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98 Rock goes alternative.

C

CCMark

Guest
For the rock music fans that visit this board, has anyone noticed the new alternative slant to 98 Rocks playlist? They have gone heavy on Weezer, Foo Fighters and the topper, My Chemical Romance! By no means am I saying this is a bad thing in fact I'm digging quite a bit. I just want to survey other poster's thoughts on this and anyone from the station is obviously free to comment as well.
 
> For the rock music fans that visit this board, has anyone
> noticed the new alternative slant to 98 Rocks playlist?

Well by looking at their playlist online, I see no more classic rock (GNR, AC/DC, etc...) that used to be a big part of their playlist, so it looks like you may be right. Looks good to me.

I wonder if some of the older listeners will shift to "The Bone" now. Hahaha.. ok that even made me laugh! Surely I'm not serious about that!
 
> > For the rock music fans that visit this board, has anyone
> > noticed the new alternative slant to 98 Rocks playlist?
>
> Well by looking at their playlist online, I see no more
> classic rock (GNR, AC/DC, etc...) that used to be a big part
> of their playlist, so it looks like you may be right. Looks
> good to me.
>
> I wonder if some of the older listeners will shift to "The
> Bone" now. Hahaha.. ok that even made me laugh! Surely I'm
> not serious about that!

98 Rock sounds more like Orlando's Real Rock 101One.

WSUN Tampa (Cox) Vs. WOCL Orlando (Infinity)
WXTB Tampa Vs. WJRR Orlando (Both CC)

Looks like America's oldest active rocker (since 1990) bites the dust. First Zeta in Miami bit the active rock dust by going Hurban, now 98 Rock bites the active rock dust by going modern rock. Now Florida's top 5 markets (Miami, Tampa, Orlando, West Palm Beach & Jacksonville) are without active rockers, except Miami's got Cox active rocker 93 Rock.<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by PassDutch on 09/24/05 05:42 PM.</FONT></P>
 
Sounds like they're shoring up the younger demos, the folks for whom G'N'R and AC/DC are Dad's music, and those who burned their Motley Crue albums when they first heard Nirvana (or much earlier in my case). They still seem to be more "New Rock" than "Alternative" (avoiding the more adventurous cuts e.g. Gorillaz or The Bravery). With 97X well established as the market's Alt/New Rock destination, will it be enough?

Never was a big fan of the Active Rock format, as Def Leppard or The Scorpions
are like kryptonite to an Alt. fan. Of course, I come from a time when the local AOR and Alt station would not be caught dead spinning something from the other guys playlist (save perhaps U2).

There is one Florida Active Rocker holding on (Ft. Myers Real Rock 93.5), but it has always been a ratings non-starter. Ft Myers has a New Rocker (99X) and a couple of Classic Rockers (96 K-Rock and Arrow), so who needs a station that tries to mash these together? Sounds similar to 98Rock's situation.....
 
> Sounds like they're shoring up the younger demos, the folks
> for whom G'N'R and AC/DC are Dad's music, and those who
> burned their Motley Crue albums when they first heard
> Nirvana (or much earlier in my case). They still seem to be
> more "New Rock" than "Alternative" (avoiding the more
> adventurous cuts e.g. Gorillaz or The Bravery). With 97X
> well established as the market's Alt/New Rock destination,
> will it be enough?
>
> Never was a big fan of the Active Rock format, as Def
> Leppard or The Scorpions
> are like kryptonite to an Alt. fan. Of course, I come from a
> time when the local AOR and Alt station would not be caught
> dead spinning something from the other guys playlist (save
> perhaps U2).
>
> There is one Florida Active Rocker holding on (Ft. Myers
> Real Rock 93.5), but it has always been a ratings
> non-starter. Ft Myers has a New Rocker (99X) and a couple of
> Classic Rockers (96 K-Rock and Arrow), so who needs a
> station that tries to mash these together? Sounds similar to
> 98Rock's situation.....
>

Guess they don't seem to sound like Washington alt-rocker DC101, which mixes in AC/DC, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, GNR, Led Zeppelin, Motley Crue, Van Halen, etc.
 
> > For the rock music fans that visit this board, has anyone
> > noticed the new alternative slant to 98 Rocks playlist?
>
> Well by looking at their playlist online, I see no more
> classic rock (GNR, AC/DC, etc...) that used to be a big part
> of their playlist, so it looks like you may be right. Looks
> good to me.
>
> I wonder if some of the older listeners will shift to "The
> Bone" now. Hahaha.. ok that even made me laugh! Surely I'm
> not serious about that!

As far as I can tell, I can't tell the difference between AOR, Alternative, and Active Rock. Never could. Give me Dion and the Belmonts any old day. But then, who cares. We need a station like WKHB in Irwin Pennsylvania. I'd like to see a station flip to "Alan" like in Alan Freed. 106.3 just doesn't make it. Its too rimshot and Scott Shannon must be awful tired being on 24 hours a day.
 
> For the rock music fans that visit this board, has anyone
> noticed the new alternative slant to 98 Rocks playlist?
> They have gone heavy on Weezer, Foo Fighters and the topper,
> My Chemical Romance! By no means am I saying this is a bad
> thing in fact I'm digging quite a bit. I just want to
> survey other poster's thoughts on this and anyone from the
> station is obviously free to comment as well.

Funny that 100,000 watt 98Rock is scared of the lower-powered 97X out of Holiday (it's even funnier when 97X beats them in the Arbs). But 98Rock needs to pick something and stick with it. Jumping from active rock to rock (i.e. with plenty of gold) to modern rock (or an active/modern hybrid) in the same calendar year will simply alienate those listeners who've stuck around through all the nonsense of the past two years.
 
> Funny that 100,000 watt 98Rock is scared of the
> lower-powered 97X out of Holiday (it's even funnier when 97X
> beats them in the Arbs). But 98Rock needs to pick something
> and stick with it. Jumping from active rock to rock (i.e.
> with plenty of gold) to modern rock (or an active/modern
> hybrid) in the same calendar year will simply alienate those
> listeners who've stuck around through all the nonsense of
> the past two years.

Do you think this move was made primarily on the premise that they're afraid of 97X? Have you looked at the state of "new" Active Rock in general? What was the last breakthrough Active Rock hit? Many bands such as the Foos, Weezer, My Chemical, etc. are rocking harder, with hooks, with anthems, than bands like Disturbed, Staind

There's slim pickins in the arena of "Rock." So if a station has to slant "modern rock" to survive, let them. I think the additions are great. Why should 98 Rock flounder in the abyss that is rock music. Jimmy Eat World, NIN, and Green Day are all great acts with killer songs out right now. I applaud Medlin for inserting the aformentioned into the station. It's about damn time.

If I recall correctly, I once heard a story about 98Rock possibly flipping to an alt station in the mid-90s. I wish that would've happened, back when Alt Rock Radio truely was.

Good day!<P ID="signature">______________
Who's your Buddy?</P>
 
> > Sounds like they're shoring up the younger demos, the
> folks
> > for whom G'N'R and AC/DC are Dad's music, and those who
> > burned their Motley Crue albums when they first heard
> > Nirvana (or much earlier in my case). They still seem to
> be
> > more "New Rock" than "Alternative" (avoiding the more
> > adventurous cuts e.g. Gorillaz or The Bravery). With 97X
> > well established as the market's Alt/New Rock destination,
>
> > will it be enough?
> >
> > Never was a big fan of the Active Rock format, as Def
> > Leppard or The Scorpions
> > are like kryptonite to an Alt. fan. Of course, I come from
> a
> > time when the local AOR and Alt station would not be
> caught
> > dead spinning something from the other guys playlist (save
>
> > perhaps U2).
> >
> > There is one Florida Active Rocker holding on (Ft. Myers
> > Real Rock 93.5), but it has always been a ratings
> > non-starter. Ft Myers has a New Rocker (99X) and a couple
> of
> > Classic Rockers (96 K-Rock and Arrow), so who needs a
> > station that tries to mash these together? Sounds similar
> to
> > 98Rock's situation.....
> >
>
> Guess they don't seem to sound like Washington alt-rocker
> DC101, which mixes in AC/DC, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, GNR, Led
> Zeppelin, Motley Crue, Van Halen, etc.
>

One thing I have to give 98 Rock credit for is that they have always lived up to the name. Whether they lean active, lean alternative, play hair bands or not they have always been the rock station that "rocks the bay".
Through the years, they have had music adjustments but they've always remained the station that consistantly rocks.
Another example would be FLZ. It has always been a true CHR. Whether it leaned dance, leaned urban, leaned rock, or was mainstream.<P ID="signature">______________
-brian holmes
APD/nights - 104.5 WSNX Grand Rapids
weekends - 92.5 KISS FM Toledo
Owner/Webmaster - www.ThePowerPig.com - Tribute to WFLZ/Tampa & www.Q105TampaBay.com - Tribute to WRBQ/Tampa</P>
 
AMEN!

Every now and than, I sample WFLZ by listening online, and it is ALWAYS pure CHR! They go with the trends, and they do it well!

> One thing I have to give 98 Rock credit for is that they
> have always lived up to the name. Whether they lean active,
> lean alternative, play hair bands or not they have always
> been the rock station that "rocks the bay".
> Through the years, they have had music adjustments but
> they've always remained the station that consistantly rocks.
>
> Another example would be FLZ. It has always been a true CHR.
> Whether it leaned dance, leaned urban, leaned rock, or was
> mainstream.
>
 
> Sounds like they're shoring up the younger demos, the folks
> for whom G'N'R and AC/DC are Dad's music, and those who
> burned their Motley Crue albums when they first heard
> Nirvana (or much earlier in my case). They still seem to be
> more "New Rock" than "Alternative" (avoiding the more
> adventurous cuts e.g. Gorillaz or The Bravery). With 97X
> well established as the market's Alt/New Rock destination,
> will it be enough?
>
> Never was a big fan of the Active Rock format, as Def
> Leppard or The Scorpions
> are like kryptonite to an Alt. fan. Of course, I come from a
> time when the local AOR and Alt station would not be caught
> dead spinning something from the other guys playlist (save
> perhaps U2).
>
> There is one Florida Active Rocker holding on (Ft. Myers
> Real Rock 93.5), but it has always been a ratings
> non-starter. Ft Myers has a New Rocker (99X) and a couple of
> Classic Rockers (96 K-Rock and Arrow), so who needs a
> station that tries to mash these together? Sounds similar to
> 98Rock's situation.....
>

THIS scenario is more what I was thinking, too. Not much drawing in younger & new listeners like that "kid rock"/modern/whine-y stuff has been for the past 7 or 8 years now.
That is, unless they wanted to go super heavy -- but, no commercial station has the nuts to do that all the time -plus it gets stale VERY quickly!
At least 98 pulls out the REALLY hard stuff for 2 hrs 10 p.m. Saturdays.
Too bad they don't go more in THAT direction, however, as the 'ol "Death Metal Capitol of the World" is still kickin' -- maybe not w/pure 'death metal,' per se, nor all the time, but to program SOME of the popular extreme metal (now "deathcore") in with the other new sounds would put it into a different realm than 97 altogether.
Sheesh, some of the biggest acts in the WORLD perform here weekly, yet they only get spins once a week on WMNF's Cacaphony & 98's Pit. Woo hoo.
Talk about a genre with no respect on radio! :)
(Well, extreme metal & electronic/techno....)
But I can see where the heavy stuff doesn't leave much room for advertisers 'cept tattoo & head shops, 'gentlemen's clubs,' motorcycle shops, nightclubs, cell phones, electronics dealers, maybe cool clothes stores & record stores... then what?
Anyway, does this mean they'll put away all those Led Zep tracks that were spinning incessantly for the past few months? You'd think THEY were a new band the way it was being played...! :)
[And please, let's not dish about how this music only appeals to teenage boys, etc. -- I'm a 40 y.o. college educated woman & can barely tolerate anything else ('cept hip hop 'n electronica). I don't fit anyone's 'demo.'].
Rock on,
dzig
 
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