Do music shows need hosts?

mike65

Just a though prompted by a thread elsewhere, if the show in question is in essence nothing but music does a DJ or (for those in teh posh seats) a presenter add anything?

If one is needed in your opinion should the host be as unobtrusive as possible (name, rank, number) or should he/she be let loose to riff about the music until they've exausted every possible cultural/social/musical linkage?

I'd say for a bog-standard "Friday Night 80s" type show no-one is required frankly, for afternoon delight some chatter would work but in a Ronan Collins fashion (I'm not a great fan but he tends to be efficent in his use of knowledge). For genre-specific/minority interest shows then a bit of showboating is probably to be encouraged assuming the host is expert enough to know they are on about and communicate in an absorbing style.

Firetrap

I like my music shows to have a host. I think I might be biased because I'm old enough to remember the pirates. They used to just have a tape machine or something just playing songs in the dead of night. There was something empty about that - it was as if everyone in the station had gone home and had left the music playing til someone opened the place up at 6 or 7. It's nice to have a personal touch.

Having said that, I think some DJs do talk too much. I don't mind general chatter but I've had it up to here with plugging of Bebo pages and pop gossip.

yoshytoshy

On chart music radio stations ,don't see the point really. Someones personality or taste only comes through in music ,when theres a wide range of music played.

deadhead13

I vaguely remember during a RTE strike, back in the day, 2fm played wall to wall music. Ratings either stayed the same or increased slightly. But unlike today, there wasn't much competition.

I rarely listen to music radio these days - when I do the music determines the radio station, the dj hardly registers unless they are particularly irritating.

Liam Byrne

Radio isn't radio without a host. If I want music-only, there's a lot better stuff on my computer & mp3 player than is on your average radio playlist.

Late-night listening in Ireland is an example - given that no station has overnight presenters, it just seems lonesome, empty and pointless. Voice-tracking has the same issue : no interaction (and I mean decent interaction, not the average brain-dead crap that comes in to the 2 Ray's) makes it even more lonesome.

Ironic that the old pirates run on a shoestring used to have live overnights, while today's "localised monopolies" don't.

GSF

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Ironic that the old pirates run on a shoestring used to have live overnights, while today's "localised monopolies" don't.

FM104 & Q102 in Dublin are live overnight. The should network Q102 overnight to the other UTV stations but ComReg would never allow it unfortunately.

connundrum

I mooted the idea here before of having a Bubble Hits type radio station - no presenter, only music and adverts (unfortunately).

The BCI would never go for it, but it doesn't mean it wouldn't work.

I used to enjoy comments from hosts but now all I hear is the same four or five things over and over again.

• Log onto our website
• Check out our bebo page
• Text us on....
• Enter our competition...

Radio stations in Dublin have actually forced me to go out and buy CD's to get my music fix whilst driving (couldn't be arsed hooking up the ipod to the aux for the moment).

Edit - that said, it doesn't seem like the Bubble Hits idea took off in the televised format.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2009/0214/1233867936936.html

Sputnik101

Music shows dfinately need hosts. Radio for most is about company if you just wanted to listen to one song after another you could turn on a cd or ipod or something like that. Presenters make it more entertaining

thecountessp

If radio shows don't have hosts (with their style of presentation suited to time of broadcasts/style of music etc., of course) it becomes a carefully stocked jukebox, like a lot of American autopilot stations that I heard while there on holiday.

If you were just playing chart, you could get away with it, but otherwise you need the interaction, and of course the names of the artists and songs!

I get the impression that a lot of what the BCI looks for in a station is their uniqueness and ability to serve an audience adequately; you'd be making your audience feel like they were listening to an MP3 player without the voice.

dulpit

Hmm... I remember when i used to work in a shop we used have the radio on today fm (i think) on saturday nights, they used have the carwash or something, old school songs and such, with no presenters, and even though the music was alright, the show sucked...

TBH I found it weird, i much prefer having a presenter, even if they only butt in every 3rd/4th/5th song, whatever... But no presenter at all always strikes me as eerie...

Wertz

They definitely need hosts, just to break up the flow of music which can get monotonous.
The only music shows I listen to on the radio anymore are Pete Tong, Annie Mac and Hugh Stevens, maybe sometimes Zane Lowe....these guys all play relatively new and unheard music, in the case of Tong, it's dance music which actually suits a continuous mix and lack of intermission better than the traditional link/song/link/song format, but I'd hate to have to listen to the show without the voice of Tong telling us what the tracks are, who's playing where and all the other banter.
As alluded to above, it's the incessant branidead chatter favoured by daytime commerical radio that grates on the nerves (BBC R1 is no saint in this regard either; it's not just the Irish stations), not well presented and targetted music shows which I believe still serve a huge purpose in terms of exposing new acts and genres and putting new music out there for people, even in this age of internet exposure.
So yes, radio shows need a host...but that host needs to know their place and realise that the show is about the music and not about them, their worldview or their social network page...

Elmo

After listening to Pop Radio for the past month during the day I have noticed that they really don't need a host. Why? Because they all have the same set list. Currently The Killers Dancer, Lady GA GA Pokerface, Lady GA GA Just Dance, Katy Perry Hot and Cold and the Token Irish group of the year The Blizzards every 2nd day with Trust me I am a doctor.

With respect to 2FM and Today FM they actually have a much better section of music, unlike their rivals in 104, 98 and Spin whom could all be run from the same radio centre saving them money in these recession times. The BCI should just let communicorp run each of them. Is spin south west any different for that matter is beat any different?

roseyredcheeks

Music shows sould only have hosts if they are control freaks who wreck the show by talking for 5 mins between every song, ur job is the play the songs and introduce them anything more then that isnt a music show its a talk show. I dnt turn on the radio at night anymore becasue i cant find any1 that plays decent music without yaping on all night.

MaltHouse Mouse

Elmo wrote: »

After listening to Pop Radio for the past month during the day I have noticed that they really don't need a host. Why? Because they all have the same set list. Currently The Killers Dancer, Lady GA GA Pokerface, Lady GA GA Just Dance, Katy Perry Hot and Cold and the Token Irish group of the year The Blizzards every 2nd day with Trust me I am a doctor.

With respect to 2FM and Today FM they actually have a much better section of music, unlike their rivals in 104, 98 and Spin whom could all be run from the same radio centre

Elmo, I think you will find that this thread is about having a presenter or not on a show and not what type of music certain stations play.

As for 'all having the same set', well, the songs mentioned above are all current chart songs. If that's what your target audience is, why would you go off the beaten track and take the risk of losing some of that target audience?

You also have to remember that 2fm and Today are nationals, compared to the others who strive for the number one position in the already saturated Dublin market.

Personally speaking, I would rather listen to a presenter. If I want B2B music, then it's an ipod job!!

Elmo

MaltHouse Mouse wrote: »

Elmo, I think you will find that this thread is about having a presenter or not on a show and not what type of music certain stations play.

As for 'all having the same set', well, the songs mentioned above are all current chart songs. If that's what your target audience is, why would you go off the beaten track and take the risk of losing some of that target audience?

You also have to remember that 2fm and Today are nationals, compared to the others who strive for the number one position in the already saturated Dublin market.

Personally speaking, I would rather listen to a presenter. If I want B2B music, then it's an ipod job!!

I am just pointing out that presenters who insisting on playing 'the same set' well they may as well just not bother presenting as it shows nothing of their personality or taste in music.

why would you go off the beaten track and take the risk of losing some of that target audience?

To let them try something new and different, not to threat your "target" audience like fools. Anyway 2fm and Today fm don't go that of the beaten track they just happen to play a wider range of popular music. I mean playing the same 5 songs over and over again is just plain pointless espically on 3 stations. It does nothing for choice.

humberklog

Elmo wrote: »

I am just pointing out that presenters who insisting on playing 'the same set' well they may as well just not bother presenting as it shows nothing of their personality or taste in music.

It would sound even more annoying just having a set list (up-dated bi-weekly let's say) played in a loop. I don't think those station are looking to be branded as musically adventurous though. They need the presenters to break up the music and push out the ads.

You can't beat a decent presenter introducing and playing tunes. The likes of John Kelly, Donal Doneen and any of the musical presenters on Radio na Life add a lot to the show with their flare and interest in what they do.
Jazzfm a few year ago seamed to have a very hands-off approach to presenting. Play 3 songs (with a gap between each song) then the smallest touch of talking worked well for them. Well...maybe not as their no longer around. But I liked it.

Elmo

humberklog wrote: »

It would sound even more annoying just having a set list (up-dated bi-weekly let's say) played in a loop. I don't think those station are looking to be branded as musically adventurous though. They need the presenters to break up the music and push out the ads.

Sure would they be intersected by adverts 8 20 20 20 :mad:

MaltHouse Mouse

Elmo wrote: »

I am just pointing out that presenters who insisting on playing 'the same set' well they may as well just not bother presenting as it shows nothing of their personality or taste in music.

why would you go off the beaten track and take the risk of losing some of that target audience?

To let them try something new and different, not to threat your "target" audience like fools. Anyway 2fm and Today fm don't go that of the beaten track they just happen to play a wider range of popular music. I mean playing the same 5 songs over and over again is just plain pointless espically on 3 stations. It does nothing for choice.

And that is why station's have specialist shows. I don't think you are getting the full picture here Elmo, you do not seem to realise that commercial stations run from a playlist, it is not up to the presenter to pick and choose what they play, unless, as already mentioned, it is in fact a specialist show. The industry doesn't work like that, were you get to walk into a commercial station and tell the music director that you want to play this, that and the other! LMAO!!

And in relation to music reflecting a presenter's personality or taste in music, who is not to say that a presenter would be having a sh*t day and decide that all they wanted to hear would be the likes of 'suicide is painless' or something in that genre. It's not about playing what the presenter might like or not, the wider picture is about your audience and as always... You can't please all the people all the time!

Sure would they be intersected by adverts 8 20 20 20

I think you will find that advertising pays the bills, as does sponsorship. And I assume that by the quote above that you are refering to 104... Which may I remind you have been top of the Dublin market for how many years now??!!!:rolleyes:

It would seem to me that you have very little knowledge of how legal radio actually works. It's not like a "Tomy - My First Radio Station" set... You don't get to call the shot's. That is what the bosses are for!

Elmo

MaltHouse Mouse AFAIK Spin FM was licenced to be a Dance Music station do you think it is a Dance Music station.

Spin FM and Dublin's 98 (both owned by Communicorp) are chasing after the same audience. Today FM (Communicorp other National Service) a commercial service seems to be able to play a few other track then just the Top 5 Chart Hits every hour on the hour.

It is up to the BCI to regulate these guys and that includes the music that they play, you seem to think that the audience is brain dead and unable to think to themselves that the Top 5 Hit get boring after the first 2 hours on the air.

Spin FM, 98 and FM104 all play to the same large audience which near consitutes 50% of the national audience.

And in relation to music reflecting a presenter's personality or taste in music, who is not to say that a presenter would be having a sh*t day and decide that all they wanted to hear would be the likes of 'suicide is painless' or something in that genre. It's not about playing what the presenter might like or not, the wider picture is about your audience and as always... You can't please all the people all the time!

If they are professionals they don't let their personal life dictate what they do on their shows i.e. The show must go on.

I think you will find that advertising pays the bills, as does sponsorship. And I assume that by the quote above that you are refering to 104... Which may I remind you have been top of the Dublin market for how many years now

I think it is 98 but then both stations are so alike how could I possible know, It is an add for a taxi company :rolleyes: which plays every break and is high annoying, but I suppose that I now know a number of a taxi firm (I won't be calling them).

It would seem to me that you have very little knowledge of how legal radio actually works. It's not like a "Tomy - My First Radio Station" set... You don't get to call the shot's. That is what the bosses are for!

Cash Cows, paper to print money on, I know well the Irish Broadcasting Regulatory System. Lack of Choice, No risk takers.

the music director that you want to play this, that and the other!

I am not suggesting this I am suggesting that the Music Director employee good DJ that know what good music is in the Genre that the Radio station is aim at, i.e. Dance DJ's for Spin FM.

greenkittie

Hey,
Just thought i would post on this as I am getting sick to the teeth with radio presenters not know when to shut up! I live in the north and as a result have 2 radio stations I can listen to which play modern music; either cool fm or radio 1. Radio 1 is just turning into one big long show where the presenters talk about nothing but themselves or what its like to be a radio dj, how exactly is that supposed to interest your everyday average joe who has nothing to do with the radio? Playing one Lady Gaga song then chatting for 20 mins about yourself kinda destroys the whole concept of a music station. The only time i really see talking on a music show as a reasonable idea is on a show which plays new or different music that listeners are unlikely to have heard and even then all I want to know is song name and artist and maybe an interesting titbit about it if there is one.
I would love even to have the option to be able to access to a station where I wouldn't have to listen to someone talking. I'd put money on a pure music station being very successful.

Fuzzy Clam

Elmo wrote: »

MaltHouse Mouse AFAIK Spin FM was licenced to be a Dance Music station do you think it is a Dance Music station.

Spin is NOT a dance music station, nor is it licenced to be one.

Elmo

Fuzzy Clam wrote: »

Spin is NOT a dance music station, nor is it licenced to be one.

AFAIK when they orginally got the licence it was for a Dance Music Service for the 15 - 33 yo age group.

But you are right Spin is NOT a dance music station.

According to the BCI it is a "Hot Urban Contemporary" Service. This suggests a more R&B theme.

Fuzzy Clam

Elmo wrote: »

AFAIK when they orginally got the licence it was for a Dance Music Service for the 15 - 33 yo age group.

But you are right Spin is NOT a dance music station.

According to the BCI it is a "Hot Urban Contemporary" Service. This suggests a more R&B theme.

Which part of "nor is it licenced to be" do you not understand?

They did not get a licence for a dance music service.

If you really do believe that they did, then report the station to the BCI for breach of contract.

Elmo

Last word on this but if you want to get out their license for me I would be happy to read through its initial plan. Having looked at many of the news reports from the time it leads me to believe that the license was to be a Dance Service for the youth market.

Now if you want to go back to the topic or FOI the BCI for their license application go ahead.

MaltHouse Mouse

Elmo wrote: »

Last word on this but if you want to get out their license for me I would be happy to read through its initial plan. Having looked at many of the news reports from the time it leads me to believe that the license was to be a Dance Service for the youth market.

Now if you want to go back to the topic or FOI the BCI for their license application go ahead.

FFS... You really don't get it do you?? Spin was awarded the Youth Licence... NOT a dance licence of any sort. Maybe you should be the one to take another read of the terms and format the licence was issued under.

MaltHouse Mouse AFAIK Spin FM was licenced to be a Dance Music station do you think it is a Dance Music station.

Spin FM and Dublin's 98 (both owned by Communicorp) are chasing after the same audience.

LOL... So by this quote I take it that you seem to think that 98 are now a dance station after the 15+ age group, just as you are presuming that Spin are a dance station??

Yes Elmo, of course Communicorp are going to fund two station's that are chasing after the same age group! And the purpose of that would be what exactly??:rolleyes:

Elmo

MaltHouse Mouse wrote: »

FFS... You really don't get it do you?? Spin was awarded the Youth Licence... NOT a dance licence of any sort. Maybe you should be the one to take another read of the terms and format the licence was issued under.

LOL... So by this quote I take it that you seem to think that 98 are now a dance station after the 15+ age group, just as you are presuming that Spin are a dance station??

Yes Elmo, of course Communicorp are going to fund two station's that are chasing after the same age group! And the purpose of that would be what exactly??:rolleyes:

Where did I say 98 are chasing after the dance music market????? No what I said was the Spin was awarded a licence based on the fact that it was going to be a dance station that has since changed and it is now just another boring Pop Music station for Dublin County and City.

Spin 1037 is supposed to be a 15 - 34 yo station while Dublin's 98 is supposed to be a 20 - 44 yo station IMO that 5 years isn't much, and they over lap. Communicorp own both. IMO they sound the same, they are the same there is no difference between either but perhaps you can distinguish them for me. Also I am sure Communicorp would be happy to own FM104, but they where told to sell it after the bought EMAPs set of channels. Communicorp would happily be in a monopoly situation TBH.

I am not presuming that Spin FM is a Dance station that was what it was originally advertised as, and AFAIK was licensed to be.

MaltHouse Mouse

Elmo wrote: »

Where did I say 98 are chasing after the dance music market????? No what I said was the Spin was awarded a licence based on the fact that it was going to be a dance station that has since changed and it is now just another boring Pop Music station for Dublin County and City.

Spin 1037 is supposed to be a 15 - 34 yo station while Dublin's 98 is supposed to be a 20 - 44 yo station IMO that 5 years isn't much, and they over lap. Communicorp own both.

I am not presuming that Spin FM is a Dance station that was what it was originally advertised as, and AFAIK was licensed to be.

Yes, Communicorp do own both but if they do not sound the same!! But then again, maybe if you were listening to the right frequency, you might notice that... (Spin are on 103.8!)

Spin were NEVER awarded a dance licence, they were awarded the advertised licence... The youth licence. Big difference. So instead of saying 'AFAIK' all the time, why not check your facts first and then come back with a valid point to argue.

I'm sick of all this bullsh*t of AFAIK... Come back when you do know as you clearly have very little knowledge of what you are talking about. Just because 2 or 3 stations have the same songs in rotation, it doesn't mean they all sound the same. I think you will find that it is because those songs are currently in the top 30!

Liam Byrne

"Youth" doesn't equal "Dance" - or X-factor rubbish or whatever else (some youth even have taste! ) Licencing a "dance" station would leave youth who liked rock or "indie" or R&B or whatever out.

And yes, there's overlaps.....I know kids who like take that, and in some cases their "yummy mummies" do too!!!

But "AFAIK", the best place to go for info is to an official source - e.g. for details of a licence go to the BCI website

Can't find the tender document, but the station outline is here:

http://www.bci.ie/licensed_operators/local_radio_spin.html

No mention of "dance".

Liam Byrne

GSF wrote: »

FM104 & Q102 in Dublin are live overnight. The should network Q102 overnight to the other UTV stations but ComReg would never allow it unfortunately.

The original, licenced RLO were the first to do this with "ireland's overnight network" and - "AFAIK" - got into serious crap as a result.....could never see why, because there's no "service" in automated overnights, so having something of interest, including the BCI's beloved talk, is surely better than having an automated playlist.

Yes, it would need to be done properly (and well regulated to include ONLY certain automated hours) to avoid even more dumbing-down, centralisation and "syndicating", or even less choice if two stations in overlap areas do it......

And there's no strong reason why it shouldn't be any of the stations doing it - UTV doing it for all their stations would probably be a no-no, because their services could end up like their station websites - as unfocussed and unlocal as they come - but there shouldn't be anything to stop a station (or an organisation set up specifically to do it) doing it....they had the "Corona Mix" and "top 40 oifigul", etc....why not live overnights from a central location in Munster or Limerick or The West somewhere ?

Unfortunately, (given the above "syndicated shows" examples) it's probably not a rule; it's probably because it would cost more than running the music server overnight.....

Fuzzy Clam

Elmo wrote: »

I am not presuming that Spin FM is a Dance station that was what it was originally advertised as, and AFAIK was licensed to be.

I don't recall (or even care) what the original licence was advertised as. A quick google brings up articles from Radiowaves, The Irish Times and Hotpress (and maybe more) from around 2000 which describes it as a "Youth" licence. This was before the station came on air, so it was obviously common knowledge then, i.e prior to launch, that it was a "youth" station.

As for whether a music station needs a presenter, then yes, absolutely!
But, only if they have something relevant to say. That doesn't mean they have to speak between every track played just for the sake of liking their own voices.

Manimal

just to clarify things here....

Spin 1038 - targets 15-24 year olds (and no they were never awarded a licence as a 'dance station'. Can we please finally put that myth to rest)

FM104 targets 15-34 year olds

Dublins 98 targets 25-40 year olds (with a female bias)

Q102 targets the 35+ market

the new 4FM targets 45+

plus RTE 1, 2FM, Lyric, Today FM plus the remedial stations like Phantom and Dublins Country and you've got quite a competitive market in Dublin.

(and even though RnaG and the community stations don't get precisely listed in the JNLRs the better ones still have the ability to gain some sort of audience. As do the out of towners like East Coast, LMFM, KFM and iRadio).

Elmo

Manimal wrote: »

just to clarify things here....

Spin 1038 - targets 15-24 year olds (and no they were never awarded a licence as a 'dance station'. Can we please finally put that myth to rest)

FM104 targets 15-34 year olds

Dublins 98 targets 25-40 year olds (with a female bias)

Q102 targets the 35+ market

the new 4FM targets 45+

plus RTE 1, 2FM, Lyric, Today FM plus the remedial stations like Phantom and Dublins Country and you've got quite a competitive market in Dublin.

(and even though RnaG and the community stations don't get precisely listed in the JNLRs the better ones still have the ability to gain some sort of audience. As do the out of towners like East Coast, LMFM, KFM and iRadio).

Okay I will let the Dance music station go. But Dublin's 98, FM104 and Spin are basically the same music services just aimed at different people who aren't all that different. :eek:

But just to correct your list

Dublin's 98 20 - 44 year olds (Owned by Communicorp)

FM104 15-34 year olds (Owned for a few months by Communicorp, but sold to UTV Q102s owners)

Spin 1037 15 - 34 year olds (Owned by Communicorp)

I personally think that these are all the same service and I have be stuck in a car with spin for a month, 2 weeks with 98 and another 2 weeks in work with FM104 and I have seen not much difference with any of the services. Hence this gets me back to the point of the thread that none of these stations need a DJ since none of the DJs have personalities of their own and the ads/news can break the 24 hours of non-stop top 5s.

Manimal

Elmo wrote: »

Okay I will let the Dance music station go. But Dublin's 98, FM104 and Spin are basically the same music services just aimed at different people who aren't all that different. :eek:

But just to correct your list

Dublin's 98 20 - 44 year olds (Owned by Communicorp)

FM104 15-34 year olds (Owned for a few months by Communicorp, but sold to UTV Q102s owners)

Spin 1037 15 - 34 year olds (Owned by Communicorp)

I personally think that these are all the same service and I have be stuck in a car with spin for a month, 2 weeks with 98 and another 2 weeks in work with FM104 and I have seen not much difference with any of the services. Hence this gets me back to the point of the thread that none of these stations need a DJ since none of the DJs have personalities of their own and the ads/news can break the 24 hours of non-stop top 5s.

Theres a subtle difference in what these stations say they'll cover in their licence and what they actually sell to the ad agencies (for example theres no mention of 98s girly bias in their licence but thats what they do).

The Communicorp ownership of FM104 is a bit of a red herring; they were not allowed near the station and were told by the Competition Authority to flog it off (which was fully expected by the industry and by DO'B I suspect).

Regarding the Communicorp ownership of 98 and Spin, well that puts a flaw in your arguement. Why would a radio company have two stations (who share the same building in Pearse St) competing head on against each other in the same market?

I'm aware that we may well be argueing about different shades of ****e here but I like to keep it accurate.

Furthermore all the licenced stations have what amounts to a 'Promise of Performance' with the BCI. That means they do the usual guff like 20% news, but it also means that they stick to the music policy that they were licenced to by the BCI. It may mean that 15% of their music could be from the 80s, or 10% of it is rock based.

Those stations can be penalised for not sticking to the terms of their licence. The BCI ask for logging tapes every few weeks and go through them for discrepancies.

In extreme case the station may even lose its licence (which happened to Radio Limerick back in the late 1990s).

It should also be pointed out that the very stations that you mentioned in your post are the three highest rated music stations in Dublin; you and I may not be fans but obviously some people are!

Elmo

Manimal wrote: »

Theres a subtle difference in what these stations say they'll cover in their licence and what they actually sell to the ad agencies (for example theres no mention of 98s girly bias in their licence but thats what they do).

The Communicorp ownership of FM104 is a bit of a red herring; they were not allowed near the station and were told by the Competition Authority to flog it off (which was fully expected by the industry and by DO'B I suspect).

Regarding the Communicorp ownership of 98 and Spin, well that puts a flaw in your arguement. Why would a radio company have two stations (who share the same building in Pearse St) competing head on against each other in the same market?

I'm aware that we may well be argueing about different shades of ****e here but I like to keep it accurate.

Furthermore all the licenced stations have what amounts to a 'Promise of Performance' with the BCI. That means they do the usual guff like 20% news, but it also means that they stick to the music policy that they were licenced to by the BCI. It may mean that 15% of their music could be from the 80s, or 10% of it is rock based.

Those stations can be penalised for not sticking to the terms of their licence. The BCI ask for logging tapes every few weeks and go through them for discrepancies.

In extreme case the station may even lose its licence (which happened to Radio Limerick back in the late 1990s).

It should also be pointed out that the very stations that you mentioned in your post are the three highest rated music stations in Dublin; you and I may not be fans but obviously some people are!

Regardless of weather Communicorp ownes Spin and 98 the type of music that they play is the same the subtle differences really don't go far enough. Which brings me back to the topic of weather a music station needs DJs these 3 stations certainly do not.

Spin and 98 will want to retain their audiences, if Spin ends up over 98 in a few years then I am sure Communicorp won't mind as long as Communicorp Radio stations continue to have the same kind of listenership.

Why does Communicorp run 2 competing National radio shows at Drive Time with George Hook and Matt Copper surely they are basically the same type of show aimed at the same type of audience. Indeed this fact has been brought up in the discussion about 4fm's schedule of Tom McGurk at Drive time also (I know 4fm are a different company). And while your at it explain to me the difference between Newstalk's Tom Dunne and Today FM's Ray D'arcy?????

If communicorp have a Monopoly in the market they aren't going to care if their so called competiting stations are competiting againist one another IMO.

Elmo

Programme Schedule - The Format
SPIN will be a 24-hour service with a new face, a new focus and a new format. The schedule will comprise a combination of formatted music dayparts as well as block programmes and special features. A detailed outline follows.

Our research shows the 15–34 target market favours a variety of music styles, including Dance Rhythmic, Modern Alternative, R ‘n’ B / Hip Hop and CHR / Pop Hits.
Source: Behaviour & Attitudes: June/July 1999

One of the music styles our target audience expresses a preference for is dominated by CHR ( Contemporary Hit Radio > Pop . This mainstream genre is already being delivered to a large extent by existing 98FM and FM104 services.

To differentiate, SPIN will concentrate on two other styles of preference - Dance / Rhythmic combined with R ‘n’ B ( Rhythm and Blues ) Hip Hop focuses on the 15-34 market with primary targeting for the 15-24 segment.
Dance As A Focus
The music move is to dance, and that’s where radio consumers are moving. In the last six years dance music has moved from the underground to the mainstream. Dance music is now a dominant force in both the UK and Ireland.

For example the UK Top 40 this week (27/6/99) has a total of 14 dance-based singles. By ‘dance-based’ the implication is that a given track has crossed over from the club world into mainstream appreciation. Likewise Chart Pop songs that haven’t been specifically written with the dance world in mind are being re-mixed with dance rhythms to introduce them to the dance floor.

In Ireland, Fono Magazine’s Top 20 Singles and Album Charts show that 40% of songs listed are dance. ( 13/7/99 ) There are also specialist dance columns dedicated to clubbing and dance music. Hot Press magazine now has a two page spread entitled ‘Digital Beat’, In Dublin Magazine has the ‘Clubbing’ column and ‘Uproar’ boasts to be Ireland’s only dance magazine.

Comments from listener panels reflect the preference for dance and R ‘n’ B.

Dance has become so much part of the entertainment culture of young Dubliners that SPIN will launch with a mix of current hits from such artists as Armand Van Helden, Chicane, Orbital, Phats and Small, ATB, J Sakin & Friends, Chemical Brothers, and Fatboy Slim. This list is far from exhaustive in that it represents only the ‘contemporary hit’ end of the genre.

While some dance styles will have crossed over into the mainstream they will be included in the station play list, while others will be included in specialist dance shows.

While the overall schedule will depict all the music styles that are of primary interest to a 15 to 34 listener, our focus on Dance / R ‘n’ B will provide an anchor for the format. It will not exclude other music styles but the musical point of difference between SPIN and other operators will be how the music flows. While we may share some of the contemporary hit material with the likes of FM104 and 98FM, neither of these formats plays any more than two or three current songs before falling back to 80’s and 90’s gold. Our station won’t.

It is our intention that our music schedule be continuously contemporary and cutting edge. As such we will have an identifiable music position currently not provided for by existing radio stations in the Dublin market

Do you think that they have provide a schedule that is not provided by existing radio stations?