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January 16, 2020 4:27 pm  #1


Where Did This Bizarre Radio Programming Theory Come From?

A long time ago, at a radio station not that far away in Toronto, I came across a P.D. who subscribed to the theory that you could never play two female artists back-to-back on a music radio station.
 
I didn’t understand it then and I still don’t understand it now. Now this odd idea has resurfaced, amidst ongoing stories that a large majority of country-music formatted stations will never play two women’s songs in a row. In this case, it’s from an L.A. radio station, which apparently subscribes to the idea.
 
(Country music star Kasey Musgrave has come out and labeled the concept as smelling “like white male bullshit,” reigniting the controversy.) I’ve heard this is an ongoing issue in country radio, but since I’m not a listener, I can’t say if it’s true in this area. But I used to hear it about Top 40 as well, although I’m unsure if anyone on that format still believes it to be the case.
 
But it obviously goes back a long way. I just can’t see the sense in it, but for some old school Music Directors or P.D.s, it seems to be an accepted truism.
 
My questions are: Where in the world did this idea come from? Did anyone here ever find this to be the policy at the shop where they worked?
 
It simply makes no sense to me. If a song is a hit and the one that follows it is, as well, and people want to hear them both, who cares if they’re women singers and they're played back-to-back? What a weird programming concept.
 
Kacey Musgraves calls out country radio station for not playing women back to back: 'Smells like white male bull****'

 

January 16, 2020 5:04 pm  #2


Re: Where Did This Bizarre Radio Programming Theory Come From?

RadioActive wrote:

My questions are: Where in the world did this idea come from? Did anyone here ever find this to be the policy at the shop where they worked?

Maybe it was borrowed from setting up batting orders in co-ed slo-pitch.
 

 

January 16, 2020 6:58 pm  #3


Re: Where Did This Bizarre Radio Programming Theory Come From?

The programming theory was used often by MOR radio stations in the 50's into the 70's. The thinking was that you tried to avoid playing two similar types of songs back to back, not just female. 

So you wouldn't play two instrumentals back to back, or two ballads back to back, or two groups etc.   Also back then MOR stations often had commercials or features between songs so they weren't like top 40 stations that actually would go from one song directly into another.

Think CFRB in it's hey day...Ray Conniff singers, followed by Jack Jones, and then Vicki Carr, Laurie Bower Singers, Johnny Cash, Ginette Reno, James Last and the gang...etc. But normally with chit chat or commercials in between, and of course a newscast at the top or bottom of the hour.  Yes RB must have been a money machine back then! 

 

January 16, 2020 7:20 pm  #4


Re: Where Did This Bizarre Radio Programming Theory Come From?

I was told that the origin came from the fact that back in the day there were not many female artists to play.  If you spun them back to back or even more than a few an hour, you would burn them out.  Not saying it's fact, just what I was told.  This came from stations playing that devil rock and roll.

 

January 17, 2020 1:00 am  #5


Re: Where Did This Bizarre Radio Programming Theory Come From?

I remember back in high school, I was off for a dentist or doctor's appointment and was eating breakfast. Of course, CFRB was playing on the kitchen radio. I was curious how many hideous records Wally Crouter would play in one hour. With the commercial load, traffic reports, news, weather, sports and idiotic [ to a teenager] chit chat the total was four! This would have been 1969-71 era.

 

January 17, 2020 6:50 pm  #6


Re: Where Did This Bizarre Radio Programming Theory Come From?

I worked for a guy who frowned on female singers at any time, "Except maybe Clio Lane and only once in a while." I was 20 and had no idea who she was. BUT the really quirky programming rule was that after a newscast the first record HAD to be an instrumental. "Because people have just been listening to a whole bunch of words and they don't want to hear any more right away."

 

January 19, 2020 1:30 am  #7


Re: Where Did This Bizarre Radio Programming Theory Come From?

The patriarchy strikes again, on a slow Saturday at the Detroit News. Their target here is 98.1 WKCQ, heritage country station in Saginaw MI --

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/entertainment/2020/01/18/musgraves-ballerini-sound-off-airplay-inequality-saginaw-country-station/4510833002/

 

January 19, 2020 1:17 pm  #8


Re: Where Did This Bizarre Radio Programming Theory Come From?

All the AM top 40 or MOR stations I worked at in my time as a pro nouncer had this policy in effect. 

 

January 20, 2020 8:45 pm  #9


Re: Where Did This Bizarre Radio Programming Theory Come From?

A Kingston, Ont. radio station is trying to even the odds by deliberately playing as many female as male artists. Its P.D. has a theory about how the "no two women back-to-back" philosophy originated. 

“Being a radio program director, male artists usually do test better than female artists ... Most stations base their playlists off this research. We’ve allowed male artists so much exposure over such a long time. It feels like we’re in a cycle, and it’s not a reflection of the quality of the artist or the quantity of the music available.

"When you test anything, the more familiar you are with it, the more likely you’re going to start to like it. It doesn’t matter if we put out a million tests, we’re probably always going to see that there’s going to be higher numbers for men.”


Don’t be scared of women in country radio’ — local station looks to program more female artists 

     Thread Starter
 

January 22, 2020 6:30 pm  #10


Re: Where Did This Bizarre Radio Programming Theory Come From?

An article in the Washington Post, republished in The Star, comes up with this bizarre explanation of the no-women-back-to-back-on-radio rule:

"Country radio stations shouldn’t play two songs by women in a row because of the persistent myth that female listeners (the target demographic for country radio) don’t like female voices."

What an odd idea, but still no explanation of where it originated. 

Latest controversy about lack of women on country radio fuels new equality rule
 

     Thread Starter