Quoted from arnold schoenberg

It sorta died as a format.

Based on music alone, this format will have a shorter self life than Jack/BOB or Oldies. Like Flamethrower says, it need some new music to keep it from being a novelty. And it really needs something special going on in bewtween the records.

If programmers think this will be some kind of "Classic Rock 2" saviour 25-49 saviour format, they're wrong. This audience was more fragmented and has been more apt to continue seeking out new music that the generation before. This is a niche at best.

Any word if they are changing any on-air people?  

according to their release the on-air staff remains the same.

Too bad about the change so soon in. That station was excellent to listen to!

We need more light jazz stations in this country.

I've been listening today... music is good.  the dude with the accent is alright.

lots of "40 minutes, non-stop..." cliches but for the most part... a good listen.

Like I said above... a little more new stuff... errr ANY new stuff, and you'd have a good music mix.  Personally, I like callers, and some local talk... so I'd have the mid-day guy turn it up a bit.  It sounds a litle bland.  Nothing funny, nothing that makes you "hmm... yes I see..."  I learned that some guy that was in Midnight Oil is an MP in Australia... so that is something

Oh come onnnnnn!!! Arnold and Canuckid - you can't be that naive? Of course no one will know that for sure but seriously, Newcap needed their second Calgary licence and gambled on picking the ONE format that nobody had applied for up to that date in Canada (to my knowledge).

And wow, it worked - now applying for a AAA format is the new black (or the new pink, I can't ever get that right). LOOK at the Vancouver applications - what are there - four, five applications for a AAA format? Are they all convinced they can get it right and that Newcap doesn't know what they're doing? For sure Newcap knew it wouldn't work - you can't get the AAA sound right with 40% cancon requirements (or when you add "Jack and Diane" in heavy rotation  ).

But wait, the kings of the bait and switch... well they would be if they could actually build a successful station (K-Rock, 96x, Earl, California, Fuel, Hank, Cafe)... sorry off topic there, LOL... have continued to stay one step ahead of the pack with their application based on an "Adult Urban" platform. I have no idea what that is but it doesn't matter, they'll flip it after a few months anyway.

So as much as I long to make fun of Newcap, I gotta give them credit - they keep managing to get licences. And yes, I do agree with you - less regulation, not more. But there still has to be protection for Canadian artists (cancon requirements).

Happy New Year everyone!!

Quoted from hank scorpio

So as much as I long to make fun of Newcap, I gotta give them credit - they keep managing to get licences.

As long as they keep sinking cash into Aboriginal Voices, Newcap with continue getting their backs scratched by the CRTC.

It's ironical that Newcap's most successful station in Alberta is probably an AM music station in CFCW. Of course, they've been playing country music for half a century.  They must still make some money at K-Rock in Edmonton, but not as much as they once did, and Big Earl has to be losing a fair bit. They're certainly losing in Calgary, although Newcap's two Red Deer stations are doing quite well. Then they have over 20 stations in small Alberta markets.

Bare in mind they BOUGHT the Red Deer stations with management and staff in place and didn't have to build them.  That does make a difference.

K-Rock will swing around again if they ever give it some consistency.  Big Earl is a DOA format with the CISN heavyweight in the market.  Not enough perceived difference in format.

Ahhhhh, just makes me love my Sirius and XM that much more.

As for Newcap Edmonton... if a revamped K-Rock doesn't work or when they decide they've lost enough ground with Big Earl, they should seriously consider providing a CHR-styled/paced, female-leaning Hot AC alternative to The Bounce and Sleepy Rock.  That seems to be the thing really missing in the market.

Too bad Newcap, Calgary, continues to "panic"...when The Breeze went on air, I heard them in almost every store, and I figured they could give Lite 96 a good run!

Then, my friends and I, (45+) quite liked Fuel when it first signed on, again, the "panic". Any PD worth
their salt knows you should keep a format for at least TWO years for people to find you, perhaps even
longer, now with so many other media formats competing with each other.

Perhaps it's the money to run the station they're worried about, but rumour has it, they're tapping into
a nice big teacher's pension fund?!!!  

Anyone care to comment/criticize?!

What makes you think the changes were the PDs call.  Couldn't it have been from the GM area?

True, it could've been management's call, but isn't it sad that these days PD's don't usually have much
say or clout as in years past.

Yeah.  It's especially sad when companies hire a GM with absolutely no radio experience.  (That often kills the PD's chances of kiboshing a bad promotion or saying no to a bad sales trick.)

You can tell the stations that are run with non-experienced GMs, but eventually they learn.  The worst ones to run stations are the accountants who really "call-the-shots".  They should be banned, or power limited somehow.

Take QR77 Calgary for example.  Someone calls for Sterling to get the boot (for whatever reason by most probably an accountant who thinks he/she knows radio, cuz of course they've analyzed how radio works), then ratings come out a week later boasting QR in the top spot.  Without testing the situation it had (with Faux and the programming at the time) a little longer, QR will probably drop back to its regular position with the accountants scratching their heads as to why...