Why was Z90 playing Foster The People?

[radio-darn]

Since when did 90.3 belong to one ethnicity? Last time I checked, Z90 was a business, not a non-profit.
Funny, I don't hear people saying, "darn, 91X used to be great, now it doesn't even sound white."

At it's peak Jammin Z-90 was targeted at young Latinos/Latinas who were rap/urban/etc. That's why we moved Mark in the Dark to mornings and called him Mark en la Manana. There was a contingent who wanted Z-90 targeted to the black audience of the old "92.5, Starfire" which went by several different names over the years, but there was hardly a large enough of black population for one station, let alone two, but San Diego's large, young Latino population was not being served. Naturally, people of all ethnicities listened to it, but there was a focus. By the way, Victor only cared about mornings and he hated Jeff and Jer and for a long time wasted money bringing in lame morning teams he hoped would beat JnJ. With Mark we decided to forget about morning teams, bits, etc. and focus on the music.

As for sounding white: I've always thought KGB's slogan should be, "Rock for old white guys, and the women who love them."

 

[RadioDiv]

Z90 was the best during the Califormula days...

Yep, now it's run by "old" white guys: back in its heyday it was programmed by 20-something Latinos and African Americans who had little radio experience but were street-wise and knew what their peers wanted to hear. Luckily for them Victor Diaz didn't meddle with the music unless one of HIS peers reported they'd heard some nasty lyrics and even then, that recording would just get bumped to later at night. You had to have been there: it was urban radio anarchy and it worked because they actually did keep it real. Victor did have his share of older white guy PD's come through in the first couple of years of Jammin' Z-90, but none of them stuck around and it wasn't until the street kids took charge that it really took off.

Victor's probably rolling over in his grave. Z-90 excelled during the Califormula days. Everything was done in-house and it really worked. No big corpo-rats needed. Rick Thomas also should be credited for that and acquiring P-1 status. Everything had flair, from the old building on Third Ave to the parades in the Big Ass Buses. I can't see Randy W. programming either station, it's too ethnic. Sorry, he belongs in sales.

"its too ethnic?"
Excuse me?
Since when did 90.3 belong to one ethnicity? Last time I checked, Z90 was a business, not a non-profit.
Funny, I don't hear people saying, "darn, 91X used to be great, now it doesn't even sound white."

Ethnic in general! black, white, Asian, Mexican and whatever other minority there was. You would have had to work there to see the behind the scenes. if not you don't get it. Especially if you're not a minority. You are excused.

 

[Garrett]

Z90 was the best during the Califormula days...

Yep, now it's run by "old" white guys: back in its heyday it was programmed by 20-something Latinos and African Americans who had little radio experience but were street-wise and knew what their peers wanted to hear. Luckily for them Victor Diaz didn't meddle with the music unless one of HIS peers reported they'd heard some nasty lyrics and even then, that recording would just get bumped to later at night. You had to have been there: it was urban radio anarchy and it worked because they actually did keep it real. Victor did have his share of older white guy PD's come through in the first couple of years of Jammin' Z-90, but none of them stuck around and it wasn't until the street kids took charge that it really took off.

Victor's probably rolling over in his grave. Z-90 excelled during the Califormula days. Everything was done in-house and it really worked. No big corpo-rats needed. Rick Thomas also should be credited for that and acquiring P-1 status. Everything had flair, from the old building on Third Ave to the parades in the Big Ass Buses. I can't see Randy W. programming either station, it's too ethnic. Sorry, he belongs in sales.

"its too ethnic?"
Excuse me?
Since when did 90.3 belong to one ethnicity? Last time I checked, Z90 was a business, not a non-profit.
Funny, I don't hear people saying, "darn, 91X used to be great, now it doesn't even sound white."

Ethnic in general! black, white, Asian, Mexican and whatever other minority there was. You would have had to work there to see the behind the scenes. if not you don't get it. Especially if you're not a minority. You are excused.

Ok, so then... You would agree that Star 94.1 is ethnic?

 

[Radio3787]

I think my point went right out the window.

 

[600kogo]

Z90 was the best during the Califormula days...

Yep, now it's run by "old" white guys: back in its heyday it was programmed by 20-something Latinos and African Americans who had little radio experience but were street-wise and knew what their peers wanted to hear. Luckily for them Victor Diaz didn't meddle with the music unless one of HIS peers reported they'd heard some nasty lyrics and even then, that recording would just get bumped to later at night. You had to have been there: it was urban radio anarchy and it worked because they actually did keep it real. Victor did have his share of older white guy PD's come through in the first couple of years of Jammin' Z-90, but none of them stuck around and it wasn't until the street kids took charge that it really took off.

Victor's probably rolling over in his grave. Z-90 excelled during the Califormula days. Everything was done in-house and it really worked. No big corpo-rats needed. Rick Thomas also should be credited for that and acquiring P-1 status. Everything had flair, from the old building on Third Ave to the parades in the Big Ass Buses. I can't see Randy W. programming either station, it's too ethnic. Sorry, he belongs in sales.

"its too ethnic?"
Excuse me?
Since when did 90.3 belong to one ethnicity? Last time I checked, Z90 was a business, not a non-profit.
Funny, I don't hear people saying, "darn, 91X used to be great, now it doesn't even sound white."

Ethnic in general! black, white, Asian, Mexican and whatever other minority there was. You would have had to work there to see the behind the scenes. if not you don't get it. Especially if you're not a minority. You are excused.

Ok, so then... You would agree that Star 94.1 is ethnic?

Ok Garrett when did middle aged soccer moms become an ethnic group??? There is no argument Z90 was a real force in this town when Victor Diaz owned it!! And even when FCB owned, but only when Rick Thomas was programming it. Rick is an amazing programmer and a good guy to work with. These days its rare to find a real radio pro like Rick Thomas!!!

 

[600kogo]

By the way I believe that 92.5 was called 92 Star 5 not 92 starfire!

 

[RadioDiv]

Z90 was the best during the Califormula days...

Yep, now it's run by "old" white guys: back in its heyday it was programmed by 20-something Latinos and African Americans who had little radio experience but were street-wise and knew what their peers wanted to hear. Luckily for them Victor Diaz didn't meddle with the music unless one of HIS peers reported they'd heard some nasty lyrics and even then, that recording would just get bumped to later at night. You had to have been there: it was urban radio anarchy and it worked because they actually did keep it real. Victor did have his share of older white guy PD's come through in the first couple of years of Jammin' Z-90, but none of them stuck around and it wasn't until the street kids took charge that it really took off.

Victor's probably rolling over in his grave. Z-90 excelled during the Califormula days. Everything was done in-house and it really worked. No big corpo-rats needed. Rick Thomas also should be credited for that and acquiring P-1 status. Everything had flair, from the old building on Third Ave to the parades in the Big Ass Buses. I can't see Randy W. programming either station, it's too ethnic. Sorry, he belongs in sales.

"its too ethnic?"
Excuse me?
Since when did 90.3 belong to one ethnicity? Last time I checked, Z90 was a business, not a non-profit.
Funny, I don't hear people saying, "darn, 91X used to be great, now it doesn't even sound white."

Ethnic in general! black, white, Asian, Mexican and whatever other minority there was. You would have had to work there to see the behind the scenes. if not you don't get it. Especially if you're not a minority. You are excused.

Ok, so then... You would agree that Star 94.1 is ethnic?

It's run by the good ole boys at Clear Channel, You call it. There was an interim PD that wanted to turn Z90 into a "white 91X audience" He failed miserably and was fired. No discussion about the business end. however that has nothing to do with ethnicity.

 

[Jay F]

I remember back in 1994 when Mark in the morning played Green Day, When I come around, it was played really early in the morning around 7am.

I asked about that and I was told that they played it when Victor Diaz is still asleep where he wont find out.

KMEL/SF played the Green Day song in regular rotation at the time. I hated that they played it. Not that it's a bad song, but it didn't fit and there were other outlets to hear it. I actually think "Pumped Up Kicks" blends in better on rhythmic than Green Day did..it has less of a rock/guitar edge.

 

[Radio3787]

The Music Director for KMEL should've been fired.

 

[Jay F]

The Music Director for KMEL should've been fired.

Yes. KMEL one of the earliest, greatest rhythmic stations always beat competitor KYLD (this is well before they were co-owned). But during this period when KMEL started experimenting with rock music like Green Day underdog KYLD won the rhythmic battle for the first time.

 

[only1moore]

On the other hand, Foster the People's second single "Helena Beat" is more electronic sounding and may not sound as out of place in the mix. Its remniscent of MGMT's "Electric Feel", which I heard a handful of times get spinned in the mix at KPWR.

It looks like KPWR is also playing "Pumped Up Kicks" as well, according to Mediabase.

Yeah, but Power spins it during mix shows, and it's a remix.

Mixshow or no mixshow, it still counts as a spin by Mediabase.

 

[ncountysurf]

My point was that Power plays a remixed rhythmic version sans the alternative sound as heard on Z90.3.

 

[mj]

I believe Rick Thomas is still involved as a consultant for Z90.
When Clear Channel bought Z90 from Victor Diaz, I think Rick was already working for CC as the PD of Magic 92.5 and become the first PD of the station under CC.

 

[philosofy]

Heard Pumped Up Kicks on Star this morning driving to work. For some reason they censored out "gun" and "bullet" from the song.

 

[Jay F]

Heard Pumped Up Kicks on Star this morning driving to work. For some reason they censored out "gun" and "bullet" from the song.

The story this song is telling makes no sense without those two words. If they are going to edit those words they should just not play it at all IMO.

 

[Gregg]

On a Rhythmic CHR station, putting a playlist together based on ethnic considerations should be a thing of the past. When I look at a station that CLAIMS to be Rhythmic CHR and I find they won't play a big hit by Justin Timberlake or other white artist working in a rhythmic style, I ask myself who they're kidding. They don't want to be called "Urban" but won't play white artists either.

Z90 is a station that primarily targets Latino and Black young people. But it's not Urban. There aren't enough Black people in San Diego to support an Urban station. Z90 is Rhythmic CHR. Which means if a song is a GIANT hit, like Pumped Up Kicks is, and you can dance to it, you play it. When it drops down the charts, it won't still be played a few months from now. But if your audience likes it, go ahead and play it, even if the act looks in their video like a group of white college students with guitars and keyboards.

Don't give your audience a reason to look for the song on a competing station, as long as you don't think it will be a total turn off to your base. That's my opinion.

By the way, with the terrible drug violence in Mexico these days, I wonder if they edited the words "gun" and "bullet" out for the Mexican FCC? Being licensed in Mexico frees you from doing news or other things mandated in the U.S. but carries other obligations.



Gregg
[email protected]

 

[Jay F]

@Gregg it's Hot AC STAR (U.S licenced) not Z90 that is editing those words out. Also I'm pretty sure the FCC de-regulated news requirements decades ago, although I believe there is still a public service requirement.

 

[Gregg]

U.S. stations are not required to devote a certain percentage of time to news and public affiars anymore. But the FCC requires they still must do SOME news and PA programming. You wouldn't want to go for license renewal with NO news or public service to show in your application.

I'm not sure if Z90, 91X or XHRM do news headlines in the morning anyway these days, figuring young adults need some info when they wake up. But I remember in the past XETRA did no news or traffic reports at all. They simply ran La Hora Nacional on Sunday nights and did announcements for Mexican tourism during the week.