In retrospect, it amuses me how seriously I used to take radio station format changes. In 1985, I thought, "A new soft rock station is making its debut. I'd better listen to it often for at least the first week."
As I listened, I thought, "This is a pleasant selection of soft rock hits, but it's also a rather safe, predictable playlist. The DJs sound alright, but there's nothing particularly innovative or unique about what they're doing. This is a paint-by-numbers soft rock station in a city that already has multiple stations with this format."
I kept listening throughout the station's first two months, though, because it was new. Initial curiosity doesn't guarantee that an audience will stay with a station, but it often gets them to give the station a chance, however short-lived.
