The Infinite Dial

A few other things heard this week that rate a mention:

* CTVGlobal's new CHR, CJCH (the Bounce) Halifax, N.S., which launched this morning, giving the Maritimes something that many American markets don't have, a CHR war, as the Bounce (comparable to one of Clear Channel's rhythmic-leaning mainstream reporters) goes up against the rhythmic, but more eclectic CKHZ (Z103.5). This is, a big change for the market, since I remember being in the area in 1998 and hearing only one R&B record, "The Boy Is Mine," for the entire week. There were also very good, very different sounding new jingles on the Bounce.

* Heard even more about "Sex And The City" since Wednesday's posting. At AC/Country hybrid CIGY (Calgary 97.7), the website was teasing the morning show's movie-related topic, "the best place to make whoopi [their spelling] in the city."

* WPIA (Kiss 98.5) Peoria, Ill., one of the most musically aggressive CHRs in the Country. I tuned them in because I wanted to hear some different songs on the radio, but their night jock was doing a curious bit, the "dirty joke of the week" where only the setup was on the air, and you had to call the request line, and be 18, to hear the punch line. He did, however, string together audio of the callers laughing after they heard the whole joke.

* Checked out the new Adult Modern WCHH (Channel 104.3) Baltimore, the former WSMJ. From a First Listen, a little more mainstream than sister WRFF Philly. Interesting how a lot of the older gold that makes it on to the new Adult Moderns are the same that would come through in an AC or Hot AC test: Cure, "Love Song"; Police, "Don't Stand So Close To Me"; R.E.M., "The One I Love," etc.

* Oh Wow Oldie of the Week: "Start The Car" by Jude Cole in the no-repeat workday on Classic Hits/Hot AC WRFY (Y102) Reading, Pa., which was already a little unusual among (then) CHRs for pounding that song when it was new in 1992. (In any given week, WRFY probably has several contenders for the title. I'm on their Website now and they've just played "Hard Luck Woman" by Kiss.)

* Worst menu item name of the week: Boston's "Mama Meata" pizza, seen in a web banner on the player of Detroit's new No. 1 station, WKQI (Channel 95.5).