Music on the radio

jooksavage

Today FM plays throughout the day in our office. It's possible to hear the same song play 3-4 times during the working day. Why do stations limit themselves to a pool of maybe 20 songs (with the odd "remember this one?" exception) for period of weeks/months, only to never/rarely play any of the songs ever again?

I'm aware this might sound like a very stupid question - just canvassing for opinions/answers.

whiskeyman

Popular songs that people want to hear, and I guess not many people listen to the radio for long stints as yourself.
It's more something people 'dip' into... driving to work / lunch break / going home from work.
If the stations mantra is 'new hits / biggest hits' etc..., they'll need heavy rotation of the latest songs.

jooksavage

whiskeyman wrote: »

Popular songs that people want to hear, and I guess not many people listen to the radio for long stints as yourself.
It's more something people 'dip' into... driving to work / lunch break / going home from work.
If the stations mantra is 'new hits / biggest hits' etc..., they'll need heavy rotation of the latest songs.

I guess. I could understand that better in the days before the internet and Spotify. But all those 'big hits' are available at the push of a button on your phone now. Old guys always go on ad nauseam about how Radio Luxembourg and the likes introduced young ears to new music back in prehistoric times. Now radio seems to be just repeatedly force-feeding its audience the same old warmed-over crap day-in day-out.

Max Headroom

jooksavage wrote: »

Today FM plays throughout the day in our office. It's possible to hear the same song play 3-4 times during the working day. Why do stations limit themselves to a pool of maybe 20 songs (with the odd "remember this one?" exception) for period of weeks/months, only to never/rarely play any of the songs ever again?

I'm aware this might sound like a very stupid question - just canvassing for opinions/answers.

Its the format for irish radio it seems, see any thread re; Nova or TXFM....

Theyre afraid to play obscure tracks during the day in case they offend someone and risk losing a listener so like sheep they all copy each others ideas..
Probably down to the advertisers a lot of the time...imo...

jooksavage

Max Headroom wrote: »

Its the format for irish radio it seems, see any thread re; Nova or TXFM....

Theyre afraid to play obscure tracks during the day in case they offend someone and risk losing a listener so like sheep they all copy each others ideas..
Probably down to the advertisers a lot of the time...imo...

Yeah, I think there's a collective fear-induced paralysis among competing radio stations; that they'll somehow lose a trick if they take a chance and it fails. Also, I'm presuming stations are obliged to dedicate a certain percentage of air-time towards Irish acts. Beige fuzz like Kodaline must seem like manna from heaven in this respect.

We have Absolute Radio on all day in our work place,they have a 'no repeat guarantee' every day!

peterobrien100

Max Headroom wrote: »

Its the format for irish radio it seems, see any thread re; Nova or TXFM....

Theyre afraid to play obscure tracks during the day in case they offend someone and risk losing a listener so like sheep they all copy each others ideas..
Probably down to the advertisers a lot of the time...imo...

So true regarding the music format / playlists of stations.

FM 104 the mpst popular station in Dublin have no oldies only 3 x Bob Marley Songs - They then repeat the 20 songs a minimum of 5/6 times per day.

This is obviously setting a trend to keep it tight with songs played according to the Australian Witch Doctors sorry radio Doctors the rule for commercial radio is that people only listen to what they know, what a load of b**ls**t !

They are only afraid to move away from the familiarity concept on the radio,
I heard Ian Dempsey playing Spanish Train by Chris De Burgh few months ago on the radio nearly crashed my car with the shock.

Please radio people music fans want to be educated, entertained and enlightened not bored with repeats and loops of the same old songs.

gimmick

I think you are using a very bad example in Today FM as between 9 and 5 they do throw in a very good mix of old and new, while always hitting the big chart hits. Both Anton Savage and Louise Duffy play plenty different types of music. Dermot & Dave less so.

jooksavage

gimmick wrote: »

I think you are using a very bad example in Today FM as between 9 and 5 they do throw in a very good mix of old and new, while always hitting the big chart hits. Both Anton Savage and Louise Duffy play plenty different types of music. Dermot & Dave less so.

In fairness, Louise Duffy is better than the late Tony Fenton. Jesus, when he veered away from the 'hits', it was the same 5 songs over and over. It was like the only thing he had in the studio was a CD that came free with one of the Sunday papers.

Today FM isn't the worst offender, but it is the station I have to put up with EVERY DAY. And I heard that f***in' awful 'Sax' four bloody times yesterday when I pulled a 12 hour shift. And I'd hardly call Louise Duffy or Anton Savage's rotation a 'good mix' when you consider they have six decades of music to choose from.

gimmick

Good mix is maybe over egging it, but when compared to the likes of Red FM in Cork where it is wall to wall current "hits" it is miles and miles better.

I like to think I have a wide and varied taste in music, but some people I know don't. They sometimes complain that Savage plays too much "weird music". By weird they mean stuff which is not in the charts or not completely mainstream.

I would imagine people with this musical preference are in the majority and therefore commercial radio stations have to pander to this.

jooksavage

gimmick wrote: »

Good mix is maybe over egging it, but when compared to the likes of Red FM in Cork where it is wall to wall current "hits" it is miles and miles better.

Agreed, Red FM is in a league of its own

L1011

Its been pretty much proven that if stations don't play the songs people are expecting they don't listen. Radio stations are not there as charities, they need to make money

Generally its only people who listen for far longer than the average listening time that notice that songs are repeated that aggressively. Office and retail workers get hammered with it whereas people listening in shorter bursts in cars / at home hear the songs they want to hear once and that's it.

The stations that go for a more open format generally flounder.

soc160

peterobrien100 wrote: »

So true regarding the music format / playlists of stations.

FM 104 the mpst popular station in Dublin have no oldies only 3 x Bob Marley Songs - They then repeat the 20 songs a minimum of 5/6 times per day.

This is obviously setting a trend to keep it tight with songs played according to the Australian Witch Doctors sorry radio Doctors the rule for commercial radio is that people only listen to what they know, what a load of b**ls**t !

They are only afraid to move away from the familiarity concept on the radio,
I heard Ian Dempsey playing Spanish Train by Chris De Burgh few months ago on the radio nearly crashed my car with the shock.

Please radio people music fans want to be educated, entertained and enlightened not bored with repeats and loops of the same old songs.

I don't want to sound like a prick, but the majority radio fans don't want to be educated anymore, there are far more platforms out there now to find new music and learn about music. They aren't exactly afraid to move away, it just doesn't make commercial sense to do that, give the people what they want. I'm sure the big stations do plenty of research into what their audience want.

jooksavage wrote: »

In fairness, Louise Duffy is better than the late Tony Fenton. Jesus, when he veered away from the 'hits', it was the same 5 songs over and over. It was like the only thing he had in the studio was a CD that came free with one of the Sunday papers.

Today FM isn't the worst offender, but it is the station I have to put up with EVERY DAY. And I heard that f***in' awful 'Sax' four bloody times yesterday when I pulled a 12 hour shift. And I'd hardly call Louise Duffy or Anton Savage's rotation a 'good mix' when you consider they have six decades of music to choose from.

4 times over 12 hours, so once every three hours. Throwing in the talk shows it's not actually a bad rotation really? Next time you find yourself in that situation, write down what times you heard the songs at..if they are about 3 hours apart then fair to assume that the same people won't be listening.

jooksavage

soc160 wrote: »

I don't want to sound like a prick, but the majority radio fans don't want to be educated anymore, there are far more platforms out there now to find new music and learn about music. They aren't exactly afraid to move away, it just doesn't make commercial sense to do that, give the people what they want. I'm sure the big stations do plenty of research into what their audience want.




4 times over 12 hours, so once every three hours. Throwing in the talk shows it's not actually a bad rotation really? Next time you find yourself in that situation, write down what times you heard the songs at..if they are about 3 hours apart then fair to assume that the same people won't be listening.

You don't sound like a prick. What you say might well be true. Personally I'm not so sure I'd give that much credit to the wile and cunning of the radio stations. Going by a first hand account of the chaos and desperation that reigns in one of our commercial TV channels, I'm kind of inclined to think that decisions and policies of radio stations are similarly the product of fear rather than self-assured calculation.

Claude Burgundy

gimmick wrote: »

I think you are using a very bad example in Today FM as between 9 and 5 they do throw in a very good mix of old and new, while always hitting the big chart hits. Both Anton Savage and Louise Duffy play plenty different types of music. Dermot & Dave less so.

I would agree with that 100%, for example Fatboy Slim - Right here, Right now is currently being played.

Anton and Louise play a diverse mix and even Ian throws in the odd curve balls.

Unlike Spin, 98, Beat, 104 and iRadio I think Today FM are giving their presenters and production staff some latitude in what is played.

jooksavage

Claude Burgundy wrote: »

I would agree with that 100%, for example Fatboy Slim - Right here, Right now is currently being played.

Anton and Louise play a diverse mix and even Ian throws in the odd curve balls.

Unlike Spin, 98, Beat, 104 and iRadio I think Today FM are giving their presenters and production staff some latitude in what is played.

Anton has played that song pretty regularly since he started. That and They Might Be Giants.

former total

peterobrien100 wrote: »

FM 104 the mpst popular station in Dublin have no oldies only 3 x Bob Marley Songs - They then repeat the 20 songs a minimum of 5/6 times per day.


Please radio people music fans want to be educated, entertained and enlightened not bored with repeats and loops of the same old songs.

These two points are completely contradictory.

Surely what most people want is reflected in the most popular stations? FM 104 aren't going to mess with a winning format and why should they?

WinnyThePoo

Today FM sure played 'I can't feel my face' to death.

micreid80

Songs that are played on the different radio stations are always going to be the popular safe option.