I'm in Regina and Saskatoon for a few days on a work project. I found this story in Saturday's Leader Post and have been waiting patiently all day to get it posted.
By the way, the near zero temperatures in this area at the end January are quite enjoyable!
CKRM revamps playlist format
Variety over repetition for new feel
BY JEFF DEDEKKER, LEADER-POST JANUARY 28, 2012
Regina's 620 CKRM is bucking the trend when it comes to programming its playlist.
The vast majority of radio stations currently use consultants that, in addition to recommending artists, songs and schedules for playlists, provide guidance in other areas of the business such as advertising and on-air personnel. When CKRM's latest contract with its consultant expired, station management decided to move from a limited title, high repetition format to a formula more representative of its audience.
Jason Huschi, CKRM's general manager, believes the connection between the station and its audience provides ample information and direction when it comes to creating a playlist.
"Our choice to go this route wasn't because our consultant took us in a wrong direction," said Huschi. "We believe here that we have, through our surveys, through our discussions and interactions with our listeners and within our advertising community, all the necessary information. There was a void that was created when we stopped doing what we were doing best. It's time, we feel, that we can serve a lot more people a lot more effectively going back to what we were known for.
"There seemed to be a disconnect in a lot of cases of really what we were there to be. And that's what we've turned our branding back to be. We're a country music station at heart but news and information are a big part of what we do."
The trend of a limited title, high repetition playlist best fits FM and urban stations and their respective audiences. Statistics indicate that these type of stations have listeners that tune in for 90 minutes per day on average. CKRM, on the other hand, estimates that its listeners tune in for three to four hours per day on average.
Given the larger daily listening window, CKRM felt it was counterproductive to maintain a playlist that would repeat a song numerous times during the course of a day.
"We felt that with some feedback we got and who our audience is, we were just burning these people out with repetition and very little variety," explained Huschi. "It made sense to us to go back to our roots, expand our playlist, open up our genre ... and head back to the roots of country and what made country big today."
For many in the radio industry, consultants are a sensitive issue. While consultants do have their supporters, there are those who feel they are the poster boys for everything that is wrong in radio.
Robert Townsend, a business executive credited with transforming Avis Car Rental into a global success, has a famous quote that is often repeated by those who see consultants as villains: "Consultants are people who borrow your watch, tell you what time it is and then walk off with the watch."
While consultants no longer fit into CKRM's current plans, Huschi emphasized they can be a valuable tool.
"Anytime when you can rely on experts to give you direction, we're all going to benefit from it," said Huschi. "Consultants have, through their line of work, the ability to work with several different radio stations, several different announcers and share a lot of good ideas.
"A lot of what they do isn't necessarily 100 per cent of the music you play. They're coaching your announcers, they're helping you build your clocks, they're giving you promotional ideas or sharing those sorts of things.
"It comes down to how the management team uses the information and the tools."
Huschi is confident CKRM's new playlist will meet the expectations of its listeners.
"We certainly still cover the Top 20, without a doubt, but we expanded our list to bring back top songs from the last 20 years of country and the top artists," Huschi said. "There is still a place for bringing back the heritage and the roots of country music. The '80s were great years in country, so were the '90s. Garth Brooks is back - he was huge, then he left for a while and he's back now. You've got to keep that timeline in place when you're thinking of what country really is and who you are serving."
jdedekker@leaderpost.com
twitter.com/ThePloughboy
© Copyright (c) The Regina Leader-Post
Read more: http://www.leaderpost.com/entertainment ... z1kuywVCDH