Is it possible for a Radio Station that doesn't play the same songs over & over?

[Dusty Dale Brooks]

Re: Is it possible for a Radio Station that doesn't play the same songs over & over?

Radio has been run for the last 15-20 years by sales types and corporate types. The programming guys who were left were either good guys who sold out the audience for their job security, or bad guys who never cared about the audience--ever.

The closest mass-audience format to variety was the "Jack or "Bob" format and listeners soon saw it for what it was, too.

Terrestrial radio has become an information medium, and, depending on your politics, good information or propaganda. It is musically irrelevant. I echo what several others have said. If you want musical entertainment, get an iPod, go to the Internet, or buy the XM/Sirius service.

 

[TheBigA]

Re: Is it possible for a Radio Station that doesn't play the same songs over & over?

Radio has been run for the last 15-20 years by sales types and corporate types. The programming guys who were left were either good guys who sold out the audience for their job security, or bad guys who never cared about the audience--ever.

There's a lot of mythology about radio, and this is among the most common. The fact is that radio has been run by sales types since the 1920s, not just the last 15-20 years. The programming we've all heard about from the Golden Age of Radio was owned and created by advertising agencies, not radio programmers. The history of radio has been about making money. Not providing free music for the public. This didn't just happen recently. And it's absolutely wrong that programming guys have "sold out the audience for job security." They are far more tuned in on what the audience wants than ever before. And the facts clearly show that the audience wants what radio delivers. There's a reason why 93% of the public has not subscribed to SiriusXM. The reason is they get what they want for free from OTA radio. The other 7% complain. They complain on message boards, they complain to radio stations, and they complain to SiriusXM's customer service operators.

 

[oldies76]

Re: Is it possible for a Radio Station that doesn't play the same songs over & over?

And the facts clearly show that the audience wants what radio delivers. There's a reason why 93% of the public has not subscribed to SiriusXM. The reason is they get what they want for free from OTA radio. The other 7% complain. They complain on message boards, they complain to radio stations, and they complain to SiriusXM's customer service operators.

Right and those 7% of any given population, is a huge number of unsatisfied listeners wanting more songs or better programming. I am giving an opinion on behalf of many that are unsatisfied with radio and what it has to offer them. For me (a complainer, according to your assumption...) I could go either way. Either keep "complaining" about lack of songs on radio or be happy with my 5000+ classics on my MP3. In other words, I've got it covered. It pleases all my guests at get-togethers, never a complaint of unknown, obscure oldies being played. They leave with nice compliments and are happy and look forward to returning to hear more.

 

[oldies76]

Re: Is it possible for a Radio Station that doesn't play the same songs over & over?

Since the average PPM listening span is between 3 and 4 hours a week to any one station, that means that the average listener will hear perhaps 40 songs per week. The average classic hits station plays around 800 songs in full rotation, so it would take nearly half a year to hearall the songs over again. Even heavy listeners, which would be those with 7 to 8 hours a week of listening, won't hear the full library repeat for around 10 weeks.

The randomness of a particular lineup, on a any given day, increases the likelihood of hearing a repeat much sooner than six months or 10 weeks. "Brown-Eyed Girl" is heard at different timeslots throughout the week, so if you tune in everyday at some time, chances are you'll hear it more frequently, than once in 180 days.

People whose entire lives revolve around one kind of music or musical era will never be happy, so there is absolutely no way to satisfy someone like you. I see a mental picture of Quijote charging a windmill here...

Pueblo 690 KWRP

 

[TheBigA]

Re: Is it possible for a Radio Station that doesn't play the same songs over & over?

Right and those 7% of any given population, is a huge number of unsatisfied listeners wanting more songs or better programming.

The problem is that each one of them wants something different, so they don't form a unified mass. They only have power if they all agree on the same songs and the same format. They don't. And the sad part is a large percentage of that 7% complains almost daily about the choices they get at SiriusXM.

Either keep "complaining" about lack of songs on radio or be happy with my 5000+ classics on my MP3. In other words, I've got it covered. It pleases all my guests at get-togethers, never a complaint of unknown, obscure oldies being played. They leave with nice compliments and are happy and look forward to returning to hear more.

Hooray for you. We serve a whole lot more guests than you can fit in your entire neighborhood. And they keep coming back.

 

[oldies76]

Re: Is it possible for a Radio Station that doesn't play the same songs over & over?

And the sad part is a large percentage of that 7% complains almost daily about the choices they get at SiriusXM.

By shelling out $16.95 or $12.95 a month for repeated music, they should get what they pay for. I don't blame them.

 

[davideduardo]

Re: Is it possible for a Radio Station that doesn't play the same songs over & over?

The randomness of a particular lineup, on a any given day, increases the likelihood of hearing a repeat much sooner than six months or 10 weeks. "Brown-Eyed Girl" is heard at different timeslots throughout the week, so if you tune in everyday at some time, chances are you'll hear it more frequently, than once in 180 days.

Songs are not programmed randomly. There is a goal of playing a song in every "daypart" (and that term is definable by the programmer to match Arbitron, airshifts, market work patterns, etc.) before returning it to the same daypart, and then playing in every hour of the daypart before returning to the same hour. While that is not 100% possible, it's a major goal.

Scheduling software that every significant station has used for decades makes this a relatively easy task.

Pueblo 690 KWRP

Your point of reference proves your point is wrong. KWRP is being foreclosed on by a creditor because it could not pay the notes on the station purchase. so much for the potential success of a station that plays mostly stiffs.

 

[TheBigA]

Re: Is it possible for a Radio Station that doesn't play the same songs over & over?

By shelling out $16.95 or $12.95 a month for repeated music, they should get what they pay for. I don't blame them.

If the folks who operate by listener subscription don't listen to your complaints, why should stations who answer to advertisers?

 

[nocomradio]

Re: Is it possible for a Radio Station that doesn't play the same songs over & over?

Nope. It's because these songs attract ratings. BIG ratings. Commercial radio isn't attempting to appeal to musicologists, collectors, or snobs. Just normal people who only know one song by Queen, America, or most other older acts. Just play the hits. That's the theory that made them hits in the first place. Back in the 60s, heavy rotation was 5-6 times a day. Maybe more.

Attract big ratings? How? I cannot believe, even for one second, that hearing Queen singing Bohemian Rhapsody several times a week is doing anyone any good. Back in the 60's and the 70's (which I do remember) there was heavy rotation. But, it wasn't for year upon year. It was until something else bumped it off the chart. That was livable. Rehashing the same 300 songs as a career, just makes no sense, no matter how anyone in the business tries to justify it.

I think it works like this: Station owners sell advertising. Advertisers buy it and hear their commercials played at the agreed upon time. Advertiser sees some return on investment in the form of customers coming into their establishment. Does advertiser actually track where their customers come from? (Many couldn't tell you, even the big companies) Station managers receive check. Listeners get whatever is piped down the line to them interspersed with more commercials per hour than anyone should be subjected to.

Again, this isn't scientific, or even based on any research, this is simply a business-owner (not radio) based observation. Radio stations are in it for the money, no doubt as any business should be. Unfortunately, they don't seem to care one whit what they serve the public, just as long as the advertisers are kept happy. Don't believe me? Just try calling your local station and complaining (intelligently) about their content or lack of it. They will mock you and the others who don't like their product by playing your voicemail on air just to show they are "listening to their public." To me that sends a very clear message, and shows a real lack of tact.

Why don't stations just go ahead and go all advertising all the time? Is there a law that says they can't?

 

[TheBigA]

Re: Is it possible for a Radio Station that doesn't play the same songs over & over?

Attract big ratings? How? I cannot believe, even for one second, that hearing Queen singing Bohemian Rhapsody several times a week is doing anyone any good.

Believe what you want to believe. They're not doing it because the DJ or PD likes it. They're doing it because it gets results. And it does.

Rehashing the same 300 songs as a career, just makes no sense, no matter how anyone in the business tries to justify it.

The typical classic hits library is bigger than 300 songs. The average is about 800. And it's cycled and replaced regularly. There is one justification: It gets ratings. No one has an agenda here other than attracting large audiences, and this is how you do it. You think you can do better? Apply for a job.

Radio stations are in it for the money, no doubt as any business should be. Unfortunately, they don't seem to care one whit what they serve the public, just as long as the advertisers are kept happy. Don't believe me? Just try calling your local station and complaining (intelligently) about their content or lack of it.

They ARE listening to the public. Just not you. Their ratings prove it.

Why don't stations just go ahead and go all advertising all the time? Is there a law that says they can't?

That’s not the point. They play music to attract an audience, and then they sell advertising to that audience. That's been the business model for 90 years. You don’t like the music OR the advertising. No wonder you're not in their target.

 

[oldies76]

Re: Is it possible for a Radio Station that doesn't play the same songs over & over?

Your point of reference proves your point is wrong. KWRP is being foreclosed on by a creditor because it could not pay the notes on the station purchase. so much for the potential success of a station that plays mostly stiffs.

How much longer do you expect them to remain in operation? What about the FM 100.3 broadcast?

 

[davideduardo]

Re: Is it possible for a Radio Station that doesn't play the same songs over & over?

Your point of reference proves your point is wrong. KWRP is being foreclosed on by a creditor because it could not pay the notes on the station purchase. so much for the potential success of a station that plays mostly stiffs.

How much longer do you expect them to remain in operation? What about the FM 100.3 broadcast?

The FM was sold to the same person that is taking over 690 and KIQN. The purchase price was $30 k, which seems high for a signal that puts a 64 dbu over only 3,000 persons. They may have a plan to move it closer to Pueblo itself.

If they feel the format can be commercially successful under new management, they might keep it. Or they might modify it, or change it. I don't see, as of today, an FCC approval on the deal so anything could happen.