At SBR Custom Channels, we get to work with some of the most interesting, creative and entertaining radio stations in North America.  We recently visited CKPK The Peak in Vancouver, British Columbia.

SBR helped management at the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group launch The Peak in November 2008. In three-and-a- half years The Peak has risen in both popularity and music trendsetter status. The Peak plays a mix of modern rock, indie rock and adult alternative music; and plays more Canadian music and local Vancouver bands than most other radio stations.

Craig Stone is on the air as John Bradley from SBR Custom Channels visits CKPK The Peak in Vancouver. We advise The Peak on programming, digital media, promotions and marketing. We help engage and encourage the staff as they continue to do great radio.

The 16 most played bands and artists so far in 2012 on The Peak:

One of the highlights of The Peak’s music involvement is The Peak Performance Project(PPP). The PPP is a professional development program to help new and emerging artists create careers in the music industry. Bands apply to join and, if accepted, go through a several month course of live performances, learning best practices of the music business, and learning from industry executives. The radio station awards directly to the performers over $320,000 yearly in artist development funding and prizes, making it the biggest individual radio station project in Canada. There’s so much more to this yearly event than we can share here, so please read more about the PPP here.

While visiting The Peak recently, SBR’s John Bradley got to meet the mayor of Vancouver, Gregor Robertson, after he was interviewed on The Peak morning show. Yes, Mayor Robertson is a fan of The Peak’s music so he wasn’t at the station strictly as a political stop – he was lovin’ the music, too. You can listen to The Peak online at www.thepeak.fm.Working with musically active, locally involved, trendsetting, forward-thinking radio stations is another way that SBR Custom Channels stays at the forefront of the music business. Read about SBR’s radio advising business here.

We get turned on to a lot of new releases every month so it’s fun to help other people discover new music, too! Twice a year, SBR Custom Channels creates a CD of new songs and new artists to distribute free to radio programmers and to thousands of radio listeners. No, the CD isn’t dead. People still love getting a free CD from their favorite radio station. And radio stations love the idea of giving their listeners something of value (better than a bumper sticker!)

Here’s the album art for our spring 2012 CD sampler, made exclusively by SBR Custom Channels for influential Adult Rock radio stations in San Francisco, Denver, Chicago, Indianapolis, Akron, Detroit, Charlottesville, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, Portland (both Oregon and Maine!) and Woodstock, NY.

SBR Custom Channels New Music Sampler artists and songs:

1. Norah Jones – “Happy Pills”
2. Delta Spirit – “California”
3. Bahamas – “Caught Me Thinking”
4. Dry The River – “New Ceremony”
5. Rebecca Ferguson – “Nothing’s Real But Love”
6. Graffiti6 – “Stare Into The Sun”
7. Meiko – “Leave The Lights On”
8. Callaghan – “Best Year”
9. Heartless Bastards – “Parted Ways”
10. Bonnie Raitt – “Right Down The Line”
11. The Brew – “When Darkness Comes”
12. The Lumineers – “Ho Hey”
13. ALO – “Speed of Dreams”
14. Esperanza Spalding – “Radio Song”
15. Morning Parade – “Headlights”

Interesting highlights about Internet radio in the latest The Infinite Dial 2012: Navigating Digital Platforms, a survey of 2,000 Americans from Edison Research and Arbitron.

The usage of online radio has been tracked 20 times in the past 15 years by this survey. That’s experience and accumulated knowledge to better understand online media.

“This year’s increase in weekly usage is the largest year-over-year jump we’ve ever recorded. The increased demand for online audio content, and the ever-expanding variety of that content, shows that online radio continues to be a resilient, adaptive media for the changing needs of today’s consumer,” said Bill Rose, Sr VP Marketing, Arbitron Inc.

That shows us that there’s strong demand and high usage from Americans for Internet radio.  One reason for the increase is mobile listening.  Smartphones are having a profound impact on media and entertainment.  Internet radio is reaching people on-the-go, in addition to at-work and at-home.

INTERNET RADIO’S AUDIENCE

• Online Radio reaches 39% Americans in a month – an estimated 103 Americans.
• Online radio reaches 29% Americans in a week – an estimated 76 Americans.
• Online radio listeners report listening for nearly ten hours per week, or about two hours a day.  That’s a high number considering all of the available entertainment and media choices.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR BRANDS TRYING TO REACH CONSUMERS?

First, these are good reasons for brands to use advertising, promotional and sponsorship opportunities both locally and nationally on existing Internet radio to reach this big audience.  Of course, it’s someone’s else content you’re joining in on.

The second take-away is that brands don’t have to be Pandora, Spotify, iHeartradio or a local FM station to have their own Internet radio station.  Lots of businesses and brands are jumping online creating and curating music channels with messaging that are interesting, fun and relevant to their target audience.  Brands such as Life is good, Floyd’s Barbershop, AARP, NoShoesRadio, Which Wich Superior Sandwiches,  MOD Pizza, Chipotle, CMT TV, and Abercrombie & Fitch have an online radio presence.

Remember, too, that Internet radio is sharable.  “I’m listening to…” on Facebook and twitter from a friend is a powerful endorsement.  Let your fans listen and spread the word.

For more advice on Internet radio, or to create your own online channel, contact us here at Custom Channels.  303-444-7700. 

You’ve heard the radio DJ’s talk about hit songs on the chart.  “This song is number ooooonnnnnneeee!!!”  Or as Casey Kasem used to say “moving up 10 spots to number 3 here’s…”

So where do these chart numbers come from?  There are lots of music charts for lots of different music formats, from Latin to country to dance/club to college radio.  The song ranking that people quote most often comes from the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

How does Billboard generate those numbers?  It’s not just one guy, or “a panel of experts”, or a group of music hipster geeks slotting the songs to their liking.

Billboard Hot 100 in 1988

Billboard Hot 100 online in 2012

The Billboard Hot 100 has a formula.  They track airplay on about a thousand terrestrial radio stations (AM/FM radio in the USA).  Digital download song sales and physical singles sales (data from Nielsen SoundScan) is factored in.  Radio airplay and sales are the ingredients that carry the most weight in the formula.

Just added to the Hot 100 formula is the streaming data that makes up Billboard’s new On-Demand Songs Chart (song plays from MOG, Muve Music, Rdio, Rhapsody, Slacker and Spotify), as well as plays on non-demand radio streams from Rhapsody and Slacker. The Hot 100 chart rankings formula now also includes plays on video request service Akoo and audio on-demand streams from MySpace and Guvera.

All these methods earn a song points which are weighted in a points system, and added together.  More points equals higher rank in the Hot 100.

Sales are calculated for the previous week, not total sales since the song was released. The tracking week for sales runs Monday to Sunday; the airplay tracking week runs Wednesday to Tuesday; a new Hot 100 chart is compiled and officially released by Billboard on Thursday.

Billboard published its first music hit parade in 1936; the first Music Popularity Chart was calculated in 1940; and the first Hot 100 chart, combining singles sales and radio airplay, started in 1958.

See the latest Billboard Hot 100 chart here.

Now you now where the numbers associated with hits come from.  Those chart numbers stick with a song for eternity – that’s one reason why a high chart position is so coveted.  Try going back in time and see what song was number one on your birthday.

Our music curators at Custom Channels use the Billboard Hot 100 chart, both current and archives, to stay on top of new releases, and to stay in touch with what the popular mass appeal hits are to play or avoid (depending on client taste) on our music-for-business channels.

Congratulations to our friend Lin Brehmer on marking 20 years on the air at WXRT 93.1FM in Chicago.  It’s not just that Lin has been at XRT that long (it’s actually a few more years) but that he’s been the morning host on XRT for 20 years — that’s longer than any other morning host in Chicago radio, one of the best and most competitive markets for morning radio in the country!

Morning is the prime listening time for radio stations and it’s very common for station’s to change hosts every few years as they look for that “magic effect” that sounds great and makes the ratings take off.  So it’s impressive that Lin has achieved consistent success for so many years.

There’s a very good interview with Lin by noted Chicago media blogger/columnist Robert Feder worth reading here.  If you’re in the Chicago area, listen to Lin weekday mornings 5:30-10am.  Out-of-towners go here: www.93XRT.com.  It’s worth it to hear what Chicagoland has been hearing for 20 years.

SBR Custom Channels has a long association working with Lin and WXRT in a variety of areas such as music/programming, CD projects, Internet radio, and promotions/marketing consultation.

A few links of interest: Robert Feder’s Q&A Profile Of Lin Brehmer Lin Brehmer’s 20th Anniversary Theme Songs Lin Brehmer Day on 93XRT Our blog about WXRT’s Terri Hemmert induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame

We love new music! Twice a year we create a CD of new songs and new artists to distribute free to radio programmers and thousands of radio listeners. Here’s the back album art for our fall CD sampler, made exclusively by SBR Custom Channels for 13 influential Adult Rock radio stations across the United States.

As they say “it’s not sold in stores.” So we encourage to go to your favorite download site to preview all of these songs individually and buy the ones you like. We have links to Amazon.com posted here. You might discover a new favorite artist or song that sticks in your head.

Preview the songs with Amazon.com Fitz And The Tantrums Decemberists Trevor Hall The Head And The Heart NeedToBreathe Zee Avi Tea Leaf Green Mike Doughty Matt Nathanson Cults Jayhawks Buxton Amos Lee Stephen Kellog Blitzen Trapper Bee Lee

Custom Channels has been creating All-Christmas music channels for 12 years. We’ve worked with hundreds of radio stations from the biggest cities (NYC and LA) to small towns (Texarkana, Savanah, Peoria).  No matter the size of city or station’s format (Country, Triple A, News/Talk, Oldies, AC, Top 40, Classic Rock), we’ve designed All-Christmas music Internet channels that listeners and advertisers love.

Here are 10 reasons why a radio station should stream All-Christmas Music this November and December 2011.

1. Every radio station needs exclusive digital contentto drive website traffic and create buzz with listeners to tap rapidly expanding digital revenue. Advertisers are looking for new places to spend their ad dollars. 2. Christmas music is proven to attract listeners. An Arbitron study showed a whopping 91% AQH increase among stations that went “All-Christmas”. Lucky you if you’re the “All-Christmas music” station. If not, it’s wise to protect against audience erosion by providing Christmas programming online. Why make listeners go somewhere else?

3. Listeners to ALL formats seek out Christmas Music. Jacobs Media found that even rock and classic rock listeners tune away in big numbers to Christmas music on the radio during the holidays.

4. Internet-only, pureplay radio listening is surpassing terrestrial radio streams. See Bridge Ratings and Triton Digital Webcast Metrics. Internet radio is alive and flourishing.

5. Any radio station can go All-Christmas music online without changing format on air. While listeners love Christmas music, they also love that station’s regular format so…why not give them both?

6. Current listeners and current advertisers are in danger of drifting away. Don’t let them flock to the market’s “All Christmas” station or some no-name Internet-only playlist. If you build it (and it’s good), they will stay. If you don’t build it, they will go elsewhere.

7. Keep radio listeners tuned in wherever the Internet can reach: at home, at work and on-the-go – on laptops, office computers and Internet radios.

8. Streaming All-Christmas music is a win for both sales and programming. Programming gets a tactical imaging and audience connection tool that’s exciting to promote. Sales get a unique, programming-driven promotion that’s easy to sell.

9. Most any radio station CAN sell this and make money. Any radio station sales department that can sell things like sponsorships, remotes, contests and other NTR can sell and make money with an All-Christmas Channel. A Christmas Channel this year could be a first, easy step toward opening a whole world of new year-‘round digital opportunities and ideas.

10. It’s easier than you think. Custom Channels creates a 100% custom, All-Christmas version of the radio station streamed from the station’s own website. Each station gets their music, their imaging, their sponsors – not a generic stream. Custom Channels handles everything, even the music licensing.

Details, demos and pricing on All-Christmas Channels for AM/FM radio stations is at CustomChannels.net/Christmas.

Here at SBR Custom Channels we love radio in all forms, from FM to Internet.  And we love beer – ales to stouts; bottle, can or on tap.  Two of our favorite pastimes have again been joined together: radio and beer.

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the World Cafe radio program, created by WXPN in Philadelphia, host David Dye has brewed a beer and named it World Cafe Broadcaster Brown Ale. Throughout October, World Cafe Broadcaster Brown Ale will be available on tap in a number of bars and pubs throughout the Philadelphia area.It reminds us of 1987 when we brewed a radio anniversary beer in Boulder. Dave Rahn and John Bradley, SBR Custom Channels founders and co-presidents, were then at KBCO in Boulder. In celebration of the radio station’s 10th anniversary, a special brew was bottled and sold in local stores.

Here are photos of a bottle that still survives (empty!) in our SBR Custom Channels office. The radio station (at 97.3FM and kbco.com) also survives and  flourishes 24 years after it’s 10th anniversary beer.

Craft brewing has come a long way in 20+ years but the custom beer idea is still a good one.  Has your business done anything lately like this that’s fun, different and attention-getting?

• You can read more about the World Cafe anniversary beer here or here (with video).
• Read about all the exciting events and interesting music on WXPN radio here.
• And you can read about or listen to the World Cafe radio program here.  World Cafe also has two actual cafe/live music venues in Philadelphia and Wilmington.

We’re ready to add a custom Internet radio station playing inside a brew pub.  Great music makes the beer taste even better.  And we can easily put a custom Internet channel on the website of beers, breweries and pubs to reach customers everywhere.

At SBR Custom Channels, we get to work with some of the most interesting, creative and entertaining radio stations in North America.  We recently visited two of these radio stations, both in Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia in Canada.

CKKQ 100.3 The Q!
We’ve been working with The Q for 17 years and for much of that time The Q has been the top rated radio station in Victoria for Adults 25-54 years old.  “The Island’s Rock” (being on Vancouver Island) plays a span of classic rock to new rock with lots of humor and personality.  Listen to The Q at www.TheQ.fm.

To give you an idea of The Q’s sense of humor, watch this video from Q morning host Ed Bain. Here’s SBR Custom Channel’s John Bradley in The Q control room.

CJZN The Zone @ 91.3
We were there for the start of The Zone in 2001 – they’re celebrating the 10th anniversary this summer.  This modern rock station is a big winner in 18-34 year old demo.  The Zone exposes a lot of new bands from Canada and the U.S. along with playing a variety of modern music, not just a modal corporate playlist of hard alternative rock that’s so typical elsewhere. The Zone’s on-air hosts are outstanding, too, compared to most “shut up and play the music” stations.  Listen to The Zone at www.thezone.fm.

Watch this video of The Zone staff going out on scooters to give away concert tickets. Here’s SBR Custom Channel’s John Bradley in The Zone studio with midday host Pol Plastino.

It’s not on a lot people’s vacation radar, so we highly recommend a visit to Victoria. It’s a beautiful city with both outdoor recreation and touristy destinations.  You can arrive by jet, high speed passenger ferry, giant car ferry, cruise ship, or (our preference) a harbor-to-harbor float plane from Seattle or Vancouver to Victoria.

Thanks to The Q, The Zone and the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group for the opportunity for SBR Custom Channels to work with such creative, entertaining people.  You help remind us that it’s the people that make the great businesses great.

We love new music! Twice a year we create a CD of new songs and new artists to distribute free to radio programmers and thousands of radio listeners. Here’s the back album art for our spring CD sampler, made exclusively by SBR Custom Channels for 15 influential Adult Rock radio stations across the United States.

As they say “it’s not sold in stores.” So we encourage to go to your favorite download site to preview all of these songs individually and buy the ones you like. We have links to Amazon.com posted here. You might discover a new favorite artist or song that sticks in your head.