Thursday, July 9, 2009

How long is too long?

Driving home the other day, the voice in my car radio announced a new song. The new song began playing, and a few seconds into it, I realized that this wasn't a new song at all. The song had been out at least three months, if not longer. How can you label that as new?

When someone says new, I think brand new. For example, these are my new shoes. I bought them yesterday. They will be known as my new shoes until a) I buy a new "new" pair of shoes or b) they lose their luster and "new" appeal (approximately two-three wears). I'm not sure how the definition of new works on radio, but I think the radio stations have a way different definition of new than I do. As a radio station, "new" must be any song that has been released within the past 274 days (just a guess).

If we think about it, if my shoes get "not new" after two or three wears, songs would get "not new" at the same rate. I listen to the radio about an hour a day while driving to and from work. Each song is around three minutes, but there are probably twenty minutes of commercials/talking an hour. So in a typical day of radio listening, I hear about 13 songs. Thats hopefully an exclusive set of songs, but knowing radio, most likely I've heard many repeats.

I'm sure you know that radio stations have their choice songs that they play basically every other song. Summer of 2005 it was Brad Paisley's The World. I can't listen to that song to this day. Anyways, with all my calculations and magical equations, a song will get "not new" for me in about a week.

If my new songs get not new in one week, and radio stations think songs can be new for a year, we have a major misunderstanding. Point of the story is, I need to not get my hopes up when the radio station announces a new song.

And don't even get me started on new releases at Blockbuster...

3 comments:

Unknown said...

There was a radio station around these parts whom was bought out. They were a 'new' station for TWO years! Each radio identification announced that it was a new station for two entire years.

Even worse, two years or so later, the station was rebranded(but contained the same music type) by the same company and rendered 'new' again. Luckily by this point I had entered college, become more wiser'er and changed my radio presets to channels of static.

Waltsense.com said...

Confirmed. Every since I got Sirius I really dont miss the cheesiness of regular radio...what's new and not. The stations on satelliter will just have the "new hits" so they filter out the BS that Q102 or whatever rock station will have. Your blog is funny and your guying guying to die from the blandness of Vangaurd! I worked there for a little but seriously - its a great company. Keep blogging

Unknown said...

I don't think I've read your blog in years...came across it when I was facebook stalking you and decided to read some. I enjoy your random thoughts, research, and calculations. While it's nerdy it makes me miss you less :) ew, I know.