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![]() RadioInsight /////////////////////////////////////////// Rating the Lost 90s Posted: 02 Mar 2021 10:00 AM PST https://radioinsight.com/ross/204964...-the-lost-90s/ Lost hits are supposed to be lost for a reason. If you enjoy encountering them again on a throwback weekend, in a supermarket aisle, or on AccuRadio’s Lost ‘90s channel, (curated by friend of ROR Rich Appel), your enjoyment isn’t really supposed to depend on whether songs are good. If they’re fun to hear once every 15 years, or if they conjure high-school endorphins, lost hits have done their job. So when I rated the songs I heard over the course of a few hours, what I graded for (on a scale of 1-10) was mostly my enjoyment after not hearing most of these songs on the radio for a while. That exempted songs from having to stand the test of time, and yet I mostly found myself in the midrange anyway. But if the ‘90s were your school years, and you’re excited about hearing that era back on the radio, I fully expect you to score them differently. This isn’t a typical “First Listen” to the Lost ‘90s channel itself. Instead, I decided to discuss the songs I heard alphabetically by artist, rather than in the order in which I heard them . It’s not a review of the channel, just an opportunity to have some fun discussing the songs, like they do on Facebook’s “Oh Damn …That Song!” group, devoted heavily to the ‘90s and early ‘00s. (It might also be the ongoing influence of Stereogums The Number Ones series.) Ive also calculated the Lost Factor for these songs: Ace of Base, “Living in Danger” (1994) – It was eagerly seized upon by CHR at a time when Ace of Base was one of the formats few stars. But it felt like a fourth single. Also, seriousness wasn’t what people wanted from Ace of Base (even the next time on “Beautiful Life”). Hearing “Living in Danger” doesn’t quite pack an “oh wow” for me, in part because the first three singles are relatively available on ‘90s and Soft AC stations, and it sounds like those songs. LOST FACTOR: N/A (didn’t make the year-end Top 100); RATING: 4. After 7, “Nights Like This” (1991) – They were coming off “Ready or Not,” “Can’t Stop,” and a reissued “Heat of the Moment.” Then they set aside Babyface’s sound-of-the-moment for this Five Heartbeats soundtrack exercise in ‘60s-style R&B, and their momentum never recovered. But it was a decent Temptations homage, considering that the Tempts were still active at the time (and still a year away from their final pop-chart appearance with Rod Stewart on The Motown Song). The song that endured from The Five Heartbeats turned out to be the R&B hit, “A Heart Is a House for Love,” which got nowhere at pop radio, but gave the Dells a well-deserved place in Adult R&B gold libraries for another 15 years. LOST FACTOR: N/A (didn’t make the year-end Top 100); RATING: 6. Brian Setzer Orchestra, “Jump Jive an’ Wail” (1998) – I would never begrudge a Stray Cat a hit. I will always give Louis Prima his due proto-rocker respect. (His songs were, after all, successfully remade twice in the rock era.) I didn’t mind hearing “Jump Jive an’ Wail” this week, but it was “Mambo No. 5” in 1999 when the swing revival became something more than a genre exercise. LOST FACTOR: N/A (didn’t make the year-end Top 100); RATING: 5. Britney Spears, “Sometimes” (1999) – It turned out to be three uptempo songs — “ … Baby One More Time,” “Oops! … I Did It Again,” and “Toxic” that endured at radio. The ballads were never quite as big, but vulnerable Britney is particularly poignant now, and you wonder if “Sometimes” or “Every Time” would affect audiences more this time. LOST FACTOR: 0.9, made low by airplay at all-‘90s WMIA (Totally 93.9) Miami; RATING: 4 – At the time it reminded me too much of another international Max Martin hit I liked better, Jessica Folcker’s “How Will I Know (Who You Are).” But your mileage will differ, class of ’00. And I’m reconsidering. Deadeye Dick, “New Age Girl” (1994) – One of a handful of novelty/reaction songs with which Top 40 tried to spur some excitement during its doldrums. I wanted it to be a hit, but it felt a little forced even at the time. On the verses, it was kinda cerebral for a novelty song, not unlike Dada’s “Dizz Knee Land,” but the punchline in the chorus was ZZ Top-meets-Beavis & Butthead. It was also never supported by Alternative radio, if I remember, which is why they didn’t become, say, Presidents of the United States of America (see below). LOST FACTOR: N/A (didn’t make the year-end Top 100, although on Josh Hosler’s alternate “Pop 100” computations, the Lost Factor would be a 10); RATING: 5, fun to hear every few years. Hootie & the Blowfish, “I Go Blind” (1995) – Having worked with Canadian radio, this cover of the 54-40 hit never became lost for me. In America, it was enough of a secret weapon at the time for the stations that found it on a soundtrack that I figured it might endure here as well, their most-heard song after “I Only Wanna Be With You.” But this was never played quite enough at the time to become familiar here. LOST FACTOR: N/A (didn’t make the year-end Top 100); RATING: 6. INXS, “Disappear” (1990) – It was the rush-released follow-up to “Suicide Blonde.” It was an easy enough song to like, and still sounds good to me now, but it didn’t have the kick of any of the Kick singles, and it was already “no longer what CHR plays” in the rhythmic pop era. LOST FACTOR: 1.1 (low because it was only big enough to reach No. 91 of the year, but gets just over 100 spins); RATING: 7, but you may view it as more of a throwaway. LFO, “Summer Girls” (1999) –Among boy bands of the era, LFO had an unusual arc, starting out in the shadow of Backstreet Boys/’N Sync and finally finding a place as pop/rock successors to Hanson. Their big moment arrived about halfway in the process and also owed a little to “One Week” by Barenaked Ladies’ stream of pop culture references. LOST FACTOR: 5, but just wait for summer, especially if it’s a happier summer; RATING: 8, because it’s the kind of song you’d want to hear on a Lost ‘90s channel. Lisa Stansfield, “This Is the Right Time” (1990) – In the UK, it was her first solo single. In the U.S., it was a year old and the second follow-up to “All Around the World.” In that context, it was pleasant enough, but not the hit she needed. It’s pleasant enough now. If I’d heard it on one of the U.K.s many gold-based ACs, I probably would have really enjoyed it in a different context. (Think of it as hearing a song on the radio vs. hearing it on-demand on your phone.) LOST FACTOR: N/A (didn’t make the year-end Top 100); RATING: 5. Mariah Carey, “Anytime You Need a Friend” (1994) – Radio never quite decided which Mariah to bring back: the Hip-Hop-tinged uptempo numbers or the early ‘90s ballads. Maybe that’s why the midtempo “Always Be My Baby” became the enduring song (at least for 11 months of the year), and less-remembered ballads like this one are indeed lost at radio. This got better to me as it went along. Careys sung ad-libs at the end are what I like about Classic Soul; Careys vocal runs at the end are what you either like or dont like about Mariah. LOST FACTOR: 18; RATING: 4. Monica, “Angel of Mine” (1999) – I’d already lived with the Eternal original as a hit on UK radio, and on WPOW (Power 96) Miami. I still like Monica’s version, which was Billboard’s No. 3 song of 1999; I still love theirs. The sort of old-school A&R cover choice that I wish still happened more. LOST FACTOR: 0.95; RATING: 6 (original gets an 8). Nikki French, “Total Eclipse of the Heart” (1995) – Exciting and badly needed at the time. By dint of being newer and uptempo, it should be the version of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” that you hear most often on the radio. But Bonnie Tyler’s original gets about 75% of the airplay. Oddly, the dance version feels sort of dreary now, not enough of a relief from todays hits; then again, at the time, it was one of a few minor-key dance records that I referred to as “bleak house.” LOST FACTOR: 0.5; RATING: 5. Phil Collins, “You’ll Be in My Heart” (1999) – It was a hit on WHYI (Y100) Miami, then on the cusp of Hot AC and CHR, so it’s actually on the new WMIA. If this song and/or the movie Tarzan was part of your childhood, you’ll be considerably more attached to it than I am. Even at the time, I felt it was okay for what it was. LOST FACTOR: N/A (didn’t make the year-end Top 100); RATING: 5. Presidents of the United States of America, “Peaches” (1996) – They arrived during the “new rock revolution.” “Peaches” followed “Lump”’s blast of punk anarchy. So their image was hip enough for Alternative, but listening 25 years later, this is really a Spin Doctors record. It’s not so different from the whimsy of “Cleopatra’s Cat,” the Spin Doctors song that quickly snapped their own hit streak in 1994. Kinda starts out like that Dada song, too. But if you were Class of ’96, you’re going to like this more. LOST FACTOR: N/A (didn’t make the year-end Top 100); RATING: 4. Sting, “All This Time” (1991) – In the last moments before monitored airplay, this was a top 5 hit, but not a song I heard much on large-market Top 40. All This Time was mournful — about the death of the artist’s father; also, Sting was suddenly out of step on the rhythmic-leaning CHR at the time. He fared better in 1993 with the equally elegiac “Fields of Gold,” in part because only the adult-leaning CHRs were left in the format at the time. LOST FACTOR: 0.5 (low spins, but also low year-end points); RATING: 7. 2Pac, “Changes” (1998) – Never quite “lost,” it became a gold library staple for a while in the ‘00s, and resurfaced again in the turmoil of 2020. LOST FACTOR: N/A (didn’t make the year-end Top 100, but received 324 spins last week, so would be well under a 1.0, our dividing line for “lost,” even if it was the biggest song of 1999); RATING: 10. Vengaboys, “We Like to Party” (1999) – Milli Vanilli were blamed for Top 40’s early ‘90s travails. As it turned out, they saved the format a few times over by paving the way for Euro-goofiness to make it in America without apologies. Without it, we probably couldn’t have had “Rhythm Is a Dancer,” “What Is Love,” and the other dance songs that buoyed the format until “Wannabe” came along. We probably couldn’t have had “Wannabe.” A cycle later, we wouldn’t have had the “turbo-pop” of the late ‘00s/early ‘10s. We definitely wouldn’t have had Aqua or the Vengaboys. I experienced this song as a current on UK radio, where it was barely goofy enough for the DJs to complain about at the time. LOST FACTOR: N/A (didn’t make the year-end Top 100; RATING: Beyond good and evil, but my enjoyment in hearing it again was a 7. Wallflowers, “The Difference” (1997) – CHR goes through “Brigadoon” moments where the Triple-A or singer/songwriter acts that are usually “too good for radio” suddenly sound like pop stars. It happened with Steve Forbert in 1980. It happened with the Wallflowers in 1996-97, a relatively sustained period for acoustic crossovers, buoyed by the growth of Modern AC. I liked this more than “One Headlight.” I liked “Sleepwalker” even better a few years later, by which point there was no possibility of Top 40 being interested. Also, this sounds surprisingly like a Graham Parker song; certainly, “The only difference/That I see/Is you are exactly the same/As you used to be” would have been withering coming from Parker or Elvis Costello. LOST FACTOR: N/A (wasn’t a single and as such not on the Hot 100); RATING: 7. /////////////////////////////////////////// Entercom Appoints Tim Clarke As Boston Market Manager; Claudia Menegus Adds Miami Duties Posted: 02 Mar 2021 07:42 AM PST https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...-miami-duties/ Entercom has announced the appointments of new Market Managers for Boston and Miami. Tim Clarke joins Entercom from Cox Media Group as SVP/Market Manager for the companys stations in Boston effective March 15. Clarke has served as VP/Audience & Content for Cox since February 2018 after a long run in programming and digital roles at the company. He worked on-air at 106.1 WBLI Patchogue NY eventually rising to Music Director in 2008. He then programmed CHRs 95.1 WAPE Jacksonville FL from 2009-2011 and Hot 101.5 WPOI Tampa from 2011-2013 before rising to Director of Digital Audience for Cox Radio in December 2013. Claudia Menegus currently serves as Regional President of Entercom Gainsville, Memphis, Miami and Orlando and Market Manager for Orlando. She has led the Orlando cluster since the closing of Entercoms acquisition of CBS Radio in late 2017. She previously served as Director of Sales for CBS Radio Orlando, NTR Director/Sales Manager of 105.7 WHFS Baltimore and Director of Integrated Marketing for CBS Radio during her career. Clarke succeeds Mark Hannon in Boston. Hannon rose to Regional Vice President in August 2020 overseeing Baltimore, Boston, Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, Hartford, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Providence, Rochester, Springfield, Washington DC, and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Menegus had been serving as Interim Market Manager in Miami since the resignation of Keriann Worley in October 2020. Entercom announced new market leadership for its Boston and Miami markets. The company welcomes Tim Clarke as Senior Vice President and Market Manager of Entercom Boston, overseeing the market’s six stations including Big 103 (WBGB-FM), Magic 106.7 (WMJX-FM), Mix 104.1 (WWBX-FM) WEEI (WEEI-FM), WEEI (WEEI-AM) and WVEI (WVEI-AM), effective March 15. The company subsequently announces Claudia Menegus as Market Manager of Entercom Miami. Menegus also currently serves as Regional President of Entercom Gainsville, Memphis, Miami and Orlando, where she has market manager responsibilities. “We’re so excited to welcome Tim as Entercom Boston’s Market Manager,” said Mark Hannon, Regional President, Entercom Boston. “Tim is a proven broadcast executive who brings tremendous insights into content, audience and data analytics. He’s perfectly suited to lead our six amazing brands and digital assets into the future.” “I am honored and thrilled to join Entercom and work with the incredibly talented team in Boston and across the entire organization,” said Clarke. “I truly admire Entercom and their forward-thinking strategy as they build the future of audio while also serving their communities and being world-class local broadcasters.” Clarke joins Entercom after previously serving as Vice President of Content and Audience for Cox Media Group (CMG). In this role, he oversaw all content, programming, marketing and digital audience strategies for the company’s radio properties. Prior to that, Clarke was Senior Director of Digital Audience, where he was responsible for digital content, audience and product strategy for CMG’s radio stations. Other positions with Cox Media Group include Director of Branding and Programming for CMG Tampa’s “Hot 101.5” WPOI-FM, Director of Social Media for all six of CMG’s Tampa properties, Program Director at CMG Jacksonville’s WAPE-FM and Music Director for CMG Long Islands WBLI-FM. In 2011, Clarke was honored by Edison Research as one of their “Top 30 Under 30” in media. “I look forward to leading our Miami market and its seven premier brands,” said Menegus. “Collectively, these stations and our talent embody the local spirit of Miami, giving listeners a home for entertainment and information each and every day. I’m proud to have the opportunity to work with these brands and our talented Miami team, reimagining new possibilities and connecting with our consumers and community.” Menegus has served as Regional President, overseeing the company’s Gainsville, Memphis, Miami and Orlando markets since August 2020. She is a 22-year broadcast veteran, 18 of those spent at CBS Radio. During her tenure with CBS Radio, Menegus spent 14 years in various roles in the Baltimore market, including as NTR Director and Sales Manager for Talk and Alternative station WHFS-FM. Menegus also developed the CBS Radio Baltimore Marketing Group, a vehicle to expand non-traditional platforms, venue sponsorships, and sports marketing with Baltimore Ravens players, providing exclusive sponsorship programs and raising awareness for their foundations. In 2014, she was appointed as Director of Integrated Marketing for CBS Radio Corporate overseeing the Events and Experiences Division in 15 markets. Menegus began her career with Infinity Broadcasting in Tampa, which later merged with CBS Radio. /////////////////////////////////////////// Townsquare Brings New Country To Western Massachusetts Posted: 02 Mar 2021 07:00 AM PST https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...massachusetts/ Townsquare Media flipped AC 1230 WNAW North Adams MA to Country New Country 94.7 with the launch of its translator W234DD North Adams on Monday. The launch gives the Pittsfield/North Adams market in Western Massachusetts its only Country station as the market was previously served by Townsquares 107.7 WGNA Albany NY. WNAW will feature a local talent in three dayparts. Rich Whitman, who hosts afternoons on Townsquare Hot AC Live 95.9 WBEC-FM, will also host mornings at New Country 94.7. Ryan Pause, who hosted the Saturday morning Trading Post, will move to middays. Dave Fierro, who has worked at WNAW since 1968, will move from mornings to afternoons. Townsquares Taste of Country Nights will round out the lineup. The station will continue carry play-by-play of the Boston Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics and New England Patriots. /////////////////////////////////////////// Salem Expands In San Francisco Posted: 02 Mar 2021 05:00 AM PST https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...san-francisco/ Salem Media is adding two more stations in the San Francisco Bay Area. Salem, which already owns three AMs in the markets, will acquire Gospel The Light 1190 KDYA and Christian Preaching 1640 KDIA Vallejo from Baybridge Communications for $600,000 through its New Inspiration Broadcasting Co., Inc. holding company. Salem Media already owns Conservative Talk 860 The Answer KTRB San Francisco, Christian Preaching 1100 KFAX San Francisco, and Business Talk Wall Street Business Network 1220 KDOW Palo Alto. /////////////////////////////////////////// There's A Man Down! A Real Rock Rebranding In Greensboro Posted: 02 Mar 2021 04:30 AM PST https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...in-greensboro/ iHeartMedia has rebranded its Classic Rocker in Greensboro/Winston-Salem NC. After five and a half years as 105.7 Man Up!, WVBZ Clemmons NC rebranded on Monday as Real Rock 105.7. No on-air staff or music changes have accompanied the name change. WVBZ flipped from Alternative to Active leaning Classic Rock in May 2015. WVBZ registered a 2.1 share in the January 2021 Nielsen Audio ratings, way down from its 3.5 share as recently as November 2020. It also places it well behind the 8.7 share of Dick Broadcastings Rock 92 WKRR. iHeartMedia Greensboro announced today the debut of the new REAL ROCK 105.7, effective immediately. REAL ROCK 105.7 will broadcast the top Rock songs from legendary artists including Led Zeppelin, Green Day, Queen, Foo Fighters, Nirvana and more. Plus, the station will also feature three hours of uninterrupted music each weekday afternoon at 4:20 p.m. presented by Greensboro’s market veteran on-air personality Matt Pencola. “We’re excited to launch REAL ROCK 105.7 and broadcast esteemed music from the greats like, Queen, Nirvana and AC/DC as well as the biggest artists of the 21st*century like The Foo Fighters, Breaking Benjamin and more,” said JT Bosch, Program Director for REAL ROCK 105.7. “At the same time, this station will also provide our Piedmont Triad listeners with great promotional contests and local community events and concerts to look forward to.” “I’m ecstatic that we’re able to deliver this new authentic Rock station to our listeners in the Piedmont Triad area,” said* Kellie Holeman, Market President for iHeartMedia Greensboro. “The Greensboro market loves Rock music, so this new Rock format will allow us to deliver active consumers to our advertisers as well as a great mix of music, local content and promotions, with a continued emphasis on serving the community.” Full Programming Lineup: JT Bosch ************************* **** **************6 a.m.-10 a.m. Theresa********************* ********** ************ 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Matt Pencola ******************* *************3 p.m.-7 p.m. Klinger ************************* ******* *************7 p.m. – 12 a.m. /////////////////////////////////////////// The Radio Fam: Valuing Yourself Outside of Your Radio Job Posted: 01 Mar 2021 04:29 PM PST https://www.theradiofam.com/post/val...your-radio-job /////////////////////////////////////////// Aaron 'Goose' Seller Joins Adams Salisbury As Operations Manager Posted: 01 Mar 2021 02:52 PM PST https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2...tions-manager/ Adams Radio Group has tabbed Aaron Goose Seller as Operations Manager for their Salisbury/Ocean City MD cluster and Program Director of Rhythmic CHR OC 104 103.9 WOCQ Berlin. Seller most recently spent a few months as Operations Manager for Sound Managements stations in South Bend IN and morning host at CHR U93 92.9 WNDV-FM. The Detroit native spent the majority of his career in Colorado with stints in mornings at Cumulus CHR 98.9 Magic-FM KKMG and a decade at AC 92.9 Peak-FM KKPK where he also served as Director of Marketing. He also was part of the morning show at Bonneville Country 98.5 KYGO Denver. Aaron “Goose” Seller has joined Adams Radio in Salisbury/Ocean City, MD, as the Operations Manager for WOCQ, WZBH, WUSX, WGBG WOCQ-HD2 (KOOL Oldies). Aaron will also serve as Program Director for WOCQ. Aaron spent the first 7 years of his career in the Midwest beginning as an intern at WKQI, in his hometown of Detroit MI. He has grown his career through a variety of station positions. He spent 14 years in Colorado in both Colorado Springs and Denver. In 2020 Goose returned home to the Midwest as Operations Manager for Sound Management in South Bend overseeing Top 40 WNDV, Classic Rock WYXX, and Classic Hits WYET. Aaron is very passionate with community organizations including “The Home Front Cares”, “Ronald McDonald House”, and “Make-A-Wish Foundation”. In his free time Aaron loves to golf, perform standup comedy, and is a self-proclaimed foodie. He is always looking for a new restaurant or recipe to try. “I have heard such amazing things about Adams Radio Group. Adams owns the same cluster I worked with in Ft. Wayne many years ago and now I get to work alongside some great former co-workers including J.J. Fabini. I am excited to get to the east coast and the Delmarva Peninsula. I am so thankful to Market Manager Johnette Cochran for this incredible opportunity.” Adams VP/Market Manager, Johnette Cochran said “I’m very excited about this announcement. After the 3rd interview with Aaron, I knew he was the right fit for our team and our market. His knowledge of the power of live and local radio is what sold me. He understands the important of local small business. I’m confident that I made the right decision with Aaron and look forward to him getting to the Eastern Shore.” |
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