The Infinite Dial

In 2004, it was the "format that ate the radio." Today, you don't hear as much about our Bob- and Jack-FMs. The novelty (at least among radio people) has worn off. New music is compelling again to adults. The initial PPM results for most stations have been middling, particularly given what the industry expected for a cume-friendly, variety-based format. And even one of the relatively recent converts, Houston rimshotter KHJK (Jack FM),switched to Triple-A this week.

We've been big fans of the Hot AC/Classic Hits hybrid since its 2002 debut at CFWM (Bob FM) Winnipeg. And we don't want to be fair-weather friends now. A fuller analysis of the format and its recent fortunes will follow in the Ross On Radio column, but for the next seven days, we thought we'd listen to some Bobs, Jacks, Peaks, Arches, and others to get a sense of how the format sounds now, and what sounds good about the more enduring players.

Bonneville's WARH (the Arch) St. Louis seemed like a good place to start. It was one of the bigger, better launches. Its inevitable levelling off would have been more than acceptable as a peak for many stations. And in the winter, it was up 5.0 - 6.0 under new PD Kevin Robinson and second 12-plus in the market.

The Arch started life with the advantage of being in a market with the right pop/rock heritage, and on the frequency of a former station (KWK) associated with that music. Throughout it's life, it's always had research and marketing. It's always had jocks -- the middayer I heard today was on with relatable bits every second or third song, including one amusing line about not being able to explain the lyrics of Van Halen's "Finish What You Started" on an at-work radio station.

One of the things that impresses about the Arch today is its balance. There's obvious AC functionality, but there are enough songs that an AC couldn't play. The station voice is still John O'Hurley, but he's used in service of the more straightforward positioner, "It's all about the variety." The only downside to the station was the length of the stopsets; from the moment the jock cracked the mic at the end of a sweep, it was usually 7-8 minutes to music starting again.

Here's the Arch at 12:40 today:

Juice Newton, "Queen of Hearts" (acknowledged by the jock as an oh-wow song)
(stop)
Eddie Money, "Shakin'"
Vanessa Carlton, "A Thousand Miles"
Bill Withers, "Lean On Me"
R.E.M., "It's The End Of The World As We Know It"
Queen, "We Will Rock You/We Are The Champions"
Sarah McLachlan, "I Will Remember You"
(stop)
Great White, "Once Bitten, Twice Shy"
Elton John, "Crocodile Rock"
3 Doors Down, "It's Not My Time"
Thompson Twins, "Hold Me Now"
(stop)
Van Halen, "Finish What You Started"
Norah Jones, "Don't Know Why"
Beatles, "Revolution"
Whispers, "Rock Steady"
Gnarls Barkley, "Crazy"
Foreigner, "Hot Blooded"