98 Rock

[vadar]

Orlando board brought up some interestnig items regarding the Mighty 98 Rock.

1. Still lots of speculation CC will flip the legendary rocker to News Radio 979.
2. Playlist, how many songs to they play, what's the rotation?
3. Why would they pound a lame Boston song when Eagle, MMO and so many others would play this song ad nauseum?
4. How far are they dropping in the ratings, didn't even see them in the top 7.
5. Like Orlando is rock radio just dying or dead in Tampa Bay? Demographics changing but not that dramatically...

Some observations, I love 98 Rock and would be very disappointed to see it go away.....

 

[distantfm]

98 Rock looks solid as ever to me, while 97X is as weak as ever. I dont see 98 Rock going away at all.

Agreed with some of the music......''gimme three steps'' made me turn it off the other day.......but some of newer music does as well.

sure id like a better playlist....but they are where they need to be.

 

[gamefreak]

I would speculate on about 400 or so songs on the playlist. I know some songs get pounded to death more than others. However not nearly as much as 97X or the old Bone. Pretty much all the 90's stuff as well as Metallica. "Another Way to Die" by Disturbed also get non-stop airplay for quite a while.

I can't pull up the playlist off of 98 Rock's or yes.com so this is just an estimate.

I would actually like that 98 Rock expand the playlist by playing artists such as Rammstien as well as other stuff that doesn't get much airplay these days. Also take the 90's Rock down a notch and play some 70's and 80's classics. Bring on The Ramones and those great Hair Bands.

 

[billalm]

Just noticed that 97X has been re-imaged as "Tampa Bay's Alternative Rock" from "Tampa Bay's New Rock Alternative".

 

[Obtuse1]

Once The Bone (wisely) flipped to talk, 98Rock was the main benefactor, and received a good bump in the ratings. Moving in a mainstream direction and aiming at a larger demo over the past couple of years was a wise move, and is paying off now. Not my cup o' tea, but it's payin' the bills. I no longer see them becoming WFLA 970-FM anytime soon (though I half wondered if the Rock format would end up on the 970's FM translators eventually).

As for the Ramones, I actually heard them on 97X recently. They've expanded the playlist a bit, and have been skewing more 90's/Alt. Gold (hence the new liner). Hearing some stuff that hasn't been played in a while, but a Creed song did have me reaching for the dial, and still too much "Santeria". (Does that song really test that well?) Doubt they'll delve too far into the 80's (not expecting the Pixies, The Cure, or The Cult anytime soon..but that's what "Sunday School" is for).

WSUN's numbers of late have been modest, but steady, and about all that can be expected in a PPM market from a small signal that just covers the metro. Don't see them changing anytime soon, either.

In the end, IMHO rock radio in Tampa is.....OK and holding.

 

[vadar]

Great comments and thoughts. This is truly refreshing. Here in Orlando it's a one trick pony, WJRR. No classic rock, except weekends on 104.1 and no new rock, unless you have HD2 where you can catch the old O-Rock 1059.

I do agree, throw in some great 70's and back off the 90's grundge a little. 400 songs, seriously? Their sister station WJRR in Orlando claims to have a defined playlist of over 800. Who's telling the truth here CC?

With all this technology and piles of "research" why do we get pounded by the same lame 400 songs over and over and over. What happened to "one hit wonders", hair bands of the 80's, live tracks, etc....

 

[vadar]

Supposedly here's what CC's rocker in Orlando does....

FYI... that past week JRR spun a total of 878 "different" songs source : http://www.wjrr.com/iplaylist/playlist.html?net=861

Interesting, that WJRR in Orlando plays almost 900 songs in a week, but the mighty 98 Rock can barely crack 400.

This repetition is old, tired and flat out booooooooooooring.

 

[Snafu13]

I feel like when 102.5 switched formats that 98 Rock picked up their playlist. Hearing Stairway to Heaven daily now it seems.

 

[vadar]

Typical rock radio, play the 3-4 old, tired, stale Zep songs. Ah, they had a few albums you know.

 

[IckPodcastGuy]

I literally change stations every time I drive in to work during the morning drive on 97x and hear either Sublime or the Red Hot Chili Peppers or some phony electro-new wave-pop-not-"rock". I like Seth and Drew but the music choices makes me want to puke. I've heard it a million billion times.

I like 98 Rock more as background noise then because of a certain DJ or any of that.

 

[vadar]

IckPodcastguy, you are probably much younger than me, I'm in my early 40's. But I share your frustration, the same old tired songs, played over and over. This is what radio and rock radio have become. So much great rock out there, nobody goes deep, repetition is the norm and your other point about air personalities boring and stale is interesting too.

Back in the day, rock radio stations had unique personalities, took risks and had fun! I'm not a fan of the iPod, yes cramming a gazillion songs in a small, portable device may be popular but you are truly missing the sound quality. Compressed files are not pleasant and can be fatiguing in the on the ears. Get some great headphones (AT, SennHeiser, Grado, etc...) and stock up on your CD and vinyl collection.

Have fun!

 

[IckPodcastGuy]

I'm early 30's. Listened to 98 Rock since I was a youngster. they used to have "personalities" as Dj's back when, I remember Rikker (or somethign liek that) was on the 7-10 for quite some time, I thought he was a horses ass even as a 15 year old but apparently he got ratings. Now, all the DJ's on 98 sound like fresh out of school (or in school) youngsters with no pipes, telling me about the latest stupid person headline on yahoo. **** that, give me rock.

My wife likes 97x, and we drive in together in the mornings to work. Seth and Drew can be entertaining (although Seth/Boy has NO pipes whatsoever) but just as was the problem even years ago when Fisher was still on, every other song is freakin' Sublime or Red Hot Chili Peppers. Makes me change to sports talk on 98.7 or 620, is what it does.

 

[coolaid213]

I wouldn't be completely surprised to see 98 Rock turn into WFLA soon. CC would be wise to flip the rock format to a different frequency... but the younger generations just aren't turning to terrestrial radio to hear new music. If they were, you wouldn't hear so much "Bone" type music on XTB as it is. FM Talk on 97.9 would be a sales person's dream. I think at some point this industry is going to have to realize that teens and 20-somethings don't listen to the FM radio unless they're poor, and don't have money to spend anyway.

I have 98 Rock as a preset, and sometimes it's nice to hear Chili Peppers and Sublime... of course just like every other station, I wish they would diversify... but that's how it is almost everywhere now. FM radio sucks because people have been dumbed down enough that these crappy playlists are considered acceptable. The fact that The Bone was able to topple Thunder, and last as long as it did only proves that there are still lots of people who will listen to any crap you put on the radio...

 

[Parttimer]

I think at some point this industry is going to have to realize that teens and 20-somethings don't listen to the FM radio unless they're poor, and don't have money to spend anyway.

I think the industry and particularly the sponsors, have figured that out, and it's why formats like rock and urban are drying up.

 

[gamefreak]

Hold on, I'm 22 and I listen to radio in the car and even in the house sometimes. Yes, I am poor, Yes I am in College, Yes I do have an MP3 Player with an Auxiliary port in my car. Oh that and I am in fact computer savvy.

However I have the radio on in the car anyways. Why, well maybe I like music mixed in with some personality. That or hearing a song I haven't heard in ages and I don't have on my MP3, Maybe its because I don't always feel like reaching for that damn port. If I'm just in the car for a short period radio will suffice. If I'm listening to a radio station with a good music mix radio will suffice. Usually Sunny 105.9, some 97x, 98 Rock or 92.9 Q-FM. Maybe I don't want to get on the computer to find out about new music. How about playing something new music when I'm going down the Suncoast Parkway. Yeah and just maybe some DJ's are actually nice to listen to. Plus you can't get a traffic report on an Ipod.

I even listen to the radio in the house as well. Sometimes a web stream on the computer and other times on my stereo system. Usually have it on any of the stations mentioned above. Plus music sounds badass on the stereo system in the house.

 

[BIGRIGGER]

you're right XTB is dead...#1 Men 18-49, Men 25-49, Men 25-54 & Men 35-54 today...but again we don't know what we're doing and have not for yeeeeeaaaaaarrrrssssssss....so I must not really still work here. We play GREAT Rock songs that are huge with a large demo. From Boston to Volbeat and Five Finger Death Punch to Lynyrd Skynyrd. This is the same kinda stuff when signed on in 1990 playing the Cars and Metallica, Poison to Led Zeppelin on the same station. Those legendary songs are not going to die because the next generation introduces their kids to them and so on. We were the mighty 100,000 watt mother back then with great rock songs and lots of good stuff in between. That's who we are whether you want to admit it or not....

;D

r

 

[badjef]

you're right XTB is dead...#1 Men 18-49, Men 25-49, Men 25-54 & Men 35-54 today...but again we don't know what we're doing and have not for yeeeeeaaaaaarrrrssssssss....so I must not really still work here. We play GREAT Rock songs that are huge with a large demo. From Boston to Volbeat and Five Finger Death Punch to Lynyrd Skynyrd. This is the same kinda stuff when signed on in 1990 playing the Cars and Metallica, Poison to Led Zeppelin on the same station. Those legendary songs are not going to die because the next generation introduces their kids to them and so on. We were the mighty 100,000 watt mother back then with great rock songs and lots of good stuff in between. That's who we are whether you want to admit it or not....

;D

r

The overall speculation on the board, doesn't get rid of the format of 98Rock as much as moving it to 100.7 would put it next to WJRR, another Clear Channel company The simulcast with 105.9 in Hillsborough, doesn't fulfill the signal deficiencies of the 970 frequency. 97.9 allows a Full Market signal and would have North coverage, better than 970 does.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[BIGRIGGER]

I don't think anyone is gonna wanna cause that amount of cufusion just to move an AM to FM....I can tell you I wouldn't but I am just a talking head .

r

 

[badjef]

I don't think anyone is gonna wanna cause that amount of cufusion just to move an AM to FM....I can tell you I wouldn't but I am just a talking head .

r

I'm not sure there is a concern for confusion on a short-term. We all saw multiple changes in the Sa-ra-so-ta! cluster and Tampa Cluster when CC bought Jacor. After it all shook out, the radio dial looked nothing like it had prior to the switch.

I think the key is to do it all at one time.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[billalm]

No one is wasting dollars on new imaging and promotion to move a format from one full market FM signal to another. I personally respect Rig and what they do at WXTB, however, I just tend to think that those numbers are the result of being the ONLY station in Tampa Bay left playing that particular mix of rock. 98 does not and has not had those numbers with a true classic "rock" competitor and or a 97X with full market coverage. They've hung around long enough to be the go to default rock station.

I don't mind the mix of music they have on 98 Rock, but the personality of the station is way below what it used to be. I agree with an earlier post that it sounds almost amateurish at times. ...And as for the station "voice", it drives me nuts every time a hear a sweeper or positioning. Just talk normal or get a guy with better pipes.