[BC] "I Don't Know Anything About Programming, but ..."

[Tom]

Well, lessee -

http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/beautifulinstrumentals/

Among the membership are Walter Powers (JRN), Marlin Taylor(XM78), Jim 
Schlichting (Starborne), Phil Stout (Music Choice), Jim Masters (Group 
Moderator/air talent), Bob Lowry, Bill Howard, Charles Sanzone (Gaslight 
Revue), Dave MacIntosh, Scott Smith (Ferrante & Teicher's manager), many 
others.  Including Yours Truly, of course.

The reason more stations aren't carrying BI/EZ - corporate cookie-cutter 
approach to programming.  Of course, when that all started, there was a 
feedback effect; as stations shifted away from BI, record companies 
slowed, then ceased the production of source material - eventually it 
became prohibitive to gather 101 strings into a recording studio to 
record even custom tracks... and so we are where we are.

BTW - There has to be SOME significant interest, or Jones wouldn't still 
be offering it - some minimum number of stations subscribing, getting 
updated material as available...

OTOH, The Mantovani Orchestra, Frank Chacksfield, many of the European 
orchestras - or at least their successor organizations, in cases where 
the original music director/arranger/conductor is no longer with us - 
still manage to "pack 'em in", as they say.  Heck, the same is true of 
Big Bands - and THAT format's been "dead" even longer than BI!

As to MoYL - noticed in Radio OnLine that Music Of Your Life has sold, 
or at least has a "memo of understanding" with, Concierge's HALO to take 
over the format, distribution, etc.  Clear Channel is providing the 
receivers and satellite links through their Satellite Services (CCSS) 
division:

http://news.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/$rol.exe/headline_id=b10545

WKTZ, WCAM, KNCT...

Several more; I did have a list, but I seem to have misplaced the 
bookmark....

Tom S. - I've got the contacts for sources; need senior financing to 
acquire station(s) in major market to show the kiddies what REEL (sic) 
Radio should sound like!

Rich Wood wrote:
> ------ At 11:22 AM 1/20/2008, Tom wrote: -------
>
>> Join and check out the links; MANY stations still running 
>> Beautiful... maybe not as many as in days of yore, when FM was in its 
>> infancy, but quite a few.
>
> How many is quite a few? Those of us who programmed the stuff in its 
> heyday don't consider "Music of Your Life" to be Easy Listening in the 
> traditional sense. The stuff I hear on satellite and cable also 
> wouldn't qualify. Too many vocals. The other major issue of the time 
> was whether or not to play original artists in addition to covers.
>
> Most of us who were involved in the format in a major way don't 
> believe it's viable today as we did it then. That leaves the 
> traditional Beautiful Music format as done when there were as many as 
> 4 stations to a market doing it as certifiably dead.