Listening To AT40

[Scott Lakefield]

michael1973 said:

I'm 32, and I feel like this too. There was a time when I could recite the top 40 pop songs of the week from memory, and now I can look at a list of titles only and don't know who half the artists are or what the songs sound like!

I'm not sure that I could ever recite the list from memory, but I must say that I knew 99% of the songs in the top 40 when I heard them. That's still the case for me with AT20 and AT10, but that's about it.

michael1973 said:

But the sure sign I'm "getting old" is that most of the time I listen to radio stations that heavily focus on old music...just like my parents did when I was a kid!

So true. Between the "oldies" I hear on AT10, listening to old Casey shows, and listening to regular music on my Ipod (plus the occasional XM listening), I'm the same way.

But I will say this. I'm about to finish listening to Ryan's 10/8 CHR show, and I must admit that there are some songs on there (even a few urban ones) that I really like. So maybe I'll listen every now and then. But still, if Casey were still hosting the show, I'd still be listening every week...bad music or not.

[Deleted]

I used to hate AT20(both versions) because I never liked all the extras in the show. I wanted to hear a countdown show and not old stuff. Now, I LOVE AT10 and AT20. AT40 HAC is good too. CHR you can have.

But I must say other than a countdown show, I was always an 80's guy. I would have started an 80's station in 1990 if I could have. Thats my favorite station on XM.

[BrettVW]

Heck, i'm 19 and even I feel this way.

When I started listening to Casey in 8th grade, I listened to AT20 Hot AC. When our local Hot AC station dropped the show, we then got AT40. At first, I did not like ANY of the music, but then throughout high school I enjoyed the CHR chart and enjoyed AT40 enough to wake up each Saturday morning at 6am. The few times I heard the AT20's during this time, I always thought they went sooo slow. Plus, I got Rick Dees Hot AC for the Hot AC chart (at that time Rick still followed R&R)

When Casey left AT40, a different Hot AC station immediatly picked up AT20, which I immediatly returned to listening to religiously. Plus, it began at 9am...which was a world of diffference from the 6am start time I had come to get used to with AT40.

For most of 2004 and early 2005, I completely lost interest in the CHR/Pop chart and stopped listening to CHR/Pop radio. I tend to play favorites during my weekly radio habits, listening most often to the station that runs Casey. So, when that became a Hot AC station, my radio listening habits shifted to Hot AC.

However, in the last few months, I have started listening to CHR/Pop radio again. While there are still many rhythmic and R&B songs i'm not a fan of (I guess its the middle class white boy in me, haha) I enjoy and listen to probably 20 or so of the Pop Top 40.

However, when Casey was counting down the Top 40, I think songs would grow on me simply from hearing them on AT40. For example, when listening to old AT40 with Casey shows from his final years, many a Rap, R&B, or Rhythmic song will come and I will immediatly remember it and still enjoy hearing it. And a large part of this reason is that I remember listening to AT40. Now, many a times I will enjoy hearing an old 80's or 90's song on AT20, then start listening to it again. Basically, it seems like whatever Casey plays is what I am listening to.

Ryan's AT40 show is good, but it's just not Casey. I listen, but would never set my alarm for 5:55am on a Saturday for it. However, if Casey returned to AT40 or if (god forbid) by affiliate moved AT20 to 6am, I would get up for it in a heartbeat.

[Deleted]

5:55 for a 6am start? Thats late, I used to wake up at 5:30 for an 8am Casey's Top 40 airing back in the day!

[BROWNJB1]

I have to admit that I am one of the few guys who regularly goes on this web site that listens to Ryan Seacrest on AT40 regularly. I am a big fan of urban music, especially hip-hop. I like some of the music that they play on AT40 now. I probably listen to hip-hop more now than at any other time in my life, and I am 33. Although I prefer Casey's shows over the current AT40, I listen to CHR music more than anything else. I missed AT40 this past weekend, because the music player on KIIS-FM wouldn't play online for some reason. I usually don't listen to AT40 on my hometown affiliate WKQI-FM, here in Detroit, since after AT10 goes off at 9am, I like to catch up on my sleep. I still don't like AT10 coming on at 6am, since it is way too early. Well anyway, one more thing, listening to CHR music and the current version of AT40 keep me young.

[Deleted]

I can still fake being young listening to the HAC AT40.

[Scott Lakefield]

paul said:

I can still fake being young listening to the HAC AT40.

Ha ha! Great point!!!

[Scott Lakefield]

brownjb1 said:

I still don't like AT10 coming on at 6am, since it is way too early.

I remember when I would only have access to the shows by getting them off the radio and they were on at ridiculous times like that. I would use 120-minute tapes. Put it in on auto-reverse mode and it records for 2 hours non-stop. So, set your alarm twice over the course of a 3- or 4-hour show, and you can sleep through it while the cassette deck records it, then listen to it at a more "civilized" hour.

[BrettVW]

Since I didn't have a reverse tape deck, for years in high school I woke up at 6am on Saturday's for AT40. Earlier than I had to get up for school! I could have done 120 min tapes and woken up on the hour, but usually once I was up and knew the show was on, I wouldn't be able to fall back asleep and listened anyway.

Now with AT20 on at 9am, I don't think I could do 6am start times again even if I tried. As it is now, in college, with a 9am start time, often times the first hour of the show is listened to while curled up under the covers in a light doze. But....better than my roommates, who often times don't wake up on Sunday's until hours after the show is over.

[Radioman]

admin said:

I still can't help to wonder how much of a priority Casey's shows are for Premiere. Like I said, Ryan got a new production package after only a year and a half. Casey's AT20 jingles have been on the air since 1998.

As for the jingle package they become some kind of a trademark. I don't think they should be changed, infact they have more variety with the old AT20 AC jingles now included.

As for the priority of the show: That's always the big question for me. And I get angry when I see how much priority they give to Casey's shows ( no website, etc. )
One of the strangest things I saw in years is the recent discription of the programmes on Premiere's website.
AT20 is now "mainstream AC" !!!! What the hell is a "mainstream AC" format ? They created something completely new only to give the "HOT" label to their one and only beloved Seacrest. I wonder if the Premiere boss has finally adopted on him ....... or he may still dreaming of something different ?

So picture this: You're a PD, maybe from an international radio outlet somewhere in the world, and you're looking for HOT AC programmings for your station:
The only thing you find is Ryan Seacrest's version of AT40 "Hot AC". You didn't even know that there is quality product, wich used the same charts and music as the other show, but gives your audience much more listening pleasure.
So if you don't know about what Casey is currently doing out here, you won't buy his show in expection of what music programming you will get.
That's what makes me really angry about Premiere and how they are using things.
On the other hand it's their problem: Casey received a long therm contract. If they don't use the full power of his products, they are giving away their own money.

[BrettVW]

Well, I don't know if I would say Casey automatically gives more listening pleasure. There are some Hot AC stations that would benefit more from Ryan's show than Casey's. Also, I would think most PD's would still be able to decifer the difference.

[Deleted]

yeah, if nothing else they can get demos of the shows and see which fits best on their stations. International markets are different, they seem to prefer the norm moreso than we do. Which explains why most of them still carry Rick Dees regardless of who distributes the show, and also why a couple of stations when Casey left AT40 picked up AT20.

[BrettVW]

Exactly, Paul.

Radioman - are you talking abotu the old AT20 AC jingles on the current HAC show? I have yet to hear one, except on the rare occasion they will play one following the LDD tease to give it the 'softer sound'.

Either way -- while the jingles do help define the show, for those who have been listening to the show since 1998, it would be a refreshing change. AT10 got a jingle package, and I had hoped AT20 would get a new one around that time. Plus, as Scott said, Ryan's show got a new one after a year and a half.

And yes, anyone (including us listeners) can download demos of all Premiere shows from their website. So PD's can indeed catch a demo of various shows before beginning. Plus, I am sure most Hot AC PD's know who Casey Kasem and Ryan Seacrest are, and who would fit their format better.

I (knock on wood), have not noticed a depletion of Casey AT20 affiliates because of Ryan's Hot AC show. I have 4 Casey affiliates in my immediate area -- 3 AT20 and 1 AT10. So, the show still has power, and a new jingle package would be excellent.

[Scott Lakefield]

Assumedly, the whole AT20 thing on Premiere's website was an oversite. The demo is actually the correct one, but the rest of the page looks like someone inadvertently copied over the old AT20/AC page instead of the AT20/HAC page. I've notified Premiere, so hopefully it will be taken care of.

As far as the jingles are concerned, I don't disagree with Radioman's point that the jingles help to define the show, however Casey's jingles have ALWAYS evolved through the years. Otherwise, we'd still be hearing the old AT40 synthesizer theme from 1970. It's often been the same type of melody, updated to fit the current times. That's what AT20 needs...an update of the basic melody 2006-style.

[Deleted]

admin said:

Otherwise, we'd still be hearing the old AT40 synthesizer theme from 1970.

Well, there would be no doubt what we are listening to anyway.