P.O.P. Radio/In-Store Broadcasting Network (Kroger Radio)

Date: Jul 1, 2021

P.O.P. Radio/In-Store Broadcasting Network (Kroger Radio)

i386 · Guru

krogerman298 wrote:
Hi Everyone,
Anyone here work for Kroger back in the 1991 - 1993 timeframe? If so, do you remember listening to P.O.P. Radio/In-Store Broadcasting Network? What did you think of it? Also, do you know of any tapes that exist that your store played in P.O.P Radio's special cassette player?
Regards,
Krogerman298

I started in 1994 and I cannot really remember what they used to get music. But it was before the Internet I remember there being a Dish something like this.

on the roof of many stores.

And some stores even had what looked like a FM only directional Antenna like this

At one time there was KRGR in the Atlanta Division it was ran from WSB studios. I do not remember Kroger having a tape player. But I do remember seeing a video where someone had one from a Kmart store.

I also remember having a big Dish at home like

In the guide every month it would tell you each satellite and the channel. I remember seeing a channel called "Kroger" but it was only available to the store. Then later on I saw KRGR when it started. You needed a special receiver for both.

-- Edited by i386 on Friday 2nd of July 2021 08:09:33 PM

krogerman298 · Member

Hi i386.

You are correct. Back then, we did have a c-band satellite dish on the back of our store that provided the music/ads. Supposedly, the music was provided by Muzak and the ads by the P.O.P (Point-of-Purchase) Radio Corp (ActMedia). In 1991, we had an all instrumental music channel. In 1992, it switched to top adult contemporary hits/love songs of the 60s, 70s, 80s, and early 90s.

But, some stores had huge cassette players ... probably sometime in the 80s.

Regards,

Krogerman298

i386 · Guru

krogerman298 wrote:
Hi i386.
You are correct. Back then, we did have a c-band satellite dish on the back of our store that provided the music/ads. Supposedly, the music was provided by Muzak and the ads by the P.O.P (Point-of-Purchase) Radio Corp (ActMedia). In 1991, we had an all instrumental music channel. In 1992, it switched to top adult contemporary hits/love songs of the 60s, 70s, 80s, and early 90s.
But, some stores had huge cassette players ... probably sometime in the 80s.
Regards,
Krogerman298

It was something like this That is from K Mart but I can see Kroger having the same.

I worked for a store once a small store and they had a FM antenna on the roof this was close to Atlanta and we listened to Y104 a country station feed off of Y106 in. Atlanta. But I also remember seeing some cassettes I asked the manager and he said the player was broke.

i386 · Guru

It's been a long time since I seen that video. So they called it KMRT Kmart radio. And I think there was also some type of cassette changer. You put the tape in it plays both sides and then changes tapes.

krogerman298 · Member

This is the P.O.P. Radio music player. See attached photo. My understanding is that it played tapes in reverse so that they could not be played on a regular cassette player.

-- Edited by krogerman298 on Monday 5th of July 2021 08:53:30 AM

-- Edited by krogerman298 on Monday 5th of July 2021 08:54:12 AM

i386 · Guru

krogerman298 wrote:
This is the P.O.P. Radio music player. See attached photo. My understanding is that it played tapes in reverse so that they could not be played on a regular cassette player.

-- Edited by krogerman298 on Monday 5th of July 2021 08:53:30 AM

-- Edited by krogerman298 on Monday 5th of July 2021 08:54:12 AM

Play in reverse? I am not gonna say your wrong but If you play in reverse the songs will be in reverse. Like the end of the song would be the start and the start would be the end.

Some songs you play in reverse they say have Subliminal messages. I know if you play Another one bites the Dust it sounds like "It's fun to smoke Marijuana"

-- Edited by i386 on Monday 5th of July 2021 09:55:01 AM

-- Edited by i386 on Monday 5th of July 2021 09:55:44 AM

krogerman298 · Member

When I say, play in reverse... the cassettes were also recorded in reverse (purposely recorded and played in reverse). This is so no one would be able to play them in another "normal" cassette player. I was told these P.O.P. Radio players were very expensive. This is what I heard from a P.O.P Radio technician that worked back in the early 90s.

i386 · Guru

krogerman298 wrote:
When I say, play in reverse... the cassettes were also recorded in reverse (purposely recorded and played in reverse). This is so no one would be able to play them in another "normal" cassette player. I was told these P.O.P. Radio players were very expensive. This is what I heard from a P.O.P Radio technician that worked back in the early 90s.

You basically mean they are proprietary that's a word used in the computer tech field. Basely non standard parts are used. I know what you mean now. krogerman298 do you have interest in vintage electronics? I think that is a good interest I also have that interest. As far as something like a home audio system I would rather have one from the late 90's or earlier. I do have a flat screen TV but I also like the old style TV's. My Aunt still has a 25' floor model but she don't really use it. The tube was out of line or something. One of my cousins fixed it hooked up an old Nintendo he said it just needed to be adjusted a little. If I had the room in my house I would see if she would sell it. I have another friend that his mother has a old console stereo with a record player.

MattStan81 · Newbie

Yes you are very right krogerman298, they were backwards in normal cassette players. My uncle worked out our local garbage dump and they gave him a boat load of these cassettes. Kroger, Rite-Aid, Thrift, People's, Eckard the list went on. These cassettes that were for Entertainment Only were blue and the message cassette was Red. They even had Christmas cassettes that were Green. I would turn these cassettes backward so they would play normal. The sound was bad but man what I wouldn't give to have these cassettes now. Thank you for the picture of the player, not putting it all together made sense. I am looking for these cassettes myself. :) Big fan of POP Radio, The In-Store Broadcasting Network!

Date: Jun 28, 2022

Your uncle never kept the tapes? There must be someone out there who has some of them...I do remember when my local Kroger would play oldies and smooth jazz sometimes...Very interesting selections each time I'd walk in...I also remember hearing the jingle "Kroger Radio!" that sounded like a PAMS jingle that radio stations would use...Anyone remember when Kroger had scrolling LED signs like this that advertised that week's specials and sales???

Then again, if you really go back, you might remember this little tune...

Date: Jun 28, 2022

Maybe you guys remember this ad, too?

Date: Jun 28, 2022

Orrrr...

[video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR****iJ88g]

Date: Jun 28, 2022

Orrr...

[video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yR****iJ88g]

krogerman298 · Member

Verified music (instrumental) that played in Kroger by the POP Radio Corporation (In-Store Broadcasting Network) in 1991. This was received by the store using a big C-band satellite dish. I know because I worked there at that time and heard these versions.

***************************************************************

The New Reflections Orchestra - Only He Can Move Me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42oJRFoIwcY

Paul Mauriat - I like Chopin - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2I60bGqPFA

Paul Mauriat - So Bad/Pipes of Peace - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPFXdFfPoLM

The Hollywood Symphony Orchestra - Keep on Loving You - https://youtu.be/RU5XhPyArgo?si=z96f8jOjiTbBwD0-

Frank Chacksfield Orchestra - Starting Over - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJgw5CjG7bA

Zamfir - The Lonely Shepherd - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blkhko_4T8s

Zamfir - Till - https://youtu.be/wV2YMqOpKoc?si=Az5E84Rd-oB4CsfI

Ronnie Aldrich - Sailing - https://youtu.be/eFLWQ4FEiu0?si=R9IMpo9iVoHveCYo

Vangelis - Chariots of Fire - https://youtu.be/LE3Aw5WXDRo?si=QtOerBqpAgxjiO-_

Bob Crew Generation - Music to Watch Girls By - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwhflMf0Gyc

***************************************************************

Date: Dec 25, 2023

Who remembers KRGR radio?

Date: Dec 25, 2023

I wish my store would get off the damn country station. Guess i'ts better than hearing a Michel Jackson song every 10 damn min.

Date: Dec 25, 2023

Glad the xmas music will be ending soon.

Date: Jan 28, 2024

Does anyone know the origin of a handful of songs that were made to sound like English/American pop songs from the mid 1980s but sound like they were recorded in Central Europe from the way the vocalists would struggle with certain words? They surfaced a few times at my store in 2015/2016, heard on the streaming network but sounded like they were sourced from third generation compact-cassette. One memorable song was:

When I was a kid in school,

I did not care for acting cool!

I listened to...

Midnight Radio!

Midnight! Midnight! Midnight Radio! Midnight! Midnight! Midnight Radio!

Listening to all the frequencies,

trying to find...

Midnight Radio!

Midnight! Midnight! Midnight Radio! Midnight! Midnight! Midnight Radio!

i386 · Guru

Anonymous wrote:
I wish my store would get off the damn country station. Guess i'ts better than hearing a Michel Jackson song every 10 damn min.
I love some real Country music. And I mean real Country. 50's 60's 70's 80's and some newer and some even older than the 50's. They should bring back the real Country music.

Anonymous wrote:
Does anyone know the origin of a handful of songs that were made to sound like English/American pop songs from the mid 1980s but sound like they were recorded in Central Europe from the way the vocalists would struggle with certain words? They surfaced a few times at my store in 2015/2016, heard on the streaming network but sounded like they were sourced from third generation compact-cassette. One memorable song was:
When I was a kid in school,
I did not care for acting cool!
I listened to...
Midnight Radio!
Midnight! Midnight! Midnight Radio! Midnight! Midnight! Midnight Radio!
Listening to all the frequencies,
trying to find...
Midnight Radio!
Midnight! Midnight! Midnight Radio! Midnight! Midnight! Midnight Radio!

Date: Jan 30, 2024

My store was independent from kroger during this time frame and was worthy of working for. The owner died and family sold it off to kroger. (highest bidder) kroger has since trashed it into the ground and staff are quitting at an alarming rate. Staff that would of been willing to remain until retirement. I was going to but now I am moving on. Tired of lack of career development. 15 years by no you think I'd be at least a lead and I am not. Been recently burned for a could of been advancement. Even though I am well over qualified for the position. I honestly have zero faith and respect for this company.

i386 · Guru

krogerman298 wrote:
This is the P.O.P. Radio music player. See attached photo. My understanding is that it played tapes in reverse so that they could not be played on a regular cassette player.

-- Edited by krogerman298 on Monday 5th of July 2021 08:53:30 AM

-- Edited by krogerman298 on Monday 5th of July 2021 08:54:12 AM

I wish I had one of those commercial tape decks. If the tape is backward I figured out what you mean. I can open the shell of a cassette tape and maybe change it around

i386 · Guru

Anonymous wrote:
My store was independent from kroger during this time frame and was worthy of working for. The owner died and family sold it off to kroger. (highest bidder) kroger has since trashed it into the ground and staff are quitting at an alarming rate. Staff that would of been willing to remain until retirement. I was going to but now I am moving on. Tired of lack of career development. 15 years by no you think I'd be at least a lead and I am not. Been recently burned for a could of been advancement. Even though I am well over qualified for the position. I honestly have zero faith and respect for this company.

I did not know Kroger purchased any Independent Mom and Pop stores. Was it a Piggly Wiggly?

Date: Feb 13, 2024

krogerman298 wrote:
Verified music (instrumental) that played in Kroger by the POP Radio Corporation (In-Store Broadcasting Network) in 1991. This was received by the store using a big C-band satellite dish. I know because I worked there at that time and heard these versions.
***************************************************************
The New Reflections Orchestra - Only He Can Move Me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42oJRFoIwcY
Paul Mauriat - I like Chopin - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2I60bGqPFA
Paul Mauriat - So Bad/Pipes of Peace - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPFXdFfPoLM
The Hollywood Symphony Orchestra - Keep on Loving You - https://youtu.be/RU5XhPyArgo?si=z96f8jOjiTbBwD0-
Frank Chacksfield Orchestra - Starting Over - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJgw5CjG7bA
Zamfir - The Lonely Shepherd - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blkhko_4T8s
Zamfir - Till - https://youtu.be/wV2YMqOpKoc?si=Az5E84Rd-oB4CsfI
Ronnie Aldrich - Sailing - https://youtu.be/eFLWQ4FEiu0?si=R9IMpo9iVoHveCYo
Vangelis - Chariots of Fire - https://youtu.be/LE3Aw5WXDRo?si=QtOerBqpAgxjiO-_
Bob Crew Generation - Music to Watch Girls By - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwhflMf0Gyc
***************************************************************

Thats awesome, krogermanDo you remember any more like this in the stores? I even remember them playing real oldies and Kenny G.-like smooth jazz at times in my local Kroger. Much more diverse playlist than it is now and just something different every time I walked in the store. Do you know if the smaller stores got a different mix than the larger ones, because it seems I only heard certain songs at my one small Kroger?

Date: Feb 15, 2024

i386 wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
My store was independent from kroger during this time frame and was worthy of working for. The owner died and family sold it off to kroger. (highest bidder) kroger has since trashed it into the ground and staff are quitting at an alarming rate. Staff that would of been willing to remain until retirement. I was going to but now I am moving on. Tired of lack of career development. 15 years by no you think I'd be at least a lead and I am not. Been recently burned for a could of been advancement. Even though I am well over qualified for the position. I honestly have zero faith and respect for this company.
I did not know Kroger purchased any Independent Mom and Pop stores. Was it a Piggly Wiggly?

Thats not a mom and pop store. clown

krogerman298 · Member

In 1992, the Kroger store that I worked at switched from the instrumental format to an adult contemporary format. The music played in the same order on about a 3 hour rotation... and the music was on a 3 week rotation. After one week, you did not hear that music again until 3 weeks later. Once again, it was provided through the c-band satellite dish at the back of the store by Heritage Media (which purchased P.O.P. Radio Corporation) in Dallas, TX. I remember Barry Manilow, Barbra Streisand, REO Speedwagon, Carly Simon, The Cowsills, Berlin, The Stylistics, and Kenny G ... just to name a few. Some of the in-store jingles that played with jingle music: "You're listening to the In-Store Broadcasting Network", "You're Listening to POP Radio", "The In-Store Broadcasting Network... The Only Radio", "Kroger Radio-o-o", "Kroger Radio... Kroger Radio" "P-O-P Radio-o-o"

-- Edited by krogerman298 on Friday 5th of April 2024 08:09:25 AM

krogerman298 · Member

Anonymous wrote:
krogerman298 wrote:
Verified music (instrumental) that played in Kroger by the POP Radio Corporation (In-Store Broadcasting Network) in 1991. This was received by the store using a big C-band satellite dish. I know because I worked there at that time and heard these versions.
***************************************************************
The New Reflections Orchestra - Only He Can Move Me - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42oJRFoIwcY
Paul Mauriat - I like Chopin - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2I60bGqPFA
Paul Mauriat - So Bad/Pipes of Peace - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPFXdFfPoLM
The Hollywood Symphony Orchestra - Keep on Loving You - https://youtu.be/RU5XhPyArgo?si=z96f8jOjiTbBwD0-
Frank Chacksfield Orchestra - Starting Over - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJgw5CjG7bA
Zamfir - The Lonely Shepherd - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blkhko_4T8s
Zamfir - Till - https://youtu.be/wV2YMqOpKoc?si=Az5E84Rd-oB4CsfI
Ronnie Aldrich - Sailing - https://youtu.be/eFLWQ4FEiu0?si=R9IMpo9iVoHveCYo
Vangelis - Chariots of Fire - https://youtu.be/LE3Aw5WXDRo?si=QtOerBqpAgxjiO-_
Bob Crew Generation - Music to Watch Girls By - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwhflMf0Gyc
***************************************************************
Thats awesome, krogermanDo you remember any more like this in the stores? I even remember them playing real oldies and Kenny G.-like smooth jazz at times in my local Kroger. Much more diverse playlist than it is now and just something different every time I walked in the store. Do you know if the smaller stores got a different mix than the larger ones, because it seems I only heard certain songs at my one small Kroger?

In 1992, the Kroger store that I worked at switched from the instrumental format to an adult contemporary format. The music played in the same order on about a 3 hour rotation... and the music was on a 3 week rotation. After one week, you did not hear that music again until 3 weeks later. Once again, it was provided through the c-band satellite dish at the back of the store by Heritage Media (which purchased P.O.P. Radio Corporation) in Dallas, TX. I remember Barry Manilow, Barbra Streisand, REO Speedwagon, Carly Simon, The Cowsills, Berlin, The Stylistics, and Kenny G ... just to name a few. Some of the in-store jingles that played with jingle music: "You're listening to the In-Store Broadcasting Network", "You're Listening to POP Radio", "The In-Store Broadcasting Network... The Only Radio", "Kroger Radio-o-o", "Kroger Radio... Kroger Radio" "P-O-P Radio-o-o"

krogerman298 · Member

MattStan81 wrote:
Yes you are very right krogerman298, they were backwards in normal cassette players. My uncle worked out our local garbage dump and they gave him a boat load of these cassettes. Kroger, Rite-Aid, Thrift, People's, Eckard the list went on. These cassettes that were for Entertainment Only were blue and the message cassette was Red. They even had Christmas cassettes that were Green. I would turn these cassettes backward so they would play normal. The sound was bad but man what I wouldn't give to have these cassettes now. Thank you for the picture of the player, not putting it all together made sense. I am looking for these cassettes myself. :) Big fan of POP Radio, The In-Store Broadcasting Network!

Ugh... what I would not do to get those Message cassettes. All the jingles and advertising were on those!!!!!! There is someone I know that has an old POP Radio cassette player that could play them. Here in Texas, I went to Eckerds, Tom Thumb, and Minyard Food Stores in the early 1990s... all of them had POP Radio.

krogerman298 · Member

In 1992, the Kroger store that I worked at switched from the instrumental format to an adult contemporary format. The music played in the same order on about a 3 hour rotation... and the music was on a 3 week rotation. After one week, you did not hear that music again until 3 weeks later. Once again, it was provided through the c-band satellite dish at the back of the store by Heritage Media (which purchased P.O.P. Radio Corporation) in Dallas, TX. I remember Barry Manilow, Barbra Streisand, REO Speedwagon, Carly Simon, The Cowsills, Berlin, The Stylistics, Paul Davis, Billy Joel, and Kenny G ... just to name a few. Some of the in-store jingles that played with jingle music: "You're listening to the In-Store Broadcasting Network", "You're Listening to POP Radio", "The In-Store Broadcasting Network... The Only Radio", "Kroger Radio-o-o", "Kroger Radio... Kroger Radio" "P-O-P Radio-o-o, "You're Listening to Kroger Radio... Part of the In-Store Broadcasting Network"

-- Edited by krogerman298 on Friday 5th of April 2024 08:09:25 AM

-- Edited by krogerman298 on Saturday 6th of April 2024 07:51:18 PM

krogerman298 · Member

Here is are the old satellite channels from around 1992.

i386 · Guru

Speaking of Radio and Advertising. Back in the good ole days the store I worked at would do live remotes with the local radio station. That was so cool. It was at the old store back in the 90's manager would have them come out a few times a year. Also had the local station out doing fund raisers for the Childerns Hospital.

I remember living less than a mile and would be at home listning to the live remote through my scanner because back then they used a VHF transmitter around 161 Mhz to transmit the remote signal to the studio. I would only hear the remote not the music from the station. Anyway did any other stores have their local statiion come out and do a remote?