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R&R Summit

R

radioelizabeth

Guest
Recently, a radio summit was held in Nashville.

It was great. Full of resources, encouragement, and information helpful to the Christian Radio format.

A few thoughts that came to my mind:

Research confirmation that CHR and AC are closely aligned to the Christian radio listener. It is an expectation to the CHR listener, so it would be wise to make it a reality as well.

The group therapy session was a great idea. This one I would have liked to see go longer. I can imagine great benefits from radio and record folks spending some more time really understanding the differences in our goals and appreciating how those differences help us to work together to produce only the best for our targets.

Don't forget the babysitter. One of those hit you over the head with it is so obvious kind of promotion tips. If you give away dinner, toss in $25 for the sitter as well. It just makes sense.

There was so much more.

I'm not sure many on this board are in a position to take themselves, or have their employers send them, but if you can...try.

I'm sure R&R will have more online in days to come.

Great to catch up with so many of you again!

:)
Elizabeth
<P ID="signature">______________
RADIOELIZABETH
Pleasant, Passionate, Persuasive
www.radioelizabeth.com</P>
 
> Research confirmation that CHR and AC are closely aligned to
> the Christian radio listener. It is an expectation to the
> CHR listener, so it would be wise to make it a reality as
> well.
>

Interesting...

> I'm not sure many on this board are in a position to take
> themselves, or have their employers send them, but if you
> can...try.
>

I heard about this conference months ago but unforutally I am trying to save up the pennies for GMA's so I couldn't budget this one. Glad to hear it went well though!

Blessings,
Matt<P ID="signature">______________
Program Director/Music Director
X Music Online
The X
Today's Best Music
http://www.xmusiconline.com/</P>
 
> Research confirmation that CHR and AC are closely aligned to
> the Christian radio listener. It is an expectation to the
> CHR listener, so it would be wise to make it a reality as
> well.

I could not make it, due to a trip we already had planned for our 6th anniversary at home.

Elizabeth, do you know HOW this research was conducted? Well I do, and the methodology very much influenced the results, but not objectively.

Paragon partnered with willing stations and had them put links to Paragon's perceptual questions at the stations sites. Anybody could take the survey, and of course those most likely to do so would be the hard core P1s who make up the most traffic at any station's site. This is NOT a valid, objective, scientifically accurate sample. In addition to that, Paragon set up the survey to screen out those who weren't P1's of the stations.

When it came to the "fact" that 83% of CHR listeners expect AC music, it was deduced by playing song clip montages that defined AC. Then, Paragon asked "would you expect WKWK station to play this music?" Since most Christian CHRs already play AC in decent doses, who wouldn't say "YES?"

In markets where Christian CHRs deliberately differentiate themselves from AC, I predict that percentage will be quite lower. When Paragon shares our stations results with us, I'll post them here if Paragon allows.
 
This research was not unlike much I have seen before.

Christian CHR and Christian AC are closely aligned to the Christian radio listener. A hit is a hit. Listeners expect certain sounds to come from the dial. Christian music listeners like Christian music...etc... to be basic.

Christian radio listeners are in some ways very typical of any radio listener, in other ways...very different.

I'm not suprised at all that a CHR listener would expect AC music on their CHR station.

I'm also not going to be suprised that specific results will vary from market to market.

And it doesn't suprise me that there would be those who disagree with results. Any and all research provides fertile soil for differences of opinion, whether you are discussing radio, radishes, or reality television.

<P ID="signature">______________
RADIOELIZABETH
Pleasant, Passionate, Persuasive
www.radioelizabeth.com</P>
 
"I'm also not going to be suprised that specific results will vary from market to market."

That seems to be the missing point in most research, programming for your own market. The thought has been to program broadly without too much thought of what your local listeners might actually desire to hear.
A real interesting piece of information was the fact that Christian radio is 95% white - how sad that is. I have noticed that personally when I travel. We do include urban and have for years (that's exempting the acceptable playing of of CeCe winans and a few others you will hear on contemp stations). We went beyond that little box.
I don't think that programmers realize that every one in the black audience doesn't want to just hear choir music. They might connect to Contemporary Christian with some creative programming of what they do want to hear, and it wouldn't be deviating from any format.
Another revelation is that we actually don't know our audience. Who we think might like inspo, Contemp., CHR or rock based on the age standards doesn't hold up to who is actually listening. The usual rule is the heavier we go the younger the audience - perhaps that might have been true at one time but times have changed and yes younger ones do show up but the old ones stay also. Actually the CHR format comes the closest to meeting the needs of the entire family. The moms and dads are happy to listen to Christian music that they know their children will relate to and enjoy - thus becoming the "family" format. Back to the drawing board might be good.
 
"That seems to be the missing point in most research, programming for your own market. The thought has been to program broadly without too much thought of what your local listeners might actually desire to hear."

Which is why each station ought to conduct their own research.


"A real interesting piece of information was the fact that Christian radio is 95% white - how sad that is"

I don't find that suprising.


"We do include urban and have for years....We went beyond that little box."

Urban itself is a format. What is suprising to me, is how Christian radio still tries very hard to be all things to all people. Your typical Soft AC isn't drawing huge numbers of urban listeners, rock listeners, or jazz listeners either. Typically, AC listeners aren't punching the preset for urban either. There is shared audience, and target audience. (in all formats)

I have a hard time color coding music. It's a discussion that lends itself to creating all new boxes. I'd just as soon keep the conversation to format, rather than the "black/white" broad brush. Not a slam, just my position on the phrases often used.



"Back to the drawing board might be good."

I think that has been the biggest issue over the past few years. Many stations have come onto the scene with a new drawing board, some have shown up with the one that worked in mainstream for years...and some, still refuse to clean their erasers.

So the discussion covers more opinions, more ideas, and more debate. But for stations that want to do a different kind of local radio, research and reliable audience interaction within their individual market is what is going to work best for that specific frequency on the dial.


<P ID="signature">______________
RADIOELIZABETH
Pleasant, Passionate, Persuasive
www.radioelizabeth.com</P>
 
e wrote "Urban itself is a format"

Designated that by Christian radio. You don't see that "type" of music dismissed by secular radio, it's mixed in. Why do we assume that Christian people have different listening habits.
(I used the term urban because I didn't want to going into the color area but it was hard to skim around it.)

e wrote "I have a hard time color coding music. It's a discussion that lends itself to creating all new boxes. I'd just as soon keep the conversation to format, rather than the "black/white" broad brush. Not a slam, just my position on the phrases often used."

You can't have it both ways. The Christian industry color codes music yet you are more or less implying that programming any differently than the accepted is trying to be something for all people. My thoughts were that there should not be color coding, if the song fits, play it. I am really appalled that Christian radio should have such divisions since scripture says otherwise.
 
OH GOSH don't throw politically correct racial quotas into the mix. We got enough problems with the KJV-only / anti-CCM nutjobs without trying to please some other group. Besides, there are a fair number of black performers in these CCM groups, I have no idea of the percentage because I LOATHE any quotas.

Another sad old thing at the bottom of the post above - the whole family blissfully listening to the same music. Better check out what is on your teen's iPods - it probably is NOT AC CCM! Fun for the whole family has a big hole in it from ages 12 to about 30. No wonder kids and young professionals prefer iPods to radio.
 
For one thing I don't believe in quotas but I don't believe in shutting out songs because of race. The second thing is I wasn't talking about CCM, I was talking about CHR and I was just relaying the comments heard in my area. Number three - there is no blissful family.:)
 
Re: Topic

"You can't have it both ways. The Christian industry color codes music yet you are more or less implying that programming any differently than the accepted is trying to be something for all people."

Once again, you are completely misrepresenting my post. I never said or implied that.


"My thoughts were that there should not be color coding, if the song fits, play it."

You said: "I don't think that programmers realize that every one in the black audience doesn't want to just hear choir music. They might connect to Contemporary Christian with some creative programming of what they do want to hear, and it wouldn't be deviating from any format."

That statement is a color code. "black audience", "they"...etc...


"I am really appalled that Christian radio should have such divisions since scripture says otherwise."

The assumption is that race plays a factor in spinning singles. There is no evidence to support that theory.

The research shows that Christian radio listeners are predominately "white". But that has more to do with format, demographics and culture than skin color.

I remember taking a call once where a woman said we didn't spin enough music from black artists. I told her we didn't determine our playlist based on skin color...she said we ought to have more black artists represented. I again told her skin color was not the deciding factor, and we would not increase the number of "black artists" just for the sake of representation. She said we ought to. The call ended shortly after.

Again, the issue is not "skin color" or race. At all. It is about format, listener preferences, expectations, and culture and a hit being a hit. It has nothing to do with the race of an artist or the race of the person listening.

<P ID="signature">______________
RADIOELIZABETH
Pleasant, Passionate, Persuasive
www.radioelizabeth.com</P>
 
Re: race

whatzthat wrote:
"For one thing I don't believe in quotas but I don't believe in shutting out songs because of race."

Neither should a song be added for that reason.
<P ID="signature">______________
RADIOELIZABETH
Pleasant, Passionate, Persuasive
www.radioelizabeth.com</P>
 
> This research was not unlike much I have seen before.
>
> Christian CHR and Christian AC are closely aligned to the
> Christian radio listener. A hit is a hit. Listeners expect
> certain sounds to come from the dial. Christian music
> listeners like Christian music...etc... to be basic.

Wow that's a heck of a statement! ("Christian music listeners like Christian music to be basic.") What in the world do you mean by that?

I agree that a hit is a hit for sure. All of us are guilty to a certain extent of denying when a song is a hit, simply because of the format/genre box it comes in.

> I'm not suprised at all that a CHR listener would expect AC
> music on their CHR station.

Of course not, because Christian CHR plays all kinds of AC. If you play certain things, and then ask your listeners if they expect you to play those same things, then DUH, there is only one possible answer you should expect.

That's why this study isn't really revolutionary in its findings. If one is going to deduce from this Paragon study that they should be all over Christian AC, they also have to ask themselves why they won't play Hip Hop...as this same Paragon report showed that almost half of the CHR audience LIKES Hip Hop.

That's a whole other topic though!
 
"Wow that's a heck of a statement! ("Christian music listeners like Christian music to be basic.") What in the world do you mean by that?

That isn't exactly what I said. Let me use different punctuation. "Christian music listeners like Christian music." To be basic. The list of thoughts was basic. Hence the use of "etc."


"If one is going to deduce from this Paragon study that they should be all over Christian AC, they also have to ask themselves why they won't play Hip Hop...as this same Paragon report showed that almost half of the CHR audience LIKES Hip Hop."

I don't think the study suggested CHR should turn into AC. But it does confirm the expectation and inclusion of AC in a CHR mix.

<P ID="signature">______________
RADIOELIZABETH
Pleasant, Passionate, Persuasive
www.radioelizabeth.com</P>
 
Re: Topic

> Again, the issue is not "skin color" or race. At all. It is
> about format, listener preferences, expectations, and
> culture and a hit being a hit. It has nothing to do with the
> race of an artist skin or the race of the skin of the person
> listening.
>
So why aren't there more stations like WNAZ/WNRZ and KAFC? In both cases these stations are in markets with very successful mainstream CHR/Pop stations that play significant amounts of urban music.<P ID="signature">______________
chargeradioweb.jpg
</P>
 
Re: Topic

"The assumption is that race plays a factor in spinning singles. There is no evidence to support that theory."

OR is there evidence to support your theory of it not being a factor.

There has to be some underlying reason (perhaps subconscious) when a Yolanda Adams, Out of Eden or Virtue have songs released to contemporary formats (inspo or A/C) and disregarded for air play. I have personally witnessed that many times, and I was in a position once to recommend these songs and of course they were never added. I can only draw the conclusion I have come to.

Let me give an example: Crystal Lewis & Kirk Franklin "Lean on Me". The orginal song is powerful but to get it played on Christian Contemporary stations, they had to remix it with Crystal Lewis and a little tiny bit of Kirk Franklin.I found that version blah when compared to the original. You will probably say the remix was because of Bono and some of the other secular singers on the original song, but that argument doesn't fly when 4Him's song with Jon Anderson of "Yes" was embraced by CCM.

I don't see race personally and I don't see race in music. I'm just trying to understand the concept of not adding songs that are produced well, have a great message and released to A/C or Inspo. CHR doesn't have the problem, urban music is played heavily on many CHR stations.

Speaking of listener preference, do you think it differs from what secular listeners enjoy. They love urban, Motown and R&B, programmers mix it in on most A/C stations. What's our problem?
 
Re: race

> whatzthat wrote:
> "For one thing I don't believe in quotas but I don't believe
> in shutting out songs because of race."
>
> Neither should a song be added for that reason.

Neither should a song not be added for that reason.
>
 
Re: Topic

> So why aren't there more stations like WNAZ/WNRZ and KAFC?
> In both cases these stations are in markets with very
> successful mainstream CHR/Pop stations that play significant
> amounts of urban music.

I will add AMEN to that! My question exactly! Good response!!
>
 
Re: stating the obvious

whatzthat wrote:
"For one thing I don't believe in quotas but I don't believe in shutting out songs because of race."

radioelizabeth wrote:
"Neither should a song be added for that reason."


then whatzthat wrote:
"Neither should a song not be added for that reason."



Is this a contest to see who can be most redundant?<P ID="signature">______________
RADIOELIZABETH
Pleasant, Passionate, Persuasive
www.radioelizabeth.com</P>
 
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