Cumulus changing policy?

My local Cumulus CHR (KKWD-Oklahoma City), for the first time in two years, is becoming listenable and somewhat current again. Checking the playlist for last week, I notice the top songs have a much higher number of spins per week much like the station did under Citadel vs the very low number under the Jan Jeffries playlist. Could this be the result of increased competition in the OKC market with the new rhythmic-leaning Now 96.5, or is Cumulus changing the way they handle CHR to be more in line with the way every other radio operator does it? Anybody else seeing improvements at their stations?

Of course, they still play stale, overplayed garbage like 'I Like It' by Enrique Iglesias more often than they should in 2014 but I think the station is improving.

The news, to many, will be that Cumulus does CHR.

I haven't listened to their stations in my area much lately, but within the past six months or so, I have noticed some more currents seeping into the playlist at WKFR. WJIM has always been fairly current, given their prior Citadel ownership, and I get the feeling that the Cloud decided to leave them well enough alone for the most part playlist-wise, but 'KFR has always been more of a Hot AC than anything else, and hearing some newer stuff the last time I tuned in was rather shocking.

WKFR and WJIM were sold to Townsquare last November and the local PD's regained control over the playlists and the decisions on what songs to add. In my neck of the woods, a gradual change has come to the former Cumulus CHRs since Townsquare took over. The stations just sound better now and are not waiting so long to add new songs that look to be solid radio hits. It looks like the days of not adding hit songs in the CHR format until they reach the top ten on Mediabase are over. "Superbass" was a great example of that.

The Outsider said:

WKFR and WJIM were sold to Townsquare last November and the local PD's regained control over the playlists and the decisions on what songs to add.

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I had completely forgotten about that. You're correct. Shows you how much attention I've been paying to local radio 'round these parts.

The Outsider said:

WKFR and WJIM were sold to Townsquare last November and the local PD's regained control over the playlists and the decisions on what songs to add. In my neck of the woods, a gradual change has come to the former Cumulus CHRs since Townsquare took over. The stations just sound better now and are not waiting so long to add new songs that look to be solid radio hits. It looks like the days of not adding hit songs in the CHR format until they reach the top ten on Mediabase are over. "Superbass" was a great example of that.

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I've never held back my opinion in the past about WKFR being such an awful sounding CHR. It was not uncommon to hear songs like "Careless Whisper" by Wham, "Summer of 69" by Bryan Adams, Toni Braxton ballads, old Madonna songs from the 80's & tons of other songs that just made you stop in shock when they'd come on. They are obviously successful but they weren't a real CHR like they pretended to be. I have not heard KFR since Townsquare took over but I have heard quite a bit of 97.5 in Lansing since TS took over and they sound MUUUUCH better. An actual CHR, imaging/jingles sound good, music isn't limited to just "guitar based white sounding records" anymore. If KFR made similar changes that's awesome.

I definitely spoke too soon. My local station (KKWD) was sounding a tad better for a few weeks but now seems to be back to its focus on mostly songs from 3-5 years ago with a healthy dose of early 2000s hits, with a current song here and there. The typical Jan Jeffries' crap. I don't know why they do "Throwback Thursdays." It's a throwback station 24/7/365.

Found out DC107.3 is Cumulus owned, and I couldn't tell the first times I checked them out. Is it just me, or is DC107.3 even more interesting than Hot 99.5 overall?

Cumulus stations do seem to be getting better than they used to be. My local station can sound different from week to week, some weeks focusing more on currents and actually sounding half way decent, and the next week playing way too much gold going way too far back.

Not all Cumulus stations are on the national playlist either. There are a few Cumulus CHRs that have been allowed to keep their local PDs.

WQSM Fayetteville NC claims to be Hot AC but it sure sounds CHR to me.

I wish it wasn't my only problem. Power 98 is rap-leaning urban.

I keep hoping low-VHF problems will lead to more FM frequencies, but I guess if everyone has to buy a new receiver, an established station will never be successful.

I'll just be glad when it gets dark later again. I like classic country but I'm too far south for a good signal.

vchimpanzee said:

WQSM Fayetteville NC claims to be Hot AC but it sure sounds CHR to me.

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Cumulus CHR and Hot AC are programmed similarly so there isn't much distinction between them. I looked at the playlist and it definitely has the feel of a Jan Jeffries programmed Cumulus CHR, very heavy on recurrents and gold.

Power 98 is a CBS-owned urban out of Charlotte with a slight adult lean.