The Playlist Gets Some Play
Written Oct. 15, 2008 by Sean Ross in Content with 2 Comments
There was a time when knowing the word "playlist" meant implied that you somehow had knowledge of the radio business. In fact, when Broadcasting Magazine made a short-lived attempt to do radio airplay charts in the '70s with a feature called "The Playlist," figuring out what that term meant may have been the first "inside" thing I knew as a sixth-grader about how radio stations were programmed.
Now, with the release of "Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist," the word has become common currency enough for a major motion picture title. It follows the release of a Babyface album called "Playlist," the Robbins label dance series, "Perfect Playlist," and of course, years of references to playlists on iTunes. The "Playlist," billed that way, is now a staple of radio station Websites as well.
You can also thank a decade of scathing consumer press coverage of radio -- peaking with the frenzy of stories praising satellite radio. There were a lot of references to radio playlists there, usually modified by "restrictive" or "corporate" or "homogenized."
Despite this, the "playlist" has emerged with its honor intact. Of course, the problem is that listeners now think of it as something they would choose for themselves. So if it's okay to have a playlist, can radio use it to reclaim the recommendation franchise?
Reader Comments
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Radio can easily combine the concepts of "your playlist" and "recommendation" by simply doing what it's traditionally done with playlists: play the hits and feature new releases. Back in the day we always had "Picks To Click", "Sure Shots" or whatever -- new records that the station felt had hit potential and were featured as such. Why not bring back that approach?
The "viral" nature of new music discovery can be reclaimed as a radio tool. Downloaders are constantly recommending (or sharing, legally or not) music they have found to their online friends. Why can't stations do the same for their listeners, while continuing to rotate a "common denominator" playlist of proven, tested its?
I agree with Bob Shannon, in fact we have a promotional hook-up with Borders record stores where we feature "K-102 Picks" these five must have new releases.
We also do a feature show on friday's called "Make it or Break it" We feature new artists with a live interview on air and give the listener a chance to add them to the "K-102 Playlist" by calling in and voting on the song.. an old radio idea that still works well, for the artists and the station.