Highlights from the author’s week of (always decidedly random) listening and the week’s radio headlines, ending June 23, 2011. Stations I’ve worked with recently in my Edison Research (or another) capacity are asterisked.*

Station (FM)

WFXC (Foxy 107) Raleigh, N.C. – Long before PPM came to the Research Triangle, the heritage Urban AC (which goes back to the early ’80s) was usually immaculate from song to song. It’s not a surprise to see them at No. 1 this month and up 8.7–9.6.

Station (Online)

Harmonic Lounge – As the Smooth Jazz defections continue, format veteran Bill Harman relaunches his “next generation of cool” syndicated show as a 24/7 online stream.

Format Change

Hallelujah 105.1 – Clear Channel uses a second translator to return Gospel to FM in Birmingham, Ala., on the station legally known as W286BK.

Station Liner

“Songs from today and back in the day” – You’ve likely heard that one already, but it’s now on WLTW (Lite FM) New York, meaning that the liner that began its life on KDAY Los Angeles’ original gold-based Hip-Hop format seven years ago has now made its way to Mainstream AC. Next for AC: “Blazin’ ’80s, ’90s, and now”?

Hardest Working Artist

Taylor Swift’s Virtual Radio Tour – With her “Mean” perched at No. 2 on the Country chart, KILT Houston, KSCS Dallas, and WKHX (Kicks 101.5) Atlanta all tweet within a few minutes of each other that they have Swift interviews coming up shortly during morning drive on June 21.

Hardest Fought Artist

WRXP (Rock 101.9) New York lands Coldplay as the headliner for their first station festival, the only Rock station to do so, according to PD Leslie Fram. 48 hours later, the station is among three sold to Randy Michaels' new Merlin Media and the speculation about the station returns anew.

Jock Lines

“That’s pretty tame. They did that on ‘Modern Family.’” – From a discussion by WDCG (G105) Raleigh, N.C., morning team Bob Dumas & the Showgram on couples’ role-playing gone wrong. (In this case, they were referring to couples that pretend to meet as strangers.) That led to Dumas’ own admission that he had once added some unintentional hilarity to his own “doctor and patient” scenario by giving his doctor character a foreign accent that changed every time he did it, leading a caller to remark, “It sounded like your wife was having a relationship with Mario.”

Oh Wow Instrument

Sax & Candy – Even without the passing of Clarence Clemons, the saxophone would be more front-and-center this month thanks to his solo in Lady Gaga’s “The Edge Of Glory” and the sax in Katy Perry’s “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.),” which, Radio-Info’s Chris Huff notes, “only makes its absence in pop production in recent years all the more noticeable.” Those sax solos have the same impact as hearing the harmonica again on Alanis Morissette’s “Hand In My Pocket” and “Head Over Feet” 15 years ago. (Or the whistling on Britney Spears' "I Wanna Go.") And now one wonders if, as a gesture of final respects to Clemons, it’s time for a remix of “The Edge Of Glory” with him more prominent in the mix?

Oh Wow Oldie

Madonna, “Causing A Commotion” – One of several possible choices this week now that Hot AC WPLJ New York has opened up its ’80s category again. From that period in late ’87 where Madonna was in danger of squandering her mega-stardom with “Who’s That Girl” (the song and movie), “Spotlight,” and this song. Then she brought it back the following year with “Like A Prayer” and it was like this handful of songs never happened. But it sounded great this week.

Oh Wow Segues

Alexandra Stan, "Mr. Saxobeat" to Lenny Kravitz, "Are You Gonna Go My Way" – Or we could have gone with Bruce Springsteen, "Born In The U.S.A." to Pitbull, "Give Me Everything." Or Katy Perry, “California Gurls” to R.E.M., “Losing My Religion.” – They all happened in the same mix on Top 40 CKOI Montreal where anything can still happen during "les montages," at least for now. Quebec’s music industry lobby is urging Canada’s broadcast regulator to crack down on the mixes, which they claim are being used to circumvent Francophone stations' mandate to play 65% French-language music (by allowing up to 55 minutes of multiple English-language songs to count as only one). So enjoy them now.

Out Of Office Messages

“On a plane without wi-fi. Will respond as soon as I can.” – WB's Mike Rittberg. Remember when that went without saying?

“Have a super duper day. Seriously. Super!” – Kate Buck, PD, CKQK (K-Rock 105.5) Charlottetown, P.E.I.