They know what OES is from my PM conversations.
Your reasons sound selfish. It's not about your staff... it's about the listeners. And if you're playing songs that your CORE DEMO has no clue what they are, how is that beneficial to the listener? Listeners can't have F-U-N when they don't know the S-O-N-G.
I would love to see the "research" that says 18-34 females like hearing songs from 20-30 years ago that their parents listened to. No need for research there, that's COMMON SENSE! Unless it's a drinking game where they take a show each year they are OFF.
If that's your opinion of CHR, then why does the current CHR format work for Z100, Hot 104.7, 102.7 KIIS-FM, KDWB, WNCI, 106.1 Kiss FM, 933FLZ, Q102, Hot 99.5, Y100... shall I continue? "All types" of good music is called that lame pathethic wannabe format called "JACK-FM." You can't connect with your listeners when they don't know the song. If you believe anyone in your demo is requesting Edgar Winter Group or 'Til Tuesday "old school" lunch/weekend or not, it's people at Hot having fun -- at YOUR expense and airwaves because you're stupid enough to play it.
Now for another long winded rant of intelligence:
1) You're embarrassing yourself by responding to those that flame you and/or your radio station. There are ALWAYS going to be people that do not like a particular radio station, no matter WHAT market it is in. I guarantee that there are large numbers of people in New York that hate everything Z100 does, I guarantee there are large numbers of people in Los Angeles that hate everything KIIS does, and (to use an example a little bit closer to home) I guarantee there are large numbers of people in Sioux Falls that hate everything KKLS (Hot 104.7) does. The point is, YOU AS THE AN EMPLOYEE HAVE TO TAKE IT FOR WHAT IT IS and that's people on a message board running their mouths. Are they your advertisers? No. Are they diary respondents? Most likely not.
2) I've heard your radio station and have seen your playlists and logs. It needs work and definition. The imaging is weak and the staff is weaker. Take a page from the Clear Channel Less is More book and revamp your imaging down to a couple simple rules: A) NOTHING is on the air longer than :10 in length in a music sweep. If it's longer than :10, it's a promo. Period. B) Everything should be in and out, quickly and effectively, with preference to pieces laying over song intros.
The jocks at your station, on the other hand, need to remember that CHR (we'll touch on THAT particular point in just a second) is NOT TARGETED AT TEENS! Yes, it's wonderful to have them listening to your radio station, I'll give you that much. As they grow up, they will hopefully contine that P1 listening style into their 20s and 30s. BUT, your target demo is between the ages of 18 and 34 (in other words, ranging from college student to average age of parents of two or three kids)... ALL on-air content should be directed to them and there should NEVER be a caller put on the air under the age of 16 or 17. Adults do not want to hear kids doing shoutouts on your show, they want to hear maturity, they want to hear those with a little bit of life experience to their credit.
Excluding Hot 104.7 which doesn't TARGET Marshall, YOU HAVE NO DIRECT CHR COMPETITION. Until Marshall/Brookings gets another CHR to directly compete with you (and don't even try to bring up KKLS), you have a captive audience. If they want to hear the hits (albeit interspersed between a bunch of stiffs or Cheap Trick, Whitesnake, and whatever else you play on the "old school" weekends every month), they don't have any other local option.
3) C H R = CONTEMPORARY HIT RADIO
Dictionary.com defines "CONTEMPORARY" as:
con·tem·po·rar·y adj.
3. Current; modern
The last time I checked, the following titles did not even REMOTELY qualify as "current" or "modern:"
P.S. - I got that log from a co-worker of your station.
SUGAR RAY- Someday
THE EAGLES- Life In The Fast Lane
ROB BASE- Joy & Pain
SHERYL CROW- Strong Enough
TECHNOTRONIC- Pump Up the Jam
NSYNC- Tearin' Up My Heart
MR. MISTER- Broken Wings
TAG TEAM- Whoomp
TONI BRAXTON- Un-Break My Heart
FALCO- Rock Me Amadeus
PAT BENATAR- Heartbreaker
SUBLIME- Santeria
PEBBLES- Girlfriend
All of those records played in ONE hour today. Granted, it was 12-1pm, your "old school" lunch where you brag they are all requests, but my point is the same.
To quote you, Tony, "CHR, in my opinion, is meant to be more than playing seven powers 85 times a week and 10 mediums 40 times a week."
Your opinion is wrong. Sorry. See my definition of CHR above. Someone else said it well.... this is an outstanding example of why you are still in Podunkville and why the owner is a fool for still KEEPING you as a music director and your idiot PD in a market THAT large.
Speaking about leaving format, the modern rock/alternative show you have on Sunday nights, called The Shag, is better suited for you sister rock station. Sure Sunday night is dead, but shows like Dawson McAllister Live build cume and TSL without alienating the CHR core. Same can be said about Backtrax USA on Saturday mornings. There's already a Hot AC in the area with that show. Replace the Rick Dees with Ryan Seacrest on Sunday morning. He has a name for himself, Rick is a nobody these days.
4) .. I have some things to say about your playlist (currents, this time).
* 3 Doors Down is your #1 spinning record? Jeez, react to KMXC much, which is a HOT AC? That is way too unfamiliar of a record to be #1 on a CHR already.
* Secondhand Serenade? You're kidding, right? (Probably a money record.)
* The Spill Canvas is a stiff.
* (I've made my point about Flobots- Handlebars and Weezer- Pork and Beans already).
* Kid Rock, Kate Voegele, David Cook, and Matchbox Twenty- How Far We've Come? I'd expect those out of Hot AC stations like 93.7 and 97.3, but not 99.7!
* Shwayze, 2 Pistols, and Saving Jane are stiffs. Lose 'em. (Probably greenbacks again.)
* Coldplay? Rehab? Duffy? Paramore- That's What You Get? Disgusting. (More $$$$ records)
Why did you drop Buckcherry- Sorry? Where's Flo Rida-Low which should be spun more? Miley Cyrus- See You Again, which isn't burned yet according to callout? Those are ALL better records than the ones I mentioned that you are playing! I know you play the Miley and Flo Rida still but they need to still be spun more and kept in current rotation, not recurrent. (Correct answer is: they aren't getting any $$ for them.)
I'd love to get my hands on 'KCK. People might actually be able to stand listening to it then, once I blow out every single jock except the only talents on those station, Kannon and John Garabedian, and replace them with talent.
Anxiously awaiting your long winded response about how great you think you are Mr. Thin Skin,
-Prophet a.k.a. NexGen who happens to be more in touch with CHR than you
