New World Otter Radio?

You know, it could happen someday, and thats the scary part. This entry is an assignment I just finished for my radio production class and now I’m posting it here for lack of a better journal topic.
This is the futuistic tour of the WOTT studios:

Welcome to WOTT 90.0FM, New World Otter Radio NYC, your eclectic rock source for people who know music. Please keep your arms and legs inside the cart at all times.

WOTT was founded in the early twenty-teens by Ryan Livingston, who inherited a good deal of money when his great great uncle’s brother-in-law Silas Bean, the last great train robber, died. With all that money, Ryan decided to make the greatest movie studio money could buy. When that didn’t work, he fixed up a crumbling old radio transmitter near New York city, got a license, and created WOTT. With that out of the way, it’s time to find out what’s WOTT.

New World Otter radio is a station that caters to the educated rock and pop listener who want more out of a radio station. This is done in a variety of ways, and done so that WOTT isn’t just another clone of the other classic rock format in New York, Q104.3 (not that Q104 isn’t the best mind you… its all I listen too).

Firstly, the station has decided to keep the playing of “hits” to a minimum. Anybody can make a program based primarily upon charts and sales; but as many a music fan well knows, the best songs are not always off a single, nor do they always reach number one. Many of the songs used in the rotation will are from b-sides, as well as songs the artists themselves feel were their best, and not the corporations behind them. Of course there are those hit songs that are timeless, and they will be played; but they aren’t the staple of the station.

Secondly, WOTT plays a lot of classic and “obscure” bands that the general public may have overlooked all together. Some examples: Q104 plays a lot of Rush; we also play Rush, but also things from Triumph, another Canadian power-trio. International bands like Fool’s Garden (Germany) and the Alfee (Japan), who only have mustered cult followings in America, will get air time if only to prove that the U.S. and England don’t corner the market on talent. Many stations play ELO; we play ELO along with Idle Race and The Move, which is the little known evolution of ELO. That leads to the next point…

Thirdly, WOTT educates the listener about a specific song or artist with bits of trivia thrown in for good measure. Who doesn’t like to know a little more about what they just heard, and go on their way a little wiser?

New World Otter radio also changes up it’s format a tad at given points of the week with quality programming:

Weekday lunch gets revved up with its Prog-Power Block, an hour of the best classic and recent progressive metal meant to get you through the rest of the hum-drum day by getting the blood flowing. Bands range anywhere from Boston and Yes to Edguy and Stratovarius.

Weekday mornings are a trip, as WOTT presents the Radio Chick. That’s right we’ve stolen Lesley Gold and her gang away from Q104 so they can broadcast their brand of sick humor from 90.0FM.

Friday nights get gamey from 8pm-12am with Friday Night Filk. Filk music (serious and comedic songs based on pop-culture, historical, and sci-fi/fantasy themes) is steadily increasing in popularity, yet there still few showcases for it. Friday Night Filk caters to the gaming and technical crowds, who are at home battling wizards or programming the world from their laptops. And though the station is well off, Friday Night Filk brings in a good traffic from those companies that don’t often advertise on the radio, like hardware producers and game makers. It would be a good time to mention that WOTT is fully capable of producing any advertising campaign a customer could every need.

Saturday mornings need not be for television exclusively as WOTT brings the Dr. Demento Show back to New York City. This nationally syndicated novelty radio program that made “Weird” Al Yankovic a household name is scheduled to air 10am Saturdays and again at 10pm (for all those who didn’t want to get up earlier).

(As if this wasn’t fictitious enough, now it really gets delusional) Besides the programming, WOTT is full of promotional gimmicks too. Because the station is tied to the New World Otter, every year WOTT simulcasts Otter-fest, that yearly concert/multimedia extravaganza devoted to all things neat. Contests for tickets and backstage passes occur for weeks leading up to the annual 48 hr event.

Rush hour can be a, well you know… especially under the city on the mass transit lines. For this reason, WOTT sponsors local street musicians trying to get a start on things to play at subway stops and busy street corners. It’s good for them, it’s good for the commuters, and it’s good for the station who keeps a placard by the performer.

We hope you’ve enjoyed your brief tour of WOTT 90.0FM, the only station for people who really know, or want to really know rock and pop.

And that’s basically how it would be if I were to be put in charge of a radio station. Alas, it’s but a dream. Maybe I’ll just start a stream on the Internet.

Bwa ha ha…

Edit 1/2007: We did it!!