpost
- Start date
> Is it just me or is the playlist at Hear Music becoming more
> of a true mainstream Adult Alternative, Coldplay, Jamie
> Cullum, Tracy Chapman, with fewer new artists and classic
> blues cuts? I also seem to occasionally hear a jock, which I
> never heard before a couple of months ago.
>
I was wondering....with XM Cafe and The Loft, why do they need this channel? They all play very similar artists. Though I am not a fan, wouldn't the channel space be better used for a heavy metal station. I've read posts on other boards complaining about the removal of one a while back.
> of a true mainstream Adult Alternative, Coldplay, Jamie
> Cullum, Tracy Chapman, with fewer new artists and classic
> blues cuts? I also seem to occasionally hear a jock, which I
> never heard before a couple of months ago.
>
I was wondering....with XM Cafe and The Loft, why do they need this channel? They all play very similar artists. Though I am not a fan, wouldn't the channel space be better used for a heavy metal station. I've read posts on other boards complaining about the removal of one a while back.
> > Is it just me or is the playlist at Hear Music becoming
> more
> > of a true mainstream Adult Alternative, Coldplay, Jamie
> > Cullum, Tracy Chapman, with fewer new artists and classic
> > blues cuts? I also seem to occasionally hear a jock, which
> I
> > never heard before a couple of months ago.
> >
> I was wondering....with XM Cafe and The Loft, why do they
> need this channel? They all play very similar artists.
> Though I am not a fan, wouldn't the channel space be better
> used for a heavy metal station. I've read posts on other
> boards complaining about the removal of one a while back.
>
Its Starbucks channel. They can do what they want with it. I believe XM signed a 3 or 4 year contract with Starbucks to air the channel and get some advertising in their stores.
> more
> > of a true mainstream Adult Alternative, Coldplay, Jamie
> > Cullum, Tracy Chapman, with fewer new artists and classic
> > blues cuts? I also seem to occasionally hear a jock, which
> I
> > never heard before a couple of months ago.
> >
> I was wondering....with XM Cafe and The Loft, why do they
> need this channel? They all play very similar artists.
> Though I am not a fan, wouldn't the channel space be better
> used for a heavy metal station. I've read posts on other
> boards complaining about the removal of one a while back.
>
Its Starbucks channel. They can do what they want with it. I believe XM signed a 3 or 4 year contract with Starbucks to air the channel and get some advertising in their stores.
I've always thought that that Cafe and Loft should be combined due to the overlap and a true AAA be put on.
These sponsored stations like Hear Music (and most likely the Oprah channel when it comes on) may be great marketing gimicks, but usually make for bad radio - what exactly is the format of Hear Music?
> > Is it just me or is the playlist at Hear Music becoming
> more
> > of a true mainstream Adult Alternative, Coldplay, Jamie
> > Cullum, Tracy Chapman, with fewer new artists and classic
> > blues cuts? I also seem to occasionally hear a jock, which
> I
> > never heard before a couple of months ago.
> >
> I was wondering....with XM Cafe and The Loft, why do they
> need this channel? They all play very similar artists.
> Though I am not a fan, wouldn't the channel space be better
> used for a heavy metal station. I've read posts on other
> boards complaining about the removal of one a while back.
>
These sponsored stations like Hear Music (and most likely the Oprah channel when it comes on) may be great marketing gimicks, but usually make for bad radio - what exactly is the format of Hear Music?
> > Is it just me or is the playlist at Hear Music becoming
> more
> > of a true mainstream Adult Alternative, Coldplay, Jamie
> > Cullum, Tracy Chapman, with fewer new artists and classic
> > blues cuts? I also seem to occasionally hear a jock, which
> I
> > never heard before a couple of months ago.
> >
> I was wondering....with XM Cafe and The Loft, why do they
> need this channel? They all play very similar artists.
> Though I am not a fan, wouldn't the channel space be better
> used for a heavy metal station. I've read posts on other
> boards complaining about the removal of one a while back.
>
> I've always thought that that Cafe and Loft should be
> combined due to the overlap and a true AAA be put on.
>
> I agree. XM dances all around the AAA format with several channels ("XM Cafe", "the Loft", "Hear Music", "Fine Tuning"), that are "kinda" like AAA formats, but not really. They are all way too deep and obscure. You would think with that many AAA type channels, they could put on a true, "mainstream" AAA format (similar to Sirius's "the Spectrum"). But with that being said, I've always thought the rock category was XM's worst. The whole category is way too deep and obscure and off the wall for my tastes. The rock category needs more mainstream "hits".<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by BRH on 02/21/06 02:50 PM.</FONT></P>
> combined due to the overlap and a true AAA be put on.
>
> I agree. XM dances all around the AAA format with several channels ("XM Cafe", "the Loft", "Hear Music", "Fine Tuning"), that are "kinda" like AAA formats, but not really. They are all way too deep and obscure. You would think with that many AAA type channels, they could put on a true, "mainstream" AAA format (similar to Sirius's "the Spectrum"). But with that being said, I've always thought the rock category was XM's worst. The whole category is way too deep and obscure and off the wall for my tastes. The rock category needs more mainstream "hits".<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by BRH on 02/21/06 02:50 PM.</FONT></P>
> > I've always thought that that Cafe and Loft should be
> > combined due to the overlap and a true AAA be put on.
> >
>
> > I agree. XM dances all around the AAA format with
> several channels ("XM Cafe", "the Loft", "Hear Music", "Fine
> Tuning"), that are "kinda" like AAA formats, but not really.
> They are all way too deep and obscure. You would think
> with that many AAA type channels, they could put on a true,
> "mainstream" AAA format (similar to Sirius's "the
> Spectrum"). But with that being said, I've always thought
> the rock category was XM's worst. The whole category is way
> too deep and obscure and off the wall for my tastes. The
> rock category needs more mainstream "hits".
>
For me that's okay as I can still listen to mainstream rock on FM here. In fact our local market (for now at least) includes a normal AAA station with a limited playlist. My primary reason for subscribing to XM was to expand my listening beyond tightly formatted radio as I was getting bored with the local offerings.
> > combined due to the overlap and a true AAA be put on.
> >
>
> > I agree. XM dances all around the AAA format with
> several channels ("XM Cafe", "the Loft", "Hear Music", "Fine
> Tuning"), that are "kinda" like AAA formats, but not really.
> They are all way too deep and obscure. You would think
> with that many AAA type channels, they could put on a true,
> "mainstream" AAA format (similar to Sirius's "the
> Spectrum"). But with that being said, I've always thought
> the rock category was XM's worst. The whole category is way
> too deep and obscure and off the wall for my tastes. The
> rock category needs more mainstream "hits".
>
For me that's okay as I can still listen to mainstream rock on FM here. In fact our local market (for now at least) includes a normal AAA station with a limited playlist. My primary reason for subscribing to XM was to expand my listening beyond tightly formatted radio as I was getting bored with the local offerings.
> > I've always thought that that Cafe and Loft should be
> > combined due to the overlap and a true AAA be put on.
> >
>
> > I agree. XM dances all around the AAA format with
> several channels ("XM Cafe", "the Loft", "Hear Music", "Fine
> Tuning"), that are "kinda" like AAA formats, but not really.
> They are all way too deep and obscure. You would think
> with that many AAA type channels, they could put on a true,
> "mainstream" AAA format (similar to Sirius's "the
> Spectrum"). But with that being said, I've always thought
> the rock category was XM's worst. The whole category is way
> too deep and obscure and off the wall for my tastes. The
> rock category needs more mainstream "hits".
Don't tell me you're spending $12.95, and wanting something you could hear on terrestrial stations? Ethel, Top Tracks, Squizz, Lucy, et al. don't fill your 'hit' requirement?
As for 'Hear Music', it has gone the way of sounding like the other channels you mentioned (The Loft, XM Cafe, Fine Tuning) -- when it actually played Ella Fitzgerald, Bell Biv Devoe, Joss Stone, Rolling Stones, et al. some time ago. Maybe since it's played in 'Starbucks' coffee houses, it needed to sound more 'adult' to the patrons there.
> > combined due to the overlap and a true AAA be put on.
> >
>
> > I agree. XM dances all around the AAA format with
> several channels ("XM Cafe", "the Loft", "Hear Music", "Fine
> Tuning"), that are "kinda" like AAA formats, but not really.
> They are all way too deep and obscure. You would think
> with that many AAA type channels, they could put on a true,
> "mainstream" AAA format (similar to Sirius's "the
> Spectrum"). But with that being said, I've always thought
> the rock category was XM's worst. The whole category is way
> too deep and obscure and off the wall for my tastes. The
> rock category needs more mainstream "hits".
Don't tell me you're spending $12.95, and wanting something you could hear on terrestrial stations? Ethel, Top Tracks, Squizz, Lucy, et al. don't fill your 'hit' requirement?
As for 'Hear Music', it has gone the way of sounding like the other channels you mentioned (The Loft, XM Cafe, Fine Tuning) -- when it actually played Ella Fitzgerald, Bell Biv Devoe, Joss Stone, Rolling Stones, et al. some time ago. Maybe since it's played in 'Starbucks' coffee houses, it needed to sound more 'adult' to the patrons there.
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