98.5 HD-2 Continuous, Relaxing, Easy Favorites

[MRFLASHPORT]

Amazing to me how such a "dead" format is alive and well in other markets and so many people have positive things to say about this station. You can listen for hours and never hear the same song twice, unlike other corporate stations.

It's a shame they dont promote this.

 

[fortt3]

Obviously, as the OP, I agree with, and appreciate, all the positive reaction.

Maybe a mention in Rodney Ho's blog or (better yet) print about Cox's great little station that they don't stream, translate or promote, would generate even more listeners for the station?

 

[amlover]

If you don't have an HD Radio this station is worth the purchase.

 

[BIGSTICK]

Email reply form B98.5

Brent:

Thank you for the email and thank you for listening... as the desire for this format grows we will consider it for one of our main signals.

Thanks again.

 

[fortt3]

Email reply form B98.5

Brent:

Thank you for the email and thank you for listening... as the desire for this format grows we will consider it for one of our main signals.

Thanks again.

Spread the word: "Desire! Desire! Everyone Desire!"

 

[BIGSTICK]

Email reply form B98.5

Brent:

Thank you for the email and thank you for listening... as the desire for this format grows we will consider it for one of our main signals.

Thanks again.

Spread the word: "Desire! Desire! Everyone Desire!"

I honestly cannot quit listening. Some of that things they have played I have not heard on Atl radio in 30 years....Cox did this right.

 

[taylorengineer]

What a sissy format!
No "REAL" man would admit to listening to WSB FM HD2..........<he said while ducking>

 

[BIGSTICK]

What a sissy format!
No "REAL" man would admit to listening to WSB FM HD2..........<he said while ducking>

Far from sissy, some of the best music EVER MADE................

 

[BarryATL]

I have to admit, as I get older, my taste in music has changed. What I really like about the 98.5 HD-2 format is the many decades it covers. I like that it is a background format... not jarring... not always trying to get my attention.

I also like quiet restaurants where I can talk to a table of six people without shouting.

 

[BIGSTICK]

I have to admit, as I get older, my taste in music has changed. What I really like about the 98.5 HD-2 format is the many decades it covers. I like that it is a background format... not jarring... not always trying to get my attention.

I also like quiet restaurants where I can talk to a table of six people without shouting.

Another thing Barry, it use to be you walked in to any office in Atlanta and they would have a local station on, yes this was before internet and satellite and such, but there is not 1 station in this town that can be a "background" station in any doctor, dentist office, etc.

 

[cd637299]

I have to admit, as I get older, my taste in music has changed. What I really like about the 98.5 HD-2 format is the many decades it covers. I like that it is a background format... not jarring... not always trying to get my attention.

I also like quiet restaurants where I can talk to a table of six people without shouting.

Another thing Barry, it use to be you walked in to any office in Atlanta and they would have a local station on, yes this was before internet and satellite and such, but there is not 1 station in this town that can be a "background" station in any doctor, dentist office, etc.

As someone who is not living in ATL, to those of you who have lived there a long time----

Would you compare this HD2 to maybe WLTA 99.7 in the late 70s to 1982? I recall being there a few times during this period, and I enjoyed them, with the "Gone with the Wind" theme on the hour.

Just curious....

(and if anyone has a WLTA aircheck, please PM me )

cd

 

[BIGSTICK]

I have to admit, as I get older, my taste in music has changed. What I really like about the 98.5 HD-2 format is the many decades it covers. I like that it is a background format... not jarring... not always trying to get my attention.

I also like quiet restaurants where I can talk to a table of six people without shouting.

Another thing Barry, it use to be you walked in to any office in Atlanta and they would have a local station on, yes this was before internet and satellite and such, but there is not 1 station in this town that can be a "background" station in any doctor, dentist office, etc.

As someone who is not living in ATL, to those of you who have lived there a long time----

Would you compare this HD2 to maybe WLTA 99.7 in the late 70s to 1982? I recall being there a few times during this period, and I enjoyed them, with the "Gone with the Wind" theme on the hour.

Just curious....

(and if anyone has a WLTA aircheck, please PM me )

cd

Very very similar as well to the blown up WPCH, WKLS, yes they had a standards format, and its carrier WSB was once a "beautiful" music station.

This is pretty interesting..

http://users.ece.gatech.edu/mleach/radio/warp/1968.html

 

[jabba17]

94.9 (WPCH Peach), 98.5 (WSB Great 98--All Day, All Night, All Nice), 96.1 (WKLS 96...that's Klass), 99.7 (WLTA), and 101.5 (WBIE, before they went country in '68) all played BM. 92.9 (WGKA-FM) played classical, and I think 94.1 (WKXI) also played BM for a bit.

WKLS flipped to 96 Rock (R.I.P.) in '74. The three big BM stations--WLTA, WSB-FM, and WPCH--all transitioned from BM to AC over a 5-7 year period from about 1979 to about 1986. WLTA went from BM to MOR to AC (ending up as WRMM/WARM Warm 100/99.7) first, and WSB-FM did the same but over a shorter period (transitioning from Great 98 to WSB 99FM to B98.5). Peach was the last BM holdout, switching to soft AC in the days while still playing BM overnights into at least 1985. In 1986 when Warm 99.7 flipped to Power 99, Warm 99.7 was perhaps the hottest AC but not hot enough to qualify as a Hot AC.

I haven't heard WSB-FM-HD-2, but it sounds like WLTA or WSB-FM in their MOR or soft AC days, or Peach in their soft AC days, all in the early 1980s in the case of WLTA and WSB-FM and WPCH in the mid 1980s.

 

[BarryATL]

I would describe it as a soft MOR that covers several decades rather than standards. The station is missing imaging which is actually nice. An announcer comes on every so often to let us know we are listening to WSB 98.5 HD-2.

 

[MRFLASHPORT]

Email reply form B98.5

Brent:

Thank you for the email and thank you for listening... as the desire for this format grows we will consider it for one of our main signals.

Thanks again.

See, this is just it. If they gave this format a chance and LEFT IT ALONE (READ: don't molest or corporatize it the way they do with all their other less than 150 song washout re-current playlists) it would probably surprise them.

Ironically, I was in a Great Clips and having my haircut yesterday, and they had Caller10's favorite station on. My stylist is a 30ish black female, and she even commented how THEY PLAY THE SAME SONGS OVER AND OVER. I CAN'T STAND IT. WEEKENDS ARE BETTER AND WIDER PLAYLIST. BUT I CAN HEAR THE SAME SONGS AT THE SAME TIME DAY IN DAY OUT. WHO LISTENS TO THIS? She remarked as we lamented over the Atlanta FM radio dial which we agreed, has gone to crap over the last decade. Amazingly EVERYONE in the place (which was packed) joined in the convo and wholeheartedly agreed.

So we aren't alone. If the corporate owners want to keep living in a delusional fantasyland, that is their choice. We are hardly a minority. It's too bad HD radio is pretty much a lame duck, Ibiquity screwed the pooch not getting it into the dashboards sooner. And the big sticks have given up on it. Proof is when HD's get pulled: 92.9, 95.5 and 106.7 all dropped their HD subchannels when they flipped to talk. I doubt they will ever come back. Only 96.1 and 98.5 offer ANY remotely unique HD programming.

I wish Cox would stream the 98.5HD2 so the majority of you who don't have an HD Radio can hear how great this station is musically. From Motown to Light Rock, even a good classic instrumental smooth jazz thrown in, it's just right for hours of listening. I've yet to hear a song I don't like. I just don't get why some are convinced this could not sell. I bet it would be on in every office or business the way WPCH was in the 1980s.

 

[BIGSTICK]

I implore people who like this format go to Best Buy and buy the the 39.99 Insignia HD radio. You would not believe how huge this playlist is, it is amazing. 8) 8) 8)

 

[BIGSTICK]

Email reply form B98.5

Brent:

Thank you for the email and thank you for listening... as the desire for this format grows we will consider it for one of our main signals.

Thanks again.

See, this is just it. If they gave this format a chance and LEFT IT ALONE (READ: don't molest or corporatize it the way they do with all their other less than 150 song washout re-current playlists) it would probably surprise them.

Ironically, I was in a Great Clips and having my haircut yesterday, and they had Caller10's favorite station on. My stylist is a 30ish black female, and she even commented how THEY PLAY THE SAME SONGS OVER AND OVER. I CAN'T STAND IT. WEEKENDS ARE BETTER AND WIDER PLAYLIST. BUT I CAN HEAR THE SAME SONGS AT THE SAME TIME DAY IN DAY OUT. WHO LISTENS TO THIS? She remarked as we lamented over the Atlanta FM radio dial which we agreed, has gone to crap over the last decade. Amazingly EVERYONE in the place (which was packed) joined in the convo and wholeheartedly agreed.

So we aren't alone. If the corporate owners want to keep living in a delusional fantasyland, that is their choice. We are hardly a minority. It's too bad HD radio is pretty much a lame duck, Ibiquity screwed the pooch not getting it into the dashboards sooner. And the big sticks have given up on it. Proof is when HD's get pulled: 92.9, 95.5 and 106.7 all dropped their HD subchannels when they flipped to talk. I doubt they will ever come back. Only 96.1 and 98.5 offer ANY remotely unique HD programming.

I wish Cox would stream the 98.5HD2 so the majority of you who don't have an HD Radio can hear how great this station is musically. From Motown to Light Rock, even a good classic instrumental smooth jazz thrown in, it's just right for hours of listening. I've yet to hear a song I don't like. I just don't get why some are convinced this could not sell. I bet it would be on in every office or business the way WPCH was in the 1980s.

Man, I am on the same page with you....It is awesome....They play tons of Brit invasion....

On another note, 105.7 hd2 is called Pride Radio, they do a lot of old gay dance club music, which I love as well.. Sounds like Backstreet, Amory, Cove days...

 

[secondchoice]

Email reply form B98.5

Brent:

Thank you for the email and thank you for listening... as the desire for this format grows we will consider it for one of our main signals.

Thanks again.

What does Cox call a "main signal"?  Just a thought.  When WSB signed up with CBS news to replace CNN, I wonder if Cox was going to split WSB.  95.5 would continue with the conservative talk, and 750 go all news.  Of course 106.7 whammed that plan. Is 750 needed for conservative talk?  How many people south of I 20 listen to WSB?  The older demos that WSB HD2 targets have listened to AM at one point in their life.  If 750 is not needed for WSB:  Swap WSBB and WSB FM's call letters,  Put WSB HD2's program on 750.   

 

[jabba17]

Swap WSBB and WSB FM's call letters, Put WSB HD2's program on 750.

1) I am not sure how tightly the FCC is enforcing the "no new 3-letter calls" rule. The nominal rule was "drop it and lose it forever", however didn't WOR or some other station get the FCC to give them back a heritage 3-letter callsign? Would the FCC consider a transfer to be a "drop"? That might be what is keeping Cox from moving WSB-FM to 95.5.

2) WSB-FM-HD2 on WSB-AM is a great idea, if Cox decides to split the WSB-AM/WSBB signal. What is it, something like 75% of WSB-AM/WSBB listeners are NOW listening on the FM?

3) And 98.5 can become "BB98.5". Number 1 with a BB for Listening At Work.

 

[secondchoice]

Swap WSBB and WSB FM's call letters, Put WSB HD2's program on 750.

1) I am not sure how tightly the FCC is enforcing the "no new 3-letter calls" rule. The nominal rule was "drop it and lose it forever", however didn't WOR or some other station get the FCC to give them back a heritage 3-letter callsign? Would the FCC consider a transfer to be a "drop"? That might be what is keeping Cox from moving WSB-FM to 95.5.

2) WSB-FM-HD2 on WSB-AM is a great idea, if Cox decides to split the WSB-AM/WSBB signal. What is it, something like 75% of WSB-AM/WSBB listeners are NOW listening on the FM?

3) And 98.5 can become "BB98.5". Number 1 with a BB for Listening At Work.

(#1) IIRC swaps are not under the "used it or lose it".

(#2) Only Cox is suppose to know Cox that number. I suspect you are a little low.