King Of Pop Tribute

[iceman07]

Alot of stations in Charleston has cancelled current programming to play all Michael Jackson/Jackson 5 songs has any other station around the state done the same.

B92
Z-93
95SX (not back to back but in rotation)
FM 95.9
Star 99.7
CHUCK 101.7
MAGIC 107.3

 

[carolinaradio]

They mentioned it on Magic 98.9 in Greenville I believe but none of his songs. My 102.5 was totally oblivious when I was listening, but of course it was tracked before the news broke.

B93.7 is playing a good amount of his songs, a couple an hour.

 

[carolinaradio]

107.3 Jamz, Magic 98.9 and My 102.5 in Greenville are all playing a few of his songs an hour.

 

[MarkSC]

Checked the play history and neither WMYI or WSPA played a Michael Jackson song yesterday between 5:30pm and 7:00pm (when they both go to syndication) while this story was exploding. Pitiful.

 

[carolinaradio]

I could see WMYI as they are voicetracked but it seems WSPA could have done something. :

WSPA is having a "Michael Jackson hour" right now with requests and reflections on his life.

 

[MarkSC]

In PM Drive on a Thursday afternoon, you ought to be able to do something...voicetracked or not.

 

[Ssummers]

I hate to sound like an old fogie, but it's a sign of the times. Used to be, back when most DJs(including management) were "students" of radio, it was a combination of thirsting to beat the competition to the punch, wanting your station to sound great, hip and vital and also taking pride in a job well done that drove a broadcaster to go the extra mile. Now, with the advent of crushing debt ratios, monolithic broadcast entities, costcutting measures like voicetracking and the employment of non-"students" of radio just collecting a paycheck, this is the end result.

...anyone hear the fat lady singing? Maybe not yet, but I hear the orchestra tuning up.

:'(

 

[carolinaradio]

That is very true Ssummers. As for yesterday, the few at CC/Greenville except WESC were likely already gone. WMYI and WSSL are tracked. The 102.5 "PD" is on with Love in the morning so she was probably long gone. Most of these stations/groups just don't care. As for WSPA, she mentioned it I believe but no songs. 98.9's PD got his stuff on WFBC quickly so I don't really understand why not 98.9.

Magic finally did do a nice tribute hour to Michael in the 5:00PM hour, taking requests and memories of him. They devoted the whole hour to his memory. It was the best 'tribute' I've heard to him yet.
107.3 Jamz is doing a special weekend about him and giving away CDs I believe.

 

[freqdev]

if i were in control i am not sure i would devote a lot of time to this. the tv networks are beating it to death. radio could be a welcomed relief.

 

[DudeFan]

Thursday night wall-to-wall coverage on the TV networks was almost breathless overkill. Friday night on NBC, they were back at it. I changed the channel.

 

[bugz]

For radio, it was basically a 24-hour thing. For TV, it will be a 24-week thing.

 

[charlestondxman]

I was down in Hilton Head when the story broke, and almost every station I heard broke in to air Michael Jackson's music and calls from listeners.

Love 101 in Savannah, along with 103.9 played his music, while Kiss 97.3 was stuck playing Ryan Seacrest taped from earlier on in the day. Several other Savannah stations, even WRHQ (normally a AAA station) stopped normal programming and played his music.

Magic 107.3 and Z-93 also played his music non-stop all Thursday night, and took calls from listeners. Many of the stations I was picking up from Jacksonville and Orlando were also carrying non-stop Jackson coverage (like Mix 105.1).

 

[DudeFan]

It's almost as shamelessly exploitative in death as in life. We mentioned it on air. That was the end of it. I couldn't see the point of breaking format to exploit the moment. Michael Jackson was a superstar performer, became a tabloid gossip freakshow as his personal troubles and crosses mounted, and sadly, it all eclipsed what were two generally superb albums. It's time to let the guy lie in peace and enjoy the solititude he could never gain here on earth.

 

[carolinaradio]

Yeah, I agree DudeFan.

In Greenville WMYI went back to business as usual today, they had been playing 2-3 of his songs an hour Friday I think. Didn't hear any MJ there today. Not sure if Jamz did anymore and WSPA is business as usual, but they didn't make a big production out of it anyway (that tribute hour was enough IMO). I do find it odd, though, that a top-40 station makes a bigger deal out of it than an AC station that is in the same building and both have the same PD. Michael Jackson in heavy rotation just makes more sense on 98.9 than 93.7 I think.

 

[MarkSC]

Agreed that whatever they do now is too late, and runs the risk of oversaturating listeners who've been slammed by TV coverage. Still, I go back to Thursday afternoon, where it is clear that the AC's in Greenville dropped the ball.

 

[freqdev]

thank you for validating my thought. radio is fluid and in 15 minute increments. radio should offer something that the video saavy are sick of.

 

[carolinaradio]

Agreed that whatever they do now is too late, and runs the risk of oversaturating listeners who've been slammed by TV coverage. Still, I go back to Thursday afternoon, where it is clear that the AC's in Greenville dropped the ball.

I see no excuse for why Entercom didn't get something on WSPA. I know Billie Jean and Rock With You are in the rotation at Magic. What a joke. Clear Channel Greenville I'm not so surprised at as we have known for ages that they simply don't care if it's not Country.....but Entercom is the disappointer here. When the news broke I immediately tuned to 98.9, I expected them to be doing something.

 

[freqdev]

When the news broke I immediately tuned to 98.9, I expected them to be doing something.

i would have saturated the jock talk times with the information over several hours. many are over thinking this.

 

[vchimpanzee]

I only turned on V101.9 a couple of times, but never heard anything other than Michael.