Music on the radio

estebancambias

In my opinion spin 103 and fm 104 are the worst radio stations ever. the song are always the same old crap, cascada wow, arctic monkeys yippy!!! the worst red hot chilli pepers song ever, weeeeeeee!!.

I dont know if you guys are fans of like blink 182 or plus 44 or angles and airwaves, or that kind of pop punk style, but like they never play any bands like this. Then I have to listen to Akon, give me a bit of NWA

Big Balls

estebancambias wrote:

plus 44 or angles and airwaves, or that kind of pop punk style, but like they never play any bands like this.

Most listeners to FM104, 98FM or Spin will have never even heard of your suggestions. How can a station have a healty listenership if they play songs which the majority of people have never heard of. When did Airwaves top the Top 40 charts?!

Think of Ryanair.

Then think of McDonalds.

Now think of of FM104 and Spin.

Get the gist?

They are formatted radio stations aiming at specific areas of the market. Believe it or not, most radio stations carry out focus group research as to what songs their audience like and don't, they don't just pick songs out of the air.

So out of 100 people in a room with you in there, you don't like the songs but 99 others probably will.

dulpit

it seems to me that th esongs that make up the charts are the songs that are played on the radio all bloody day on a loop... However, am i right in saying that the vast majority of people who purchase singles are in school during the middle of the day? so why don't the radio stations that don't have talk shows on in the day play some decent music, as opposed to the same drivel... The only decent music that seems to be played on radio is in the night, which kinda sucks seen as how i listen to the radio at work all day...

The Muppet

estebancambias wrote:

Then I have to listen to Akon, give me a bit of NWA

Maybe they want to hold onto their license listeners and advertisers . Think I'd prefer Akon than NWA TBH. Tough call though

jb91

Tune in to Phantom or get an iPod :rolleyes:

Big Balls

Phantom is of course there but you have to ask yourself...

Why do the stations that play chart and the usual have THOUSANDS more listeners tuning in compared to Phantom which plays 'decent' music??

catch--22

Big Balls wrote:

Phantom is of course there but you have to ask yourself...

Why do the stations that play chart and the usual have THOUSANDS more listeners tuning in compared to Phantom which plays 'decent' music??

'Cause Phantom is a new station and only getting it's foothold in the marketplace?

Max_Damage

As bad as FM104 is, they do play the occasional (and I must emphasie that word) good song out of the blue, some that I've heard were Ram Jam's Black Betty, Blues Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and I've heard them play Metallica before too, among others.

Big Balls

catch--22 wrote:

'Cause Phantom is a new station and only getting it's foothold in the marketplace?

Ha! If only.. Phantom will end up with 1 or 2% market share for Dublin. Spin have been on air 5 years and they can't get anywhere near 104 or 98 so for a station playing rock music in an even further congested radio band it will only be harder.

It just goes to show, playing music that a minority likes (Phantom) compared to chart songs which the majority like (98/104) is never going to win.

I am by no means dissing Phantom as a station by the way, just pointing out facts about music and the appeal of it to get you the biggest listenership.

FlutterinBantam

Recent market research has revealed,I'm told, that the majority of the ABC listenership gravitates towards the more middle of the road stations .

Periphoral listening is then left to the niche and specialised stations.
The spending and earning power of those"crusties" is of such little importance to the advertising market that ad. revenue is difficult to attract and the station finds it difficult to expand its market share.

I read recently in a trade paper that that the main players in this market tend to ignore those stations outside the big 5 and basically concentrat their efforts on those with "earning power" listenership.

This is a pity as there are some quite good alternative stations out there,but as far as the movers and shakers are concerned, only duffle coat wearers and impoverished revolutionaries in damp bedsits listen to them.

More's the pity.

catch--22

Big Balls wrote:

Ha! If only.. Phantom will end up with 1 or 2% market share for Dublin. Spin have been on air 5 years and they can't get anywhere near 104 or 98 so for a station playing rock music in an even further congested radio band it will only be harder.

It just goes to show, playing music that a minority likes (Phantom) compared to chart songs which the majority like (98/104) is never going to win.

I am by no means dissing Phantom as a station by the way, just pointing out facts about music and the appeal of it to get you the biggest listenership.

You have to understand though that Phantom is NOT trying to compete with the likes of 98/104. It's going for a different audience...a niche audience...a majority of which don't even listen to radio normally because they don't want to hear the latest single from Take That, a 'classic' from Celine Dion and an 'oldie' by the Pretenders before they can hear the new single from the White Stripes or the Immediate. Phantom is trying to get these people listening as well as steal some of the other stations market. Phantom would be very happy with 2% of the market in their first year.

David O'Keeffe

Absoutely correct, as Phantom have said for years, "a niche audience".

As for those who want to hear stuff like +44 and pop-punk styles, I recommend Neill Austin on Phantom. He's a very friendly guy and knows his music. His show, Monday-Friday, 1200 - 1400 on Phantom, plays that sort of stuff. I'm loving that show, and I've heard Blink182, NOFX to name but a few. Check it out, plus he gives out a surf report and a chance to win lunch! Yay!

eric the head

David O'Keeffe wrote:

Absoutely correct, as Phantom have said for years, "a niche audience".

As for those who want to hear stuff like +44 and pop-punk styles, I recommend Neill Austin on Phantom. He's a very friendly guy and knows his music. His show, Monday-Friday, 1200 - 1400 on Phantom, plays that sort of stuff. I'm loving that show, and I've heard Blink182, NOFX to name but a few. Check it out, plus he gives out a surf report and a chance to win lunch! Yay!

i like Phantom a lot. But i certainly would not choose Neill Austin as a recommendation. He's very poor. no personality. i'd also question his knowledge of music

Big Tone

Its the ad agencies that tell the stations what to play if they want their business, that's it in a nutshell. And if listeners in research surveys repeat back the music stations keep playing ie "Whats your favourite Van Morrisson song?" the first song that comes to mind "Brown eyed girl" thats because listeners are brain-washed by said station who have "Brown eyed girl" on regular rotation!

Big Balls

Big Tone wrote:

Its the ad agencies that tell the stations what to play if they want their business, that's it in a nutshell.

What a load of complete bull. :rolleyes:

First of all, most agencies can't get air time on stations as they're booked solid so they're not in any upper hand situation and secondly, the notion that some 24 year old working for 25 grand a year in Carat tells PDs what to play on THEIR stations is just laughable.

When is school back? 1st Sept?

Culture2007

Big Tone wrote:

Its the ad agencies that tell the stations what to play if they want their business, that's it in a nutshell.

Can you explain a bit more what you mean here Big Tone? Can you give an example where an ad agency has refused to spend money with a radio station unless a specific song is played?

The only connection between an ad agency and a station's playlist, is where they use a certain track in a tv or radio ad, leading to the song becoming popular and getting requested by listeners. But the playing of this song would be down to listeners or station staff deciding the song gets played, not by an ad agency.

JC 2K3

I think Big Tone may be referring to the fact that certain record labels pay stations to play songs by bands on the label.

Big Tone

Big Balls wrote:

What a load of complete bull. :rolleyes:

First of all, most agencies can't get air time on stations as they're booked solid so they're not in any upper hand situation and secondly, the notion that some 24 year old working for 25 grand a year in Carat tells PDs what to play on THEIR stations is just laughable.

When is school back? 1st Sept?

Dont condescend me man. I have information which is solid and points to the contrary, so you see my dear I have a rather unique perspective.

Culture2007

JC 2K3 wrote:

I think Big Tone may be referring to the fact that certain record labels pay stations to play songs by bands on the label.

Well if that's the case then he should have stated record label rather than "ad agencies". There is a big difference between the two.

Big Tone wrote:

Dont condescend me man. I have information which is solid and points to the contrary, so you see my dear I have a rather unique perspective.

Big Tone, It's very easy to come on here and make accusations against radio stations, but unless you're prepared to back up your claims with facts, it gives little weight to your post.

Rather than boast about your "information and unique perspective", you might be better giving us a bit more factual information.

petals

I like Spin...
And I thought the whole idea of these stations be they Spin, 98, fm104 whatever was to play what the listener requests.. If the listener requests crap songs it's their fault not the stations

Big Balls

Big Tone wrote:

Dont condescend me man. I have information which is solid and points to the contrary, so you see my dear I have a rather unique perspective.

Then don't post bull.

"I have information which is solid" Will you go and get a grip, I've been working in radio since you were shi77ing yellow and believe me, ad agencies have no input whatsoever into what a radio station plays. If you want to believe you own bull then that's fine but don't expect to make stuff up like that and not have someone who actually has a job in radio to tear your rubbish to shreads.

As for the record companies, they don't PAY radio stations anything (that would actually be completely illegal) they might bring a PD for the odd dinner or send him a bottle of wine at Christmas but I don't know any company operating in any industry that doesn't sweeten their clients from time to time.

I dunno what's more worrying but the fact that you two actually believe your stories is quite frightening.

Slicklink

Ad agencies do not dicate what gets played. To come out with a statement to the contrary, proves one thing, you dont work in the industry.

Radio stations play to their targetted audience. The advertising agencies place adverts on the appropriate station to suit their clients target market. Thats how simple it is. The agencies obviously pick from each licensed formatted station. The formats are as follows.

FM104
Target Audience: 15-34 year olds
Programme Format/Style: Hot Adult contemporary

98fm
Target Audience: 25 - 44 year olds
Programme Format/Style: Adult contemporary music mix, best of the 80's, 90's and now

Spin
Target Audience: 15 - 34 year olds
Programme Format/Style: Hot Urban Contemporary

Re rotation of songs. Radio stations constantly test song performance through audience reasearch.

JC 2K3

Big Balls wrote:

As for the record companies, they don't PAY radio stations anything (that would actually be completely illegal) they might bring a PD for the odd dinner or send him a bottle of wine at Christmas but I don't know any company operating in any industry that doesn't sweeten their clients from time to time.

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/sony_music_-_first_class_cheaters.html

No, it's not direct payment, but it's effectively the same thing. A lot more than the "odd dinner" or bottle of wine.

Big Balls

JC 2K3 wrote:

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/sony_music_-_first_class_cheaters.html

No, it's not direct payment, but it's effectively the same thing. A lot more than the "odd dinner" or bottle of wine.

Well the most I ever got was a bottle of whiskey so I guess it must be all over Ireland then.. or maybe not.

JC, trust me on this, it does not happen like that article (for America) makes out. I wish it did!!

Culture2007

JC 2K3 wrote:

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/sony_music_-_first_class_cheaters.html

No, it's not direct payment, but it's effectively the same thing. A lot more than the "odd dinner" or bottle of wine.

A commercial music station goes to great lengths to ensure it's playing music suited to it's audience. If a programmer decides to put the interests of a record label before the listeners then they are risking a lot.

Big Balls wrote:

they might bring a PD for the odd dinner or send him a bottle of wine at Christmas but I don't know any company operating in any industry that doesn't sweeten their clients from time to time.
.

A lot of companies have strict policies in place regarding the acceptance of gifts from suppliers/contractors/clients. Some companies allow gifts to the value of eg. €50. I suppose the question needs to be asked, at what point do you draw the line between gifts and bribes?

Liam Byrne

Culture2007 wrote:

I suppose the question needs to be asked, at what point do you draw the line between gifts and bribes?

Since even Bertie and Judge Mahon can't agree on the answer to that, what hope is there for us mere mortals ?

I've no real complaints about the music content on FM104 but I find it unlistenable because they play most, if not all, songs at a higher pitch than normal. This means that when you listen to the same music on CD or another station it sounds "slow," even though it's actually correct. I know 95FM in Limerick do the same, as did Atlantic 252 in their time. But I bet most people don't even notice.