So don't become some background noise

[venta]

I've had the radio on a lot in the car recently. Car radios are always doomed, in my opinion - I hate an off-station radio more than I hate an off radio-station , and driving in and out of signal ranges means a life time of tuning and re-tuning. At the moment I've settled on my old school-days standby of Virgin 1215, currently tuned to three different presets - one that works in Oxford, one in Reading, and one for in between. Suggestions for resilient stations welcome.

Ideally, I'd like Radio6 - they seem to play good music, don't have adverts and, most importantly, don't witter too much. But sadly, I don't run to a digital in-car radio. Virgin seems to have become much more wittery since I was last a regular listener (a radio station ? Changing slightly over ten years ? Who'd have thought it!) - and most annoyingly, they don't seem to be very good at telling you what the songs you're listening to are in a reliable manner.

I've been muttering about the new U2 single (which didn't sound much like U2) only to discover on googling just now that I've got the wrong end of the stick, and the track I was hearing is actually Maroon 5. No wonder it didn't sound like U2. I stick to my original diagnosis of it sounding like the Chilli Peppers trying to sound like the Housemartins. Further googling answered the "what is that awful song they keep playing?" question, and simultaneously answered the "what do Hoobastank sound like?" question (bloody whiny, it seems). But it'd be nice if I'd managed to absorb what the tracks were from a DJ telling me.

Virgin's also taken up the dreadful habit of replaying, through the day, snatches of dialogue from earlier shows. On the way to work this morning, I heard one of the breakfast show presenters commenting on Michael Jackson's outfit as he arrived for his trial. I didn't care unduly, but was prepared to let him have his fun taking the piss out of Jackson's sartorial choice if he wanted. But I've heard the same description several more times today, advertising the breakfast show. Is this really necessary ? I tend to choose one decent station, and stick with it - playing me reasonable and varied music would do a lot more to convince me to listen to their breakfast show than reruns of this morning's witticisms.

Actually, now I come to think of it, I stopped listening to Virgin because I couldn't stand Chris Evans on a morning - he used to manage about one or two songs per half hour of merry banter. So maybe my accusations of it becoming more wittery are unjustified. A definite plus point, though, is that none of the presenters appears to be Chris Evans. Am I the only person who wishes breakfast show presenters would just stop it ? If I wanted people to talk to me in the morning, I'd have something other than music radio on.

And why is it that people who write radio adverts have still not worked out how not to be irritating? I listen to commercial radio, I expect adverts. Most have so far more or less washed over me, though somewhere in the recesses of my brain I've acquired the information that I should call AAP before surrendering an endowment policy, and should call a particular number if I've had an accident and someone else is to blame. However, when I am dictator advert-writers who want to have "funny" ads will be bound to air them no more than a few times a day. In the three or so hours I've spent in the car today, I have heard a particular 30 second advert for a cheap first-class deal on Virgin trains around six times. It was merely irritating the first time, now it actually spurs me to switch the radio off. Kudos, though, to 118 118, who have adverts of a similar length, but a far larger repetoire - so although I've probably heard around six of their ads today, I've only heard any individual one once or twice.

Yes, yes, I know, any publicity is good. I've remembered the Virgin trains message, despite annoyance. But I've also had a slightly less pleasant day than I would have had without the advert. Has anyone ever boycotted a product because the advert was annoying ? I think we should do. Possibly with explanatory notes to the offending companies, telling them to stop cracking the same weak jokes over and over again.

I drove back from rapper this evening slightly later than usual. My route home overlaps with the last ten miles or so of my commute home from work, but somehow it never seems the same. The journey home from rapper is darker, quieter - more peaceful and contemplative, somehow. I usually enjoy it, often pottering along the lanes (until I hit the main road) at a measly 30-40 if there's no one behind me. As I left the village where we practise, I kicked the radio into life and a very distinctive guitar trickled out of the speakers to greet me. I smiled at the song; one of those broad, slow smiles that reach your shoulders and leave you feeling happier.

It was Sultans of Swing. Dire Straits ? I asks you. I mean, it's not even summer, when a momentary fondness for Dire Straits can be forgiven. Don't tell anyone, will you ?

[*] I don't know what track it is - I've just bought the new Lemon Jelly single on 7", and the sleeve/centre bits are way too artily designed to have anything so mundane as track names on them. They're very pretty, but not very informative. The stickery thing on the outer cellophane suggests I'm listening to either Battle Baby Scratch or The Shouty Track, but despite the latter descriptive name it's not immediately obvious which is which (to me, anyway).

What do you call the round papery bits in the middle of a record, anyway ? Centreplates ? Roundels ?

Comments

[zotz]

What do you call the round papery bits in the middle of a record, anyway ?

Labels. As in white-.

[zotz]

Oh, and Peel liked Sultans of Swing long before it was famous. Didn't think much of the singing, apparently, but thought the guitar-playing was great. I rather like it as long as I don't hear it too often.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Good point. I should have known that.

Though I am very surprised that there isn't some kind of highly specialised and obscure term for them, used only by the second-hand-record-selling industry. Come to think of it, there probably is.

Dire Straits

[wimble.livejournal.com]

Twisting By The Pool at a Jive class... Who ever said Mark Knoppfler only played laid back stuff?

You'll hear that damn Crazy Frog advert, if you're not careful. Fox even played the Single this morning (which I suspect might have copyright issues, if the poor bugger who released it originally could afford to have issues).

[surje.livejournal.com]

apparently DAB radio tuners are meant to be better in-car as it's easier to lock onto the signal (being digital, presumably some kind of spread spectrum doodad) and also the wavelengths used are less affected by hills and things, and it works better at speed for some reason that i don't understand. but the trouble is that they charge an arm and a leg for the in-car stereo components. perhaps try getting a portable DAB player and attaching it to the car stereo with a tape adapter?

[j4.livejournal.com]

Listen to Radio 2! You know it makes sense. :-)

[onebyone.livejournal.com]

Peel was right, the guitar on Sultans of Swing is awesome. It manages to be both impressively fiddley, and very catchy. Mark Knopfler could have been a guitar hero if he'd dressed like Eddie van Halen, but he went directly to "Eric Clapton aged 50 on Radio 2" without passing go.

Re: Dire Straits

[onebyone.livejournal.com]

You'll hear that damn Crazy Frog advert

We did.

Re: Dire Straits

[venta.livejournal.com]

We did ?

Now, I keep claiming not to know what all this crazy frog nonsense is about. Owing to the TV being on mute, I saw an advert for the ringtone at the weekend.

Now you're telling me that I've been in the presence of what is alledgedly the most annoynig advert in the world, and I didn't notice?

[venta.livejournal.com]

That does seem to be the other station that I can reliably pick up, yes.

Unfortunately I can't stomach Terry Wogan in the morning.

Though since today Virgin was playing music to me that I'd have described as "suitable for Radio 2 only", maybe I should give it more chance.

Re: Dire Straits

[onebyone.livejournal.com]

We were talking at the time. It's basically a squeaky voice making imitation engine noises.

Brains, teeth, etc

[venta.livejournal.com]

By the way, Cannonball by Damien Rice.

I said he was a whiny git when I saw him at Glastonbury last year, and I stick by it.

[onebyone.livejournal.com]

And why is it that people who write radio adverts have still not worked out how not to be irritating?

Ooh, ooh, it could be because of memes! Actual, proper ones, not either "things that nobody is quite sure how to define" or "things that are easily defined and clearly not memes".

Suppose for the sake of argument that the "creatives" in advertising work by copying and modifying things they've seen. So natural selection tells us that the characteristics which survive are those which perform best at the "trying to get copied" game. To be copied, you first have to be remembered. Likewise, to have a measurable effect on test audiences compared with other adverts, you first have to be remembered.

So although ostensibly the selection criterion for characteristics of adverts is "sells more of the product", in fact there is also a strong selection pressure (perhaps even stronger than the official version, but even if not, strong enough to have some effect) towards "is memorable". And being annoying is one easy way to be memorable - certainly it's easier than being entertaining. Furthermore, the fact that adverts exist in a medium where annoying ads get bitched about a lot makes them even more memorable and copyable because they're getting attention.

Now granted, all else being equal the more memorable advert might actually sell more product. But then again, it might not. What we do know for sure is that it's easier to imitate. So if (and this is not an inconsiderable if) characteristics of adverts can be said to spread by imitation, then we shouldn't be surprised if they evolve in this direction, at least until an equilibrium is reached where to make the advert any more annoying would damage sales so much that this again becomes the sole significant selection criterion.

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

<applause>

Also note that it's not impossible that some consumers may say "That advert's [expletive of choice] awful, but it's good stuff so I buy it anyway". It doesn't follow that annoying ads damage sales.

[broadmeadow.livejournal.com]

> driving in and out of signal ranges means a life time of tuning and re-tuning

RDS seems to work well for analogue, too.

[venta.livejournal.com]

Actually, it's not implausible that my current radio does RDS if I look at the instructions and work out how to switch it on :)

[onebyone.livejournal.com]

It doesn't follow that annoying ads damage sales.

I mean by comparison with other ads - it's not whether the ad reduces sales compared with no ad, it's whether it results in fewer sales than there would have been if some competing ad had been in the same spot.

[wimble.livejournal.com]

It does. But I never made it work :(

Alternatively, you could plug in the CD changer :)

[venta.livejournal.com]

Yeah, right as soon as I've worked out where to put the actual changer where it won't get in the way/get wet. And got Andy to look at the wiring. And fix the existing problems with the wiring.

But mostly the first one is the problem.

[wimble.livejournal.com]

Oh, by "never make it work", I mean that I think I pressed all the right buttons, but it never really seemed to make any difference. Admittedly, this was mostly experimented by trying to stay with Radio One while driving from Oxford to Swansea through Gloucester and the Forest of Dean. So the reception may have been somewhat naff anyway. As a result of this, I pretty much gave up. You've probably got more opportunity for a decent experiment.

As for where to put the changer, would a carrier bag solve the "wet" problem? It's not so convenient for getting the CDs in and out. Or some kind of plastic box to put it in as a tray. Such as the vegetable box from a fridge (probably not the right shape, but might get imagination started).

[venta.livejournal.com]

I wasn't sure a bag was all that practical - I have been wondering about buying a small lidded crate, drilling holes for the wires, and fastening the crate down somehow.

To be honest, I'm not doing any planning until I've managed to get Andy to have a good look at William, since weird noises are afoot (awheel?) and I'm wondering if anything's Seriously Up.

Tuning the radio is more of a challenge than you might think - I have to do it with no reference to the frequency, since the numbers can't be read any more. Radio stations don't actually announce their frequency nearly as often as you think when you're not looking for it :)

[wimble.livejournal.com]

Hmm... Hadn't consider the display problem. I always tuned to stations I could recognise quickly; I could usually have a good guess that a station which displayed RA..... was one of the BBC, and they're usually identifiable. This may not work for the stuff you're after.

For permenant tuning, take a radio with a working display to the car, tune that in, and tune the car radio to the same noise. There are 3 sets of 6 FM presets, so that ought to cover different areas. Doesn't work so well if you're in a random place and trying to tune in though :(

Hopefully, I'll remember what the RDS buttons are if I look at the panel. (Or it's in the assorted bits of paper.)

[venta.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've got the instruction booklets, so they should tell me which buttons to press. Identifying stations isn't too tricky once you've got a starting point. now I've got some presets it's not too difficult, it was just guessing whether to go up or down from "unidentified non-English station" that was awkward.

[eostar.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately I can't stomach Terry Wogan in the morning *shudders*
No indeed! A good reason for not listening to R2 in the morning!

I gave up on R1 long ago and defected to Classic FM because I couldn't cope with Sara Cox at 6.00am and I've never retuned. Just can't handle bouncey happy people that early in the day. Not 'til I've had a caffeine top up :)The i-pod goes on to something that will get me moving as soon as I leave the house and serves to screen out the background chatter on the bus. You might deduce from this that I'm not a morning person :)

[neilh.livejournal.com]

Has anyone ever boycotted a product because the advert was annoying?

Yes, Chicken Tonight and Gold Blend are two I can think of off the top of my head. Chicken Tonight was so thoroughly annoyingly advertised when it first arrived it will *never* redeem itself while Gold Blend has made it back on to the 'will buy' list by being a slightly better instant coffee than most of the rubbish the supermarkets try to fob us off with.

[onebyone.livejournal.com]

Kneejerk "made of dead babies" post.

[neilh.livejournal.com]

I rarely make ethical choices when shopping, since I'm not well informed enough to be confident of making the right calls. There is a lot of propaganda out there one way or another, and I don't know which sources to believe - everyones got an agenda, mine (for the purposes of this debate, at least) is to have nice tasting coffee without too much faff or expense, its difficult enough to fulfil that objective without bringing things like ethics into the equation.

[(Anonymous)]

Has anyone ever really bought anything/subscribed to a service as a result of a radio/TV advert? Am I the only one to video any commercial TV programme because life is too short not to fastforward the ads? Boycotts? Not ads, but anyone who requires me to wear their logo without pecuniary remuneration for doing same.