So I recently asked on the national board how the Delilah show is done. I was educated that she actually spins no tunes. She just sits in her studio, records phone calls, sends those tracks to the stations and the stations insert the correct song the person asked for on the request or if the caller just does the infamous "oh Delilah, you always pick the best tunes. Pick one for me" thing, the local PD programs in an appropriate song. Well, I am fully convinced 'The Breeze' does no thinking at all into the appropriateness of the song after a Delilah caller track. Yesterday, some woman was saying how she loves her man so much and please pick a song for me and the song that played was "Sailing" by Christopher Cross. Huh? Then some guy was saying how he's always traveling on the road for his job and misses his wife. Play a song for me Delilah. Benny Mardones - Into the Night. Huh? Tonight, a woman was saying how she is so proud of her husband who has fought ADD and she wanted a song for all the people out there suffering with ADD. Song played: Heart - These Dreams. Am I missing deeper meanings to these songs here and/or am I reading too much into this (LOL) or is The Breeze not putting any effort into what songs jive with the caller voicetracks? Ok, I'll shut up now. I tend to overthink things sometimes. LOL It's syndicated radio. What can I expect?
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
The music on The Breeze during Delilah
- Thread starter Route 222
- Start date
No effort at all! ;-)
It seemed the Delilah show made more sense when it was on a lot of small and middle market stations, where they could actually program an appropriate song.
The Major Market stations did not want to veer from their approved playlist and rotation.
It seemed the show morphed into this "pieces and parts", to be inserted locally, when major market stations started airing her show.
I don't know if there is still a full national feed for smaller stations where the songs actually fit the dedications.
Can anyone tell me if the still offer a full national feed of the delilah show (songs and dedications intact) to affiliate stations?
Here is the network clock....
http://engineering.premiereradio.com/pro4p/files/clocks/XDS Aff Delilah M-F.pdf
The Premiere site has additional show data.
Most automation systems can run local-music version of the show with nobody in the studio. The bits and pieces are "sucked in" and inserted in the right places. There is nobody there to select songs, and given the lack of night revenue, it's not a good investment.
When Delilah first started, she would sometimes match the song to the story the caller just told. Or the caller would ask for a specific song. "Can you play 'Thank You for Being A Friend' for my friend Kate in Illinois?"
Now Delilah simply says "Let me play a song for you and your friend Kate." The song plays but it has nothing to do with what was just discussed. I'm amazed the callers aren't asking for specific songs anymore. I assume they'd be edited out but those of us in this business would notice the edit.
Now Delilah simply says "Let me play a song for you and your friend Kate." The song plays but it has nothing to do with what was just discussed. I'm amazed the callers aren't asking for specific songs anymore. I assume they'd be edited out but those of us in this business would notice the edit.
Even if it does mean that the traveling man who's missing his wife so much has to hear "Into the Night," a song about a man who wants to abduct and have sex with a 16-year-old girl?
I'd say it was more when the technology developed to a point where the workparts approach was possible. Stations like WLIT in Chicago carried Delilah 20 years ago when it was just a satellite feed.
There is still a national feed on the satellite where stations just hook up a couple of closures and sail away. But that feed still features Delilah ending her calls with "So good to hear your inspiring story, Janet. Let me choose a song for you and your daughter" -- and the song is never announced nor does it usually seem to have much to do with the call.
Major Market stations in competitive markets that ran the D* show did not do well in the ratings (WLIT, etc.). Many dropped it after it failed to perform for them.
(Imagine a major market PD who has a music test in front of him, and hears songs on the original fed D* show and KNEW that his audience/P1's hated them.)
There was a reluctance of major-market stations wanting to run a syndicated show. In some cases, there was pressure from corporate owner to run the program.
When Clear Channel indicated a STRONG preference for it's AC's to take the show, a deal with the programmers was made to run their own tested music, with the D* show coming in parts to be inserted.
That, along with the ease of automation/technology mentioned by yourself and David that had become available, made the show easy to run as a modular program...and more acceptable to the MM PD's.
I don't know if major market stations are indeed "sucking in" the pieces unheard. I recall that (at one time) WLTW in NYC was FTP-ing the parts...and a (local) producer actually put the show together into the automation.
Well, they're all songs that have played a kajillion times in the regular rotation since the station launched so I would tend to go along with your thinking: No one is paying attention.
The thing I don't understand about this show: Is there really so big a fan base that the show makes sense? Everyone I've ever heard mention the show absolutely hates it. I know I'm biased but to me, she is one of the ultimate "pukers" of all time. (The only thing I find interesting about the show is the glaringly obvious airbrushing in the show's promotional photos. OK, that was mean. But I stand by it.) On the one hand, I can understand iHeart wanting to clear her on as many stations as possible (as well as getting to cut a jock salary). But on the other hand, if they're just playing the regular library interlaced with the voice of someone most(?) people don't want to hear (telling pretty rambling stories, no less), is that really a win? I hate to use the word "jockless" but I could at least listen to it that way. When Delilah's on, there's no way I'd punch that button!
One question: Are you a woman?
I will say my wife is, and in the demo, and she’d rather jam a rusty fork in her ears than listen to Delilah.
Of course that’s one person, and there will be a range of opinions. But the question was spot on. Obviously, it works, generally speaking.
As to one of the earlier questions about reading too much into the songs....yes. Contemplating whether Into the Night fits the recorded call is over analyzing.
The song is troubling enough to warrant a whole other conversation. Probably on a whole other website though. LOL
- Status