Does anyone know any good mainstream rock stations in LA?

[thomwim]

I'm not talking about ALT 98.7 or KROQ, which play adult alternative. I'm looking for a good station that plays today's hard rock/heavy metal hits on a frequent basis.

 

[davideduardo]

I'm not talking about ALT 98.7 or KROQ, which play adult alternative. I'm looking for a good station that plays today's hard rock/heavy metal hits on a frequent basis.

The last station to do that "frequently" was KNAC, and it went away in February of 1995 due to low ratings and lower billing.

 

[thomwim]

My dad has Sirius in his car, but of those channels, the only ones we ever listen to are Lithium and XMU. He really doesn't like screaming vocals, and I really hate indie music.

My mom has HD radio in her car, and I think 98.7's subchannel plays mainstream rock hits mixed with classic metal.

I was just reading Billboard's weekly charts for "mainstream rock", and here are the only artists whose new songs are played on KROQ/Alt 98.7: Royal Blood and Mumford & Sons. ("Last Resort" by Papa Roach and "Never Too Late" by Three Days Grace still get regular rotation; and everyone else is relegated to 98.7 HD2)

 

[MarkW]

96.7 KCAL in Riverside - San Bernadino and Rock 105.3 in San Diego are the nearest Mainstream Rock or Active Rock stations that exist on the regular FM dial.

To this day, I remain disappointed by the fact Clear Channel (now known as iHeart) didn't turn 98.7 into a clone of San Diego's Rock 105.3 when that station dumped the "Star 98.7" branding.

I cannot stand 98.7's playlist. KROQ is tolerable, but that's all.

Edit: I forgot about Q103.3 in Temecula. Format is similar to Rock 105.3. Both stations are owned by iHeart.

 

[davideduardo]

96.7 KCAL in Riverside - San Bernadino and Rock 105.3 in San Diego are the nearest Mainstream Rock or Active Rock stations that exist on the regular FM dial.

KCAL now self-identifies as "classic rock". It appears to have changed its self-identity from "rock" in 2009 after a several year period where revenues declined over 60% in the rock format. It has the usual 60% / 40% proportion of men to women of a classic rocker.

KIOZ has lost about 40% of its revenues since 2007, and it has about 80% male vs 20% female listeners, making it a rather difficult sale today when male-only business tends to go to sports stations.

It's pretty obvious that iHeart is not going to change KYSR to this kind of format, which is losing billings in the Southland, to replace the alternative format since one of KYSR's goals is to keep KROQ out of the top positions it used to occupy.

 

[Thomps2525]

KNAC had a heavy metal format from 1986 until 1995 when the station became Spanish-language KBUE but KNAC lives on as an online station. They play Slayer, Ghost, Enforcer, Enslaved, Torche, Bonfire, Slayer, Hatebreed, King Woman, Acid Reign, Faith No More, Iron Maiden, Armored Saint, Suicidal Tendencies.....all the groups that you're not likely to hear on KOST or KTWV.

http://www.knac.com/

 

[thomwim]

(!) I forgot about X1039 in the Riverside area; I listened to that station last month at some friends' vacation home, and on Saturday nights they have a 3-hour playlist of metal, kinda like KNAC. (They got Megadeth in their playlist?! HELL YEAH!)

In the daytime, they have a playlist composed of alternative AND hard rock hits. To quote Marilyn Manson and Madonna, "sweet dreams are made of this".

 

[Neel]

It's been very disappointing for the longest time that LA has no true rock station. I know the economies of the LA area don't support it as everyone will say and is probably true... But rock is such an integral part of America and to not hear it anywhere in LA is a bummer. Groups like Slipknot, Disturbed, and Five Finger Death Punch get no radio exposure in the #2 market. The closest we have is Octane on XM and KCXX if you can pick it up.

I still say someone should give rock a try in LA, you never know

 

[davideduardo]

It's been very disappointing for the longest time that LA has no true rock station. I know the economies of the LA area don't support it as everyone will say and is probably true... But rock is such an integral part of America and to not hear it anywhere in LA is a bummer.

The radio economics of Los Angeles are determined by the population.

LA is now about 43% Hispanic, 12% Asian and 8% African American. None of these groups has particularly significant active rock partisans. Add in the roughly 10% of first generation immigrants from other areas such as Persia and the former nations of the USSR who also have very little rock heritage.

So what you have is only around 30% of the market left from which to draw rock partisans. And it's a market where 20 years ago the active rock station could not muster better than a 1.1 share in its last few years on the air. With two decades without an active rock station, the interest in such a format can not be anything but much less today.

 

[thomwim]

Yup, if any of you has an HD radio, Rock Nation (KYSR-HD2) plays everything else that KROQ no longer likes.

The most extreme music they ever play on regular radio (read: non-satellite/HD) anymore is Metallica, and even then it's Enter Sandman and the ballads. (Hell, when I was a kid KROQ played For Whom the Bell Tolls)

 

[K.M. Richards]

I still say someone should give rock a try in LA, you never know

Yes, we do, and no it won't happen.

David's explanation tells most of the story, but note the markets mentioned that do have mainstream rock stations. High white male population percentages in most all of them. That's the demographic you need a significant number of potential listeners in, or you might as well transmit a 1000Hz tone instead.

In fact, I have come to the conclusion that the same logic applies in the KSWD vs. KLOS battle. Which one is doing better? The one with the less "edgy" playlist, in order to get female listeners to partially offset the deficit in white males.

 

[Mike Benning]

The rock/active rock genre has been dwindling for many years. KXXR/Minneapolis has softened its format over the years allowing in more alternative. But they could also be counter programming KTWN.
But Phoenix, with its abundance of brodozers on the freeways is a perfect market for an active rock station. KUPD still plays acts like Slipknot, Disturbed, Papa Roach, etc. And they are available via TuneIn.

 

[K.M. Richards]

But Phoenix, with its abundance of brodozers on the freeways is a perfect market for an active rock station.

Unfortunately, people driving through town on the freeway do not contribute to a market's ratings. You program for the residents of a community, not the transients.

 

[davideduardo]

I believe that radio corporations are trying to brainwash their listeners into listening to talentless indie music. I even called my father a (homosexual) for liking indie music.

That is an ungrounded and unfounded statement if I ever heard one. And only a lot politically incorrect, too.

Radio corporations (and 99.9% of radio stations are owned by some form of a corporation) want to get a lot of listeners so they can sell advertising or time.

Whatever music the audience tells them to play is what will be played. Whatever music the audience says "don't play it... I hate it" is what they don't play.

Oh, and the term "indie" music is so broad and vague that, normally, I'd ask for a clarification. But, fearing you'd say something else that is offensive, I will say, instead, forgeddaboutit.

 

[frankberry]

Thank you, David.
Thomwim, your post is just offensive for many reasons.

Frank

 

[TheBigA]

Keep in mind radio stations don't own record labels. They have nothing to gain in the playing of music. Their only interest is attracting an audience.

 

[DaveBayArea]

Keep in mind radio stations don't own record labels. They have nothing to gain in the playing of music. Their only interest is attracting an audience.

Actually some do have a slight bit to gain - those stations that are also affiliated with live music venues. I-heart still has Live Nation, right?

Dave B.

 

[hm insulators]

So what you have is only around 30% of the market left from which to draw rock partisans. And it's a market where 20 years ago the active rock station could not muster better than a 1.1 share in its last few years on the air. With two decades without an active rock station, the interest in such a format can not be anything but much less today.

A good chunk of the reason why KNAC had such low ratings is because it was a "peanut whistle" station with a poor signal that wouldn't reach into the San Fernando Valley. If it had had a better signal, it would've helped.

 

[davideduardo]

A good chunk of the reason why KNAC had such low ratings is because it was a "peanut whistle" station with a poor signal that wouldn't reach into the San Fernando Valley. If it had had a better signal, it would've helped.

That is only partly true. The signal is only a partial market coverage proposition, but in the earlier years of the format it did much better despite lack of coverage. The ratings declined solely, indicating a lack of interest in the format by previous users.

The main problem was the format, not the signal.

Similarly KSCA was mired at a 1.1 level with AAA in the mid-90's and it has a full market Mt. Wilson signal. The problem was the format; after a change KSCA got a 6.7 in its first book.

 

[davideduardo]

Actually some do have a slight bit to gain - those stations that are also affiliated with live music venues. I-heart still has Live Nation, right?

Dave B.

Live Nation was spun off years and years ago.