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Rock 92.9

M

MarkW

They seem to be testing the waters on spinning currents.

Recent singles from RHCP, Ozzy, and The Killers have aired in the past few weeks. These songs might each receive 4 or 5 spins each per week.

Today, I was surprised to see new songs from Weezer and Blink 182 each receive 1 spin this afternoon.

Will this trend continue?
 
I've noticed this too. There is an opening for new rock, and they run other successful mainstream rock stations in Philly and Detroit, granted those stations are heritage stations. Plus, it will give them a little more distance from ZLX.
 
Additionally, Boston no longer has a commercial station that exclusively programs an active/modern rock format. WBOS-92.9 may be trying to fill a hole in the market.

The truth is that the traditional target demographic for active/modern rock formats (young men between 18 and 34 years of age) is more likely today to listen to hip-hop than rock.
 
The bands mentioned are established long-time rock staples with new music. It's a loophole that I've seen from time to time with Classic Rock stations. Now if they started playing Volbeat, Five Finger Death Punch, Ghost, or other acts that are commercial favorites, then I would agree that they are trying to go more modern. But playing Patient Number 9 or whatever Blink-182's new song is called just doesn't seem to mean "active/modern rock station. Next we'll hear Bush's new song.
 
I thought Sound of Winter by Bush was a much better song (didn't last on most FM stations too long when released a number of years back). Not diggin' the new single.
 
MarkW said:
I thought Sound of Winter by Bush was a much better song (didn't last on most FM stations too long when released a number of years back). Not diggin' the new single.
Click to expand...
Sound of Winter peaked at #1 on Alternative and lasted half a year on that chart. I think it did pretty well all things considered. IIRC its rock performance was less memorable.
 
MarcB said:
Call me crazy, but if 92.9's ratings continue to be in the toilet, what if Beasley does a swap with i-Heart? Beasley gets Classic Rocker 100.7 WZLX and i-Heart gets 92.9 and uses it to give an FM signal to WBZ/1030.
Click to expand...
you are crazy

WZLX is a top station that bills well

WBOS, dog that it is, would gain nothing by simulcasting WBZ AM

The only reason such a swap was done in NYC was the ALT format was such a dog that even with the union concessions it was cheap to do the flip
 
MarcB said:
Call me crazy, but if 92.9's ratings continue to be in the toilet, what if Beasley does a swap with i-Heart? Beasley gets Classic Rocker 100.7 WZLX and i-Heart gets 92.9 and uses it to give an FM signal to WBZ/1030.
Click to expand...
iHeart has this interesting thing going where they own pretty much everything on AM with ratings -- WBZ, WRKO, and 1200 (for what it's worth). Send WBZ to FM, and you've got less traffic going to AM, which is likely to mean a hit to WRKO.

At the same time, WBZ is in a dwindling group of AM-only all-news stations. Outside of WBZ, WWJ, and KDKA, everyone else has made the move. Maybe iHeart's aim is to skip over FM entirely and push WBZ's listeners to the iHeart app. That would sure seem to be their current approach.

iHeart does have the poker chips of 93.3 and 96.1 that cover significant territory in the Boston market. If even the Sports Hub is struggling to pay the bills, then how much money is out there to chase in the Worcester market these days?
 
MRBIboredop said:
you are crazy

WZLX is a top station that bills well

WBOS, dog that it is, would gain nothing by simulcasting WBZ AM
Click to expand...
But gee, wouldn't life be so much more enjoyable if radio stations were swapped like so many relief pitchers and utility infielders? Why stop there? How about front-office wheeling and dealing of television stations, cable franchises, fast-food restaurants? A whole, wide, wonderful rotisserie/fantasy world, only with businesses instead of athletes!
 
JustinT said:
At the same time, WBZ is in a dwindling group of AM-only all-news stations. Outside of WBZ, WWJ, and KDKA, everyone else has made the move. Maybe iHeart's aim is to skip over FM entirely and push WBZ's listeners to the iHeart app. That would sure seem to be their current approach.
Click to expand...
And WBZ is also still on 107.9 WXKS-FM HD2.
 
WBZ and WRKO on TuneIn app and site also.
Audacy is restricting listeners to their own app I believe.

Not sure how many of us own HD radios. More and more of them in cars.
Streaming brings in a bunch of listeners for different reasons (iffy nighttime signals, interference, not being able to hear AM in
some buildings).
World Series on and I don't know if it's being broadcast locally. In the past they could have shuttled it off to AM 850 but now you can try
distant AMs at night (though many have other sports to run) or:

--streaming on paid MLB app or a higher tier of TuneIn
--satellite radio: XM has the games on MLB network ch 89 and also baseball 175 I
believe
--for TV Fox streams. Interesting situation-- was at hotel in Stamford CT over the weekend and for some reason the directTV said "no signal" on WNYW/5. I had to watch via Fox app on my phone or laptop.
 
Current.org, 2021:
"According to last year’s Public Radio Techsurvey...14% of respondents — most of whom were selected from public radio stations’ databases — said they use HD Radio. That’s up from 6% in the 2012 version of the survey but still puts HD Radio near the bottom of all technology used by the respondents. By comparison, the 2020 survey showed that 67% of respondents use streaming audio or connect phones in their cars, neither of which Jacobs measured in 2012."
current.org

As some stations end HD Radio signals, others hold out hope for audience adoption

HD Radio may not have met high expectations in the industry, but some station leaders still see value in its capacity to expand services.
current.org current.org

(Some recent cars' infotainment systems have apps like iHeart. There's also Android Auto and Apple Play...plug phone into USB connection...and of course bluetooth.)

The other night I was picking up Dave Ramsay show on an AM 910. I heard no ID at the time, but was pretty sure it was a Scranton station with familar calls: WAAF.
 
Last edited:
raccoonradio said:
Current.org, 2021:
"According to last year’s Public Radio Techsurvey...14% of respondents — most of whom were selected from public radio stations’ databases — said they use HD Radio. That’s up from 6% in the 2012 version of the survey but still puts HD Radio near the bottom of all technology used by the respondents. By comparison, the 2020 survey showed that 67% of respondents use streaming audio or connect phones in their cars, neither of which Jacobs measured in 2012."
current.org

As some stations end HD Radio signals, others hold out hope for audience adoption

HD Radio may not have met high expectations in the industry, but some station leaders still see value in its capacity to expand services.
current.org current.org
Click to expand...
I tried bringing this point up in a thread a few months ago, and the conversation degenerated very fast. I have my speculations as to why HD Radio is near the bottom of technology used. In the end, my theory is that phones are portable, and cell companies offer unlimited data. With Bluetooth connections, it's a quicker and cheaper install base to stream from apps than it is to go and buy a new car that is at a higher trim which includes HD Radio. Not all trims come with it.

Then add (at least in Boston) that HD has several AM repeats. Outside of a BIN on 94.5 HD-2, WAAF, Audacy's Channel Q, and Magic's all year Christmas format, what else is exclusively on HD that isn't an analog station imported from another market or an AM repeat? Listeners can get all of those and more variety from out-of-market stations by streaming.
 
Least said:
than it is to go and buy a new car that is at a higher trim which includes HD Radio. Not all trims come with it.
Click to expand...

It's not something for most that you have to "opt for a higher trim level".

Most new cars come with it standard now.

"More than half (52%) of all new cars sold in 2018 came with factory-installed HD Radio receivers."

And this was 2019....3 years ago. I assume the number is higher. Consumers are getting HD radio without even thinking about it.

Now....compelling content to drive the usage? I agree it's not there.
 
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