Not too long ago, Jackson DW turned me on to the Zapoleon media stream for "Rhythm & Gold". Somewhat like what "The Beat" used to be ... clearly targeted at upper half of 25-54. Their online stream (
www.rhythmandgold.com via i-Tunes) is something I crank on for extended listening. It's "selling" the format so they have some liberties that make it fun ... such as a huge library of heritage station jingles that separate every song.
I find that even without talent in the mix it's great because
(a) The library is deep ... drawing on everything from classic 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's to a few recurrents that fit the "R&B" feel
(b) The jingles just make it flow and flow and flow
(c) They do clocks that mimic the old Top 40 clocks ... high impact songs off back of jingles (heavy drum lick or instrumental sting that announces the "I'm HERE" impact ... not high impact based on rotation)
Pretty much ALL of those things have been unmercifully killed by consultants of the last 20 years. "pop sounding Jingles are BAD" ... "big libraries are taboo" .... etc. The effect all that has had on me is I no longer give a flying crap about EVER listening to radio again ... it has no emotional connection and the flows and rotations are bland. Even most MUSIC product these days is heavy alternative feel and I can't even find a memorable music "melody hook" in many songs. I'm not the target, of course ... but until the past 5 years I haven't had a problem finding music I could connect with that is on mainstream radio. There IS great product out there ... but again it's pushed into the background because stations are not willing to play something that every other market hasn't already proven to be "a proven tune"; and many stations have veered away from a lot of the melody or especially great arrangements that worked with some of the groups that still have staying power (e.g. Earth Wind Fire, Chicago, etc.).
So...question I want to ask of people who have grown up on this kind of radio ....
DOES THE PROGAMMING OF TODAY WORK FOR YOU?Maybe even listen to the above stream and think about whether that kind of flow turns you off or whether it just sounds "dated".
If I had keys to the castle....THIS is the format I would have put on 92.5; although their strategy of going after much younger demographic is probably much smarter as it keeps the cannibalization from WARM from happening. From what I have sampled of WOLF ... they seem to be going after some of the "high impact and fun" packaging to surround country music (the basis for the old YOUNG COUNTRY format). But other than that ... it seems to be all about "shut up...tone it down ... and just play the 23 songs that corporate tells us to play.....)
