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Soft AC station in Grand Rapids MI playing Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape"!

N

new_friends_gr

The last time I checked, 100.5 WTRV in Grand Rapids MI was a soft AC station. I started laughing the other day when I heard it playing "Sweet Escape" by Gwen Stefani.

It's amazing how much this station has evolved in the past year or two. It used to play a lot of artists like Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand, the Carpenters, Linda Ronstadt, Barry Manilow, Bread, etc. Now it's evolved into a more run-of-the-mill AC format... playing artists like The Fray, John Mayer, etc. But Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape"? That's Hot AC!
 
Re: Soft AC station in Grand Rapids MI playing Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape"!

new_friends_gr said:
The last time I checked, 100.5 WTRV in Grand Rapids MI was a soft AC station. I started laughing the other day when I heard it playing "Sweet Escape" by Gwen Stefani.

It's amazing how much this station has evolved in the past year or two. It used to play a lot of artists like Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand, the Carpenters, Linda Ronstadt, Barry Manilow, Bread, etc. Now it's evolved into a more run-of-the-mill AC format... playing artists like The Fray, John Mayer, etc. But Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape"? That's Hot AC!
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You want the AC board. If Gwen Stefani is played on the station, we're not talking about that station here.

All those artists you mentioned as being on the station at one time are played on standards stations, which are what this board is for. And some oldies stations.

This board is misnamed. Even the AC stations that would play soft AC back in the day should be mentioned on the AC board.
 
Re: Soft AC station in Grand Rapids MI playing Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape"!

vchimpanzee said:
new_friends_gr said:
The last time I checked, 100.5 WTRV in Grand Rapids MI was a soft AC station. I started laughing the other day when I heard it playing "Sweet Escape" by Gwen Stefani.

It's amazing how much this station has evolved in the past year or two. It used to play a lot of artists like Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand, the Carpenters, Linda Ronstadt, Barry Manilow, Bread, etc. Now it's evolved into a more run-of-the-mill AC format... playing artists like The Fray, John Mayer, etc. But Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape"? That's Hot AC!
Click to expand...
You want the AC board. If Gwen Stefani is played on the station, we're not talking about that station here.

All those artists you mentioned as being on the station at one time are played on standards stations, which are what this board is for. And some oldies stations.

This board is misnamed. Even the AC stations that would play soft AC back in the day should be mentioned on the AC board.
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I don't see why this thread would belong strictly on the AC board. It might be your opinion that the thread doesn't belong on this board (that's fine), but I don't see why it's necessary to tell others that they need to "go to another board" to post something which they feel is relevant to the discussion here. It's ok to "agree to disagree", but it's quite another matter to tell someone to go post somewhere else.

The point of the thread was about WTRV's addition of artists that aren't really considered "soft AC"...and yes, gr...WTRV has evolved into more of an AC format and, from what you posted, may be headed in a hot AC direction. I used to listen to "The River" quite a bit, but in the last year or so, they have dropped all those artists which previously made up the original soft AC format (Neil Diamond, Barbra Streisand, Barry Manilow, et al). Last time I checked their playlist (might have been six months ago), they were beginning to add some harder edge AC into the mix. Sounds as though now it's much worse than before.
 
Re: Soft AC station in Grand Rapids MI playing Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape"!

This is the right board to discuss a previously Soft AC station and where it may be evolving.

Actually "The River" came into the Grand Rapids market as WOOD-FM, a long-time Soft AC (and before that, Easy Listening) started to evolve in a more uptempo direction.

And previous to that, there was WLHT, which also, as the call letters indicate, started as a Soft AC in Grand Rapids but also moved to Hot AC (yet kept the Light call letters).

Three Grand Rapids Soft AC stations that don't want to be soft any more.

Gregg
[email protected]
 
Re: Soft AC station in Grand Rapids MI playing Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape"!

What is airing on 100.5 now is essentially the flavor of AC that used to air on 95.7, which is, as was mentioned, now more of a Hot AC (they now identify as "95-7 LHT," thus eliminating all mention of the word "Lite" from their imaging). While The River seems well-programmed now for the type of format it is, I was upset to hear that the traditional Soft AC sound was gone - it was actually one of my favorite stations to listen to while I was going to school out there, very relaxing and soothing to listen to while I was doing my homework. Grand Rapids is a huge market for AC - in addition to the three mainstream ACs, there is a very popular Christian AC station in Cornerstone University's 91.3 WCSG which easily matches much of its secular competition in the ratings - and WTRV used to be a unique-sounding breath of fresh air.

For a time in the late '90s/early '00s, Grand Rapids was a nice market to live in for listeners who liked Standards and Soft AC. There were not one, but two, standards stations on the AM dial, with WMJH 810 (Majic 810) airing then-Westwood-One-now-Dial-Global (now brokered Spanish) and WKWM 1140 airing the Music of Your Life (now off the air pending a switch to Catholic programming). WMJH was (and still is) a daytimer but the WW1 format continued on sister station WMFN 640 after WMJH's signoff. WTRV actually switched to Standards for a time in the evening after both AM stations signed off with a program called "Nostalgia Nights." WW1's format was also available in the area on 920 WOKY Milwaukee, 940 WGMY South Haven, and 1380 WPLB Greenville (none of which air it anymore), plus there was 1600 WMHG Muskegon (now silent) airing what was then still called ABC Radio's Stardust, and WAKV 980 Otsego serving the Kalamazoo area with a locally originating mix.

Of all these stations, WAKV is the only one still in the format today (and still locally programmed!) with a pretty interesting mix of MOR hits and '60s oldies including some "oh wow" titles ("Pass Me By" by Peggy Lee comes to mind as one title I heard played there a few months ago on the way to Chicago). However, it suffers from a very poor signal. WXLA 1180 Dimondale/Lansing, which recently switched to Dial Global's format after the end of Timeless, might be available in parts of the Grand Rapids area with its recent signal upgrade. Also the NPR-affiliated "Real Oldies" AM station programs a few hours of standards on Sunday mornings. But that's it - the pickings are very slim now. The closest thing to "relaxing" music on the air in Grand Rapids itself now is either the classical music on Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp's NPR station, or the Broadcast Architecture Smooth Jazz on 105.7 WOOD-HD2. I wish Re- ... oops, I mean, Townsquare Media - would revive the original "River" format as an HD2 or HD3 channel for either WLHT or 97.9 WGRD.
 
Re: Soft AC station in Grand Rapids MI playing Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape"!

For Standards Loves in the N. Texas Area You have a choice of 4! Stations.

770 KAAM Garland, TX (10 kW) Local Programming But Littered with Infomercials
1230 KSST Sulfur Springs, TX (1 kW) Dial Global Formerly Timeless
1500 KJIM Sherman, TX (1 kW Daytimer) Dial Global
1570 KPYK Terrell, TX (270 Watts) Local Features Big Band & Swing Music
 
Re: Soft AC station in Grand Rapids MI playing Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape"!

passtheword said:
I don't see why this thread would belong strictly on the AC board. It might be your opinion that the thread doesn't belong on this board (that's fine), but I don't see why it's necessary to tell others that they need to "go to another board" to post something which they feel is relevant to the discussion here.
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Well, there is a discussion on the actual AC board that sounds a lot like what you were starting.

The latest posts here, though, have moved us in the right direction.
 
Re: Soft AC station in Grand Rapids MI playing Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape"!

Does the River over-play "Every Breath You Take"? That's also such a hip song that will be rarely heard on a standards station.
 
Re: Soft AC station in Grand Rapids MI playing Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape"!

Every Breath You Take has been played on the Soft A/C stations since it was a current. The biggest hit the Police ever had.

It's 2010-------and the River has evolved into s station that should be talked about in the A/C page. In fact, most stations that would have been considered Soft A/C have evolved into more mainstream A/C stations.

The definition of "soft" for a 35-54 today is not the same as a 35-54 ten or 15 years ago.

WDUV should probably still be discussed here. Magic 590 in Albany as well.

And any FM station that would have Neil Diamond, Barbara Streisand, Barry Manilow, The Carpenters, and Anne Murray as a major part of their music mix. Because these artists are really no longer A/C.

Problem is, and because of demographics rightfully so, few of those stations exist today.
 
Re: Soft AC station in Grand Rapids MI playing Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape"!

For fans who can listen on line, there is 1370 WDEA in Ellsworth Maine. This station put Music Of Your Life on earlier this year but has since switched to Dial Global. I'm guessing listeners did not take to all the cover versions of Hit songs MOYL generally plays.

www.wdea.com
 
Re: Soft AC station in Grand Rapids MI playing Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape"!

Seltzer said:
For fans who can listen on line, there is 1370 WDEA in Ellsworth Maine. This station put Music Of Your Life on earlier this year but has since switched to Dial Global. I'm guessing listeners did not take to all the cover versions of Hit songs MOYL generally plays.

www.wdea.com
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Or perhaps the problem is Music of Your Life adding oldies. That's the subject of another thread on here. I'm glad I don't have to put up with them.
 
Re: Soft AC station in Grand Rapids MI playing Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape"!

Chimp said,
I'm glad I don't have to put up with them.

ME TOO! Or there would be LOTS more crabbin' 'bout the music posts.

MOYL's oldies are quite good, flling out the format and bringing the right demograpic of listeners. It's all computer driven.
 
Re: Soft AC station in Grand Rapids MI playing Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape"!

Seltzer said:
For fans who can listen on line, there is 1370 WDEA in Ellsworth Maine. This station put Music Of Your Life on earlier this year but has since switched to Dial Global. I'm guessing listeners did not take to all the cover versions of Hit songs MOYL generally plays.

www.wdea.com
Click to expand...

The correct link is: www.am1370wdea.com
 
Re: Soft AC station in Grand Rapids MI playing Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape"!

vchimpanzee said:
Seltzer said:
For fans who can listen on line, there is 1370 WDEA in Ellsworth Maine. This station put Music Of Your Life on earlier this year but has since switched to Dial Global. I'm guessing listeners did not take to all the cover versions of Hit songs MOYL generally plays.

www.wdea.com
Click to expand...
Or perhaps the problem is Music of Your Life adding oldies. That's the subject of another thread on here. I'm glad I don't have to put up with them.
Click to expand...

As much as I liked WDEA after it shifted to MOYL, I find the new dial global format even more enjoyable. A better variety without becoming too contemporary, and just enough standards of Frank, Tony, Ella, etc. to keep it interesting. MOYL was much "older" sounding, although I liked their newer artists doing the older standards. Too bad I wasn't within range of both formats on a local station. Or Dial-Global on a local FM with MOYL on their co-owned AM (or vice-versa)
 
Re: Soft AC station in Grand Rapids MI playing Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape"!

Well right now WDEA is playing a Phil Collins song from 2000. Still think this one belongs to the Soft/mainstream A/C stations.

Stick to the 60s 70s and 80s with some standards sprinkled in.
 
Re: Soft AC station in Grand Rapids MI playing Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape"!

rjoc said:
As much as I liked WDEA after it shifted to MOYL, I find the new dial global format even more enjoyable. A better variety without becoming too contemporary, and just enough standards of Frank, Tony, Ella, etc. to keep it interesting. MOYL was much "older" sounding, although I liked their newer artists doing the older standards. Too bad I wasn't within range of both formats on a local station. Or Dial-Global on a local FM with MOYL on their co-owned AM (or vice-versa)
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I can't remember Ella on Dial Global. But she would fit in just fine.

WAVO plays her a lot, but who knows how long that station will last.
 
Re: Soft AC station in Grand Rapids MI playing Gwen Stefani's "Sweet Escape"!

Yes, Ella was played on Dial Global. "Anything Goes" was on alot, from Ella's album with all of those LONG sung introductions (that song has someting about "Plymouth Rock"). The album saluting Cole Porter.

NOTE; When I was a kid, WGN Chicago often played cuts from that album. By the way, WGN is where the announcer introduced her as "Elephants Gerald." Not sure of the consequences of that, but it was in alot of the print press.

I also heard DG play Mack the Knife (the live Ella cut where she forgets the lyrics and "scats" for a bit). That was played often, maybe 7 or 8 years ago.
 
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