NEW FORMAT... supposedly

Each time I read about a new radio format I opt to immediately announce its arrival to the world, usually with the quite hope it will die shortly.

Do I sound bitter? Well I am. Most "new" radio formats are dull, homogeneous combinations of old existing formats introduced by consultants that get paid a lot more than I do and thereby feel the obligation to use the word "synergy" with a straight face. There is nothing clever about taking two overlapping demos and cramming their top 100s into a single playlist. Jack was nothing new, it was a whole lot of everything old. Hurban is Urban but with spanish lyrics.

But about KMBY. A nice little alternative rocker with a nifty little R.A.T.M. looking logo.

According to M-street, KMBY of the Monterey-Salinas market CA announced a tweak to its format from Alternative to (drumroll please) ...........a hybrid of Alternative, Active Rock and Hip-Hop. http://ftp.media.radcity.net/ZMST/Journal2/Journal.pdf

In my mind I can only imagine this coming out as Active Rock with "jump Around" in heavy rotation. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe this is cool like the Judgment Night Soundtrack.

Only time will tell.

THIS IS WHAT'S WRONG WITH RADIO

THIS RIGHT HERE. THIS IS THE PROBLEM.

This is a picture of the buttons on the top of the radio in my hotel room. To me it meant in some way the pre-packaged, pre-branded franchised, sterilized radio formats really had become completely ingrained in American culture. The damage is done, the war (if there ever was one) has been lost. The packing of the media delivery product has been completely corrupted. [ooh sounds dramatic]
Oldies in Boston is Oldies in Miami, is Oldies in Shelbyville, Indiana...
These buttons were preprogrammed by hotel staff to local stations that fufilled the promise on each button. The soft rock button was a bit off with WJJK (a jack station) but, they also have no genuine Soft AC outlet in town. [Hooray for that]
There was no button for the preacher on the unnamed AM station talking about aliens that come to earth and visit with him to discuss their salvation via theonetruelordoftheuniversejesuschristamenbrothersandsisters...
But what would that button say? What one word summarizes that format? Religous talk just dosen't cut it. Christian Talk... yes he was christian but... christian talk is very formal very professional i.e. no aliens. Other. Ethnic? are aliens an ethnicity? whatever.
Point being that push buttons do not summarize the wildy varied programs of even what should be canned, predictably programed stations. I havent seen it before, and I hope not to see it again.