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Winter I trends - GSP

Just wanted to jump in again since I figured carolinaradio would be reading (and probably the only one interested), but even though I like the general overall direction X is going in, they really still make some strange decisions.

Like today, I've heard very little '90s alternative at all (including very little grunge, which that part I can applaud). The Dave Matthews Band was a bit overplayed last week, but wasn't played at all today (well, they were at like 1 a.m.). But, yet, they go on binges on certain bands. Linkin Park was played 7 times just since 8 a.m. this morning (and were played overnight as well)!

And while Metric's "Breathing Underwater" is declining on the charts (no longer in the Top 20), X went from playing the song all the time to not playing it at all.

Just seems like they could use a little more stability in their playlist. You don't go from playing a song 40 times a week to not playing it at all. Just like you shouldn't play the same band that isn't even currently charting almost once an hour.

They do a good job IMO with the new music and really don't seem to be conservative at all in playing previously unknown bands. It's the recurrents and older music where they seem to still need to find a happy medium between playing things too much, too little or dropping things completely too quickly.
 
awp69 said:
I just heard "Stompa" again and was curious about it because they keep announcing it as "new music". It actually was a big hit on Alternative stations in Canada last year, but apparently was never released in the U.S. Read on another board that it was released to AAA and Alternative stations March 4th so I guess it is "new" for U.S. stations. Definately has some similarities to Adele IMO and since she has since vanished from Alternative, I have a feeling "Stompa" will do better on Adult Alternative than straight Alternative stations. I kind of like it, but I kind of liked Adele before she crossed to CHR and hit it big (still think Adele is talented, just grew tired of hearing her). I can easily see CHR picking this song up as well.
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That's right. The peak "Stompa" had was in Canada, but since it was '12 I figured it would have already been released here. Knowing that, it definitely has potential IMO. Her resemblance to Adele is pretty impressive - in addition to AAA, I think we could also see this hit well on Hot AC, especially the few left that have somewhat of an AAA/Modern AC slant. I think Adele has burned out on CHR for now (like Taylor Swift did for a while) - "Skyfall", her most recent, was somewhat of a bust.

If this is a hit on Hot AC and CHR formats, it will be yet another example of Alternative/AAA working as a bridge to help the genre cross over to more mainstream stations. I agree it's more AAA-friendly, but I think most Alternatives will dip their toes in as well.

BTW: MY is now saying "The Fresh Mix, 90s to now." Not really anything we didn't know, but I thought it was an interesting positioner.
 
awp69 said:
Just wanted to jump in again since I figured carolinaradio would be reading (and probably the only one interested), but even though I like the general overall direction X is going in, they really still make some strange decisions.

Like today, I've heard very little '90s alternative at all (including very little grunge, which that part I can applaud). The Dave Matthews Band was a bit overplayed last week, but wasn't played at all today (well, they were at like 1 a.m.). But, yet, they go on binges on certain bands. Linkin Park was played 7 times just since 8 a.m. this morning (and were played overnight as well)!

And while Metric's "Breathing Underwater" is declining on the charts (no longer in the Top 20), X went from playing the song all the time to not playing it at all.

Just seems like they could use a little more stability in their playlist. You don't go from playing a song 40 times a week to not playing it at all. Just like you shouldn't play the same band that isn't even currently charting almost once an hour.

They do a good job IMO with the new music and really don't seem to be conservative at all in playing previously unknown bands. It's the recurrents and older music where they seem to still need to find a happy medium between playing things too much, too little or dropping things completely too quickly.
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They have done very well with new adds and keeping up on new music, but that is an odd recurrent practice. I know I've read of some CHR stations doing that, even when something was at or near the top of the chart. Maybe it was burning out? The "binges" I have no suggestions on as to why. I will definitely hand this to them, the bias against females seems to be only a memory these days. Metric, Churchill, Florence & The Machine, Paramore, Serena Ryder, and I guess, to an extent, Silversun Pickups and Of Monsters & Men as both include females.

I see that late last night they played "Flood" by Jars of Clay - interestingly, that's a Christian band that had only moderate success with that track on Alternative in the mid-90s. When I think of them, I think of Contemporary Christian, not really Alternative. I wouldn't have expected to hear it, especially these days, when there is so much other stuff from the 90s that hit bigger. I see it peaked at #12 in 1995.

They've been playing "Seether" by Veruca Salt, which is an interesting throwback that doesn't seem to get a ton of airplay anywhere these days. They keep me guessing with these 90s tracks. Overall, as strange as some of them can be, I'm kinda enjoying some of these random 90s throwbacks we've been mentioning because it keeps it interesting (quite a change from especially last year when it was so stagnant and predictable). I've been catching a sizable amount of Alternative from the 90s on ChuckFM lately that doesn't get really any airplay on X (or didn't until recently)...I have wondered if maybe they didn't want a lot of overlap between the two stations. If X played a lot of 90s mainstream Alternative like we keep wanting to hear, perhaps they think it might hurt Chuck who covers that kind of stuff quite well? Who knows, but I thought it was worth throwing out.
 
Sometimes it seems like whatever I say on these boards, they're spying in on us. Right after I made the post yesterday, they played the Dave Matthews Band. LOL.

Linkin Park was played at least 11 times yesterday (can't go all the way back on their LSP list to see everything during the nightime hours), but so far 5 today.

And, in general, they've been playing more '90s today. I actually like the way they've been spreading them out instead of the "chunk" they had been playing all at once. Hole, Dave Matthews Band, Love & Rockets, The Cranberries, Violent Femmes (pre-90s), Veruca Salt, The Breeders -- not a lot and still could use more variety but at least a nice break from having just grunge from the '90s period.

Still don't understand the way recurrents are handled. And I still think they make some strange playlist mapping decisions, but overall I think they're doing a good job. Better than many alt stations today, even if not as good as Radio 104.5, which I still consider the best Alternative station around.

Since you brought up Jars of Clay, I lived in this area when they had that hit and it was played on 103X back then and played a few concerts in the area so I don't think it's a bad choice knowing the heavily Christian area GSP is. Just like I really feel DMB is a good choice because they were incredibly popular in this area.

EDIT: And for the first time in days, they just played "Breathing Underwater". There's spies among us I tell ya! (Not that I mind if they are hearing our thoughts :) )
 
I too respect what Landecker has done, but no, nothing really was figured out 35-years ago. You've been listening to those label slave Pencilnecks, better known as the garden variety Consultants. They too are not smart enough to see "The Big Picture". This is the South, and things are different here...we top hot dogs with chili, up there you're lucky to get pickle relish! Deep & Wide playlists are less likey to pre-set button punch-out. The new Earth 103.3 is both Deep & Wide, and they are risking their own money with it. No one would subscribe to larger playlists, if the short ones weren't failing the pocket book, with 4 & mabe 5-shares. Like Jed Clampet said: "Pitttttee-ful,...
Jest Pitttttee-ful"!
 
I couldn't have said it better Scooter. I've been saying all this time, this is the south and it is indeed different. Greenville, SC is even different than the rest of the state. Tons of 60's through early 70's nostalgia around here and people love it. It's been that way as long as I can remember and I'm 39.
 
LMAO ;D

So, Greenville SC is the one place in the USA where "wide and deep" is gonna work? Because what, it's more progressive than the rest of the country? You guys are delusional.
 
MarkSC said:
LMAO   ;D

So, Greenville SC is the one place in the USA where "wide and deep" is gonna work?  Because what, it's more progressive than the rest of the country?  You guys are delusional.
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I generally agree. The only genre where I think "wide and deep" can sometimes work is Alternative. And I mean that specifically because people don't truly understand that alternative is and should be a mix of off beat music. So punk from the '70s like the Sex Pistols can still attract the same audience as those who like Mumford & Sons. That's an extreme example, but growing up with alternative through the '80s, '90s and 2000s and even hearing those throw backs to '70s punk and '80s new wave can work if done right. New wave has some similarities to today's electronic bands. Punk still has bit of influence with Green Day (and not their more "poppy" tracks). There were some more acoustic alternative bands in the '80s like early R.E.M. (that's just a popular example but there were plenty of others) that you can kind at least see some similarities to Mumford & Sons.

But as far as other genres, it's extremely difficult to pull off. Pop and mainstream rock from the '60s and '70s sounds nothing like the '90s and '00s. And you get too obscure with those '60s and '70s and you're going to have listeners that won't identify.

As for the Upstate....umm...yeah, not a progressive market by any means.
 
I think a person has a shallow view of music and not very diverse in their musical tastes if they want to listen to the same 20-100 songs over and over every day. That is exactly how B 93.7 has been for a long time, as to whether it is now I'm not sure, I tuned them out a long time ago. They had a very shallow list and would play over and over the same, maybe 100 songs. Well after a while that gets boring and people need more diversity in music. If you like listening to that kind of station you're pretty boring in my book. I do not think that anyone wants to listen to the same stuff over and over and I could really care less what this Landecker guy said, that was in the 70's, wheres he at now?
 
I have to agree, since when did the south -- especially the Upstate, which sometimes makes the rest of the region look liberal -- become so accepting to deep and wide music varieties? If nostalgia is so popular, then why has oldies centered on the 60s never worked, not on Oldies 103 and Oldies 1063 (these stations were programmed very much like other successful oldies stations)? It was failing in Greenville way back when while thriving in markets like Myrtle and Charleston. That's where your nostalgia is, especially with the huge Beach music following along the coast.

The same songs over and over, refreshed/updated frequently as the charts change, is the very concept behind CHR/Top 40.

Deep playlists rarely work. What is one station, on a good signal, commercially-run, that has successfully pulled off a deep playlist with a mainstream format? I have heard a few Alternative stations that have pulled it off (locally owned) as awp69 mentions, but that is a format that seems to be able to get away with it more easily. If deep playlists were more popular, they would equal more revenue which would have everybody doing it. I admire what WKRI is trying to do, but I can't listen to them very long because they frequently roll something from back in the vault that I find to be a turn-off. The wider you go, the more tune-out you risk.
 
Sitting in my recliner, watchin' "The Voice", sippin' Cranberry juice & white Porter Ree-con rum, while planning my weekend in Hilton Head.
...Oh, Lord,...It's hard to be humble...when.....
 
tylerSC said:
Re-image the station, grab the Reelworld ONE Top 40 Jingle package, update that morning show and lets go Top 40! - jself1982. Well they could program 102.5 similar to their Channel 96.1 in Charlotte, and perhaps even simulcast Ace and TJ morning show, which is also heard in Columbia and coastal SC markets.

Well tylerSC, that possibility has come true. GOOD NEWS, ACE AND TJ IS COMING TO MY 102, AND NO I AM NOT KIDDING, THEY ARE REALLY COMING! I saw on My 102.5's homepage and I saw a pixelated photo of them and it looks exactly like them, since I Googled them. THANK YOU MY 102.5! I like them, but I want them to go into a Mainstream Pop station, so I WILL Like this station now! The Reelworld 1 Pop Jingle Package, that can go, I don't know what it's like anyway? However the Ace and TJ morning show, the re-imaging, and going to Top 40, that can stay. If they go full Top 40, they will have a logo like this,
my931_header_size_logo_180x115_0_1402063141.png

Their new look will be like, MY 102.5 CAROLINA'S #1 HIT MUSIC STATION. I am using My 93.1's logo from Las Vegas, just as an example. ;)
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