I can well believe it.

Putting aside your appalling misogyny for a moment... Why not put together, say, 20 songs you would play on Smooth? Perhaps Smartprogrammer who clearly has access to the latest research can post a reply about how popular those tracks really are.

That way we can estimate how successful a station you programmed would be...

I could list 200 songs to suit, but if people who put the research sessions together have limited knowledge themselves, the songs would not have been used, so you would just dismiss them as "not popular"....

Talk about the blind leading the blind!

How do you know they have limited knowledge - and that they haven't already tested your 200 'winners' and found them to be, in fact, dogs?

This is a good opportunity for you to enlighten us wckartist. You obviously have a great deal of music knowledge so why don't you educate us all?

Haha......a global apologist who bangs on about their stations, that are NOT there to "educate" the listener, but wants me to do the very same....hypocritical or what??

[quote=wckartist;71715169]Haha......a global apologist who bangs on about their stations, that are NOT there to "educate" the listener, but wants me to do the very same....hypocritical or what??[/QUOTE


Sounds like your list is as real as Amaras media consultancy.

What a shocking admission. I can almost feel the guilt in your sentence here. Clearly you are not unique.

I did my own small sample size research today, asking 12 people in the Smooth demographic (35 - 55ish, 9 female - 3 male) which song they would rather hear most regularly on radio, Careless Whisper or A Different Corner?

Result - Careless Whisper - 12 / A Different Corner - NONE.

One can only wonder how these researchers load their questions and slant their findings.

I don't want you to educate the listener, I want you to educate me! You said the "bods in control haven't got a clue". Now's your big chance to put that right.

Why do you think they would do that...to repel their listeners (And not put on 100,000 listeners in the discerning North West) ??

Honestly do you really think they would spend all that money testing their music assumptions and ignore the results? Words fail me!!

As for station ID admitting he's not into music...Not a great revelation admitted, however all music programmers should put aside their own preferences and aversions and select the right music for the target audience.

You make it sound like a doctor deciding on what's best for the patient and then prescribing it.

Take A Different Corner's 3 times a day, and 2 Candle In The Wind's morning and night.

Who would you prefer to treat you... a trained doctor with reliable tested knowledge or someone who just 'knows from instinct' what's wrong?

It's taking wckartist a long time to post that list of 200 songs isn't it?

Particularly as there's no effort involved, just his deeply knowledgable gut instinct

That's a good point. Imagine what would happen if some other occupations operated in the same way that some expect the radio industry to.

Ok, "yes men", ANSWER ME THIS!!!!!

If your testing has to be adhered to, by the letter of the law, how come new tracks from Lawson, Coverdrive and The Wanted get played from the "off" without testing if they would work???

I feel a massive "swerve" coming!!!

Who said testing has to be adhered to by the letter of the law?

Moving the goalposts now I see, but NOT answering my question!!

I can't answer your question as I don't work for Global so I have no idea how they make a playlist decision.

Brand new songs don't get tested "from the off". One of the questions used in research is "Are you familiar with this song?". Obviously an ultra new song wont score highly because it hasn't been established yet. It will have a low rotation to start with but that is the ONLY time gut feeling comes into it.

It the song has longevity and hangs around a while it will be tested after a few months once it's had time to bed in and has become more familiar.

Talking of swerves - can we have that list now? The original 20 requested will do. I just want to see which songs aimed at Smooths target you think they should play that they aren't already.

Hey Rich just to give you a heads up on your research - remember me citing the 'spiral of deceit' that pollsters discovered after the '92 election?

To get closer to reality you should try some qualifying questions first to avoid just getting the answers you wanted.

Unprompted awareness is a good starting point 'which British male artist do you know?' Then if George Michael comes up you ask 'which of his songs do you know?' You will be surprised what people do and don't recognise/like when approached this way.

The pollsters also found different answers depending on the questioners appearance and dress!

Basically your sample was weighted to support your own assumption, which it did splendidly, however I wouldn't invest a penny in any campaign based on that kind of basic research.

Its such a shame that this once constructive thread has degraded into just contatining insults being thrown at each other.

Any chance that it could revert back to actually discussing whats happening at Smooth.

If the detractors could avoid posting insulting comments saying that the Smooth management somehow doesn't have any competence it might help - the Global people on here will naturally defend themselves ... Those of us with a professional interest in the health and future of commercial radio will always point out the method and reasoning behind the decisions. I don't believe the supporters have ever been as spiteful as the detractors, but we sometimes appear a bit ivory tower-ish perhaps.

Spot on! ( Although you did forget to mention the bit about them being signed to Global Talent )