Radio stations lack variety
19-March-2010
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Radio stations lack variety

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Right, that's it!  I can not listen to the radio any more.  I have had enough of the same rubbish every day.  I have 6 pre-set radio stations on my car stereo.  Unfortunately I have just recently changed cars and don't have my CD multi-changer fitted otherwise I would not have this problem.

Car stereo, radio stations lack variety

I have noticed for some time now that all the commercial radio stations that I can tune in to seem to have the same play lists.  You see, I'm a bit of a channel surfer, when I hear a song I don't like or that has been over-played I will change station.

I listen to the radio on my short (20 minutes) journey...

I listen to the radio on my short (20 minutes) journey to work every morning and evening.  Recently my local radio station Oxford’s Fox FM, have changed their morning quiz to "Guess the Year".  This wasn't a problem to me until they played a song that I really didn't like so I decided to switch over to another radio station, this time I tried Horizon.

I could not believe my ears when I realised they were playing exactly the same song at exactly the same time and strangely enough were also playing the same quiz.  So once again I decided to change station, this time GWR Swindon and to my horror they too were playing the same song and the same quiz.  It was definitely different radio stations as the presenters were all different.

I want to know what exactly is going on here.  Why are all the commercial radio stations playing from the same play list, sometimes in a different order, and now the same quizzes?  It really cracks me up when they advertise themselves as 'your local music variety station' or whatever.  Tell me, where's the variety if everyone is playing the same stuff?


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Heard "less music variety" for a while last night; apparently Spiller's "Groove Jet" is now a classic! This means they have another excuse to play the wretched thing.

grumpyoldwoman
*GRUMPYOLDWOMAN  08-Nov-2009 10:51

 
Agreed. I work in a warehouse where they play Mercia (I think that's what its called) all day long and I swear, if I hear flippin "Buttercup" one more time I'm going to loose it!
*DA  07-Nov-2009 16:44

 
These radio stations need to be a little less flippant with their 'more variety' claims. That's like showing two fingers to everyone, as we all know that their is very little variety. They shouldn't even be aloud to broadcast. It wouldn't be half as bad if there were other independant stations to listen to, but they are all getting squeezed out by these sterile corporate money making machines that are driving people mad all over the country. It's only a matter of time before we have our first suicide... when some poor soul, trapped working in a factory that only plays the local radio station all day long, will completely lose the ability to live, they probably won't actually commit suicide, I expect that, while they're trying to work (with the radio blah blahhing in their ears) that their heart will just stop beating, or they will just become brain dead, although technically still alive, and therefore still be counted as a listener in the all important listening polls.
*steelmusicuk@hotmail.com  07-Nov-2009 13:38

 
I listen to Heart on a regular Basis, They are easily the best and play a fairly broad mix of music. Im never sulky when I listen to heart!
*sulky stanley  11-Sep-2009 10:32

 
Oops, that was an unintentional typo! Connection went & came back with the comment posted before I'd checked it!

Meant to say "most of them ARE current chart ones"
*grumpyoldwoman  11-Sep-2009 08:35

 
If Heart is now such a big company you'd think they could afford to but a few more cds. I'd swear they only have about 20 or 30, and most of them a current chart ones they probably got free!
*grumpyoldwoman  11-Sep-2009 08:32

 
Just to add to a few other comments here
indeed Heart are all over the place, the Horizon station in Milton Keynes is now a Heart station, or "Heart MK" just to distinguish it from other heart stations.
Its all down to cost cutting. "Global Radio" who own the Heart group along with the Galaxy set of stations somehow convinced Ofcom to let them buy these stations, then slowely change there branding to their own "Heart" or "Galaxy" branding, then sack most of the DJ's and production staff with exception of those who broadcast Breakfast and Drive Time.
All the other shows are networked, which means you get the same DJ, playing the same music across ALL the stations. In Hearts case, all 33 "Heart" branded stations.
Imagine the wages saved from sacking off 32 mid morning DJ's and staff, along with another 32 afternoon DJ's and staff.
Its never ending.
There is hardly any proper independant local or regional radio stations left.
*Whitey  11-Sep-2009 00:31

 
Totally argree, have you tried listening to Heart they claim more music variety yet every night the same music at the same time (saves me using a watch). They repeat <this is Heart> the other night 35 times in 30 minute, why do I listen? well we are forced to listen to it at work we are not allowed to take our own cd's in case it offends any one well 'this is Crap' sorry Heart is more offensive.
*naffed off  13-Aug-2009 12:45

 
Listening to radio talk shows is very painful for me these days because a dreadful habit has developed with the way people speak. Even many high profile people are very inarticulate. This is because they keep saying [YOU KNOW]. Don't they listen to themselves speak. It is so annoying to me I want to scream at the radio [No I dont bL--dy know please tell me]. When is somebody going to have the guts to point this out to anyone who has this very bad habit!
*Soulboy  30-Jun-2009 10:37

 
Tim, I wish I was in range of your local station. From what you say they sound brilliant!
*grumpyoldwoman  12-Jun-2009 17:05

 
I think best station for me is CuillinFm from portree. I listen online when I can. They play rock, rock covers so many different genres, folk rock, celtic rock, soft rock, heavy rock, alternative rock, pop rock, So as for the last person saying about REM/Police. I love Runrig, they are a celtic rock band, but when I look in shops it's just classed as rock, as it would be difficult to find a soecific genre for that band. Many artists on myspace etc etc are classed rock/celtic/pop etc etc.CuillinFm play, rock, pop, celtic, funk, powerpop, country, jazz, etc etc ;)
*Tim  05-May-2009 04:50

 
As a ps to my comment below; my local radio station is now "Heart"; and guess what?
They play "more music variety"!
What I want to know is; is that more variety than they used to play before?
*grumpyoldwoman  23-Mar-2009 09:37


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