98.5 review - a quick one
We have recently got rid of out TV – at least put it on castors and moved it out of the lounge room. It means we only bring it in to watch a movie or some other worthwhile show. This has meant that we are now listening to a lot more radio and most often this is 98.5. Its pretty good all up, but like any radio station it tends to have things that quickly become gripes – I don’t think there would be any radio stations that any one would be completely happy with.
I really only have two gripes. The first is that their high rotation song list has a VERY high rotation. Of late it seems that some songs have been getting an absolute hiding. There are particular songs by Craig David, Coldplay (hardest part), U2 with MJ Blithe (one), Nick Lachey etc that have been played excessively. They could do well to just back them off a bit in my humble opinion.
My other gripe is the motto “no greed, no ridicule, no hurt”, while good intentioned and probably necessary for a Christian radio station supported largely by Christians, tends to result in radio announcers coming across a bit sickly sweet. I guess they have to please the most conservative listener to try and reduce complaints… I would like to see just a bit of triple j injected into 98.5 if you know what I mean. A little more Australian music and a little more edge. I think it could be done and yet still be a station that glorifies God.
But all in all I don’t want to be seen as a 98.5 basher – its still better than watching TV.
posted by Accidental Academic at 2:17 pm
2 Comments:
Glad to hear that you're enjoying the programming .... mostly. :)
The interesting thing about the No Greed, No Ridicule, No Hurt is that the phrase was coined by 2 non-Christians from an advertising agency who listened to 98.5 and other stations to find a discernable difference.
What impressed them most was that there wasn't the focus on greed that they experienced on the other stations. 98.5 Sonshine FM wasn't trying to buy listeners by giving away huge prizes and thus appealing to greed.
They were pleased to find that people weren't being put down or ridiculed as they were on other stations. No one was put in the firing line for a cheap laugh.
They also found that listeners weren't being disrespected and being hurt by things that were said on the radio.
On the surface I can see why you might see No Greed, No Ridicule, No Hurt as a 'meek' kind of positioning statement but it's actually rather bold. It says we won't stand by and see people exploited through greed. We won't disrespect people and ridicule them. We won't say things that will intentionally hurt others.
The station is constantly getting feedback from un-churched people who see 98.5 as a way of escaping all the put downs and crap that they are so sick of elsewhere. They want something better for themselves and their families.
Maybe us Christians have always had that kind of safe environment to retreat to but a lot of the un-churched listeners, that make up over half Sonshine's audience, are just so happy to find an accepting oasis in a hostile world.
Hmmm ... interesting that, that the NGNRNH was coined by non-Christians. Still comes across a bit strained sometimes. I wonder if they'd play Weird Al ... or is parody too close to G, R and H? How about ApologetiX?
I agree with you about the rotation issue. Would that Sonshine had its own equivalent of a "no repeat work day".
I spend a lot of time listening to radio too. About 50/50 Sonshine and the ABC (585AM).
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