Sunday, 6 April 2008

Quoting a previous Alan Milewczyk contribution:-

These days, music is fragmented
much more with stations occupying specific niches.

I think there's another factor, and I guess it could be called patience or being 'happy to queue' or whatever. We used to have that. Not so much the waiting in lines with food coupons for an allocated pint of milk, but happily sitting through some god-awful song waiting for something we liked to come on. In its extreme this might be something like Two-Way Family Favourites. We'd sit patiently through the Mrs Mills plonking at her piano disc that grandma on the other side of the room liked because the next record might be the Yardbirds.

These days we don't wait for anything. We want it now. Right now. And, one could argue, why should we have to wait? Now, if I want talking radio, I switch to it. If I want Chilly music I switch to it, if I want pop, I switch to it. If I don't want ads I switch to something else.

In the old days we just left the radio tuned to one station and patiently waited. Maybe that's why everybody was far less stressed and wound-up than they are these days.

I echo the comment made by Geoff about choice, we do have much more
these days and for me, that's down to the Beeb and the internet sector.
The commercial guys have lost the plot as far as I'm concerned.

Agree on this one too!
--
* Christopher England just said that *

Christopher England <...> said:

I still have the
opinion that things were never as good as we think they were and nothing
could actually give us the programming that we feel inside our heads
that we are missing.

Well, maybe we could borrow Doctor Who's Tardis and go back in time, >
--
* Christopher England just said that *

I think you have hit the nail on the head, Chris. In the 60s we HAD choice but needed it because there was so much duff programming in between. Even as an 11/12 year old I remember a lot of tuning to avoid certain programmes and listen to (to me) "unmissables" like Kenny and Cash, Pete Brady etc.

Just because it was from a boat didn't make it good....

Regards

Ted

Steve Martin wrote:
: From: "Christopher England" <...>
:
: : Is it possible that a single radio station would be unable to
: : satisfy you as a listener nowadays? I doubt it could satisfy me,
: : any more than a single Tv channel could.
:
: I would agree with that, I have different moods where I want music and
: float between Planet Rock, Arrow, XFM & Caroline

Tsk, what about MAR? http://mar.exilenet.org:9042/listen.pls
Someone on Garry's board said it reminded them of Caroline Overdrive, which pleased me.

: or speech then it is
: either R4 or 5 Live.

I must admit I seldom feel the need to listen to speaking radio; I prefer music. If I want speech I'll talk to a real person.
:
: : I mean, whilst I completely agree with your sentiment, and also
: : support Neil Gates' efforts to keep the offshore dream alive, I
: : still have the opinion that things were never as good as we think
: : they were and nothing could actually give us the programming that
: : we feel inside our heads that we are missing.
:
: Whilst I would support such a venture, I think it would be madness
: these days. There are far easier ways of doing it than from a rusting
: death trap in the North sea.

Steve, If you know of these "easier ways" to cover a large area on real radios without a licence please do let me know mate! Yes, it is feasible to put an MW rig on from a towerblock but that's not without its problems (believe me I know!) and won't give anything like the coverage from sea with its perfect groundplane.

Steve Leyland

http://mar.exilenet.org:9042/listen.pls

“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this
right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
article 19.

Whilst a single station these days couldn't please everyone, in the 60s and 70s, music was so diverse. I take all your points, but radio was still developing in the mid 60s to probably 1985. Even though it was predominantly pop, most stations (including BBC AND LATER ILR)had specialised shows to try and cater for most tastes. I listened to Radio 1 when it began in 1967, it was like the the pirates to a certain extent through the daytime hours, but on a nightime reverted back to the old light programme, a really weird mix. RNI came on in 1970 and their programmes were mostly pop, but when Caroline came back in 1972, her programmes, when she got the transmitter sorted out, were very experimental, playing stuff that no one else played, or sometimes never heard of. My local ILR station began in mid 1974 (Metro Radio) it tried and failed to be everything to everyone, after nearly bankrupting itself, it reverted back to pure pop. Laser 558, was undoubtedly the most listened to station in the mid 80s, it's american slick style was a breath of fresh air. They broadcasted good "pop" radio, with a few rock classics late on a night time shows. I didn't like Radio Carolines programming in 1983, but i still listened often, when Monique joined in, and Overdrive began, now that was good rock radio. To a certain extent Caroline558 tried to take over from Laser, with its fast paced "pop" 24 hours a day, whilst on 963 and later 819, we had an alternative Rock service, which i enjoyed immensely. Up to the present day, i think Big L on 1395 try and be different with their programming, to be honest, although they are probably losing money, they are bold with their music policy, and sound completely different to any other station on AM, long may they continue, right you's can all wake up now, all the best LA and 73s.

Quoting a previous miamigorocks Geoff contribution:-

Whilst a single station these days couldn't please everyone, in the 60s
and 70s, music was so diverse.

Not picking a fight here (heh heh), but surely music is far more diverse now than it ever has been? There are so many complex different and differing genres, and depending on a kid's peer group, he/she'll pick only one of them and follow it.

Radio 1, for example, tries to spend non-mainstream hours reflecting these different and differing genres. There's not really a retro-aspect to most of these shows, as in, they are not having to dig back in time to find the songs to play. The shows are playing 'new' and 'now', which makes me say things are far more diverse than ever.

Here's a question: If we were to get a new offshore station, what genre should it focus on?

My answer would be: "the disc jockey". Discuss!

—
* Christopher England just said that *

Quoting a previous Steve Leyland contribution:-

Tsk, what about MAR? http://mar.exilenet.org:9042/listen.pls
Someone on Garry's board said it reminded them of Caroline Overdrive,
which pleased me.

Ah, but shouldn't you be producing radio that doesn't remind people of radio that has been before?

What did Big L (the real one) remind ordinary people in the UK of?

What did Laser 558 remind ordinary people in the UK of?

I must admit I seldom feel the need to listen to speaking radio; I
prefer music. If I want speech I'll talk to a real person.

Not called Pete Price yet then?

Steve, If you know of these "easier ways" to cover a large area on real
radios without a licence please do let me know mate! Yes, it is feasible
to put an MW rig on from a towerblock but that's not without its
problems (believe me I know!) and won't give anything like the coverage
from sea with its perfect groundplane.

But why would anybody use Medium Wave in this modern day and age?
—
* Christopher England just said that *

To be honest chris, when i wrote that bit about the 60s and 70s music being diverse, i was thinking todays music is too. Even tho i'm in my mid 50s, i still like raw type music, i hate all that "boom boom boom shite" but bands like the pigeon detectives and the fratellis i like, along with quite a bit more. I do like oldies too, probably coz some of them bring some good memories back, but the thing that gets me about Oldies Stations, is that they play the same songs over and over again, unlike Big L, who play some really obscure oldies,and good oldies which no one else seem to play. I listen to Big L on MW/AM, even tho i can listen on line, old habits and all that. Your point about Offshore Radio and if it ever comes back, what sort of format should it take, well a DJ format, like when radio was enjoyable and not bland background music. All the best LA and 73s

Quoting a previous miamigorocks Geoff contribution:-

Your point about Offshore Radio
and if it ever comes back, what sort of format should it take, well a DJ
format, like when radio was enjoyable and not bland background music.

The only place you get people actually jocking the records is Radio 1. And then, it's only on two shows – Chris Moyles and Scott Mills. Every commercial station I hear refuses to touch the records as if records are dog pooh. If it's true that Scott Mills and Chris Moyles get such high RAJARs, then surely part of that is attributable to them 'jocking' the records and not treating them like dog pooh they must avoid. If the commercial sector want to start appearing in RAJAR, then maybe they should re-introduce disc jockeying. Disc jockeying is what sold radio back in the day, too.
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* Christopher England just said that *