The only place where traditional full jingles can work is Classic Hits, where the audience was used to them. Locally, Boom doesn't use them though.

For CHR, a quick sung audio signature (This...is...KiSS) can work so long as it's produced in the same style as current music. If anything else is sung, it comes off as super-cheezy, no matter how modern the production.

I agree and they had the added bonus of being exclusive to one station in a market. Plus, they were repeated more frequently than most of the songs on the playlist. To this day, those CHUM PAMS jingles are as much a part of my musical memories as the hits themselves. 

But they're not for every format. They fit perfectly into the oldies category. Would they work on whatever Virgin 99.9 is today? I'm not so sure. 

In the end, jingles on the radio are like salt in a recipe. Too much and it's inedible. But just right and it really adds to the flavour. 

(By the way, I've pointed this out before, but there's a 24/7 commercial free Internet station called "Planet Oldies," that plays exactly what its name implies. The difference between it and every other online oldies station is that they also play a PAMS or JAMS jingle between each and every song from a famous Top 40 radio station, including WABC, WLS and WGAR and WNBC. It's great to hear them again and it makes the station stand out from the others.)

Jingles in radio come and go to a certain extent and depending on the format.  Even 1050 CHUM went through a stage around late '79 to maybe 1982 when they didn't play any jingles.  Stations like Virgin, CHUM FM, even CFNY have had jingles on and off.  Virgin Radio here in Kitchener uses jingles.  Our other CHR station 91.5 The Beat is heavy with jingles and they sound decent.   CHFI has been consistent with them.  BOOM used jingles maybe 12 years ago but as I recall they weren't that great or memorable.   

Country radio is usually jingle crazy and often with a top 40 or contemporary sound.  Over in Europe jingles on music stations are all over the place.  The largest and most successful jingle companies in the world are now mostly based in Europe. BBC Radio 1 and 2 are a bit of a legend for their use of thematic music and jingles. 

 

Last edited by paterson1 (November 10, 2022 11:43 am)

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