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WSJ: Radio Stations Create More Repetition, Fearing Listeners Will Tune Out

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epmode

Member
The only radio I ever bother with these days is WFMU but that's only interesting because it's listener-supported. Once ads are involved, it's almost always garbage.

(WFMU is often *really* out there but chances are you'll find something to like)
 

Madness

Member
Hey, I just met you

And this is crazzzzy

Blame Bieber for that. Living in BC we heard it because she was a Canadian Idol finalist and she was from Mission. But outside of that, while the song was really catchy, no one really knew about it. Then Justin Bieber heard it on a trip to Toronto, tweeted it and turned her into a worldwide phenomenon.
 

outsida

Member
And they drive people like me away from their stations. I'm at the point now where I might cut the radio on in my car 3-4 times on month and that's only during my 15 minute drive to work. I listen podcast and/or pandora (and the usual suspects) in my car and home for the most part.
 

Parch

Member
This even happens to classic rock stations.
Yup. My local classic rock station is terrible. They've got 4 decades of music to chose from but their play list is terribly small. Most likely station policy, but I think it's lazy DJ's as well. They each play the same songs every shift.
 

border

Member
That's weird. It seemed like Lady Gaga was putting out a new single every three weeks for a while there. According to this article, it should be like months between singles for most artists.
 

FyreWulff

Member
Recently, our classic rock station seems to think the Who only ever recorded "You Better" (CD105.9)

I swear I heard it played at the same time when I was giving someone a ride to work, too
 
Over the summer I heard that Macklemore song where he sing/speaks about equality thrice in two hours on the same station.

Anything by Lumineers is guaranteed an instant change of the channel. I hate that folksy shit so much. Mumford & Sons, Of Monsters and Men, fuck all that shit.
 

LosDaddie

Banned
Yup. It's garbage.

I've been paying for Sirius XM for a couple years now, at their $25 for 6mo sale price that also includes streaming. Worth every penny
 

Dead

well not really...yet
Minstream rock radio is probably the worst

Its either the same fucking Foo Fighters song from 1997 or Red Hot Chili Peppers from 1999, or one of the dozens of utterly tuuuuuriiiibbble bands that sound the fucking same today.

I remember a couple years ago a new adult alternative station started in Houston and they fucking played the Smiths, New Order, The Cure, Catherine Wheel and new indie stuff from today, was so glad to hear that. Fucking station lasted like 6 months.
 

terrisus

Member
I remember a couple years ago a new adult alternative station started in Houston and they fucking played the Smiths, New Order, The Cure, Catherine Wheel and new indie stuff from today, was so glad to hear that. Fucking station lasted like 6 months.

And this is the thing again - the things that people are saying they want, it seems like it's not a recipe for something actually being successful.

All the people saying they now use iPods, Pandora, streaming, etc. etc. I just have a hard time believing it would be all that different even if radio stations did exactly what people are saying they want. Since, as given by the example above, a radio station did what someone wanted - and closed down in 6 months.
 

maruchan

Member
Over the summer I heard that Macklemore song where he sing/speaks about equality thrice in two hours on the same station.

Anything by Lumineers is guaranteed an instant change of the channel. I hate that folksy shit so much. Mumford & Sons, Of Monsters and Men, fuck all that shit.
I also only listen public radio.. Kexp one of the best stations in the country.
Funny thing I kexp played that lumineers demo 3 years ago with ho hey. And Macklemore has been played what 5 6 years already.

If your listening to commercial radio it's time to turn to left side of the dial
 

Enron

Banned
Yes - "The Current" (mostly indie rock type public radio) in Minnesota is awesome!

Another vote for 89.3 The Current.

I fucking love this station/stream so much.

Having been a part of the radio world in a previous life - I'm so glad I got out before I tried to make it an actual career.
 

terrisus

Member
Having been a part of the radio world in a previous life - I'm so glad I got out before I tried to make it an actual career.

Yeah, definitely made the right career choice...

Enron
image.php
 

Kuro Madoushi

Unconfirmed Member
Article makes so much sense. These days one song will come one one station, you switch to the next one the same song is playing, switch again and that same song will run again.

Its really annoying
Monster...I FUCKING hate this song. It's so senseless and Rihanna sings the same fucking thing over and over again. Topped off with hearing this on different stations and at least twice to work it more and twice back or more. Ugh!

Glad this is being recognized that they are continually playing crap, but at this point, I think stations are just beating this shit into you whether you want it or not.
 

seanoff

Member
At least most of australia has triplej

This is their playlist from 1 - 2 this afternoon. Pretty random choice of timeslot. They also have specialist programs for metal, hip hop, dance, world music etc

13:56
Feel
Bleeding Knees Club
YouTube | Spotify | Rdio | Google

13:51
Jah No Partial
Major Lazer
YouTube | Spotify | Rdio | Google

13:48
Everything You Wanted
Clubfeet
YouTube | Spotify | Rdio | Google

13:44
I Miss You
Ta-ku
YouTube | Spotify | Rdio | Google

13:39
Born To Die
The Amity Affliction
YouTube | Spotify | Rdio | Google

13:35
Asleep At The Wheel
Band Of Skulls
YouTube | Spotify | Rdio | Google

13:30
Thoughtcrime (Doin' My Think) {triple j live recording, Falls Festival Lorne 2013}
Horrorshow
YouTube | Spotify | Rdio | Google
 

wildfire

Banned
I knew radio was getting worse but it didn't dawn on me they were stifling variety in this way. I'll just stop listening to most FM radio if that's the case. AM radio still has good talk shows.
 

JohnsonUT

Member
Isn't this normal with most industries? As an industry starts to die it tends to get more conservative and play things ever "safer".
 

aparisi2274

Member
I haven't listened to terrestrial radio in about 7 years, because of the crappy rotation they have.

That's why I am glad I got Satellite radio all those years ago... It's not the same 8 songs every hour, and when artist's release a new song, it gets played.
 

davepoobond

you can't put a price on sparks
I'll tell you one thing.

It ain't the radio station's faults. It's the people who want familiarity and to hear the same song over and over.

It happens in all industries. It's why we have genres and top 40 lists.


But anyway, I don't think it's that bad if you have a wide variety of radio stations programmed. I have 2 modern rock, 3 classic rock, 1 classic hip hop/rap, 1 modern pop, 1 modern hip hop, 1 oldies/classic rock, 2 soft rock/pop and 1 Christian rock stations


I can pretty much always listen to something different and I keep up with new stuff, as well as discover new old stuff all the time, so it's not really that bad in LA
 

agrajag

Banned
One time I was driving and they were playing Blurred Lines on three different stations at the same time. Dat competition.
 

Baraka in the White House

2-Terms of Kombat
Over the summer I heard that Macklemore song where he sing/speaks about equality thrice in two hours on the same station.

Anything by Lumineers is guaranteed an instant change of the channel. I hate that folksy shit so much. Mumford & Sons, Of Monsters and Men, fuck all that shit.

Ditto. Our alternative rock station has basically turned into a modern folk rock station.
 
It doesn't help that nearly all major fm radio stations are owned by Clear Channel. Talk about monopolizing a market. I don't even understand how this shit is legal anymore. Consolidation of wealth and power all over the radio dial.
 

Stumpokapow

listen to the mad man
About a decade ago I wrote a script that recorded the playlist to all my local radio stations. One of the stats I pulled was "what number of songs represent half of all played air-time?" -- on a lot of the stations it was several hundred songs. On the Top 40 station, just 47 songs represented 50% of the airtime. Meaning you could buy a double CD that contains most of what is played on the radio.

That was a decade ago.
 

davepoobond

you can't put a price on sparks
Deregulation of the radio station industry might have hurt this a bit but since radio has been declining anyway, I don't think we'll have more than one or two companies that can actually even afford to run a radio station.

Anyway, its not like it matters if the common person listens. It's only if the people who have the meters listen.


That's why CBS has bought last fm and has radio.com. Clear channel has iheartradio too
 

Diablos

Member
You know it's bad when even 10 years ago they were overplaying songs. I remember all too well. Now it's just a parody of itself.

Just yesterday on my Alternative Rock station (105.9 The X), they called "Midnight City" by M83 "New X Music". Get the fuck out of here.
 

lednerg

Member
I've worked at a place that played a Clear Channel station all day. It was absolutely mind numbing. I mean, I think it actually damages people's minds.
 

Diablos

Member
I've worked at a place that played a Clear Channel station all day. It was absolutely mind numbing. I mean, I think it actually damages people's minds.
Clear Channel is a big part of the reason why radio sucks so bad now.

Telecommunications Act of 1996, yalls.
 
I want musical radio to die. It is such garbage in my city. I am tired of hearing shitty, overplayed songs all day.

I've resorted to playing CD's that I rotate frequently since my car doesn't have an iPod jack and I need to listen to something more than Rihanna 150000-times.

Fucking hearing Blurred Lines for the millionth time makes me want to go on a rampage.

Do you have NPR in your city? Their music selection is extremely varied.

Commercial radio really is a blight on music enjoyment. My local 'rock' station is now playing more pop than anything. The 'classic rock' station is now playing 90's grunge and U2. Genres don't matter, only safe, familiar songs get repeat playtime.
 
I heard a radio station ad after a popular song that boasted they played it twice an hour.

Yup. My local classic rock station is terrible. They've got 4 decades of music to chose from but their play list is terribly small. Most likely station policy, but I think it's lazy DJ's as well. They each play the same songs every shift.

I am sure that DJs want to play different music. What they play is dictated from above. The playlist might even be automated.
 

UraMallas

Member
The one with Bring Me to Life always wins.

Ignition (Remix) is a fucking great song. I would pick that 2003 list over the 2013 list any day of the week. Didn't "Yeah!" come out that year? It's very strange to me that that wouldn't be on the list.
 
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