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Smooth National Radio Thread |
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#2801 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 648
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Quote:
I totally agree. There ARE loads of songs that would fit the brand. However research dictates otherwise. Songs which you would THINK would work well quite often don't and they score poorly when tested.
Say what you want about music research but it works and it's a very successful programming tool if used correctly. |
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#2802 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Newport Pagnell
Posts: 21,349
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When you say tested , on whom ?
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#2803 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Down South
Posts: 24,610
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The Lovely Tina was on Paul O Grady ITV chat show this evening. Obviously Paul is unwell at present.
Yeah right, she's probably still tucked up in bed on a Sunday morning and as for her having to learn to use all the equipment in the studio. Pull the other one, its got bells on. |
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#2804 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,227
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Quote:
Information like that is confidential and it's certainly not going to be posted by me on a public forum such as Digital Spy. You might find this link useful as it explains how auditorium testing can be carried out.
Music research has been going on for decades and goes back to the days of ILR in the 80s. It's nothing new. All the groups do it - Bauer, UTV, Orion, etc. etc so it's not just a Global thing. Just because you haven't been asked (or anybody you know) doesn't mean it's not happening. Every big company or corporation will research their product thoroughly and at great expense. Ever been stopped in the high street by somebody with a clipboard? Do you think McDonald's launch a new burger by sticking it on the menu and hoping for the best? No of course not. They will identify their target customer and gain feedback based on a predetermined sample size before going national with it. I don't really understand why you can give so little information after all the advertisers know how RAJAR is done so why the secrecy over the testing of music or is it that 5 men and 5 women in the Global canteen are actually the panel and it would be embarrassing if the truth came out!!!! |
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#2805 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Newport Pagnell
Posts: 21,349
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Now that's just the point I have been asked many times by people with clipboards but the questions have never been related to what music I listen to on the radio. Nor it seems has anyone who posts on the radio section of DS or any other forum that I have been on when this question comes up.
I can appreciate that you are not able to be specific but surely you can say how testing is carried out eg; by phone, internet survey, clipboard? Can you say how "testers" are chosen or how many people are asked? |
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#2806 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: London
Posts: 1,521
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Now that's just the point I have been asked many times by people with clipboards but the questions have never been related to what music I listen to on the radio.
Back in the Chrysalis days a lot of Galaxy's research was callout. That basically means people who had previously agreed to take part in these kind of surveys were called at random and music was played down the phone to them. However the name of the station or group was never revealed as this could influence results. Without saying whether this is the method used by Global, callout is still used a lot by the various groups today. Auditorium testing is covered in more detail in the link I provided. |
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#2807 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Tied Up in Notts
Posts: 1,581
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Do you think McDonald's launch a new burger by sticking it on the menu and hoping for the best? No of course not. They will identify their target customer and gain feedback based on a predetermined sample size before going national with it.
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#2808 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 1,404
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Quote:
My clipboard comment was about research in general. It wasn't radio related as music research is not carried out on the street.
Back in the Chrysalis days a lot of Galaxy's research was callout. That basically means people who had previously agreed to take part in these kind of surveys were called at random and music was played down the phone to them. However the name of the station or group was never revealed as this could influence results. Without saying whether this is the method used by Global, callout is still used a lot by the various groups today. Auditorium testing is covered in more detail in the link I provided. ![]() |
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#2809 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 296
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Quote:
Information like that is confidential and it's certainly not going to be posted by me on a public forum such as Digital Spy. You might find this link useful as it explains how auditorium testing can be carried out.
Music research has been going on for decades and goes back to the days of ILR in the 80s. It's nothing new. All the groups do it - Bauer, UTV, Orion, etc. etc so it's not just a Global thing. Just because you haven't been asked (or anybody you know) doesn't mean it's not happening. Every big company or corporation will research their product thoroughly and at great expense. Ever been stopped in the high street by somebody with a clipboard? Do you think McDonald's launch a new burger by sticking it on the menu and hoping for the best? No of course not. They will identify their target customer and gain feedback based on a predetermined sample size before going national with it. For heavens sake, did someone just ask for the country's nuclear codes or a little information about how its decided which tunes to play on a radio station? |
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#2810 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: London
Posts: 1,521
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Yes, but at least McDonald's offer a wide choice of burgers and not just three burgers, served in the same box with the same sauce, repeating and repeating on you, day after day after day.
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#2811 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: London
Posts: 1,521
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And so the patronizing arguments continue. We've had "ah but I understand and you dont" so when asked by another poster to explain, so that us poor unenlightened fools can understand we now get "this information is confidential".
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#2812 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 10,876
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Now that's just the point I have been asked many times by people with clipboards but the questions have never been related to what music I listen to on the radio.
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#2813 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,628
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I might have guessed that the "it really does work because I say so, but you don't understand it" argument would get am airing. And as for saying success doesn't necessarily mean audience, what an attitude. Bugger the listening audience as long as we make money...as if it wasn't us listeners paying the money. Dear oh dear.
It works because people will have heard a song or group of songs that they like and will actually tune in to your station again specifically to hear this song again. With a tight rotation this is more likely to happen. With any business it would be madness not to listen to people in your target market. A tight rotation on its own will probably kill your radio station unless you KNOW that you're playing the songs that they love. I can speak from experience about a station I worked for in a large and busy market. It was CHR and had just 72 active songs on the database when it was the market leader. |
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#2814 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,227
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Look, I'm here trying to offer an insight and explain how and why things are done a certain way in a polite and professional way. Seems nobody appreciates my input so on that note I'll leave you all to fight amongst yourselves.
I consider the detail quite vital we supposedly live in a democracy yet "some unknown people" are apparently deciding what I should hear on the radio and I don't even know how I can have a say over what's played on what was my favourite radio station. Somehow that doesn't seem quite democratic to me. Even if I phone them nowadays they wouldn't play my choice. |
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#2815 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,628
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With all due respect you haven't really told us anything. I asked you how these "tests" are done and how people are chosen and all we've gleamed is that basically they are "confidential" and they might be done over the phone.
I consider the detail quite vital we supposedly live in a democracy yet "some unknown people" are apparently deciding what I should hear on the radio and I don't even know how I can have a say over what's played on what was my favourite radio station. Somehow that doesn't seem quite democratic to me. Even if I phone them nowadays they wouldn't play my choice. |
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#2816 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 4,475
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I consider the detail quite vital we supposedly live in a democracy yet "some unknown people" are apparently deciding what I should hear on the radio and I don't even know how I can have a say over what's played on what was my favourite radio station. Somehow that doesn't seem quite democratic to me. Even if I phone them nowadays they wouldn't play my choice.
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#2817 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,682
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Quote:
With all due respect you haven't really told us anything. I asked you how these "tests" are done and how people are chosen and all we've gleamed is that basically they are "confidential" and they might be done over the phone.
I consider the detail quite vital we supposedly live in a democracy yet "some unknown people" are apparently deciding what I should hear on the radio and I don't even know how I can have a say over what's played on what was my favourite radio station. Somehow that doesn't seem quite democratic to me. Even if I phone them nowadays they wouldn't play my choice. |
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#2818 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 9,867
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Quote:
Ok.so has anyone on this forum know of anyone who has been subjected to one of these 'callouts'?
![]() Back when I was a teenager one of my teachers had a call asking her what she thought of Ram FM. Quote:
Look, I'm here trying to offer an insight and explain how and why things are done a certain way in a polite and professional way. Seems nobody appreciates my input so on that note I'll leave you all to fight amongst yourselves.
Quote:
With all due respect you haven't really told us anything. I asked you how these "tests" are done and how people are chosen and all we've gleamed is that basically they are "confidential" and they might be done over the phone.
I consider the detail quite vital we supposedly live in a democracy yet "some unknown people" are apparently deciding what I should hear on the radio and I don't even know how I can have a say over what's played on what was my favourite radio station. Somehow that doesn't seem quite democratic to me. Even if I phone them nowadays they wouldn't play my choice. Quote:
There is no democracy on Radio 2 either apart from two hours a week on a Friday (5-7pm). You can't just ring up Chris Evans, Ken Bruce or Steve Wright and get your favourite song on the air. Why should Smooth be any different?
The ironic thing here is in what some people would regard "as the good old days" at some of the ILRs just the one person at each station was choosing the music - usually according to their personal taste. To be fair a lot did have an ear for a hit, even if it wasn't their taste in music. However I read on a radio forum in the past about one station where popular hits and acts were effectively blacklisted just because the Head of Music didn't like them! Never mind that they were Number 1 or selling out three nights in the area's biggest venue. Apparently when that station was taken over by a company who did research the figures increased. I do think there could be an argument that some companies (not just media) are too research driven but the idea that a profit driven company like Global are doing research in their own canteen has to be the most amusing comment I've read on this forum. |
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#2819 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,092
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Quote:
we supposedly live in a democracy yet "some unknown people" are apparently deciding what I should hear on the radio and I don't even know how I can have a say over what's played on what was my favourite radio station. Somehow that doesn't seem quite democratic to me. Even if I phone them nowadays they wouldn't play my choice.
A democracy means you have a vote on who is in government. It doesn't mean you get to choose what's stocked in Tesco, what models they stock at your local car dealers or what they play on a commercial radio station. I'd love to know what job you do. In a democracy, why can't I come along and decide how your business is run?? |
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#2820 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 2,227
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I run a broadcasting consultancy business.
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#2821 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Warrington
Posts: 626
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Quote:
Ok.so has anyone on this forum know of anyone who has been subjected to one of these 'callouts'?
![]() They then played half a dozen or so short samples of songs to me and asked me how I rated them. To be honest, I hadn't heard of any of them - a couple of them sounded a bit Country (new stuff not Kenny Rogers!!!), but it's difficult to gauge your opinion of a song you've never heard before from only hearing 10 seconds of it down a phone. |
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#2822 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 299
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I run a broadcasting consultancy business.
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#2823 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 2,628
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Quote:
Back in the 90s I was called up by someone on behalf of a group who were apparently planning on bidding for the 2nd NW regional licence - the one Century ended up getting - with a 'new' kind of music format. They asked me the kind of music I liked, and whether I'd be interested in certain types of music. There were also questions on the sort of speech output I thought was important.
They then played half a dozen or so short samples of songs to me and asked me how I rated them. To be honest, I hadn't heard of any of them - a couple of them sounded a bit Country (new stuff not Kenny Rogers!!!), but it's difficult to gauge your opinion of a song you've never heard before from only hearing 10 seconds of it down a phone. |
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#2824 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 919
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I run a broadcasting consultancy business.
For those broadcast consultants who are baffled by Globals practices and techniques, I suggest a skim through this.. http://www.amazon.com/This-Business-.../dp/0970586418 It's a must read, particularly on how modern music programming evolved. There is possibly an artistic arguement for 'gut feel alone' song selection, just not a commercial one. Commercial radio is Globals business. |
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#2825 |
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Forum Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 919
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There is possibly an artistic arguement for 'gut feel alone' song selection, just not a commercial one. Commercial radio is Globals business.[/quote]
Oh and most decent music programmers HAVE a gut feel for the right tracks, but are wise and scientific enough to test their assumptions with a sample of the target audience. |
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