"Here is another 30 Minutes Of Voice Tacking and Clone Mold-Gic Music"

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Here is the thing about radio in New Jersey. There is over 50,000 names of what you can call a "radio format " why keep picking the same old moldy name.

Wasn't Chris McCoy part of the magic thing in Philly? On September 2, 1975, WPEN-FM changed its call letters to WMGK and adopted a soft adult contemporary format called "Magic Music". The first song aired under the new call sign was "Could It Be Magic" by Barry Manilow.

This is a very,very old name. They should call it "Mold-gic". There was even a "Magic" owned by Greater Media In Detroit...plus many more. To me Greater Media is a true company of true radio broadcasters! So create. Something new and different.

In Ocean/Atlantic County you tune in many "Love Rock" Formats... They all sound the same.

We all are waiting for some "creativity"...some you put thought into. And not a clone of somebody's idea from another city or town. The Magic's, The Ben's and Jacks, & The Hawks....we had to of them here. At the same time! Umm....you know?

Why even have a program director at all....just get some office worker go over to the PC and put in this weeks music log and voice trax straight from the non-creative consultant! No need for a PD....just office workers and spot sellers and a music director.

So how is the Magic thing working out for you in the ratings? anyway?

The name you know theory does not work anymore.

 

[SoulCrusher]

Blame it on the McRadio approach used everywhere by Greater Greedia. Not only are all of the Magic stations virtual clones of each other, so are their mainstream heritage rockers (WMMR, WRAT, WDHA, etc.). Also, I find it ironic that WRAT runs a station ID mocking voicetracking, when it is used so prominently at its sister Magic stations.

Millennium's radio stations are par for the course as well. Their soft rock, Adult CHR and classic rock stations don't stand out in the least. But I do have to give them a big thumbs up for Shore Alternative - if only we had a station like that on the FM dial (heck, I'd even pick up an HD Radio if they reached my area).

For as much well-deserved criticism as Press Communications receives, especially for their pathetic handling of WHTG/WBBO throughout the years (the one commendable move they made was hiring Terrie Carr - of course, the promotion of the station remained lackluster so they managed to screw that up as well), I'll give them this much: The Breeze and Thunder 98.5 are distinctive examples of their respective formats. With the "No Repeat Workday" at the former and throwing in a few classic country and Southern rock titles at the latter, they definitely stand out in crowded fields where there is little difference between many other stations with the same formats. Of course, Hit 106 is painfully generic and no better or worse than any other Top 40 station ... they would have a very respectable group of FM stations if they dropped it and replaced it with practically anything else.

 

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I believe all this "fast food" sound of radio as you put forces listeners away from traditional analog radio. Downloading and recording music from the internet is plentiful, making your own radio soundtrack in your mp3'er...this is where satellite radio came in. Same music for the many not the few. The theater of the mind is pre-programmed in mp3-land. No stage....no actors.

When I turned on 99-7 'BHX with Rich Harvey, it was so different on purpose. It was deep cuts/hippee radio combined. This format will be back again soon.

It's amazing how few even own a FM radio in their home now. When I do my Tye Dyed Show on Lake Fred at Stockton Sunday afternoons, I ask most on the phone ..."How they get their radio. Most listen in their car or on a pc. There listening ends when they turn off the ignition key or power down windows.

We need something "new. fresh" in Jersey Radio. Something that men and female listners can get addicted too. There is nothing stopping us from leading the way in US from having really great radio stations. Something you want to listen to. That is what "BHX was.

I was on such a tiny tower. With no sales department. It was insane.

All I was to do was to turn it on and flip it. Like West Virginia, North Carolina & other Jersey Properties. Don Powers loved that way of doing business. So did Al Sergi.

 

[DToTheJ]

On September 2, 1975, WPEN-FM changed its call letters to WMGK and adopted a soft adult contemporary format called "Magic Music". The first song aired under the new call sign was "Could It Be Magic" by Barry Manilow.

That's about as played out as every financial radio talk show host using Pink Floyd's "Money," AC/DC's "Money For Nothing" and Dire Straits' "Money For Nothing" as either theme songs or music beds. All of them are guilty of this, including Clark Howard, Dave Ramsey, and even the new syndicated Larry Kudlow radio show.

 

[TheBigA]

Wasn't Chris McCoy part of the magic thing in Philly? On September 2, 1975, WPEN-FM changed its call letters to WMGK and adopted a soft adult contemporary format called "Magic Music".

Yep. It was the brainchild of Jersey broadcasting legend Julian Breen at Greater Media in New Brunswick. He came up with the format in the early 70s, put it on the Greater Media stations, like WMGQ (previously WQMR), and syndicated it to other non-owned radio stations. In the years before 1996, that's what companies did. They couldn't own hundreds if stations, so they just programmed them, often through syndicated formats like Magic. At one point, they would make reel to reel tapes of the Magic music at Greater Media headquarters in East Brunswick, and ship them out to radio stations around the country. That was how they did voicetracking before computers. You had automation systems in racks with reel to reel tape machines and cart decks. Stations paid for the service. It was cheaper and easier than local DJs.

Over the years, the Magic name has gone away from most stations. But you'd be surprised how some folks are attached to it. I remember reading how WMGK considered dropping the name, but the outcry from the public made them keep it. People like a certain amount of familiarity. While some of us think "new & fresh" is what everyone wants, we discover that they don't like change. Ask the fans of WCBS-FM how they liked it when their favorite station was changed to something new.

 

[nd2023]

Magic 98.3 was one of the best ACs I've heard from ~1975-2008. Since 2008 it lost its "magic". In fact I'd say its best years ended in 2003. Now it's hard for me to go 3 songs without flipping to another station.

 

[8638]

I believe all this "fast food" sound of radio as you put forces listeners away from traditional analog radio. Downloading and recording music from the internet is plentiful, making your own radio soundtrack in your mp3'er...this is where satellite radio came in. Same music for the many not the few. The theater of the mind is pre-programmed in mp3-land. No stage....no actors.

When I turned on 99-7 'BHX with Rich Harvey, it was so different on purpose. It was deep cuts/hippee radio combined. This format will be back again soon.

It's amazing how few even own a FM radio in their home now. When I do my Tye Dyed Show on Lake Fred at Stockton Sunday afternoons, I ask most on the phone ..."How they get their radio. Most listen in their car or on a pc. There listening ends when they turn off the ignition key or power down windows.

We need something "new. fresh" in Jersey Radio. Something that men and female listners can get addicted too. There is nothing stopping us from leading the way in US from having really great radio stations. Something you want to listen to. That is what "BHX was.

I was on such a tiny tower. With no sales department. It was insane.

All I was to do was to turn it on and flip it. Like West Virginia, North Carolina & other Jersey Properties. Don Powers loved that way of doing business. So did Al Sergi.

Rohn:

Your station was unique, and totally fun to listen to, even in the dayparts where no one was jocking. The music was one helluva eclectic mix of great rock and roll. Hippie radio...a good moniker. I knew it wouldn't last, because it was GOOD! Even without a sales department, at the end you were picking up spots. And you're right, that NJ Bell commo tower in Beach Haven didn't do your signal much good, although, with tolerance for a little WBAI bleed, you could pick it up in Brick. And it was decent to the south, covering Eastern Atlantic County, sans the tower farm area in AC, quite well.

Thanks for a great, albeit short, chapter of Ocean County radio!