Does WMJX pay Dunkin Donuts to have station on?

[markwa1ion@aol.com]

On 5/6/2011 11:17 AM, Paul Anderson wrote:
> When did music in stores become foreground instead of background? I 
remember that Muzak said that if you notice the music when entering a 
store, it was too loud. The music was meant to be calming and friendly, 
and not noticed.
>
> Now it seems it's party time at the supermarket and restaurants where 
the music (usually some annoying mix of too-poppy or too-loud rock) is 
so loud it's distracting.

I can't believe that in my DENTIST OFFICE they have either Kiss 108 or 
Mike 93.7 simply BLASTING.  Though I may like a lot of the songs, I'm 
not sure that the volume level - resembling that of a college keg party 
- or a mix of rap, metal, Lady GaGa, etc. is really what you want while 
your teeth are being drilled & filled.  Somehow I liked the late '50s 
dentist office environment of Leroy Anderson "Waltzing Cat" etc. (well 
off in the background) better.

And the supermarket: at the Woburn Stop & Shop, the music I prefer 
that's rattling around in my head is usually battling with the 
(generally newer and - to me - inferior) music on the store speakers: 
Shapiro versus Pink, maybe.  No wonder if I forget to put something in 
the shopping cart.  At least the Stop & Shop near Route 28 in South 
Yarmouth (more like oldster-land) had the music ratcheted down in 
volume last time I was there.  A few years back I was in that store and 
was quite pleased to hear a mix that was mostly mellow British '60s 
including Seekers, Roger Whittaker, etc.  But by now I'm sure that 
store is likely to be running the same '80s / '90s / '00s mix as the 
others.  Not necessarily bad (if not at frat-party volume levels) but 
maybe classical or Leroy Anderson or Dave Brubeck background music 
wouldn't be such a bad thing either.

Mark Connelly