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From: stuart@ssc-vax.UUCP (Stuart Lewis)
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: more info - more FLAME  (Part II)
Message-ID: <183@ssc-vax.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 6-Jun-84 19:40:18 EDT
Article-I.D.: ssc-vax.183
Posted: Wed Jun  6 19:40:18 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 7-Jun-84 08:30:49 EDT
Organization: Boeing Aerospace, Seattle
Lines: 57

And now, the continuing saga, Part II,


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>>>  Hot clocks, three cuts and a commmercial is generally regarded as bad
programming practice EXCEPT for contemporary hit radio stations (and then it
is still a bad practice in my opinions.) Why didn't you mention the obligatory
"drums and call letters" jingles before each song, or those jingle packages
which end on every different note of the scale so that you get a smooth, sexy
transition into the next cut.
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Well, if it is such poor programming practice, why does nearly every station useit?  And it's not "....bad programming practice EXCEPT for contemporary hit
radio stations..." It's STANDARD programming practice for EVERYONE except class-ical, newsradio, jazz and the like.  Why didn't I mention the jingles?  O.K., I
will.  What's wrong with them?  I've made a number of them for stations I workedat.  Let's get back to money and the thought process.  Remember the Alka Seltzercommercials "try it you'll like it"?  Well those catchy little lines stick in
peoples mind and they identify with it.  Radio jingles catch in peoples minds
and they identify that station with them - and when they think of those stationsthey listen to them.  An ex- new wave station here in Seattle had some pretty
bizzare 1 minute long jingles with new wave music that were IMPOSSIBLE to ig-
nore.  Good or bad, those things stick in peoples minds, and while I for one
thought they were pretty catchy, most assuradly some people would not have.  Youcan't please everyone.

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>>>> My station was the first in the U.S. to run DC-Disco from Drake-Chenault,
which is automated.  What was really wild was that they actually advocated
throwing away the book entirely. No hot clocks. Sweep the quarter hours. Long
music sets.  No "progressive stimulation" ala Muzak(tm).  Other stations in
this market played disco records on a hot clock.  The result: the largest
ratings increase in Charlotte radio history in a single book.  The station
now runs SuperSoul (medium mix) and is still # 2.
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Balogna!!  There isn't a major market station in the country that holds a no.
2 Arbitron rating by playing 'SuperSoul'.  You print, on the net, a copy of
the Arbitron rating for the last rating period and prove it by me.  When you
say "medium-mix" I'll bet it's real heavy on pop, and very light on soul if
indeed it is no. 2 in the ratings - and you may prove my above statement wrong
by showing that it is indeed no. 2, but like I say, heavy on pop.  Choose  
any major market in the nation and I guarantee the top 3 slots will be held by
either rock/pop, country & western or newsradio format stations.  As for throw-
ing out the music wheel, of course there's no music wheel in an automated sta-
tion - it's all pre-recorded ahead of time.  "Sweep the quarter hours".  Do
you mean 15 minutes and break, 15 minutes and break?  Of course it was, because
every 15 minutes they had commercials just like any other station.  They have 
bills to pay, that's why they play commercials!!!  As far as the largest ratingsincrease in history, I will agree with you (WHAT!! oh my!).  In the late '70s
disco was THE hot format and disco stations everywhere skyrocketed in the rat-
ings, but where are they now?  They're dead, that's why your station had to 
change format - because they were there to make MONEY!  Not to illuminate the
drab minds of all the ignorant boobs of the area in showing them the cool 
sounds of the Bee Gees and Tramp.  New wave format stations were really hot
the last 2-3 years too.  I can't speak for the rest of the country, but the lastone in Seattle went t.u. last March.  And guess what.  They re-organized and 
now they're playing adult pop.  MONEY!  

End Part II.  Pass Go. Collect $200.

				   Stuart Lewis
				   ssc-vax!stuart