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A radio station caters to the times and snips songs M While new move has drawn public ire, it will likely turn into a hit That's Life Andy Juniper Guest Contributor 9 | Thursday, August 14, 2014 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com aybe less really is more. Or perhaps this is but another sign of the pending apocalypse. It's all over the news: 90.3 Amp Radio in Calgary intends to cater to (and cash in on) our ever-shrinking attention spans and our everincreasing desire for instant gratication by cutting songs in half, thusly allowing the Top 40 station with its so-called QuickHitz formula to play twice as many songs an hour as its competitors (you have to hand it to these guys, they know their math, if not their spelling). When I rst heard of Amp's aim, I had a good laugh, guring the story was but another comic hoax perpetuated by a satiric news source and mocking mankind -- in the vein of last year's television spoof about an Ontario youth soccer league that was eliminating the ball from the game so kids could not get all scarred by the inherent evils of competition. Alas, Amp is getting the last laugh. And it believes it will be laughing all the way to the bank. "We've got so much more choice, we've got less time and our attention spans are shorter," the station's Paul Kaye told CTV Calgary. "We are observing people with their iPods, playing their favourite songs and skipping them before they end because they get bored..." And in today's day and age, it's all about instant grati cation: everyone wants a song's big hook ­ and they want it now -- and then they want to be able to move on without ever being bothered by the rest of what the song may be saying, by meaning and nuance that may well be tucked into a distant verse. It's a trend that transcends the music industry. People nowadays don't like to be challenged. They want everything to be instant and easy. I recently wrote a sports blog about a move in golf toward making the hole bigger so the game can be made more accessible -- and, let's face it, altogether easier. Hey, here's a thought for the instant-grati cation guys: why not make the entire green the hole? Let's make it so that any clown with a club can nail a hole-in-one every time out. Forget how that diminishes the signi cance of a hole-in-one, or how it dilutes the game. Ah, but I digress. This movement catering to shrinking attention spans is not all that new. It's been happening in the newspaper industry since USA Today decided back in 1982 that it would take the size of the average news story and shrink it down to the bare facts so people could get their news faster. Context and depth be damned. Of course, musicians are raging against the QuickHitz machine. Jann Arden has blown a gasket on Twitter over the concept, calling on Calgarians to boycott the station. Arden thinks the whole thing is a "hideous concept," a "travesty," and an obvious odious attempt to snag ratings. Trouble is, it probably will increase ratings. And, if not, the station will simply revert to the old format and be giddy with the publicity it garnered for one really inane idea. -- Andy Juniper can be contacted at ajjuniper@gmail.com, found on Facebook http://www.facebook.com, or followed at www.twitter.com/thesportjesters. Times are changing! New bus schedules effective August 30 All Oakville Transit bus schedules are changing to coordinate service with GO Transit's new schedule for the Lakeshore West GO Train. Whether you're a daily commuter or occasional rider, you'll want to check your new route schedule before Saturday, August 30. In addition to maintaining quick rush hour connections, the new schedules will give riders more time to make connections during off-peak hours. More time, less stress. For more information, visit oakvilletransit.ca. Town of Oakville program registration opens Saturday Pick up your Fall/Winter Parks, Recreation and Culture guide today! Get active and creative with the Town of Oakville. Our diverse program line-up for all ages and abilities is available at your fingertips via our interactive online guide or pick up your own copy at community centres, seniors centres, libraries, pools, arenas and Town Hall. Registration for Oakville residents opens Saturday, August 16 at 9 a.m. Registration Seniors Services program registration begins Friday, September 5 at 9 a.m. opens this To register online you will need a family PIN and personal ID number. Saturday! Please visit oakville.ca to create your registration account and to learn more about our wide range of registered and drop-in programs.