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Q100: Stop Calling Yourself a CHR.... You are a Hot AC

R

RadioFreeAtlanta

An Open Letter to Q100.

Dear Programming Staff of Q100:

Congrats on getting your 100,000 watt blowtorch that you've wanted. Your signal stretches from the Alabama border all the way to the SC border, from Chattanooga to well south of Macon. You occupy a frequency that has had some great formats in Atlanta radio history: WARM 100, Power 99, 99X and now you guys.

A lot of us were excited when you signed on in January 2001; Atlanta has always had some great CHRs and we were hoping you would continue that great tradition.

Z-93 was a great Top 40; Power 99 jammed for six intense years; 95.5 the Beat, when it signed on in 1999, was an extension of the late-great Power 99. Now you have the power in your hands.

Yet, you lack any teeth. You call yourself a CHR but your music mix is bland, banal and blah.

There are no less than four songs in your 100 most played singles currently by Matchbox Twenty and/or Rob Thomas , a group/singer that would easily classify as an AC act in 2008. Why do you subject us to "Never Ever" by All Saints, another song that is in your 100 most played singles? That song is over a decade
old and a single that is only played by three other Top 40s in the nation. Five Kelly Clarkson songs are in your currents. FIVE. We expect your competition at 94.1 to play the lighter mix of CHR - not you. Let them own Jason Mraz, David Archuleta and O.A.R. We have enough ACs and light Modern Rockers in this city.

I commend you for not playing a hot song 99 times a week in rotation; however, you are missing the boat when it comes to hot music.

Add some remixes during the day every now and then - it adds energy to your sound plus gives you the edge when it comes to variety. Throw in a song every now and then that makes your jaw drop (not just at 2:30 every weekday). Look at the playlists of Z100, WBBM, KIIS-FM or Energy 92 and add a single that is not always "safe."

You have a great opportunity to make a lasting impression on this city in the same way that Hot 107.9 and News/Talk AM750 does, or 99X and Peach 94.9 did. I urge you to stop playing it safe and not program this great signal as if it were a Top 50 or Top 100 market. We are the eight largest radio market in the U.S. - please program it as such.

Sincerely,



A Life Long Atlantan
 
The river...and every other Cox station..stop calling yourself new.
 
I wouldn't call them a Hot AC....but their programming decisions during the day really do make LITTLE sense to me. If you tune in at random intervals during the day from 10am-7p you'll hear down-tempo, gold records. Even back to back in some cases. An example of the down-tempo stuff: I heard All Saints "Never Ever" into Leona Lewis "Bleeding Love". To me, that's music scheduling suicide. Just on a side note--what is the fascination with the MB20 songs!?!! I love MB20, but I don't get the overkill on it. I noticed Cumulus does this on the majority of their CHRs. I get the idea, but it really doesn't pan out the way it should. My guess is that their defense would be that they've "done research" on those songs. Especially with WSTR in the mix--Q should stay a mainstream CHR and let Star be softer. Just as an added touch, I would go as far as having an old-school lunch feature during noon. Just some thoughts...
 
I always heard you should never have 2 female artists b2b period! One HAC I was at played sometimes 6!
(not to mention I remember looking at the music log & counting all the Rob Thomas/MB20 aired in a 24 hour period-18 TIMES IN 24 HOURS!!! (Sheryl Crow ::)) was the same way. ::) :mad:
 
nightfly61 said:
I always heard you should never have 2 female artists b2b period! One HAC I was at played sometimes 6!
(not to mention I remember looking at the music log & counting all the Rob Thomas/MB20 aired in a 24 hour period-18 TIMES IN 24 HOURS!!! (Sheryl Crow ::)) was the same way. ::) :mad:
Click to expand...

This is something fairly easy for the music director to avoid if he/she has enough gold titles in the rotation. Obviously this may be one of those rare situations where Q100 has too tight a playlist.
 
nightfly61 said:
I always heard you should never have 2 female artists b2b period! One HAC I was at played sometimes 6!
(not to mention I remember looking at the music log & counting all the Rob Thomas/MB20 aired in a 24 hour period-18 TIMES IN 24 HOURS!!! (Sheryl Crow ::)) was the same way. ::) :mad:
Click to expand...

This was cutting edge music programming philosophy in, say... 1962?

What is the total percentage of male vs. female songs in the total library? The mix should reflect that. If your library is 50/50 male/female vocals, yet you arbitrarily restrict back-to-back female songs, you're only allowing for 33% of the music to be female-vocal based. So you INCREASE the rotation on lesser quality songs simply because they have a male lead vocal? Why?

I've often wondered where this mentality originated. A huge number of the top Pop acts of all time are female, female listeners buy music and concert tickets in droves, yet some people still believe that women don't want to hear songs by women? ???
 
Cumulus has adopted the Cox philosophy...a small amount of songs that play over and over with little change, and new songs have to go through litmus tests. While it might work with AC and Classic Hits (the River)...it won't work with top 40. Obviously, top 40 stations would have smaller playlists by nature...but the bulk would be on new hit songs, not older ones.

Q100 is obsessed with Rob Thomas the same way B98.5 plays Kelly Clarkson and The Police and 97.1 The River is with Peter Frampton and Foreigner (every time I turn on the River...the chance I hear one of five songs I always hear is very high...there is a 1 in 2 chance I will hear one of those five songs).

Star 94...while being bashed for its choice of morning show...has went the other way...only to go back. They used to be the "hot AC"...but they are now primarily with currents. Although they are back to being rap-adverse again and playing recurrents. Star 94 is still tops...and Q100 (and the other Cumulus CHR's as a consequence of Cumulus being headquartered in Atlanta) is trying to compete.

For a true CHR that plays rap and currents...WDOD-FM in Chattanooga (which launched earlier this year - keeping the moniker from the old AAA format) is a good example. They have Ryan Seacrest in middays, and a syndicated morning show. It (and sister AC WDEF-FM, and 2 AMs that share both FM callsigns) are owned by Bahakel, a small owner (WDEF-TV is owned seperately by Barrington after being sold). I notice a day and night difference between small owners (quality) and big corporate owners (repetition, research, cost savings).
 
true. really a pretty solid station overall. has Kraddick and Seacrest, but even without that has some local flavor and pretty good jocks for a small market.

how would WAEV do in Atlanta? That would be interesting. kraddick vs. Bert. Seacrest vs. his old station.
 
1900radio said:
how would WAEV do in Atlanta? That would be interesting. kraddick vs. Bert. Seacrest vs. his old station.
Click to expand...

Maybe we'll find out soon on 94.9 if CC flips The Bull to .... uh .... well because of 104.1 (Cox) CC would have to call it something other than "Kiss". My vote would be "Atlanta's Hit Music Channel Y95". In addition to Kraddick and Seacrest, they can pick up the newly syndicated "Nudge At Night"!
 
RadioFreeAtlanta said:
An Open Letter to Q100.

Dear Programming Staff of Q100:

Congrats on getting your 100,000 watt blowtorch that you've wanted. Your signal stretches from the Alabama border all the way to the SC border, from Chattanooga to well south of Macon. You occupy a frequency that has had some great formats in Atlanta radio history: WARM 100, Power 99, 99X and now you guys.

A lot of us were excited when you signed on in January 2001; Atlanta has always had some great CHRs and we were hoping you would continue that great tradition.

Z-93 was a great Top 40; Power 99 jammed for six intense years; 95.5 the Beat, when it signed on in 1999, was an extension of the late-great Power 99. Now you have the power in your hands.

Yet, you lack any teeth. You call yourself a CHR but your music mix is bland, banal and blah.

There are no less than four songs in your 100 most played singles currently by Matchbox Twenty and/or Rob Thomas , a group/singer that would easily classify as an AC act in 2008. Why do you subject us to "Never Ever" by All Saints, another song that is in your 100 most played singles? That song is over a decade
old and a single that is only played by three other Top 40s in the nation. Five Kelly Clarkson songs are in your currents. FIVE. We expect your competition at 94.1 to play the lighter mix of CHR - not you. Let them own Jason Mraz, David Archuleta and O.A.R. We have enough ACs and light Modern Rockers in this city.

I commend you for not playing a hot song 99 times a week in rotation; however, you are missing the boat when it comes to hot music.

Add some remixes during the day every now and then - it adds energy to your sound plus gives you the edge when it comes to variety. Throw in a song every now and then that makes your jaw drop (not just at 2:30 every weekday). Look at the playlists of Z100, WBBM, KIIS-FM or Energy 92 and add a single that is not always "safe."

You have a great opportunity to make a lasting impression on this city in the same way that Hot 107.9 and News/Talk AM750 does, or 99X and Peach 94.9 did. I urge you to stop playing it safe and not program this great signal as if it were a Top 50 or Top 100 market. We are the eight largest radio market in the U.S. - please program it as such.

Sincerely,



A Life Long Atlantan
Click to expand...

AMEN! Hey, RadioFreeAtlanta. You should totally e-mail this to Q-100...SERIOUSLY! I have been so disgusted about their tight-wad playlist lately! Check Radio n Records and then find the weekly playlist for (WWWQ) and you'll ACTUALLY see songs like "Clumsy" by Fergie and Lifehouse's "You And Me" still getting 20 or 30 plays a week! LOL! I can't believe the lack of excitement Q has lately! .....just speechless.....now. But, at least I'm not alone. :)
 
I'd have to check the FCC rules & Regs as well as the constitution to be sure... but I think they might be allowed to "call themselves" any damm thing they want to. Who are you other than a competitor or rabble rousing pain in the butt know-it-all to even bring this up?
 
According to the pre-currency PPM numbers, I don't think the listeners agree with your complaints. Q is looking strong and will continue to program as they have been (or at least they should for now)
 
Hi, I am new here, this is my first post. Anyways, hope its ok to just jump in...

I have forever been frustrated withe Q's playlist. Each week or so they tend to add in an "old" song and sprinkle it in each day...yes the All Saints song is a perfect example, I even emailed Brittney one day to compalin.

There is are so many new music choices out there, and they don't even bother to play them. They just started playing Womanizer and star has been playing it for weeks.

They generally have about 10 songs they spin each day all throughout, and 5 of the 10 are about a year old or more. I don't get it, I dont get the need to be so "safe" on the music. There are only so many times you can hear David Cook's Time of My life before you question, gee why arent they playing his NEW song?
 
OutOfTheBiz said:
nightfly61 said:
I always heard you should never have 2 female artists b2b period! One HAC I was at played sometimes 6!
(not to mention I remember looking at the music log & counting all the Rob Thomas/MB20 aired in a 24 hour period-18 TIMES IN 24 HOURS!!! (Sheryl Crow ::)) was the same way. ::) :mad:
Click to expand...

This was cutting edge music programming philosophy in, say... 1962?

What is the total percentage of male vs. female songs in the total library? The mix should reflect that. If your library is 50/50 male/female vocals, yet you arbitrarily restrict back-to-back female songs, you're only allowing for 33% of the music to be female-vocal based. So you INCREASE the rotation on lesser quality songs simply because they have a male lead vocal? Why?

I've often wondered where this mentality originated. A huge number of the top Pop acts of all time are female, female listeners buy music and concert tickets in droves, yet some people still believe that women don't want to hear songs by women? ???
Click to expand...

This "no females back to back" philosophy came out of the sixties. Back then, they had just a few female artists. They wanted to spread them out so the no back to back rule. If you move into the present time, you have PLENTY of female artists. Now a couple of back to back female songs doesn't hurt anything. I wouldn't do 6 in a row, but then I wouldn't do 6 in a row MALE artists either. I would think a nice mix is what is called for....
 
We can all say Q plays too many recurrents and golds all we want, but the new PPM ratings show that the general public disagrees. We listen to the radio constantly, analyzing every detail. But the regular listener doesn't, they hear a song they like and listen, or hear a song they don't like and change it.

Jan Jeffries style is to play songs that are guaranteed hits, and not try and work the new music. I'm guessing that's because women 18-34 prefer to hear familiar songs, not "hot and fresh" music. We might disagree, but the ratings don't, and that's all that matters.
 
Thanks for the support, electroboy73. I have thought about sending this to Q100 but it won't make a hill-of-beans difference. They obviously think what works for Topeka or Sioux Falls will work in Atlanta.

As far as the person who said they can call themselves anything they like.... this is true. They can call themselves anything. However, the reality is what is perceived. Just because Obama calls himself a 'moderate' democrat doesn't negate the fact that he is a commie, pinko liberal. Just because Q100 call themselves a top 40 and playing "All the Hits" doesn't negate the fact that they are not and they don't.

Let's call a spade a spade: IMO, Q100 is half a step away from being B98.5. In fact, lets just drop the Q and rename it: [size=10pt]B100[/size]
 
RadioFreeAtlanta said:
Thanks for the support, electroboy73. I have thought about sending this to Q100 but it won't make a hill-of-beans difference. They obviously think what works for Topeka or Sioux Falls will work in Atlanta.

As far as the person who said they can call themselves anything they like.... this is true. They can call themselves anything. However, the reality is what is perceived. Just because Obama calls himself a 'moderate' democrat doesn't negate the fact that he is a commie, pinko liberal. Just because Q100 call themselves a top 40 and playing "All the Hits" doesn't negate the fact that they are not and they don't.

Let's call a spade a spade: IMO, Q100 is half a step away from being B98.5. In fact, lets just drop the Q and rename it: [size=10pt]B100[/size]
Click to expand...

No need to send it to them. We know they read this board but irregardless they are pulling ratings and they are not going to change based on your personal preference/opinion.

I would think they are probably perceived by their listeners and not people of this board as exactly as they promote themselves. The perception of them may not be your reality but for most of their listeners it is.
 
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