Rhythmic Radio Going More Pop - B-96 Chicago, Wild 94.9 San Francisco, etc.

[CHRles]

It's happened before. Rhythmic radio stations, especially heritage ones, adding some non Hip Hop and R&B titles. In fact, it used to be a way of life for most stations when crossover radio was in its infancy, from the mid 80s on to the early 90s. By the late 90s, however, Top 40/Rhythm radio not only shunned away any traces of Pop/Rock titles, but almost all Dance music from its playlist vanished, and Rhythmic radio inched ever so closer to that of R&B radio. Now it looks like both heritage and newer generation Rhythmics are finding a good bit of success with Pop and even Rock titles.
The biggest "crossover" titles include Pink's "U & Ur Hand", Fergie's "Big Girls Don't Cry", and Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend", but wait a minute! B-96 Chicago is playing Daughtry's "Home", and was a big Rhythmic supporter of "It's Not Over". Wild 94.9 San Francisco just added Maroon 5's number one hit "Makes Me Wonder". What's going on here?

96.3 Jamz Albany has been a huge supporter lately of Pop records as its playlist reveals:
http://www.mediabase.com/mmrweb/AllAccess/Stations.asp?c_let=WAJZ-FM
As one can see both Pink and Avril are Top 5 at WAJZ, which is now billing itself as number one for Hip Hop and Today's Hits. Top 15 is Fergie's "Big Girls Don't Cry", and Maroon 5 are Top 30. Pink's "Who Knew" is new on its playlist.

B-96 Chicago has been tagging itself as Chicago's Hits & R&B for a while now and here's what they're playing:
http://www.mediabase.com/mmrweb/AllAccess/Stations.asp?c_let=WBBM-FM

Charlotte's 96.1 The Beat is all over Pink, and Avril is now Top 20 on the station as well:
http://www.mediabase.com/mmrweb/AllAccess/Stations.asp?c_let=WIBT-FM
Notice that even Gwen Stefani's "4 In The Morning" is receiving so airplay on WIBT.

San Francisco's Wild 94.9 is playing Pop records in all dayparts whereas in the past these records usually received some mild plays between 10 AM-4 PM.
http://www.mediabase.com/mmrweb/AllAccess/Stations.asp?c_let=KYLD-FM

Check out the playlist for Wired 96.5 Philadelphia, another Rhythmic that's been very supportive of Pop records for a couple of months last year and is doing it again:
http://www.mediabase.com/mmrweb/AllAccess/Stations.asp?c_let=WRDW-FM

Power 96 down in Miami has been sounding a lot more mainstream lately, both with Pop and Dance records as evidenced by its huge success with Bob Sinclar records ("World Hold On" is Top 5 at Y-100 and just been added to Z-100 NYC)
http://www.mediabase.com/mmrweb/AllAccess/stations.asp?c_let=WPOW-FM

Can't forget about wild 104.9 Oklahoma City:
http://www.mediabase.com/mmrweb/AllAccess/stations.asp?c_let=KKWD-FM

Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend" is also receiving airplay on 98.5 KLUC Las Vegas, 99.1 KGGI Riverside, 104.3 Hit FM El Paso, and even on Club 93-7 Flint
http://www.mediabase.com/mmrweb/AllAccess/stations.asp?c_let=WRCL-FM
http://www.mediabase.com/mmrweb/AllAccess/stations.asp?c_let=KLUC-FM
http://www.mediabase.com/mmrweb/AllAccess/stations.asp?c_let=KGGI-FM
http://www.mediabase.com/mmrweb/AllAccess/stations.asp?c_let=XHTO-FM

 

[spongebag7890]

Wild is probably spinning a lot of those records because the CHR station in San Fran still hasn't been taken. I also bet 90% of the "Girlfriend" spins are from the remix featuring Lil' Mama. But I'm not suprised, Rhythmic doesn't mean you are a rap station, it's a station targeted at certain people. Just like every other format. Formats are called certain names because of the majority of music. 90% of Rhythmic is rap. The rest is CHR and maybe some Hot AC. 90% of Alternative is alternative rock. The rest is CHR and maybe some Rhythmic. Why? Because the formats are controlled by an audience, not a genre. Rhythmic has been shy of CHR and Dance records simply because their audience shifted as well.

I'm sure Urban is spinning these tracks as well. Same reason.