WDVD Playlist Tweak?

[ChrisInMI]

It looks like WDVD has taken another step closer to CHR by starting to (apparently extremely cautiously) add more rhythmic music into rotation. Nicki Minaj's "Starships" and Flo Rida's "Wild Ones" are new on the station's playlist this past week.

It doesn't appear that it's just during the Perez Hilton show either, as "Starships" and "Wild Ones" were actually listed as adds by the station's PD on All Access. Looking at the Mediabase list http://mediabase.com/mmrweb/7/stationplaylistrequest.asp?c_let=WDVD-FM here, a lot of other rhythmic-leaning songs the station wasn't playing previously are also showing up, though I'm guessing many of those were played only during Hilton's show. (All Access shows nine plays for "Starships" and seven for "Wild Ones" in the past week on DVD, so I would assume Hilton counts for most of those as well.)

Still, might this be a sign that they're starting to back away from the "no rap" policy? We all know how the Hot AC format has evolved and still is evolving, but DVD has still seemed very conservative and extremely stale to me and playing it way too safe with their music choices, even more so than Q95-5 was back in the day. (Obviously it works though, so that's what they should continue doing.)

 

[Human Numan]

I don't see how there is room in the Detroit radio market for another CHR/Top 40 radio station at 96.3 FM, because we already got CHANNEL 95.5 and 98.7 AMP RADIO. If 96.3 WDVD move to CHR it might hurt 98.7 AMP RADIO ratings even worse.

Just the thought of 3 TOP 40 radio stations in Detroit becoming a possibility 95.5 and 98.7 now and maybe in the future 96.3 too.

 

[the marv]

They did it before in the 80's 95.5, 96.3 and 99.5 when top 40 really ruled.

 

[A2Townie]

I posted on this same topic elsewhere, but I'll respond here too. They are not playing those songs, YET. CHR is one thing, but Karmin, Flo Rida and Nicki Minaj are arguably the bottom of the barrel, least talented, most ridiculed artists in the format. Cumulus has done enough already to destroy that station. This would be the final straw. The market is already over-saturated with CHRs and HACs overplaying CHR hits months behind the times. There are already enough stations with a bland, suburban sound. There would be no way to draw as many listeners as a single, solid HAC station would. Now would be the time for 96.3 to buck the CHR trend and play the heart of the HAC charts, adding the best songs just as they start their ascent in that format, with a couple of hits from the top of the AAA chart and the best quality rock/alternative hits from the 90s/2000s in lighter rotation.

The only other choice would be to go "all in" CHR: including the best rhythmic, urban and rap hits. And I think that choice all depends upon whether Cumulus is trying to maintain and expand their current 96.3 listening demo, or abandon it completely for the 12-24 crowd (potentially fighting for that demo with three other stations?)

Either way, I think future success depends on having a much fresher sound. Cumulus can't keep adding hits a month or more behind the other stations/station blocks without seeing a precipitous drop in ratings. In this information age people don't depend on radio to introduce them to new music. Every age demo is aware of, and has access to, potential hits well before official add dates, and for stations to procrastinate much beyond a week of a song being officially up for adds is folly, and makes any station sound dated. Start researching songs earlier, and use your skill, experience and market knowledge to develop the freshest, most current playlist, then tweak the spins accordingly as eventual chart position dictates.

But this is just one listener's view... Is there some key to success behind this CHR trend and the "wait and see before we add" philosophy that I am missing?

 

[jry]

Maybe you mean that WDVDs playlist is weak.

 

[option2]

I checked out their playlist. Looks like they are playing the hits to me. Yeah they are the "salt" hits for the majority, with a little "pepper" sprinkled in occasionally, but 90% of their currents contain NO crossover artists. Flo Rida, Usher & Manaj aren't exactly where hip hop lives. Music stations are being dominated by tempo. Counting Crows and Greenday are dead. I never understood the "all the hits without the rap" thing. If they are skewing younger that has to go.

But the worst thing that can happen to WDVD is to let Jan Jeffries in the building. Now THAT would signal the end of WDVD.

 

[Jasonthegreat]

You have to understand that Hot AC is changing, and it now acts more like CHR than it ever did before. In addition, Hot AC is featuring some "safe" rap as well.