Highlights from the author’s (always decidedly random) listening and the week’s radio headlines, ending September 22, 2011. Stations I’ve worked with recently in my Edison Research (or any other) capacity are asterisked.*

Station (FM)

CFNY (The Edge) Toronto – In the late ’80s/early ’90s, CFNY (already a 10-year format veteran at that point) was one of the first Alternative stations to post significant overall shares. Twenty years later, the station is back in a share range that large-market U.S. Alternative stations would envy (over a 6-share in the most recent months of Canada’s BBM ratings). There was also a visit from Coldplay scheduled yesterday; the band was being inducted into the station’s “Rock of Fame.”

Station (Online)

Pandora* Lifts The Listening Cap – It’s interesting that Clear Channel’s promotion for the revamped iHeartRadio player went after Pandora on library size and spots, but not on its 40-hour monthly free-listening cap. Yesterday, the listening cap was lifted as part of a site redesign. Pandora’s own press-release doesn’t make a big deal of it either—unlimited listening is last on a list of new features and revisions—but Pandora’s TSL was sometimes used to try and minimize the service’s impact, so it will be interesting to see what happens now that usage isn’t being limited. (Disclosure: my other employer, Edison Research, works with Pandora, but I do not.)

Format Change

Urban AC WXMG Columbus, Ohio, moves to the frequency of sister WJYD, making room for the debut of Jack FM. Columbus always seemed like an obvious format for a Classic Rock/Hot AC hybrid. Sets up an Adult Hits vs. The Brew battle with Clear Channel’s WBWR. (Portland, Ore., has that battle already.)

Pending Format Change

Country KFKF Kansas City is already identifying itself on the station Website as “KC’s All New Christmas Station.” With the market’s two Mainstream AC stations having switched format earlier this year (including sister KCKC), KFKF is now the station sponsoring an upcoming Trans Siberian Orchestra concert. KFKF, the more gold-based of KC’s three Country stations, has the advantage of having a sister Country station in the cluster, so Country listeners aren’t stranded by the change.

Jock Line

“Why would you pick that name? [Why not] ‘It’s the Thyroids!’ ‘It’s the Colon!?’” – Top 40 KKHH (Hot 95.7) Houston’s morning Hot Show dissects Dev’s shout-out to her writer/producers, The Cataracs, on “In The Dark.”

Station Liner

“Hear New Music, While It’s Still New” – Heard on recently relaunched Top 40 WWAC (AC102.7) Atlantic City, N.J. Used to set up Britney Spears’ “Criminal.”

Best Radio Spots

“They Don’t Have A Phone?!” – As the current showplace for veteran ad genius Dick Orkin, the Regional Help Wanted sites have been one of the remaining bastions of consistently funny radio spots. This harder-sell spot resonates in its own way with anybody who has ever realized they can’t call customer service; (the one asterisk here is that rival job boards without a phone number are probably relatively low on the list of offenders for most people).

Worst Radio Spots

Fake Radio Interviews – As TV’s fall premieres roll out, so are the spots masquerading as radio interviews, a variant on the phony “morning show discussing the new shows” spots of a few years ago. And, of course, 60-seconds with unknown actors is about as much as you might hear of an actual interview in the PPM era.

Sign Of The Times

WLMG (Magic 101.9) New Orleans’ Listener Perks Features Kansas Pre-Sale – Okay, you knew Journey had long become a core act at Mainstream AC. But the only two Kansas songs that endure at Classic Rock are also the two still heard on AC (at least those that play the ’70s) as well. So perhaps they have, too.

Oh Wow Oldie

Green Day, “Working Class Hero” – As heard during a midday workforce block with Pierre Robert on Heritage Rock WMMR Philadelphia. From “J.A.R.” to “Geek Stink Breath” to “Know Your Enemy,” Green Day has never been shy about using its first new music after a quiet spell to get attention for some less obvious songs. Still, their contribution to a charity John Lennon tribute covers album didn’t seem like something likely to be heard again on the radio. But it sounded good on WMMR.

Segue

Green Day, “Working Class Hero” to “Jesus Of Suburbia.” – The capper of the WMMR set which, it should be noted, also contained “Boulevard Of Broken Dreams” and “Brain Stew/Jaded.”

Out Of Office Message

“I’m out of the office eating as much pizza and pasta as I can do legally. In case of desperation, contact Sue Carter. She can get lonely and will no doubt appreciate the company.” – Sophie Law, Jack FM/Glide FM, Oxford, U.K.

More Ross On Radio

This article is part of the Sept. 22 edition of Ross On Radio. You can also check out this week’s lead story—readers suggestions for songs that would be a hit if they came out today (including the Romanian disco hit with yodeling).