Mix even MORE gold

[elevator_opratr]

I have been listening to Mix a lot over the past several weeks since sign-on, and while a lot of these softer stations eventually get tweaked harder, Mix seems to be, no pun intended, mixing a lot of older "oldie" stuff in. Rare have I heard a song newer than 1990, and most seem to be older than 1980, yet they aren't necessarily AC songs ... I'd classify most as more gold.

Interesting. Not sure exactly WHO they're going after. But it sounds good.

I get the impression that the jocks aren't necessarily into the format. It's nice they kept them on, but it sounds like playing the "Beach Boys" is a real chore for some of the jocks to announce. LOL

 

[pdq]

There's too much title-and-artist "that was...and before that..." back-announcing. If people over 35 don't know those songs, they're brain dead. And when playing "20 in a row," if you stop dead for 30 seconds in the middle of it and render a list of the last few songs, then pre-sell a few more, you're not playing 20 in a row. You're playing two sets of 10 with a lot of useless blabber in the middle. Sheesh!

As for the jocks being uncomfortable with the music: 3 times "Too Late to Turn Back Now" by Cornelius Brothers and Sister Rose has been announced as "Cornelius Brothers and Sisters." Hey gang, it's either wrong on the screen or on your paper log or both, but please try to get the names right. Some of us over-35s actually remember that singing group.

> I have been listening to Mix a lot over the past several
> weeks since sign-on, and while a lot of these softer
> stations eventually get tweaked harder, Mix seems to be, no
> pun intended, mixing a lot of older "oldie" stuff in. Rare
> have I heard a song newer than 1990, and most seem to be
> older than 1980, yet they aren't necessarily AC songs ...
> I'd classify most as more gold.
>
> Interesting. Not sure exactly WHO they're going after. But
> it sounds good.
>
> I get the impression that the jocks aren't necessarily into
> the format. It's nice they kept them on, but it sounds like
> playing the "Beach Boys" is a real chore for some of the
> jocks to announce. LOL
>

 

[elevator_opratr]

LOL Good stuff.

A similar story: the other day my wife and I were in the car listening and they played the Beach Boys and Rod Stewart.

The jock came on and did some bantering, then said "up next the Beach Boys and Rod Stewart," apparently not realizing that those artists were what just played, instead of what was coming up. The jocks apparently don't even know 99% the music they're playing.

Announcement to Citadel: I'll be glad to be a jock for 106.7. I'm the perfect fit! I am young (28), yet I am an old, young guy who knows all this music you're playing! LOL

Nah, nevermind. I couldn't afford the gas driving to the H'burg area everyday. Unless I'm getting paid $40K.

($40K in radio? Dang, this spicy vegetarian burrito I'm eating for dinner must be affecting my sense of reality).

 

[John1]

> The jock came on and did some bantering, then said "up next
> the Beach Boys and Rod Stewart," apparently not realizing
> that those artists were what just played, instead of what
> was coming up. The jocks apparently don't even know 99% the
> music they're playing.>>

There's nothing worse than a jock who either doesn't know the music or doesn't like it. I have an old aircheck (I think you 'ee' have a copy) of a beautiful music station WLYF Miami 1976 where the young jock couldn't take it anymore and started laughing when giving the TOH ID "At 5 o clock, THIS is LIFE..." (dead air for several seconds, then choking back laughter) "WLYF, Miami". I remember country station WRCP in Philadelphia in the '70's hiring jocks who mispronounced the artists name ("Lefty Frizzle" for Lefty Frizell, for example)and named the songs they didn't like on the air!

Speaking of back-announcing, somewhere I have an old early '70's aircheck of WIOV when it ran pre-satellite syndication automated "Big Country" tapes and they would get out of sync, so a song would end followed by the jock saying "you just heard" and named a song that would play about 3 songs later. That programming was really bad, but it was the only FM country station that you could pick up from Harrisburg to the Lehigh Valley, which it covered back then.

What was the question?

 

[BL40Modulimiter]

> >Reminds me of the old Q106 Gates automation (four reels and 2 carousel cart racks plus a time cart). The time cart would skip cues and you'd get checks that were 2 or 3 hours off. The jock carts would get out of whack and they'd back announce the wrong songs for hours at a time. Mix has some warts, but a very gold-based A/C can fill Kool's old shoes and clip the top end off several others. I think it'll make a decent showing.

And as long as there's WHYL, they don't have to worry about being low DOG. And I mean DOG.

Cheers,
B "At least I got a 2.6 out of it" C

The jock came on and did some bantering, then said "up
> next
> > the Beach Boys and Rod Stewart," apparently not realizing
> > that those artists were what just played, instead of what
> > was coming up. The jocks apparently don't even know 99%
> the
> > music they're playing.>>
>
> There's nothing worse than a jock who either doesn't know
> the music or doesn't like it. I have an old aircheck (I
> think you 'ee' have a copy) of a beautiful music station
> WLYF Miami 1976 where the young jock couldn't take it
> anymore and started laughing when giving the TOH ID "At 5 o
> clock, THIS is LIFE..." (dead air for several seconds, then
> choking back laughter) "WLYF, Miami". I remember country
> station WRCP in Philadelphia in the '70's hiring jocks who
> mispronounced the artists name ("Lefty Frizzle" for Lefty
> Frizell, for example)and named the songs they didn't like on
> the air!
>
> Speaking of back-announcing, somewhere I have an old early
> '70's aircheck of WIOV when it ran pre-satellite syndication
> automated "Big Country" tapes and they would get out of
> sync, so a song would end followed by the jock saying "you
> just heard" and named a song that would play about 3 songs
> later. That programming was really bad, but it was the only
> FM country station that you could pick up from Harrisburg to
> the Lehigh Valley, which it covered back then.
>
> What was the question?
>

 

[Radio_Waller]

Listened to Mix for a solid hour today. I like the music, but it isn't what I would consider a "mix" station to be. It isn't Hot AC or even AC -- I would say the format is closer to that of an "oldies" station (even though I think stations are trying to get away from that term). I like the music selection, very familiar music. However, if they are going for a Hot AC or AC format they need to "mix" (no pun intended) in some more current tracks.

I definitely agree that the talent could use a little help. All I heard was the pre-selling and post-selling, but nothing else. No personality what-so-ever which is important in a competitive market.

Overall the station has come a long way from Cool Pop!

> I have been listening to Mix a lot over the past several
> weeks since sign-on, and while a lot of these softer
> stations eventually get tweaked harder, Mix seems to be, no
> pun intended, mixing a lot of older "oldie" stuff in. Rare
> have I heard a song newer than 1990, and most seem to be
> older than 1980, yet they aren't necessarily AC songs ...
> I'd classify most as more gold.
>
> Interesting. Not sure exactly WHO they're going after. But
> it sounds good.
>
> I get the impression that the jocks aren't necessarily into
> the format. It's nice they kept them on, but it sounds like
> playing the "Beach Boys" is a real chore for some of the
> jocks to announce. LOL
>

 

[radiochic]

> I definitely agree that the talent could use a little help.
> All I heard was the pre-selling and post-selling, but
> nothing else. No personality what-so-ever which is important
> in a competitive market.

Maybe...just maybe the jocks on the station WANT to have personality---but are being told to be bland and boring? Has it ever struck anyone that the new guy in charge at the Mix might want them to be like that until the station establishes a presence in the market?

Just my two cents. I used to listen to the jocks when they were on Cool Pop and they were really good, and their personalities were right on. To me, anyway, it seems like they are just trying to find their niche and go with the flow until something happens. I mean the guy in the morning has been through a lot of radio in this market...several different formats and you can tell he's just in it because it's radio. The gal after him definitely did not put me to sleep(when it was Cool pop) while I work and even the guy after her isn't bad. What happened to that night guy on Cool pop? Did he get canned? Was he even from this area?!

Ok just trying to add another dimention to this all Mix-ed up chatter.


> Overall the station has come a long way from Cool Pop!
> >
> > I get the impression that the jocks aren't necessarily
> into
> > the format. It's nice they kept them on, but it sounds
> like
> > playing the "Beach Boys" is a real chore for some of the
> > jocks to announce. LOL
> >
>

 

[thenewguy2]

> I used to listen to the jocks when they
> were on Cool Pop and they were really good, and their
> personalities were right on.

Woah, let's not get too carried away here. While they may have been a good fit for the fluffy nature of the station, I wouldn't go as far as to say they were really good.

I would agree with the previous post though, that their creativity may have been hampered by station management. Most of the talksets went to the tune of "and that was Duran Duran, by the way, you can hear that stuff every day on the retro lunch show" (ie. using a not so creative way to read a liner card), or "that was hold me now by the Thompson Twins, speaking of twins, the Olsens are on the cover of people magazine this week" (ie. using a not so creative way to link your song to a piece of show prep they found on the wire). Granted, a bit better than the 5 second "this is so-and-so on wink 104", but not really compelling radio.

Add in the number of radio crutches the staff used (ie. right there was; coming up now; don't go anywhere; a little dave matthews; etc) on a regular basis by most, if not all members of the on-air staff, and it sure seems to me that either management encouraged this college radio style, or just never got around to coaching their airstaff to get better.


> What happened to that night guy on
> Cool pop? Did he get canned? Was he even from this area?!

He was voicetracked out of Syracuse, NY. He's still the midday guy on 93Q.

 

[BL40Modulimiter]

As bad as they screwed 102.3 into the ground, buried WHYL, then followed that up with an even more spectacular royal balls-up with 106.7---Citadel may have gotten this one right---they essentially ARE doing an updated oldies/AC format, like WARM used to be---but not calling it oldies. Hmmm......it has been said research shows the younger end of the audience doesn't like the term "oldies"---Could that be the way to get oldies to keep working? Drop the "oldies" moniker and give it a generic name like Mix---or like 96.1 WSOX? Interesting....

Listened to Mix for a solid hour today. I like the music,
> but it isn't what I would consider a "mix" station to be. It
> isn't Hot AC or even AC -- I would say the format is closer
> to that of an "oldies" station (even though I think stations
> are trying to get away from that term). I like the music
> selection, very familiar music. However, if they are going
> for a Hot AC or AC format they need to "mix" (no pun
> intended) in some more current tracks.
>
> I definitely agree that the talent could use a little help.
> All I heard was the pre-selling and post-selling, but
> nothing else. No personality what-so-ever which is important
> in a competitive market.
>
> Overall the station has come a long way from Cool Pop!
>
> > I have been listening to Mix a lot over the past several
> > weeks since sign-on, and while a lot of these softer
> > stations eventually get tweaked harder, Mix seems to be,
> no
> > pun intended, mixing a lot of older "oldie" stuff in. Rare
>
> > have I heard a song newer than 1990, and most seem to be
> > older than 1980, yet they aren't necessarily AC songs ...
> > I'd classify most as more gold.
> >
> > Interesting. Not sure exactly WHO they're going after. But
>
> > it sounds good.
> >
> > I get the impression that the jocks aren't necessarily
> into
> > the format. It's nice they kept them on, but it sounds
> like
> > playing the "Beach Boys" is a real chore for some of the
> > jocks to announce. LOL
> >
>