First Listen: Phoebe.FM

Two and a half years ago, the demo for Futuri’s RadioGPT galvanized an industry, launching a debate about the ethics and value of AI “jocks” but also prompting a rush by many broadcasters to show that they could embrace new technology.

In that time, Futuri has rebranded its product as AudioAI, and while AI tools for broadcasters have multiplied exponentially, it felt like the emphasis had moved to back-end uses and away from using AI for on-air hosting, particularly after its initial clunkiness. The last time we reported on two AI experiments in morning drive and overnights, content breaks were often wooden, with the feel of a high-school book report delivered awkwardly.

That discussion was reignited on October 15 when former AllAccess.com publisher Joel Denver and audio industry veteran Mike Agovino unveiled SonicTrek.ai, a suite of AI-driven syndicated formats utilizing veteran programmer Brian Kelly (Classic Hits), Lee Abrams (Classic Rock), Charlie Cook (Country) and Dennis Constantine, whose “Curiously Alternative” Phoebe.FM is the first format streaming in real-time.

Like RadioGPT, SonicTrek.ai draws on Futuri’s TopicPulse content generator, but builds it into a more turnkey format, as opposed to something requiring the attention of a creative team at each station. Futuri immediately contended that AI jocking was a tool not for replacing existing local jocks, but for already jockless or badly voice-tracked hours. 

Phoebe adds this wrinkle—if you’re already running a jockless format built around a character—a Jack- or Hank- or Alice-FM—what if that character could DJ as well? Can the character “write for themselves”? Can AI be as funny as your creative director? Being a real/not real character allows the format to be transparent—one liner declares the theoretical KPBE to be “powered by AI, made for Washington, D.C.” (a market where both Denver and Constantine have history.)

In the 30 years since KALC (Alice 105.9) Denver gave not just a name but a stationality to Modern AC outlets (not to mention the subsequent wave of Adult Hits stations), branding has changed not just for Hot AC stations but for Mainstream ACs. Even on the latter stations, the imaging is now often attitudinal and slice-of-life oriented, not just “the best variety of yesterday and today.” Alice’s imaging was influenced by the offhand feel of Alternative radio in the ‘90s, so hearing it on Constantine’s Alt format brings it first circle.

As heard on “KPBE Washington, D.C.”—a market where both Denver and Constantine have history—“Phoebe” delivers attitude liners and vignettes (“my goal today was to blow off the gym; it was easier than I thought”). But “Phoebe” also hosts—commenting and sometimes goofing on the music, sharing a community calendar and local weather and infusing station business overall with a similar attitude. 

In the hour of Phoebe FM I heard, I didn’t encounter any content breaks of the “a new study from Norwegian scientists…” variety, which meant I didn’t hear any “book report” breaks. Most of what I heard was to riff on weather, PSAs, etc. – sometimes funny, sometimes random. However you feel about AI hosting, “Phoebe” sounded more fluid than what I was writing about a year ago.  

Here’s Phoebe FM at 1:40, October 15:

• Phoenix, “1901”
• Rancid, “Time Bomb”
• INXS, “Need You Tonight”
• Coldplay, “The Scientist”
• Lemonheads, “Mrs. Robinson”
• Twenty One Pilots, “Stressed Out”
• Blue October, “Into the Ocean”
• Sublime, “What I Got”
• Cult, “She Sells Sanctuary”
• Kings of Leon, “Sex on Fire”
• Sneaker Pimps, “6 Underground”
• Myles Smith, “Nice to Meet You”
• Dire Straits, “Walk of Life”
• Lisa Loeb, “Stay (I Missed You)”
• Hoobastank, “The Reason”