Re: Newspaper article on WHCN format change

[SteveOrdinetz <steveord@bit-net.com>]

Roger Kirk wrote:

>At WRKO in 1970-73, the Top 30 playlist was played through before
>repeating.  Add in 3 Hit bounds and 2 Goldens - that's 35 songs at
>approximately 3 minutes each or 105 minutes of music.  Combined with
>commercials, it averaged out to about 15 songs per hour (45 minutes of
>music)  Of course, a newscast would eat 10 minutes, so realistically,
>the rotation on a Top 30 song was around 2 hours - give or take.


It amazes me that Bill Drake, who had everything down to a science rotated 
some clinker that spent 1 week at #29 on the top 30 at the same rate as the 
#1 song!  By the early 70s even small markets had a system of powers, 
mediums & lights.  Still, even a 2-hour rotation means in a 5 hour shift 
some songs are gonna come up 3 times (which was the original complaint as I 
recall).

I read somewhere that in the mid 60s WLS (I think) had a light on a 1-hour 
timer.  When that light came on, the dj was expected to play the #1 song 
next.  I think WABC had a similar rotation, but expanded to the #2 song 
every 1 hr 15 min, #3 1 hr 20 min, etc.

Greg Franklin added:
>I remember when "The Reflex" by
>Duran Duran was on super-hot rotation, being played about once every 1.5
>hours.  As you may know, the song starts out a capella with a distinctive 
>"da da da
>da" echoey intro.


Don't think anyone around here played that version...Kiss 108 & WHTT played 
the album version, which is considerably less over-produced, and has a 
standard instrumental intro.