Accuracy On AT20? No Longer Important?

[Michael1973]

Every week on AT20, Casey features several songs that were "one of the hottest songs X years ago this week". On this week's show (6/18/05) there were no less than three instances where the selected songs were not appropriate for this week. I know mistakes get made sometimes, but it seems to me that on a show whose staff are professional chart watchers, you wouldn't see this kind of thing happen as often as it has been. Here's what I'm talking about. The following songs were featured on the 6/18/05 show as big hits "this week back in XXXX":

Finger Eleven -- One Thing (2004) This song didn't debut on AT20 until July and then spent close to a full year on the chart. That's 10-11 months where they could have featured the song. October probably would have been ideal. So why play it now?

Train -- Meet Virginia (2000) This song debuted in October 1999 and remained on the chart until July 2000. Five years ago this week, the song was barely clinging to life at the bottom of the chart -- hardly one of the hottest songs!

Journey -- Don't Stop Believin' (1981) Debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 the last week of October 1981. Enough said.

What do you think? Is Casey's staff just not as committed to keeping this sort of info accurate as they used to be? You wouldn't think it would be so difficult.

[BrettVW]

I personally thought it was a bit strange that they played One Thing as a big hit from the past since it fell off the chart at most a month ago. Seemed a bit soon.

[BrettVW]

I also heard something about Hour 1 of this weekends show being messed up for some affiliates and having to be resent to them at the last second. Anyone know more?

[Radioman]

Playing big hits that just fell off recently is part of the big recurrent role on AC and Hot AC radio outlets. Look at the charts - they still WANT AND PLAY big hits from recent months.
Otherwise there wouldn't have been a recurrent rule needed for the charts, to keep the upper part fluent. Look at the recurrent section what hits you might have still on with a massive number of spins.
If you want to play a big hit by Finger Eleven or Maroon 5 from 2004, you can have a big broadcasting window for many months, and maybe get it on a second time at the end of the year.

[Scott Lakefield]

I get the idea that to qualify as "one of the biggest hits in the USA x years ago this week" that the song needs to have been on the chart. Period. Casey has often been quoted as saying things like "if it's on the chart, we play it" which sort of translates to all of the songs being just as important as all the others (or "big")...this measurement in this case does not involve charted positions.

[Radioman]

Exactly, what you mention out here, Scott.
And if you all listen carefully on Casey's announcement to a song from the past, he always makes a different betwenn ".....XX years ago ONE OF THE BIGGEST HITS IN THE LAND was ...." along with announcing ".....XX years ago THE NUMBER ONE HIT IN THE COUNTRY was ...."
Using what was on the Hot AC Top 20 chart qualifies for the biggest hits at all.
There are no hits played wich were bubbling under some chart level.

Also about some discussion on why the AC shows reference big Top 40/Pop -Hits from the past is very simpel: Because these hits qualify for AC radio of today. The Pop Listeners from Yesterday are the AC audience of Today.
If Casey would make his show such simpel as just viewing the AC hits of all decades, the show would be going to die. Who wants to hear some Top 20 or Top 30 AC hit from about 25 years ago ?

[Scott Lakefield]

Radioman, you hit the nail on the head again.

And your comment regarding the references to the pop chart are especially true when it comes to the HAC show. Casey seldom references the HAC chart, so for songs before 1994, that's always the pop chart he's refering to, unless he says otherwise.

[Jeffster]

radioman said:

Who wants to hear some Top 20 or Top 30 AC hit from about 25 years ago ?

Me.

[Radioman]

Anyone else ?

[Scott Lakefield]

jeffster said:

radioman said:

Who wants to hear some Top 20 or Top 30 AC hit from about 25 years ago ?

Me.

No offense, Jeffster...but you're in the minority in terms of 2005 radio. It's a "hit-based" format...which translates to FAMILIARITY. While I share your desire to listen to songs that were minor hits, you're only going to be able to accomplish that as follows:
* Satellite radio
* Your own CD collection
* Old Casey shows from the era you're interested in

[Deleted]

or move to New York and listen to JACK FM ;D

[Scott Lakefield]

paul said:

or move to New York and listen to JACK FM ;D

Very funny, so points there. In reality, though, even Jack is ultimately a "hits" based format. It is just a matter of playing MORE different songs...but all some degree of popular ultimately.

[Deleted]

do they have an online stream? If so I may have to listen for a couple of hours one day to see what it is like?
I am catching on a little bit to this new formay style as far as understanding it, so I am sorry if it has been stated before but are there any DJ's on this station? And how many commercial breaks do they have?

[BrettVW]

Spotloads I assume are typical Infinity spot loads....6-12 minutes depending on daypart, etc. Although I don't know if any are commercial free when they first debut.

As for jocks, they typically debut jockless, and then have a jock for AM and PM drive, and that's it. From what I know they have never held onto an existing airstaff when converting a station.

[Shadoe Fan]

This link should show you the last hour's worth of programming on Indianapolis' JACK station. There's no DJs here either.

stoneage.yes.com/playing.jsp?city=40_Indianapolis,%20IN&radio=WJJK&sid=103688560816

(You probably will have to copy the entire line above into your browser as it doesn't want to link correctly)