So, Z100 - check z100.com for details - it is as I said 'New York's Hit Music Station and boasts American Idol presenter Ryan Seacrest as it's mid-morning presenter (networked mind you). I started listening at about 7.20 for the breakfast show hosted by Elvis Duran and continued to listen through to about 9.15. I only made notes until 8.30. The show has a zoo format, with 10 contributors talking at least once. I will now take you through what happened on air and my thoughts on some of the events.
TURNED ON
Elvis Duran says 'We gotta take a break now.'
ALL AMERICAN REJECTS - GIVES YOU HELL
[When I heard the presenter say 'We gotta take a break now' I expected an ad break to follow, but interestingly, it was the above song. This highlights a fundamental difference between Z and Capital or Radio 1 - in Britain on most stations, the music is a key element, in fact, probably the main element, whereas, here in NY, Elvis treated this song as if it was an interruption into HIS programme.]
Straight onto a feature . Produced ident, into 'The Phone Tap', no explanation. Elvis introduces the prank by reading out the caller who has nominated his wife's original message. Basically, a guy wants to wind up his wife by telling her that their application for financial aid for heir child's education has been refused. The prank starts with the husband telling his wife that the application has been refused and that someone from the company will ring her soon. We then go into the conversation between the man from the company (one of the breakfast team) talking to the wife. It's very funny, with lots of bleeping going on where the woman is swearing. After this, we then hear the husband and wife arguing again, with lots more beeping going on. The word 'prick' was unbeeped, and this didn't seem to be a problem. It was 7.31am. Halfway through the couple arguing, Elvis comes on the line and tells her it's a prank. She laughs. 'Son of a bitch' is broadcast at 7.34. The feature ends with a disclaimer stating 'The Phone Tap was pre-recorded and used with permission from all parties.' We then go into an an break.
[There are a number of interesting points from the above feature. The main two really being the uncensored swearing at such an early time - in Britain, swearing isn't supposed to occur at any time of day, let alone at breakfast. The other interesting thing is the disclaimer at the end of the prank call. In England, although you have to have permission, and most, if not all, calls are pre-recorded, this is not mentioned on air. Perhaps, with America's tendency to sue, they have to make sure people know they aren't doing anything untoward.]
Out of a very short ad-break, we hear MVP - Rock Ya Body.
Alicia Keys - 'You Heard My Music Here 1st' Promo
Promo for full length interview with Pink available on demand at Elvisduran.com
Promo for full length Twilight interviews available on demand at elvisduran.com
Promo for full length Enrique Igleisas interview available on demand at elvisduran.com.
[This is a huge difference between the US and the UK. The presenter has his own website that he is directing people to with all his content on it. It appears to be all about the personalities and not so much the station. The presenter appears to be more interested in promoting himself than the brand of Z100.]
Sponsorsip Promo
Z100 Ident
Adverts
JA RULE & ASHANTI FT. FAT JOE - WHAT'S LUV? (3 songs in 18 minutes)
Tagged bed into link (bed crashed end of the song - not smooth)
Link about American Idol - 'crapped the bed' expression used, the team discuss last night's show.
Entertainment News (not an obvious segue into it - presented by someone we haven't heard yet, and Elvis comments on the story as they come) More reasons to visit elvisduran.com
Elvis makes comments about thinking about people you went to school with, but that you don't care about.
[The comments Elvis makes about old school friends, and the fact that he doesn't care about them, seems slightly aggressive and something you would be quite unlikely to hear in Britain (although Moyles is likely to say something like that I guess).]
More comments and discussion, including clips, of last night's American Idol.
[At this stage there have been no time checks, or no real local content or mention.]
A very casual mention of the weather and the forecast. Not easy to take in as there was no trail or introduction - he just went into it, as if he'd just remembered he ought to.
Production (head to elvisduran.com for more)
Ad Break
N'SYNC - BYE, BYE, BYE (straight into song, no ID)
Z100 ID
KELLY CLARKSON - MY LIFE WOULD SUCK WITHOUT YOU
Link (there was absolutely no reference, before or after, the music)
Discussion about what food should be eaten at Baseball games. All of the team give opinions, callers on phone too. Rude to one or two callers. This link went on for nearly 10 minutes.
Elvis says 'Into the Stupid Newsroom' and another presenter talks about some silly stories (no production to break it up)
There was then some crazy caller on the phone and then an off-hand sports result and I couldn't really follow that part of the show.
Adverts
DANIEL BEDINGFIELD - GOTTA GET THRU THIS
EVE FT GWEN STEFANI - LET ME BLOW YOUR MIND
Bed crashes end of song again.
END OF NOTETAKING.
Right. Phew. That was busy. I have a few points to make on the above.
The lack of music in the show was incredible. I was listening for about 70 minutes and there were only 7 songs in that time. When a song was played, there was no mention that a song was coming, and no back anno. Of the 7 songs played, only 2 are new, which is strange, considering it's a Hit Music Station. (Perhaps this shows a difference between what Z and Capital think this means).
The swearing and content was unsuitable for a British breakfast audience, but sounded standard for this Z100 show.
The way the presenter came out of a song (with a bed) he crashed the end of the song a few times (you wouldn't hear that on Capital or Radio 1 very often at all)!
There was no signposting or production to signal a new part of the show which I found very confusing, and hard work to listen to. Especially as radio is a background medium. This was particularly apparent when Elvis mentioned the weather.
The Elvis Duran brand seemed to be far more important that Z100. Elvis Duran himself seemed more important than the music. I agree with this, as I don't like the way that British stations deal with the balance between music and links. In England, especially on Capital, there is lots of music, and only a few links, most of which are speed links. This format doesn't offer anything different from listening to iTunes or Spotify, especially when you have to listen to adverts too. At least with Elvis' show, there was something different, you know, there was a reason given to listen to the radio, rather the just shoving your iPod on.
The lack of new music was interesting, but not important as I enjoyed hearing some songs I hadn't heard in the morning, and as I'm typing this, the drivetime show is on and the jock, JJ, is playing a number of new tunes, in what appears to be a request show.
With Americans supposedly having a shorter attention span than us Brits, it's seems strange that so much goes on for so long during the show. I would have thought that the current Capital format of 40 minutes non stop would go down better over here. I don't know.
To summarise then, as I know there is a hell of a lot of stuff up there, that probably only Robin will read, I found it fascinating listening to Z100 and it was a really enjoyable listen. They just need to tidy up segues, and perhaps address the balance between Music and Speech and they will have a great product. This is something that Capital also needs to look at. I felt that Z100 didn't have very many of the prerequisites for a breakfast show that we consider are necessary in the UK. For example, Traffic and Travel, Time Checks, Weather and News segments.
Apologies Rob, that I didn't really look at the Idents!
Comments would be welcome, if anyone has actually braved the length of this post! This has taken me over an hour to write and as such I am now tired and my arms and wrists hurt. Consequently, I haven't written everything that I could of, and therefore could amend this later on. Would love to hear your views ladies and gents!
Cheers
That's definitely a much awaited look into American radio from a British perspective from a what I'd say is a not too obsessive point of view.
ReplyDeleteWell compared to many internet forums I've been on over the years.
There's still stacks of MDs I've got of radio I recorded in New York 5 years ago as I was so busy travelling I didn't really have much time to listen to much radio there, leaving the MD recorder to do the job at the hotel during the day.
One thing I did pick up on were that most of the presenters spoke with quite a lot of reverb switched on which I imagine is quite a big convention of radio in America.
Very compelling stuff!
It's an intersting post and brings up lots of questions.
ReplyDeleteI popped into Z100 last time I was in New York and caught up with the PD, it's a really interesting station. Breakfast is networked, though the lead is New York and will always be the focus and Ryan's show comes from LA but is actually a combo of features from his LA morning show alongside specially produced bits for NY. He also has a networked afternoon show on some other stations too!
In a crowded market like New York where there's lots of CHR and variants - ie more rocky, more urban etc - you really need another reason to keep listeners tuning in. Mainling a personality is v. important. It's also not really that different from the amount of speech in Moyles (though has to cope with ad breaks too).
Partly the reason it's at elvisduran.com is to cope with being a networked show - it's still the radio station's website, even though it's got his name on it.
Stripping out the production, whilst difficult to follow for new listeners, probably keeps the show moving faster - they get more in.
In the UK there are no rules about swearing, you can say fuck at breakfast if you like, but it's got to be justified and you'd have to have hardly any kids listening. R4 does swearing in it's afternoon plays, for example.
I think the interesting thing is that they've abandoned 'essential info' like travel, weather, news etc - it would be interesting to know if that's because they think listeners get that from somewhere else, or whteher it gets in the way of Elvis or Music content.
Generally breakfast shows, even on hit music station, have more familiar tunes, but i'd also imagine Elvis' audience is quite broad (as he's been on the station for years).
Hey Chris,
ReplyDeleteI did brave the length of this post and i might have to give this american station a listen. Seems strange that the presenters seem to be very separate to the station as a whole and that rather than acting on behalf of the station and working as a team each individual presenter has his or her own listeners. Rather than tuning in to hear the stations music and the entertainment as a whole station it is the one presenter that is the pull.
I don't know about you but i don't tend to switch stations very often, i'm a fan of radio 1 not just for the presenters but for the content of the station. Seems to me that listeners to this station tune in to hear a specific presenter.
It's almost like an entertainment show on the radio, as soon as the programme presented by the guy you like has finished you switch channels. I'm not sure that's how radio should work?!
In case your wondering why i'm interested i'm head of promotions and a presenter of Utopia FM (University of Sunderland).
Miss B (Vicki Benefer)