Small Market Music vs Large Market Music

[Slip_Cue]

I’ve noticed a lot of people have mentioned that the classic rock/hits stations in the market (WROR, WODS and WZLX) have an extremely limited playlist.

For the past few months I’ve been listening to a lot of small market radio (WATD & WBOQ) and I’ve noticed that their playlist is MUCH better (at least to me) than the Boston stations.

Take WATD for example. They play the usual top 20 hits that the Boston stations play, but mix in some tunes you don’t hear as much today.

These are some songs that I’ve written down.

Elton John – Elderberry Wine
Robert Palmer – Can We Still Be Friends
Bob Seger – Famous Final Scene
Bad Company – Silver Blue & Gold
Billy Joel – The Entertainer
Stevie Nicks – Nightbird
Todd Rundgren - Got To Get You A Woman
Rolling Stones – Hang Fire
Steve Miller – True Fine Love
The Kinks – Better Things
Paul Simon – American Tune
Al Stewart – Song on the Radio
John Cafferty – Tough all Over
Pat Benatar – I Need A Lover
Eddie Money – Think I’m In Love
Heart – Dog & Butterfly

On top of this, I’ve heard a great variety of 50s and 60s tunes mixed in with AC hits from the 80s, 90s and 00s.

It almost seems to rival Mike-FM.

WBOQ seems to focus more on the 60s hits with great non-overplayed tunes from the 50s and 70s as well.

 

[argytunes]

Personally...I enjoy familiar songs that aren't heard every other day. So many of the tunes you've listed would probably make me SMILE!

Once upon a time radio stations used to be bold and take a chance on the music of unfamiliar artists---who later became BIG STARS! How many are willing to take the risk now? Or does every tune have to be based on a desired demographic? ???

argytunes

 

[JimmyJames]

I'm finding an increasingly narrow gap between major and smaller market playlists. There seems to be this assumption that becoming more narrowly playlisted and sounding more generic will keep from "alienating" listeners. Problem is, it doesn't attract any passion for your station either. They dont all have to be The River (as much as I personally enjoy them) but there is room for more variety than most stations provide. My station is a modern leaning hot AC which is proud to be the first with both the new bands and the new tunes from the major artists of our format. Music moves fast, you've got to keep up with it as a programmer and keep your station fresh and relevant. On new music intensive formats, that means keeping up with the new stuff and for the oldies stations it means finding those "wow" songs to spice up your format. I firmly believe radio has to do more of this to remain relevant.

 

[RadioNut]

Every one of those songs are good, and i'm sure alot of people who grew up in those 2 decades know those songs. However, try to get a PD to agree to that. Its impossible!

I have heard time and time again, that the MAJORITY of people don't know and don't want to hear anything but the same worn out songs over and over again. Everytime someone e-mails or calls the station to say the enjoyed an offbeat song, it is written off as an abberation, and when someone e-mails the station to say they are sick of the same old songs, they say the listener doesn't really know what they are talking about and will only listen to the sure fire hits anway...it is some of the most frustrating conversatiions i have had

 

[Eli Polonsky]

I’ve noticed a lot of people have mentioned that the classic rock/hits stations in the market (WROR, WODS and WZLX) have an extremely limited playlist.

For the past few months I’ve been listening to a lot of small market radio (WATD & WBOQ) and I’ve noticed that their playlist is MUCH better (at least to me) than the Boston stations.

Stations like WATD and WBOQ serve small markets (the North and South Shores) which are parts of a large market (greater Boston). They survive by identifying with the small markets that their signals serve by providing local elements in their programming that target their areas, and they both (especially WATD) offer quality local news and public affairs segments of special interest to their communities.

Musically, WATD and WBOQ operate in the "shadow" of the full-power major market Boston stations, which come in loud and clear throughout their small portions of the larger market. They know that the music they play has to offer their local listeners something to distinguish them from the similarly formatted stations in Boston, and including some different and "deeper" cuts into their mixes is a way to help establish them as locally based musical alternatives to the Boston stations, as well as for local community information. If WATD and WBOQ played only the same music as WODS or WROR, some of their local listeners on the Shores would simply tune to WODS or WROR to hear the same songs with slicker major market presentation.

Wider playlists help differentiate the small niche-market stations from the Boston stations among their communities, where they are concerned with their local success. That approach won't work for the major market stations in Boston competing against each other for full-market ratings, where one "weak" song may send thousands of listeners across the whole market turning to the competition at any moment.

Some stations in adjacent out-of-state markets such as Rhode Island and southern NH, where the full-power Boston stations are loud and clear, also include some different and "deeper" songs to differentiate themselves from the Boston stations within their local areas.

 

[argytunes]

Just out of curiosity...has there ever been a radio station that has formatted film scores, soundtracks or related material? [Aside from satellite programming?].

The only reason I bring this up is that I know several people who wouldn't be caught dead listening to classical music, but wouldn't have a problem with a film selection written by John Williams, Elmer Bernstein, Jerry Goldsmith or James Horner ("Titanic").

When you get right down to it, most film scores, soundtracks and random movie music could be considered an up-to-date form of classical music. The difference is..one form or another is relatable to practically everybody!

argytunes

argytunes

 

[Eli Polonsky]

Just out of curiosity...has there ever been a radio station that has formatted film scores, soundtracks or related material? [Aside from satellite programming?].

In this area, when 1330 AM became WRCA in 1990, it flipped to a "showbiz" format which included stand-up comedy recordings, original cast recordings from Broadway musicals and plays, film music and soundtrack recordings, recordings from classic TV shows, some "entertaining" big band and pop standards music, and other related stuff.

I remember that they hired some veteran area broadcasters including Jim Sands and the late Marcia Masters, and they went AM stereo for that format. It sounded really good on the proper receiver!

Unfortunately, the ratings and revenue weren't there. Within a couple of years, WRCA went to the brokered ethnic format that continues today.

There have been other radio stations elsewhere that have tried such "showbiz" or "entertainment" formats, but I've never heard of any of them being particularly successful. A niche audience at best. Such entertainment is considered to be so much of a visual medium that not all that many people listen to it on the radio anymore.