Constant Repetition

[driveangry]

Doesn't it bug anyone else with the constant repetition on the radio ? The same few songs playing over and over and over, all day long.

Anyone know why they do this ??

[Glacier]

A man named Todd Storz created something called top 40 radio. It's a format in which you play the hits (the songs people like). It is believed that people like to hear their favorite songs over and over again. Since the average music radio listener only listens to the radio a few short periods of time throughout their day, this is to their liking because they will hear their favorite songs every time. I know the concept is a bit strange but if you read about Todd Storz you will see why and how he came to this conclusion. People liked this, and that's why it is still with us in radio today.

Think of it like McDonalds. McDonalds is a "top restaurant" in that it shifts a lot more food than any other restaurant. Even a single McDonalds is going to sell a lot more food than that really great Italian place down the street regardless of how good their Italian food may be.

There are 2 reasons McDonalds is so successful: 1. it's incredibly convenient 2. The food doesn't taste of much (but doesn't taste bad), so everyone can eat a lot of McDonalds very regularly and still enjoy it.

The latter point is the reasoning behind pop music: it's music that is catchy and everyone will at the very least put up with it, so it can be played in public and in the company of strangers and it's hard to get sick of it (at least compared to other songs)

A Top 40 station is going to make its money from advertising, and so it needs to have as many people listening to their station as possible at all times. If they play something that isn't guaranteed to be popular like you suggested, inevitably some people won't like it and they will change the station, lowering their advertising revenue.

To use an example from radio, imagine if NPR was one single station nation wide. They are really big on playing unsigned musicians, which is great. Unfortunately, it means that a lot of people find that you need to listen to a lot of music you don't like in order to find something that you actually do. This model would not work if NPR was not publicly funded- it would be too risky to appeal to advertisers.

[Bsuds]

I have a 6 CD player in the car fully loaded with MP3's. Rarely ever hear the same song twice and there are only songs that I like on them. No ads either!

[Glacier]

Bsuds, the problem is that radios only survive on ad revenue. You have 500 songs, I have 500 songs, and drive angry has 500 songs. In order to get all three of us to listen to the radio station, they pick the 50 songs we all have common. That, my friend, is how advertising works. Some call the it the lowest common denominator.

[Bsuds]

I know but both my wife and I can't find a station that plays music we like so we have resorted to this.
I found I was just turning the radio off because it was annoying.

[just popping in]

The internet has a wide range of music, commercial free, we listen to "sky.fm - oldies" just for a change.

[Hmmm]

The ad thing is correct. Unfortunately there are stats the prove that when a less well know song is played by a well know artist, people turn off or switch stations. Since only a few very large corporations control the airwaves they will only focus as per stockholder mandate on profit. Period.

Get satellite radio, stream music via Bluetooth from your iPhone, plug an MP3 player via a mini jack. We don't have to listen to the crap they serve anymore. Thank goodness! Goodbye radio, why are you still here radio? Go on and leave already (radio).

[driveangry]

A man named Todd Storz created something called top 40 radio. It's a format in which you play the hits (the songs people like). It is believed that people like to hear their favorite songs over and over again. Since the average music radio listener only listens to the radio a few short periods of time throughout their day, this is to their liking because they will hear their favorite songs every time. I know the concept is a bit strange but if you read about Todd Storz you will see why and how he came to this conclusion. People liked this, and that's why it is still with us in radio today.

Think of it like McDonalds. McDonalds is a "top restaurant" in that it shifts a lot more food than any other restaurant. Even a single McDonalds is going to sell a lot more food than that really great Italian place down the street regardless of how good their Italian food may be.

There are 2 reasons McDonalds is so successful: 1. it's incredibly convenient 2. The food doesn't taste of much (but doesn't taste bad), so everyone can eat a lot of McDonalds very regularly and still enjoy it.

The latter point is the reasoning behind pop music: it's music that is catchy and everyone will at the very least put up with it, so it can be played in public and in the company of strangers and it's hard to get sick of it (at least compared to other songs)

A Top 40 station is going to make its money from advertising, and so it needs to have as many people listening to their station as possible at all times. If they play something that isn't guaranteed to be popular like you suggested, inevitably some people won't like it and they will change the station, lowering their advertising revenue.

To use an example from radio, imagine if NPR was one single station nation wide. They are really big on playing unsigned musicians, which is great. Unfortunately, it means that a lot of people find that you need to listen to a lot of music you don't like in order to find something that you actually do. This model would not work if NPR was not publicly funded- it would be too risky to appeal to advertisers.

Thanks Glacier, that's real interesting, I don't agree with his theory but it is interesting.

I tried the satellite radio when it first came out and loved it but it also became repetitious. I have streamed off my computer, same thing. I guess I'll have to find the time to make up my own music list on a MP3 player or something.

[Bsuds]

I tried the satellite radio when it first came out and loved it but it also became repetitious. I have streamed off my computer, same thing. I guess I'll have to find the time to make up my own music list on a MP3 player or something.

My son had satellite radio while working up North and not only is it very expensive but half the time he couldn't get the signal.

[driveangry]

My son had satellite radio while working up North and not only is it very expensive but half the time he couldn't get the signal.

I loved it when I first got, I had both going, XM and Sirius. But the music channels I listened to began to get repetitious. You could set your watch to the songs that were playing.

[A_Britishcolumbian]

radio! who listens to radio? :)

remember when the propane place blew up a few years back? that was a very serious and dangerous situation, many people being in danger and still none of the about half dozen radio stations in town at that time chose to cover the story in real time, or even the same day. none of the stations active at that time chose to report on the event the same day to my knowledge. that was the coffin nail for local radio for me.

local radio is just in it to sell ads, they no longer provide a relevant communication service, and thus, in my opinion are not in the business to inform the public and serve the community, rather simply just to sling their and their clients crap on us.

[Sige]

This drives me mental. So much so that I have satellite radio now!