Why can't we have a station like this?

[davideduardo]

Absolutely PD and Md's should have and exercise more local control but as long as you have corporate suits who claim to know more and demonstrate less plus spin bull to cover their smell,it will not happen.

I love watching when a new urban legend is being built. This crap is worse than the Minot and Dixie Chics legends.

 

[JimmyJames]

David:

At one of my places of employment, I held the title of "Director Of Programming" for the entire group of stations. So I find either term to be acceptable.

Take a look at Cumulus. Their adds are dictated from Atlanta. And I know PDs and MDs at local Cumulus stations, so it's pointless of you to say otherwise.

 

[davideduardo]

David:

At one of my places of employment, I held the title of "Director Of Programming" for the entire group of stations. So I find either term to be acceptable.

That's the only time I have ever heard that term used.

Take a look at Cumulus. Their adds are dictated from Atlanta. And I know PDs and MDs at local Cumulus stations, so it's pointless of you to say otherwise.

The Cumulus CHR stations are in pretty small markets except for KRBE. Guidance is really important in this kind of situation, as you are often dealing with new PDs or PDs without a great deal of expereince. Jan Jeffries comes from smaller markets (I hired him in '72 out of WKRG in Mobile) and had some huge successes in places like Roanoke... When you get into top 100 markets, you see a lot of local decision making in CHR and all foremats, although in nearly every case the mantra is "follow the research."

 

[davideduardo]

BTW, I believe DE is a consultant somewhere on the West Coast.

Not quite.

 

[TheRover]

Far from being arbitrary, there is a reason for a program director or music director handling the music. Actually, several reasons.

First, air talents are hired for their ability to entertain or keep the format flowing. Were the ability to pick the music to be part of the overall criteria, many great talents would not have jobs.

Second, in the early 70's, freeform album or progressive rock stations were almost totally blown away by more structured AOR stations, starting with Lee Abrams' Superstars format. This showed that listeners for the most part wanted to hear more familiar artists and songs, with fewer deep cuts and new songs.

There is a third reason, too. For the last 25 years or so, we've used computers to assist in programming music and that allows us greater control of things like horizontal and vertical rotation (don't play the same song today at the same time you played it yesterday) and keeping the same artist's plays separated, etc. This makes for more varied music sets with greater artist and song variety, too.

Yes, David, and I would have phrased that statement like this:

This showed that generic listeners for the most part wanted to hear more familiar artists and songs, with fewer deep cuts and new songs.

 

[davideduardo]

[EDIT-post removed]

I do not correct everyone. In this case, however, there was a post suggesting that "better radio" happens when DJs select the songs. This is not true, as listenership conclusively shows that stations with some stucture and consistency beat the big playlist, randomly played song stations. It's just a fact.

In "America" (by which I assume you mean the United States of America) there are now over 1000 Spanish language stations, in more than a dozen different formats. If it's all the same to you, then you probably think all Hispanics look the same and speak the same way and eat the same food. The fact is that Hispanic targeted stations are the only ones growing in the USA today, and smart broadcasters and marketers are learning about the market. In fact, Arbitron now has about a dozen format descriptors for Spanish language offerings, so just about everyone except you is up to date on this.

 

[davideduardo]

[EDIT-post removed]

"Cited" and proven are two different things; if there is an error of fact, like the New York Times or any publication with a fe de errata, I acknowledge it.

However, opinion is something we can all have, about sports, politics or radio. In these cases, there is no right or wrong until the ideas are put to the test with real listeners.

 

[grantchester]

AAA or FREEFORM or some type of music-intensive format would be great.
It's very hard to do successfully, though. There is no homogeny in society in general, or in musical tastes in specific, especially in DFW.
Here's an example:
ROVER and I would both love to see the same kind of station, but if ROVER were picking the songs, I'd turn it off... and if I were picking the songs, ROVER would be up in my case for all the tunes he loves that I would never touch.
There is only one way to make it work:
You have to have a strong personality to 'SELL' the song. That person would have to have the authority to be able to persuade the listener to take a chance on a song, or a genre, or a performer they normally wouldn't consider. A musicologist, known and respected for that person's judgement and knowlege. That would mean playing one song at a time... which goes against the 'conventional wisdom, radio-as-juke-box' mentality of the typical programmer, manager or sales professional.
It is also something that can't be quantified. I could never persuade a Kurt Johnson to play 'FRUMMOX', because he could never conceive of how it could appeal to the average listener... but if someone like Don Henley or Bob Dylan or another big name music star presented it, the audience might find "Entrance" and be en-tranced.... (or so I dream).
G

 

[TheRover]

AAA or FREEFORM or some type of music-intensive format would be great.
It's very hard to do successfully, though. There is no homogeny in society in general, or in musical tastes in specific, especially in DFW.
Here's an example:
ROVER and I would both love to see the same kind of station, but if ROVER were picking the songs, I'd turn it off... and if I were picking the songs, ROVER would be up in my case for all the tunes he loves that I would never touch.
There is only one way to make it work:

You have to have a strong personality to 'SELL' the song. That person would have to have the authority to be able to persuade the listener to take a chance on a song, or a genre, or a performer they normally wouldn't consider.

WRONG G --- It's THE MUSIC, that speaks for itself that I am interested in.

If you have "tell me the back-story" about the music... then, indeed, that is --not-- the kind of music that I would be interested in listening to.

The song --- should speak for itself, without a hardsell or a backstory.

If a song rocks me, I do not care if the musicans spent 15 minutes, or 15 days, or 15 months laying down the tracks...... Have a "Behind The Music" Program Once a Week to discuss such things.

But the rest of the time... just rock me with songs that goove....

For those of us that have sensibilites aginst ANY Commerical Cra*, then that easily tells you what --not-- to play.....

Some are soooooo afraid that it can work without a BIG personality..... that a regular guy or gal could have the sensibilites and soul to know what rocks and what doesn't rock.

The Cult of P-e-r-s-o-n-a-l-i-t-y

Music for Music lovers......

And Not ... Music for Nerds, or Alcoholics, that like Music --- as they are already being markted to....

 

[grantchester]

Nah, it's not the cult of personality, it's putting the tune into context.
I bet you didn't like your favorite song, the first time you heard it.
The thing that bothers me about most music radio is how the music is ground up, smashed together, and extruded like sausage, rather than framed and presented as something worth respecting.
I'd get lost in your 12-in-a-row music marathon, without any clues about what I was hearing and why I should care.
(btw- if someone wanted to do a Texas-based americana AAA presentation, FROMMUX would HAVE to be the starting point...framed by Michael Martin Murphy, Doug Sahm, Bobby Bridger, Michael Nesmith, Roky Erickson, Rusty Wier, Kinky, Willie, Stevie Ray and Jimmie, and on and on and on...)

 

[TheRover]

Nah, it's not the cult of personality, it's putting the tune into context.
I bet you didn't like your favorite song, the first time you heard it.
The thing that bothers me about most music radio is how the music is ground up, smashed together, and extruded like sausage, rather than framed and presented as something worth respecting.
I'd get lost in your 12-in-a-row music marathon, without any clues about what I was hearing and why I should care.
(btw- if someone wanted to do a Texas-based americana AAA presentation, FROMMUX would HAVE to be the starting point...framed by Michael Martin Murphy, Doug Sahm, Bobby Bridger, Michael Nesmith, Roky Erickson, Rusty Wier, Kinky, Willie, Stevie Ray and Jimmie, and on and on and on...)

And Bugs Henderson, Point Blank, Shawn Phillips, and John Nitzinger... ;D

 

[grantchester]

And Bugs Henderson, Point Blank, Shawn Phillips, and John Nitzinger.
I thought we were talking about Americana/AAA?

Bless your heart, though. I like where you're coming from.
g

 

[TheRover]

And Bugs Henderson, Point Blank, Shawn Phillips, and John Nitzinger.
I thought we were talking about Americana/AAA?

Bless your heart, though. I like where you're coming from.
g

Cowtown legend Nitzinger to headline blues festival this weekend

http://www.star-telegram.com/music/story/600627.html

Maybe something like this could get some artists airplay on CC's 92.5....


Or...... Maybe Not ! ! !

 

[MikeShannon914]

Yes! Nitzinger, from the old Bloodrock...long live "D.O.A"!!! Where's Rutledge these days?

 

[Megapsycle]

And Bugs Henderson, Point Blank, Shawn Phillips, and John Nitzinger... ;D

I was just listening to Second Contribution yesterday... "She Was Waiting For Her Mother At the Station in Torino and You Know I Love You Baby But It's Getting Too Heavy To Laugh" ... great tune!