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Can someone explain the In The Air Tonight effect in Dallas to me?

Kramer

Kramer

I was talking to a friend in radio the other day and we were going on like 2 old bitter radio people . . . per usual.

I said, "In Dallas (He lives in Miami) we have something that I call the IN THE AIR TONIGHT EFFECT. How many stations can play virtually the same music. One day 2 weeks ago I was driving. I was in the car for 20 minutes. I heard IN THE AIR TONIGHT on KZPS, THE SPOT and JACK FM - all within that 20 minutes. It got me thinking about how many stations we have in this market that play a LOT of the same music."

I can do this all day.

Billy Idol - KZPS, KDGE, KJKK, KSPF
Evanescence - KZPS, KDGE, KJKK, KSPF, KDMX, KVIL
Goo Goo Dolls - KZPS, KDGE, KJKK, KSPF, KDMX, KVIL

That list could go on for pages.

What's the point? Every time I talk about radio, it's like beating a dead horse. It's completely useless to even come on a message board and discuss any part of it, because not only is it not going to change, it's just going to get worse and worse before it finally just fizzles out completely.

If a radio station does absolutely NOTHING to set itself apart, why would you continue to play the same bullsh*t and not switch formats. And yes I'm biased, but we have 6 or 7 radio stations sharing up to 75% of their playlist with another radio station, YET - we do not have ONE single radio station in market NUMBER FOUR that plays:

Godsmack, Five Finger Death Punch, Dirty Hony, Blackstone Cherry, Pantera(!), Drowning Pool, Tool, Marilyn Manson, White Zombie, Korn, Disturbed, Shinedown, Avenged Sevenfold, Slipknot, Killswitch Engage, Limp Bizkit, Trivium, Puddle of Mudd, Staind, Three Days Grace, Lacuna Coil, Kitty, Rise Against, Saliva, Iron Maiden, Theory of a Deadman, Silverchair, Cold, Trapt, Velvet Revolver, Coal Chamber, Rammstein, Static X, Machinehead, Stone Sour, Ozzy (post 1992), Brother Caine, Greta Van Fleet, Royal Blood, Chevelle, Volbeat, The Pretty Reckless, Saint Asonia, Zakk Wylde, Ayron Jones, Bush, Bring Me The Horizon, Breaking Benjamin, Dorothy, Ghost, Papa Roach, 10 Years, Kenny Wayne Sheppard, Halestorm, Default, Sevendust, The Killers, Messer, Candlebox, Finger Eleven . . .

I could go on for days, but I posted so many to drive home the point. Every band listed above is under the 25-54 umbrella. The rock format is absolute sh*t because companies and management have bought into the same old idea that people who listen to rock music are black tee shirt wearing, pot smoking, pink haired 19 year olds. And THAT proves the point that radio, many years ago, became too safe and vanilla. EVERYTHING about EVERY radio station in DFW is vanilla. This isn't L.A. This is Dallas TEXAS - and I don't care how many people move here from California, nothing will ever change the FACT that this is a ROCK MARKET.

Alright. My monthly rant is over. Let the defending of the IN THE AIR TONIGHT EFFECT commence.

I love you . . . every one of you.
 
Kramer said:
If a radio station does absolutely NOTHING to set itself apart, why would you continue to play the same bullsh*t and not switch formats.
Click to expand...

That was a funny post. You appear to be someone who has been around a while. When you were a kid, how many Top 40 stations were there in your town? Did they all play basically the same music? Of course they did. So why does this come as a surprise to you? This is how radio has worked since the glory days. We all know it. Radio stations play the hits. They're not out to impress people with their musical knowledge or taste. That train left the building in the 70s.

You want them to play something else? Are you tired of those hits? Then listen to KPLX or some other format and you'll hear another 500 songs you probably haven't heard. Maybe try one of the Spanish stations for some variety.

But really...music isn't what sets ANY radio station apart. Unless you know how to sing. How many people would tune is to hear YOU sing? Probably nobody. But at one time, people tuned in to hear you talk. THAT'S what sets stations apart. The presentation. The stuff BETWEEN the songs. If all you want to hear is music, subscribe to Pandora. PAY for the music. That way the artists get a taste.
 
Where I grew up, there were quite a few AOR stations playing deep cuts. Even today, there is a lot more variety there than in DFW. DFW is one of the most boring radio markets in the country.
 
Last week when I visited Dallas, 103.7 had played Under The Bridge. I then switched over to Mix 102.9 after they played Hey Ya, Under The Bridge played! I just thought it was so weird to hear the same song (as a gold) within mere seconds of each other.
 
Kramer said:
Let the defending of the IN THE AIR TONIGHT EFFECT commence.
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Nobody’s actually defending the song. I’ll start, then.😂 It has a cool drum part at the end. There are a few formats that apparently can fit a cool drum part in the playlist. It’s really neat…if you haven’t heard it a thousand times a year since it’s release.(or in my case since birth, the song is way older than I am.) As for the rest of your post. You mention nobody playing those hard rock/metal bands and yet you forget the non comms. I’m sure KNON’s metal/hard rock shows have played all those guys and I’m know KTCU has a metal/hard rock show, too. Also, Alt 103.7 has played a few of those bands you listed on their all request show.

TheBigA said:
That was a funny post. You appear to be someone who has been around a while. When you were a kid, how many Top 40 stations were there in your town? Did they all play basically the same music? Of course they did. So why does this come as a surprise to you? This is how radio has worked since the glory days. We all know it. Radio stations play the hits. They're not out to impress people with their musical knowledge or taste. That train left the building in the 70s.
Click to expand...
I agree, but with one small amendment. Playing the hits is how COMMERCIAL radio works. The non comms absolutely do impress with musical knowledge and taste.
 
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nalyem said:
I agree, but with one small amendment. Playing the hits is how COMMERCIAL radio works. The non comms absolutely do impress with musical knowledge and taste.
Click to expand...

I agree 100%. To all of the people who criticize the music on radio, I always advise to simply listen to non-com radio. It solves two problems: Wider range of music, and no commercials. But listeners have to support them.
 
radiofan2023 said:
I'd tune in to hear Kramer NOT sing....

If KMXV in KC can play Shinedown's "A Symptom of Being Human", there should be some station in Dallas that can play that kind of music too.
Click to expand...

How can you compare what a station in KC does to what stations in DFW do? In my mind, as a programming, the two have no bearing on another.. maybe that song hasnt tested well or just doesnt fit the vibe of the format or the city.. any number of reasons.
 
dfwrunner2 said:
Where I grew up, there were quite a few AOR stations playing deep cuts.
Click to expand...

It's an interesting comment about AOR, because the letters stand for Album Oriented Rock. This was the format that came after progressive rock. This was in the early days of FM, when audiences still hadn't caught on. Once they did, by the mid-80s, consultants got involved and tightened up the music. Instead of playing anything, they told the DJs they could play cuts from specified hit albums. That concept fell apart once albums started to go away, and people just streamed the songs they wanted to hear. Artists still make albums, but they're not as core to most formats these days.
 
SomeRadioGuy said:
How can you compare what a station in KC does to what stations in DFW do? In my mind, as a programming, the two have no bearing on another.. maybe that song hasnt tested well or just doesnt fit the vibe of the format or the city.. any number of reasons.
Click to expand...
My point was just that other stations besides rock stations play rock bands
 
TheBigA said:
That was a funny post. You appear to be someone who has been around a while. When you were a kid, how many Top 40 stations were there in your town? Did they all play basically the same music? Of course they did. So why does this come as a surprise to you? This is how radio has worked since the glory days. We all know it. Radio stations play the hits. They're not out to impress people with their musical knowledge or taste. That train left the building in the 70s.

You want them to play something else? Are you tired of those hits? Then listen to KPLX or some other format and you'll hear another 500 songs you probably haven't heard. Maybe try one of the Spanish stations for some variety.

But really...music isn't what sets ANY radio station apart. Unless you know how to sing. How many people would tune is to hear YOU sing? Probably nobody. But at one time, people tuned in to hear you talk. THAT'S what sets stations apart. The presentation. The stuff BETWEEN the songs. If all you want to hear is music, subscribe to Pandora. PAY for the music. That way the artists get a taste.
Click to expand...

You've completely missed the point, and your post is exactly what I expected.

When I was a kid in Birmingham, there were TWO top 40 stations. I95 - who played a basic top 40 playlist and then there was Kix 106 which was CHURBAN.

What are ANY of these stations doing to set them apart? Please tell me specifically, because I'm sure wanting some knowledge. Teach me the way Pastor.
 
Kramer said:
What are ANY of these stations doing to set them apart? Please tell me specifically, because I'm sure wanting some knowledge. Teach me the way Pastor.
Click to expand...

You completely missed my point. Read paragraph 3. Radio is NOT in the free music distribution business. The thing stations do that set them apart is NOT the music. Because if it is, there are better ways to get music. If I want to hear any song, I just go to YouTube, and I get multiple versions of every song, including live versions and alternate takes. No radio station can give me that.

Didn't YOU work in radio? What did you do there? Sing? No. They hired you for what you do between the songs. Maybe you forgot what it was you brought to radio. Some people think radio is in the music business. They're wrong. If you want to work in the music business, get a job at a record label or work with an artist. It's a very different job from radio. Some legendary radio programmers like Kid Leo realized that over 30 years ago.

Kramer said:
93.3 did so well.
Click to expand...

Right now its doing something that no other FM station in Dallas is doing. A perfect example of a station that sets itself apart.
 
Kramer said:
And every station that DOES in the metroplex plays the same ones - the safe ones - GNR, AC/DC, how many stations here play Eddie Money? About 17.
Click to expand...

Because they're hits. Because they test well. They get great scores and attract listeners. That's what those stations want. That's why they're safe songs. How much of your personal money would you risk to play the music on your list?
 
Kramer said:
If a radio station does absolutely NOTHING to set itself apart, why would you continue to play the same bullsh*t and not switch formats. And yes I'm biased, but we have 6 or 7 radio stations sharing up to 75% of their playlist with another radio station
Click to expand...
And this is probably a problem that will get worse as CHR struggles and shrinks, as it did in Dallas recently with 93.3 and not so long ago in Los Angeles with 97.1 KNX-FM.
 
PTBoardOp93 said:
And this is probably a problem that will get worse as CHR struggles and shrinks, as it did in Dallas recently with 93.3 and not so long ago in Los Angeles with 97.1 KNX-FM.
Click to expand...

The audience for the format has shrunk. The demos in both cities have changed.

Meanwhile KIIS in LA is once again one of the top stations in town. Same with Kiss in Dallas. So they figured it out.
 
I do remember circa 2002-2003, when Wild 100.3 was around, they would play nearly the same song every time right after Kiss FM played it. It was like the two stations were identical to one another like a simulcast. It was crazy!

Throughout my years of listening to the radio, I do remember one thing: almost every radio media outlet have almost the same type of format. At one point, DFW radio had this (but it has somewhat changed since then):

Cumulus: 2 news/talk formats, 2 country stations
CBS/Entercom/Audacy: 2 classic hits/adult hits
Clear Channel/iHeart: 3 pop stations (I'm including KDGE since I consider it a pop station but more like adult pop), 3 rock stations of some sort (now down to one if you don't count KEGL HD2)

And worth a mention, we have Service Broadcasting and Radio One both have an urban contemporary station with a urban AC rimshot.
 
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