104.3 HD2 is now "The Alt Project"

[mjb1124]

For the four of you with HD radios, Clear Channel has apparently responded to the WRXP flip by changing Q104.3 HD2 from "Rock Nation" to "The Alt Project" (both are iHeartRadio channels). From what I've been hearing, The Alt Project is more Active Rock-leaning than the others, so it might still be satisfying to former K-Rock listeners and whoever listened to the HD2 simulcast of Rock Nation. I think Q should also consider adding an alternative specialty show on Sunday nights (like The Hawk over on the Jersey Shore does), or at least tweaking "Out of the Box" to be more alternative. But anyhow, it's at least good that there are so many New York-based HD2 and internet options for modern rock fans.

 

[erwin33]

Processing of the stream from this station is better than RXP's processing (if there is processing between it)

 

[pjc1961]

Dedicated iheartradio link to Q104.3's WAXQ-HD2 stream (via http://tunein.com/radio/Rock-Nation-1043-s52418/#) is not updated to match the "Alternative Project" stream that's playing on-air; it's still streaming "Rock Nation". I'd assume that it may be updated at a later time.

iheartradio player direct link to Alternatve Project format:
http://www.iheartradio.com/mediaplayer/?stream_id=4447&channel_title=The Alternative Project

iheartradio player direct link to Rock Nation format:
http://www.iheartradio.com/mediaplayer/?stream_id=4386&station_name=Rock+Nation

iheartradio URL direct link to Alternative Project format:
http://alternativeproject.akacast.a...h.akacast.akamaistream.net/alternativeproject

iheartradio URL direct link to Rock Nation format:
http://rocknation.akacast.akamaistream.net/7/573/73696/v1/auth.akacast.akamaistream.net/rocknation

I'm sure we'll hear from poster Jamie from Connecticut about this change - a fan of the Rock Nation broadcast on WAXQ-HD2.

 

[necrat123]

WHJY in Providence airs The Alternative Project on their HD2. I really like it, it's a great mix of music.

Will WAXQ get a special feed of it or just carry the national feed?

 

[disney fanatic]

This HD-2 channel at 104.3 should sound a lot like the old WRKW's "92.9 Rock" back in 2003 until 2004 before it flipped to oldies.

 

[pjc1961]

I listened to WAXQ-HD2 this afternoon over-the-air. Just like they did on the Rock Nation feed, Q104.3-HD2 slips in some of its own IDs & sweepers (probably like what other CC stations do) in place of some of the breaks on the national feed (as heard on the iheartradio player, for example). Occasionally there's some songs that are skipped, replaced or otherwise reshuffled when comparing the Q104.3 on-air feed with the national feed.

If I can find a direct link to the WAXQ-HD2 on-air feed that's on the iheartradio.com player, I'll post it in this thread. I don't think there is one, however.
It would be similar to the direct link to the WLTW-HD2 feed: http://www.iheartradio.com/mediaplayer/?stream_id=5030

 

[DToTheJ]

I heard a promo on Q104.3 promoting the fact that their HD2 is now "the Alt Project". Much like that "long live rock" liner I heard last week, no doubt, this was aimed at the disenfranchised WRXP listener, too.

 

[Barry]

The newsletter Taylor on Radio-Info.com has an article wondering whether Clear Channel may want to rebroadcast The Alt Project on that Manhattan translator on 106.3, if it ever gets back on the air. Personally, I believe the airwaves in midtown New York are just too crowded for a translator to operate without interfering with an existing station, regardless of what frequency is selected.
So now there is some competition for alternative rock fans-The Alt Project, and K-Rock on HD2. And WFUV's the alternate side on HD3, and mornings on WNYE. Perhaps that is why smooth jazz remains on 101.9 HD2, instead of the new online version of WRXP.

 

[erwin33]

The newsletter Taylor on Radio-Info.com has an article wondering whether Clear Channel may want to rebroadcast The Alt Project on that Manhattan translator on 106.3, if it ever gets back on the air. Personally, I believe the airwaves in midtown New York are just too crowded for a translator to operate without interfering with an existing station, regardless of what frequency is selected.
So now there is some competition for alternative rock fans-The Alt Project, and K-Rock on HD2. And WFUV's the alternate side on HD3, and mornings on WNYE. Perhaps that is why smooth jazz remains on 101.9 HD2, instead of the new online version of WRXP.

I hope that Emmis also start with streaming of that HD2 Smooth Jazz channel. It's a big loss.

 

[Theater of My Mind]

I've had this on today for the first time, what a mess. It sounds like they're playing deep classic rock cuts mixed with some 90s grunge, and an occasional cluster of random production claiming it's the Alt Project. The songs being played don't resemble those at the iheartradio Alternative Project link though, and for the most part they're far from alternative. Also there are no jocks. Did they revert to the Rock nation feed with the wrong imaging? It just sounds like another neglected HD2 channel, or worse. Hard to believe this is on the air in Market #1.

 

[DToTheJ]

Does an HD-exclusive signal really qualify as being "on the air in Market #1"?

 

[WNTIRadio]

If a tree falls in the forest... and nobody's around, still more people will hear it than an HD station.

HD should stand for "Hardly Detectable". Except for engineers like myself, or a few radio geeks, the general public doesn't even know it's there. I had the HD side go out on a client station for 2 days due to a firmware issue with the BE exciter and not one phone call. The only email I've ever received on the HD side was one person who purchased a radio to hear the HD-2, and guess what? The reception sucked because he was 15 miles from the transmitter and it was a portable unit.

It was a good idea in theory to go digital. The problem is that iBiquity's system leaves a lot to be desired, especially on the AM side. I also resent having to pay a licensing fee to a company to broadcast. That should be built into the cost of the equipment as a one time deal.

 

[radioman148]

[quote aut ;D ;Dhor=WNTIRadio link=topic=194373.msg1730558#msg1730558 date=1312378268]
If a tree falls in the forest... and nobody's around, still more people will hear it than an HD station.

HD should stand for "Hardly Detectable". Except for engineers like myself, or a few radio geeks, the general public doesn't even know it's there. I had the HD side go out on a client station for 2 days due to a firmware issue with the BE exciter and not one phone call. The only email I've ever received on the HD side was one person who purchased a radio to hear the HD-2, and guess what? The reception sucked because he was 15 miles from the transmitter and it was a portable unit.

It was a good idea in theory to go digital. The problem is that iBiquity's system leaves a lot to be desired, especially on the AM side. I also resent having to pay a licensing fee to a company to broadcast. That should be built into the cost of the equipment as a one time deal.
[/quote]

HD=Hardly Detectible--very appropriate! ;D

 

[RockTheGlobe]

If a tree falls in the forest... and nobody's around, still more people will hear it than an HD station.

HD should stand for "Hardly Detectable". Except for engineers like myself, or a few radio geeks, the general public doesn't even know it's there. I had the HD side go out on a client station for 2 days due to a firmware issue with the BE exciter and not one phone call. The only email I've ever received on the HD side was one person who purchased a radio to hear the HD-2, and guess what? The reception sucked because he was 15 miles from the transmitter and it was a portable unit.

It was a good idea in theory to go digital. The problem is that iBiquity's system leaves a lot to be desired, especially on the AM side. I also resent having to pay a licensing fee to a company to broadcast. That should be built into the cost of the equipment as a one time deal.

If this were on Facebook, I would Like it.

 

[Theater of My Mind]

Does an HD-exclusive signal really qualify as being "on the air in Market #1"?

Well yes. It should either be treated as a legitimate signal or they should just turn it off. There's really no excuse for an operator privileged enough to own any kind of broadcast signal in this market to neglect it, there are just too many others who would love to have that voice.

Sure the HD channels get no ratings but that doesn't mean there aren't still good ways to use them. I've believed all along that ethnic programming is the way to go. The ethnic communities are almost always willing to seek out the technolgy needed to receive their specific programming, and the ethnic broadcasters don't care about published ratings. For example SCA used to be a viable outlet for them, and those receivers were a lot harder to find than HD Radios. The Russian delis in my area all have FM radios that tune down to 87.7 to get WNYZ-LP, which requires a bit of effort since only some radios will tune that frequency. On the TV side, people in those communities will spend money to put up the satellite dishes needed to get their programming. So other than radio geeks, those are the people most likely to seek out the HD radios and use them at this point. At least the major broadcasters could probably make a bit of money leasing out their subchannels that way, which is more that they can be doing now by running inconsistent, commercial-free jukebox feeds that nobody but the radio station engineers are hearing.

 

[Barry]

WVIP 93.5 had leased their HD2 to a Caribbean broadcaster (totally separate from the West Indian programming on the main channel). I had heard only one sponsor advertise on there. Now, just a few months later, they are gone, and the HD2 is used for sister station WVOX AM.
Another Caribbean broadcaster does remain on WSKQ 97.9 HD2, but also has attracted very little advertising after being on there for quite some time. I doubt they can afford to stay there indefinitely, if advertising does not pick up.
There is also HumDesi radio on WRKS 98.7. HumDesi broadcasts South Asian programming nationally, on a few other HD2's.

 

[Theater of My Mind]

Anyway, WAXQ-HD2 sounds different today than it did yesterday. Now it sounds Active Rock, but top-hour IDs still say Alt Project which doesn't seem right. Other than that, no jocks or imaging, it's just a jukebox.

 

[Barry]

I listened for a while tonight to WAXQ HD2 on 104.3. It apparently is produced in-house, instead of being a rebroadcast of The Alternative Project, or Rock Nation from IHeartRadio. This station sounds like it is playing a mix of alternative, and other forms of modern rock. There were few if any songs that were not at least several years old. Many were from the 1990's.
The only time the music was interrupted was at the top off the hour.
It is a mystery why they switched from Rock Nation, to a few weeks of The Alternative Project, to this. It is not clear whom this strange mix would appeal to.

 

[DToTheJ]

At what point are they going to start mixing in AC/DC and Guns N' Roses and call it "The New WRXP"? :

 

[magicjellybeans]

You have to admit RXP was a better format than NEW talk ...Come on now.....