Radio Shark Tank: Readers Pitch Their New Formats

A veteran major-market CHR programmer. A TV weatherman. A small-market consultant. A 21-year-old college student. 

Brian Burns, Gary Begin, Allan Nosoff, and Justin Walters are all longtime Ross on Radio readers who have been in the process of developing new formats over the past year or two. This week, they’re getting a chance to pitch their formats in their own words. (It’s not quite Shark Tank style; any judging is being left to the readers.) 

Burn’s Yummy Hits and Walters’ Young Classics already exist as radio stations and are available to stream. Begin’s Classic Hits and Adult Standards/Smooth Jazz format demos are included here, as well as Nosoff’s contemporary take on Smooth Jazz.

BRIAN BURNS: YUMMY HITS

Major-market programming veteran Brian Burns began streaming Yummy Hits in 2022. The station is owned by Dennis Porebski, with whom Burns has been friends since working together at WKSE (Kiss 98.5) Buffalo in the ’90s.

“Yummy’s format is a hybrid CHR with a strong emphasis on Latin crossovers. With Latinos accounting for 55% of a 4,000,000 population in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale metro, Shakira, Karol G., Pitbull, and Bad Bunny are core artists in sales and airplay. Combined with a strong female pop library of currents and gold, Yummy Hits has a unique Miami identity compared to its terrestrial counterparts, supporting their branding statement, Pure Miami!

“Yummy’s library also includes heavily streamed core-artist tracks that were not necessarily record-company singles, but are familiar to its core-listener target demographics, as reflected in its sample hour.

“The imaging is written around an audio ‘sense of taste’ branding with hyper-local references, and voiced by national voiceover guru Jon Carter, complemented with a Reel World jingle package. The Yummy Hits website is a balance of local events, artist news and gossip, and Yummy recipes. Yummy touts 59 minutes of music each hour, countering terrestrial stations that often exceed 10 minutes of commercials hourly.

“Yummy Hits can be found on all the major streaming platforms, its own phone app for Apple and Android, and through its website. Based on proprietary data, Yummy Hits outstreams its corporate format competitors, as well as most terrestrial streamers in the Miami market.”

Here’s a sample hour of Yummy:

• Jack Harlow, “Lovin’ on Me” 
• Taylor Swift, “Cruel Summer”
• Karol G & Peso Pluma, “Qlona”
• Benson Boone, “Beautiful Things”
• Rihanna, “Disturbia”
• Tate McRae, “Greedy”
• Kevin Lyttle, “Turn Me On”
• Beyoncé, “Texas Hold ’Em”
• Dua Lipa, “Physical”
• Teddy Swims, “Lose Control”
• Sean Paul (f/Alexis Jordan), “Got 2 Luv U”
• Selena Gomez, “Love On”
• Harry Styles, “Late Night Talking”
• Tini, Becky G & Anitta, “La Loto”
• Muni Long, “Made for Me”
• Metro Boomin’ (w/the Weeknd & 21 Savage), “Creepin’”
• Camila Cabello, “Cryin’ in the Club”
• Tyla, “Water”

Listen to Yummy here.

ALLAN NOSOFF: CD101.9

Nosoff is a New York-area meteorologist. Over the last few years, he’s been rethinking the Smooth Jazz format for the streaming age, using the name of New York’s former CD101.9 as the handle.

“In today’s radio/audio medium, the biggest constant is change. There have been numerous changes in the platforms, listener habits, social media, and much more surrounding radio. That is why it is really important to NOT be stuck in the mid-2000s pre-PPM mindset that helped cause the Smooth Jazz radio format’s demise.

“One new trend to embrace is the blurring of format lines, which the original Smooth Jazz format did not. That helped contribute to its demise, as stations did not embrace other ‘smooth’ or ‘groovy’ artists. KTWV (94.7 The Wave) Los Angeles initially failed in this transition until pivoting to [the R&B oldies format] that is now successful in L.A. Some of this blurring is currently happening at CIWV (Wave 98.3) Vancouver. The streaming surge has accelerated this blur, with many non-radio users creating their own unique playlists that span numerous genres.

“CHR stations [span] crossover Country [to] Hip-Hop. For Smooth Jazz, what songs are smooth, but also new and groovy? There are many newer R&B, pop, rock, and even country tracks that fit well with the uptempo ‘traditional’ smooth jazz tracks. In the CD 101.9 demo, SZA, Taylor Swift, Cannons, and Kacey Musgraves fit into each of the above formats, respectively. And they also fit in the new smooth format. 

“Another goal for this station is both a new trend and a strong foundation — the focus on new music. The recent streaming … trends have pushed new music faster, with new artists rising quickly, and consumers wanting to hear it first. But this format will also avoid burnout thanks to its deep pool of recurrent smooth tracks.

“A couple of instrumental tracks also go back as far back as the early 2000s. The instrumental sound of smooth jazz started to modernize around that time, so playing cuts from the 1980s or ’90s makes zero sense for this station. This is another reason why the format floundered. Playing ‘Europa,’ ‘Songbird,’ or any original-era tracks heavily will make most of the target audience tune out fast.

“While staunch originalists of the Smooth Jazz format may not like it, this formula is the best approach to capture and retain a younger demo while also generating revenue and being anywhere close to successful. The ‘new’ CD 101.9, with no other competition in most songs it plays, could work if the right owners and right staff came along to try it out.”

Here’s the first hour of Nosoff’s format sample:

• Miguel, “Sure Thing”
• The Weeknd f/Kenny G, “In Your Eyes”
• Vincent Ingala, “On the Move” (Instrumental)
• Lewis Capaldi, “Before You Go”
• Brian Culbertson, “Sandcastles 2.0” (I)
• Kenya Grace, “Strangers”
• Nils, “Let’s Bounce” (I)
• Ariana Grande & Troye Sivan, “Supernatural”
• Four80East, “This Time Around” (I)
• Tyla, “Water”
• Cannons, “Can You Feel My Love”
• Eric Marienthal, “Blue Water” (I)
• Max, “Lights Down Low”
• U-Nam, “Street Life” (I)
• Victoria Monet, “How Does It Make You Feel”
• Poolside, “Feel Alright”
• Candy Dulfer, “L.A. City Lights” (I)
• SZA, “Saturn”

You can hear a scoped version of Nosoff’s format demo below. You can also stream his Apple Music Playlist here.

JUSTIN WALTERS: MEAN GREEN HITS/YOUNG CLASSICS

Justin Walters is a 21-year-old University of North Texas student who has been operating Internet radio stations for more than five years. His current station, the UNT-affiliated Mean Green Hits, is his showcase for a format he calls “Young Classics.”  

“Young Classics is a vibrant radio format that bridges Oldies and Classic Hits for the younger crowd. It plays hits from the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s, inspired by chart-toppers like Eminem, Nirvana, the Spice Girls, and Justin Bieber. This concept represents the idea that the best music has already been made, capturing the essence of past decades while resonating with today’s listeners.

“I launched Young Classics at the University of North Texas at the age of 20, aiming to redefine mainstream radio for a younger audience. Our playlist brings together iconic tracks that shaped music history, from Eminem’s rap revolution to Nirvana’s alt-rock movement and the global appeal of the Spice Girls. This format offers a fresh, energetic package that appeals to people in the late Millennial and early Gen Z crowd, such as college students, recent graduates, and young professionals entering the workforce.

“Now, it’s time to share Young Classics with radio professionals and program directors, offering a dynamic new format that resonates with a diverse audience. With its blend of nostalgia and contemporary flair, Young Classics is set to become a favorite among listeners seeking a unique and engaging radio experience.”

Here’s a sample hour of Mean Green Hits:

• Usher, “Burn”
• Backstreet Boys, “I’ll Never Break Your Heart”
• Tom Cochrane, “I Wish You Well”
• Stacie Orrico, “I’m Not Missing You”
• Neon Hitch, “Love U Betta”
• Madonna, “I’ll Remember”
• Carrie Underwood, “Inside Your Heaven”
• Baby Bash, “Baby I’m Back”
• Alanis Morissette, “Head Over Feet”
• Flo Rida, “Club Can’t Handle Me”
• Beyoncé, “Halo”
• Whitney Houston, “Heartbreak Hotel”
• Mariah Carey, “Honey”
• Rascal Flatts, “What Hurts the Most”

Mean Green Hits can be streamed here. Walters can be reached here.

GARY BEGIN: CLASSIC SONGS & SMOOTH JAZZ; CLASSIC TOP 40

Ottawa, Ill.-based Begin’s 40-year radio career has taken him from Providence to Sarasota, Fla., as well as Augusta, Me., to Columbus, Ga., and more. He is the author of Radio Programming and Branding: The Ultimate Podcasting and Radio Branding Guide. He founded Sound Advantage Media in 2010. For the last several years, he’s been offering two formats, “Classic Songs & Smooth Jazz” and “Classic Top 40.”

“Classic Songs & Smooth Jazz features great songs from artists like Michael Bublé, Frank Sinatra, and Diana Krall with a mix of smooth jazz from artists like Kenny G, Manhattan Transfer, Herb Alpert, and more.

“Classic Top 40 is a new twist on Classic Hits. It is a mix of ‘lost songs’ ignored by today’s programmers, but which are big hits and longtime favorites from the ’60s to the ’80s. Lots of ‘oh wows’: “Poetry Man” by Phoebe Snow, “You Are Everything” by the Stylistics, “Sideshow” by Blue Magic, “Up the Ladder to the Roof” by the Supremes, “Midnight at the Oasis” by Maria Muldaur, and “Pretty Ballerina” by the Left Banke.

“Both formats are heavily researched, with certifiable hit music. Your station will have a tremendous branding opportunity. Great formats for class A FMs and AMs with a translator. Both are available on a monthly cash basis. I can be reached here or at 731-437-0536.”

Listen to Classic Songs & Smooth Jazz below.

Listen to Classic Top 40 below.