The ratings-less Nine-FM continued its recent trend of weekend programming with a "70's music weekend" this past weekend. They have done 80's and 60's weekends as well.
However, in listening for 2 to 3 hours total over the course of the 3 days (starting Friday afternoon), it seems they must have gone to a mighty short rotation of songs. I heard one song 3 times, once each day. Worse yet, while listening for a stretch both Saturday AND Sunday between 4:30 and 5:30 PM, I heard 3 of the same songs from one day to the next - mind you during the same hour. It's one thing if it is the current "top 40 station", but another when it is music from at least 27 years ago!
This is so indicative of the problems with radio as a whole these days. The station(s) that thrive on the "we play anything" image - and even they play the SAME songs over and over again.
Nobody asked me, but if I'm programming that on a station that is supposed to "play anything" it would have been a 70's WEEK with ZERO repeats. That should be what they are all about.
Allowing for a "refreshed" 'top 40' every 3 months, that is 160 songs per year right there. Over the 10 years of the 70's decade, that gives them 1,600 songs to choose from. "Anything" should also include album tracks from the major artists of the 70's, which includes the solo works of the 4 Beatles members, Elvis, Elton John, the Stones, Led Zeppelin, Chicago, the Eagles, Bob Dylan, and others. Nine-FM also dabbles in country, and the 70's had hits from Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, and others. Plenty of artists who would be instantly recognized by most people listening to a 70's music marathon.
Even the 14 artists I just mentioned could have added another 500+ songs to the 70's database, and that is conservative given the multiple albums they all recorded, including several double albums.
There's the "girls of the 70's", such as Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon. The 'top 40' groups such as 3 Dog Night, CCR, Grand Funk Railroad, Bachman Turner Overdrive, and the list goes on, that also produced album after album including cover versions of songs people would know. The compilations, such as Saturday Night Fever and the soundtrack albums.
Not to mention the live concert albums performed and released in the 70's, which contain songs originally released in earlier decades.
My point is that in less than an hour I could have come up with over 2,300 different tunes and tracks from the 70's which either charted in the "top 40", were recorded by top-selling artists of that decade, and/or were prominent on the "top 100" album charts.
And a list of 2,352 different songs, at the average pace of playing 14 per hour with Nine-FM's commercial load - would have taken exactly 7 days. Without one single repeat.
I doubt anyone has THAT on their Ipod or hard drive, or could re-create that. This would be the station that "plays anything" having a 70's marathon, and putting other stations to shame that repeat their oldies playlists day after day.
And give people a reason to listen, to hear a station actually do this.
Heck - they could feature one full decade every week for a month and do the same thing. While playing songs at the most 1 time every month.
If Nine-FM would live up to their slogan, they'd then be "Staying Alive", which is the song I heard 3 times in less than 3 hours of listening time. If they are going to continue to repeat their music with that slogan, they will also get a repeat of a lack of ratings.
However, in listening for 2 to 3 hours total over the course of the 3 days (starting Friday afternoon), it seems they must have gone to a mighty short rotation of songs. I heard one song 3 times, once each day. Worse yet, while listening for a stretch both Saturday AND Sunday between 4:30 and 5:30 PM, I heard 3 of the same songs from one day to the next - mind you during the same hour. It's one thing if it is the current "top 40 station", but another when it is music from at least 27 years ago!
This is so indicative of the problems with radio as a whole these days. The station(s) that thrive on the "we play anything" image - and even they play the SAME songs over and over again.
Nobody asked me, but if I'm programming that on a station that is supposed to "play anything" it would have been a 70's WEEK with ZERO repeats. That should be what they are all about.
Allowing for a "refreshed" 'top 40' every 3 months, that is 160 songs per year right there. Over the 10 years of the 70's decade, that gives them 1,600 songs to choose from. "Anything" should also include album tracks from the major artists of the 70's, which includes the solo works of the 4 Beatles members, Elvis, Elton John, the Stones, Led Zeppelin, Chicago, the Eagles, Bob Dylan, and others. Nine-FM also dabbles in country, and the 70's had hits from Kenny Rogers, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, and others. Plenty of artists who would be instantly recognized by most people listening to a 70's music marathon.
Even the 14 artists I just mentioned could have added another 500+ songs to the 70's database, and that is conservative given the multiple albums they all recorded, including several double albums.
There's the "girls of the 70's", such as Carole King, Joni Mitchell, and Carly Simon. The 'top 40' groups such as 3 Dog Night, CCR, Grand Funk Railroad, Bachman Turner Overdrive, and the list goes on, that also produced album after album including cover versions of songs people would know. The compilations, such as Saturday Night Fever and the soundtrack albums.
Not to mention the live concert albums performed and released in the 70's, which contain songs originally released in earlier decades.
My point is that in less than an hour I could have come up with over 2,300 different tunes and tracks from the 70's which either charted in the "top 40", were recorded by top-selling artists of that decade, and/or were prominent on the "top 100" album charts.
And a list of 2,352 different songs, at the average pace of playing 14 per hour with Nine-FM's commercial load - would have taken exactly 7 days. Without one single repeat.
I doubt anyone has THAT on their Ipod or hard drive, or could re-create that. This would be the station that "plays anything" having a 70's marathon, and putting other stations to shame that repeat their oldies playlists day after day.
And give people a reason to listen, to hear a station actually do this.
Heck - they could feature one full decade every week for a month and do the same thing. While playing songs at the most 1 time every month.
If Nine-FM would live up to their slogan, they'd then be "Staying Alive", which is the song I heard 3 times in less than 3 hours of listening time. If they are going to continue to repeat their music with that slogan, they will also get a repeat of a lack of ratings.