Seacrest replaces Kasem: Looking back

[Deleted]

When the news of Casey's possible departure was first broke on this board by me over the weekend of December 13, 2003 I believe, no one wanted to believe it....including I. I was only informing the board what someone else who sounded like they knew what they were talking about had said on one of the XM boards. That Monday though, it was confirmed. All Access officially reported the rumors and subsequently confirmed Casey Kasem was leaving AT40 and Ryan Seacrest would take the helm of a revamped for this generation AT40. While most of us were a little sad, angry the day had come, the truth is most of us also knew it was time. Maybe we personally didn't like the change, but for the well being of the show we all grew up listening to it was time for a new host and new direction. This wouldn't be like 1988, Casey was leaving top 40 radio, and this time, forever.

When the new show debuted, again, I think most of the people on this board universally hated it. It sounded way different, it was using a different chart method, it was interviewing artist, and no recurrent rule so out of nowhere "In Da Club" among others hits long gone, were back. It wasn't OUR AT40, and we weren't about to like it! However, as a few months went by, some of us began to slowly migrate back to the show, including me. Although I didn't listen every week for long, I have occasionally tuned in these last nearly three years.

I thought as I was listening to the radio the other day that it's now you can really begin to unbiasedly look at a show. The first two years it's hard to do that because it's still new and you want to give it time to develop to whatever it is going to be. My opinion, the show is fine and thriving. Which led me to think about something else, the reason why the departure came when it did, and perhaps a reality that played out over the first year of the new AT40 that slipped by with none of us realizing they might have gone hand in hand. I am not saying this is the be all/end all reason, but it sure made a lot of sense when I was thinking it through.

As 2003 was coming to an end, Premiere/Clearchannel were at an apparent impasse on resigning Rick Dees to a new contract, or had decided they weren't going to at all. With that decision pretty much made, they had a decision to make as Dees's Weekly Top 40 was heard on as many, if not more stations worldwide than Casey's AT40 was. The higher ups knew stations given the choice and forced to run one show had pretty much sided with Dees because his show was more acceptable to Top 40 radio of the two, not that either one was what the stations wanted. They needed to figure out something. Then, they had the idea of where they wanted to go, and what they wanted to do. They approached Casey and explained to him they wanted to sign him to a long term deal to continue to host both versions of AT20, no one was better for those shows then he was. The audience that listened to those radio stations was the audience that grew up listening to him, so changing the host on those shows would have been a disaster. They did ask him to step down from AT40, the audience there was younger, the show needed a change, and Casey himself didn't identify with the music or artist's of the day either. By doing this, Premiere could also make plans to end their relationship for good with Rick Dees whose show with Premiere ran through the end of 2004. Radio stations would have to continue to run it through then, but then they would be free to take on the new, revamped, and much more appropriate for Top 40 radio sounding American Top 40 with it's new, hip, young, and talented host Ryan Seacrest. Casey agreed this was the best decision for all, and the rest is history. Soon after, Dees was off morning radio in LA, and his show was done with Premiere at the end of 04.

Now for the discussion portion. How much, if any, do you think this could have been the case for Casey's departure? Do you have your own ideas of what may have caused the change to occur when it did? What do you think of AT40 both in your opinion and in the current radio market? Do you see it surviving long term? And Radioman's favorite question, Do you see Ryan Seacrest as the long term host of the show?

[RNH]

I have had so many thoughts on this since that Friday December morning back in 2003 when I read about the switch from Kasem to Seacrest in the Plain Dealer.

One thing that occurred to me while listening to the countdown during 2003 was Casey mentioned the same stations over and over again. Despite AT40 being carried in Cleveland, Toledo, Columbus, and Cincinnati (and maybe Youngstown), I knew outside of Ohio the show was beginning to lose popularity. I agree with your point, Paul, that Premiere knew it was time.

I personally wish much of the show could have stayed the same. There was nothing wrong with the R+R Pop Chart. It was a very decent chart! It was based on radio airplay and had a fair recurrent rule. There is something wrong when songs miraculously come back after being out for half-a-year ("In da Club"). There is even more wrong when songs stay on the chart for 50 weeks! Good Lord! "Since You've Been Gone" by Kelly Clarkson was fun to listen for the first time back in January 2005; by October you were pretty sick of that song! A good song beaten to death by the powers that be!

How many good songs have been missed out on the Top 40 because of the ambiguous chart used. Think of how excited we were when "Elvis" was returning to AT40 in the summer of 2002, albeit for only one week and with guest host Ed McMann. That could not happen today.

More things I hate! Ryan should be introing and outtroing every song! When is the last you sung (to yourself of course) an AT40 jingle? There are none right now. Where AT40 used to be about the music and the stories behind them, now it's the music and the latest Hollywood gossip.

Personally the only reasons I listen to AT40 are I still like to do my best to keep up with the latest music (even if it is 10 months old) and The Weekly Top 40 does not come in my area.

Paul, to answer your question about the state of radio, I think on the FM side it stinks! Too much computerization. We need local DJs 24/7 at every station, not the junk we have now. Way too many satelite fed morning, afternoon, and evening shows. (In my youth I wanted to be a DJ. Thank God I chose something else!) If I may be political for a moment, now that the Democrats have regained control of Congress, maybe we can get them to write a bill ending the 1996 Telecommunications Act. Why do we need on company based in San Antonio to own stations around the country. NO! That is not right! We need local businesses owing radio stations with local talent playing songs the locals want!

OK! Now that I got that off my back, let me answer your last question, Paul. Assuming Seacrest is correct in that AT40 is played on 400 radio stations, putting aside my disgust for this current show, I would have to say the show is in good shape. The show is worse, yet more popular!

If I may ask the board two follow-up questions, what is the status of the Weekly Top 40? When I am able to hear Rick, he always says thanks to the 70,000,000 listeners worldwide. Is this accurate?

Thank you all for listening! Great questions, Paul. Can't wait to read your thoughts!

RNH

[Deleted]

The status as far as I know is the Weekly Top 40 is still going strong, largely due to it's international distribution. Domestically, the second Premiere ceased to produce the show, it was dropped my I would assume half or over half of the stations that were carrying it in the US.

I can buy the 70,000,000 number because that is probably the estimate of how many people are in the areas combined that the show is heard in. I doubt that many people are actually listening.

[spt72]

I also hated to see Casey go from AT40 because of history, but I also realized it was time. There has to be some point where having your grandfather or great-grandfather introing and outroing "In Da Club" that seems completely ridiculous. This, in essense, is what was happening. At what point would it have been like putting Strom Thurmond in the job as editor of Rolling Stone Magazine?

But, on the other hand, AT20 and (to an even greater extent) AT10 became "my AT40." Hearing Casey do intros for 70s and 80s records again on AT10 seemed like it was something he SHOULD be doing. Hearing him intro the latest Chingy or DMX record? C'mon... didnt we all realize there was something wrong with that? I mean, are we being honest with ouselves here?

Yes, it was sad seeing his voice tied to the franchise.... but for what the franchise was in 2003... I think it was a good choice.

I would like to leave this post on a positive note... for all AT40 had become... I think the AT20 - and especially the AT10 shows - are FANTASTIC! I hope we still have years and years of those left.

Thanks,
Shawn

[Radioman]

And last but not least:
Doesn't it still make a good headline ....... "Seacrest replaces Kasem" ....... !?
Paul ?

Some People are still like to use this, as you can see about this on some other topic here on this board ...... like "Ryan replaces Casey ......." on maybe a very limited number of small HAC outlets somewhere out there in the wild.

[Scott Lakefield]

First off, let me say...there has never been and never will be anyone else like Casey Kasem. He's called a legend for a reason. Like the old promotional piece for "Casey's Top 40" said (and I've quoted here before)..."There's only one person who counts 'em down like Casey Kasem. Casey Kasem."

However, I do share the feeling that Casey's days of being host of AT40 were certainly numbered, due to the changing face of popular music and the increasing promience of rap and hip hop songs that CHR/Pop stations were (and are) playing. As was pointed out above, Casey saying "Moving up two notches to #37 this week, that's the latest by Chingy" sounded somewhat odd. (The other day I even stumbled over a piece of someone's standup comedy act that talks about this exact reason for Casey leaving AT40.)

The issues with AT40 circa 2006 have absolutely nothing to do with Ryan Seacrest. The simple fact is that they've gotten too far away from the "classic" AT40 formula. The gossip pieces, non-music celebrity interviews, etc., have no place on the show. Even during the Shadoe years (aka the first attempt at "hipping up" the show), the new features that were added still had everything to do with music. (To me, the biggest reason that Shadoe's AT40 didn't work was the fact that Casey was still sounding good doing his own top 40 countdown.)

Another issue with the current-day AT40 is, as was pointed out already, the lack of jingles. If you take every pre-Ryan AT40 show...including the Shadoe shows...there was at least one jingle with the same basic "AT40" melody, just updated for the current times. The announcer-read rejoins have their place in 2006, but the lack of AT40 jingles is jarring to say the least.

As for the chart...don't get me started. The re-entry of "In Da Club" and other recurrents when Ryan took over was bizarre and unexplainable to the casual listener...hence it wasn't mentioned on the show.

To me, though, I still stand by the comments I've made on other threads on this board. If you listen to AT40 today, it sounds like a perfectly good show...but NOT AT40. I still say that the best move would have been to fold AT40/CHR and also fold AT20/HAC. Launch two new shows..."Ryan's Top 40" (or whatever) for CHR stations and "American Top 40 HAC with Casey Kasem" for HAC stations.

[jedijake]

Thought it may be a good idea to bump this to see what people think of Ryan's AT40 overall, 4 years after the making (being that it was around this time in 2004 that he started).

I haven't been able to listen to an entire countdown of his and I'm not sure I'd be able to. However, I do have to admit one thing.

AT40 had historically been about-well-counting down the hits. We were always excited to see how our favorite songs moved up and down the charts and there was a LOT of movement so it was fun.

For the past 10 years or so, songs moved up and down slower and slower and spent more and more weeks at #1. For a show that used to spotlight the movement of songs, it would become VERY dry when much of the chart stayed the same week after week and month after month. So, I suppose the show with its new chart methodology, would have to contain more than just the hits.

Therefore, it seems that AT40 has evolved into more of an "Entertainment Weekly" type of radio show with the songs in the top 40 as the background "noise". After a very quick, obligatory statement about where a song is on the chart, Ryan goes back to telling the latest about Paris and Britney and who is having a baby with who.

I suppose that's what people want to hear. One of the reasons there is so little movement on the charts is because there is just much less music even being released. At least that's theory. Ryan's show is just like listening to a local radio show's coutdown of the hits. (not to mention the fact that Ryan can't possibly have enough time to put much effort into AT40).

Carson Daily would have been a much better choice, looking back now. Actually, for that matter, Randy Jackson would have been good too. His show places much more attention on the hits.

[shadster]

I do listen to the show from time to time. Mainly to record music from the show. There is a big difference in how the show sounds today versus how it sounded in the 1st few years. Allthough they dont have the 'melodic' jingles, they do have the anouncer driven ones which are more modern and akin to current CHR radio (the same jingle package/announcers that Z100 uses). So the show sounds kinda cool but all it is a gossip show w/ some music thrown in. The music just happens to be a countdown (why not re-do the show a-la "Hit music USA"?). but I guess it is popular or at least Clear channel is making sure its affiliates carry this show, whether the public wants it or not (does anyone do studies/surveys on this? Does the show even have a rating?). I have defintly noticed how some of the songs continue to stay on the chart awhile. I did not know that about "In da club". I dont like 50c so I generally ignore any all movements of his hits. I'm waiting for his 15mins to be over (hopefully it is). Of course I ignore any an all rap songs. I generally re-edit the countdowns I record to eliminate the rap songs, which usually means combining them w/ the HAC version (or in the case of "Stronger" by Kayne, I did an edit......my edit eliminates the rapping verses and brings the song down to about 2 mins.....tolerable enough for my ears ). And since I don't listen too often to popular music, it doesnt get 'too' old for me (I still like Since you've been gone). But it has become increasing harder to find songs I like since fewer an fewer songs are released, an much of the 40 is crap, thus making it difficult to continue creating my "Personal Charts" which i've done since the mid-80s. If you saw "My charts", they give new meaning to 'longevity'. BUt nothing good comes down the pike, cept every once in a while, and only a few good songs at best.

(And I dont get how Britany Spears "Womanizer" is probbly gonna hit #1......IMO its got a sTuPiD chorus..Break the Ice was SOooo much better of a song but it peaks at #18??? wtf? I haven't heard her new one "Circus" yet, folks are saying its gonna dabue soon.)

I'm definitly more of a Pop person as well as rock and try to stay away from HipHop. I feel Rap has its own chart and shouldnt be deluging the pop chart. I'm used to only hearing a rap song when it was REALLY good.....which it would hafta be in order to crack the pop chart back in the 80s early 90s: Babys got back, The Humpty dance, Funky Cold Medina, The Rumpshaker, etc. Thats when only the best rap songs, and country too, would cross-over. Now the chart is just inindated. ALlthough it is getting better now.


In comparison to Caseys HotAC show, the songs on that chart are even worse, in terms of longevity. How can a song spend 18 weeks at #1? You can't really compare the shows, they're like apples an bannanas. But Casey still puts out a good product. Ryan it just seems wants to perpetuate himself everywhere. Poor Shelly Wade, the mid-day girl @z100 was demoted to swing shift after years an years @midday just so Ryan could have the nice mid-day slot in NYC. Pffft. I'm not a big fan of Shelley but even I think that is criminal.

ps I have recorded some of Ryans AT40 shows but I must say I dont have a single show that is complete......except for the top100 of 2008. Even my Top100 of 2007 has some holes due to Hot99.5 misplaying the tracks as it aired. ALlthough I did manage to get my hands on a few cd of Ryans HOtACshow from last year and I actually do have those....about 3 shows complete.

[mkarns]

Ryan Seacrest seems to be sort of an American equivalent of the nationally known DJ's heard in Britain and other countries with national radio. The aforementioned Hot 99.5 runs On-Air five days a week, plus AT40 on Sundays, giving listeners six days of him--which is the case in many other cities. Not that it's a problem--he does what he does very well--but there is the danger of burnout from overexposure. (And of course many of us may be nostalgic for the days of individualized local jocks.)

As to current ratings, I don't know what they are exactly but the growth in AT40 affiliates over the last five years suggests they should be decent. That probably explains why AT40 today gets away with straying substantially from the countdown. During the Shadoe Stevens era, he tried to experiment somewhat with the format and the number of affiliates declined (though that likely had more to do with a decline in the top 40 format generally than with the show); under Ryan Seacrest it rose and so Premiere has been happy to let the show do as it wishes, even if many veteran countdown listeners don't like all of it. (I've never heard Ryan's hot AC show, for the good reason that where I live the stations still run Casey's adult contemporary shows.)

As for the Mediabase chart, I don't know how it's compiled, but it seems more or less representative of what Top 40 stations are playing. The chart moves can be strange, though, with some songs hanging around forever and others jumping rapidly up and down; this week it was said that Shontelle's "T-Shirt" made the biggest drop of the decade (down 22 notches, from 16 to 38) and it was then immediately followed by Metro Station's "Shake It", which has been on the chart seemingly since Casey left.

One more thing is that I do kind of miss the old AT40 jingles and openings--"Shuckatoom"; "The hits from coast to coast", etc. AT40 now has plenty of bumpers and opening/closing sequences, but they rely more on sound effects and words than jingle music (which seems confined to a nondescript techno backing track that Ryan mostly talks over). I actually like the way the current ones sound, but miss having one that you can sing along to or gets stuck in your head (to a degree; I've spent several days with "Shuckatoom" on an endless mental loop.) Note the listing of international cities and countries on the current opening(Dubai, Sri Lanka, Singapore, etc)--interesting way to start a show called "American" Top 40, but we do live in an increasingly globalized world nowadays.

[jedijake]

That is an outstanding post! Great job!

I will have to listen more closely to Ryan's countdown and make more educated decisions about it.

But in any case, music itself seems to be more about the technology involved than the music itself. Seems to be be that younger people (under 24?) are more about how they obtained a song rather than the song itself.

And to think that when I was in high school, we'd say that a song was old if it had been out for a month lol.

[Hervard]

I listen to the show still, only to keep up on my new music and no other reason. The celebrity gossip crap and interviews and so forth - they annoy the hell out of me! It's just nowhere near as fun listening as it was back when Casey Kasem hosted the show.

[jedijake]

Most of the problem can be summed up in two ways:
(1) There is little movement on the charts. I'm not sure if it's due to a lack of music being made, the competition with digital and satellite radio, or a lack of promotion of new music. Therefore, showcasing the moves up and down are completely pointless.

(2) Ryan has very little time to truly produce a show like Casey. Between his own morning show, American Idol, E!, etc., Ryan just needs to show up and play the music, recycling what he does on his LA morning show.

But, overall, after listening to a little more, the show is a carbon copy of the Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 with a different person at the mic. (and Rick's been doing the same thing since the 80's).

[mkarns]

When listening to AT40 this past weekend, guest hosted by Giuliana Rancic, I noticed that they re-ran a segment of the top 10 from last week's Brody Jenner-hosted show. Did anyone else hear that, or was it a mistake by the local station?

While they had to do a lot of splicing and editing, to put in interviews that Ryan recorded even while taking the week off from the countdown, I'd be surprised that such a glaring error wasn't corrected prior to sending the show out for airing.

[laura]

I never got to listen to that show. Also, who's Giuliana Rancic?

[mkarns]

Jan 12, 2009 14:52:28 GMT -5 laura said:

I never got to listen to that show. Also, who's Giuliana Rancic?

Giuliana Rancic is an E! News host who last night co-hosted the Golden Globes with Ryan Seacrest (more clever cross-promotion there.) From Wikipedia I found that Giuliana, while born in Italy, grew up in the area where I live (Maryland suburbs of Washington DC) and her father owns a tailor/clothing shop in a local mall.

I thought that Giuliana sounded good hosting AT40; of course since today it includes so much E! News type material it must have come very naturally.