The kids not wrong.  I have music in my Spotify from the 50s, 60s & 70srock & roll & pop, even disco;  alternative from the 80s, dance & rave music from the 90s and new alt/rock and drum & bass from this year.

I believe it was an article shared in this forum about how LA's KIIS 102.7 was playing older top 40 songs along with newer music. They played "Love is a Battlefield" and thwn a newer song.  As recently as the 90s top 40 stations were more  rock, pop and hip-hop and the odd country tune, when compared to today.

Would I listen to a radio station that played a much MUCH wider variety of music?  Definitely. At a time where radio stations need listeners why not try a no format 'format'?  The problem is:  most radio stations are owned by big faceless conglomerates that wouldn't take the financial risk.

I think the closest radio station that already plays a very wide variety of music is Boom 97.3

Interesting observations, but how would you market such a station? Even Jack's infamous "Playing What We Want" didn't last all that long. And it certainly did not have the kind of range we're talking about here.

CBC Radio One is successful and does well with key demos, especially well educated and high income groups.  But what would you call their format? 

They play little music, almost none hit oriented or even familiar, and they are one of the last stations where a programming guide is useful.  To me CBC Radio is a collection of shows but other than maybe saying it is public affairs and information station, I would be hard pressed to give it a format.  And none of the private stations do anything close to what CBC Radio does.  

In terms of Boom 97.3 yes they do carry a reasonable variety of music, I wish it was even wider.  However Boom and CHFI have been very successful stations in terms of ratings for a long time.  I doubt that either will deviate much until the numbers tell them it is time.

And for both of these stations, music is an important part, but just part of their success.  They have great production/promotions, strong professional live on air talent and both have a good connection to their audience. 

I am surprised that radio folks haven't noticed how the wide variety of music available at a single click today  -  has expanded the audience musical space. 

The 6 Free Form DJs at NYthespirit.com have been doing this style of programming for about 10 years. And yes - it's working very well.

For example here in alphabetical order listing (protecting my mixes) of one of my shows from a few weeks back...
 
A-ha – The Sun Always Shines On TV (extended mix)
Alan Parsons Project – (The System Of) Doctor Tarr And Professor Fether (1987 remix)
Amanda Lear – Hollywood Flashback
B.B. King – Lucille
Be Bop Deluxe – Surreal Estate
Benjamin Russell/Rob Stuar – Brighter Light
Beth Hart/Joe Bonamassa – Strange Fruit (live)
Blues Image – Ride Captain Ride
Bob Geldof – This Is The World Calling
Brian Eno – Baby’s On Fire
Bruce Cockburn – Call It Democracy
Bruce Springsteen – The River
Charles Aznavour & Elton John – Yesterday When I Was Young
Clash – Charlie Don’t Surf
Clash – Should I Stay Or Should I go
Dandy Warhols – We Used To Be Friends
Daniel Lanois – Power
Dave Stewart & Barbara Gaskin – It’s My Party
David Bowie – Thursday’s Child
David Gilmour – Smile
David Gray – Say Hello, Wave Goodbye
Depeche Mode – Soothe My Soul
Elliott Murphy – Thirty Was A Long Time Ago
Eric Clapton – Wonderful Tonight (live)
Ferry Aid – Let It Be
Fred Neil – Everybody’s Talkin’
Garfield – Mississippi Jimmie
Genesis – The Cinema Show
Grace Jones – Walking In The Rain
New Order – Blue Monday
Peter Murphy – All Night Long
Propellerheads feat. Shirley Bassey – History Repeating (Knee Length Mix)
Rammstein – Stripped (Heavy Mental Mix By Charlie Clouser)
Sal Solo – Heartbeat
SLAVE To The SQUAREwave – Starrs
Snowy White – In The Skies
Steve Forbert – Romeo’s Tune
Taj Mahal – Take A Giant Step
Train – Drops Of Jupiter (Tell Me)
Trans-Canada Highwaymen – Which Way You Goin’ Billy?
Tremeloes – Silence Is Golden
Underworld – Nylon Strung
Zwol – Southern Part Of France

Want to see more? Go here - https://rave-and-roll.com/tag/david-marsden-playlist/



 

RadioActive wrote:

paterson1 wrote:

CBC Radio One is successful and does well with key demos, especially well educated and high income groups.  But what would you call their format?

Variety?

I guess Variety is vague enough to cover what they do.   I have noticed them also referred to as Public Radio or Information/Public Affairs, or Talk/Information occasionally.

paterson1 wrote:

RadioActive wrote:

paterson1 wrote:

CBC Radio One is successful and does well with key demos, especially well educated and high income groups.  But what would you call their format?

Variety?

I guess Variety is vague enough to cover what they do.   I have noticed them also referred to as Public Radio or Information/Public Affairs, or Talk/Information occasionally.

It's a talk station. They spend less time playing music than 1010 does playing commercials. It's the most talk programming per hour on the radio. Music is just an occasional accent.

I find that CJRT manages to present quite a range of music by having themed shows. Different hosts and quite varied types of music. The stretch the definition of jazz to extreme but satisfying muical edges. So the station meets the criteria of a stable image, but packages music into varied formats.

People think a non formatted station would work until they are confronted with artists they don’t know or like.
Any non formatted station would still have to play some hits from the current year from all genres. Would anyone here want to hear The Weekend, Dua Lipa, Drake, Taylor Swift, Sza, Olivia Rodrigo, Morgan Wallen, Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Travis Scott, Bad Bunny, Heartworms, Green Lung, and Maneskin along with the songs you like from Boom’s playlist all one station?

Last edited by Tomas Barlow (December 4, 2023 2:49 am)

I would tune in to a non-formatted radio station no problems. My late father used to make mix tapes that were all over the place genre wise, he would have Sinatra and Aerosmith on the same tape. I thought it odd as a teenager but somehow they worked! Still have one somewhere in my cassette collection……!