Broadcaster launches new radio concept
…”3 dimensional”…

In a format development certain to stun the broadcasting world, American broadcaster Emmis Communications launched a radio format with DJs “and staff” picking the tunes. The station is called 101.9 WRXP, The New York Rock Experience, and broadcasts to New York City. Emmis Programming VP Jimmy Steal called it “a great new 3 dimensional rock broad.” (Read Emmis press release here)

The format is, of course, another music format, mixing “New Music, Classic Rock, Alternative and Local Rock.” Launching a new radio format in New York City is doubly dangerous. Triply? Worse?

The last major radio format launch in New York City was the notorious ‘Jack FM’ format, which pretended to ‘play what we want.’ It’s been marketed world-wide. (Read previous scathing review here) CBS replaced its Classic Rock format in NYC with the Jack FM format. It stiffed. New CBS Radio president Dan Mason couldn’t move fast enough to undo that problem.

New York City and environs are home to about 100 radio stations. Almost as important, NYC is home to Wall Street and the illustrious Wall Street stock traders. Granted, Wall Street stock traders are largely rock-n-rollers but they only reward broadcasting companies for firing DJs, not actually having them do something.

All kidding aside, it seems broadcasters are slowly coming to the realization that tight-listed, computer generated radio formats are easy prey to iPods and other music player choices.  At the very least, Emmis – which also owns several very successful radio stations in Europe – is trying something, if not exactly new, a bit risky. Hats off to Emmis New York Market Manager – and legendary radio programmer – Danny Halyburton! (JMH)

http://followthemedia.com/tickle/ticklefile04022008.htm

Quoted from 669[b

CBS replaced its Classic Rock format in NYC with the Jack FM format.

Seriously? Biggest commercial radio story in the US, and the author can't get a basic fact right? Why bother?

Lemme see here.... offering something old as something new. Hmmm. Yup. Might just work.

"it seems broadcasters are slowly coming to the realization that tight-listed, computer generated radio formats are easy prey to iPods and other music player choices" (quote from above news story)

Ya think????

this article makes it sound like "jack" was created in NY when the first station of its kind was in Winnipeg

How about this...

An ALL REQUEST radio station.   No metal, no classical.  The fun part would be the interaction between hosts and listeners.  

The one thing you don't get on your IPOD is entertaining banter between humans.

Digi, do you listen to my show

this was my favourite line... I laughed: "Granted, Wall Street stock traders are largely rock-n-rollers but they only reward broadcasting companies for firing DJs, not actually having them do something."

KEXP in Seattle does well... same idea.  Indie 103 in LA might be an example of a commercial station trying it.

Quoted from Flamethrower

Digi, do you listen to my show

this was my favourite line... I laughed: "Granted, Wall Street stock traders are largely rock-n-rollers but they only reward broadcasting companies for firing DJs, not actually having them do something."

KEXP in Seattle does well... same idea.  Indie 103 in LA might be an example of a commercial station trying it.

I'm confused.  What show do you do?  And are you saying that those stations listed are doing all request?

sorry Digi... I was giving you a hard time.  I play lots of requests and the callers on my show

those stations I listed are similar to the NYC station's concept... which all goes back to free form FM of the 70's.

here is more on the story from The New York Daily newspaper.

http://www.nydailynews.com/ent.....cds_smooth_jazz.html

And what show is that Flamethrower?   Are you going to spill the beans?  Because anyone, even administrators and moderators can SAY they're doing some great dynamic show...

In fact, I do a show, that pulls in a 20 share...

that's the point Digi... I am *saying* it... it isn't important.  the little toungue emoticon means its a flippent comment.

all I meant was... I play requests on my show and there are callers on it. and my show doesn't even come close to a 20 share

***

The point of the thread is, there are some stations out there doing a format similar to what this new station in NYC is doing.

There is a book called FM: The Rise and Fall of Rock Radio by Richard Neer, that illustrates what we're seeing in the US right now.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1316/is_11_33/ai_80533149

Right now in the uS there are some pretty progressive non-commercial music stations that are seeing some success in the ratings and influence.

You have a radio exec in NYC going... "hmm, how can I bottle this and sell it?"

and WRXP is born, "The New York Rock Experience" which is lifted almost directly from Seattle.

Now I believe this is good for awhile.. we'll see some progressive rock stations pop up for awhile... but with all babies... they grow up and die.  The book illustrates how something like this gets basterdized over time.  Controls get put on the product, costs cut, and we're back in to square one.

Its a good book... if you haven't had a chance to read it... you should check it out.

RXP is really nothing lie KEXP, at least musically. They're pretending they are, but they're not.

An hour of RXP today:

2:58PM So Lonely Police A&M
2:54PM Special Garbage Almo
2:47PM Photograph Nickelback Roadrunner/RRP/Atlantic
2:44PM One Love/People Get Ready Bob Marley & The Wailers Tuff Gong
2:40PM Sugar, We're Goin' Down Fall Out Boy Fueled By Ramen/Island/IDJMG
2:36PM Rag Doll Aerosmith Geffen/Interscope
2:33PM Mother Mary Foxboro Hot Tubs Jingle Town
2:27PM I Won't Back Down Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers MCA
2:23PM Doesn't Remind Me Audioslave Epic/Interscope
2:19PM Rock The Casbah Clash Epic
2:14PM Shadow Of The Day Linkin Park Warner Bros.
2:09PM Peace Of Mind Boston Epic
2:05PM December Collective Soul Atlantic
2:00PM Love Is The Drug Roxy Music Reprise

yikes... Aaron, you're right.  this one is not innovative at all.

there is no way this is free form.

in other news KEXP WILL be broadcasting in NYC.  So RXP will have a hard time selling the fake music experience when the real one will be broadcasting just down the dial.

"Broadcaster launches new radio concept"

Okay...let's all face it...there is nothing new and hasn't been since the early 80's.  That said, it doesn't mean that old things can't be done well.  It would be really cool to be able to listen to a station that played NOTHING but requests.  The only problem here is that it is something that will never happen in Canada.  Not sure if there would be enough requests for CanCon....but it sure would be an interesting challenge...and I think lots of fun to listen to.  Every song intro'd by a listener...wow..talk about total interaction!  And never really knowing what's coming next...it's sure would stand out and think of the marketing you could do around it.

Okay...that's my 2 cents.

If you think radio's repetitive now, just wait until you hear an "all request" station.

Quoted from Aaron

If you think radio's repetitive now, just wait until you hear an "all request" station.

Naturally, you would record and bank the requests and play them in rotation.  You could even play a request, and say "we'll have that one soon".   You could also have people phone up and beg you NOT to play a song.

I actually like this idea...

There are 2 ways to approach this - 1. Where you actually have some kind of format you base this oneand 2. No format.

If you go no format, you'll start with people requesting all the big songs from whatever format the previous station was PLUS a whole lotta Top 40. The Top 40 folks will also be the first to dump the station and go back to from where they came. Eventually you'll be left with a small group of regular shut-in types requesting the same bizarre B-Sides over and over. Like a bizarro-world JACK-FM.

If you go with some kind of format, you'd absolutely have to start banking calls and scheduling them. And at that point - what is the point? People will catch on really fast.

You'd have to have some structure and carefully positioned requests.   The critical success factor in an all request station would be the interaction between caller and host.  

You could never have it be so wide open that obscure, b-sides or top 40 would dominate the air.  I would also suggest there'd be an element of staging involved.   You may be underestimating REAL listeners by saying they'd catch on and tune away.

Aaron you bring up some interesting things.

But some of what you say is classic "radio think".  I've checked out some of my friends ipods and not one so far has been all top 40/rock etc.  There has been every thing from Nat King Cole to Led Zeppelin to Rihanna.  I think that's the type of station you would end up with if you went truely "all request".  Now that said I'm not sure how many listeners you would end up with.  Just because you have a song on your ipod doesn't mean you want to hear it at that moment.  But I guess that's no different than any given moment on radio now.

But it sure would be fun to listen to...because you know there would be some pretty wild cuts being played...and a lot of "oh my god...how did that person know about/remember that song"

I wonder what the data is on stuff like this...it can't be good or someone would have made it a chain of stations by now...

Quoted from Zane

But some of what you say is classic "radio think".  I've checked out some of my friends ipods and not one so far has been all top 40/rock etc.  There has been every thing from Nat King Cole to Led Zeppelin to Rihanna.  

Sure, absolutely, but Top 40 will be the biggest single chunk - the common denominator.  Current music listeners are also the most active requesters. People also tolerate, or even expect more reptetion with newer music. Work the phones at a CHR and you'll have plenty of people reuqesting songs that played with with last hour. Doesn't happen (much) at classic rock.

Jumpin' Jehosaphat! The audience already programs Radio.... in the research that is regurgitated back from the consultants!

Besides, "all requesters" are as rigged as any carny-game down at the exhibition and cow-show. That's a water-walkin' show that won't stay dry.

In theory I like the concept of an all request station.

In practice I think I'd hate it.  There are basically two kinds of requesters who call the station.  The first kind just wants to hear whatever song is in heavy rotation*.  The other kind wants to hear something odd and probably a b-side or deep album cut.

We all know that less than 10% of your audience ever call the station so listening to an all request station - at least until the other 90% got used to the fact they had to call to hear something - would be a bit painful.

I love how a good request hour sounds with a good variety of hits, new songs and album cuts.  It does require some massaging to make it sound as good and as fun as it really is though and in an ongoing basis I'd be willing to wager that after a month at least 50% of "requests" were banked calls to make the station flow.

From what I can tell many listeners get in the car and turn on the radio as noise.  If they hear a song they love that's great and if I say something that makes them laugh / wince / not drive where there's an accident that's fantastic.  But they just want the radio to be there and not be actively involved.

Of course in New York or a major market like that the listener base might be big enough that the requests come from a large ebough 10% of the audience that it isn't just that whack job calling me every night at 10:39pm for some obscure Ministry / Primus / Metallica / My Chemical Romance track.

*Where I work a heavy rotation song doesn't spin more than 35 times a week so it's not playing every hour like some CHR stations.

sanchezz, quite accurately, offers:

Quoted Text

"...But they just want the radio to be there and not be actively involved...."

And therein, dear readers & posters, lies the rub.

Isn't that very unacceptable situation our challenge and opportunity?

"Jumpin' Jehosaphat! The audience already programs Radio.... in the research that is regurgitated back from the consultants!"

First off it's been many a consultant that has done more damage than good.  The audience...er...focus group is asked questions that may or may not be designed to get a response that is there to support a point of view.  And then there's the whole focus group issue...just because someone will mark that they like a song in a focus group doesn't mean they will listen to that song on the radio.

An example of this is someone in a focus group once admitted to me that they said they liked "Stairway to Heaven -Lep Zeppelin" in the focus group, but when ever it came on the radio she would turn switch channels because she was sick of hearing it.  And there lies the rub of focus groups pulled off the streets. I read once from some PD/GM many years ago...that the best focus group a station has is it's staff...I've yet to be "focus grouped".

If the audience really programed the station I think radio would have a much stronger base.  That's if the "consultants" would keep their dirty little mittens out of things.

And on another note...I've worked Top40 and Rock and AC...once enlighted that they can phone in and get their requestes on the air...they all phone in and ask for their favs, it didn't matter that it was CHR/Rock/AC...many people believe that the station they are listening to is in some way theirs (after all they have invested their time listening) and they have a right to make requests.  That's part of the reason they put a $1 sticker on a $30,000 car. Look around that adds up to way more than "10 percent".

Somewhere along the way I think many a station has lost their way and the idea that we are there for the listener first and the advertiser second.  Without listeners...no ads.

I think you missed Pave's sarcasm there

Quoted from Zane

"
An example of this is someone in a focus group once admitted to me that they said they liked "Stairway to Heaven -Lep Zeppelin" in the focus group, but when ever it came on the radio she would turn switch channels because she was sick of hearing it.

Then your research isn't being done correctly, which is usually the bigger problem. "Tired of hearing it" needs to be an option, and it needs to be explained that that option supersedes all other options.

There isn't a commercial product out there that isn't extensively researched. Radio spends less than most other industries on research and relies on it more. That can't work. We always ask the What, Where, and When, and completely ignore the Why and How. We also spend 85% of our research resources on individual music selections, and don't go anywhere near the bigger picture of the image and the culture portrayed by the station, or even how those song scores translate into real world use

Aaron is right, good research wins.

I do live, local, real-time-ish requests on my show everyday.  The best part of job.

People tend to request a good cross-section of whats new (as in heavy rotation and REAL new, like featured songs), classic anthems and some oddities that we have on the play list.  Cancon isn't really a problem because to my surprise... people actually like Our Lady Peace.

The callers like to share little stories or explain *why* the song needs to be on the radio now... its fun for me to present as an announcer and I think it sounds good.  that 10 percent that people spoke of before tune in EVERY DAY.