My CHR station (If I actually had one) would consist of...

[CHR_FAN_TX]

Not in the radio industry but if I programmed a CHR station this is what it would look like..Comments and thoughts welcome...

TOP Of HOUR ID

Jordin Sparks-No Air
Buckcherry-Sorry
Lupe Fiasco-Superstar
Rihanna-Don't stop the music
Bon Jovi-You give love a bad name
Chris Brown-With you
3 Days Grace-Never too late

Commercial Break

Flo Rida-Low
OneRepublic-Stop and stare
Britney Spears-Piece of me
Oasis-Wonderwall
Sara Bareilles-Love song

Top of Hour ID

Linkin Park-Shadow of the day
Miley Cyrus-See you again
Usher-Love in this club
Brad Paisley-Letter to me
Cascada-Everytime we touch
Finger Eleven-Paralyzer
Wyclef Jean-Sweetest Girl

Commercial Break

Leona Lewis-Bleeding Love
Kanye West-Stronger
Taylor Swift-Teardrops on my guitar
Simple Minds-Dont You Forget About Me
Alicia Keys-No One

Top of Hour ID

Jonas Brothers-When You Look me in the Eyes
Timbaland-The Way I Are
Blue October-Calling You
RihannaFeat. Neyo-Hate That I Love You
Nirvana-Smells Like Teen Spirit
OneRepublic-Apologize
Maroon 5-Won't Go Home Without You

Commercial Break

Mariah Carey-Touch My Body
Boys Like Girls-Hero.Heroine
Snoop Dog-Sensual Seduction
Tag Team-Whoomp! There It Is
Lifehouse-Whatever It Takes

Top of Hour ID

Flo Rida-Low
Santana-Into The Night
Jordin Sparks-Tattoo
Chris Brown-With You
Erasure-Chains Of Love
Flyleaf-All Around Me
Usher-Yeah!

Commercial Break

Buchcherry-Sorry
Natasha Bedingfield-Pocketful of Sunshine
OneRepublic-Stop and Stare
Matccbox 20-3am
Chris Brown-Kiss Kiss

That is my 4 hours of music..Let me know your opinions...

 

[CHRles]

Get rid of the 80s music and for the most part it looks pretty good 8)

 

[Jammin247]

Checked out your playlist, and for the most part not bad. The only thing I would say
is that with the CHR format targeting mostly 18-34 female, I could do without the songs
you have listed, some older than 15 years. That would make most of the early target not even
born or too young to remember. That to me is a tune out. I've been a PD/MD for a number of
years and I never put in anything older than 5-7 years back unless it was a Flashback Lunch
or Rewind kind of show, but never in regular programming. I don't get these stations playing
music more than ten years old. It makes the station sound so dated when I hear stuff like that.
It makes me laugh when I hear a liner that says, "Today's Hit Music" and then something from
1995 come on!? To me, "Today's Hit Music" means just that. Now this is only one persons opinion,
but that's what makes it cool, eveyone has there own way of thinking. I guess no right or wrong
way. I also don't buy into the "testing" thing. You get feedback from maybe 200 people in a metro
of 500,000 and that's your basis of decision. I've gone on long enough, just my thoughts.

The Best R&B On The Internet!
http://www.jammin247radio.com

 

[CHR_FAN_TX]

Yeah...I figured I'd get some interesting answers about the older stuff..I figured those soccer moms who drive their kids to and from school..etc..who are forced to listen to CHR Pop would appreciate one or two songs like that in an hour...But only 1 or 2...Some stations can get away with that I guess..I know KHKS here in Dallas will go back as far as the 80's maybe once an hour..Makes the station sound pretty good though..Opinions appreciated..thanks!

 

[Jammin247]

Yeah...I figured I'd get some interesting answers about the older stuff..I figured those soccer moms who drive their kids to and from school..etc..who are forced to listen to CHR Pop would appreciate one or two songs like that in an hour...But only 1 or 2...Some stations can get away with that I guess..I know KHKS here in Dallas will go back as far as the 80's maybe once an hour..Makes the station sound pretty good though..Opinions appreciated..thanks!

Yeah, that one 80's song an hour would be better served playing a current hit. That ONE song an hour isn't
keeping the soccer mom tuned in. What would happen if MTV would play all the hot current videos and then play a Simple Minds video, TRAIN WRECK!!! Your alienating your core listener with an unfamiliar song giving the
station a good chance of tune out, why chance it. Leave the 80's tunes to an AC or 80's station.

 

[CHRles]

I know KHKS here in Dallas will go back as far as the 80's maybe once an hour..

Really? What 80s titles is Kiss FM playing in regular rotation? I don't see any in the music logs I'm checking for the station. They'll play a 90s hits once every couple of hours in the daytime, like Sir Mix A Lot's "Baby Got Back", or Boyz II Men's "I'll Make Love To You".

 

[CHR_FAN_TX]

Well I shouldn't have said "once an hour" for KHKS..but they do occasionally play an 80's Bon Jovi or Def Leppard song during the daytime. Not very often though...I'll usually catch it once or twice a week when I listen..

 

[The Truthsayer]

Doc your station is a lot better but theres still some songs that stick out like a sore thumb

Flo Rida - Elevator
Enur - Calabria (Mims Remix)
Finger Eleven - Paralyzer
Kylie Minogue - Can't Get You Out Of My Head
Miley Cryus - See You Again
that was a good set
Armor For Sleep - Hold The Door (stiff, it will die on modern rock)
Pitbull - The Anthem
Jordin Sparks - No Air
Weezer - Undone: The Sweater Song (good song, but it's a modern rock gold not a CHR gold)
Chris Brown - With You
Mariah Carey - Touch My Body
Deaf Pedestrians - Hail to the Geek (good current, but it belongs on modern rock)
Coolio - Fantastic Voyage
Lupe Fiasco - Superstar
Atreyu - Falling Down (good current, but it belongs on modern rock)

Cherish - Killa
Incubus - Dig (good recurrent, but it belongs on modern rock)
Christina Milian - Dip It Low
Jonas Brothers - When You Look Me In The Eyes
Gnarls Barkley - Run (good current, but it belongs on modern rock)
Baby Bash - What Is It
Fergie - Fergalicious
Kenny Loggins - Footloose (um...there's a lot of your target demo that was born at least 5 years after 1984)
Jimmy Eat World - Always Be (good current, but it belongs on modern rock)
Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
Muse - Starlight (good recurrent, but it belongs on modern rock)
Murphy Lee - Wat Da Hook Gon Be
Sara Bareilles - Love Song
Webbie - Independent
good set after Muse

Vampire Weekend - A-Punk (stiff, it will die on modern rock)
Avril Lavigne - Hot (stiff, get rid of it)
Cam'Ron - Hey Ma
Seether - Fake It (good current, but it belongs on modern rock. What research told you that Fake it by Seether and a stiff called The way I am by Ingrid Michaelson should be in power rotation?)
Usher - Love In This Club
Madonna - 4 Minutes (stiff, get rid of it)
Chevelle - I Get It (good recurrent, but it belongs on modern rock)
Snoop Doggy Dogg - Gin and Juice
Miley Cyrus - See You Again
Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
Wyclef Jean - Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)
good set after chevelle
Lit - Four (a freakin album cut that was never a single. That never charted at all, and Lit is another modern rock staple except for crossover hit My Own Worst Enemy. now tell me when Blur's album cut called Song 2 that was just played was ever a single and charted?? my bet is no)
Danity Kane - Damaged
Three Days Grace - Never Too Late

and this is a Cumulus CHR in my area:
Jann Jeffries doesn't know anything about that format
Buckcherry - Sorry (starting off with a current)
Kelly Clarkson - Walk Away
Flo Rida - Low (one of the few currents)
Rob Thomas - Little Wonders (are you a Hot A/C or a CHR?)
Nelly Furtado - Say It Right
Jordin Sparks - Tattoo
Chris Brown - With You (finally, another current)
Nickelback - Photograph
Hinder - Lips of an Angel
Shop Boyz- Party Like A Rockstar

Mariah Carey - Touch My Body (staring off another hour with a current)
Elliot Yamin - Wait For You
Kid Rock - Amen (are you a Hot A/C or a CHR?)
Pink - Who Knew
Kanye West - Stronger
Coldplay - Clocks (are you a Hot A/C or a CHR?)
Maroon 5 - Wake Up Call
Carrie Underwood - Before He Cheats
Alicia Keys - No One (finally, another current)

doc's station was a complete joke but now it's better than Jan Jeffrie's stations because they don't play enough currents.

 

[mistermicrophone]

Well I shouldn't have said "once an hour" for KHKS..but they do occasionally play an 80's Bon Jovi or Def Leppard song during the daytime. Not very often though...I'll usually catch it once or twice a week when I listen..

...the older tracks work for KISS 108/Boston...of the majors, they are the exception to the rule...and they win 18 - 34 and 25 - 54!!

Don't be afraid of serving the older end of the demo with those songs during the day...it may just help TSL!!!

 

[Mid West Clubber]

I dont see anything wrong with an occasional 80s hit on CHR, but I wouldnt schedule one every hour or anything like that. Just like how Electric 94.9 has Def Leopard-Pour some sugar on me in their gold selection. 80s rhythmic hits like Salt n Peppa-Push It, and both Tone Loc songs would be fine for a chr as long as they arent played very often. Maybe you could even play Beastie Boys-Fight for your right to party, or Marrs-Pump up the volume. The P1s might not remember when these songs charted, but they definately know and have heard the songs before.

However, I wouldnt play something like (Rock You like a Hurricane), or (Come on Feel the noise) on a chr, that would be really corny.

 

[Jammin247]

Does anyone understand what CHR stands for? Contemporary Hit Radio. Contemporary means "of the
PRESENT time, modern". It's absurd to have Flo Rida and Def Leppard on the same playlist unless you're
doing a Flashback Lunch. All these OLD songs belong on an AC or 80's station. You can't have a station
with mixed signals, trying to please all the demos, it just doesn't jive. Now I love all those 80's and early
90's tunes, but they have no business on a CHR station during regular programming, not even occasionally.
What does that accomplish? A 25-54 listener isn't sticking around for that one 80's song you might play every
90 minutes. They are listening because they like the majority of the current music you're playing. Your target demo is 18-34 female and most likely they have NO clue what the heck they're listening to when The Pretenders come on with "Back on the Chain Gang", I guarantee it. So for that 3:30 minutes, you're risking tune out with an unfamiliar song. It sounds like MD's & PD's playing their favorites and can't let go of the past.
Sometimes they program to their own liking instead of the listeners.

 

[jradiod]

Without the random 80's records, that's a pretty solid conservative market playlist.

 

[CHRles]

Does anyone understand what CHR stands for? Contemporary Hit Radio. Contemporary means "of the
PRESENT time, modern". It's absurd to have Flo Rida and Def Leppard on the same playlist unless you're
doing a Flashback Lunch. All these OLD songs belong on an AC or 80's station. You can't have a station
with mixed signals, trying to please all the demos, it just doesn't jive. Now I love all those 80's and early
90's tunes, but they have no business on a CHR station during regular programming, not even occasionally.
What does that accomplish? A 25-54 listener isn't sticking around for that one 80's song you might play every
90 minutes. They are listening because they like the majority of the current music you're playing. Your target demo is 18-34 female and most likely they have NO clue what the heck they're listening to when The Pretenders come on with "Back on the Chain Gang", I guarantee it. So for that 3:30 minutes, you're risking tune out with an unfamiliar song. It sounds like MD's & PD's playing their favorites and can't let go of the past.
Sometimes they program to their own liking instead of the listeners.

+1. Great post!

 

[mistermicrophone]

Does anyone understand what CHR stands for? Contemporary Hit Radio. Contemporary means "of the
PRESENT time, modern". It's absurd to have Flo Rida and Def Leppard on the same playlist unless you're
doing a Flashback Lunch. All these OLD songs belong on an AC or 80's station. You can't have a station
with mixed signals, trying to please all the demos, it just doesn't jive. Now I love all those 80's and early
90's tunes, but they have no business on a CHR station during regular programming, not even occasionally.
What does that accomplish? A 25-54 listener isn't sticking around for that one 80's song you might play every
90 minutes. They are listening because they like the majority of the current music you're playing. Your target demo is 18-34 female and most likely they have NO clue what the heck they're listening to when The Pretenders come on with "Back on the Chain Gang", I guarantee it. So for that 3:30 minutes, you're risking tune out with an unfamiliar song. It sounds like MD's & PD's playing their favorites and can't let go of the past.
Sometimes they program to their own liking instead of the listeners.

Wow, thanks for telling us what CHR stands for, we didn't know (sarcasm).

Look at your logic closely, you mention the 25 - 54 demo not hanging around to hear new stuff - and you admit they like the older music - then you say the 18 - 34 demo doesn't know the music the 25 - 54 demo likes...what about the 25 - 34 year olds that fall into BOTH?? A 34 year old woman knows those 80's songs. And, I'll bet if you were to play Pour Some Sugar On Me for the average 18 - 24 year old girl/woman, she'd know the song.

Now every station needs to be programmed according to it's competitive situation (market size, competition, etc) and text book definitions need to be thrown out the window at that point. Just because the format is named Contemporary Hit Radio, doesn't mean in the right situation a GOOD TESTING, non-contemporary record can't work. By your literal interpretation, CHR's should never play ANY gold, correct?

If the listeners tell you they like a record, why wouldn't you play it?? I'll refer to KISS 108/Boston playing Pour Some Sugar On Me, Summer Of 69, You Shook Me All Night Long, etc. Do you think they're playing those songs because they like them or because they got good research?? It's research. At the same time, in their competitive situation, those records work for them.

 

[Beejus]

Does anyone understand what CHR stands for? Contemporary Hit Radio. Contemporary means "of the
PRESENT time, modern". It's absurd to have Flo Rida and Def Leppard on the same playlist unless you're
doing a Flashback Lunch. All these OLD songs belong on an AC or 80's station. You can't have a station
with mixed signals, trying to please all the demos, it just doesn't jive. Now I love all those 80's and early
90's tunes, but they have no business on a CHR station during regular programming, not even occasionally.
What does that accomplish? A 25-54 listener isn't sticking around for that one 80's song you might play every
90 minutes. They are listening because they like the majority of the current music you're playing. Your target demo is 18-34 female and most likely they have NO clue what the heck they're listening to when The Pretenders come on with "Back on the Chain Gang", I guarantee it. So for that 3:30 minutes, you're risking tune out with an unfamiliar song. It sounds like MD's & PD's playing their favorites and can't let go of the past.
Sometimes they program to their own liking instead of the listeners.

Wow, thanks for telling us what CHR stands for, we didn't know (sarcasm).

Look at your logic closely, you mention the 25 - 54 demo not hanging around to hear new stuff - and you admit they like the older music - then you say the 18 - 34 demo doesn't know the music the 25 - 54 demo likes...what about the 25 - 34 year olds that fall into BOTH?? A 34 year old woman knows those 80's songs. And, I'll bet if you were to play Pour Some Sugar On Me for the average 18 - 24 year old girl/woman, she'd know the song.

Now every station needs to be programmed according to it's competitive situation (market size, competition, etc) and text book definitions need to be thrown out the window at that point. Just because the format is named Contemporary Hit Radio, doesn't mean in the right situation a GOOD TESTING, non-contemporary record can't work. By your literal interpretation, CHR's should never play ANY gold, correct?

If the listeners tell you they like a record, why wouldn't you play it?? I'll refer to KISS 108/Boston playing Pour Some Sugar On Me, Summer Of 69, You Shook Me All Night Long, etc. Do you think they're playing those songs because they like them or because they got good research?? It's research. At the same time, in their competitive situation, those records work for them.

You go into ANY bar in ANY college town, and put either:

"Pour Some Sugar On Me"
"You Shook Me All Night Long"
"You Give Love a Bad Name"
or "Living on a Prayer" on the soundsystem, and you'll have EVERY person in the bar screaming along.

Select 80s titles can work. Not all, but select.

 

[jradiod]

Without the random 80's records, that's a pretty solid conservative market playlist.

Which one? Mine or CHR_Fan_TX's?

CHR_Fan's.

Your playlists are getting better, but it still needs some tweaking. Personally I like the diversity though.

 

[Jammin247]

Wow, thanks for telling us what CHR stands for, we didn't know (sarcasm).

Look at your logic closely, you mention the 25 - 54 demo not hanging around to hear new stuff - and you admit they like the older music - then you say the 18 - 34 demo doesn't know the music the 25 - 54 demo likes...what about the 25 - 34 year olds that fall into BOTH?? A 34 year old woman knows those 80's songs. And, I'll bet if you were to play Pour Some Sugar On Me for the average 18 - 24 year old girl/woman, she'd know the song.

Now every station needs to be programmed according to it's competitive situation (market size, competition, etc) and text book definitions need to be thrown out the window at that point. Just because the format is named Contemporary Hit Radio, doesn't mean in the right situation a GOOD TESTING, non-contemporary record can't work. By your literal interpretation, CHR's should never play ANY gold, correct?

If the listeners tell you they like a record, why wouldn't you play it?? I'll refer to KISS 108/Boston playing Pour Some Sugar On Me, Summer Of 69, You Shook Me All Night Long, etc. Do you think they're playing those songs because they like them or because they got good research?? It's research. At the same time, in their competitive situation, those records work for them.

First off, you might want to read my post again, the first part of yours doesn't make any sense as to what I
posted. I think you were reffering to the one before mine. The prior post made reference to soccer mom or the 25-54 staying tuned in because of the 80's tune every once in a while. I made the mention that they wouldn't listen for the one 80's tune every 90 minutes, that they liked the overall sound of the station. Secondly KISS 108FM should not be listed as a true CHR, they should be a Hot AC/CHR Hybrid with that playlist of theirs. Thirdly, again, your TARGET audience is 18-34 female, to play a song twenty years old,
means your putting the oldest part of your demo at 14 when the song was new. Over half were not even
born or too young to remember. Just because an 18-24 might know a song doesn't mean you play it, remember, you're programming for the masses not a handful.
Lastley, I do play golds, but they're from this Century.

 

[Jammin247]

When you're the only game in town, it's hard to really gauge the true success of a station, it's either them
or you're S.O.L. I'd like to see a true CHR station go head to head and see what happens. Now I know KISS has been around for decades, so it would take a couple years to see the true outcome, but I know that a rival station done right would make a dent over time. That's why I hate what happened to radio with all the takeovers, no more true competition. This is the case in all markets. KISS HASN'T BEEN KISS SINCE MATTY, JO JO "COOKIN" KINCAID & SONNY JOE WHITE.

 

[CHRles]

Sunny Joe White was an amazing programmer. Wasnt afraid to play all the big hits, but he also broke a lot of new music, played some regional records, and some good Dance. Open House Party sometimes resembles the old Kiss 108.
I think WXKS is definitely a CHR/Pop through and through, not too conservative, and not too aggressive. Its not as great sounding as it once was, but its still a pretty great CHR. They do have about a dozen or so 80s records they'll play during 9-5. For example, they play "Like A Prayer" from Madonna, from 1989, though that might be in part b/c she's got a new song out.
Even Z-100 New York played 80s anthems from Bon Jovi and Def Leppard a couple of years ago. Back in the 90s a bunch of CHRs from Pennsylvania, like 98.5 KRZ, FM 97 Lancaster, and the now defunct Wink 104 Harrisburg, would regularly play some 70s Classic Rock in middays.
I think in general a CHR should be all about TODAY'S hit music. If you'll talk to some of the PDs at CHR/Pop stations today they'll frown upon 80s music in rotation even in the lunch hour. I pretty much side with them - a CHR should be focused on the here and now. There's nothing wrong with playing some good older titles from the past decade, but going beyond that should be rare, especially in the bigger markets. Now if its a small town where there arent a lot of choices on the dial then perhaps sprinkling more 90s and select 80s titles might work.

 

[Jammin247]

I think in general a CHR should be all about TODAY'S hit music. If you'll talk to some of the PDs at CHR/Pop stations today they'll frown upon 80s music in rotation even in the lunch hour. I pretty much side with them - a CHR should be focused on the here and now. There's nothing wrong with playing some good older titles from the past decade, but going beyond that should be rare, especially in the bigger markets. Now if its a small town where there arent a lot of choices on the dial then perhaps sprinkling more 90s and select 80s titles might work.

I like your thinking! Makes a lot of sense.