We have a team of dedicated people who do music programming on 97.3 Coast FM and 91.7 The Wave (KIX Country South West has its music programming done over east).
Each person on the team knows their music area really, really well - and these are the people you want on your quiz team in a pub quiz!
They carefully select the music based on lots of different metrics... such as chart position, amount of time in the charts, beats per minute of each song, feel (that's the emotional context) and artist... plus more that I am not allowed to know about (sigh!).
Watching them program music is like watching a debate on a tv show like Rock Wiz or Spicks and Specks. They really do know their stuff.
Some of their knowledge comes from years of experience, others rely on chart lists, music books, and general knowledge.
Mostly though, Music Programming is based on what is right for the station. For example:
97.3 Coast FM will play the latest music - but not songs from the 90's, 80's, or 70's.
BUT 91.7 The Wave will play songs from the 00's, 90's, 80's, and 70's, but not the latest music.
Also the music you hear during the day is different to the type of music you will hear at night.
Music on a weekend will also be very different too to weekday music and music on a special event day will again be very different.
The team all work together to get the music logs done, and locked away ahead of schedule... AND before you ask - yes they know through detailed records when the last time a song was played, and what time - so it doesn't get repeated again and again like some listeners think they hear some songs.
Meanwhile: Music Programming is also a job that only takes up part of their day - as each person who programs the music also has a on-air shift too.
It's a hard job to do, and do well - and Music Programmers who are good at their job are vital to the station, and keeping listeners.
That's it for todays post - next time we look at another job in radio...
Until then - stay safe!
