primer said:
boogiecheck
Since I think Knoxville already has to much crappy pop music... just wanted to know what you meant by a "True CHR"? please give me examples of artists or songs that 102.1 or 104.5 don't already play. If you're talking about an Adult CHR... then please give examles of music not played by 102.1 or 97.5 or 106.1? Thanks.
I think what he means is a true, current intensive mainstream CHR (like most of the Clear Channel CHR's). While Star 102.1 is a mainstream CHR, they tend to be adult leaning and play way more gold and recurrent titles mixed in than a lot of CHR's. (mainly because they also have rhythmic CHR sister "Hot 104.5" on the younger end). But it would be nice to have a true, 18-34 targeted mainstream CHR that was younger leaning. In other words, fewer gold and recurrents with a tighter playlist that rotates mostly currents and recent recurrents at a much higher frequency. For a good example, listen just down the road to Chattanooga's two mainstream CHRs (WDOD "96.5 The Mountain" and WKXJ "103.7 Kiss FM"). Both are much better mainstream CHR's than Star 102.1, and don't lean in an adult direction. (In other words, they add new music faster, don't play a bunch of Hot AC type gold, and also don't do stupid things like play versions of hit songs with hip hop portions edited out (like Star does with the new Taio Cruz/Ludacris song and others). :
I could maybe understand that type of thing 15 years ago, but everyone 40 and under today has grown up with hip hop and it isn't a turnoff as it was with older audiences 15 or 20 yrs ago.
Anyway, Clear Channel's formulaic CHR's may be very cookie cutter in presentation, but musically, they are definitely better than Star's adult leaning approach. I'd actually love to see Citadel sell out of the market and Clear Channel come in. I know everyone slams CC for their voicetracking, etc., but they do program a lot of formats that I currently like (young leaning mainstream CHR, Rhythmic AC, and the new Gen. X/90s format to name a few). I would love to see any of those in Knoxville. But definitely count me in as one who would love to see another mainstream CHR to take on Star 102.1. CHR is one of the hottest formats at the moment and many markets now have 2 CHRs (Chat. and Tri Cities both do), and I'd love to see a good CHR battle in Knoxville.
Also, as the demos have changed over the past few years, you now see lots of 30 and 40 something people still listening to young leaning CHR music. So it isn't just teens and 20 somethings now. This is a trend that seems different to me than it did 20 years ago when more people moved on to AC, Classic Rock, Oldies, etc. Hey, no one wants to grow old anymore 8). Heck, I'm 40 myself, and mainstream CHR is still my favorite format (always has been, always will.) I'll still by listening to CHR when I'm 60 if I make it. I just don't see how people can get stuck on one time period of music and listen to it for the rest of their lives. I'd go nuts if I had to listen to classic rock or oldies day in and out for years and years. I grew up on 80's CHR as a teen, and it's still fun to listen to occasionally, but I could never see myself listening to it all the time and hearing the same songs over and over, day after day. I gotta' have new music, and I like to keep up with what's going on in pop culture/entertainment, etc.
