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WFUV 90.7 Makes Some Changes

B

Barry

According to an article in Radio Ink, the AAA station has dropped NPR news. Instead they will be airing news reports produced in house during morning and afternoon drive. Perhaps that will provide some more work experience opportunities for Fordham students, and a more local focus.
Traffic reports from Total Traffic are also being eliminated. They say they are letting the news oriented stations deal with traffic information.
'FUV also eliminated the syndicated Echoes program of ambient music that ran late at night. Instead they will playing their regular music mix. Perhaps that is in keeping with the practice of commercial radio stations that offer consistent programming day and night.
So apparently all of their weekday programming except for World Café (which is carried from midnight-2 AM) will be produced in house.
They are also making some music tweaks that were only vaguely explained in the article. To me, the music being played sounds like it now includes more contemporary indie rock artists, but still seems eclectic and well chosen.

WFUV Gets Spruced Up: http://www.radioink.com/Article.asp?id=2705942&spid=24698
 
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There was fear on the other board that the addition of more alternative artists meant more "metal." If I'm not mistaken, today's alternative sound is a lot like what FUV was playing anyway, folk influences and all.

Shame Echoes is leaving the station, but I've been hearing it earlier in the night on another station online and last I checked it doesn't sound like what it used to be.
 
liradioisbad said:
There was fear on the other board that the addition of more alternative artists meant more "metal." If I'm not mistaken, today's alternative sound is a lot like what FUV was playing anyway, folk influences and all.
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It seems people are making the 'tweaks' out to be more than they are. Dropping a late night show and switching the news isn't exactly earth shattering. Still think WXPN is the better of these AAA-type stations, maybe that's what they are striving to be.
 
liradioisbad said:
There was fear on the other board that the addition of more alternative artists meant more "metal." If I'm not mistaken, today's alternative sound is a lot like what FUV was playing anyway, folk influences and all.

Shame Echoes is leaving the station, but I've been hearing it earlier in the night on another station online and last I checked it doesn't sound like what it used to be.
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I'd be shocked if a single hard driving rock track made it's way in to WFUV's playlist--quite simply not what modern alternative is doing by and large, and certainly won't do well in the city.
 
So far the new music mix sounding good. FUV is playing less unfamiliar artist and music. I also hear more classics in the mix. It still reminds me of WNEW FM when it was still around.

P.s. the audio output of the stream is too low. New music mix ok, but fix the output of the stream. I must turn my volume up everytime I tune to WFUV. Other streams are louder.
 
Any commercial radio station must appeal to advertisers, but a not for profit must appeal to listeners who are willing to support the station financially. Older listeners have more $ and would be more likely to contribute to the station. Would this format modification attract more $ for the station?

Bruce
 
The not-for-profit model relies on not just individual listener support but underwriting (a.k.a. advertisers) too. It's a balancing act but the underwriting is important so ratings do matter.

My initial reaction to the playlist changes is that it's the kind of dog's breakfast we saw with WRXP v1.0, a mix of classic, roots and folk artists jarringly juxtaposed against alt rock currents. This should come as no surprise since Paragon Media Strategies' Mike Henry, who consulted RXP v1.0, is now on board with 'FUV doing the same sort of thing. But as often as I've seen radio stations try to lower their demos by throwing edgy currents into the mix without dropping the older stuff, I've seen them fail. There's just too small a niche audience of listeners who can tolerate such a wide-ranging music mix spanning the decades, plus the 'FUV jocks are still the same old folkies who sound out of their element playing Vampire Weekend.

If WFUV's goal is to broaden or lower the age of its demos, or to increase its ratings, I don't think these changes are going to accomplish any of those things.
 
With FUV I was finally tuning back in to NYC radio regularly for the first time since RXP changed to FAN. I was enjoying the currents from the last couple of years mixed in then what the heck happened this week. Every time I tune in it is some tired out classic hit from the 70s or 60s.

They really need the guy the programmed RXP 2.0. I hope whatever is going on this week is temporary and they will change to playing current alternative. Otherwise it looks like I am back to connecting my cell phone for streaming and suffering through the drop outs which is much better than being tortured by the tired old 70s hits FUV is playing.
 
The WFUV music tweak is apparently intended to offer more contemporary groups and songs. So it seems odd that mikerock is complaining in the above post that he has been hearing a larger amount of older music this week.
And of course WFUV also provides a separate broadcast with a much more contemporary indie/alternative sound. The Alternate Side is on WFUV HD3 24/7 and is also aired on WNYE 91.5 6AM-noon, and on the main WFUV channel from 10 pm-midnight. So WFUV's The Alternate Side can be heard over the air without an HD radio 8 hours a day.

WFUV's The Alternate Side Website/Stream: http://www.thealternateside.org/
 
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They will play a couple newer alternative songs from the last year followed by an oldie hit from the 60s or 70s that just does not belong. It explains allot if the RXP 1.0 guy is behind it. RXP 1.0 the winter before the end was pretty good but even then they would be on a roll playing all alternative that fit well with the format but would throw in AC/DC or Guns & Roses which was absolutely absurd.

It is like someone is programming the station that totally does not understand the genre. What a shame.

btw - is it just me or have they also tweaked the audio. It sounds a bit loud.
 
The major issue with WFUV-90.7 is that unlike most major cities, there's no commercial active or modern rock station in New York.

If there were, WFUV probably wouldn't be programming what they're running now.
 
erwin33 said:
Over the air? The internet stream is too soft! I hope they fix that.
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Over the air.

Joseph_Gallant said:
The major issue with WFUV-90.7 is that unlike most major cities, there's no commercial active or modern rock station in New York.

If there were, WFUV probably wouldn't be programming what they're running now.
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They are barely programming Alternative. I would not even call it Triple A since some of the 60s and 70s cuts are not earlier forms of rock nor modern rock. If they want to be Triple A they would sound like "The Peak" and play early rock or alternative like the Stones or Bowie mixed in but not R&B from that period.
 
R&B/soul music is a component of and inspiration for many of the AAA currents. Artists like Aloe Blacc, Fitz & The Tantrums, Raphael Saadiq and others have been important to the format. You can hear soul classics mixed in on many noncommercial Triple A stations, and even some commercial ones like The River 92.5 in Boston. Triple A is not strictly a "rock" format to begin with. It's "quality adult music" - which covers a pretty diverse range.
 
stevensonair said:
R&B/soul music is a component of and inspiration for many of the AAA currents. Artists like Aloe Blacc, Fitz & The Tantrums, Raphael Saadiq and others have been important to the format. You can hear soul classics mixed in on many noncommercial Triple A stations, and even some commercial ones like The River 92.5 in Boston. Triple A is not strictly a "rock" format to begin with. It's "quality adult music" - which covers a pretty diverse range.
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Fitz & The Tantrums "Out of my League" has that Alternative sound, great song that fits the format and does not ruin the flow. It is also #1 on the Alternative chart right now. Aloe blacc's "Wake Me Up" a little less Alternative but I suppose passable. Raphael Saadiq does not fit at all, too far from that Alternative sound. The last two do not even chart on Triple A or Alternative.

Soul music that does not sound close to Alternative or Rock ruins the flow. Even Bluegrass or Folk fits the format better than Soul music.

When I look at the playlist as a whole it actually looks pretty good. Looks like my timing is the issue. Whenever I tune in I coincidentally repeatedly happen to catch soul. For example today I heard Men At Work and The Lumineers that fit, followed by a country sounding song, then two soul songs, Aretha Franklin and Mayer Hawthorne which kill the flow.

If I listen to FUV for Alternative, Rock, Indie or Folk why would I sit through those last two songs.
 
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I am not particularly loving the mix overall, It is diverse, but not as far as it's timing, you can be eclectic, but the key in my mind is spreading it out. I'd love to see them be NYC's answer to KEXP, WXPN or KCRW, which, to my ears seems to be their goal, they just haven't made it happen yet.
 
Because most people who fit the WFUV audience profile aren't listening strictly for alternative rock.

They're listening for an alternative/quality blend of adult appeal music. Eclectic, if you will. Classic soul, newer indie folk, new wave, and alt/indie (in the traditional rock sense) can all be a part of that mix.

In other words, you're expecting WFUV to function as a "rock" station. It isn't.
 
stevensonair said:
Because most people who fit the WFUV audience profile aren't listening strictly for alternative rock.

They're listening for an alternative/quality blend of adult appeal music. Eclectic, if you will. Classic soul, newer indie folk, new wave, and alt/indie (in the traditional rock sense) can all be a part of that mix.

In other words, you're expecting WFUV to function as a "rock" station. It isn't.
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Not so, I listen for all those variations. Like I said the overall playlist is fine it is specifically the soul music that does not fit with those variations. It does not belong.

It is the same as when RXP 1.0 would play modern rock, indie and Alternative then interrupt the flow with hard rock AC/DC which did not belong. In this case they are doing it with soul music.

This would be like WAXQ adding Hip Hop or rap twice an hour or WQHT adding heavy metal. It just would not fit the format.
 
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