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May 13, 2020 12:34 pm  #1


Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

Last weekend Roger Ashby mentioned on this weekend's show it was going to be an all request program.  He has received a lot of listener phone in requests since his oldies show debut three months ago.  He wanted to do this all request version to try and get caught up.  I have noticed over the past seven or eight weeks his program has more requests throughout.  

Since his show isn't live, requests are recorded and he usually would try and play the song in a week or two. Not only does Ashby play a lot of long forgotten music, even secondary hits, but I have noticed that his listeners often request music that wasn't necessarily top of the charts either.                                                                           

Generally the music he plays is from 1955 to 1975, but Roger isn't afraid to delve into earlier selections or into other musical genres, if there is a tie-in to pop or rock and roll. That is one reason why his show is interesting and of course his knowledge of oldies music and artists. I heard he had his former co host from CHUM 104.5, Marilyn Denis on the show a few weeks ago but I missed that one.

So it should be interesting to see what his listeners have requested and what is played this weekend.   

 

May 13, 2020 12:49 pm  #2


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

And all these years he was enduring Top 40 Pop music Drake and Rihanna on CHUM? 

 

May 13, 2020 12:52 pm  #3


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

This has quickly become a weekly must hear for me, and I don't have a lot of those. I usually catch it on Saturday afternoon off of The Jewel in Newmarket. There's one other thing to add to what my frequent debate partner paterson1 noted. I've noticed that the program segment lengths tend to be a lot longer than some syndicated shows. Instead of going to a break after every three songs or so, like way too many formats, this one often gives you up to 20-25 minutes before throwing to spots. That's a pretty generous clock.

As an example, the Top 5 countdown segment plays all five songs, before pausing. There's no tease like "and what do you think #1 will be? We'll tell you right after this..." 

As a listener, I appreciate that. It makes it a lot easier to stay tuned when the inevitable spots do run. And as many here know, I'm an inveterate station switcher. Not on this show.

 

May 13, 2020 3:29 pm  #4


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

Ive listened to the podcast just now that he was on with Marilyn Denis.  Brilliant man with awesome stories.  Actually, the both of them are quite musically inclined.

 

May 13, 2020 3:51 pm  #5


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

I often find it more interesting to hear what Roger has to say about the music he plays rather just listen to the songs.

 

May 13, 2020 4:07 pm  #6


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

markow202 wrote:

And all these years he was enduring Top 40 Pop music Drake and Rihanna on CHUM? 

He was pretty cool on an interview I saw with him right after he retired. He said naturally there were current songs and music he didn't like, but he also said there was music back in the 60's when he first got into radio that he didn't really like either.

And besides with the money and various perks Roger had at CHUM, I don't think he would have too much of a problem "enduring" the odd song or artist he wasn't fond of.

     Thread Starter
 

May 13, 2020 5:22 pm  #7


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

mace wrote:

I often find it more interesting to hear what Roger has to say about the music he plays rather just listen to the songs.

As Smokey Robinson would say, "I second that emotion." While it's fun to hear some of the more obscure hits, if there were a scoped version of the show with just the stories he tells, I'd listen to that and save a few hours!

 

May 13, 2020 6:26 pm  #8


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

I heard Marilyn Dennis recently on the show but it was a short segment where Roger and Marilyn asked Janet Jackson who discovered the Jacksons and she replied it was Bobby Taylor ( of the Vancouvers).

This last weekend Roger shared a great tidbit about the studio band The Strangeloves and played their original version of "I want Candy."  He mentioned that this studio group tried to pass themselves as sheep farmers from Australia but of course hey were a American production team who made a comeback during the new wave era by working with a few acts. I still have a single they released in the 1960's under the name The Sheep. Just realized I scanned the B-side. The A side was called Hide and Seek:

 

Last edited by Fitz (May 13, 2020 6:28 pm)


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May 13, 2020 10:20 pm  #9


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

RadioActive wrote:

This has quickly become a weekly must hear for me, and I don't have a lot of those. 

Same; it's really great. Not many of those left. Strombo on CBC Music, and the evening R&B show on G98.7 are my others.
 

 

May 14, 2020 2:20 am  #10


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

As RA says the Roger Ashby Oldies Show is on (The?) Jewel 92, I Googled it and it airs Saturdays 4-7pm and Sundays 9-12noon (in case you were out of the loop like me and haven't had a chance to tune in)

I'm looking forward to hearing Roger and all the requested songs this weekend, which is beer in mind.... the long weekend?😏

Last edited by betaylored (May 14, 2020 3:06 am)

 

May 14, 2020 6:45 am  #11


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

In my case, it's Jewel 88.5. But it also airs at the same time on Jewel 92.1 in Brantford. So you can hear it in either locale depending on where you are on the weekend.

 

May 17, 2020 12:52 pm  #12


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

I thought they handled it pretty well, but I prefer the regular show to an all request one. I missed some of the features I like, such as The Roots of Rock, Behind the Hits and the Top 5 Countdown, something you really can't do when playing nothing but listener-asked-for tunes. They did manage to get in the Double Play, but only on a technicality. 

It's fine once in a while, but I hope they don't do this too often. When pros make most of the music choices, the show is a lot better and they're able to highlight some history that random requests just can't cover. In my addled mind, it's a lot better when they just add them into the mix, like putting salt on French fries. A little makes it taste better but too much is bad for you.  

Anyway, overall, it was still a fairly enjoyable three hours. I'd just like to request that they don't do too many of them! 

 

May 17, 2020 3:16 pm  #13


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

I prefer it when Roger picks the tunes.
 


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
 

May 17, 2020 3:34 pm  #14


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

I guess it's a downer day for me. Here in 2020, people actually request songs off their radio? With the countless apps out there that will play your song instantly (most of the apps are free) why wait 2 weeks for a VTd show? Today's show injected very little of the famed hosts personality.

 

May 18, 2020 11:02 am  #15


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

Tickle Trunk wrote:

I guess it's a downer day for me. Here in 2020, people actually request songs off their radio? With the countless apps out there that will play your song instantly (most of the apps are free) why wait 2 weeks for a VTd show? Today's show injected very little of the famed hosts personality.

Yes it's true that you can hear practically any song at any time. However, in requesting a song, some people like to express their feelings as to why they are requesting it. The memories, good [first high school relationship, passing that grade 10 math exam] bad [first high school breakup, or in my case the geek who never had a chance with the HOT girl in grade 9 English] all come flooding back when you hear the first few notes.

 

May 18, 2020 1:04 pm  #16


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

mace wrote:

However, in requesting a song, some people like to express their feelings as to why they are requesting it. The memories, good [first high school relationship, passing that grade 10 math exam] bad [first high school breakup, or in my case the geek who never had a chance with the HOT girl in grade 9 English] all come flooding back when you hear the first few notes.

And the only way to remember those feelings occur when a complete stranger on the radio plays it? Maybe because I haven't passed that grade 10 math exam and my high school crush is wearing purple today 🔭 I still fail to appreciate request shows. (Frankly, one of my first PDs believed that all-request shows are the sign of purple laziness.)

 

May 18, 2020 1:25 pm  #17


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

One of the first things I learned working for a Top 40 radio station is that the request lines they had back in the day were pretty much a total sham. Since most of what was being asked for was going to be in the regular rotation anyway, they'd simply ignore the request and just play it when the time came. Occasionally, they'd have an answering machine record the listener making the request and then use that to intro a song they were going to play at that time anyway. 

It made it sound like "we play what you say" and it might have helped with listener involvement and record research, but in my experience, it was more a gimmick than anything else. The Ashby Show is different, in that it takes requests for obscure oldies and since there's no real "playlist," they're actually fulfilling the wish and making it a feature of the show. 

But I still prefer leaving the bulk of the choices to the pros.  

 

May 19, 2020 10:37 am  #18


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

RadioActive wrote:

One of the first things I learned working for a Top 40 radio station is that the request lines they had back in the day were pretty much a total sham. Since most of what was being asked for was going to be in the regular rotation anyway, they'd simply ignore the request and just play it when the time came. Occasionally, they'd have an answering machine record the listener making the request and then use that to intro a song they were going to play at that time anyway. 

It made it sound like "we play what you say" and it might have helped with listener involvement and record research, but in my experience, it was more a gimmick than anything else. The Ashby Show is different, in that it takes requests for obscure oldies and since there's no real "playlist," they're actually fulfilling the wish and making it a feature of the show. 

But I still prefer leaving the bulk of the choices to the pros.  

Always kind of thought it was that way!  I do remember all request hours being a thing on radio up until the early 2000s!  

 

May 19, 2020 11:34 am  #19


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

Roger Ashby's all request show was ok, but I agree with the other posters here preferring the regular program.  I do understand why it was done if only to get caught up on all the requests that he has received over the past few months. Wouldn't be surprised if Roger does an all request show every three or four months, since he likely gets a lot more requests than what he can handle in a regular show.  Those calling in will appreciate their song played. Listening to the requests on the weekend, it is obvious Ashby's audience likes the show and the music he is playing.

RA is correct, many of the requests received at a top 40 station likely will be coming up in the next hour or two. If the song requested had just been played, I would tell the caller this and suggest something that I knew was going to be up in the next 15 minutes. For most people this was fine, problem solved.

So it is really how requests are handled and just letting the listener know if you can or can't play the song, or suggest something else.  Most callers were actually easy to get along with when it came to requests. 

Other than specialized shows (top 9 at 9 etc.) most stations don't actually solicit requests that much and really didn't either when I was in radio.  If someone requested a song from a few years ago and I knew that the song was quickly available in the library, sure I would play it and I would always let the caller know when the selection would be played.  But most requests tended to be for that new song by so and so...(yes, the "new" song we have been playing 6-7 times a day for the past three months..)

Last edited by paterson1 (May 19, 2020 11:37 am)

     Thread Starter
 

May 19, 2020 11:41 am  #20


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

Boom still does a request lunch hour and they play out of the ordinary stuff from their playlist that people do call in, have a chat and request.  

CHUM FM had a few years back "power lunch" when Ingrid Schumacher was in her last years.   I remember emailing her and she played my song within 20 mins.  Thats also when they were still allowed to play hits from the 80s until today (year 2015 I believe this was) 

 

May 20, 2020 2:19 am  #21


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

 I was honoured to have been hired by Bell Media and Roger to write and produce most of the imaging for the Roger Ashby Oldies Show.  Tom Jokic, Roger's longtime CHUM FM producer also wrote some of the break starters.

 

May 31, 2020 4:50 pm  #22


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

CKDO has been off the air (AM &FM) for a few hours now.

Anyone have any insight?

 

May 31, 2020 4:56 pm  #23


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

No explanation on their website, but what's interesting to me is that there's nothing but dead air on their Internet feed. Usually, when a station goes off the air, their "listen live" function still works on the web. Nothing but hiss there as I post this.

Update: Just out of curiousity, I dialed the numbers on their site. Nothing connected. Total power failure? Not sure why their phones wouldn't be working along with everything else. Also, their website has hash marks in the "last played" section where song titles should be. It's the same thing at their KX96 site. Nothing but carrier at 95.9, where the music should be.  

Whatever is going on, it sounds like (or rather doesn't sound like!) a massive outage of some kind that's not at the TX.  

Last edited by RadioActive (May 31, 2020 5:04 pm)

 

May 31, 2020 5:16 pm  #24


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

No power outages reported on Oshawa Public Utilities webpage or Twitter feed.

 

 

May 31, 2020 5:44 pm  #25


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

Are Ashby's shows archived anywhere? It would be nice to hear them "on demand."


"Life without echo is really no life at all." - Dan Ingram
 

May 31, 2020 5:48 pm  #26


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

Dale Patterson wrote:

Are Ashby's shows archived anywhere? It would be nice to hear them "on demand."

👍  
 

Last edited by Media Observer (May 31, 2020 5:48 pm)

 

May 31, 2020 5:50 pm  #27


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

Well whatever it was, both KX and CKDO are back on as of 5:45 or so. I wonder how long the outage lasted?

 

May 31, 2020 5:53 pm  #28


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

RadioActive wrote:

Well whatever it was, both KX and CKDO are back on as of 5:45 or so. I wonder how long the outage lasted?

https://www.facebook.com/KX96Country/posts/10158579143498578


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

May 31, 2020 7:52 pm  #29


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

Hacked

 

June 1, 2020 11:11 pm  #30


Re: Roger Ashby All Request Oldies Show This Weekend

Dale Patterson wrote:

Are Ashby's shows archived anywhere? It would be nice to hear them "on demand."

I think that the last several shows are available at https://www.iheart.com/live/the-roger-ashby-oldies-show-8506/, but just on a continuous loop ... I don't know of any way of accessing specific shows.