The Best and the Worst CHRs

[The Truthsayer]

With this philosophy, why aren't you programming a CHR?

Not programming a CHR right now, but wanna see my resume?

I have a good track record with programming CHR.

I'm not the only one using that philosophy.

 

[porkythepig]

It sounds to me like this conversation has turned into this: "Big markets, good. Small markets, bad."

Weird, because I always preferred small-market stations (provided they were live and local).

just because small market stations don't have the polish of the large market stations, doesn't make them bad.  There are good and bad small market stations just as there are good and bad large market stations.

Why wouldn't you WANT to be polished? Why would you leave any obvious differences between yourself and, for example, a Z100 or any other big market CHR that your listeners might hear on a weekend shopping trip / vacation / etc? That line of thinking is the one thing about small market programmers that annoys me the most.

A lot of really BAD stations only do well because they are BIG FISH IN A LITTLE POND. Therefore with less competition, you don't put as much effort in sounding good since you'll probably get good ratings anyway, so most of the bad stations are in smaller markets, it's just how it is. Quit trying to debate about live vs. not, listeners don't care about live and local, they want to be entertained by music and the jock. Most normal people check the weather forecast on the Internet or on TV, so the radio rehashing it isn't very important.

Perhaps the lack of money/budget is a reason why small market stations don't always sound polished and bigger than their market size.

 

[CHRles]

Another CHR playing 80s titles at noon: Z-96.3 Manhattan, Ks.

Conservative CHRs that oftentimes LOSE the CHR war are the Cumulus programmed CHRs. Myrtle Beach, Savannah, Toledo are all great examples of CHRs that were ruined once they had to adhere to the Jan Jaffries philosophy.
Even Q-100 Atlanta isnt performing nearly as well as it should be, especially now on its monster signal, and its by and large b/c musically its too conservative.

 

[luvcoors]

It sounds to me like this conversation has turned into this: "Big markets, good. Small markets, bad."

Weird, because I always preferred small-market stations (provided they were live and local).

just because small market stations don't have the polish of the large market stations, doesn't make them bad. There are good and bad small market stations just as there are good and bad large market stations.

Why wouldn't you WANT to be polished? Why would you leave any obvious differences between yourself and, for example, a Z100 or any other big market CHR that your listeners might hear on a weekend shopping trip / vacation / etc? That line of thinking is the one thing about small market programmers that annoys me the most.

A lot of really BAD stations only do well because they are BIG FISH IN A LITTLE POND. Therefore with less competition, you don't put as much effort in sounding good since you'll probably get good ratings anyway, so most of the bad stations are in smaller markets, it's just how it is. Quit trying to debate about live vs. not, listeners don't care about live and local, they want to be entertained by music and the jock. Most normal people check the weather forecast on the Internet or on TV, so the radio rehashing it isn't very important.

Perhaps the lack of money/budget is a reason why small market stations don't always sound polished and bigger than their market size.

That's a pile of BS IMO...you don't need money to produce a successful product. It's called passion, desire, willingness to succeed, etc. It's called working with promotional partners to benefit one another (they provide a killer prize traded for some spots or mentions), supporting records that you believe in and then asking a label to provide a nice prize like tickets & backstage passes to a regional big show, grabbing state lottery tickets to giveaway, etc.

Most partners just want their name said. I can't tell you how many times over the past few years I've worked my connections to get stuff without having a budget. But then again...it's also called having your air talent do great radio...relating to the audience, talking about pop culture in a way that keeps the audience listening. Radio isn't won on contests...it's everything!

 

[The Beave]

That's a pile of BS IMO...you don't need money to produce a successful product. It's called passion, desire, willingness to succeed, etc. It's called working with promotional partners to benefit one another (they provide a killer prize traded for some spots or mentions), supporting records that you believe in and then asking a label to provide a nice prize like tickets & backstage passes to a regional big show, grabbing state lottery tickets to giveaway, etc.

Most partners just want their name said. I can't tell you how many times over the past few years I've worked my connections to get stuff without having a budget. But then again...it's also called having your air talent do great radio...relating to the audience, talking about pop culture in a way that keeps the audience listening. Radio isn't won on contests...it's everything!

AAAMMMEENNN!!!

 

[porkythepig]

We do trade like crazy to get the prizes, and get the advertiser to pay up a bit of cash to be the sponsor.  There are people who choose to stay in the podunk piss ant market for various reasons, including but not limited to, family, less stress/BS/living and dying by the book, cost of living, etc.

 

[pbf1]

Conservative CHRs that oftentimes LOSE the CHR war are the Cumulus programmed CHRs. Myrtle Beach, Savannah, Toledo are all great examples of CHRs that were ruined once they had to adhere to the Jan Jaffries philosophy.
Even Q-100 Atlanta isnt performing nearly as well as it should be, especially now on its monster signal, and its by and large b/c musically its too conservative.

In all fairness, Myrtle and Toledo have big signal issues, and it's been many, many years since Z102 has been a competitor with which to reckon.

 

[NoWayNoCC]

In all fairness, Myrtle and Toledo have big signal issues, and it's been many, many years since Z102 has been a competitor with which to reckon.

Tower 98 is ruined now too?

 

[Kent]

Another CHR playing 80s titles at noon: Z-96.3 Manhattan, Ks.

Lots of CHR's still do a retro lunch of some sort. I've really been surprised that so many of them play 80's. One of the stations I worked for about 7 years ago was going to do "The 90's at noon" as a way to compete against a retro lunch, but we decided against it at the last minute. You'd think more of them would try to move in that direction.

Conservative CHRs that oftentimes LOSE the CHR war are the Cumulus programmed CHRs. Myrtle Beach, Savannah, Toledo are all great examples of CHRs that were ruined once they had to adhere to the Jan Jaffries philosophy.
Even Q-100 Atlanta isnt performing nearly as well as it should be, especially now on its monster signal, and its by and large b/c musically its too conservative.

This was before the Susquehanna deal, but I was told Cumulus only had two CHR's in the entire company that beat their direct competition. At the time, I was working at one of the two that was getting its head handed to it by Cumulus!

 

[kentuckymedia]

*I really think for such a small market WQHY in Prestonsburg is a decent station musically. *WDJQ in Canton is a great station with a top notch programmer and morning show in place.
*WDJX in Louisville is still a decent CHR even though Mainline has neutered the station
*WSTR and Q100 are both great CHR's in Atlanta
*WNCI hands down is an amazing station with great jocks and great music
*WXKS Boston is another great station along with WPRO
*WKRQ Cincinnati / WWSR Lima / KZZU Spokane and WHTS GrandRapids are the best Adult Top 40 stations out there hands down

As for stations that used to be great, WOMP Wheeling was up there on the top!

 

[ct2874]

Worst top 40s:

WQSM Fayetteville: Sounds like a Hot AC passing through, not a top 40, very light production for top 40 station.

concur. That station never has been a "real" CHR IMO since the late 80's, before they all of a sudden flipped to the gosh-awful "Magic 98" moniker.