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Alt 92.3

CTListener said:
At some point, maybe before mid-decade, will the shift to rhythmic pretty much kill off whatever guitar rock is left in the format, or will the kids who've been won over by the street-level, gut-level "keepin' it real" anger of rap still be willing to tolerate guitar rock when it comes on or will they just abandon alt for a pure urban format?
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What century are we in? Just as The Who sang nearly 50 years ago, "Rock is dead they say. Long live rock." And it has.
 
TheBigA said:
Tell me a popular music app that is built around live & local DJs. There isn't one.
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Apple Music 1 (formerly known as Apple Beats 1).
It is built around live DJs (albeit not local, by definition, as the service is heard internationally).
 
mets18 said:
Really? That's like saying everyone in the NYC metro area with a radio is listening to Z100.
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No, it is not. That is the world-wide figure. Seventy-two million out of eight billion.

It's still a very large number for a subscription service and certainly qualifies it as "popular".
 
mets18 said:
We were talking about Apple Music 1. I would bet that the large majority of subscribers have no idea it exists.
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I agree. Just because someone subscribes to a streaming service doesn't mean they use this curated and hosted platform.

Apple Music 1 is only available in two formats: Pop and country. That further limits its appeal beyond a small group.

We really have no idea what the breakout is for this subgroup within the larger Apple Music sphere.
 
At least they went up from a 1.7 to a 1.8 this time in the ratings. Maybe a change in mornings and a name change? I say go after Q 104.3
 
TheBigA said:
what's missing from Alt92.3 is the sense of community that fans used to have with their music. That the people at the radio station are living the same life that the fans and the artists are living. It's all one life. Radio programmers need to think about that every now and then.
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This is spot on. I've been sampling Alt92.3 for the past few weeks and, with the exception of Christine, I don't get a sense that any of the hosts really care about the music they're playing. The "slacker-dude-stoner" style of 90s alt that I hear in the morning show, afternoon, and evenings is really worn out. I'm right in Alt's target demo, and it sounds like these hosts are playing characters and it's really off-putting...especially for a genre that, on the surface, is all about authenticity.

Comparing apples to oranges, SiriusXMU does a much better job with Alternative. Jenny Eliscu has a wonderful demeanor and as a music journalist, has actual insight into the artists. I'd rather hear her rattle off tour dates than whatever is going on between the music on Alt. She's almost certainly voice-tracked along with the other hosts, but I still get more of a community vibe there than Alt.

With Alternative becoming a more niche genre without broad appeal or core artists, Audacy would be wise to ditch this project and leave Alt in NYC to WFMU, WFUV, and SiriusXMU.
 
leftofthedial said:
Comparing apples to oranges, SiriusXMU does a much better job with Alternative. Jenny Eliscu has a wonderful demeanor and as a music journalist, has actual insight into the artists.
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Rich Terfry on Canada's CBC Drive is probably my current favorite in that respect. He'll rattle off stories about the artists that draw you into their world without dragging down the flow of the show. My favorite rock and alternative stations throughout history have always had that element to them. I've heard recordings of Scott Muni who was before my time in NY, and he seemed to have a real talent for this. New York since the '90s by contrast has gone for jocks that cop an attitude without having anything interesting to say. It was true on K-Rock and now on Alt.

In my opinion, if you're going to have someone talking between the songs in the 2020's they'd better be saying something interesting, otherwise it's just an annoyance and why wouldn't someone listen to Spotify instead?
 
leftofthedial said:
With Alternative becoming a more niche genre without broad appeal or core artists, Audacy would be wise to ditch this project and leave Alt in NYC to WFMU, WFUV, and SiriusXMU.
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A few years back, I would have debated this. Right now, Alternative is at a cross roads. I've said it in other boards, the 90s music needs to be deemed "Classic" at this point. I see the more appealing Alternative of today to resemble more of 80s Alternative than 90s alt-rock. Then there's the issue with the large cross-over to the rock stations that also lean on 90s alt-rock. Both Modern and Classic Rock stations play it.

In Boston, we lost our last commercial Alternative station a few years ago. Our internet station, college station, and Sattelite Radio cover the format better than commercial FM currently does.

To summarize my long winded statement, I agree with you.
 
DavidEduardo said:
And there are plenty of markets with strong Cumulus, Townsquare, Urban One, SBS, Univision, Saga, Salem, Beasley, Hubbard and many others.

I have not seen a change in playlist size by format for the last 30 to 40 years.

Because research shows that, outside of mornings in most formats, listeners don’t want personality radio.

In most of the world national music, national music networks are the norm. Extreme limits on ownership in the US based on 1930’s politician fears is to blame.

Blame the Internet: national streams tend to standardize playlists in every market.

Revenue is down mostly due to the pandemic. Listenership was down due to fewer pandemic commuter#. Both have recovered and 2021º may report higher revenue than 2019.

New formats are mostly the product of fragmentation due to more stations. That’s why the 70’s gave us lots of new ones as FM developed. Otherwise, changes are evolutionary and not revolutionary. .
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I still see no solutions in your replies. But then again, you don't think there are problems. I guess I am in the minority here.
 
TheBigA said:
Those things are being done because they get positive results. In NYC there are lots of live and local DJs. Live DJs with local control of playlists isn't helping WNYL, and that's what this thread is supposed to be about.



That's OK. They can pay for radio or give up their personal information if they prefer. There is no constitutional right to free radio. Radio stations are doing whatever it takes to drive revenue and increase listenership. The way to increase revenue is add more commercials. But listeners don't want more commercials, so that limits opportunity for revenue.



When revenue is down, you can either raise the rates or add more commercials. That's about it. Listenership has topped out.

What you consider "creativity" won't fix revenue unless you can charge listeners directly for what they hear. That's what public radio does. You want creativity? Listen to public radio.
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Respectfully, you are not offering any solutions. I admit that I do not know what "creativity" would entail. However, you are essentially saying that nothing can be done ("you can either raise the rates or add more commercials. That's about it.").
 
ScottBurns said:
Respectfully, you are not offering any solutions. I admit that I do not know what "creativity" would entail. However, you are essentially saying that nothing can be done ("you can either raise the rates or add more commercials. That's about it.").
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I offered a third solution, which is charge listeners for radio. That's what Sirius does. That's what public radio does.
 
Well, I don't live in NYC and do not spend much time there at all. But thanks for the suggestion; I will check out more of the streams.

TheBigA said:
As I said, that option exists at about a dozen radio stations in the NYC area. And you'll hear a more creative presentation.
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Jacko said:
My best guess--two things:
1. Alt 92.3 is not a hyper-local NYC-focused station. Its playlist nearly identically matches the other Audacy "ALT" branded stations, and its jocks are piped in to/from multiple markets. They're playing to a national audience, not a New York audience.
2. The audience just isn't there anymore. Most listeners in Alt's demo are finding their new music elsewhere. Gone are the days of keeping your radio locked on K-Rock or WLIR or WHTG to hear the brand-new Bush song.

Jacko
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I listened to all those stations but not for the new Bush song.
I'll bet if a station decided to break all the rules, with indie music, and personalities who were intelligent and conroversial, people would tune in
 
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