The Infinite Dial

Jessica Sierra has a messed up life but a great voice. Simon said it repeatedly - even saying at the finale that he loved her voice - and before all the scandal, EW actually listed her as one of the top five underrated contestants from all seasons. As to there being a reason she was voted off the show, conversely there's also a reason she made it to the top 10. If you don't like her voice, fair enough but I suspect you're pinpointing her out of all the previous contestants because of her current scandals, not her vocal talents.

Sorry you were not super excited by the IDOLS channel on Radioio. I have been listening to it for quite a while (more than 19 songs) and think it's fantastic! I love to hear the familiar as well as the "unknown". I live in America, but it is exciting to hear music being made across the pond in the UK, Australia, Ireland, Germany etc. That is what makes this channel special to me. I originally listened to radioio (90's rock is my fav) before they had the idols channel and was excited to see an idols channel pop up as American Idol has become a "guitly pleasure" of mine. Honestly if I have to hear "Before He Cheats" by Underwood one more time on REGULAR radio, I will barf. Radioio IDOLS keep my stomach settled and my musical boundaries ever expanding...

If you are looking to hear the same 12 songs over and over and over again I suggest you disconnect your internet connection and tune your radio dial to anytown USA FM pop station where the playlists are safe and at the same time boring.

Ok. I'm done. :-)

I'm Gregg Parish and I am the RadioIO Idols channel music director. Thanks for taking the time to tune in and provide your expert opinion as to what you heard, although I feel that you have misunderstood the concept of what this channel is all about. As I am sure you are aware, the Internet audience is an entirely different animal than that of terrestrial radio. (And in our view, satellite radio isn't much different than terrestrial radio, given that it employs many of terrestrial's former key players and follows its programming models.)

But RadioIO has been thinking outside the box for a decade now, and has been so successful because we've paid close attention to the millions of listeners whose emails state that they don't want the same thing they can hear on terrestrial radio - they want to hear new music as an alternative to their iPods and their cds, and have asked for a deeper breadth and selection in the music, which we proudly offer. With RadioIO, we realize that our channels require a rethinking of the "tried and true" rules of radio and music programming, because we program for a world in which there is no drive time or dayparts; in a global sense, it's always 2 pm somewhere.

And while the channel focuses a great deal on American Idol, it also encompasses all other major TV music competitions outside the Idols franchise in order to represent a huge pool of emerging talent from within and outside of the United States. We work so diligently to cater to listeners from around the world because currently, our service has more listeners in France than in Florida, and more located in London, England, than in New London, Connecticut. This global audience expects the channel to showcase a unique, eclectic mix of music by these artists. As noted in the press release you received, the number one requested artist for the channel is Will Young, who was the inaugural Pop Idol winner (UK) in 2002. To us, this proves that the international audience is on board and tuning in.

Thus, your comment that all other artists other than American Idol contestants are "interesting, but not worth it" would mean blowing a huge gap in the channel perspective. I'm pleased that 12 of the 19 tracks you listed were, in fact, from American Idol, because that indicates that approximately one third of the music you heard was by artists from outside the United States or from another competition (each of which has millions of viewers). These figures certainly mirror our demographics. Based on many emails from satisfied listeners, we continue to achieve our goal of introducing Australian contestants to French listeners, UK artists to US listeners and Canadian singers to Germans. The channel has definitely helped expose many artists to an open, welcoming and international audience.

I'm also sure you are aware that the biggest-selling rock album last year, as well as the fastest-selling debut rock album in SoundScan history, was recorded by an American Idol "loser" (Chris Daughtry), not to mention the fact that the TV music competition franchise continues to generate billions of dollars worldwide thanks to many other "non-winners" of these shows. One person's Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood or Jordin Sparks is another person's Jessica Sierra (who was also a top 10 finalist), Clay Aiken (who is releasing a new album this month, while the winner from the same year has lost his contract) or Jennifer Hudson (who came in seventh and has since gone on to win an Academy Award).

With these points in mind, I would ask that you consider taking another listen to RadioIO Idols based on the channel's intent and its place in the digital realm.

Sincerely,

Gregg Parish

As both a big fan of American Idol and the discovery of new songs/artists, I was excited to learn there was a channel that combined both hobbies. Two hours and two Taylor Hicks songs later, my enthusiasm was gone.

While there were one or two songs that made think, "Wow, I should look for that on iTunes," I was confused by all the skipping around the channel did. As much as I love variety, I don't typically turn to Internet radio to find it. I usually select a specific genre of music to fit my mood at the time. The criss-crossing of formats didn't work as well as I thought it could or would.

Secondly, I love American Idol but it's usually because of the one or two contestants I take under my voting wing. I'm not really excited to hear songs from contestants of whom I wasn't really a fan from the beginning. Of course, different listeners have different favorites; I just wasn't excited to hear from most of the artists the Idol channel played.

I just can't believe what I have just read. I am a UK listener, and am just so glad to have found this fantastic station which plays such a cross section of music from so many talented artists from ALL OVER THE WORLD. My favourite artist is the original POP IDOL winner from over here Will Young, and love hearing him played. However I am open minded enough to listen to and enjoy, or not, the many varieties of music played. Some I love such as David Cook, others I don't such as Leona Lewis, but where would music be if we all liked the same stuff. You would never have heard the Beatles and we would never have heard the Beach Boys. IMAGINE.

It's interesting that the very things you dislike about Radioio's Idol channel is the very thing I do like. I LOVE the genre jumping. I hate the never ending sameness on "regular" radio and stopped listening for years for that reason. (my barf inducing song was Waiting On the World to Change by Jon Mayer) I e-mailed the DJ and said if they played it one more time, I would stop listening. They did, and so I did.
That is not to say that I like every song by the Idols, but to hear Taylor Hicks sing Georgia or In Your Time would be impossible anywhere else. Also, I have found that alot of the Idols sound just like the standard stuff on "regular" radio, so I am not missing anything. It is what I wouldn't hear on "regular" radio that I enjoy so much. And.............If I do get bored, there are 59 other channels to try, and you can't beat the host for friendliness and accomodation of requests.

I have listened to RadioIO since February this year and it is a refreshing treat from my local radio who only play a handful of listeners requests,it's an achievement to get a request played.
I love RadioIO and enjoy every genre that Gregg plays. As far as I know there is nowhere in the world where I can request all sorts of genres and actually get to hear them played. I enjoy getting my favorite idol played - WiLL Young. I do want to point out that I also request various other artists, not only from the UK, but from all around the world. Without RadioIO I would never get to hear such a fantastic array of the worlds excellent idols.

Btw you only heard seven songs from outside the USA, that's not many at all when you take into account how many listeners there are from all around the world. RadioIO has a worldwise audience who not only love to hear the USA idols, but also many other amazing artist from all over the world.

I live in England, and listen regularly to the wonderful IO Idols. I love to hear these singers from all over the world - where else would this be possible? The DJ's are just great - especially Gregg Parish, who puts so much into the fantastic Programme. Please don't ever change it!

The only channel I'm currently listening to is Radioio idols. I agree that it is sometimes obvious why some contestants didn't win but overall I've enjoyed the exposure to new talent from all countries. The cuts from the newly released cds have shown that the idols that placed in the top actually have talent and promise. Is it always exactly to my taste? No, but it suits me better than the top 40 pop. The playlists are fresh and I don't have to listen to the same songs over and over hour after hour. The stream host is very responsive to requests and actually answers emails which is a novelty in itself. I'm not deleting the icon on my desktop; I enjoy radioio idols. Ü

I thoroughly enjoy RadioIO Idols. It's great to hear from artists from other competitions around the world, not just our own corner of the globe. Gregg does an amazing job putting his show together, and he loves to hear from his listeners- and unlike some others, he will respond personally to you, and if you make a request, he will try to put it on during a time you're listening. We exchanged several emails one evening after I requested a song, and he made sure that I was still listening when he played it. The different genres of music is what keeps the show interesting. Give it another try...I think you'll appreciate what you hear.

I agree with gobi. Radioio offers much more music to listen to it is nice to hear people I may otherwise never know of. If you do not want to discover more that what traditional radio offers turn off the pc and tune to any station on your radio.

I like all kinds of different music and when I make a cd for my self it is always a mixture of rock, country and who knows what else.

I have one CD that had Taylor Hicks, Bucky Covington, Elvis, AC/DC and Guns and Roses and it is one of my favorite CDS

Wow thanks for the post Gregg -- and to everybody who responded. I will indeed take another listen...best of luck and I will report back on what a 'second listen' finds...

Larry

I'm delighted that you plan to give radioio-idols another listen and I hope you don't mind that I'm adding onto your column at the end of a long day for you.

My reason for listening to radioio is that I can finally hear music other than just the continuous daughtry, John Mayer, BonJovi mix or Mary Blige, Byonce or J-Zee mix. Most of today's music just doesn't appeal to me and the discovery of radioio was a God-send! I enjoy listening to the mix of music both national and international and I've discovered some fine artists through Gregg's playlists.

Another exciting aspect of radioio-idols is the personal replies writers and listeners get from Gregg -- you just don't get that from other DJ's on the music stations today.

Gregg is my kinda guy and he plays my kind of music -- that's all that matters to me.

Thank goodness for Radioio. I am so sick of regular radio -- so much so that I only have it on to wake me up and then I turn on the TV for the remaining time getting ready for work. Regular radio simply repeats, repeats, repeats, repeats, well, you get the idea. It's refreshing to hear new voices, new genres -- I loved Season 5 of American Idol and I now get to hear from some of my favorites -- Taylor Hicks, Elliott Yamin, Bucky, Kelly and on and on. Thanks to Greg for this station.

Other DJs will not play requests unless they are "on the charts." Well, how can they be on the charts if they are not played. Anyway, Gregg, I really, really, really appreciate you and your station!! Thanks!

I have to kinda agree with the first post.I have tuned into the station for a couple of weeks now and as an avid AI viewer its awesome to hear the contestants played on air. My one criticism would be that there are way too many non US artists played. I'm also kinda sick of the over kill of Will Young being pushed on the station. He obviously has a limited UK following who are promoting his tunes here through Gregg but, please! Enough is enough!

Radio IO obviously has a lot of fans who appreciate it and can express the channels' mission statement as well as Gregg. I appreciate Radio IO for what it is too, and find a lot more that I can listen to there than on most of the minimally produced, barely curated Internet radio channels. But there are IO channels that work well for me and others that feel a little claustrophobic. The Idols channel is one with a lot of potential appeal beyond the listeners we've heard from here -- it could also attract people who appreciate Idol because it's so hit-driven (but still selectively turns them on to a "Hallelujah" here or a new version of "Over The Rainbow" there). So it's not outrageous to evaluate it by the rules of all radio.

Just to add my 2 cents worth from Canada..... I really enjoy listening to Radioio Idols complete with it's diversity. Originally, I started to listen because I heard the DJ actually played Taylor Hicks music. I got so tired of the same old regurgitated pablum on local radio stations and of being continually refused requests for Taylor Hicks that I had stopped listening to radio. Now here was a station and a DJ who not only welcomed requests but actually played them and if you emailed him, he replied. How cool is that! Once I started listening I found myself singing along and enjoying material from other shows in other countries, I love that. It's a big world with lots of music to enjoy and I'm proud to say I now know singers and their music I would not have heard without Radioio. OK, I don't like all of the music reality show stuff but the odd one mixed in with tons of good music is a great deal. I even hear Canadian idols in there, listening to Radioio Idols sends me out to the record stores to search out CD's of the International artists I hear and like. Without a doubt, Radioio and Gregg Parish fill a void and I give them both a big two thumbs up for actually hearing their listeners voices and filling the need for audience driven music, rather than only playing what money or record companies dictate.

I am a big fan of UK and American Idol shows (American Idol, Pop Idol, Xfactor). Without them we may never get to know some of the talented artists that appear on these shows. However, it is impossible to keep track of new talent all over the world.

I discovered RadioIO about 6 months ago and have been an avid listener since then. It showcases a variety of singing styles, and genres and also new interpretations of old songs, all of which make an enjoyable and refreshing change. I also get the opportunity to listen and enjoy new talented artists from other parts of the world.

In my experience of regular radio stations, the DJs tend to play what they like and what they think their listeners like. If they don't like particular artists they don't give them much, if any, airplay. Some radio stations don't like Idol shows so will not play any of the artists' music. This is the first radio station that I have found to be totally unbiased towards Idol artists.

Gregg Parrish is a fantastic DJ. He treats everyone as an individual and works very hard to meet all his listeners' needs. He has created a unique and very enjoyable radio show, and long may he continue to play new and emerging talent from across the world.

I'm from Massachusetts. I gave up listening to regular radio stations months ago. In my car, a couple of hours a day, I was hearing the same songs over and over again - whether it was on an Oldies, an adult contemporary, or a soft rock station. Combined with the ungodly number of commercials, the "music" was sending me over the edge.

I sent three emails over an 18- month period to the ac station I listened the most to. Originally, I had requested Taylor Hicks' "Do I Make You Proud." I never got a response and the song was never played. Months later, when his album dropped, I waited and never heard his name or the cd mentioned - never mind a song being promoted or played. I thought it strange, since I was consistently hearing every other Idol from Season 5 - so I emailed the station and received a reply telling me that Hicks didn't "fit in" with their format. Was he kidding me? I knew his "format" better than he did. I listened to it ad nauseam, and I knew exactly how Taylor would fit in. (He was most certainly a better fit than the rocker from Season 5, who was played at least a dozen times a day. I wrote back to this dj, and was more or less told, it would never happen - his station would never play Taylor Hicks!

Fast forward a few months later, when Hicks' tour was coming to New England for at least a half a dozen shows. That same station did a phone interview with him the morning of his Boston show. Bits of "Heaven Knows" were playing in the background while they talked. I thought for sure, this was finally the turning point and Taylor would be played. No way! Never happened. Not even once. No radio play whatsoever - even though all of his shows in the NE area were sold out. That was the real turning point, or the "tuning out" point, for me. I deleted the station, tried a couple of others, and still no luck. From then on, I listened to cd's while driving.

I heard about radio-io at one of Taylor's fan sites, and decided to give it a try. What a shock! A station, not mired in dozens of commercials, that played a variety of music by all of the Idols from the U.S. and abroad. And miracle of miracles, I heard the voice of Taylor Hicks. And it wasn't one of his Idol songs or one from his post-Idol career, but one of his earlier originals. Figured I'd died and gone to heaven.

E-mailed the DJ to thank him. Lo and behold - Gregg emailed me back - thanking me, and this is the best part, asked for my input! Well, I wasn't used to this kind of treatment! Needless to say, I don't listen to any other station. I've been amazed at the number of Idols from other countries who I've come to enjoy listening to. I love hearing songs from earlier Idol contestants, and I revel in hearing Taylor's glorious voice every day.

And isn't that what it's supposed to be all about - playing the music people wanted to hear, and have taken the time to request? As far as this listener is concerned, Mr. Parrish and his station are both winners.

Strange comments! I am sure none of the artists featured on this station are regarded as 'threats'.
I can honestly say I really enjoy listening to the mix of different artists we get played here and there are none I would wish to exclude. I love hearing Taylor Hicks. Will Young, Daughtry, Kelly Clarkson and all the others from around the globe. Of course, I know Kelly Clarkson and Will Young are tremendously successful but many of the others played here I had not heard of until I found this station. So I am grateful to have been introduced to all these talented performers.

Thank you Mr Parish....you are doing a grand job. Please don't change the 'mix' - its perfect as it is.