Yep. The last time I checked, the iHeart Christmas format is the same at most of its stations. Same songs at the same times.
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Jack FM Playlist Exactly the Same (in British Columbia)
- Thread starter fordranger797
- Start date
Yep. The last time I checked, the iHeart Christmas format is the same at most of its stations. Same songs at the same times.
If you were listening on the app, at one point, all of the iHeart stations would shift to national feeds at midnight. I don't know if it still does that, but iHeart is definitely using more national playlists and using them in more dayparts. Townsquare is doing that, too.
Two factors: doing market by market research is too expensive today and the internet has very much reduced or eliminated regional differences in music that "tests well".
Here's a third: Smaller and regional record labels were consolidated out of the recording industry by, if not the mid-70's, the early 80's.
Good point. For that reason, there are not songs that "break" in their home market... because the label's home is in Japan or Germany or whatever.
The Sun Records story of Johnny Cash or Elvis would likely be impossible to replicate today. Even acts like K.C. and the Sunshine Band out of Miami!
Plus it's very easy to do a sub-label deal with a major. Everybody does it today. Taylor Swift began on Big Machine, which had a distribution deal with Universal. Morgan Wallen is on Big Loud, which had pop distribution from Republic, which is distributed by Universal. Sony and Warners do it also. That way they spread the risk.
Another thing that killed artists breaking in their home markets was the rise of cover bands, karaoke, and discos. Lots of cheaper ways to entertain in local bars besides live bands playing original music. If you have original music, you put it on YouTube or TikTok and get paid instantly. I know people making hundreds of thousands of dollars posting original songs on TikTok.
As a side note, it appears that Stingray is following a similar pattern with their “boom fm” radio stations. I noticed a post that someone put up on Boom 97.3’s Facebook page to call out the fact that the playlist in multiple cities is exactly the same, with the same songs airing in order.
It seems that subtle changes in song choice are indeed being made, with 97.3 in Toronto playing a few different songs that match the needs of their market better. I’m not sure if that happens in other markets.
This is more what I would expect to see in most scenarios (especially in the U.S. market), where a playlist may be adapted a bit to fit local tastes. I’ll give a little bit of kudos to a company that seems to get a lot of flack: iHeartMedia. The two classic hits radio stations I listen to the most are KJEB 95.7 in Seattle, and KOSF in San Francisco. Both stations use a lot of the same songs out of the same library, but they’re not identical. There are changes that keep each station localized to each market.
It seems that subtle changes in song choice are indeed being made, with 97.3 in Toronto playing a few different songs that match the needs of their market better. I’m not sure if that happens in other markets.
This is more what I would expect to see in most scenarios (especially in the U.S. market), where a playlist may be adapted a bit to fit local tastes. I’ll give a little bit of kudos to a company that seems to get a lot of flack: iHeartMedia. The two classic hits radio stations I listen to the most are KJEB 95.7 in Seattle, and KOSF in San Francisco. Both stations use a lot of the same songs out of the same library, but they’re not identical. There are changes that keep each station localized to each market.
"BOOM" Toronto is Stingray, but once you leave Toronto, Ottawa & Cornwall are actually Corus Boom FM's.
Stingray has stations in other markets operating under the name "Rewind", which MIGHT be playing the same playlist as their Toronto Boom FM...
There's a Rewind in New Hampshire on 92.7 in Manchester and 102.3 in Keene, but they're licensed to the local Monadnock Media Group. The format is '70s through '90s pop and rock hits. I guess Stingray didn't protect the name.
Is Stingray the operator of the music channels available on various FAST services? Or is Stingray another unprotected name? I'm not sure that Canadian corporations can protect US corporations from duplicating their names or service marks even if they're in the same business (music delivery).
I don't believe Stingray can copyright the Rewind name in the US if it isn't using it here. Also, in order for it to secure a nationwide copyright to the name, it would have to prove it was the first in the US to use the name.
Several companies here have used the Rewind name for longer than it has been used in Canada.
Yes Stingray owns the music channels on the Canadian side. Keep on mind, Stingray Canada is Stingray group inc.
There doesn't appear to be an American Stingray.
Thanks for mentioning this station, I’ll check it out.
There have been times when there's been a tropo opening in November and I've been able to pick up five iHeart Christmas stations all playing the same music - 100.3 WNIC (my local), 101.5 The River (Toledo) (semi-local), Star 105.7 (Grand Rapids), Mix 98.1 WDFM (Defiance OH), and Majic 105.7 (Cleveland). WNIC deviates only during their all-request lunch hour (which is all '80s the rest of the year) or when airing the Casey Kasem Christmas shows on Sunday mornings (they normally air the '80s AT40 reruns).
Townsquare is also heavily into corporate formats. 99.1 WFMK in Lansing and Cars 108 in Flint air the same AC logs except when WFMK is running BackTrax USA or Cars is running Delilah or AT40 ('80s reruns and Seacrest's Hot AC countdown). So does 100.5 The River in Grand Rapids (which was Soft AC until Townsquare apparently discontinued that format).