When you see the Radio’s Best & Worst column return after a while, it’s a good sign. It usually means there are a lot of stations I want to share with you, especially as ratings roll in, that I haven’t had time to profile individually. It also helps that we’re in a better place for music, particularly with CHR which seems to have good news to report weekly. But there’s a lot of radio I want to share this month across the board.
Most Encouraging Radio Moment: It’s one of my car-radio “pre-sets” (thanks to the combination of TuneIn and Android Auto), but I took a longer listen to Adult Top 40 WKRQ (Q102) Cincinnati’s full-service afternoon show with Roy, Nat & Freddie Mac yesterday. I’ve always appreciated Q102 for PD Patti Marshall’s continued music enterprise and the station’s place between Mainstream and Adult Top 40. What I came away with this time was the too-rare feeling of hearing radio do what it does well at the level we once took for granted. Save them for the next time you feel discouraged about radio.
Most Encouraging Personal Moment: A few years ago, veteran PD Danny Ocean (then in syndication) and I caught up. As I recall, it was the “man, I don’t know about this business anymore” conversation. I end up having one of those at least once a month, and while I’m always happy to be a sounding board, it’s always a little hard to regroup, especially when the call comes amidst negative headlines. It’s nice to report that I had a very different conversation with Ocean, now happily ensconced as PD of Seven Mountains’ Poconos, Pa., AC WSBG (and still working weekends in Philadelphia) last month. There aren’t a lot of radio people arcing in that direction anymore, so it’s an important reminder that it can still happen. (Ocean was also one of several great commenters on a recent article on contesting.)
Ratings Stories: The good news for CHR still isn’t across the board, but encouraging stories continue this week at WPST Trenton, N.J. (4.2-6.8); WDDJ (Electric 96.9) Paducah, Ky. (a 22-share in Eastlan); and WXLK (K92) Roanoke, Va. (4.6-7.8). That’s a continuation of what we’ve seen so far — heritage stations with good bones that had mostly resisted CHR’s collapse until relatively recently. But ratings correspondent Chris Huff notes that there’s also a rebound in London, where both Capital (3.4-4.2) and BBC Radio 1 (3.5-4.0) post their best shares in 3-5 years, perhaps as a result of Taylor Swift tour-mania. (Radio 1’s national cume also topped 8 million again.)
Most Overperforming Translator: KDZA Pueblo, Colo., is programming the older-leaning Oldies format that ROR readers have come to appreciate on KDRI Tucson, Ariz.; WECK Buffalo, N.Y.; and elsewhere. Those stations have staked out a place in their markets. KDZA has gone 3.0-7.7-8.0, making it No. 1 in the market again on its original AM frequency and an FM translator. Here’s a mini-monitor on July 31 at 5:30 p.m.:
- Buckinghams, “Hey Baby (They’re Playing Our Song)”
- Jonathan Edwards, “Sunshine”
- Grand Funk Railroad, “We’re an American Band”
- Jay Ferguson, “Thunder Island”
- Steve Winwood, “Higher Love”
- Cream, “Sunshine of Your Love”
Format Battle: Many U.S. markets have struggled to support one Alternative station. The format remains more robust and more current-based in Canada, in part because of the strength of Canadian rock acts. This week, Calgary becomes the third major market with an Alternative battle (Toronto has two stations; Vancouver, for the moment, has three), as CFGQ (Q107) became gold-based “Iconic Alternative” 107.3 the Edge yesterday, against successful longtime outlet CFEX (X92.9). The new station is doing an older-leaning and very mainstream version of gold-based Alt with elements of Adult Hits.
Best Topic: I’ve enjoyed hearing radio cover the Olympics. The games have provided topicality, a change from personalities’ usual subjects, and a chance to be newly in touch with what listeners care about. That shouldn’t be remarkable, but it makes you realize how much you enjoyed radio reacting to major events in real time. It’s also been fun to go from Nova 100 Melbourne’s Jase & Lauren to Q102’s Roy, Nat & Freddie Mac and hear truly different worldwide takes on a wide variety of related topics, rather than yesterday’s barely reworded celebrity item making the rounds.
Favorite Station Rediscovery: Over the last 25 years, WNRN Charlottesville, Va., has built a network of Triple-A stations across the Southern tier of Virginia. I listened for the first time in years after the recent purchase of a Roanoke frequency. Last fall, Matt Donahue, formerly with Audacy’s Alternative stations, came aboard, and the result is the musical breadth of a good non-comm, but with the precision of a more-mainstream commercial outlet.
Imaging: Over the last decade WJMH (102 Jamz) Greensboro, N.C., has been mostly successful at avoiding the travails of Hip-Hop/R&B radio. I’ve always appreciated its accessibility and music enterprise. On a recent listen, its offbeat imaging got my attention. Some had elements of standup comedy. Other sweepers were topical or attitudinal in a way that’s hard to describe in print. And it was hosted when I heard it on early Saturday morning.
Segue: Percy Faith, “Theme From A Summer Place,” to Boston, “Feelin’ Satisfied,” on CJNE Nipawin, Sask. At least a few times a year, I find a new station playing “Oldies XL,” a broader, deeper, and older mix than most Classic Hits outlets. It’s not unusual to find them in a smaller international market. What’s not typical is that this small-market Canadian outlet is monitored in Mediabase, which is how I found it. Hearing Percy Faith was because it apparently plays ’50s/pre-Beatles on Monday. But some ROR readers will be interested either way.
Best Station Name: Midwest’s WOZZ Wausau, Wis., returns to Active Rock after several years as Adult Hits as 94.7 The Beast. (In the station’s previous life, it was Rock 94.7.)
Station Liner: “Proud to play another Canadian artist–not because we have to, because we want to. Also because we have to.” — Calgary’s new 107.3 the Edge. Non-snarky division: “You are the most important part” of Country WUSN (US99) Chicago.
Upcoming Listening Tip: I first wrote about Barry Scott’s Lost 45s and its annual countdown when music from the ’70s hadn’t yet made its way back to the radio. Eventually, some of his chart-toppers returned to the mainstream: “Jessie’s Girl,” “Dancing Queen,” “Escape (the Pina Colada Song).” While the show itself isn’t ending, Lost 45s airs its final Top 100 countdown this Labor Day weekend. Hear it on WPLM (Easy 99.1) Boston, the show’s eighth flagship during its 40-year-tenure.
What did you like hearing on the radio in July? Please leave a comment.
Hi Sean…..interesting to read about the Percy Faith/Boston segue…I’ve been doing a weekend 70s show for the last 6 months and a feature we always include is The Implausible Segue…a recent pairing was Sleepy Shores – Johnny Pearson into Undertones – Teenage Kicks…those two songs shouldn’t REALLY go together…but they do !
Although I’m sadden to still tune in and anircheck even some major market radio stations with boring or bad jocks, I love hearing good ol fashion top 40 radio with St. John on NOW 99.7 in SF. And I enjoy listening to K92.3 (country) in Orlando.
Just wondering, have any CHRs or Hot ACs recently added jingles? Haven’t heard anything about that since KBFF added them earlier this year as well as WLS-FM.
Hey Sean, the thing I appreciate more about this article than the suggestions, is your vulnerability and expressing what it means to you when personalities share their travails. A story that I think fits here, and shows how radio can move the needle. I’m doing a lot of fill-in right now in addition to my Monday morning/Sunday night overnight show on Sacramento’s K-zap, an AOR or perhaps better known as a bit more of a heavier, AAA station, would really appreciate a listen. Anyway, I talked about a lot of my mental health struggles recently, physical health, struggles, being in a new city, and trying to find my way, and people reached out via email, I didn’t expect anyone was going to. Last weekend I was fortunate to respond to a handful of emails from people who were listening very closely and reminded me, people pay more attention than you think. Also, being one of the first to world premiere Jack White’s secret new album made my month, it’s noncom, but it’s ran by professionals, and at this point, I realize I am getting paid to do this because it’s not what you know, it’s who you know, and I’m ready to turn this isolating sleepy town that has got me down into something that can enrich my life and Give me a chance to serve this community. That I realize is the whole reason I went into radio in the first place, so mission accomplished! seriously, you would not believe the way listeners react when they see me in my K-zap gear, it’s like an old friend to them, I’ve never seen anyone react to a radio brand like that in my entire life. K-zap.org