mercredi 28 janvier 2009

Radio gaga

What is it about French radio stations? In fact, I don't think it's so much French radio stations as commercial stations.

For anyone who is used to the BBC, foreign commercial radio can come as a surprise. Not just because of the quality, but also because of the repetition.

No matter which station we choose - and we vary our listening in the office between RTL2, NRJ and Paris' very own Voltage - we get the same songs over and over again.

RTL2 will give us a guaranteed five Phil Collins songs and at least two from the Police during the day (heaven help us). NRJ plays current pop, while Voltage promises 'Don't Speak' at least once an hour. God bless Gwen Stefani, I do love her little Harajuku self, but it's a bit much.

All three have playlists that seem to be no more than 20 songs long.

It makes for real groundhog day listening, but it does have its advantages...

For example, I can sing you the full verse and chorus of at least three Pussycat Dolls songs. Not something I'd have been able to do without having them drummed into my head every hour, on the hour. Now I just need to work on the moves.

Also, between me and Debbie, we've invented new words (dirty ones, natch) to 'If I was a boy' from Beyoncé - a song that needed cheering up, if ever I heard one. We can also do the uh-huh bits in the chorus of Womanizer, which is nice.

And don't even get me started on Lady Gaga and her Poker Face. All I'll say is 'words and moves, baby'.

BBC Radio 2, the UK's number one, does indeed have a playlist. But it's a pretty big playlist and there's rarely more than a handful of songs that you'll hear more than a couple of times a day.

But then, French radio does have things in common with the Beeb. Whilst it's not in the same league as her royal holiness Sally Traffic, here in Paris Voltage radio do manage to keep us informed every 30 minutes of the kilometrage of traffic jams currently in the Île de France.

They also tell us when someone has hurled themselves under a métro train - which throws the network into chaos and which disrupts the journey home for millions of people. Unfortunately this happens all too often.

And at the moment, they are providing us with regular updates on what to expect from tomorrow's national strike, thus making sure that at least half the workforce have an excuse for not bothering to come into work tomorrow.

Now that's what I call public service broadcasting!

16 commentaires:

Daryl a dit…

Sounds a lot like our AM stations here ... I dont think I have listened to the radio (other than in a car) since I was a teen sunning myself on the sands of Orchard Beach in the Bronx ... when I need a music fix I pop an earbud in my ear and up the volume on my iPod shuffle ... and often can be seen dancing in my chair or at least bopping my head

LOVED this post .. now I wanna come work in your office and be one of the TBNILettes

travelling, but not in love a dit…

D, you'd be welcome any day - but I fear Debbie'd have to up her game on the fashion front...

Anonyme a dit…

We're currently having great fun re-interpreting the words to Put a Ring on It by Beyonce in our house.

Anonyme a dit…

so in the words of the wonderful nessa -whats occuring with this strike then,is it just public sector?

aims a dit…

We noticed that in New Orleans as well. Especially over the Christmas season. At one point we looked at each other and said - 'don't they have any other songs to play' - it wasn't until the first week of January that we realized they were sans people at the radio station. When they came back to work - the music changed. Thank you thank you thank you!

travelling, but not in love a dit…

Alan - I can only imagine how you are interpreting that one ;-)

VM - it's sncf, local public transport, air france, the works. ridiculous...the country will grind to a halt for the day.

Aims, so it was totally unmanned? how lazy is that!! I could work there!

cb a dit…

I like NRJ-- because it sounds like "energy". Only frencher.

Also-- you know the movie Groundhog Day??

travelling, but not in love a dit…

CB - it's just like living a groundhog day....especially when you arrive and the first song of the morning is the same as yesterday...this happens a lot....

I like that movie btw...even if it is a bit repetitious....he he

Anonyme a dit…

We're not allowed to have the radio playing. We are all working far too seriously here. Although it wouldn't bother me in the slightest - I've taken to spending my days with a telephone headset tuned into the silent TV screen playing on the wall near my desk.

Louise a dit…

Voltage all the way!

I'm glad you know when someone throws themselves under the metro and how it might disrupt your day!

Radio makes me crazy.

Louise a dit…

What?! I caught up!!

YOU need to catch up. I need updates on all these crises du jour!

Anonyme a dit…

You can listen to any station you like on the internet dear boy - if you are listening to Phil Collins all day it is your choice :-) :-)

Tony a dit…

Striking again ... Surprised you're not joining in ....

travelling, but not in love a dit…

12oti - yeah, I remember you posting about your tv screens - that's very lucky...i'm jealous!

Louise, I must admit to preferring voltage, even if it is a bit 'nul'...and yes, I'm catching up now on all your comments....phew!

travelling, but not in love a dit…

Conortje....I'm not going to begin isting the reasons why internet radio is impossible - you'll just tell me they're excuses and I'm being lazy. And you're right...!

LaTanya, you're far more likely to strike than me...he he

Louise a dit…

You don't have to catch up on all my comments, but I was checking to see if you had, and the first 5 or 6 are not there. You're off the hook!