To someone like me, who started liking country music in my early twenties (mid-1970s) and was very much an outlier then, the fact that a country station is No. 1 18-34 in Philadelphia now is not only interesting, but mind-boggling.
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Top 40 Ignoring Ella Langley
- Thread starter TheBigA
- Start date
country listeners are the least tech savy?
Hard to generalize that kind of thing. What can be said about country is it's a consensus format where fans are very passionate and loyal about a core group of artists. That makes it easier to program and get consistent ratings. Plus with a lot of currents, there's a lot less burn than other formats.
Caught it on 100.7 Star yesterday in Pittsburgh.
96.1, the CHR station here, still doesn't appear to be playing it taking a look at their playlist. But they did play two Shaboozy songs this morning, and it appears that he's the only country act they're playing currently.
Ella's song is worlds above any of his hits. But "Choosin' Texas" is also more country sounding, whereas Shaboozy's couple of hits are a lot more "pop" leaning with some country elements included. So I guess in that sense it makes sense.
96.1, the CHR station here, still doesn't appear to be playing it taking a look at their playlist. But they did play two Shaboozy songs this morning, and it appears that he's the only country act they're playing currently.
Ella's song is worlds above any of his hits. But "Choosin' Texas" is also more country sounding, whereas Shaboozy's couple of hits are a lot more "pop" leaning with some country elements included. So I guess in that sense it makes sense.
Country stations don't have a problem playing songs that sound pop or even rap, and it doesn't hurt them where it matters.
In fact playing music that might be outside the format has been something that has brought new people to country music.
Perhaps this tight adherence to format has no relevance when people can make their own playlists.
BTW this Ella Langley & Morgan Wallen duet will debut in the Top 20 next week. Huge hit.
www.billboard.com
Megan Moroney, Ella Langley & Morgan Wallen Highlight Moves on Country Airplay Chart
Megan Moroney earns her fourth top 10 on Country Airplay with “Beautiful Things,” and the new duet from Ella Langley and Morgan Wallen debuts.
www.billboard.com
Young on-air talent originally from the Midwest. Has been a fan of Garabedian’s (that’s how you spell an industry legend’s name, by the way) work growing up. Got in touch with him and has worked with him on a few projects, including Liveline. The show is trying to be a callback to OHP as it was during its halcyon days, but on weeknights. He’s been adding a few markets here and there. Show’s not bad - might give him a call sometime. (And yes, he DOES take calls, and it’s LIVE.) (Oh, and he’s right in his target demo’s age, so he has firsthand knowledge of what’s trending, what’s current, etc. Just like Garabedian, he has a pretty keen eye towards what works and what’s likely to happen in music and listening.)
OHP dropped over the years because more affiliates wanted to take the reins of programming local, or switching to another syndi show, mostly Most Requested Live. Garabedian, who originally created it back in ‘87, hasn’t been involved in the show since he left nearly a decade ago.
Judging from his columns, he plays stuff on his show that CHRs don't usually play, which is probably why a lot don't add that show.
Mason's show is worth checking out. He does what local jocks used to do it at night - he talks to listeners and has fun. His affiliate base has seen steady growth since he launched his show.
As for Open House Party, I think when Clear Channel/iHeart created their own Most Requested Live for their CHR stations it slashed the affiliate list for OHP. And no matter the talent and quality of OHP, John eventually lost affiliates the same way Casey Kasem's CHR show did before Seacrest and Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 has in the last 15 years, he got older and aged out of the demo.
OHP still lives, but it doesn't have the name recognition it once did and most of the major players have their own in house alternative. One of the best things Casey Kasem did for the future of the AT40 brand was sell it to Clear Channel/Premiere. No matter the host, it's guaranteed to be on in any market where iHeart has CHR and/or Hot AC.
As for Open House Party, I think when Clear Channel/iHeart created their own Most Requested Live for their CHR stations it slashed the affiliate list for OHP. And no matter the talent and quality of OHP, John eventually lost affiliates the same way Casey Kasem's CHR show did before Seacrest and Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 has in the last 15 years, he got older and aged out of the demo.
OHP still lives, but it doesn't have the name recognition it once did and most of the major players have their own in house alternative. One of the best things Casey Kasem did for the future of the AT40 brand was sell it to Clear Channel/Premiere. No matter the host, it's guaranteed to be on in any market where iHeart has CHR and/or Hot AC.
if by the word “ sell” you mean that Casey owned AT40, that is not the case. It was owned by Tom Rounds until he sold to what became Premier.
They were part owners. They got ownership when ABC canceled the show in 1995. There was a clause in the contract where ownership reverted to them.
TR was the almost total owner prior to the sale to Watermark. I Worked for TR for over 20 years, starting in the early 90’s until the time of his death and my partner and I were very frequent guests at their home and had a favorite restaurant circuit, too.
That was in 1982. The sale to AMFM was 1998.
That’s…a weird stretch, but OK then.
I mean that when ownership reverted back to Casey, Don and Tom Rounds 'x' number of months after the Shadoe Stevens era of the show ended and ABC gave up the rights to the American Top 40 name and brand. Rob Durkee writes in his book that Don Bustany had no interest in returning to the show and eventually Casey sold the brand to AMFM/Premiere.
Weirdest throwback songs radio has on regular rotation? | Pulse Music Board Weirdest throwback songs radio has on regular rotation? | Pulse Music Board Not by a lot. There's this thread on pulseboards that says he plays "curveball" golds and riskier currents and much of CHR today is risk averse.
Those “curveballs” are mostly requested by listeners and also based off of streaming numbers.
Again, Mason’s got a pretty good pulse on current music, and likely has more freedom than other hosts to stretch the playlist out a bit, playing both just-breaking new music and lost hits.
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Sean Ross asks the same question:
radioinsight.com
In the Mediabase country chart, had this song not gone recurrent, it would still be in the Top 10.
The Billboard chart has different recurrent rules, and it is at #6 in their airplay chart.
Choosing Between Ella, Bella, and Stella
The first “why isn’t CHR playing ‘Choosin’ Texas’” article was written by Liveline host Mason Kelter last January, when that song was about three months old, but already phenomenal. Programmer Phil Becker weighed in six weeks ago, asking how the Top 40 PDs who had rejected that song as “not...
radioinsight.com
In the Mediabase country chart, had this song not gone recurrent, it would still be in the Top 10.
The Billboard chart has different recurrent rules, and it is at #6 in their airplay chart.