Alternative and Triple A Radio in Atlanta

[acheron1982]

Well, yeah, I guess you are both right. Typically, Active Rock does play lots of 80s and even 70s (Project did) but the Bone does not. They play lots of 90s and modern stuff.

A good Alternative station would lean heard with cutting edge new stuff while still playing the 90s and even 80s. I really like FM949 in San Diego because they even sneak in some Peter Gabriel and David Bowie from his Ziggy Stardust days. I just wished they would play more newer stuff as well.

 

[acheron1982]

Atlantaboy- Sadly, the dial does lean towards what most want to hear. Go to some of the western cities like Diego and Seattle and the rock is more popular on the dial than the Urban. True, there are alternative nuts in Atlanta like you and I but the majority of Atlanta does not lean that way (wrong city) and so to stay competitive, stations are going to go in the direction the majority want to hear. Mob Rule baby.

 

[TheBigA]

CBS could've evolved the station into an Alternative format, though, which is what many AAAs have done to adjust to current musical trends

If you read Rodney's columns from the period, you'll see why they didn't.

 

[jabba17]

I think we've extensively covered why Dave flipped (i. e. CBS nationwide mission to start up FM Sports), and why admitting mistake would preclude any new FM Sports stations in other markets

99X flipped to another current rock format, so no clue how that's relevant

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???

No, it didn't - it flipped from Alternative to Active Rock - both 99X and The Bone are equally current-based

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99X was playing a decent amount of 80s alt out of the box when they flipped in 1992 (in their regular playlist, not just in retro shows). But that was short-lived, unfortunately, and the stuff that never got ATL airplay in the 80s (except during that 1983ish window when 96 Rock put some of it in the playlist before they started chasing boomers with "Pure Rock & Roll" classic rock, and of course on Album 88 and WREK) went back to almost never getting ATL airplay.

 

[MRFLASHPORT]

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First off, I'll say what I wish- last I checked, I still have that freedom. Don't like it? Do what I do with corporate radio- don't listen to it. ;D Now that part is out of the way:


Radio is doing what "the public" wants...are you delusional? Says who, the corporate rating services? What a joke. I am not even going to enteratin a response. To paraphrase the late Newton Minow "Corporate radio is a vast wasteland"

 

[TheBigA]

To paraphrase the late Newton Minow "Corporate radio is a vast wasteland"

That'll be news to ole Newt. Hate to break it to you, but he's still alive!

He's 86 and real mean when mad.

 

[YaketySax]

99x.com, along with all its social media pages, are still active. WHAT DOES IT MEEEAAAANNN?

 

[atlantaboy]

Atlantaboy- Sadly, the dial does lean towards what most want to hear. Go to some of the western cities like Diego and Seattle and the rock is more popular on the dial than the Urban. True, there are alternative nuts in Atlanta like you and I but the majority of Atlanta does not lean that way (wrong city) and so to stay competitive, stations are going to go in the direction the majority want to hear. Mob Rule baby.

But then why is DC101 not affected by mob rule (lol)? Or 106.5 The End Charlotte? Or The Edge in Dallas? The majority in Washington, Dallas, and Charlotte don't want to hear Alternative, but those stations are successful anyway...

A station can become extremely successful going off the musical tastes of the minority, as long as we're talking at least 15-20% of the public, and a demographic that has money

Also, we're still talking males vs. females here - the majority of men don't want to hear CHR, in any market...

 

[atlantaboy]

CBS could've evolved the station into an Alternative format, though, which is what many AAAs have done to adjust to current musical trends

If you read Rodney's columns from the period, you'll see why they didn't.

As I recall (from someone's postings - not sure who), CBS was in the process of killing off their Alternative stations - again, nationwide corporate radio politics interfering with what I truly think was a terrible decision

 

[carolinaradio]

Actually, I know they're still pretty much Alternative, but 106.5 The End plays a healthy amount of Active Rock, or they did the last time I was up there. More than likely due to the fact that there isn't an Active Rock station in that market, and Active typically does better than Alternative in the South.

 

[atlantaboy]

Actually, I know they're still pretty much Alternative, but 106.5 The End plays a healthy amount of Active Rock, or they did the last time I was up there.

True - but still, they're a successful current rock station that caters to the minority, not the majority

 

[TheBigA]

True - but still, they're a successful current rock station that caters to the minority, not the majority

The reality is that ALL radio stations cater to the minority. The question is how small the minority is. Because even the biggest station in Atlanta is playing to a minority. They hope they can put together a group of stations that they can sell. But music today is all about niches. That's what the music industry wants. They want to cover all the bases. The problem is that there simply aren't enough radio stations to cover all the bases.

 

[atlantaboy]

True - but still, they're a successful current rock station that caters to the minority, not the majority

The reality is that ALL radio stations cater to the minority. The question is how small the minority is.

Yeah, that's the point I was trying to make...

If the minority that likes Alternative is big enough to support successful stations in Charlotte, Washington DC, and Dallas (similar markets to ATL), IMO it's big enough to support an Alternative station in Atlanta

And the point that most females right now like pop music is completely irrelevant, since Alternative isn't a female-based format anyway

The only major market where neither Alternative nor commerical AAA are working is New York City, and although people are going to disagree here, I think it's because a bulk of the potential Alternative audience lives in the city, and does not drive

 

[TheBigA]

If the minority that likes Alternative is big enough to support successful stations in Charlotte, Washington DC, and Dallas (similar markets to ATL), IMO it's big enough to support an Alternative station in Atlanta

Those are all very different cities, and the mix of radio stations in each city reflects those differences. But the one consistent thing in those three markets is that Alternative is among the lowest rated formats, well outside the Top 10. When it was on the air in Atlanta, it was also low rated. So your use of the word "successful" is relative. But they all have a certain amount of heritage. DC 101 was originally a rock station, where Howard Stern became popular.

 

[acheron1982]

How are we defining succesful? :-*

 

[atlantaboy]

^DC101 is pulling a 3.2 share - 106.5 The End is pulling a 3.5 share - The Edge/Dallas has a 2.4, but The Buzz/Houston has a 4.6

And Alternative bills high, since the demographic tends to be wealthy - BTW people listening to Alternative on DC101 just because Howard Stern was on there 25 years ago when the station was AOR? Sorry, but that's ridiculous :

 

[TheBigA]

^DC101 is pulling a 3.2 share - 106.5 The End is pulling a 3.5 share - The Edge/Dallas has a 2.4

And as I said they're all among the lowest rated stations in their markets, and lowest in their clusters.

And Alternative bills high, since the demographic tends to be wealthy

Really? Care to show me facts on this?

 

[atlantaboy]

Really? Care to show me facts on this?

Wow, if you're really unaware that Alternative and AAA bill high compared to their share, you need to find another hobby

 

[MrWelles]

Atlantaboy - You mention successes like KROQ, DC101...but fail to take into account these stations have morning shows that most assuredly cume outside of the alternative rock demo.

I haven't had access to numbers in a while, but these stations tend to have morning shows that outperform the rest of the dayparts....meaning, their inflated 6+ numbers can't support your claim that these stations are strong SOLELY based on their musical product.

 

[TheBigA]

Wow, if you're really unaware that Alternative and AAA bill high compared to their share, you need to find another hobby

So then you have no facts.