[professor1036]

” format-testers like Clyde’s “The Big FM” “

Wot???
As a former (very, very small) shareholder in the now long-absorbed SRH, I’ve NEVER heard of that !
OK, SRH had a part/whole “interest” in the desperately under-powered Buzz FM in Brum at one time;
was “the Big FM” something akin to the “the Hot FM” or was this after EMAP bought out SRH and into the “Big AM” era??

There was a two week RSL called “The Big FM” which ran from Bolton, I remember the contact details as Clydebank on the Radio Authority’s RSL bulletins. The point of “The Big FM” was to test music and then apply for the second North West regional licence (won by Border Radio Holdings), the first week was ‘Hot Young Country’ and the second week ‘Adult Contemporary’. There were no presenters, no content bar promos asking listeners what they think and how to contact.

The Heart Warrington RSL had a full presenter led-line up, although I’m guessing the programming came from various locations. Chrysalis also ran a Galaxy RSL in Newcastle to prepare for a North East licence application.

There was also a rock RSL called KLCX which came from Manchester and was associated with Bill Whyman’s Sticky Fingers restaurant, although I don’t know whether that was a format tester for the North West regional licence. There were two RSL’s and that was it…

[IainJohnston]

Thanks for that! …. the things one STILL doesn’t know after all these years!

[professor1036]

Okay…this is the final file for now, featuring some recently rediscovered material…

Embedded at home.recnet.com/soundcloud

https://soundcloud.com/professor10362/offair-various

SoundCloud Playlist…

[professor1036]

Here’s something a bit different from me…an off-air jingle/ident compilation that is right upto date!

This montage is an FM bandscan of radio stations in New York City…recorded on Friday 26th and Saturday 27th June 2015.

Embedded at home.recnet.com/soundcloud

https://soundcloud.com/professor10363/nyc-26270615

[professor1036]

Just to carry on from Robin’s “What radio used to sound like” thread http://jinglemad.com/#/discussion/10400/what-radio-used-to-sound-like, which may I add is very informative…I thought I would give a plug to my jingles/ident off-air archive which ranges from 1985 until 2000. The start of my collection starts off primarily in the Midlands (where I am from) and broadens out to include stations in/around places I’ve visited, lived in and atmospheric conditions.

Hope you enjoy it…and please feel free to comment about these files as well!

[RobinBlamires]

In other words, it’s your fault.

Seriously,it’s good to hear identification as it was used on air.

The montages are ideal for long travelling stretches.

[professor1036]

Just added a new NYC bandscan from today (23/01/16) featuring sweeps, jingles and the odd promo from FM/HD stations across New York.

https://soundcloud.com/radiooffair/nyc230116

The NYC bandscan playlist can be found here…

https://soundcloud.com/professor1036/sets/new-york-city-fm-bandscans

…Enjoy

[loujosephs]

A big Apple classic….interestingly mm. Fm do not have news staff anymore

[ratnobMember]

https://soundcloud.com/professor1036/sets/off-air-radio-jingles

Just found this. A wonderful collection – thank you. Love that opening ‘BRMB “Because” jingle’

[professor1036]

https://soundcloud.com/professor1036/sets/off-air-radio-jingles

Just found this. A wonderful collection – thank you. Love that opening ‘BRMB “Because” jingle’

Thanks Geoff…greatly appreciated! Glad you like the collection.

[professor1036]

Here’s a brief post tidying up the Soundcloud playlist details…

UK and Ireland off-air jingles, idents etc (1985 – 2000)
https://soundcloud.com/professor1036/sets/off-air-radio-jingles

New York City FM/HD Bandscan (2015 onwards)
https://soundcloud.com/professor1036/sets/new-york-city-fm-bandscans

[IainJohnston]

Eh!!!! gasp! Shock/horror….
A ( fresh-sung ?) JAM TurboZ Cut 10 on an iHEART channel !!!! (Clear Channel as was…)
And a Drake Series 1 news intro somewhere from circa 1970?

There’s hope for Collectors after all!

Plus – no matter what the “social media generation” think – that bandscan shows old fashioned free-to-air radio stands head-and-shoulders clear when there’s e.g. a big situation such as their blizzard there last night – only so many “cell phones” can connect to a server’s ports at the same time…

[michiMember]

I wonder how iHeart got around the market exclusitivity on that since CBS-FM has TZ-10 cleared in that market.
JON W., isn’t an HD-2 considered broadcasting? How did two “channels” in NYC get the same jingle? Or are we treating HD2 stations like Sirius/XM?

[IainJohnston]

if one reads some of the USA radio forums, one would be inclined to think many an HD2 channel” (or “sideband” to may of us”) has virtually near-zero listeners anyway! Certainly the PPM meters struggle to give them much of a rating, even in big cities.

[professor1036]

Thanks for the comments everyone…infact I’ve added yet another NYC bandscan from yesterday (31/01) and today (01/02), once again featuring sweeps, jingles and the odd promo from FM/HD stations across the New York area.

https://soundcloud.com/radiooffair/nyc3101010216

New York City FM/HD Bandscan playlist (2015 onwards)
https://soundcloud.com/professor1036/sets/new-york-city-fm-bandscans

[professor1036]

Just added the latest in the occasional series of New York City bandscan’s. This one is ‘hot off the press’ and comes from the 21/05/16…once again featuring jingles, sweeps, legal ID’s and a few promos from FM/HD stations from NYC and beyond.

Pretty much as you were…ReelWorld still on iHeartMedia’s Lite, Fresh, Z100 and KTU, whilst JAM is still prominent on CBS-FM and Totally 80’s (WLTW HD2). This is the second bandscan to pick up the fact that Turbo Z Cut #10 is not aired on CBS-FM, unless it is getting played when I’m not listening! Although the same cut is getting played every hour on Totally 80’s, with just a rotation on the voiced aspect.

WPLJ is still not using jingles, concentrating with the station voices uttering ‘witty’ phrases (Free Radio in the UK did this until a year or so ago), although they are now phasing in the ID ‘New York’s 95-5’ without referencing the call letters afterwards. I didn’t monitor WFAN this time, so no update there. WSKQ-FM (La Mega) and WPAT-FM (Amor) have nice sung jingles…but couldn’t ID which company made them. Outside the city…ReelWorld is on WSPK (K104) and TM Studios is on WKJY (K98.3).

Despite the prominence of jingles on the key stations/brands…this hides the fact that there are a lot of stations using voiced ID’s alone.

Anyway…have a listen

https://soundcloud.com/professor10363/nyc200516

The NYC bandscan playlist can be found at…

[IainJohnston]

Thanks – Fascinating once again!

“ID ‘New York’s 95-5’ without referencing the call letters afterwards”

That often precludes a change of format or call letters, prior to “stunting” – was some recent debate on the NYRB site about whether WPLJ is so far down the ratings now that they might as well “bl&w it up” as they say in USA radio parlance and totally change the call and format.

“Smooth Jazz 102.7” Eh? Thought that was “Fresh” or am I just confused (very likely!)

Some useful info…
http://www.nyradioguide.com/freqlist.htm
http://www.nyradioguide.com/index.shtml

[professor1036]

Thanks – Fascinating once again!

“ID ‘New York’s 95-5’ without referencing the call letters afterwards”

That often precludes a change of format or call letters, prior to “stunting” – was some recent debate on the NYRB site about whether WPLJ is so far down the ratings now that they might as well “bl&w it up” as they say in USA radio parlance and totally change the call and format.

“Smooth Jazz 102.7” Eh? Thought that was “Fresh” or am I just confused (very likely!)

Some useful info…
http://www.nyradioguide.com/freqlist.htm
http://www.nyradioguide.com/index.shtml

Thanks Iain as always…

Perhaps WPLJ might retain their call-letters like they did during their shortlived ‘Mojo Radio’ period. So there might be a refocus to something like ‘New York’s 95-5’…but keeping the call-letters?

Smooth Jazz 102.7 is an HD station on the side of Fresh…WNEW-FM HD2.

[professor1036]

Happy New Year everyone…

Here’s something a bit different…the first UK/ROI off-air compilation for nearly sixteen years. This time concentrating on idents/jingles from some of the DAB/DAB+ stations.

https://soundcloud.com/professor10363/dab0117

Featuring; Chris Country, Cheesy FM, News Radio UK, Downtown Country, RTE Pulse, Coast & County, Sandgrounder Radio, 60’s, RTE Gold, Jazz FM, Polski Radio, Suffolk First, Antenna Radio, Love 80’s, Camden Experience, Kerrang! Radio and others.

Enjoy!

[mjb1124Member]

Just saw this thread for the first time in a while.

Regarding the NYC one a while back, WCBS-FM was using its Turbo Z TOH on and off for a while, though it would always be heard during specialty features like the ’80s at 8 and Saturday Night Block Party. They brought it back consistently a few months ago after they started using the “Live from the StubHub studios” plug, but now of course it’s been replaced by Reelworld. Also, WKTU’s jingles now come from Pure Jingles, not RW. And WPLJ still uses its call letters in some identification, but they’ve been de-emphasized a bit.

[professor1036]

Just saw this thread for the first time in a while.

Regarding the NYC one a while back, WCBS-FM was using its Turbo Z TOH on and off for a while, though it would always be heard during specialty features like the ’80s at 8 and Saturday Night Block Party. They brought it back consistently a few months ago after they started using the “Live from the StubHub studios” plug, but now of course it’s been replaced by Reelworld. Also, WKTU’s jingles now come from Pure Jingles, not RW. And WPLJ still uses its call letters in some identification, but they’ve been de-emphasized a bit.

Thanks for that…probably need to carry out an updated bandscan to emphasise the changes.

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