Woodstock inundated with radio signals
By
Mark Schadenberg
Firstly,
I think there are simply too many radio stations beaming signals into
Woodstock, and I think you will agree after you have read this diatribe.
Woodstock’s
radio station is 104.7 Heart FM.
After
that, we have various formats and stations zooming in from various directions as
The Friendly City truly is the southern Ontario crossroads (www.cometothecrossroads.com) –
beginning with London, Kitchener-Waterloo and Tillsonburg (I do listen to 101.3
CKOT on occasion), and continuing with Brantford and Stratford broadcasting operations.
During
the Olympics, I even listened to hockey through the scratch and hum and interference
on TSN radio (1050 AM). To me, Mike Richards is a hockey player, not a morning
talk show host on the airwaves.
By
the way, I rarely listen to talk radio unless I’m driving into London for a
Knights game and want to hear about the highways (not Highway 101) on either
1290 AM or 980 AM.
When
you factor in something called an IPod, plus satellite radio and compact discs,
then you realize many parents allow their kids to watch DVD movies in the back seat
on long trips, how many radio stations do we need?
COUNTRY RADIO
Last
week, Woodstock’s other radio station (103.9 FM) switched from rock hits of the
70s, 80s and 90s (More FM) to country music, which is a very crowded format in
southern Ontario. I think the rock format would have worked if they had
eliminated the 70s ‘disco’ tinged songs as it created too much of a
‘covering-all-the-bases’ format.
I
think I’m permitted – by the way -- to call 103.9 Woodstock’s other station as
I worked at the 290 Dundas Street studio for more than four years, including the summer of
1986 when the building switched from CKDK 1340 AM to CKDK 102.3 FM (Today’s
Music For Today’s Adults. I still own the sweatshirt - pictured). It was all cart radio
(No CD’s really as music and commercials for the most part were all on cart,
which is closer to an 8-track set up than anything else).
I
do remember CKOX 1340 AM and Trading Post, but very faintly as I’m 47, not 57.
I
did initially work at CKDK 1340 with the likes of Dave Taylor, Ken Curtis,
Robert Palmer, Mark ‘In The Dark’ Taylor (Give somebody a hug tonight as it means 'a whole bunch'), Ian Crighton, Dani Stewart, Brad Janssen, Steve Young, Greg
Kelly and Tim Westin. I believe the original morning man for 102.3 FM was Jim
Martin, but if I recall he did not stay in Woodstock that long.
I
even attended Fanshawe College for broadcasting and had my first full-time
radio gig working at CJBK in Huntsville where London legend Joe Duchesne would
be a mentor. In Muskoka, I did have an opportunity to take live phone calls
for what they called ‘Buy & Sell’. I do like the term Trading Post better.
Anyway,
103.9 FM has traded its music format to country.
The www.country104.com website home page
says:
“Country 104 is what
Southwestern Ontario radio listeners have been looking for ! What are we? We are Lady
Antebellum, Luke Bryan, Kacey Musgraves, Taylor
Swift, Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley and many more great country artists!
Country 104 is a family member of Canada’s
Leader in Country Music Network, Corus Entertainment. Country 104 has been
highly researched to deliver what you want !
FUN, ENGAGING, ACTIVE COUNTRY HIT RADIO!
FUN, ENGAGING, ACTIVE COUNTRY HIT RADIO!
I
have no idea who Kacey Musgraves is?
I do
have admiration for many cross-over country artists including Johnny Reid
(Today, I truly am trying to change this world we call home by walking through
a grassy meadow), Restless Heart, Alabama, Garth Brooks, Rascal Flatts, Terri Clark, Blue
Rodeo, Alan Jackson, LeAnn Rimes, Emerson Drive, and yes (Terry Empey – Woodstock-based
cover country singer can be seen March 28 at Double-B bar in Downtown Woodstock)
even George Strait. For proof, all you would have to do is look at my IPod
list.
I
would admit Need You Know by Lady Antebellum is a terrific tune, especially as
it reminds me (as if a sequel) of England Dan and John Ford Coley’s I’d Really Love To See You
Tonight.
The
England Dan reference would point out why I do listen to some country styles as
the similarities or evolution of the likes of storytellers Gordon Lightfoot, Harry Chapin,
Neil Young, Dan Fogelberg, America and the Eagles can now only be heard in the sounds of newer
cross-over country music, in my opinion.
At
the end of the day, however, country is not my favourite radio format, but many
will be pleased with the change – except for people affiliated with 92.7 BX93
in London, Country 107.3 in Tillsonburg, Country 1380AM in Brantford, or 106.7
FM in Kitchener where my pal Mike Farwell (See: Kitchener Rangers and the OHL)
is heard.
I
haven’t even referred to London's FM 96, 103.1 Fresh FM, 102.3 Bob FM, Funny 1410AM also in
London, 106.9 FM (Fanshawe London), FM 97.5 London, FM CHYM 96.7 in Kitchener,
570AM News Kitchener, 107.7 FM from Stratford, and also programmed into my RAV4
is 92.1 FM (CKPC, The Jewel) from Brantford.
LINK:
www.country104.com
www.country104.com
Mark
Schadenberg, Sales Representative
Senior
Real Estate Specialist (SRES designation)
Royal
LePage Triland Realty
757 Dundas
St, Woodstock
www.wesellwoodstock.com
(519) 537-1553,
cell or text
Email:
mschadenberg@rogers.com
Twitter:
markroyallepage
Discussion
. . . Direction . . . Determination . . . Destination
No comments:
Post a Comment