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Alternative Rock coming back to Chicago??

T

Twitch0528

It's being reported that one of the main investor groups involved w/ Merlin Media (how ironic) is looking to bring back an alt rocker to Chicago. I really hope it happens sooner rather than later and that they don't use Q101's small crappy playlist, I would love a station similar to Milwaukee's 102.1 in Chicago, they have an awesome playlist. What do you think? Any potential stations that could be for sale??

Link: http://www.chicagoradioandmedia.com/news/2398-is-alternative-rock-coming-back-to-chicago-radio-soon
 
Twitch0528 said:
It's being reported that one of the main investor groups involved w/ Merlin Media (how ironic) is looking to bring back an alt rocker to Chicago. I really hope it happens sooner rather than later and that they don't use Q101's small crappy playlist, I would love a station similar to Milwaukee's 102.1 in Chicago, they have an awesome playlist. What do you think? Any potential stations that could be for sale??

Link: http://www.chicagoradioandmedia.com/news/2398-is-alternative-rock-coming-back-to-chicago-radio-soon
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I'll believe it when I see it.

Who would be crazy enough to put in a format whose audience is hostile to terrestrial radio and doesn't attract advertisers other than gentleman's clubs and The Alley?
 
They're a corporate company, so this couldn't have anything to do with what the OP is referring to, but...

CC has had success with Alternative on WRFF/Philadelphia - more than likely much more than they expected. It's doing extremely well in the target. I've been streaming them a lot lately and they sound very good. Could Alternative work if CC put it on 95.5? That station doesn't appear to be doing fantastically.
 
Mark Jeffries said:
I'll believe it when I see it.

Who would be crazy enough to put in a format whose audience is hostile to terrestrial radio and doesn't attract advertisers other than gentleman's clubs and The Alley?
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Humorous, but not rooted in fact.  It's been interesting to hear 97.1 The Drive pick up a lot of the 90s alternative slack lately.  I agree that 95.5 seems like an obvious candidate. 
 
I know that some Hispanic stations that don't do well in ratings still bill well - does anybody know how WNUA bills? They've been Spanish for almost 3 years.

Ironically, WRFF in Philadelphia (CC's alt. there) broadcast a Spanish format as well before they went Alternative. Needless to say, they are doing much better now.
 
So what is the hole in Chicago radio right now? Because the folks at Merlin can't really expect FM News to last much longer. I would suggest FM Sports. I know there are 2 sports stations in Chicago already, but none on FM and that could be a game changer. Just ask CBS about how FM sports effected their Boston cluster.
 
They need the PBPs to be successful with FM Sports, especially given their track record of executing formats. Are any local PBPs available in the near future?
 
Sports on WIQI funny :D, I would be willing to bet that if WIQI dropped news on 101.1 and changed directions that WBBM would either flip 105.9 to music or move WSCR over to the FM (which would be awesome WSCR would be killer on the FM dial IMO).

Anyways...

The alternative format was never done properly in Chicago since the 90's when Q101 was more cutting edge and honest to the alternative format. As soon as WRCX 103.5 tanked and q101 went heavier it was down hill from there. If done properly it can do very well in Chicago, there is a huge void. It makes no sense how in the land of Lollapalooza there is not station that caters to the demo besides SOME of WXRT...

Emmis failed Q101 and kept the playlist ultra stale and very repetitive. It was no wonder they couldn't get a lot of advertisers when the station would play the same avenged sevenfold song every hour followed by the same alice in chains song. The play list never evolved. While acts like MGMT, Arcade Fire, and so forth were getting airplay and becoming big int'l acts Q101 was over playing sick puppies, avenged, and so forth because that is what market studies showed St. Louis wanted to hear (Emmis didn't care about Chicago so they basically ran the same playlist as their STL station become Q101's) no wonder the ratings weren't amazing and only the Alley or strip clubs wanted to buy ads!

If it does make a comeback (and please let's hope Merlin has nothing to do with it since they appear to be very inept) let's hope it's programmed properly w/ live talent none of the 97.9 the loop voice tracking crap!
 
Well goodbye to Smooth 87.7. As of Monday looks like WKQX LP now that Merlin put in for a call letter change. He will now screw up another station here in Chicago. Will Miss Rick and Loni as they gave their best for a small station. Guess this is the end of Smooth Jazz and Soft Hits for Chicago! RIP WLFM 87.7!
 
Emmis failed Q101 and kept the playlist ultra stale and very repetitive. It was no wonder they couldn't get a lot of advertisers when the station would play the same avenged sevenfold song every hour followed by the same alice in chains song.
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Not to mention, some of Q101's air talent was AWFUL. Two words: Manno Brothers. 'Nuff said.

What's really funny is the combo of Mancow and hard-leaning alternative worked well when Dave Richards was running the ship. The station started to get away from that succcessful pairing when Tim Richards (a CHR guy) took over the reins. Following his departure, folks like Mike Stern, Tisa LaSorte (what a complete disaster she was), and Marvin managed to drive the station right into the crapper.

I actually liked Q101's sound during its last year on the air...bringing Tim Virgin on board for PM Drive was a nice move...but I wish they would've tossed that whole "alternative" facade to the curb. For all intents & purposes, they were a contemporary hard rock station.

WLUM in Milwaukee is a great example of how a true "Alternative Rock" station should sound.

I would love nothing more than to see Clear Channel ruin Randy's game plan by launching an Adult Modern Rock outlet on 95.5. A Chicago version of WRFF would be nice.
 
cc will have to make 95.5 sound harder then radio 104.5 here in philly at times i find myself almost being put to sleep by them
 
Mike said:
cc will have to make 95.5 sound harder then radio 104.5 here in philly at times i find myself almost being put to sleep by them
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Don't get me wrong, as I am almost always streaming Radio 104.5, unless I decide to Spotify an album, but I am more and more agreeing with this. Way too much DMB and Adele makes me very sleepy in my office
 
MarkW said:
I actually liked Q101's sound during its last year on the air...bringing Tim Virgin on board for PM Drive was a nice move...but I wish they would've tossed that whole "alternative" facade to the curb. For all intents & purposes, they were a contemporary hard rock station.

WLUM in Milwaukee is a great example of how a true "Alternative Rock" station should sound.
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Interestingly enough, the station Tim Virgin is now on, 97.5 HFS in Baltimore, is a very nicely balanced alternative station.
 
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