What is 'radio-friendly'?

Kold

And why is it worse than sticking knitting needles in my ears?

"I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh, I'm a heart breakuh" times infinity.

Now the Black Eyed Peas are not alone in this clusterf*ck of offensive noise; Amy Winehouse, NeYo, whatever is in the charts these days. I just want to know why the f*ck radios play this tripe ahead of all other music.

In Cork it's a f*cking diabolical situation, there's what? about 6 radio stns on the dial? Not one catering for alternative tastes. If I'm in a car, I'll most likely stick on Lyric FM as it's least likely to make me put my head through the window. I don't know what it's like in Dublin but in London, pirate stations are rife. Surely if the pirate stns are doing well that means there's a market for the music?

What puts the likes of KT Tunstall ahead of Thom Yorke when it comes to radio play? Yorke is a million times the musician she is. Why are people calling it innovative!?

I'm trying to think of what radio-friendly actually means and I'm finding it hard to find a common denominator. I'm also unsure as to why it causes such a pain in my head, does anyone else find this? I just cannot listen to 2FM, for some reason, the music they select is the perfect bastardisation, artificial sounding, overproduced boll*cks in the land. They just keep on mixing the same songs and melodies with the most vacuous lyrics.

Are these stations paid to play these songs? Some songs get a lot more airplay than others, is it sales determine radio play or vice versa? Before you say don't listen to the radio, well I don't but it's pretty hard to avoid sometimes. Walking to the shop, hearing some nasal bitch singing about being promiscuous, on the bus, hearing how some other slut uses her arse and tits to get Icys, whilst Kid Rock just rapes a classic.

So an unoriginal melody, put over one of about 3 drum beats, add in completely retarded and naive lyrics either about love or simply being too cool, or whoring yourself/others for money. Repeat yourself as much as possible whilst bastardising the English language. The next step is image, either where as little clothes as possible or get some fashion advice from a mental hospital (tie and baseball cap! Sunglasses you found in a happy meal!) This is my current understanding of the words 'radio-friendly'.


And yes I know this is an incohesive rant, that's how much that bloody Will.I.Am just riled me up.

Dudess

Don't forget "Let's break it down, let's break it down, let's break it down, let's break it down, let's break it down, let's break it down, let's break it down now, let's break it down now, let's break it down, let's break it down, let's break it down, let's break it down, let's break it down, let's break it break it down."

I have to say I think it's a pretty catchy tune but the inanity of the above... Maybe they could have sung a couple of "let's break it down"s and then left the rest of that middle 8 instrumental.

I don't know which came first, the chicken or the egg. Does radio feed its listeners bland tripe, or do radio sales people do studies into what will draw the most listeners? Whatever maximises profits, Kold. The more listeners, the more advertising and sponsorship revenue (that's all radio has) so it would appear the reason why daytime radio's output is what you described is... the most valuable demographic (20 to 45 I think) wants it. But a lot of people do seem to find mediocrity attractive.

Scubadevils

I never listen to the radio because there really is never anything I want to hear. The only show I used to tune into a few years ago was when Donal Dineen played I think on 2FM, I discovered a fair bit of music through his show... I assume the show is no more? This must be about 8 years ago now.

My wife would have the radio on a lot and likes the background sounds of 'popular music' - as does my 4 year old daughter, she even got a copy of Now 70 there last weekend!!! She refers to my music as 'Dada Music' :pac: Although she does like The Smiths, The Cure & The Mamas & The Papas too so on the right track too!

For me in the car or at home, it's CD's all the way!

Found the old Dineen show reference, it started in 1997 and was called 'Here Comes the Night'. I used to tune in after dropping my g/f (now wife, awww) to the bus stop!)

http://www.todayfm.com/Article.asp?id=18042

Miguel_Sanchez

Felixdhc wrote: »

I never listen to the radio because there really is never anything I want to hear. The only show I used to tune into a few years ago was when Donal Dineen played I think on 2FM, I discovered a fair bit of music through his show... I assume the show is no more? This must be about 8 years ago now.

Donal Dineen is still on Today FM - his show starts at midnight.

Scubadevils

Jeff_Lebowski wrote: »

Donal Dineen is still on Today FM - his show starts at midnight.

Yeah just saw that on the Today FM page, do you tune in? Worth a listen still I'm sure.

Delirium

I think it is music that won't challenge or possibly offend anyone for a start. They just play stuff harmless stuff or stuff obsessed with image.

Have only recently started listening to by choice again(at work doesn't count). Picked up a digital radio, mainly from its ipod connection. Anyways decided to have a look at the available rte stations. Found 2XM, while not mindblowing it does at least play some stuff I like more frequently. The other morning I heard Pink Floyd, Marilyn Manson and Morcheeba.

Things might look up if digital ever takes off. Supposedly, it could handle a greater number of stations.

KnifeWRENCH

Kold, I sympathise. But the reason there's so much shite on the radio is because they play what people buy, which iswhat's in the charts. Dance, rap and RnB music is so popular now it fills the airwaves, along with weak rock and bland singer songwriters. Some of it is absolutely dire (like Will.I.Am, Cascada, The Hoosiers).
I do like some chart music though - I like Amy Winehouse and Nelly Furtado. Unfortunaately, when listening to the radio, you have to take the bad with the good.

I have to strongly disagree with you here though:

Kold wrote: »

What puts the likes of KT Tunstall ahead of Thom Yorke when it comes to radio play? Yorke is a million times the musician she is. Why are people calling it innovative!?

While KT Tunstall isn't innovative and her music is sometimes a little repetitive, she does have some brilliant songs (Hold On, Other Side of The World, Black Horse & Cherry Tree)
I love her voice, and having read interviews with her she comes across extremely level headed. And she's funny aswell!
So I don't envy her success.
With that said, I love Radiohead and wish they had more airplay.

Kold wrote:

And yes I know this is an incohesive rant, that's how much that bloody Will.I.Am just riled me up.

Ah don't worry. Listening to that crap would rile me up aswell!!

Whispered

Nothing annoys me more than the same line sang over and over - even if it's an artist I like, it makes my teeth feel like I'm chewing cotton! I hate it! AARGH

Bubs101

Payola

Nailz

Radio is shìte nowadays, Phantom, atleast they give "Step On" a run every so offen...

Also;
"Good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good, Double-double good, Double-double good!!
Good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good, good, Double-double good, Double-double good!!"

dh2007

have to agree with everyone here - it's all down to trying to get as many listeners as possible and unfortunately the masses love pure tripe.

that said, radio stations will really only play songs that are between 3 snd a half/4 minutes long. I know there are plenty of alternative/indie stuff that would meet this criteria but it's definitely something else they look at.

Kold

As for non-offensive, I think some of the pop songs nowadays have the most offensive messages possible. I'm a fan of BIG but did anyone hear that Kelis remix with him sampled on it... It's 16 bars about hardcore f'cking. I don't know if it's the offensive factor, the Pussycat Dolls' very existence offends me. I think it might be presenting music as a product rather than art, I think that if you water genres down enough (á la R'n'B) it becomes easier to exploit and sell. R'n'B is atrocious, it's hard to tar an entire genre but I think any serious lyricist would consider themselves a soul singer. R'n'B is simply pop music that a black person was involved with.


I think that if a station were to present themselves as an actual alternative, they'd be incredibly popular. Some real hip hop, electronic, alternative shows. They could afford to be eclectic.

Dudess

Oh yeah, the Kelis thing:

I go, on and on and on and
Don't take them to the crib unless they bon'in
Easy, call em on the phone and
platinum Chanel cologne and
I stay, dressed, to impress
Spark these bitches interest
Sex is all I expect
If they watch TV in the Lex, they know
They know, quarter past fo'
Left the club tipsy, say no mo'
Except how I'm gettin home, tomorrow
Caesar drop you off when he see his P.O.(hey)
Back of my mind, I hope she swallow
Man She spilt a drink on my cream wallows
Reach the gate, hungry just ate
Riffin, she got to be to work by eight
This must mean she ain't tryin to wait
Conversate, sex on the first date I state "You know what you do to me"
She starts off, "Well I don't usually"
Then I, whip it out, rubber no doubt
Step out, show me what you all about
Fingers in your mouth, open up your blouse
Pull your G-string down South, aoowww
Threw that back out, in the parking lot
By a Cherokee and a green drop-top
And I don't stop, until I squirt
Jeans skirt butt-naked it all work

And yet, played on afternoon radio.

Xavi6

Ah radio. Haven't listened to it in about 6 years* and don't ever intend to again.

* except for a bit of Newstalk

humberklog

Nailz wrote: »

Radio is shìte nowadays, Phantom, atleast they give "Step On" a run every so offen...

Now as ever was. It was gank in the 70's, lazy in the 80's, irrelevant in the 90's and all three in the 00's. I don't get/understand the Happy's singling out here?
Commercial radio is just that...commerce. Put so many generally recognisable songs in, throw in a few products willing to pay for recognition...bob's your dodgy unckle. Simple maths made for the general public. They/we and even badgers don't like Speculative Quantum Mechanical Maths on a balance sheet. All's grand. But don't kid yourself there was a golden era as everybody's perception of their golden era slips off the slide rule and into the margins of someone elses twaddle catagory.
But interesting music can be found. I pick up some strange noises and experiments in sound coming from the ol' car wireless from about 11 in the evening onwards. Also I do think that some presenters are indeed lost in time slots that could do with some adjusting...Dineen as mentioned(very good show but midnight(ish onward) and John Kelly on lyric at 2ish to 5ish in the day and a very good station late in the very late evening is RnaGwailtach. So good sounds are there if you take a few cans of red-bull, jack in work and start speaking a funny sounding language. But new music/experimental music/old gems that are new to you/world music/other world music is probably more played on Irish radio now than it ever was previously.
Catching the Happymondays being played would probably irk me in the same way as catching Bruce Honsby and the range-The Way It Is or Cher's- I Believe. It would smack me as typical lazy retro fill and my knob would be duly adjusted, perhaps to innane satilite pips to ease the raging senses and to allow me to convince myself that I too once had a 'golden era' of radio but gladly I missed it. Or indeed the golden era gladly missed me. Therefore able to sneak under the bar of a jock that thinks he's doing something new by playing a 17year old track. "Call the Copssseh...phheeeww.pheeew".
Then, as now, commerce is better greased oily. Me... I like it in the sand pit hiding poo in the castle whilst dis-membering crabs and keeping an ear out for a good deal on Eircomphonewatch and bargain's in Harvey Norman's.
What's Radio Friendly? You can be, but like all friendships you gotta put some work in yourself.
P.S There are some quality Israeli and German stations available on digital playing a fantastic range of music. (IMO,ahem(especially for the IMOradaralarmists)).

tech77

As stated, anything that's:
bland, inoffensive, unchallenging, uninspired/ing, and appealing to the largest demographic- so basically anything that's mediocre or worse.

"Inoffensive" may not even be accurate- there's a lot of downright aurally offensive/annoying sh!te on the airways nowadays which makes you wonder- how the fcuk can people actually like this.

MarkN

Music on commercial radio is a science to an extent (apart from anything released in the last 12 months to present day), yes it's aimed at the biggest audience, but a lot of money is spent on music research. Radio in Ireland is HUGE - nobody else in Europe to the best of my knowledge has as much of the population listening to radio on a daily basis than Ireland does.

Nobody here is going to change how it works so best bet is to stock up on your CDs and MP3s if you're one of those types that has posted (nothing wrong with it I might add).

My second point is "payola" - bollcks. You actually couldn't be further from the truth and I'm a music programmer so I know what I'm on about when it comes to an accusation like that.

kerash

Have to say I don't listen to radio now half as much as I used to.
Day-time radio is a total disaster. I would give a listen to Tom Dunne and Donal Dineen and phantomfm now and again.
I think radio has definitely gone seriously down-hill in the past few years, particularly 2fm and todayfm.

Actually I really loved listening to radio at one time, Uaneen Fitzsimons (who sadly passed away in 2000) was a particular favourite of mine.

It is a pity the r&b pop trash has taken over and late-night radio has been replaced by re-runs of gerry ryan and co.

JerryHandbag

Donal Dineen and Tom Dunne are the last men standing as regards DJs who actually play decent music that doesnt conform to radio-friendly standards...have picked up on so many cool bands by listenin to their shows....oh and a mention as well for Anocht FM on RnaG, tuned in by accident one night and was pleasantly surprised! If you listen to Donal Dineen you'll like this show too.....its called An Taobh Tuathail (the other side)

'Ol Jack Chance

three words: theme time radio

9pm sunday nights on phantom. only time i listen to the radio as said above ad nausem too much pop

Over&Over

JerryHandbag wrote: »

Anocht FM on RnaG, tuned in by accident one night and was pleasantly surprised! If you listen to Donal Dineen you'll like this show too.....its called An Taobh Tuathail (the other side)

http://www.rte.ie/rnag/antaobhtuathail.html
http://www.psychonavigation.com/antaobhtuathail2.html