There isn't one. And interestingly, more than a year ago in one of those "AC isn't AC anymore" threads, I pointed out that the Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated" was testing well with women in their 30s and 40s who consider it a party song. And now, here it is on KRTH.
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KRTH playing 2004 music!
- Thread starter oldies76
- Start date
There isn't one. And interestingly, more than a year ago in one of those "AC isn't AC anymore" threads, I pointed out that the Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated" was testing well with women in their 30s and 40s who consider it a party song. And now, here it is on KRTH.
My view is that it has been noted that a song from this century has been played, we've discussed it for 9 pages and 80 comments, and that's enough. We're done here. Everything else is just second-guessing the station's decision, which is the same circular argument. You either like it or you don't. If you don't like it, don't listen.
I think BigA said it best when he stated that "classic hits" is a broad term and each station can make its own version of the very broad generic format name.
"Classic Hits" is a term of the trade for gold based stations that have a pop oldies core drawn mostly from the 70's and 80's. That does not mean they can't play 90's or newer, or can't play some 60's. It also means they can decide to play more rock-leaning songs, more up tempo songs or less rhythmic songs and ballads based on what works in their individual markets.
"Classic Hits" is not a restaurant franchise where the signs, the decor, the uniforms, the menus and the pricing have to strictly fit a tight mold. It's a term created mostly so media buyers can tell the demographic and sociographic appeal of a format even when buying from thousands of miles away. It's about sales, not about songs.
I was having a conversation with a programmer about classic country. That's another generic format name. We were discussing how some stations in that format play mainly 50s, 60s, and 70s. While others are mainly 80s-90s. Some, like Nash Icon, insert currents with their classics. So everyone is free to adapt a format to suit their local audience.
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Thomps2525
Guest
Jim Carson today urged listeners to "get your requests in now for KRTH's Totally '80s Weekend." We all know that the KRTH request line exists for the same reason that former sister station KHJ's request line existed: So the listeners think their requests matter. They don't. Five hundred people can ask for a particular song which is not on KRTH's everyday playlist and that song will not be played. KRTH isn't fooling me!
Today I heard Falco's Rock Me Amadeus on KRTH. Ten years ago, that song would have sounded out of place. Today it fits in quite well along with all the songs by the Clash, Scandal, Journey, Foreigner, INXS and REO Speedwagon. Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes, indeed!
Today I heard Falco's Rock Me Amadeus on KRTH. Ten years ago, that song would have sounded out of place. Today it fits in quite well along with all the songs by the Clash, Scandal, Journey, Foreigner, INXS and REO Speedwagon. Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes, indeed!
In a case like this, I'd tabulate the requests and use them to rank the songs that I know passed the last music test. And maybe, if they got a lot of requests, I'd use a few of the titles that were just under a passing score to stir it up a bit.
The ranking, of course, would determine how often on the weekend those songs each got played.
Exactly. Very few stations even take "true" requests anymore....why even bother.
K
K.M. Richards
Guest
Read David's response, you two.
Even at a station which relies on standardized music research, for a special weekend like this you can take listener requests and use them to rank the songs, so that the well-tested ones with requests play a little more often and so some of the marginally testing songs can be included over that weekend. They may not be true "requests" but they are still useful listener input.
That is, in all likelihood, exactly (as oldies76 puts it) what is happening at the Death Star.
In those two posts of yours, I see why I'm tired of you both ... excessive cynicism.
Radio Rewind, so no Firecracker 300 this 4th of July Weekend?? Check out WOGL, playing now are their top 1000 classic hits countdown for the entire holiday weekend. You won't be disappointed, 60's thru 80's music and plenty of songs you will enjoy hearing again. Already heard Stories, Carly Simon, Terry Jacks, Hot Butter and Rick Dees and His Cast of Idiots this hour!
http://wogl.cbslocal.com/
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K.M. Richards
Guest
Special weekend or no, I wonder how many tune-outs occurred in the opening seconds of "Brother Louie", "Seasons In The Sun", "Popcorn", and (especially) "Disco Duck".
As a programmer, I'd prefer KRTH's approach. Stick with mostly well-tested songs, play them at a frequency derived from the input of listeners to the request line, and add some of the marginally-testing titles that get requests as accents. In fact, those accents are probably the best candidates for retesting to see if they can make the regular playlist.
Maybe some might tune out, maybe not....but here's the deal, they do a large special (in some form or another) nearly every holiday weekend, every year. And with or without tuneout, they do it again and again. So something's working KM. So once again, kudos to them.
Take a listen.
KRTH's approach is fabulous......for those listeners that only enjoy 200 or so songs.
"You Don't Have to Be A Star" is on. Enjoy!
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Thomps2525
Guest
K.M., I am not cynical without reason. Many years ago a radio columnist (who I will not identify) told me that he had spoken with a KRTH executive (who he would not identify) who told him (off the record) that requests and votes have no bearing on KRTH's Top 300 countdowns. Things might be different in 2015 but there was one period when the same Top 300 songs, in the same order, were played two years in a row. There was another year when KRTH was running a promo featuring Charlie Van Dyke playing snippets of the songs that ranked #201 and #101 and telling listeners that they would have to be listening to the Top 300 countdown to find out what the number one song is.....and this promo was running three days prior to the beginning of the countdown. So the list had already been determined even though listeners supposedly had three more days in which to vote. There ya go!
We have been through this so many times that I am wondering if you have some kind of attention or learning difficulty which would excuse you.
Philly is a very stable city. Most people there now are from there. Not many people want to move to Philly. It is a relatively low growth market, meaning more people leave than come in. So they all grew up on Hy Lit and Wibbage and WiFi and WFIL and... well, you should get the idea. A common background.
LA is a transient city. Nobody is from here. A huge immigrant population that was born and, likely, came of age somewhere else in the world. And a large group of born-in-the-USA Americans from everywhere from Oklahoma to New Orleans to Chicago. Most of them grew up with very different radio stations in their heritage... often ones that played few songs in English. A very diverse and un-common background.
So there are far fewer common connections. "Disco Duck" was not an international hit, a common feature with songs that depended on US fads or humor. Many other songs have uneven familiarity, and may be liked by a few but hated by the majority due to unfamiliarity. So KRTH is going to have fewer songs on the list than comparable stations in more traditional markets.
Capisce? Or do we have to keep beating this dead horse until we have a horse flavored slurpee?
That story would be useful if the station was a total failure, and we were trying to figure out why. But given the current situation, one would be wise to copy whatever system they're using, because it's working.
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Thomps2525
Guest
David, just for the record---no pun intended---I was born in Glendale and still live in Glendale. I'm not a transient either. I thought about becoming one but the job didn't pay enough. 
By the way, I went to an all-white elementary school. I think I, and one other boy, were the only two students who listened to KGFJ as well as to KFWB and KRLA.
By the way, I went to an all-white elementary school. I think I, and one other boy, were the only two students who listened to KGFJ as well as to KFWB and KRLA.My observation (and just that) was directed to Radio Rewind. Not an argument, as you claim, or want to claim.
So very true. So, you know the alternative RR which I already presented you.
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