Also, I don't want to hear sports on a music station. That is what AM is for.
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Winter I trends - GSP
- Thread starter awp69
- Start date
clemsonbloke said:
Probably not your taste in music but X98.5 has been doing a pretty decent job listening to their audience. I've seen people ask for certain groups to be added (myself included) and a good majority of the time they do. Granted, they haven't listened to my and others requests to tone down the grunge and put other '90s alternative in its place, but still, they're much more responsive than I've seen any radio station be. Of course, they're just starting. And this is all on a station that really isn't "local" per se. I'm 44 and this is the first station in a while that I can listen to on a fairly consistent basis (I do flip to Chuck, Channel 96.1 and occasionally MY, which I had better hopes for after their "flip").
See this is what ive been saying, Magic has the 80's and so does Chuck, and even Rock 101. Why another station wants to play 80s is beyond me, we've got that covered. Might as well listen to them instead.???
Of course we could partake of the diet wine coolers, Phoebe Snow, etc. LOL!! 
Getting (somewhat) back to the main topic, how long do you all think MY will stick around? They are clearly on a downward trend that I don't see them recovering from. All Christmas on the Hot AC format certainly didn't help for the second year in a row. Lots of ego put in to that change to "fresh." I think it'll be gone in 6 months or so. I try to listen sometimes but it gets a little stale and boring after while.
Speaking of Earth 103, I noticed they have "Penny Lane" doing traffic and that familiar beatles snippet. Wasn't the same thing done on Oldies 103? I remember that same line and person being used on another station. Just wondered, I know they're all friends and have worked together before. Was just trying to remember if that was Oldies 103 or 106.
There was a DJ that did mid days on Oldies 106.3 named Penny Lane. I think she did weekends on Magic later on, not sure.
It might be her then, just wondered because I knew I had heard this before.
carolinaradio said:
I agree. I actually think the first time they went All Christmas while flipping slooowwwly to Hot AC was a really bad choice. Even if some of the listeners liked the new direction, to throw in Christmas tunes in the middle of trying to build an audience for it was just one of many mistakes they made -- the other main one being, of course, the incredibly slow change. They do continue to play almost the same songs they played when the first went Hot AC - like Katy Perry and Lady Gaga. I know it's not Hot AC, but even B93.7 rarely plays those tunes anymore because they were overkilled. MY has been smart enough to add things like Mumford & Sons and Of Monsters & Men, but overall, they aren't even keeping up with too much "fresh" material.
Whatever the case, we'll never know whether they would have succeeded if the flip had been done properly -- because there's no question at all that it wasn't.
I definately see a change by the end of the year. And I'll reiterate my suggestion of a adult-leaning CHR. Yes, that's almost Hot AC, but if they completely reimage themselves and really keep up with new music and go straight CHR with a little more on the pop-rock side instead of more rhythmic, I think they have a shot at taking down B93.7. Of course, management may feel it's necessary to go in a completely new direction.
I know it was alternative and a lot of people don't like all the crossover that's gone on, but B93.7 is still pretty slow at picking up on pop-rock crossovers like the aformentioned Mumford & Sons and Of Monsters & Men. Channel 96.1 picks up new music on that side of the CHR spectrum much more quickly. And Hot 98.1, which has its own problemms, already covers the entire spectrum of rhythmic on the urban side.
Mumford and Sons belongs on a country station. Rockers aren't into that banjo crap.
I got news for you there's already whole heck of a lot of crap that's already on country music that doesn't belong there and thats putting it mildly. So that song shouldn't be on their format hum well welcome to the club.
clemsonbloke said:Mumford and Sons belongs on a country station. Rockers aren't into that banjo crap.
Must agree. Hopefully this'll be a quickly fading fad. There simply isn't anything "rock" about their sound.
G
S
Scooter Lesley
Guest
Well,...let me weigh-in here,...as only I can! Marv, forget the coke crate, and the soapbox, yet roll-out the podium, and snatch the wheels out from under it. I'll also need my Big Black hat, the one with the omish brim, the red candles of Sumott, and the Cat of 9-shares. I've had coffee, and I'm ready to beat the demons outta some nearby pencilneck Consultants, and/or hemroidal Corp PD's: You collective Wizzelsnits quit following the whims of the labels, and quit polluttt-ing
all the formats with these "Test the Water", and we'll find a new sound records! Mumfart & Sons is just one 4-minute example of the unnessesary Horse Pucky that honest ears are having to deal with!
If it's not CHR's being swilled with Hip-hop Rap Crap, it's AC's wasting 4-Pop minutes with some worthless Country-crossover record. As I've said before, The two Countrys stay on track, with their format, and at the end of the book, they both net a 9-or-10, while the others settle...Book after Book...after Book with the Peee-u-nee scrap leftovers of a 4-or-5 share. No, I am not the only one that has figured this out...there are plenty here on this board. Ignore the whims of the record labels, and Program the damn thing for Ratings & Revenue!
...and for those Narrow-casters out there that stand behind a Short, Shallow, Brunt/Toasted/Fried & Re-Fried, allegedly Auditorium Tested, Consultant Approved, Playlist...So, how's that working for ya,...
Mr. Single digit ratings, Single digit IQ? DEEP & WIDE!
So Say-eth The Sheppard, So Say-eth The Flock,
Scooter Lesley.
all the formats with these "Test the Water", and we'll find a new sound records! Mumfart & Sons is just one 4-minute example of the unnessesary Horse Pucky that honest ears are having to deal with!
If it's not CHR's being swilled with Hip-hop Rap Crap, it's AC's wasting 4-Pop minutes with some worthless Country-crossover record. As I've said before, The two Countrys stay on track, with their format, and at the end of the book, they both net a 9-or-10, while the others settle...Book after Book...after Book with the Peee-u-nee scrap leftovers of a 4-or-5 share. No, I am not the only one that has figured this out...there are plenty here on this board. Ignore the whims of the record labels, and Program the damn thing for Ratings & Revenue!
...and for those Narrow-casters out there that stand behind a Short, Shallow, Brunt/Toasted/Fried & Re-Fried, allegedly Auditorium Tested, Consultant Approved, Playlist...So, how's that working for ya,...
Mr. Single digit ratings, Single digit IQ? DEEP & WIDE!
So Say-eth The Sheppard, So Say-eth The Flock,
Scooter Lesley.
clemsonbloke said:Mumford and Sons belongs on a country station. Rockers aren't into that banjo crap.
I kind of disagree with this. Mumford & Sons even prior to breaking out further with their latest album are IMO more of a bluegrass/rock hybrid. I don't see anything wrong with the fact that country stations now play them. But Alternative has always had a history of playing some "alternative country"' as you may call it with bands like Wilco and Son Volt as well as some folksier stuff like the new Family of the Year song. Heck, even 10,000 Maniacs was pretty big in the late '80s on alternative stations. Maybe straight rock stations shouldn't be playing it, but Alternative is just that - alternative music (that may or may not have electric guitars). Some may even argue whether some of the Dave Matthews Band's songs are "rock".
I do agree that maybe the crunchier songs of late including Mumford & Sons, Of Monsters & Men and The Lumineers may be a temporary "fad". I'm not exactly excited that all of these bands have crossed over to CHR, but they all were "alternative" at the time they first were released and may never have been found if it weren't for alt stations.
What's funny is that on X98.5's FB page, I've seen more complaints about songs like Muse's "Madness", a more traditional alternative rock band who just dipped a bit into the dubstep arena with that song, than I have of any of these songs.
** End rant **
Scooter I couldn't agree more! We agree on many things and say them in such different ways but hey its great! As for someone who said Mumford and Son's isn't country and is more bluegrass, ok fine whichever you want to call it but I'll give you one that'll cover the whole thing, hick music. That is exactly what it is and I agree, so sick of this 4 minute country crossover crud. There is real rock out there but no one will play it. Nope it's always the suits, consultants, or PD's that THINK they know how to program stations that are making all the mistakes that we are pointing out day by day on here. As I said in another post, sadly I think everything that we say falls on deaf ears and that they are hell bent on doing it their way rather than listener input. So many stations are doing that and that seems to be the norm now, just follow consultants but the heck with listener or local input. I've lived here all my life but I can tell you one thing, it doesn't make me a 'hick" and I can't stand that hick country/bluegrass stuff. When I hear that stuff it just makes me think Deliverance.
clemsonbloke said:
If all you want is thrashing electric guitars, go to the Planet. You won't hear any "country" crossovers. Apparently you didn't read my last post, but alternative country and Americana has long been a part of Alternative radio's playlists going all the way back to the '80s. Yes, they may call it Alternative Rock, but again, to me it's what is different or out of the norm that makes it alternative. Just because groups like Mumford & Sons (which I may add won both Grammys and critical acclaim so it isn't "trash") have gained bigger exposure on CHR as well, doesn't mean they were always that way.
It gets me angry when people think Alternative means just guitar driven rock. It isn't and never was. Original alternative stations played everything from reggae to electronic driven bands to new wave to punk. It's always been a mix of genres. Active rock -- like the Planet - that's a different story. And talk about trash!
If it's "hick" music, why do stations like Radio 104.5 in Philadelphia break bands like Mumford & Sons and Of Monsters & Men? Don't see many people complaining about it. Because it IS alternative. It just may not be your taste.
Well (trying to be as un-biased as I can be, as I despise Mumford), I don't have a problem with "Alternative" stations playing them, but if they say they play "Alternative ROCK", it's a bit of a stretch IMO. I completely agree that it doesn't have to be thrashing/loud to be rock, but M&S just seems to be pushing it if you say you play Alternative rock. There is nothing rock about Mumford & Sons, IMO - it sounds like straight folk/bluegrass (FWIW, Wikipedia says it's Indie Folk and Country Folk). I personally consider something like "Home" by Phillip Phillips, which had somewhat of a folk influence, to be more Alternative friendly (had it not gone to CHR first) than "I Will Wait." I have a little trouble considering M&S to really be rock in much of a way.awp69 said:
"Little Talks" is a little more difficult to classify. It doesn't really fit anywhere other than Alternative. I don't have a problem with it on Alternative. "Madness" might do well for the format, as another dubstep track did ("Too Close" by Alex Clare, surprisingly, which I could almost consider a techno/dance track)....but I just wonder how these stations can get away with calling themselves Alternative ROCK. Alternative, yes, but not sure about the rock part in some cases. Stations like X-98.5 call themselves the new "rock" alternative...given some of the material on the chart right now, it might be smart not to use the word "rock." JMO
All of that said, I hope this folksy/"crunchy" stuff is just a fad. I'm not a fan of it at all. Mumford & Sons is one of the most interesting crossovers to CHR yet.
Adult-leaning CHR actually isn't that different from CHR anymore. I'd say the main difference still is that Adult CHR is faster on alternative/pop rock crossovers (like Channel 96.1, but that station is in a larger market which is more open to truly new stuff), has a lower spin rate, and plays more gold Hot AC'ish tracks from the past few years, but that's about it. Adult CHR used to mean no rap/hip hop and an embracement of rock/pop rock/alt, but since we've seen that embraced and hip hop mostly gone on nearly every CHR, the differences aren't that major anymore.awp69 said:
Perhaps Hot 98.1 should consider adjusting to a more mainstream CHR format. So many stations have dropped that format, save for larger markets in the west/southwest (rhythmic CHR seems to do well in highly ethnic markets)...there's not much inbetween anymore. It's either Urban/Hip Hop or CHR.
Just because philly does it , doesn't mean it's right.
carolinaradio said:
I can see what you are saying as far as the word "rock" and I'm not sure if original alternative stations used that term. I guess I just prefer alternative to include things that may not be straight rock. All of the alt stations I've listened to over the years have included songs that wouldn't be considered rock, like groups like Wilco as well as even things like reggae. So, after all these years, in some ways it isn't a fad since they've played groups outside of rock for as long as I can remember. And I would venture to say that probably every Alternative "rock" station plays Mumford right now.
Perhaps stations should drop "rock" from their naming, but I like that there's variety since that's the way I always saw alternative since the late '80s. That doesn't mean alt stations should start playing Toby Keith or Lady Gaga. But things that are out of the norm, and I would say things like Mumford & Sons and Of Monsters & Men are out of the norm compared to what's played on country or other formats, are good.
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