[mjb1124Member]

NYC now has a Country station for the first time in over a decade. They are using sung jingles which sound good – upbeat, melodic, and with just the right amount of real country flavor for today’s format. Don’t recognize the package offhand – sounds like TM, perhaps a custom?

http://formatchange.com/94-7-nashfm-launches/ (jingles start around 7:10)

[tophour_brianMember]

Cumulus is getting their Benztown Branding unit into doing jingle production; I’d imagine the package is from them.

[IainJohnstonMember]

How bizarre that they commenced the “stunting” sequence with the bells of Big Ben, London! At one point they even were playing out old WABC airchecks (and jingles).

Been much debate for weeks about the possibility of Cumulus using 94.7 as the “flagship” of their new Country format / network – see the New York Radio Message Board…
http://www.musicradio77.com/wwwboard/

Any new or modernised format in a big city like New York City but with the traditional “sung jingle” has to be a welcome sound to jingle AND radio fans alike

(…and jingle-writers please note – proves that every single cut DOESN’T have to end purely singing the station call/name…)

[mjb1124MemberAuthor]

Interesting note about Benztown Branding – I guess this is their answer to Clear Channel’s relationship with Reelworld. If this is indeed them, then it’s a promising start, though I hope it doesn’t completely usurp other jingle companies on Cumulus stations. Any examples of their jingles out there?

The “stunting” leading to this format launch was very well produced and the WABC airchecks were a nice touch. It was a bit surreal to hear Cousin Brucie in the middle of a montage of hits from 2009!

[IainJohnstonMember]

“The “stunting” leading to this format launch was very well produced”

It apparently even got a name – “The Wheel of Formats” as it switched & jumped around from different audio to audio

[glen]

KUPL FM PORTLAND IS NOW THE BULL.

[mbMember]

And so is KILT famous for TM and Reelworld packages 100.3 KILT is no more its 100.3 The Bull

[WAVAMember]

It’s a radical move. Country in NYC will fail.
There is a reason why the format hasn’t been in the Big Apple since ‘YNY 17 years ago ;

[GrahamCollins]

WAVA makes a good point – some country music as part of a Lite format playlist maybe but to go all out country in the most urbanised place in north America seems odd – I guess they’ve done their research……

It stands as much chance of being successful as an all folk music station would in London !

[Spoons]

*shelves plan for London Folkback Radio*

[IainJohnstonMember]

Well, they DID say prior to launch that they were going to use 94.7 NY as part of a “new strategy” nationally in the USA – and here’s the confirmation today…
http://www.musicradio77.com/wwwboard/messages/402782.html

Previously in the USA, the idea of “national” or “quasi-national” networks per se wasn’t really allowed – 6 O&O stations plus “affiliates” – however as “rules get more relaxed” no doubt the States will get their equivalent of UK “Globalisation” or French NRJ Group etc, and “Nash” will be the guinea pig (same everywhere, same music, even one androgenous jingle package perhaps even without “local” resings even for frequency).

“…and every city has a Kiss” – at least each station of the same “handle” was separately programmed or individual identification/jingles. As someone on the NYRMB said – the “McDonalds-isation” of US radio is coming…

[mjb1124MemberAuthor]

Well, that article does refer to Nash as more of a “brand” rather than a “network”. So perhaps there will be a lot of Nash stations all over the country, with very similar music and imaging, but with local elements (personalities etc.). It might be similar to Clear Channel’s “Premium Choice” where stations take a national music feed and customize it to their needs.

As for Country in NYC, I’m willing to take a “wait and see” approach. Country music has changed a lot since the days of WYNY, plus we didn’t have the PPM ratings methodology back then. I’m not a fan of the genre personally, but it does seem to have a strong following in the NYC area. It might be able to work out if advertisers can look past the sterotypes.

[LenGroat]

I’m afraid the format stinks, the cliched deep-voice male vo’s make it sound out of date straight away, and there were better jingles 18 years ago on ‘Young Country Fox 97’ in Atlanta..

Why can’t today’s radio suits remember the industry’s heritage!

The worst thing is the name; single syllable ~ it does not sing well, and I ‘see’ ‘Gnash FM’ ~ kind of an ‘Alice Cooper rock station…’

[Bigdave]

Although its not a Country package,per se, give a listen to Positive Hits by RadioScape. With a little bit of either dobro or pedal steel mixed in,it would have all the makings of a great sounding contemporary country package.

What’s more,any company that’s got Johnny Hooper on board,will assure that bit of class shines through…

[Author]

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