I for one think that Ace of Base should not be on the radio, ever, for any reason, ever... but I am not a 30 year old woman... and so the brains of radio say... "I Saw the Sign" and present:

http://www.edisonresearch.com/home/archives/2008/05/30_under_30_honorees_pick_the.php

30 Under 30 Honorees Pick The Next Hot Format
Entry by Sean Ross
Over the last few years, the rhythmic music of the late '80s and early '90s has gone from being the music that had completely disappeared from the radio to the music that programmers on the pop and Urban side have tried valiantly to make work on the radio. So far, the stations that have gotten any degree of traction, such as KQM V (Movin' 92.5) Seattle, have been the exceptions.

But if the responses of Edison Media Research's 2008 30 Under 30 Honorees are any indication, there is still plenty of support for a '90s-based format, whether it's a younger Urban AC or a newer generation of Bob- and Jack-FM. And as has been the case with previous gold-based formats, what it may take for the '90s to finally gain traction is for the programmers who grew up with that music to move into decision-maker positions at the same time that their peers are moving into the Hot AC and Urban AC demos.

We're posting our "30 Under 30" honorees' self-penned biographies and their thoughts on the state of the industry every day at Edison's http://www.infinitedial.com blog. But taken together, their answers to the question, "What is the one format that you can't believe nobody has done?" have a distinct theme.

Not all our honorees saw an obvious "next format" on the horizon--particularly when so many potential niches are already available on satellite radio, the Internet, or HD-2 multicast channels. Several voiced their support of other next-big-things that have support, but few working models yet, throughout the industry, such as stations that make their money from sponsorships, not spots, or a Hip-Hop/Rock hybrid.

But the concept of a new-generation Urban AC was easily the one most cited by our honorees. As Rickey Smiley Morning Show executive producer Tazz "Daddy" Anderson asked, "When you have people who are 25-44 who grew up on Hip-Hop, why wouldn't you devote a format to them? I would throw in some Run-D.M.C., Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince, some SWV and TLC and keep it banging! The Movin' format does Hip-Hop lite for soccer moms, but I'm talking about an anti-Soulja Boy format here without the pop princesses."

Charlamagne of the Wendy Williams Experience also believes that a mix of old-school Hip-Hop and late '80s New Jack Swing "would kill the game right now. It would also give a lot of older Hip-Hop artists new life because their respective catalogues would start to sell more and they could possibly be out still doing shows. Another plus is a lot of jocks who grow out of the 18-34 demo targeted by most Hip-Hop stations wouldn't have to still be on [younger targeted stations and] still trying to sound young."

Also filing briefs for an Adult Hip-Hop outlet: WPGC Washington, D.C., MD Talya Johnson who calls for an alternative to the core Urban AC artists who she characterizes as "the Old Jays," and James "Doubledown" Howard, PD of Clear Channel Active Rocker WXTB Tampa, who says, "I realize that Hip-Hop Brands do features, but we are getting close to having a library that can facilitate a lifegroup."

There were also calls for a '90s based format from the pop side. PD Scott Herrold of the SOS Radio Network acknowledges that, "I'm not sure that many companies have found the ideal Mainstream CHR/old school mix ... We've lost the nostalgia on our CHR stations." Similarly, KKOB/KMGA Albuquerque, N.M., PD Justin Riley says, "One that I'm looking forward to is a 90's format. I don't think we're too far away from somebody busting out the Ace of Base!"

Jake Kaplan, who does imaging and creative services for KROQ and L.A.'s Jack-FM (KCBS), sees the need for "a younger version of Jack-FM [where the] core of the station is 90s based: Rap like 2pac, Dr. Dre, and L.L., to [Alternative like] Green Day, Nirvana, and Weezer. [It would have] many of the same principles of Jack, but targeted to people in their 20s to early 30s."

Not all the calls were for a '90s-based format. WABC/WPLJ New York director of engineering Alex Roman envisions "an eclectic rock/new music format. We need to accept that there is a group of people that has tastes that are not accounted for in mainstream programming and they're not listening to your competition, they're just not listening to the radio. They find new music on MySpace or go to indie rock shows and just listen to their iPod. This is happening with a younger generation now and we need to bring them back into the fold somehow. We need to find programmers who understand how to go out on a limb musically without sounding forced or being too cool for the room and create a channel that makes people go 'hmm, what's that?' every now and then."

KWTV Los Angeles APD/MD Blake Florence would like to see "a request-based format via the internet [and/or] text [messaging]. I've seen programs that are doing some cool Web page requests for maybe a specific daypart or hour, and I've seen stations that have done it for a day or a weekend. We have so many options to choose from now -- and we can buy/listen to what we want, when we want. I believe to have a listener controlled station with the right technology in place could be a huge success.

WKKT Charlotte, N.C., APD/MD Ryan Dokke seconds that with his call for "24/7 Requests and Dedications. I would love to see a station that had a 10,000 song library and was live 24/7." There would be "no real playlists: jocks wouldn't really know more than 3 or 4 songs ahead of time, what they'd be playing. The music wouldn't have to be genre specific either. It could be a request for the Bee Gees into a dedication of some slow Usher song." He does allow that this might be "strictly a cume station." Then again, they said that about Bob- and Jack-FM once.

Clear Channel/Chicago online PD David Snoble believes "a true dance format hasn't been fully explored or given enough time to succeed and I also believe a chill format could perform well on terrestrial radio. I believe in 10 years or so, chill will be the new smooth jazz." He might want to trade notes with KIIS Los Angeles middayer Sisanie Reategui, who thinks recent hits by Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, and Kanye West have set the stage for a format based in house, electro, and techno-dance. Or perhaps WLZX Springfield, Mass., PD Courtney Quinn who calls for a format of "all-Thievery Corporation, all the time." We think she's joking about giving a whole station to chilllout's core artist, but if she's not, Edison VP Tom Webster has his new favorite station.

KYW Philadelphia reporter/anchor Ian Bush files a brief in favor of the "all-sponsorship/no spots" model: "What about a whole station based on changing up the traditional spot model with one advertiser sponsoring blocks, even a day of tunes in exchange for short, unobtrusive messages that don't interrupt the music long enough for you to change the dial. The name repetition would be sticky, it would give people a reason to stay tuned -- music keeps going and going and going, and the station itself likely would get some press and recognition itself out of the deal ('Oh yeah - that's the one with those short little commercials')."

Rich McLaughlin, who just joined WFUV New York as content director from Sirius Satellite Radio, votes for the Active Rock/Hip-Hop fusion of Sirius' Faction. "I'm not holding my breath for that format to show up on the FM dial, but it certainly speaks to a lifestyle and young audience." So far, the problem hasn't been the format showing up on FM - most recently on KMBY (X103.9) Monterey, Calif. -- it's been a matter of it staying there.

This one has also, by its advocate's acknowledgement, made it to HD-2 channels, but WLVQ Columbus, Ohio, PD Chris Thomas suggests a station "airing back to back live concerts ... in a day when you can immediately buy a recording of a concert as you leave the venue, a station airing back to back live concerts would take it a step further. A daily/weekly concert line-up can be sent to the e-mail database and listeners may vote online for their favorite concerts."

Some other suggestions:

From Clear Channel/Raleigh, N.C. director of marketing and promotions Carley Laskey: "Girl FM."

From WMMR Philadelphia morning show associate producer Marisa Magnatta: "All cover songs all the time."

Emmis/Austin, Texas, OM Thomas "Chase" Rupe says the quest shouldn't be for a format, rather, "If you're asking me what "content" I can't believe nobody has done, that answer is ... user-generated media. I think the great minds of our industry get this and are working on it. I aspire to be part of the solution that truly puts interactivity and pull-content into the hands of the audience, despite the delivery platform."

Finally, from WBOQ/WTYD Williamsburg, Va., PD Amy Miller: "I've always been interested in finding a way to combine the programming mentality of public radio with the business mentality of commercial radio and making it truly successful. I think once someone cracks the code, it will change radio forever."

You can ask our "30 Under 30" honorees about their other format ideas on June 28 at Conclave in Minneapolis. And check http://www.InfiniteDial.com every day for new profiles.

I'm pulling for the all wet dog radio format. A little smelly, but your best friend forever.

All Requests, All Phones. Yeah... that's the ticket.

I prefer my MP3 player.  Haven't come across a bad format yet and I like ALL types of music.  IT even has a function where I can record my own voice...sorta like VT-ing.  No annoying 5 minute commercial clusters....I've got it MADE!  

I think that's the kind of radio they have in Hope nowadays, right TommyD???

I liked the all B-sides 80's format that KZON Phoenix did about 15 years ago...

I'm a product of the 90s and have been begging for a 90s format for years.  Whether Pop, Rock or Country...I would love to see and All 90s format at some point.  I know that, for awhile, one of the stations in Winnipeg was doing a "Nineties Nooner" over the lunch hour, which was killer.  

I suppose the other side of that coin is that it means I'm getting older...boooooo........

That's the trouble with our radio - too many stations that cater to the oldies - we're in 2008 and should be moving with the times, not going backwards. Going down memory lane is fun (like once a week) but come on, let's get on with it already!

I would love to see a BBC Radio 1 type format. It caters to lots of different styles at different times of the day

There are so many gold formats because...

a) They work, and

b) They're all the gray-hairs at the big companies with Top-Down micro-management know how to program. In the 60s, 70s, and 80s, there was an actual large mainstream.  Play the big hits, get the large audience. Easy.  

Today, they mainstream is smaller than ever, and for the first time, the music-of-your-youth isn't necessarily whatever was in the Top 40 when you were in high school. The old gold-spectrum is dead, so playing current music outside of what's in the Top 40 is going to require somebody who hasn't spent the last 30 years programming within it. Virgin radio and to a lesser extent the BBC in the UK have figured it out.

I see two folks pushing the all request 24-7 format...

Quoted from FRED

I see two folks pushing the all request 24-7 format...

Yes and min. talking DJs.

You know...alot of stations like to pretend they've "thrown all the formats out the window" they're "playing anything" or "all kinds of stuff" or "what they want" or even "what you want"

But I can guarantee...you'll never hear a station go from Snoop Dogg to Garth Brooks...to Metallica. That's what I get from MY iPod. Those kind of positioning statements are an attempt at making the listener think they're listening to their MP3 player "with a transmission tower attached to it" - the truth is...the listener knows that we're trying to pull a s fast one on them with these kind of ideas...

"why do I keep hearing more than words by extreme?"

Regardless of tight rotations...Gold categories...satellie radio, itunes or cd's...people will always have their station of choice...AND their personal libraries. A radio station is more a lifestyle than a music preference...

An Ipod will always be an appliance...at least until they program the with local weather and bad puns.