Well, it's after 6 AM on Monday, Sept. 11th and as I post this, no sign on an actual "sign-on," despite it being announced for 6 AM. They're still in automated mode, with liners being the only "voice" on the airwaves. According to the newspaper article, the launch was skedded for six in the morning. Maybe that's why they took the countdown clock off their website. It's been replaced by "Your Hometown Radio Coming Soon!" Does that mean not today?

I'm not sure what the delay is - they've only had three and half years to prepare for this day! Perhaps they're waiting for the pattern change, when people can actually hear them.

To paraphrase Yakov Smirnoff, "What a station!"

I wonder what they define as "soon". Hopefully their staff didn't jump ship.

Pretty eclectic playlist, too. "How'd We Ever Get This Way" by Andy Kim, followed by "Boom Boom Boom Boom!!" by Vengaboys, followed by "Happy Heart" by Andy Williams.



PJ 

RadioActive wrote:

I was actually thinking about that this weekend. You can already question the idea of putting a music station on AM. But the range of their playlist has me wondering. The 1950s to the 1990s? It seems to me many (but not all) who remember songs from the 50s might find anything from the 80s and especially the 90s off putting and a tune-out.

While those who recall the 80s and 90s fondly, with a nod to the 70s thrown in, may turn the dial if an unfamiliar 50s song comes on. And they're probably listening to Boom on FM in the first place. 

So while I welcome their wider playlist, I can't help but think they're trying to appeal to just too many and getting none of them in the long run.   

Very true. CKOC used to incorporate "a little bit of everything" in their playlist during their Top 40 heyday, but even they knew when to draw the line. Also, they were on top of the ratings, so there was kind of a "we can play whatever the hell we want because everybody listens to us" kind-of mentality. (Compare that to top-rated stations nowadays that don't want to rock the boat even slightly because they're too scared of audience tune-out). Andy Williams would be the type of artist one would expect to hear on a "Music of Your Life" station (if any of those still exist), and the Vengaboys seems like a "throwback" tune you would hear on stations like Energy 95.3, Kiss 92.5 or maybe even CHUM 104.5. Definitely not the same audience.

And hey, I know even my own station has been know for a few "interesting" segues from time to time, like "Purple Haze" by Jimi Hendrix leading into "Every Woman in the World" by Air Supply! . But I'm doing this for fun, not for profit, so it's a different ball of wax. Even so, I try to be very conscientious about songs that just "don't work" on my station, even if they're songs that I like. Given the email responses I get from listeners, I appear to be on the right track.

The classic hits format is fairly eclectic to begin with. But there comes a point where it's like a rubber band: you can only stretch it so far before it snaps.


PJ

RadioActive wrote:

I was actually thinking about that this weekend. You can already question the idea of putting a music station on AM. But the range of their playlist has me wondering. The 1950s to the 1990s? It seems to me many (but not all) who remember songs from the 50s might find anything from the 80s and especially the 90s off putting and a tune-out.

While those who recall the 80s and 90s fondly, with a nod to the 70s thrown in, may turn the dial if an unfamiliar 50s song comes on. And they're probably listening to Boom on FM in the first place. 

So while I welcome their wider playlist, I can't help but think they're trying to appeal to just too many and getting none of them in the long run.   

"The music of 5 decades" was the format when CKLY in Lindsay went into receivership. Different market, yes, but you may be correct that too many decades just doesn't work for a format...in any market.

Wow. They can't even get their own launch right. 

So much for the newspaper publicity they garnered, probably the last press mention they'll ever receive. 

I tried phoning the new 905 number listed on their site to see if anyone could explain what happened and predictably, there was no answer - not even voicemail. 

RadioActive wrote:

Wow. They can't even get their own launch right.

I'd say it's embarrassing but I'm not even sure many people besides us on this board even noticed this station was supposed to officially go on the air today.
 

djwildbill wrote:

I do wish Classic 1220 the very best.

I am the old music director of 1220 CHSC. I enjoyed my freelance job with them from 2003 to 2010. The owner was an idiot. Left a few of us not being fully paid. He owes me $1,000 which I will never, ever see.

I'm wondering if the current management of 1220 is having some cash flow issues too? Hence my earlier comment about staff jumping ship (or at least not showing up for work until there's some assurance of them getting paid).



PJ
 

djwildbill wrote:

I’m concerned about them being able to fully function as a radio station when they start paying staff. What concerns me most is the owner has one station - on the AM band - an all-music AM radio station. I just don’t want them telling staff that pay day will have to be delayed till they get money in

Considering that the station hasn't run any paid commercials so far, that's a valid concern. 

You have to wonder if the next "official launch" is going to be even farther off than next Monday, if it ever happens at all.


PJ