How Deep Should A Playlist Go?

[firepoint525]

Hi, David, hit this link from 8:00 a.m. until noon CDT tomorrow (Saturday) and let us know what you think. Popular program, well sold, with some deep tracks.

Certainly this is an eclectic show... going from Herb Alpert to The Knack on one show.
But the whole station is in the mid to low one share range, so what they do or do not do is not a terrific example of successful PPM programming. It's very possible that the station does OK financially, as it is a stand-alone, local type operation. But it's also possible that they are simply too cool for the room.

You miss the point. The program is successful, obviously makes $$$$, and they've been doing it for nearly 18 years now. It's on Saturday morning, so the bar can't exactly be set too high for that time of the day and week. Being #1 is not the point. Being successful is the point. The station's signal is too weak for them to be a real contender, but the program is still successful.

 

[davideduardo]

You miss the point.

I totally get the point. A station that is 22nd in 12+ share and 19th in 25-54, has a show that it can sell at reasonable enough rates to make it worthwhile in a daypart that, in many PPM markets, has greater Persons Using Radio than morning drive, M-F.

The program is successful, obviously makes $$$$,

I did the lemonade stand thing when 6 or 7, and I made money. Some days, i may have made almost a dollar.

What constitutes "making $$$$" in Ishpeming, MI, could also be a million missed opportunities in a market like NY or LA or Chicago.

It's on Saturday morning, so the bar can't exactly be set too high for that time of the day and week.

You mean a daypart that is within a few tenths of a rating point of being as listened to as any other in the week is the place to have lowered expectations?

Being #1 is not the point. Being successful is the point.

But may main point is that what is essentially a rock station with bad numbers is hardly a poster child for "variety" among oldies (or classic hits) stations. In fact, in trying to prove that deep libraries are successful, not one oldies station has been mentioned, but a scantly listened to FM in a different format is put on the table for dissection.

The station's signal is too weak for them to be a real contender, but the program is still successful.

In the context of being a low rated station, anything that is no less successful is "successful."

 

[firepoint525]

What constitutes "making $$$$" in Ishpeming, MI, could also be a million missed opportunities in a market like NY or LA or Chicago.

That is nothing but elitism. The vast majority of us DON'T live in NY, LA, or Chicago.

It's on Saturday morning, so the bar can't exactly be set too high for that time of the day and week.

You mean a daypart that is within a few tenths of a rating point of being as listened to as any other in the week is the place to have lowered expectations?

So you mean that now, we can't even escape the same ol' same ol', even on weekends? Glad that hasn't happened here yet.

But may main point is that what is essentially a rock station with bad numbers is hardly a poster child for "variety" among oldies (or classic hits) stations. In fact, in trying to prove that deep libraries are successful, not one oldies station has been mentioned, but a scantly listened to FM in a different format is put on the table for dissection.

We had a deep tracks program on Sunday nights here in Nashville for a while, on what passes for the "classic hits" station, but they never gave it a chance to find an audience and succeed. And before you gloat about that, keep in mind that the station itself has constantly flipped formats over the past five years, trying to reinvent itself. They previously programmed that station just like you have suggested, NOT playing anything even remotely unfamiliar to audiences, yet they still failed anyway. If they had listened to us, and THEN failed, then you might have a point. But they ignored us, and failed anyway. Interesting to note that what the station is now, is close to what we originally suggested that they should have been doing five years ago. : (Except for Bob & Tom, of course! :)

 

[davideduardo]

What constitutes "making $$$$" in Ishpeming, MI, could also be a million missed opportunities in a market like NY or LA or Chicago.

That is nothing but elitism. The vast majority of us DON'T live in NY, LA, or Chicago.

Yes, but look at the population in the top 100 markets... it's like 70% of the total US population. And what I said about "NY and Chicago..." was meant to be about large, ratings driven markets.

We had a deep tracks program on Sunday nights here in Nashville for a while, on what passes for the "classic hits" station, but they never gave it a chance to find an audience and succeed. And before you gloat about that, keep in mind that the station itself has constantly flipped formats over the past five years, trying to reinvent itself. They previously programmed that station just like you have suggested, NOT playing anything even remotely unfamiliar to audiences, yet they still failed anyway. If they had listened to us, and THEN failed, then you might have a point. But they ignored us, and failed anyway. Interesting to note that what the station is now, is close to what we originally suggested that they should have been doing five years ago.

First, anything you do in a market the size of Nashville on a Sunday or Saturday evening is in a zone where radio listening is minimal and where, diary or meter, there is not enough sample to make any sense out of the numbers beyond 25-54 or 18-49 (if that).

A lot goes into a station besides the "right" songs. Being at least significantly familiar to a core audience target is generally essential, just as knowing that, let's say, 15% of car buyers will demand red as the color and then not offering red... you have to deliver to expectations. Only then can you awe the listeners via presentation, flow, imaging, station activities, contests, etc.