But I’ve always found the more conversational, less rigid format of ABCNR much better and easier to listen to. And of course, it’s not constant ads and inane announcements, like US stations do. For example, ABCNR starts its News AROUND the top of the hour, not exactly. Also, the bulletins are touched by the personality of the reader - they have freedom to do the weather reports in the way they like.
I find American radio, as a general rule, pretty unbearable and just clogged up with inane garbage and ads and station branding. I think it’s a symptom of having way too many radio stations - so you end up with hundreds of stations that have to scream what they do to get noticed.
Spingola Speaks with Deanna Spingola on RBN - one of the most bizarre, stupid call-in shows you’ve ever heard. Basically, every problem in the world is caused by the Jews.
I much prefer the US branding of radio stations to the majority of Australian stations that seems to barely care. Australian radio stations sounded better 20 years ago. There are countless examples of US branding that are well done. KOST for example where the jingles are designed with music beds to allow the announcers to introduce songs without talking over the the music. Fresh in New York is another good example.
I think ABC News Radio is terrible. How can they can justify broadcasting NPR and Deutsche Welle during the middle of the day and give away large parts of the night to relaying the BBC. On the weekend there is almost no Australian content after about 4pm.
For those who miss Casey Kasem’s American Top 40- 80s Edition,KCPI Albert Lea, Minnesota airs it in full from 0900-1245 AEST on Sunday. There’s a little less advertising to deal with on this small town station, thankfully. I think they also air the 70s Edition on Monday morning our time but I don’t listen to it.
Interesting figures for August just released in LA.
It shows Hot AC MyFM 104.3 surging over the past 3 months, going from a market-leading 5.8 to a huge 6.4
The Wave 94.7 is second with its Rhythmic AC sound from 5.4 to a great 5.9
K-Earth 101.1 is setting between a 5.1 to the current 4.8 in third.
KIIS 102.7 is 4th and has gone from a 5.0 to a 4.7 - this must frustrate its employees as it seems MyFM is given more marketing and is the company’s favourite child at the moment.
KOST and it’s ads galore - errrr AC - has softened from a 4.8 to a 4.5 - I find it intolerable at the moment with too many ads and too much repetition.
That’s what I thought. I’ll be going over to NZ early next year, so I’ll look forward to listening to them whilst travelling around, along with Coast, The Breeze & maybe a bit of The Rock.
The amount of advertising on American commercial radio is a major turn-off for me. Even public radio- in pledge drive season- can be annoying to listen to; I realise it’s a necessary evil for those stations though.
For a more laid back, alternative slice of Californiana, you can’t beat Radio Paradise.
So I count 33 FM stations in LA on that ratings list. And that doesn’t include fringe LA stations like KOLA from outlying suburbs.
How come ACMA keeps telling us they can’t possibly find room for another commercial FM in say Brisbane when the US equivalent can find room for 33 + in LA (more in surrounding areas)
because they’re lazy 1.
because they’ll get smashed by the current licence owners 2.
because they’re too daft to realise that a .4 gap, especially now the vast majority of radios aren’t twist-knob, is perfectly fine 3.
Because ABC high power stations use multiple frequencies in areas that surround metro areas with program formats like News Radio and RN that are better suited to AM.
Get ready to scream people - Entercom has sold some stations to the Educational Media morons, including The Sound 100.3 LA - which is going to become KLOVE 100.3
Surely there’s some sort of conflict there with the long-standing Spanish AC K-Love 107.5? Big waste of frequency in my opinion - The Sound was one of the better sounding classic rock stations in the US
I was listening to Wisconsin’s 105.7 WAPL a few nights ago and the one thing that really struck me was the better variety in their playlist. Triple M (and the other commercial FM stations, in a general sense) could really learn a thing or two from WAPL. The station not only played single releases, but also album tracks as well. It was pretty good.
