Alt 92.3 to Become WINS Simulcast

[tall_guy1]

Good for you was never played. Brutal was played. Billie Eillish is pop alternative and she crosses genres. Imagine Dragons is pop alternative.

Good 4 You was played in their "emo" block. Apparently according to Audacy it's what all the kids at Hot Topic like to listen to.

 

[tall_guy1]

I wonder if KRBZ in KC will flip? Lazlo is there, the numbers are good for younger people but not much else...

 

[davideduardo]

Sure, missing hits staying on stiffs or taking 18 months to play a one listen obvious hit like glass animals has killed current formats on FM radio but iheart has done an amazing job with their app and the cash flow goldmine music festivals has made into an admirer of the company as a
whole.

Except that those stations research their music, and most likely you are not in the larger target group they want to reach.

It does suck that they treat their talents worse than Apple does their slaves in China, though.

Except that Apple has no employees in China. They subcontract with Chinese manufacturers and only have a small support staff in mainland China.

Do doubt about it, it's why those who could've kept currents viable refused to work for them or left. They probably fired a few as well.

It's been explained many times that most currents in alternative rock are polarizing, so a lot of stations mostly play the more consensus gold.

I heart does do good based formats and Christmas well, the later a child could program but facts are facts.

Christmas music is highly researched right down to the secular to spiritual balance that changes a bit each week over the holiday period.

 

[Identnut]

Personally I don't think that would be their first choice if they had the opportunity to buy a station in NY.

But they're at their limit, so it's a moot point.

Even with Mega and X, I'd expect iHeart to flip to Spanish before they'd try Alt in New York City, because they're pushing the format so hard. But all their stations are doing well as is.

 

[JeremyAndrews]

How long would an alternative station last if it were owned by iHeart Radio?

It would have already flipped. iHeart has been flipping all of theirs to other formats. Format doesn't work with a generic playlist and voice tracked shifts from other cities. Costs too much and they wouldn't want to pay the money. It's easier to pipe in formats like Urban, Top-40, Classic Rock, AC and have some level of success without the effort.

 

[macattack]

It would have already flipped. iHeart has been flipping all of theirs to other formats. Format doesn't work with a generic playlist and voice tracked shifts from other cities. Costs too much and they wouldn't want to pay the money. It's easier to pipe in formats like Urban, Top-40, Classic Rock, AC and have some level of success without the effort.

iHeart flipped a number to stations to Alt in the late 10’s as they anticipated the format turning into an offbeat pop format that was more nationalized. This didn’t pan out. So much like what happened to most iHeart Alts in the 2000’s they’re trying to unload or flip them.

Also to be completely honest iHeart Alternatives tend to suck. They are universally the last to play currents and play the most generic golds possible. No personality to think of. The ultimate data-driven playlist turns out to be pretty bland.

 

[TheBigA]

So much like what happened to most iHeart Alts in the 2000’s they’re trying to unload or flip them.

Not really true when you look at KYSR in Los Angeles. Very successful in 6+ and 18-34. But even with good ratings and demos, the format tends to under-bill. When that happens, they can't afford local staffing.

Also to be completely honest iHeart Alternatives tend to suck. They are universally the last to play currents and play the most generic golds possible. No personality to think of. The ultimate data-driven playlist turns out to be pretty bland.

They play gold because it's the only consensus music in the format. Anything else gets the Goldilocks response of either it's too pop or too something else.

 

[jlalande]

Also, Madison is super annoying with her singing so if they could move her to another channel, that would be great too!

Yes! Between the singing and her mic always being WAY louder than the music, as soon as I hear her, I can't switch stations or turn off the radio fast enough. The early 2000s alternative tunes don't really bother me, I like all the other hosts on Alt Nation, but Madison is like nails on a chalkboard.

 

[jlalande]

Also to be completely honest iHeart Alternatives tend to suck. They are universally the last to play currents and play the most generic golds possible. No personality to think of. The ultimate data-driven playlist turns out to be pretty bland.

I guess I haven't listened to a lot of other iHeart Alternative stations besides KTCL / Channel 93.3 in Denver. That station has plenty of personality -- fun DJs, especially Nerf, whose "Nerf's LOLs @ 5:05" are hilarious, and a good throwback show over the lunch hour. Their station imaging is great, too -- lots of humor there as well.

Before the alternative format returned to the airwaves here in Madison, Channel 93.3 was my favorite station to listen to online.

I'd listen more, but iHeart's marathon ad-breaks are killers.

 

[Barry]

While not specifically about the Alt format, this article explains some of the current difficulties of singling out potential hits from the flood of new music.

From InsideRadio

 

[ksradiogeek]

I wonder if KRBZ in KC will flip? Lazlo is there, the numbers are good for younger people but not much else...

Unless he gets moved to (maybe, though their audiences are different) The Rock, I don’t see it happening. Lazlo has had quite the reputation within the company, generates ratings, and does make $ for the cluster.

 

[JeremyAndrews]

iHeart flipped a number to stations to Alt in the late 10’s as they anticipated the format turning into an offbeat pop format that was more nationalized. This didn’t pan out. So much like what happened to most iHeart Alts in the 2000’s they’re trying to unload or flip them.

Also to be completely honest iHeart Alternatives tend to suck. They are universally the last to play currents and play the most generic golds possible. No personality to think of. The ultimate data-driven playlist turns out to be pretty bland.

One format iHeart doesn't have a lot of is AAA. Similar to Alternative, without the local flavor it's pointless. That format thrives on local. They had a few that they shifted to the generic Alternative format because they don't have a generic AAA log to plug into them.

Alternative tends to do well or OK for them in markets where they do have some sort of local flavor (DC101, KTCL, Alt 98.7, etc)

 

[CTListener]

One format iHeart doesn't have a lot of is AAA. Similar to Alternative, without the local flavor it's pointless. That format thrives on local. They had a few that they shifted to the generic Alternative format because they don't have a generic AAA log to plug into them.

Does any major chain do AAA? Seems to me the format is found mainly on non-commercial stations, plus a few small-time operations in small or even unrated markets. There are a couple of commercial AAAs here in Western New England -- WRSI in Turners Falls, MA, and WWOD in Woodstock. VT, but the former is Saga, the latter Great Eastern Radio. Saga is decent-sized, but nothing like Audacy, iHeart or Cumulus, and is mostly in medium to small markets. Great Eastern operates only in New Hampshire and Vermont.

 

[Theater of My Mind]

My suggestion would be for SiriusXM to have a Y2K Alternative channel playing alternative hits from 2000 to 2015 and then AltNation can focus on 2015 till today, just like Y2County and The Highway delineates the two stations at the year 2015 for the country music genre. Why SiriusXM has not launched a 2000’s and 2010’s alternative channel is beyond me.

Pop Rocks is basically the Y2K alternative channel you described though they don't brand it that way.

 

[101tm]

Does any major chain do AAA? Seems to me the format is found mainly on non-commercial stations, plus a few small-time operations in small or even unrated markets. There are a couple of commercial AAAs here in Western New England -- WRSI in Turners Falls, MA, and WWOD in Woodstock. VT, but the former is Saga, the latter Great Eastern Radio. Saga is decent-sized, but nothing like Audacy, iHeart or Cumulus, and is mostly in medium to small markets. Great Eastern operates only in New Hampshire and Vermont.

Perhaps the best example is WXRT in Chicago which is owned by Audacy. I would say AAA has much stronger headwinds on a commercial scale than Alternative - it seems to attract an audience at the older end of Gen X - the presentation of AAA stations always seemed a bit pretentious to me. I remember iHeart-then-Clear Channel trying it on now WRDU in Raleigh, NC in the 2000s.

 

[Barry]

Of course there is also KBCO, in the Denver CO area, owned by IHeart. It has been AAA for a long time.

 

[mikerock]

The Audacy "New Arrivals" channel that is on 92.3 HD2 is what WNYL should have had on the main channel. I assume that will just be replaced when they switch over. That is a shame but at least you will still be able to the stream the national feed.

A playlist like that is not all that hard sounding and Popish enough that should and could be represented on a station in NYC.

Alternative may die in a decade on FM if there are no stations representing new Alternative now.

 

[Least]

There are problems with AltNation, in my eyes, that mirror a lot of the problems current FM alternative stations have in the US. AltNation will play a new hit alternative song from 2022, but then turns around and will play an early 2000’s hit like The Killers “Mr. Brightside” and Jimmy Eat World “The Middle.” SiriusXM really needs to cut the 2000’s alternative from AltNation and focus on “newer” alternative from say 2015 and on. My suggestion would be for SiriusXM to have a Y2K Alternative channel playing alternative hits from 2000 to 2015 and then AltNation can focus on 2015 till today, just like Y2County and The Highway delineates the two stations at the year 2015 for the country music genre. Why SiriusXM has not launched a 2000’s and 2010’s alternative channel is beyond me. Also, Madison is super annoying with her singing so if they could move her to another channel, that would be great too!

SiriusXM modern stations usually play songs from the past 20 years. Trust me, I'd rather put on Alt Nation and hear Mr. Brightside, than put on a Octane and hear Limp Bizkit's My Way or Break Stuff. At least The Killers are still relevant in modern Alternative. Who today in modern Rock thinks of Limp Bizkit?

 

[luperm]

What this thread teaches us is that no matter what "Alternative" format is programmed, there is not sufficient consensus to make it a viable format. Notable exception being a handful of legacy stations.

 

[p_herring]

As someone who came of age in the K-Rock days, I admit it's a bit sad that this format keeps getting tried and failing (I think this has been the second or third attempt in the past 15 years). That being said, the only way to have this format be done well is to have it personality-driven and cater to people 25-54 who may have grown up with an alt station and still like being nudged towards new music while enjoying the personality-driven content. I don't understand why anyone ever thought it would be feasible to try to convince Gen Z to tune into FM radio by playing 24kGoldn and Machine Gun Kelly but here we are.