Rotation of gold songs in regular playlist

[K.M. Richards]

I don't think that would hurt. Especially the Viral Charts because depending on how fast one is at capturing zeitgeists of the moment, they're a great source of immediately trending Oldies.

Reread David's reply in post #30 and then say that again with a straight face.

 

[Don CT]

Adding to your remark….

The problem with data from streaming sources is that it does not identify what your own station’s listeners want to hear. In other words, you get data on everyone covering all age ranges and ethnicities. The purported demographic data is not specific enough to be actionable.

For those not aware about how stations or station groups research music, it is important to know that they only speak to the listener base of the format each station is involved with. In other words, a country station does not test their music against alternative rock partisans. In fact, we do not even test against all of our own listeners; we recruit people who listen enough time each week to be thoroughly familiar with the individual songs.

So how does a station do a format flip. Who do they consult to get a gauge on what format to change too. If they narrowcast their surveys.

 

[K.M. Richards]

So how does a station do a format flip. Who do they consult to get a gauge on what format to change too. If they narrowcast their surveys.

That's actually unrelated to the main topic, but I'll give you a quick answer. If research and ratings show that a particular format is dying in the market and tweaking it won't help, the next question becomes "what format holes are there in the market?" and/or "is there a format where the existing station is weak enough that their audience is potentially ripe for stealing?"

Either of those questions will likely trigger research designed around the question. It may also involve focus groups to determine what formats the listeners feel are either poorly or not served, and in some cases may be used prior to deciding which question to research in the first place.

Sometimes, it becomes a corporate decision. Other times, research as I have described. Or it can just be at the whim of a local station owner.

In any event, the process is not a "narrowcast" of music research surveys, as you imply.

 

[Don CT]

That's actually unrelated to the main topic, but I'll give you a quick answer. If research and ratings show that a particular format is dying in the market and tweaking it won't help, the next question becomes "what format holes are there in the market?" and/or "is there a format where the existing station is weak enough that their audience is potentially ripe for stealing?"

Either of those questions will likely trigger research designed around the question. It may also involve focus groups to determine what formats the listeners feel are either poorly or not served, and in some cases may be used prior to deciding which question to research in the first place.

Sometimes, it becomes a corporate decision. Other times, research as I have described. Or it can just be at the whim of a local station owner.

In any event, the process is not a "narrowcast" of music research surveys, as you imply.

In just going by what David said in how they research new music. How do they find a format if they only sample a small percentage of the audience when finding music.

 

[CTListener]

Reread David's reply in post #30 and then say that again with a straight face.

I assume that Unchained Melody was the exception. It was rare in oldies playlists until the movie Ghost resuscitated it, then it became a staple of the format until the shift to rock-leaning classic hits.

 

[K.M. Richards]

In just going by what David said in how they research new music. How do they find a format if they only sample a small percentage of the audience when finding music.

The flaw in your logic is that the research for a potential format flip follows the same parameters for survey respondents or focus groups as music research.

You are comparing apples and oranges.

 

[K.M. Richards]

I assume that Unchained Melody was the exception. It was rare in oldies playlists until the movie Ghost resuscitated it, then it became a staple of the format until the shift to rock-leaning classic hits.

That was a case where the song was re-released as a current around the movie (other examples: "Twist And Shout" from Ferris Bueller's Day Off and "Do You Love Me?" from Dirty Dancing) which got the song airplay on CHR, which then gave the oldies Classic Hits programmers a reason to test it for their formats.

An exception? Partially, but remember what David and I keep saying (if only people would pay attention and remember we said it): It does not matter when a song was a current, its chart position as a current, even whether or not it was a 45 originally ... what matters is does the target demographic want to hear this song on my station TODAY.

 

[Don CT]

There are a lot of songs I’d like to hear but does that make me an outlier. Or are there more people that feel the same who don’t have a vote.

 

[K.M. Richards]

There are a lot of songs I’d like to hear but does that make me an outlier. Or are there more people that feel the same who don’t have a vote.

It makes you an outlier. For all the explaining David, BigA, Mike, and I have done, you still don't realize that we program music based on the consensus ... the vast majority of listeners. These "other people who don't have a vote" are insufficient in number to be considered.

Honestly ... the system is not going to change, no matter how many ways you phrase the question. You are trying to push a rope uphill.

 

[Don CT]

It makes you an outlier. For all the explaining David, BigA, Mike, and I have done, you still don't realize that we program music based on the consensus ... the vast majority of listeners. These "other people who don't have a vote" are insufficient in number to be considered.

Honestly ... the system is not going to change, no matter how many ways you phrase the question. You are trying to push a rope uphill.

This is probably why I don’t listen to terrestrial radio anymore.

 

[K.M. Richards]

This is probably why I don’t listen to terrestrial radio anymore.

And there is where you answer your own question ... yes, you are an outlier as far as terrestrial radio is concerned.

 

[Don CT]

And there is where you answer your own question ... yes, you are an outlier as far as terrestrial radio is concerned.

The ratings would say I’m not only one.

Most of the people I see listening to music are on Bluetooth speakers and they are streaming off their phones. Apple Music and Spotify seem to be the more common choices.

 

[K.M. Richards]

The ratings would say I’m not only one.

Most of the people I see listening to music are on Bluetooth speakers and they are streaming off their phones. Apple Music and Spotify seem to be the more common choices.

Non-broadcast listening is not rated.

Ratings show the percentage of all over-the-air listening. Your comment is irrelevant on that basis.

 

[Don CT]

Non-broadcast listening is not rated.

Ratings show the percentage of all over-the-air listening. Your comment is irrelevant on that basis.

Non broadcast is where the people are though. They are using Bluetooth speakers. Not tuning a Walkman to the radio.

 

[kevtronics]

That was a case where the song was re-released as a current around the movie (other examples: "Twist And Shout" from Ferris Bueller's Day Off and "Do You Love Me?" from Dirty Dancing) which got the song airplay on CHR, which then gave the oldies Classic Hits programmers a reason to test it for their formats.

Also "What a Wonderful World". Although it was popular in the UK, it flopped when first released in the U.S., with fewer than 1000 copies sold. Being featured in "Good Morning, Vietnam" made it a hit for the first time, 21 years after it was recorded.

 

[K.M. Richards]

Also "What a Wonderful World". Although it was popular in the UK, it flopped when first released in the U.S., with fewer than 1000 copies sold. Being featured in "Good Morning, Vietnam" made it a hit for the first time, 21 years after it was recorded.

Yes, that's another good example. Thank you!

 

[radiofan2023]

Non broadcast is where the people are though. They are using Bluetooth speakers. Not tuning a Walkman to the radio.

I've been listening to streaming radio stations since 1997, but I also listen to broadcast. Some people aren't only listening to streaming (whether that's streaming stations/spotify/etc.) or broadcast, some listen to both.

 

[CTListener]

I've been listening to streaming radio stations since 1997, but I also listen to broadcast. Some people aren't only listening to streaming (whether that's streaming stations/spotify/etc.) or broadcast, some listen to both.

Some people still listen to shortwave. Some people still have DSL internet. Some people still read newspapers. As long as any medium is still around, there'll be some people using it. But when fewer and fewer are using it year after year, there's no real future for it.

 

[davideduardo]

How is it determined which currents become recurrents (either immediately or after a pause) and which are simply dropped from further airplay?

Research. If a song starts losing high scores as a current, it is often put in a recurrent category with a slower rotation. All along those songs are tested, and if they drop off the acceptability minimum they are dropped.

Is it based strictly on their popularity as currents or are all the big hits retested after they've been replaced by newer songs in the current playlist, with only the ones listeners say they aren't tired of entering the recurrent library?

Research generally measures “how much do you want to hear that song today“.

 

[davideduardo]

So how does a station do a format flip. Who do they consult to get a gauge on what format to change too. If they narrowcast their surveys.

In larger markets where a station is not doing very well a new format may be determined by doing perceptual research. One useful method is called Awareness Trial Usage where cross-section of the desired demographic in a market listens to test “pods“ that are a good sample of the kind of music a new format might play.

Respondents our question as to whether they know of any station that does this already (and which one) and then asked how likely would they be to try a station that sounded like that. Finally, they are asked whether a station of that type would be attractive enough for their usage of their previous station choices to change.

I was involved in such a project in Argentina, where we tried 28 different music mixes and blends and pick the one that would both get the most listeners and be the most acceptable to advertisers. It took the station less than a month to become number one in a market with over 200 AM and FM radio stations.

I also did a similar project in Los Angeles testing about 10 different styles or types of music. We found that the same people liked three of the different types of music so we did another test where we combined the three in sample music pods. The combination scored even better Than the individually Music. Despite being on limited coverage singles, the station was often in the top 10 in Los Angeles in the sales demos in its first decade.