In June, a market-dominant radio station left the FM dial to try and make a go of IP-only. Another dominant station will go away in a few days. I looked forward to those months when today’s pop hits are at their best, or at least their most prolific, only to see everything upstaged by a 36-year-old Kate Bush record. In fact, Classic Hits and Adult Hits stations were “bigger” than ever. Welcome to Radio’s Best & Worst, ROR’s ongoing digest of my last 4-6 weeks of radio listening, your recommendations, and a few observations that were more than a tweet, less than an entire column. RBAW returned in April; here’s the next installment.
Most Noticeable Trend: The bigging-up of Classic and Adult Hits. On the front-page of Radioinsight’s format-change section, there are two Classic Hits stations renaming themselves “Big” this week alone. A few months ago, it was WOGL Philadelphia, following the lead of Audacy sister WBGB (Boston). In the column below, you’ll hear about two more Big FMs. There’s some irony in the name with which stations are modernizing being a throwback to the “Big 8” CKLW Detroit/“Big 89” WLS Chicago days of AM Top 40, but it works well in most situations, and sounding “big” is something that radio needs to do again.
Best Station (Online): KRTY.com San Jose. Country Insider’s Brian Mansfield has extensively detailed the market-leader’s segue from FM to online only. It’s clear that GM Nate Deaton and his staff understand the enormity of the challenge. But online so far, KRTY.com is even more of what I like about KRTY — even more aggressive musically (three currents in a row when I listened on Wednesday) and even lower spotloads (okay, this week it’s commercial-free). There was a listener testimonial about “making the move” sponsored by a local mover. There was a promo for a station-sponsored Brett Young show that began with “we told you the events wouldn’t end.” The articles were sobering. What I heard on KRTY.com inspired optimism.
Best Station (FM): Even before new Adult R&B KJLH Los Angeles PD Chris Malone arrived, Stevie Wonder’s radio station had staked out a franchise for millennial R&B, against gold-based KTWV (The Wave). But there’s been an additional jolt of energy since I listened last, and constant reminders of the station’s place in radio and the community. Being “the only L.A. radio station that recognizes Black Music Month” has given it a chance to throw in a few older “Black in the Day” cuts. But the liner I’m most excited about hearing again is the return of “We Are You,” a positioner I remember from the mid-’80s.
Most Intriguing Format Change: WVHT (The Vibe) Norfolk, Va., is billing itself as an R&B version of Adult Hits. On its first night, it went from Brandy’s “Have You Ever” to Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight,” which I knew would be enough for some ROR readers to be interested. It’s also a lot like the inverse of KJLH — mostly gold-based — or rival WVKL (95.7 R’n’B), which has done very well as one of the Adult R&B format’s newest-leaning radio stations.
Best Rediscovery: WMGQ (Magic 98.3) New Brunswick, N.J. I’ve written a lot about WLTW (Lite FM) New York over the years. I didn’t have to seek out my “local” AC station because in pre-COVID (and pre-streaming) times, I could count on hearing it in public a few times every week. But I’ve noticed it doing something that AC doesn’t do much these days — very carefully championing a few AC-only songs. It’s also the first AC where I’ve encountered Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill.” In general, very bright and uptempo without pushing the format boundaries like Lite FM does.
Best Reader PickI: “Ron Gerber’s ‘Crap from the Past’ and his guest Paul Haney from Record Research, Inc., on KFAI Minneapolis. Together, they did a wonderful tribute to [chart historian, and Haney’s boss] Joel Whitburn.” – Jay Philpott, Love 105 Minneapolis. Gerber is a longtime friend of ROR. Another friend of the column, S-Curve’s Steve Greenberg, wrote this Whitburn appreciation.
Best Listener Drop: “I love hearing the hair bands and the dance music.” That listener sweeper explains the point of differentiation of WNBH (Big 101.3) New Bedford, Mass., a Classic Hits outlet with a greater component of late-’80s/’90s than most comparable stations. (To prove it, the last two songs played as I write this were “18 and Life” by Skid Row and “Waiting for Tonight” by Jennifer Lopez.) The station has gone 1.4-2.6-1.9 over the last three months in the adjacent Providence, R.I. book. I’m just happy not to hear another syndicated drop-in where a canned-sounding listener claims a station “is all I listen to.”
Most Honest Station Sweeper: “Yes, we know there’s an app for that, but here’s traffic anyway.” There’s a lot on KFBG (100.7 Big FM) San Diego that recalls the boom years of the Adult Hits format, although back then traffic wasn’t yet an issue, and all the goofy sweepers were about having to play commercials.
Best Top 40 Jock Line: “It’s like what the philosopher Kierkegaard would say. It’s not a leap of faith, it’s a leap into faith.” Amp’s Zach Sang Show team member Claudia was talking about Sang’s announcement that he was in a relationship. Second-best line from the bit: Speculation began on what the new couple’s song was, and the first suggestion was “London Bridge” by Fergie.
This Month’s Other Comeback Oldie: I’ve heard Tom Tom Club, “Genius of Love,’ twice recently — on Adult Hits 100.7 Big FM and on Norfolk’s newly launched Adult R&B The Vibe. For most listeners, Latto’s “Big Energy” is flipped from Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy,” so it has been gratifying to hear the original song in the chain on the radio as well. As a current in spring 1982, it was one of the new-wave songs that had nowhere to go in most American markets except R&B radio. A few months later, after “Don’t You Want Me” and “Tainted Love,” it might have been a lot bigger.
One More Listening Tip: This weekend (June 24-26) is expected to be the final go-round for Classic Hits 4KQ Brisbane, Australia’s special programming. I’ve compiled “A Listening Guide to 4KQ’s Final Days.”
Out-of-Office Message: “Drake Donovan is on vacation … for the first time in 10 years. I’ll resume normal operations on Thursday.”
