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Axel

If you think holding onto so-so currents for too long, ignoring smash gold hits from those same artists, only playing cuts off Metallica's "Black" album and later albums, and playing Bon Jovi alongside Twenty One Pilots are all good things - then Rock 100.5 is a station you would've clearly liked.
Are Big Macs or Whoppers bad because I don’t like them?
 
Unlike Rock 100.5, those were (and are) successful and popular commercial products with significant market shares, although I will say far more big macs are sold than whoppers.

I get it. Radio people have thin skins, hate criticism, think the product they put on the air is always the best thing since sliced bread, and when something goes wrong or doesn't succeed, it's always someone else's fault or due to circumstances beyond one's control.

Cumulus smartly (albeit belatedly) put Rock 100.5 out to pasture and hired a much more successful PD to lead 99X. It does sound like 99X has major engineering issues that need to be straightened out, though.
 
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To clarify - I meant to say Steve Craig is a much more successful radio professional, and as such, I think that will lead to success as PD of 99X.
 
Unlike Rock 100.5, those were (and are) successful and popular commercial products with significant market shares, although I will say far more big macs are sold than whoppers.

I get it. Radio people have thin skins, hate criticism, think the product they put on the air is always the best thing since sliced bread, and when something goes wrong or doesn't succeed, it's always someone else's fault or due to circumstances beyond one's control.

Cumulus smartly (albeit belatedly) put Rock 100.5 out to pasture and hired a much more successful PD to lead 99X. It does sound like 99X has major engineering issues that need to be straightened out, though.
This isn’t thin skin. You just seem to think the only thing that matters to a stations success is 1 element, and that’s not how it works.
 
I never said that nor is that my view. You are putting words in my mouth. Poor music choices, though, can certainly deter success. I think poor music decisions were a significant issue for Rock 100.5. Braves baseball was another. Disrupting the flow of what had been a successful morning show was yet another. The availability of audio substitutes that Gen X and millennial males found preferable to 100.5 is yet another.

Once upon a time, for a year or two, 100.5 actually had impressive ratings. Then Cumulus upset the apple cart and it was mostly downhill from there. When the station was 80s and 90s focused and was not burdened with Braves baseball, the numbers were good.
 
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I never said that nor is that my view. You are putting words in my mouth. Poor music choices, though, can certainly deter success. I think poor music decisions were a significant issue for Rock 100.5. Braves baseball was another. Disrupting the flow of what had been a successful morning show was yet another. The availability of audio substitutes that Gen X and millennial males found preferable to 100.5 is yet another.

Once upon a time, for a year or two, 100.5 actually had impressive ratings. Then Cumulus upset the apple cart and it was mostly downhill from there. When the station was 80s and 90s focused and was not burdened with Braves baseball, the numbers were good.

I never said that nor is that my view. You are putting words in my mouth. Poor music choices, though, can certainly deter success. I think poor music decisions were a significant issue for Rock 100.5. Braves baseball was another. Disrupting the flow of what had been a successful morning show was yet another. The availability of audio substitutes that Gen X and millennial males found preferable to 100.5 is yet another.

Once upon a time, for a year or two, 100.5 actually had impressive ratings. Then Cumulus upset the apple cart and it was mostly downhill from there. When the station was 80s and 90s focused and was not burdened with Braves baseball, the numbers were good.
Yet you never bring anything up except how much you hate a playlist or music choices. In each format stations share 90% of the music library. There are maybe 12 songs (2 dozen tops) that may be on one station that aren’t on another. It’s genuinely funny reading through your posts and screaming about how someone is or isn’t a good pd or a station is awful because you don’t approve of their playlist. The job is so much more than just music selection and trashing a guy like Axel, although is pretty standard for you, is short sided.

It was said earlier very well: some bad stations have great ratings and some great stations have terrible ratings through this massively flawed system.
 
I could definitely find more than 10 percent difference in song selection between Rock 100.5 and, say, WRIF or KXXR.

Listeners choose a station based primarily on music preference and air talent. To imply one of those topics is somehow off limits for legitimate criticism is absurd.

Your last paragraph supports one of my earlier points; you guys too often refuse to accept responsibility when a station under your wings does not succeed. It's always someone else's fault or allegedly uncontrollable external circumstances (e.g. "some great stations have terrible ratings through this massively flawed system".)

It is akin to saying a movie's script should not be a factor in judging its success or lack thereof, and that the director and writers bear no responsibility for the outcome at the box office.

What does "short sided" mean?
 
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Your last paragraph supports one of my earlier points; you guys too often refuse accept responsibility when a station under your wings does not succeed.

Because there are lots of other people involved in these decisions, which is something you apparently don't understand.

It's so much easier when it's just me picking my personal favorites. No other people involved.
 
I do understand that, but he was the day to day PD. He had one station & one station only to program. (Edit - he had the "what's next" era of 99X at 98.9 FM on his plate, too.) He was given a gift when 105.7 abandoned alternative. He still couldn't find a way to make it work.

If he doesn't deserve a preponderance of the blame for Rock 100.5's faults, then please enlighten me as to who does deserve it. There should be multiple folks who peruse this site who understand how the chain of command and delegation of responsibilities at Cumulus' large and major market stations works, in the event you are unable to answer that question, who ought to be able to answer that question.
 
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Wrong. Rodney Ho published their M 25 to 54 numbers on multiple occasions. The numbers fell hard in the final year and were already ho-hum by rock station standards at the start of that period. Station would not have been killed if it were successful.
 
Wrong. Rodney Ho published their M 25 to 54 numbers on multiple occasions.

It really doesn't matter. You're not in any position to "blame" anyone. You're comfortably sitting in your armchair many miles away from Atlanta. One of the sad things about the world today is that some people want to sit in judgement of other people. Give it a rest.
 
So, you refuse to answer my earlier question. Got it.

I like the concept of meritocracy personally. Not a fan of "free passes" for underperformance.

I will say 96 Rock in Cincinnati sounded decent when he helmed that station. I had high hopes when he returned to Atlanta.
 
People said I was blaming Mr. Lowe unfairly, so I thought it appropriate to provide an opportunity for others to explain who is most responsible for 100.5's downfall as a rock station if he isn't.

"The listeners" is not a valid response to the question, by the way, if anyone tries playing that card. ;)
 
I thought it appropriate to provide an opportunity for others to explain who is most responsible for 100.5's downfall as a rock station if he isn't.

I'll give you a list: The music, the balkanization of popular taste, and the changing demographics of Atlanta.

I think Cumulus was smart going the classic alt route. Active rock in Atlanta is dead.

At one time, Houston was a great rock town, and KLOL was a top rock station. Now it's Spanish. Who do you want to blame for that?
 
It all comes down to rock's long death rattle. It had a nice run, but all good things must end. Demographics and tastes have changed, and rock fans have been the last to realize it.
 
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