New sample hours

[franksandhotdogs]

Have some fun tearing 'em apart and/or posting yours.

Some sample hours from my station!

8am
T.I. / Rihanna – Live Your Life
Nelly Furtado – Say It Right
TALK/SPOTS
Shinedown – Second Chance
TALK/SPOTS
Taylor Swift – Love Story
Run DMC - Christmas In Hollis
TALK/SPOTS
Rihanna – Rehab
Saving Abel - Addicted
TALK/SPOTS
Kanye West - Love Lockdown

Noon
Tag Team – Whoomp (There It Is)
Timbuk3 – The Future’s So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades
Parliament – Flash Light
TLC – No Scrubs
Ace of Base – All That She Wants
Steve Miller Band – Rock’n Me
STOPSET
Presidents of the USA – Peaches
Salt-N-Pepa – Let’s Talk About Sex
Madonna - Like A Prayer
STOPSET
Wang Chung – Everybody Have Fun Tonight
Melissa Etheridge – I'm The Only One
STOPSET
Deadeye Dick – New Age Girl

3pm
Avril Lavigne – When You’re Gone
Nickelback – Gotta Be Somebody
Fergie / Ludacris – Glamorous
All-American Rejects – Gives You Hell
Hootie and the Blowfish – The Christmas Song
STOPSET
Lady GaGa / Colby O’donis – Just Dance
Rick Springfield – Jessie’s Girl
The Killers – Human
STOPSET
Akon – Right Now
Pink – Sober
STOPSET
Leona Lewis – Better in Time
Bob Rivers - Toy Sack

10pm
Faith Hill - Where Are You Christmas
Akon – Right Now
Pink – So What
Billy Squier – Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You
David Cook – Light On
Chingy - Right Thurr
Britney Spears – Womanizer
STOPSET
Hinder – Without You
T.I. - Whatever You Like
Lady GaGa / Colby O’donis – Just Dance
Paramore - Decode
STOPSET
Jesse McCartney – Leavin’
Fall Out Boy - I Don't Care
The Game / Lil Wayne – My Life

 

[Roger That]

There are shades of "ok" in here, but mostly, your playlist is riddled with stiffs or unproven records.

Shinedown – Second Chance
Run DMC - Christmas In Hollis
Tag Team – Whoomp (There It Is)
Timbuk3 – The Future’s So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades
Parliament – Flash Light
Ace of Base – All That She Wants
Steve Miller Band – Rock’n Me
Presidents of the USA – Peaches
Madonna - Like A Prayer
Wang Chung – Everybody Have Fun Tonight
Deadeye Dick – New Age Girl
All-American Rejects – Gives You Hell
Hootie and the Blowfish – The Christmas Song
Rick Springfield – Jessie’s Girl
The Killers – Human
Bob Rivers - Toy Sack
Faith Hill - Where Are You Christmas
Billy Squier – Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You
David Cook – Light On
Hinder – Without You
Paramore - Decode
Fall Out Boy - I Don't Care
The Game / Lil Wayne – My Life

Taylor Swift next to a stiff Run DMC song? Wow.

You've got way too many records that are not the right play for CHR. And PS...if you're going to play Christmas songs, at least play the half-a-dozen or so that actually test well. And that's it. Every one of the examples you shared are barely recognizable by the audience, and wouldn't even play on large-library all-Christmas stations.

 

[franksandhotdogs]

I have 40 X-mas songs in the library and clocks are set so 2 an hour are played...it's an annual tradition from Thanksgiving to Christmas Day, even though our sister AC is all X-mas for the season.  The noon hour is a retro lunch (the Steve Miller is related to a promotion).  AAR, FOB and Hinder are VERY strong records in my market.

Here's my X-mas category:

Adam Sandler - Chanukah Song
Faith Hill - Where Are You Christmas
Greg Lake - I Believe In Father Christmas
Madonna - Santa Baby
The Eagles - Please Come Home For Christmas
NSYNC - Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays
Bob Rivers - The Twelve Pains Of Christmas
Elton John - Step Into Christmas
Carnie & Wendy Wilson - Hey Santa!
Heart - Here Is Christmas
Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You
Wham! - Last Christmas
Musical Cast Of Toys - The Closing Of The Year
Crazy Frog - Jingle Bells
U2 - Christmas
Brian Setzer Orchestra - Winter Wonderland
Elmo And Patsy - Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer
Bob & Doug Mckenzie - Twelve Days Of Christmas
Bryan Adams - Christmas Time
Stevie Nicks - Silent Night
Bob Rivers - Toy Sack
Jewel - Hands
Ben Folds Five - Brick
Run DMC - Christmas In Hollis
Frickin' A - Merry Frickin' Christmas
Smashing Pumpkins - Christmastime
Hootie & The Blowfish - The Christmas Song
Monica - Grown-Up Christmas List
Extreme - Christmas Time Again
Billy Squier - Christmas Is The Time To Say I Love You
Barenaked Ladies - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
Pretenders - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Paul McCartney & Wings - Wonderful Christmastime
Debbie Gibson - Sleigh Ride
John Mellencamp - I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band - The Little Drummer Boy
Bryan Adams - Run Rudolph Run
Bruce Springsteen - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Jimmy Eat World - Last Christmas

 

[Mid West Clubber]

Personally I dont see a thing wrong with his playlist for his market... Marshall Mn is a totally different market than say Tampa, NYC, and LA,,, if his listeners GM and Adverts are happy than keep up the good work... When I get back from Chicago, im there for the B-96 Jingle Bash so I'll try to post some sample hours tomorow.. We arent playing but one or two Christmas songs a day at this time, probably next week we will probably play one an hour...

 

[Roger That]

Marshall Mn is a totally different market than say Tampa, NYC, and LA,,,

I missed the part where I said to compare one to the other. I had no idea the market, and I can still tell that he's playing bad records. The only way you could prove to me that they weren't is if you had tangible evidence from that market to suggest otherwise. Considering the size, they probably have no research, etc, which is even a bigger endorsement for being conservative (unless it's something you reeeeeeally believe in personally) and only playing the hits. I dare you to prove that his listeners are happy. What are they using to measure? As for making the GM and clients happy, good ratings will be making them happy, not playing the GM's wife's favorite Steve Miller song.

I don't really expect an answer. No one ever seems interested in actually winning anymore, or learning anything that will allow them to be successful in getting and keeping bigger and better jobs. And if this station is that disaster that "doctor_radio" is a part of, I'm sorry I lent my opinion. There's no interest amongst that programming staff in making their radio station better, so forget I ever said anything.

 

[WhiteBoy13]

Top 40 with a rhythmic lean similar to Kiis FM LA & 1035 Kiss FM Chicago

6:00PM- Britney Spears- Womanizer
6:04- Chris Brown- Forever
6:08- Lil Wayne/ Bobby Valentino- Mrs. Officer
6:12- Metro Station- Shake It
6:18- Shontelle- T-Shirt
6:22 COMMERCIALS
6:26- Rihanna- Disturbia
6:30- T.I. / Justin Timberlake- Dead & Gone
6:34- Enur- Calabria 2008
6:38- Lady Gaga / Kardinal Offishall - Just Dance (Remix)
6:42- Pink- Sober
6:46- Beyonce- Single Ladies
6:50- COMMERCIALS
6:54- 50 Cent- In Da Club
6:58- Ne Yo- Miss Independant

7:02PM- Kanye West- Heartless
7:06- Britney Spears- Circus
7:10- Mariah Carey- All I Want For Christmas Is You
7:14 Chris Brown/ T-Pain- Kiss Kiss
7:18- Leona Lewis- Better In Time
7:22- COMMERCIALS
7:26- Kevin Rudolf/ Lil Wayne- Let It Rock
7:30 Taylor Swift- Love Story
7:34- Estelle/ Kanye West- American Boy
7:38- T.I.- Whatever You Like
7:42- Kelly Clarkson- Since You Been Gone
7:46- Ludacris/ T-Pain- One More Drink
7:50- Pussycat Dolls- I Hate This Part
7:55- Sean Paul- Temperature
7:59- Katy Perry- Hot & Cold

 

[Mid West Clubber]

Here's mine Hows it look???

TI-Whatever you like
Akon-Right now
Matchbox 20-How far we've come
Fall Out Boy-I dont care
Pink-Sober
Jesse Mcartney-Leavin..Dance remix
The Veronica's-Untouched
Wyclef-The sweetest girl
Jason Marez-Im Yours
TI..Rhianna-Live your life
Christina aguilera-Keeps gettin better
Kanye West-Love Lockdown
Britney Spears-Womanizer
Pink-So What
Beyonce-If I were a Boy...Remix with R-Kelly

 

[franksandhotdogs]

I missed the part where I said to compare one to the other. I had no idea the market, and I can still tell that he's playing bad records. The only way you could prove to me that they weren't is if you had tangible evidence from that market to suggest otherwise. Considering the size, they probably have no research, etc, which is even a bigger endorsement for being conservative (unless it's something you reeeeeeally believe in personally) and only playing the hits. I dare you to prove that his listeners are happy. What are they using to measure? As for making the GM and clients happy, good ratings will be making them happy, not playing the GM's wife's favorite Steve Miller song.

We're pleased with the ratings and I get what you're saying. I greet listeners don't want to hear sets of unfamiliarity and stiffs. And you can't always determine hits by a chart...some are stiffs in one market and a smash in another. Just like what's "new" on a station depends on when they added it. The format targets one of the most fickle audiences. EVERY song you play is going to make people tune out. There is no song out there that will keep EVERY single listener tuned in. There's nothing wrong with gut feelings and listener feedback (though you shouldn't completely depend on it). We do look at the charts, sales figures and RateTheMusic to see what age groups are liking, but not view it as a life or death guideline. If you know your P1's well enough you can have an idea for what they are going to like...program to your LISTENERS, not industry critics. And supplemental records (B's, new, gold, recurrent, etc.) help keep TSL going. For me, adding the new Fall Out Boy, David Cook and Hinder are absolute no-brainers. CHR is supposed to be what's hot - even if it's new. If we play it safe all the time, and don't take any risks, why should a P1 listen to us instead of their iPod, Myspace, Youtube, etc?

BTW our Old Skool Lunch is all requested by the listeners, it's mostly 80's and 90's but you will hear an occasional 70's or early 2000's song. It helps bring in more 25-44's (who grew up with those songs) on a hit music station. While we were playing the Steve Miller and giving away prizes during that hour, what were the other stations' listeners requesting and winning (our "competition" from nearby the Sioux Falls CHR, among others)? That is part of why we are winning…

Our powers are Love Story, Gives You Hell, Right Now, Womanizer, Without You, Gotta Be Somebody and Live Your Life. And the listeners are warming up to the Shinedown, which was just put in B rotation. Here's a few more to rip apart.

10am
Nickelback - Gotta Be Somebody
Pink - So What
Avenged Sevenfold - Dear God
Elmo And Patsy - Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer
Lady GaGa / Colby O'Donis - Just Dance
Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
STOPSET
T.I. / Rihanna - Live Your Life
Good Charlotte - The Anthem
The Fray - You Found Me
STOPSET
T.I. - Whatever You Like
Barenaked Ladies - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
STOPSET
Taylor Swift - Love Story

Noon
Prince & The Revolution - Purple Rain (1984)
Real McCoy - Run Away (1995)
Paula Cole - Where Have All The Cowboys Gone? (1997)
Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule The World (1985)
Weird Al Yankovic - Amish Paradise (1996)
Steve Miller Band - The Joker (1973)
STOPSET
Falco - Rock Me Amadeus (1986)
Dexys Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen (1983)
Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine (1988)
STOPSET
Us3 - Cantaloop (1993)
Backstreet Boys - Quit Playing Games (1997)
STOPSET
Stone Temple Pilots - Interstate Love Song (1994)

2pm
Hinder - Without You
Leona Lewis - Better in Time
Veronicas - Untouched
Bob Rivers - 12 Pains of Christmas
David Cook - Light On
Shop Boyz - Party Like A Rockstar
STOPSET
Beyonce - Single Ladies
Crossfade - Cold
Pink - Sober
STOPSET
Nickelback - Gotta Be Somebody
Snap - Rhythm Is A Dancer
STOPSET
T.I. / Rihanna - Live Your Life
The Killers - Human

3pm
Flo Rida / Will.I.Am - In the Ayer
Rihanna - Rehab
Poison - Every Rose Has Its Thorn
Taylor Swift - Love Story
Extreme - Christmas Time Again
STOPSET
All-American Rejects - Gives You Hell
Goo Goo Dolls - Slide
Britney Spears - Circus
STOPSET
Akon - Right Now
Bruce Springsteen - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
STOPSET
Shinedown - Second Chance

4pm
Britney Spears - Womanizer
Panic! at the Disco - I Write Sins Not Tragedies
Kanye West - Heartless
Paul McCartney & Wings - Wonderful Christmastime
Beyonce - If I Were A Boy
T.I. - Whatever You Like
STOPSET
Hinder - Without You
Maroon 5 - Sunday Morning
Lady GaGa / Colby O'Donis - Just Dance
STOPSET
Nickelback - Gotta Be Somebody
Greg Lake - I Believe In Father Christmas
STOPSET
T.I. / Rihanna - Live Your Life

7pm
Nickelback - Gotta Be Somebody
Lady GaGa / Colby O'Donis - Just Dance
Rihanna - Take A Bow
Fall Out Boy - I Don't Care
Crazy Frog - Jingle Bells
The Game / Lil Wayne - My Life
STOPSET
Justin Timberlake - Rock Your Body
T.I. / Rihanna - Live Your Life
Veronicas - Untouched
STOPSET
Taylor Swift - Love Story
Ludacris - What's Your Fantasy
Saving Abel - Addicted
Beyonce - Single Ladies
Ben Folds Five - Brick

 

[Roger That]

And you can't always determine hits by a chart...some are stiffs in one market and a smash in another.

...and again I ask...how on EARTH can you possibly tell the difference with no data. You say "know your market"...great...you think that simply living there means you know what your audience wants? Their tastes change almost daily, and you can keep up by sitting in your office complaining about how you have too many job responsibilities? Gimme a break.

Regardless...Yawn. We've heard all these arguments before about this station. You post these sample hours and then wig out when you get contrary opinions. My opinion is that your radio station is BAD. You're trying to be all things to all people, and you can't be. You claim "wins" over a station that doesn't even target your market. The only thing that's worse than the bad records that you play, is the scheduling of them. And I get taking chances musically, but you take too many, and all at the same time.

You've bought into your own hype, and have no interest in getting better. It makes me wonder why you even start these threads in the first place. It's obvious you already know everything you need to be successful in Marshall.

:

 

[franksandhotdogs]

Just explaining my rationale Roger... and we do keep track of phones in regards to listener feedback. And the logs would be better without the X-mas music (annual tradition even with our sister AC being all X-mas), so I'll post some after X-mas day.

I've used this example before, but it fits perfectly on why the hell a CHR would play a 70s Steve Miller track (on the Old Skool Lunch):

We're giving away free drinks at a bar, and a band playing Steve Miller covers will be there on Friday. So caller #9 after the SMB track is played wins.

Since you are playing the role of PD, I'll play the role of OM:

OM: The GSM asked if we could give away tickets to a show which may not be an artist you play, but the client is spending money.
PD: No!
OM: Well, we are in a small market...the economy is not great...if we refuse, we could jeopardize futre sales with said client.
PD: NO! NO! NO!
OM: Would you like to discuss the fact you may cost the station money with the GM and/or owner?
PD: Yes, I would.
OM: I hope your demo is updated...here's a box for your desk...good luck!

The point is, it's a business and sometimes you have to do things that are in the best interest of the business...

 

[Roger That]

Just explaining my rationale Roger... and we do keep track of phones in regards to listener feedback.

Just offering my opinion as to why I disagree with that rationale, Frank. And using phones as your sole source of feedback is ridiculous. While yes, they can be SOME kind of indicator as to what's hot before you catch on yourself, it's hardly an indicator of the majority of your audience. Check the statistics...the amount of your audience that actually calls a radio station is MINUTE. Like, less than 1%, IIRC. Hardly a tool that you should be basing both your programming, and your argument here, on.

And the logs would be better without the X-mas music (annual tradition even with our sister AC being all X-mas), so I'll post some after X-mas day.

If they're anything like the choice logs that your MD has posted over the course of the past 6 months, no. They won't be.

As to the rest of your argument...you change your playlist because it helps make a sale? Wow. That's a new one for me. By the way, if I were the consultant or VP that oversaw a conversation like that from your OM, I would fire THEM.

Have you ever considered offering other solutions to sales? Something that the client can be happy with, but that doesn't dictate programming? To let sales just tell you what you're putting on your station is simply lazy, and it creates a culture of getting walked on that won't change unless YOU change it.

Have fun trying to ever get out of that market. Perhaps spending your whole career there is your intention...if that's the case, I honestly wish you the best of luck. That may be the perfect life for some people. But, if you want to move onward and upward, you should be grooming yourself with strategies that can be applied elsewhere too; things that will make you successful no matter where you are.

That you're more afraid for your job than you are interested in the integrity of your product makes me feel sorry for you. As a future OM that might consider hiring you, I'd have more respect for you if you told me you got fired for not playing an SMB track on a CHR than if you still had the job because you did. I want the competitive advantage, and laying down on the railroad tracks for sales is weakness I wouldn't be interested in. It's the difference between "playing to win" and "playing not to lose."

I'm sure you have a family to consider. I respect that. But there are jobs and lives outside of radio. But, rather than considering that, you become part of the culture in radio that has been cause for all of us to be sad. I read a story like the OM/PD conversation you posted and all I can think of is any cubicle worker that could be found in Office Space. Radio used to be about art; about passion; about irreverence. More often than not now, it's just about the paycheck (and not a great one at that).

You can blame the other parts of the building all you want, but in the end, you're the PD. And as I said before, if you were interested in actually getting better, I'd stay in this longer. But since you seem to only want to convince people how great a job you're doing, I'm wasting my breath.

Good luck.

 

[BuzzRadio]

I'm with the "PD" on this one - it's an insult to your audience to grab the cash and run when it comes to doing something with an artist/group that's not your format. Here's why:

1. You're not played Artist X for a reason - to suddenly start promoting them because you've got a sale out of it is one-step short of payola.

2. Your listeners will wonder why you're suddenly playing them - you'd need to start playing their music so your jocks could tie-in to the promotion and read the liners. The audience aren't stupid, ya know Insult your listeners - they stop trusting you.

Anyway - as far as your most recent sample hours go: it's just a little to all over the place. You've got several "stiffs" in that list (Elmo and Patsy, Steve Miller, Us3) - now, they are only stiffs when placed in your rotation. You are trying to please everybody and THOSE songs in THAT order are going to have a domino effect with your audience. The genre shift is just un-believable - You're trying to be hip and play Leona Lewis, Backstreet Boys, and Pink, yet you're doing yourself no favours with the naff Xmas tunes. Some of those songs are OK but sitting next to the likes of Britney and Fall Out Boy they are just, errr, pants. I would re-consider your Xmas tunes for starters.

Sorry for sounding harsh, but that's what I'm seeing/thinking.

Oh, and spotted Paula Cole's "Cowboys" in there - Love that song

 

[Mid West Clubber]

Our OM is gonna go back to letting me ad more unproven tracks,, cause I told him Lady Gaga-Just Dance was gonna be a smash, and he finally let me add it about a month ago, and now its already blowing up,, same thing happened when adding September-Cry for you,, a song most CHRs were afraid of but it was our biggest hit of the year.... David Guetta-Love is gone wasnt a Chr Hit, but we had about an 8 month run with it... so ya know.... We have to do what our bosses want, we cant just clone our Ipods and put them on air ya know,, Upper management gets in the way of some of these things,,

Since our market does not have a Rock station anymore,, you used to be able to get THE-X from Indianapolis, but a translator for a religious crap on 103.1 ruined that.. Im thinking of adding some rock songs, like Shinedown-Second Chance, and Avenge Seven Fold-Dear God,,, I think they would do well here.. A CHR is supposed to play all of whats hot NOW, and the past few years,, including POP-ROCK-Hip HOP-some country, and some Dance,,, so thats what im gonna try and do... Ive been playing it safe lately cause we almost all lost our jobs to the DIAL GLOBAL Hits Now format, but Now that I feel safer im gonna try to jump on songs and make them hits before COMP does.