I’ve written about 106.7 Lite FM (WLTW) New York at relatively frequent intervals, most recently in last October’s look at “PPM’s Five Highest-Rated Stations.” It’s hard not to come back to Lite FM. The station helped create Soft AC in the ‘80s, but has spent the last 25 years pushing the contemporary edge of the format.
Now, there’s a very different Lite FM on 106.7. West suburban Montreal’s CHSV was, until this week, one of several Soft ACs operated by Canada’s Evanov group as “The Jewel.” Those stations were relatively soft and eclectic. This week, CHSV and its Ottawa sister became “Lite,” while two other Breeze stations flipped to Country. Lite PD Ted Silver tells Montreal media writer Steve Faguy that the modernization centers the station in the ‘80s, making it more comparable to other stations that have been part of Soft AC’s rebound in recent years.
Here’s Lite 106.7 just before 1 p.m. on May 4:
- Aretha Franklin & George Michael, “I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)”
- Bryan Adams, “Lets Make A Night to Remember” (Canadian)
- Ed Sheeran, “Perfect”
- Glass Tiger, “My Song” (sounds like Rod Stewart’s “Rhythm of the Night,” but came first) (Canadian)
- Sarah McLachlan, “Ordinary Miracle” (Canadian)
- Whitney Houston, “How Will I Know”
- Ken Tobias, “Every Bit of Love” (Canadian) (‘70s pop hitmaker with a song reminiscent of Andy Kim)
- Deniece Williams, “Let’s Hear it for the Boy”
- Sade, “No Ordinary Love”
- Dexy’s Midnight Runners, “Come On Eileen”
- Bob McBride, “Pretty City Lady” (Canadian) (more ‘70s pop from the lead singer of Lighthouse)
English-language music stations in Ottawa and Montreal deal with government regulations requiring a certain percentage of non-hit music. Lite FM still plays some of the Adult Standards and instrumental music heard on the Jewel in its 8-11 p.m. program, The Lounge. Tonight’s show ranged from Gladys Knight singing “Someone to Watch Over Me” to Enya’s “Orinoco Flow” to some Easy listening instrumental covers, including one of Conway Twitty’s “Don’t Cry Joni.”
Both CHSV’s regular and evening format are worth a listen to this column’s many Soft AC fans. They’ll also be happy to know that unlike many major Canadian group-owned stations, the new Lite 106.7 FM isn’t geo-blocked to American listeners.
Back here in New York, there was a period last year when it looked like Mainstream AC might be losing its super-powers as the result of changed listening habits. Work schedules were less regimented and there was no need for a station the whole office could agree on. But WLTW is the market leader, up 6.5-6.8-7.1 6-plus since January, and no other station is closer than a 5.8.
It was noticeable in October as well, but Lite FM’s successful formula these days seems to be one song from Mainstream AC and one from Hot AC. Sister WKTU has been working to fill the hole left in the market by WPLJ nearly two years ago, but Lite FM seemed to get a boost from WPLJ’s departure as well. The era and stylistic spread is wide enough that it’s one of the things the station talks about on-air.
Here’s WLTW just before 4 p.m. on May 5:
- Backstreet Boys, “As Long As You Love Me”
- Madonna, “Like A Virgin”
- Doja Cat, “Say So”
- Chris de Burgh, “The Lady in Red” (preceded by an ‘80s stager)
- Lady Antebellum, “Need You Now”
- Kylie Minogue, “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head” (frontsold by p.m. driver Rich Kaminski as one of the “different songs” the station has been playing recently and soliciting listener feedback via website)
- Wham, “Careless Whisper”
- Chris Brown x Young Thug, “Go Crazy”
- Bryan Adams, “Heaven”
- Bruno Mars, “Just the Way You Are”
- Ace of Base, “All That She Wants”
- Katy Perry, “Firework”
- Justin Timberlake, “Cry Me A River”
- Lionel Richie, “You Are”
- Harry Styles, “Watermelon Sugar”
