Alt 92.3 Music Changes

[Barry]

The article cited above indicated that KVIL also dropped its afternoon show, "As the station heads in a more music centric direction." So it doesn't seem to be a case of Audacy giving lower priority to mornings.
Shortly after K-Rock launched on 92.3 in the mid 1980's, Howard Stern was hired to do afternoons. He was soon switched to mornings, and of course achieved high ratings for the alternative rock station during that time slot.

 

[fordranger797]

I'm amazed so many commercial FM alternative formatted stations still exist. 2021 was the year some of the ratings laggards were finally scrapped. I hope that trend continues into 2022. Time to put something on the dial (where underperforming alternative stations currently stand or once stood) that listeners and advertisers alike will actually appreciate.

Is this because you don’t personally care for the format?

 

[TheBigA]

The article cited above indicated that KVIL also dropped its afternoon show, "As the station heads in a more music centric direction." So it doesn't seem to be a case of Audacy giving lower priority to mornings.

They're giving a higher priority to music. And it doesn't appear to be isolated to Alt92.3.

 

[MikeyD]

The article cited above indicated that KVIL also dropped its afternoon show, "As the station heads in a more music centric direction." So it doesn't seem to be a case of Audacy giving lower priority to mornings.
Shortly after K-Rock launched on 92.3 in the mid 1980's, Howard Stern was hired to do afternoons. He was soon switched to mornings, and of course achieved high ratings for the alternative rock station during that time slot.

K-Rock was Classic Rock, not Alternative until ~ the mid-90s.

 

[macattack]

K-Rock was Classic Rock, not Alternative until ~ the mid-90s.

It actually became Alternative in response to Z100 having some success as an Alternative in the mid-90's, to the point where I think Z100 was actually moved to Billboard's Alt panel in 1995 because so many of their songs were Alternative and not pop.

 

[Ryan Williams]

BIA's 2020 top billers list was just released. Obviously, 2020 was a different type of year. However, WCBS has fallen off the top 10 list entirely and WINS has moved down to #9. They've got to get at least one of these stations on FM and they need to do it immediately rather than continuing flailing around with these formats that are going nowhere long-term.

Worth pointing out that #1 is WTOP (only FM) again.

WSB (which only promotes the FM signal) in Atlanta is #4.

WBBM (which primarily promotes their FM signal) in Chicago is #5.

WFAN (which is primary branding is FM) is #10.

KFI which is not simulcast on FM is off the list.

The only all-AM station in the top 10 is WINS.

I love AM, but it's so over.

WTOP Top Biller in 2020 - Radio Ink

With $62 million in revenue in 2020, Hubbard Radio's WTOP in Washington, DC was by far the top billing radio station in 2020, according to new data from BIA Advisory Services. iHeartMedia's KIIS-FM in Los Angeles was next at $38.9 million.

radioink.com

 

[TheBigA]

They've got to get at least one of these stations on FM and they need to do it immediately rather than continuing flailing around with these formats that are going nowhere long-term.

Keep in mind that once they do that, all of the revenue generated by the alternative format will go away, and the $28 million generated by WINS will now cover two stations, not one. My estimate is the revenue they would lose would be equal to about half of what they're getting now from WINS on AM alone. So they'd be throwing away about $10-14 million to do this.

 

[TheBigA]

Just announced that Audacy's CEO David Field has signed a new contract with an incentive to increase the company stock price:

New Employment Deal Incentivizes David Field To Boost Audacy’s Sagging Stock Price.

Audacy President and CEO David Field will begin the New Year with a new three-year employment contract that pays him an annual base salary of $1.35 million. Field could earn

www.insideradio.com

With that in mind, stockholders are looking for new revenue streams, and lower expenses. That could play into the future of the company's on air stations.

 

[Ryan Williams]

Just announced that Audacy's CEO David Field has signed a new contract with an incentive to increase the company stock price:

New Employment Deal Incentivizes David Field To Boost Audacy’s Sagging Stock Price.

Audacy President and CEO David Field will begin the New Year with a new three-year employment contract that pays him an annual base salary of $1.35 million. Field could earn

www.insideradio.com

With that in mind, stockholders are looking for new revenue streams, and lower expenses. That could play into the future of the company's on air stations.

How old is that pr photo they keep using? David looks like he is barely 30.

 

[Ryan Williams]

Keep in mind that once they do that, all of the revenue generated by the alternative format will go away, and the $28 million generated by WINS will now cover two stations, not one. My estimate is the revenue they would lose would be equal to about half of what they're getting now from WINS on AM alone. So they'd be throwing away about $10-14 million to do this.

It's a harder decision for the executive team, than it is for us lookyloos on this board. Full stop. But, as seen with WSB, WTOP, and WBBM, there is also an upside to putting these great brands in the public plaza where all the people are as well.

 

[TheBigA]

It's a harder decision for the executive team, than it is for us lookyloos on this board. Full stop. But, as seen with WSB, WTOP, and WBBM, there is also an upside to putting these great brands in the public plaza where all the people are as well.

If the feel they can still make $28 million on an AM only station, then that's where they'll stay. The minute that number drops in an appreciable way, and the platform is seen as the reason, then they'll change. But the reality is they won't see an appreciable increase in audience or revenues by doing the simulcast, and the audience they get will be twice as old as the alternative audience.

 

[Theater of My Mind]

It's odd that mornings on Alt 92.3 are now jockless, following the dismissal of the morning team. All of the other dayparts do have personalities.
Northeast Radio Watch offers the opinion that if Audacy wanted to flip the station to a simulcast of WINS, it is now a little easier to do so quickly, without having to deal with ending a morning show. Seems to me that if management wants to do this, ending a morning show wouldn't be a major obstacle. But I can't think of any valid reason the station wouldn't at least have a temporary host for mornings, if they intended to keep the current format for the long haul.

The morning team was just let go at the end of last week. And now we're entering Christmas and New Year's holidays for the next two weeks, not really the most critical time to be starting a new morning show.

Besides, with the remaining staff likely juggling year-end holiday and vacation time, trying to move someone to the morning show this week would be a logistical headache. So we'll see what happens when January arrives.

 

[MarkW]

To answer fordranger -

No, that is not at all the reason I feel that way. I can appreciate a well programmed alternative station.

In too many cases, though, the format earns weak ratings and bills poorly.

Loading the FM dial with unpopular programming that attracts little advertiser interest is not a good way of helping terrestrial radio's viability.

 

[Least]

In all honesty, the greater issue seems to be (by analyzing the comments from insiders here and ratings trends) that the people who gravitate to music FM radio are the ones who prefer the current Top 40 or other current popular formats. Even with a rhythmic preference of this generation, the lowest common denominators are the people who like the music that the record company tells them to like. The only variant is the classic hits/throwback/classic rock people. That's because those stations are like a jukebox for them (myself included for all three). For people who prefer Alternative, Rock, Hip-Hop/Rap, and any other format that doesn't fit into the mold, we long sense realized that streaming, subscription-based radio (SiriusXM and even for some non-commerical FM as Big A mentions) and looking up songs on YouTube has greater benefit than commercial FM.

Apply logic to it. Either you can pay for a service that provides all the current music in your preferred genre, or search it on your own; or you can rely on a radio company to take music sent to them by a record company and hope that it filters to you. Most avid music fans outside the fans of Top 40 or (currently) Top 40 Country, that's an archaic model to follow. So, radio has to do what they can to bring in advertisers. This is much to my dismay. I think a format was built (30 years and longer ago) by stations taking chances. In the Boston thread, I've been highly critical as to why active rock fails (summary: it's that they rely too much on overplayed songs), but this is large corporate radio. This isn't the days of the independent owner. The independent owner has the qualitative view of what they liked. In today's age, it's all based on numerical based data. Even the qualitative data is quantified. And where I speak from my soapbox, I have to admit that the radio station is trying to make money in the end. They removed the starving artist a long time ago.

So, how long Alternative stays on 92.3 and what songs they play will rely solely on their return and the length that they can sustain or increase that return. For me, AM is for the news, FM is when I just want to hear a song that I heard a million times and still like, and for the rest of my tastes, it's anything but commercial radio.

 

[fordranger797]

To answer fordranger -

No, that is not at all the reason I feel that way. I can appreciate a well programmed alternative station.

In too many cases, though, the format earns weak ratings and bills poorly.

Loading the FM dial with unpopular programming that attracts little advertiser interest is not a good way of helping terrestrial radio's viability.

That makes sense. I'm a big fan of the format when it's executed well, but 92.3 has certainly had some challenges.

 

[macattack]

That makes sense. I'm a big fan of the format when it's executed well, but 92.3 has certainly had some challenges.

I love Alternative for its diversity of sound - I have discovered nearly my entire library of favorite songs from the format. And not just rock songs either, but pop, hip-hop, and electronic too (Daft Punk's "Get Lucky", for example). What makes Alternative special is that variety - it isn't just guitar rock, it isn't quirky pop, it's just a smorgasbord of melody and rhythm smashed together. Ideally, it should be a format for anyone from teenagers to their parents to enjoy discovering a mixture of new music and older favorites that have kept their relevance - a format for anyone who wants to dive deeper than pop, hot adult contemporary, active rock, country, etc. would ever dare to.

So few stations pull that off successfully anymore.

 

[fordranger797]

I love Alternative for its diversity of sound - I have discovered nearly my entire library of favorite songs from the format. And not just rock songs either, but pop, hip-hop, and electronic too (Daft Punk's "Get Lucky", for example). What makes Alternative special is that variety - it isn't just guitar rock, it isn't quirky pop, it's just a smorgasbord of melody and rhythm smashed together. Ideally, it should be a format for anyone from teenagers to their parents to enjoy discovering a mixture of new music and older favorites that have kept their relevance - a format for anyone who wants to dive deeper than pop, hot adult contemporary, active rock, country, etc. would ever dare to.

So few stations pull that off successfully anymore.

I agree with you 110%. The alternative format is extremely important to me, as it helped form my taste in music. While AAA radio may be a niche format that can’t make it in a major market today, I think the alternative format is very relevant. And yes, I also feel that the format transcends age and format (be it country, pop, R&B, etc). Of course, you could certainly find songs on a well-programmed alternative station that touch these genres, but it’s never executed the same way as the music that you find on stations that cater to these formats.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, there are some really good examples of the alternative format being executed out there, and it’s really too bad that 92.3 can’t find its footing. Once you see an example of this format being done well, sounding cohesive, and getting a good response in the market, it becomes clear why 92.3 may be struggling. If it’s too risky to break new alternative rock in a market like New York, maybe there’s nothing wrong with sticking to a more classic (and safe) playlist. That seems like a better strategy at this point compared to spinning Kid Laroi next to Nirvana. Those who really like the format will find other stations to stream (that are willing to take more chances), while Audacy doesn’t have to keep trying to find the right balance with 92.3.

 

[mikerock]

Tuned in for a bit and again like nails on a chalkboard, tired played out old Green Day songs every hour and other old beat to death songs. Hardly anything new and no reason to listen if you want new Alternative. Such a milquetoast playlist.

When things get this bad it usually indicates the format will be gone soon. Almost as if the intention is to drive people from the format to clear the station out for whatever comes new. Looks like I will have to go back to wasting my valuable time find new Alt songs and putting them on a playlist. Something I really do not want to take the time to do but apparently not much of a choice consider what appears to be a switch to what I would call Classic Alternative Hits station. Boring.

 

[TheBigA]

Tuned in for a bit and again like nails on a chalkboard, tired played out old Green Day songs every hour and other old beat to death songs. Hardly anything new and no reason to listen if you want new Alternative.

When they play new stuff, people complain it's not "the right new stuff." All they want is to play music that'll attract enough listeners who won't complain. If that's 20 year old Green Day songs, so be it.

 

[mikerock]

When they play new stuff, people complain it's not "the right new stuff." All they want is to play music that'll attract enough listeners who won't complain. If that's 20 year old Green Day songs, so be it.

Then they should simply stop the false advertising. Their logo, imaging, everything about the stations says "New Alternative". In effect however they are what I would describe as a Classic Hits Alternative format if there is such a thing, at least that is what best describes them and should be a recognized format.

The problem is no different if you had a Country station advertising as "New Country" while only playing Classic Country or a Hip Hop station advertising as new Hip Hop while only playing classic Hip Hop.