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Sunny (XM)
Encyclopedia
The Music Summit was a channel on XM Satellite Radio
located on channel 13 (previously 24). The channel was programmed out of Cincinnati, Ohio
, and sold to advertisers by Premiere Radio Networks
. It was also available free to air for HD Radio
listeners on HD2 or HD3 stations owned by Clear Channel Communications
in select radio markets.
The channel was pulled on June 8, 2011, in favor of a simulcast of WLTW
in New York City
.
deal with Clear Channel Communications
, XM agreed to simulcast
some of Clear Channel's FM
radio station
s. Lite was one of the original four channels (named after Lite FM), and it simulcasted WLTW
from New York City, New York. With its popular adult contemporary format, WLTW has been the most profitable FM radio station in the US in recent years. Due to low subscription count at the time, XM's audience didn't concern themselves with the New York City locality of the station. After a couple years on the air, XM decided to move away from local simulcasts, and Lite became an exclusive-to-satellite station. However, the name Lite didn't stay.
On December 1, 2003, the Lite FM simulcast was dropped and the channel became its own brand: Sunny. In response for Lite FM's demise on XM, XM launched The Blend, a commercial-free mainstream adult contemporary channel on February 2, 2004
. The station was now on autopilot 24/7 with no jocks. A month later, Sunny, in addition to all XM music channels, went commercial-free, making the station auto-piloted 24/7 by music. This incarnation of XM's Sunny had a beautiful music
format and was programmed by Marlin Taylor.
In March 2006, according to a 10-k filing, XM Satellite Radio mentioned that Clear Channel programmed music on XM would begin carrying commercials, including Sunny. This has been done to fulfill an arbitration settlement between XM and Clear Channel. In response to this, XM Canada, DirecTV
and AOL Radio
removed this channel on April 17 in favor of XM's commercial-free equivalent. Sunny now displays a "cm" next to its name on the XM unit's program-associated data
to indicate that it is a commercial radio station. (As of May 5th, the artist and song title is now displayed.)
style format, featuring more vocals and contemporary hits. A mix of big band hits and orchestral favorites, easy hits from the '70s, oldies, some smooth jazz
, and pop vocal standards figured in this nostalgic format. Concurrently, Escape on XM 78 replaced Sunny as the new "beautiful music" channel on XM.
On June 5th of the same year, Sunny changed formats yet again. It was now "AM gold" and classic hits
, with no more hit parade
songs, orchestral instrumentals or smooth jazz vocals, but instead strictly soft pop hits from the 1960s through the '80s. From November 19, 2006 to December 26, 2006, Sunny switched to a "holiday hits" format consisting of nonstop Christmas songs. Sunny was programmed in this period by Kevin Kash of DC101, until he was hired by XM to program hard-rock channel The Boneyard.
On 2007-07-27, Sunny 24 made musical adjustments to become more of a pop '70s and '80s formatted channel, which included more Rod Stewart
, Billy Joel
, Genesis
, etc. Musically the adjustments accommodated a slightly deeper library of hits.
By May 2008, Sunny 24 was nearly equivalent to XM25's "The Blend", as many '80s songs were added, and very few "AM Radio Hits of the '60s and '70s" remained.
, as the color pink is associated with the cause. Along with the launch came a brand new website, Pink Channel Radio.com. The first song heard on the channel was Listen to the Music by the Doobie Brothers
.
Premiere Radio Networks officially announced the launching of the channel on August 18th, 2008. The channel had a partnership between the Clear Channel subsidiary, and the City of Hope medical center in the Los Angeles
area, specifically Duarte, CA to promote Cancer awareness and well being for just over a year.
On March 9, 2009, the Pink Channel revised their playlist by dropping songs from earlier decades in favor of a smaller selection of current hits. The channel positions itself as "All Hit Radio", playing only current hits (excluding recurrent and gold songs) from the Hot Adult Contemporary format; classifying the channel as contemporary hit radio
.
On March 23, 2010, the Pink Channel changed its format to an adult album alternative
playlist designed primarily for white females 18-45 and males 24-37. Key artists include: Annie Lennox, Indigo Girls, Sheryl Crow, KT Tunstall, Jack Johnson, Norah Jones, Chris Isaak, U2, R.E.M, Goo Goo Dolls, 10,000 Maniacs, Dave Matthews, Bob Marley, John Mayer and more.
As of August 2010, the channel has removed all Pink related packaging and elements, and is now identifying itself as both "The Music Summit" and "The Summit" through short voiceovers, but the XM website and receivers continue to label it as The Pink Channel. It's retaining the same music format.
On June 8, 2011, the WLTW simulcast returned to this channel.
XM Satellite Radio
XM Satellite Radio is one of two satellite radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM Radio. It provides pay-for-service radio, analogous to cable television. Its service includes 73 different music channels, 39 news, sports, talk and entertainment channels, 21 regional...
located on channel 13 (previously 24). The channel was programmed out of Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, and sold to advertisers by Premiere Radio Networks
Premiere Radio Networks
Premiere Networks is an American radio network. It is the largest syndication company in the United States based on popularity of programming...
. It was also available free to air for HD Radio
HD Radio
HD Radio, which originally stood for "Hybrid Digital", is the trademark for iBiquity's in-band on-channel digital radio technology used by AM and FM radio stations to transmit audio and data via a digital signal in conjunction with their analog signals...
listeners on HD2 or HD3 stations owned by Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
in select radio markets.
The channel was pulled on June 8, 2011, in favor of a simulcast of WLTW
WLTW
WLTW is a radio station with an Adult Contemporary format in New York City.The station is often number one or close to it in Arbitron ratings for New York City. From 2002 to 2004, the station generated more revenue than any other radio station in the New York market...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Lite (2001–2003)
As part of an investmentInvestment
Investment has different meanings in finance and economics. Finance investment is putting money into something with the expectation of gain, that upon thorough analysis, has a high degree of security for the principal amount, as well as security of return, within an expected period of time...
deal with Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
, XM agreed to simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
some of Clear Channel's FM
FM broadcasting
FM broadcasting is a broadcasting technology pioneered by Edwin Howard Armstrong which uses frequency modulation to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. The term "FM band" describes the "frequency band in which FM is used for broadcasting"...
radio station
Radio station
Radio broadcasting is a one-way wireless transmission over radio waves intended to reach a wide audience. Stations can be linked in radio networks to broadcast a common radio format, either in broadcast syndication or simulcast or both...
s. Lite was one of the original four channels (named after Lite FM), and it simulcasted WLTW
WLTW
WLTW is a radio station with an Adult Contemporary format in New York City.The station is often number one or close to it in Arbitron ratings for New York City. From 2002 to 2004, the station generated more revenue than any other radio station in the New York market...
from New York City, New York. With its popular adult contemporary format, WLTW has been the most profitable FM radio station in the US in recent years. Due to low subscription count at the time, XM's audience didn't concern themselves with the New York City locality of the station. After a couple years on the air, XM decided to move away from local simulcasts, and Lite became an exclusive-to-satellite station. However, the name Lite didn't stay.
Sunny (2003-2008)
2004 in radio
The year 2004 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting history.-Events:*30 October - In the UK a 163-metre-high radio mast at Peterborough collapses in a fire.-Debuts:...
. The station was now on autopilot 24/7 with no jocks. A month later, Sunny, in addition to all XM music channels, went commercial-free, making the station auto-piloted 24/7 by music. This incarnation of XM's Sunny had a beautiful music
Beautiful music
Beautiful music is a mostly instrumental music format that was prominent in American radio from the 1960s through the 1980s...
format and was programmed by Marlin Taylor.
In March 2006, according to a 10-k filing, XM Satellite Radio mentioned that Clear Channel programmed music on XM would begin carrying commercials, including Sunny. This has been done to fulfill an arbitration settlement between XM and Clear Channel. In response to this, XM Canada, DirecTV
DirecTV
DirecTV is an American direct broadcast satellite service provider and broadcaster based in El Segundo, California. Its satellite service, launched on June 17, 1994, transmits digital satellite television and audio to households in the United States, Latin America, and the Anglophone Caribbean. ...
and AOL Radio
AOL Radio
AOL Radio powered by Slacker, , is an online radio service available only in the United States.- Roots :...
removed this channel on April 17 in favor of XM's commercial-free equivalent. Sunny now displays a "cm" next to its name on the XM unit's program-associated data
Program-associated data
Program Associated Data or Program Service Data is a concept related to broadcasting which consists of a number of different fields or streams which are displayed on many HD Radio & satellite radio receivers in order to describe the program being transmitted, including different information such...
to indicate that it is a commercial radio station. (As of May 5th, the artist and song title is now displayed.)
Various format switches
On May 1st, 2006, Sunny switched over to an adult standardsAdult standards
Adult standards is a North American radio format heard primarily on AM or class A FM stations.Adult standards is aimed at "mature" adults, meaning mainly those persons over 50 years of age, but it is mostly targeted for senior citizens...
style format, featuring more vocals and contemporary hits. A mix of big band hits and orchestral favorites, easy hits from the '70s, oldies, some smooth jazz
Smooth jazz
Smooth jazz is a genre of music that grew out of jazz fusion and is influenced by R&B, funk, rock, and pop music styles ....
, and pop vocal standards figured in this nostalgic format. Concurrently, Escape on XM 78 replaced Sunny as the new "beautiful music" channel on XM.
On June 5th of the same year, Sunny changed formats yet again. It was now "AM gold" and classic hits
Classic hits
Classic hits is a radio format which generally includes rock and pop music from 1964 to 1989. The term is sometimes erroneously used as a synonym for the adult hits format, but is more accurately characterized as a contemporary style of the oldies format...
, with no more hit parade
Hit parade
A hit parade is a ranked list of the most popular recordings at a given point in time, usually determined by sales and/or airplay. The term originated in the 1930s; Billboard magazine published its first music hit parade on January 4, 1936...
songs, orchestral instrumentals or smooth jazz vocals, but instead strictly soft pop hits from the 1960s through the '80s. From November 19, 2006 to December 26, 2006, Sunny switched to a "holiday hits" format consisting of nonstop Christmas songs. Sunny was programmed in this period by Kevin Kash of DC101, until he was hired by XM to program hard-rock channel The Boneyard.
On 2007-07-27, Sunny 24 made musical adjustments to become more of a pop '70s and '80s formatted channel, which included more Rod Stewart
Rod Stewart
Roderick David "Rod" Stewart, CBE is a British singer-songwriter and musician, born and raised in North London, England and currently residing in Epping. He is of Scottish and English ancestry....
, Billy Joel
Billy Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
, Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
, etc. Musically the adjustments accommodated a slightly deeper library of hits.
By May 2008, Sunny 24 was nearly equivalent to XM25's "The Blend", as many '80s songs were added, and very few "AM Radio Hits of the '60s and '70s" remained.
The end of Sunny
After several format attempts, Clear Channel finally dropped the Sunny name on XM 24. It was discovered that the channel would soon become "The Pink Channel," or simply "Pink." There was never any official announcement before the channel launched.The Pink Channel (2008-2010)
The Pink Channel launched on XM Radio on August 18th, 2008 at midnight eastern time, as a partnership between Premiere Radio and City of Hope National Medical Center. The channel is dedicated to aiding the cause of fighting and finding a cure for cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, as the color pink is associated with the cause. Along with the launch came a brand new website, Pink Channel Radio.com. The first song heard on the channel was Listen to the Music by the Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers
The Doobie Brothers are an American rock band. The group has sold over 40 million units worldwide throughout their career. The Doobie Brothers were inducted into The Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004.-Original incarnation:...
.
Premiere Radio Networks officially announced the launching of the channel on August 18th, 2008. The channel had a partnership between the Clear Channel subsidiary, and the City of Hope medical center in the Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
area, specifically Duarte, CA to promote Cancer awareness and well being for just over a year.
On March 9, 2009, the Pink Channel revised their playlist by dropping songs from earlier decades in favor of a smaller selection of current hits. The channel positions itself as "All Hit Radio", playing only current hits (excluding recurrent and gold songs) from the Hot Adult Contemporary format; classifying the channel as contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
.
On March 23, 2010, the Pink Channel changed its format to an adult album alternative
Adult album alternative
Adult album alternative is a radio format. A spinoff from the album-oriented rock format, its roots trace to the 1960s and 1970s from the earlier freeform and progressive formats....
playlist designed primarily for white females 18-45 and males 24-37. Key artists include: Annie Lennox, Indigo Girls, Sheryl Crow, KT Tunstall, Jack Johnson, Norah Jones, Chris Isaak, U2, R.E.M, Goo Goo Dolls, 10,000 Maniacs, Dave Matthews, Bob Marley, John Mayer and more.
As of August 2010, the channel has removed all Pink related packaging and elements, and is now identifying itself as both "The Music Summit" and "The Summit" through short voiceovers, but the XM website and receivers continue to label it as The Pink Channel. It's retaining the same music format.
The Music Summit (2010-11)
In late August/early September 2010, The Music Summit branding took place, retaining the same format as the Pink Channel. XM receivers now display "Music Summit cm" and the XM website now reflects the name change.On June 8, 2011, the WLTW simulcast returned to this channel.
Shows
- The Ian WhitcombIan WhitcombIan Whitcomb is an entertainer, singer, songwriter, author, record producer, and actor...
Show - An hour long eclectic music show Sunday mornings. Hosted by musician Ian Whitcomb and produced by Premiere Satellite RadioPremiere Radio NetworksPremiere Networks is an American radio network. It is the largest syndication company in the United States based on popularity of programming...
.