Radio needs a “new fall season.” Radio needs to do a better job of creating stations that can be streaming destinations—national tentpoles that satisfy needs not always met on the local level. Fortunately, while the “Ross on Radio” column was in the last weeks of summer vacation schedule, a number of new (or revamped) choices popped up that fit that description. Then a listener sent in a suggestion as well. Here’s some new listening for fall.

WMYX-HD-2 (Me-TV-FM) Milwaukee

WRME-LP Chicago, the station that just scored a 3.8 in the August Nielsen PPM ratings with its mix of soft AC and oldies doesn’t stream. But for about a month, it’s been possible to hear its now-syndicated format on the HD-2 channel of WMYX Milwaukee. As best I’ve been able to determine, the music parallels the Chicago log with local sweepers and (mostly national) adverts. It’s a smart move for Radio.com to have a unique format available. And if the Me-TV network is promoting the worldwide availability of the format as aggressively as they promote the Chicago frequency, it’s a really good move for Radio.com.

Here’s Me-TV-FM, as heard via Milwaukee, around 7 p.m., September 4:

• Righteous Brothers, “(You’re My) Soul And Inspiration”
• Chris Rea, “Fool (If You Think It’s Over)”
• Dusty Springfield, “The Look Of Love”
• Bill Withers, “Lovely Day”
• Dan Fogelberg, “Lonely In Love”
• Blues Image, “Ride Captain Ride”
• Captain & Tennille, “You Never Done It Like That”
• Billy Joe Royal, “Down in the Boondocks”
• Jack Jones, “Wives and Lovers”
• Young Rascals, “Groovin’”
• Doobie Brothers, “What A Fool Believes”
• Glenn Yarborough, “Baby the Rain Must Fall”
• Judy Collins, “Someday Soon”

KROQ-HD-2 (Rock of the ‘80s) Los Angeles

They never went away, but Alternative KROQ Los Angeles’ HD-2 channel focusing on the first generation of its music was relaunched after Labor Day under former KROQ OM Gene Sandbloom and featuring personalities Freddy Snakeskin and Tami Heide. Again, the intent seems to be a clever beachhead for Radio.com; (the station is ID’ed as “Rock of the ‘80s on Radio.com). But they’ve started with a Top 500 countdown, meaning that you’ll get plenty of local flavor: Oingo Boingo songs that aren’t “Dead Man’s Party” and Dramarama songs that aren’t “Anything Anything.” (And even those are bigger in Southern California than elsewhere.)

Since the station was still in its countdown at press time, here’s a stretch of the station between No. 360 and No. 348:

• Cars. “Just What I Needed”
• Dramarama, “What Are We Gonna Do”
• Suburban Lawns, “Gidget Goes to Hell”
• David Bowie, “Modern Love”
• Material Issue, “Valerie Loves Me”
• General Public, “Hot You’re Cool”
• Thompson Twins, “Lay Your Hands On Me”
• Killing Joke, “Eighties”
• XTC. “Making Plans for Nigel”
• Martin Gore, “Compulsion”
• Plimsouls, “Zero Hour”
• Billy Idol, “Flesh for Fantasy”
• Buggles, “Video Killed the Radio Star”

Big 8 Radio

Charlie O’Brien was a jock on the legendary CKLW Detroit through its last days in 1982-83 as a CHR station. He was the keeper of the flame at sister CKWW (AM 580), which did a remarkable job of preserving the legacy. His latest “post-retirement” venture is Big8Radio. The music range is ‘50s through 1979. The library is around 3,500 songs. The station isn’t jocked, like AM580 was, but there are a lot of promos with cameo appearances from Big 8 veterans, as well as occasional airchecks of the station in its glory days.  (There is not, if you’re wondering, 35% Cancon.) The eras and feel are slightly different, but those mourning the loss of Howard Hoffman’s Great Big Radio should definitely hear the new station.

Here’s an hour of Big 8 Radio on the evening of August 15, beginning with a Detroit classic:

• Superlatives, “(I Don’t Know How To Say I Love You) Don’t Walk Away”
• Bee Gees, “Massachusetts”
• Stevie Wonder, “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing”
• Jackson 5, “Sugar Daddy” (staged as “another Motown treasure”)
• Elvis Presley, “Can’t Help Falling In Love”
• Peaches & Herb, “Let’s Fall In Love”
• Styx, “Lady”
• Beatles, “Ticket to Ride”
• Otis Redding, “(Sittin’ On The) Dock of the Bay”
• Paul Simon, “Still Crazy After All These Years”
• Friend & Lover, “Reach Out In The Darkness”
• CKLW Aircheck 1967
• Three Dog Night, “Liar”
• Dion, “Runaround Sue”
• O’Jays, “I Love Music”

Clubsteppin’ 95.1 (WLEY-HD-2) Chicago

Even before R. Kelly’s “Step in the Name of Love,” the steppers’ scene had spread beyond Chicago—based in lightweight medium-tempo R&B which served a similar function to the Beach Music scene in the Carolinas or the “Low Rider Gold” of the Southwest. The steppers’ canon includes songs that go back three generations, but continues to grow and evolve.  Market veteran Lamont Watts’ found a niche more than a decade ago with Clubsteppin.com. Now his station is on two FM translators on 95.1 FM, fed by WLEY-HD2, a smart-move in a market where stations steppers’ music can neither be superserved nor ignored by Urban AC WVAZ (V103).

This is Clubsteppin’ in the 5 a.m. hour of September 5, when it was running a mix from “Mr. A.” On most stations, I’d take the monitor from elsewhere, but this station is all about the mixes, and you’ll definitely get a sense of the breadth and depth of steppers’ cuts in Chicago.

• Stylistics, “Peek-A-Boo” (they have several major songs in the steppers’ world and none of them are the songs known to pop listeners from their early ‘70s run)
• Toni Braxton, “Long As I Live” (her recent Urban AC hit, one of the biggest pure UAC hits in a while, actually bookended the mix, playing again about five songs later)
• Marvin Gaye, “I Want You” (heavily mixed/remixed)
• John Legend f/Ludacris, “Tonight (Best You Ever Had)”
• Ryan Leslie, “Rescue You”
• Babyface, “Grown and Sexy” (followed by Toni again, then)
• Jermaine Jackson, “You Like Me Don’t You”
• Marzette Griffith, “Nothing But A Party”
• Jackson 5, “ABC” (also heavily mixed/remixed)
• Tavares, “Never Had A Love Like This Before”

Sunshine Radio, Paphos Cyprus

The tip came from Ross On Radio reader Eric Fliegel who heard Sunshine Radio 95.8 while travelling in Cyprus. “I have never heard a station with such variety,” Fliegel wrote. Typical of a smaller-market European station that has to represent all of English-language music to locals and visitors, Sunshine intersperses actual currents with its Classic Hits. And if your frame of reference is the American format’s safe-list, you’ll definitely hear songs you don’t know, even if most of them would be on a U.K. safe list. (I can’t vouch for “Propaganda,” a U.K. hit that didn’t even make the KROQ countdown, but most would be safe calls somewhere.)

Here’s Sunshine Radio around 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 5. You can also check out Fliegel’s HitBound Radio, specializing in new CHR hits, here.

• Ella Mai, “Boo’d Up”
• R.E.M., “Losing My Religion”
• Starship, “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”
• Boney M, “Rasputin”
• Propaganda, “Duel”
• Magic!, “Rude”
• Michael Jackson, “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”
• David Bowie, “Starman”
• Madonna, “Cherish”
• Beatles, “Something”
• Elton John, “Are You Ready for Love”
• Billy Joel, “It’s Still Rock & Roll”

[nbox type=”warning”] Ross on Radio readers: Click here to read Sean’s First Listen of Austin City Limits Radio[/nbox]