Thursday, March 18, 2010

TIMELESS COOL MEETS TIMELESS COUNTRY

Timeless Cool? - A new format for 35+ adults that doesn't say Chicago, Barry Manilow and Cher. It says John Mayer, Frank Sinatra, Michael Buble. Their press release says:


Timeless Cool offers an easily perceived "wider variety" than existing formats, and voids the excessive repeats of music found along the radio dial. This is not Sinatra and Kenny Rogers and other soft AC nostalgia artists who have aged out of the demo. This is Sinatra and John Mayer, Ray Charles, Amy Winehouse and many other artists who maintain a positive identity with today's 35-44. It's easy to listen to, but not Easy Listening.


I smell Timeless Country - Not the NEW, KNOWN AND LEGENDS that can't be tied together (nothing says disengagement like Waylon Jennings into Taylor Swift). With all the complaints about repeat music, tight rotations and a loss of appreciation and following for fractured music styles, this sounds right for 35+ Country radio. 


Here's a giant "what if" with air quotes from The Bobs in Office Space,. we offer programming for Country's lost 35+ listeners, like Timeless Cool called Cool Country. With several levels of artists and representations. From Hank Williams III, Lucinda Williams, Allison Kraus, Bobby Bare, Ricky Scaggs, Emmylou Harris, Waylon, David Allen Cole, Keith Whitley and Barbra Mandrell, artists and songs that relate to a 35-44 adult in Country life group leading markets, where the other Country stations are chasing each other with Rascal Flatts and Taytlor Swift. 


A fifth wheel Country format, that doesn't play ZZ Top and The Eagles and isn't too current and this makes the most sense to offer to those who are bold enough to break out of the pack and offer a Generation Y or Generation Y'all appeal format. Here's the what a sample hour would look like and the some of the library typical selections.


SAMPLE HOUR OF COOL COUNTRY:

LOVE AT THE FIVE AND DIME/NANCI GRIFFITH
THE HOUSE THAT BUILT ME/MIRANDA LAMBERT
GUITARS, CADILLIACS/DWIGHT YOKAM 
CRAZED COUNTRY REBEL/HANK III
MISERY AND GIN/MERLE HAGGARD
COWBOY LADY/JASON ALDEAN
WHAT KIND OF FOOL DO YOU THINK I AM/LEE ROY PARNELL
CAN'T LET GO/LUCINDA WILLIAMS
IF THAT AIN'T COUNTRY/ANTHONY SMITH
COCAINE BLUES/JOHNNY CASH
REDNECK GIRL/BELLAMY BROTHERS
BLAME IT ON TEXAS/MARK CHESNUTT
HIGHWAY 20 RIDE/ZAC BROWN BAND
LA FREEWAY/JERRY JEFF WALKER









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2 comments:

  1. Dont you thinks sometimes radio programmers could be to COOL for their audience. A person who listens to country has no idea who Nancy Griffith is in 2010 or Hank III, Lucinda Williams, Anthony Smith, or all the songs that Johnny Cash Recorded Cocaine Blues.... In this day of PPM its got to be a favorite or familar or the button gets pushed. By the way I think many of Waylons real hits could be played before or after a Taylor Swift Song. I think the problem really is that you have to really know music in your format old and new...There are enough GREAT country songs to put together this format correctly. PS-we did this format in San Diego in the late 70s as Sun 97-FM on KSON-FM.

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