- Tim Martz' Radio Power is asked by the FCC about a Milwaukee translator move-in
- The Birth of Urban EMO
- MDNA: 53 Is The New 42
- Digital Marketing Campaigns that Inspire
- Eric Church Reflects On A Whirlwind Year, And What's Next
- Seattle: KOMO's Bill Yeend Retiring?
- Rumor: Orlando's WRLZ Sold
- Discussion: Was HD Radio Doomed From the Start?
- Armchair PDs Offer Second Opinions For 2012 Philly Radio
- Downsized by a RIF? Tell the Industry You're Looking for Work on Our Free Jobs Board
Newsletter: Ross On Radio
Listening to Radio. Listening to Music. Listening to You.
A twice-weekly analysis of radio programming and music from Sean Ross, who has the knowledge to relate the past, convey the present, and look to the future.
A Victory For 53 At Top 40
With Madonna posting a sales and airplay come back with "Give Me All Your Luvin'," a reader asks, "How many other 53-year-olds have gotten airplay on CHR radio?" It has happened before—but not very often. And even some artists that we think of as particularly enduring started to face resistance at Top 40 in their early 40s. So clearly 53 is the new 42.
Pulling A Career Out Of The Ether
A colleague and I finally watched Lana Del Rey's "SNL" performance, trying to figure out what was so controversial. Perhaps Americans just weren't sure what to make of "Video Games," a pop hit across Europe but the kind of song that scares radio here? From 10cc's "I'm Not In Love" to "Twin Peaks" to Mazzy Star's "Fade Into You," we trace artists who have been successful at "Pulling A Career Out Of The Ether."
More Streaming, More Problems
When I got my new iPhone 4S in November, I had the ability to stream most radio consistently for the first time after two years of frustration. And then, as will surprise nobody who knows me, I got a text from AT&T warning me that "your data use this month places you in the top 5% of users."
Hip-Hop Racking Up The Hits Again?
Throughout the rock era, R&B and then Hip-Hop hits often sold without a lot of pop airplay. When that slowed down in recent years, it signaled Hip-Hop's diminished influence and perhaps that Urban radio had issues that went beyond PPM measurement. But this week, five of the top 10 selling songs are rap, and three of them aren't getting CHR airplay proportionate to their sales.
Fresh Listen: New York's FM News 101.9
After overreaching in front of the industry during its first few months on the air, Merlin Media's WEMP (FM News 101.9) New York has gone for the "Plan B" that many anticipated. The female-lifestyle news is gone, replaced by a straight-ahead All-News approach and a harder-hitting delivery. So we take a "Fresh Listen."




























