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Posts Tagged “Formatting”

radio, radio

Philly Is Lacking In Smooth Today

As part of Idolator's extensive coverage of the demise of "smooth jazz" radio, it's our duty to inform you that WJZZ in Philadelphia, owned by the Greater Media group, flipped away from the format yesterday. Replacing the relaxing sounds of Chris Botti and Dave Koz: another adult-contemporary station, this one branded as "A Younger Approach to Today's Soft Rock." Considering the last three songs played at the "New Now 97.5" were by the Backstreet Boys, Maroon 5, and the Eurythmics, it's a little difficult to understand how this bold new take on radio is different from the "Adult Hits" of WBEN, or the "Adult Contemporary" of WBEB. Does Philadelphia really have the room for three stations that have Sara Bareilles and Daughtry in heavy rotation? [NOW 97.5 homepage]

10:30 AM on Tue Sep 9 2008
By Dan Gibson
256 views, 7 comments

Latest by VivaLaMainstream: I've lived in Philly for over a decade now, and since Y100 shifted to rap (we have 3 rap stations too), radio in Philadelphia has sucked. WMMR is the best station mostly because of Preston and Steve, and Radio 104.5 more »

formatting

Time To Cut Back On Expenditures, Chris Botti

Another smooth jazz station bites the dust thanks to Clear Channel, this time in Baltimore, as WSMJ 104.3 flipped last week to what is described by the station as "a 1990's-intensive modern rock format". Unfortunately, that seems to mean a Stereo MC's flashback is occasionally thrown in with the Seether and Finger Eleven to mix things up a bit. Still, which format is more dreadful these days? Smooth jazz or "modern rock"? More »

12:00 PM on Wed May 28 2008
By Dan Gibson
334 views, 13 comments

formatting

It's A Tough Day To Be Boney James

Will the last smooth jazz station to leave the air blow out the candles? Houston's own The Wave has flipped formats from the soothing sounds of Paul Hardcastle and Candy Dulfer to a contemporary hits format which according to the station manager will feature tracks from "Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, Miley Cyrus, Gwen Stefani, the Jonas Brothers and Christina Aguilera" as well as presumably other sorts of urbanish selections white people can feel comfortable with. By my count, this leaves 26 terrestrial stations reporting to the "Smooth AC" format. Citizens of Sacramento, enjoy "Smooth Jazz 97.4" KSSJ while you can, before the unsophisticated hoi polloi take over your station, I beg of you! [Houston Chronicle]

10:15 AM on Fri Mar 14 2008
By Dan Gibson
251 views, 7 comments

Latest by MrStarhead: Don't forget post offices! Every post office in Atlanta has smooth jazz playing nonstop. more »

formatting

Is It Possible To Save The Full-Length Album If It Just Takes A Really Long Time For The Songs To Be Released?

That's an idea put forth by the Wall Street Journal, spinning off from a blog post where one Mark Cuban wondered if bands shouldn't be "serializing" their songs, releasing them digitally one-by-one over the course of a year rather than in one 10- or 15-song chunk available in stores. Mr. Cuban doesn't seem particularly concerned if the album itself lives or dies, especially if it can't survive in the climate of martial law declared by the new model, but Jason Fry of the WSJ (who also outs himself a "song guy") wonders if the "serialization" model can actually extend the life of the album just a little longer. More »

11:45 AM on Mon Jan 28 2008
By Jess Harvell
749 views, 25 comments

Latest by revmatty: @blobby: The demise of skits could only be seen as a side benefit to the changing model of music distribution. My one fear is that ubiquitous broadband will prolong the album and thus the skits. I hate the more »

formatting

Has The MP3 Killed A Uniquely Jamaican Musical Experience?

Long thought to be so entrenched that it was impervious to the rise of MP3 and CD-R culture, critic Dave Stelfox writes in the Guardian that the seven-inch vinyl single is now "completely extinct" in Jamaica, a topic he also touched on last year in his "Month In Dancehall" column for Pitchfork. But what's more interesting than another variation on the story of digital files crushing sales of physical music formats, a now all-too-familiar tale around the world, is how the MP3 has also resulted in the collateral loss of one of Jamaica's most sui generis creations. More »

3:00 PM on Fri Jan 18 2008
By Jess Harvell
509 views, 3 comments

Latest by bcapirigi: those are three frigging awesome songs up there... i'm still mad at lumidee (or, you know, her marketing people) for bringing her back with an effing she's like the wind interpolation that she barely even appears on. more »

formatting

The New My Bloody Valentine CD: Not Gonna Happen

Hopefully you didn't have you heart set on buying a new My Bloody Valentine CD after all this time, because MBV's manager tells Billboard that they are planning to take after another famous U.K. art rock band when it comes to releasing their planned 2008 follow up to Loveless. More »

10:00 AM on Mon Nov 26 2007
By jharv
910 views, 3 comments

formatting

Connecticut Staind And Soundgarden Fans Rejoice As Alt-Rock Radio Stages (Kinda) Triumphant Comeback

After an early-'00s format flip to hip-hop that mirrored former alt-rock radio strongholds around the country switching to urban, country, or Latin programming, WPHH-FM in Connecticut has brought back the Pearl Jam two-fers, because "Hartford has long been well served with Top 40 and adult-contemporary stations but hasn't had an alternative-rock option" for four years. Coolfer rightly notes that it's tough to gauge whether this is indeed a trend, but as industry types worriedly watch hip-hop sales figures decline, certain stations around the country are slowly re-embracing modern rock. So while this might be a small part of a potentially larger story, one aspect of the WPHH-FM format change did give us pause. More »

1:00 PM on Wed Oct 31 2007
By jharv
748 views, 15 comments

Latest by space race ace: @Fort_Nathan_Hale: is that what they're playing now? whatever. You all realize that this is the beginning of the long slow march to the next generation of oldies stations, don't you? BTW, what's with modern rock radio ALWAYS including Bob Marley? No more »