Radio Stations don't really play requests!

[Butters925]

since radio stations don`t play requests why do they pretend to and give out a "request number"?

Please, i used to do atleast 3 phoners an hour!!! My PD wanted at 2 or 3 an hour. listener interactive was a must....we were #1 in the market!!! Do what works.....But as long as i could remember, the standard line was "Yeah, i'll see what i can do!".....in other words....don't count on it!

 

[Basnya]

I think that there may be a larger issue here than just requests. Perhaps the whole idea behind request lines is to make the listener feel that they are somehow connected to the jock. Many people have opined that part of the reason radio is on the skids is because there is no local flavor.

Growing up listening to the greats on WABC- 770 I always felt that they were speaking directly to ME. The late Wolfman did it better than anyone... he was a million miles away in Del Rio, but he always had a way of making you think he was talking only to YOU.

I remember being about 12 or so and getting a request played.. a 'dedication' actually... hearing the jock say my name kept me glued to that radio for a looooong time.

I really don't think requests are so much about the song.. they are about the perceived involvement. This is where corporate radio fails.

That's how I see it anyway.

 

[adma]

I think that there may be a larger issue here than just requests. Perhaps the whole idea behind request lines is to make the listener feel that they are somehow connected to the jock.

Which, in an age of alternate and "cooler" forms of electronic personal communication, seems rather antiquated and pathetic, doesn't it?

 

[12 In a Row]

we have instant message, myspace, myface, myohmy.com and many others.

Calling a radio station for a request IS not only antiquated in 2008 but WAS pathetic back in 58,68,78,88 and 1998.

"Hi WZZZ, who's this?"
"Suzy"
"We're you calling from Suzy?"
"The State Mental Hospital and I'd like to hear, They're Coming to Take me Away HAHA"
"I'll see what I can do, and thanks for listening to WZZZ."

 

[KFodor]

And instant message, myspace, myface, whatever...should be used on-air to communicate with the listeners.

It's a digital age. If we use the technologies correctly, we can communicate with the listeners through all of those means...and yes, the antiquated telephone, too.

A CHR station (since, I'm assuming that's what most of you are thinking about here) should never be voicetracked 24-7. Some shifts? Yes. But, success at CHR depends on interaction with the audience. Some shifts need to be live.

The problem is...some stations haven't figured this out yet.

 

[12 In a Row]

Can you give us some examples?

 

[ChrisKMusic]

we have instant message, myspace, myface, myohmy.com and many others.

Calling a radio station for a request IS not only antiquated in 2008 but WAS pathetic back in 58,68,78,88 and 1998.

"Hi WZZZ, who's this?"
"Suzy"
"We're you calling from Suzy?"
"The State Mental Hospital and I'd like to hear, They're Coming to Take me Away HAHA"
"I'll see what I can do, and thanks for listening to WZZZ."

I have to say, it was not pathetic in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s to call a radio station. Growing up in an era when tv wasn't even always in color, radio was our "best friend" under the covers late at night. Jocks talked about what was going on in town, on the streets, in the schools, etc. It was personal, it was direct, it was immediate, and when the newest hottest song was played, we were baited with anticipation.

Life today is indirect, impersonal --- it's not immediate --- it's not local ---- it's not relevant to our lives --- as kids or as adults. We are increasingly cocooned in our technologically perfect houses --- never needing to go out and interact, since this form of communication is so "now."

We cannot turn back the clock. We are here, now. I don't often wish for things of the past -- because I prefer to see what's around the next corner that may surprise me ... but sometimes i miss that transistor radio under the covers, and the sound of Wolfman Jack talking to me ...

 

[flashback]

I don`t see anything wrong with the local radio personality /listener bond being strong again .it doesn`t have to be request lines.but it should be in how the show is aired, what music is played and what is said.

 

[firepoint525]

since radio stations don`t play requests why do they pretend to and give out a "request number"?

Please, i used to do atleast 3 phoners an hour!!! My PD wanted at 2 or 3 an hour. listener interactive was a must....we were #1 in the market!!! Do what works.....But as long as i could remember, the standard line was "Yeah, i'll see what i can do!".....in other words....don't count on it!

We were told to say "I'll get right to it!" or something to that effect. So what we had to say was a slightly stronger commitment to actually play the song than what you said. Problem was, our FM was (at the time) automated, and we just ran reel-to-reel tapes of music all day. Automation doesn't take requests! ;D

In addition to that, I just didn't like lying to listeners. We didn't get that many requests for our FM side, because I think most listeners were savvy enough to know that we were automated. But there were still enough naive listeners out there who did not know, or were not aware, of that. I especially felt bad for them when they called long distance (remember, this was before cell phones, folks!) to hear a given song!

 

[firepoint525]

I think that there may be a larger issue here than just requests. Perhaps the whole idea behind request lines is to make the listener feel that they are somehow connected to the jock. Many people have opined that part of the reason radio is on the skids is because there is no local flavor.
Growing up listening to the greats on WABC- 770 I always felt that they were speaking directly to ME. The late Wolfman did it better than anyone... he was a million miles away in Del Rio, but he always had a way of making you think he was talking only to YOU.
I remember being about 12 or so and getting a request played.. a 'dedication' actually... hearing the jock say my name kept me glued to that radio for a looooong time.
I really don't think requests are so much about the song.. they are about the perceived involvement. This is where corporate radio fails.
That's how I see it anyway.

Q-102 in Jackson, TN, used to do what they called an "instant telequest." If you were caller number X, your request was the next one played. I don't know if it was rigged or not (it probably was! :), but the winning caller always asked for something that was in the current top 10 anyway! :

And the station in the town where I grew up had "guest DJs" which was pretty much what the name implied. The caller got to introduce the next song. So the thrill there was hearing one's own voice over the air, not necessarily getting a certain favorite song played.

 

[adma]

I have to say, it was not pathetic in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s to call a radio station. Growing up in an era when tv wasn't even always in color, radio was our "best friend" under the covers late at night. Jocks talked about what was going on in town, on the streets, in the schools, etc. It was personal, it was direct, it was immediate, and when the newest hottest song was played, we were baited with anticipation.

Life today is indirect, impersonal --- it's not immediate --- it's not local ---- it's not relevant to our lives --- as kids or as adults. We are increasingly cocooned in our technologically perfect houses --- never needing to go out and interact, since this form of communication is so "now."

We cannot turn back the clock. We are here, now. I don't often wish for things of the past -- because I prefer to see what's around the next corner that may surprise me ... but sometimes i miss that transistor radio under the covers, and the sound of Wolfman Jack talking to me ...

Yet the irony is, the generation before you might have viewed your radio-under-the-covers epiphany as insufficiently direct, personal, local, as well as symptomatic of your being excessively cocooned by "now" technology, etc. A lonely life in a brain-dead suburban Levittown, without the direct unelectronic interaction engendered by traditional city streets, etc.

For that matter, a certain middle-class generation ahead of you might think likewise of you--that is, the generation that's been drawn back to the now-hip "traditional city streets", that's progressive in its parenting and family-rearing and cultural outlook, and that views and uses the Web as a plethora of epiphanies a la your long-ago transistor radio...

 

[ChrisKMusic]

I have to say, it was not pathetic in the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s to call a radio station. Growing up in an era when tv wasn't even always in color, radio was our "best friend" under the covers late at night. Jocks talked about what was going on in town, on the streets, in the schools, etc. It was personal, it was direct, it was immediate, and when the newest hottest song was played, we were baited with anticipation.

Life today is indirect, impersonal --- it's not immediate --- it's not local ---- it's not relevant to our lives --- as kids or as adults. We are increasingly cocooned in our technologically perfect houses --- never needing to go out and interact, since this form of communication is so "now."

We cannot turn back the clock. We are here, now. I don't often wish for things of the past -- because I prefer to see what's around the next corner that may surprise me ... but sometimes i miss that transistor radio under the covers, and the sound of Wolfman Jack talking to me ...

Yet the irony is, the generation before you might have viewed your radio-under-the-covers epiphany as insufficiently direct, personal, local, as well as symptomatic of your being excessively cocooned by "now" technology, etc. A lonely life in a brain-dead suburban Levittown, without the direct unelectronic interaction engendered by traditional city streets, etc.

For that matter, a certain middle-class generation ahead of you might think likewise of you--that is, the generation that's been drawn back to the now-hip "traditional city streets", that's progressive in its parenting and family-rearing and cultural outlook, and that views and uses the Web as a plethora of epiphanies a la your long-ago transistor radio...

What's even more ironic is that I actually lived in Levittown ... LOLOLOLOL

 

[PamelaStone]

Does anyone still do request shows today? I honestly have no idea LOL.

Yeah, I do! In fact, I brag that I will actually play your request - usually right away.

We own a small market station in Texas and from 11-1 I do the Mandatory Request Show! Very, very rarely do I have those stupid people call in and request stuff we don't play. I use the traditional phone line approach as well as e-mail since we stream. I get lots of both and many are not even local.

Most calls get recorded and played back too. Our format is a very non-traditional mix of Americana, Texas music, classic rock and blues so we have a wide range of listeners, with a wide range of tastes. Makes for a fun show.

 

[NSPUNX]

There is a jock on WBCN FM 104.1 BOSTON "THE ROCK OF BOSTON" from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. who goes by the name of "Adam 12". Every morning he devotes the first hour to "Your Rock" where someone sends in 6 songs via email and Adam will call them the day before and record them introducing thier songs. Once a month they do a "Guest DJ Lunch" where someone can send in 12 songs and if they are selected you get to go down to WBCN and be live in the studio with adam and introduce your songs, you get the whole hour. This is how I got into Radio I sent in 12 songs and got selected to come in! He also does theme lunches everyday where he comes up with a theme (ie; Bands that begin with "the" lunch, or across the pond lunch (bands from england) After he gives out the theme he takes peoples calls and as long as they fit the theme he plays them.

Besides the afternoon drive show which is a different animal, Adam is the best DJ on 'BCN and one of the best in Boston in general. As far as music based shows on 'BCN his is the best. I have met the man, spent an hour in the studio with him, and listen to him everyday. I have had requests played. I do know that he records all his phone calls and plays them back when the song comes up in rotation. My buddy mike called him on a thursday to ask who sang a certain song... The next week on Tuesday after he played the song he played back the call! Crazy!