An Opinion on 101.9 New Rock

[WNTIRadio]

wfnx might be an example to ape too

And we all know how that turned out...

They should, in all seriousness, look to hire a couple of the former FNX jocks. And where's Mailbu Sue?! The one thing the station shouldn't ignore, at least in my estimation, is the WLIR/WDRE influence on the "roots of alt" in NYC & points north and east. WDHA back in the day as well, before it turned into all hair bands all the time.

The good thing is that there is a lot of good new alternative music out there right now.

 

[XCountry285]

Heard them have a legitimate person on the phone from Riverdale, NJ talking about how great the station was. Also they're giving away Linkin Park Tickets so I imagine that they're staying.

 

[FellOutBoy]

The comparison to WBRU was more meant as an example of the type of balancing that 101.9 should take between new tracks, gold, and recurrents, and basically where in the alternative spectrum to place themselves. Yes, New York is much different from Providence, and 'BRU is a college station, but as mentioned before it is a commercial station that bills fairly well for the position they're in. It's hard to find another large-market alternative station for 101.9 to compare itself to as there really aren't many large-market commercial alternative stations. Yes, you have KROQ and KITS, but that's California, not New York. 101.9 should think globally and locally. The former 'RXP were establishing a loyal base and were creeping up in the ratings when the plug was pulled. Hopefully they can pull at least half of those listeners back.

Jacko

Jacko is right there are very few major market alternative stations left because the format overall is not doing well, it's dying partly because of programming advice like his. regarding currents etc. KROQ will always be one of the most influential stations around eve though it is being challenged and and occasionally beaten by cc's kysr 98.7Fm.. Live 105 is another station that has never managed to get ratings because of it's signal limitations among other things, for years it was way too esoteric even for San Francisco, then like many alt stations it went though it's active rock confusion phase and now is coasting on it's heritage but not pulling great numbers. But back to WBRU: it is a college station period. Just because they play/sell commercials does not mean that it bills well, it does not. It stays afloat because it has a staff that does not get paid, they are students and while the Brown endowment does not like to subsidize the station, they do when the billing is not sufficient to keep it running. Either way it's a bad example as it's another station that has heritage as an alternative station (although it too is a block formatted station where it plays non alt programming at certain times of day, like all day Sundays or at least it used to be urban on Sundays) it has had the identity of an alternative station for years, listeners know what they're getting when they tune in. To clarify i did not say they should not be playing currents, i said that they would be better off not pounding the currents until the station is staffed and is more than essentially a robo ipod as it is now. Again wrxp is not established as an "alternative" station yet and seeing as they have adopted the call letters from the old station which did not have a clearly defined identity, (which they have now inherited by resurrecting their call letters) it seems a basic idea that they need to establish one, who and what they are by introducing the idea of "alternative' with familiar titles before they become risky and experimental and playing untested. unfamiliar music is just that; risky and experimental. Or they can do that now and this time next year the same people who are screaming " I wish they played more currents" will be opining on this same board about why they failed and how they could have been saved before yet another flip.

 

[FellOutBoy]

wfnx might be an example to ape too

And we all know how that turned out...

They should, in all seriousness, look to hire a couple of the former FNX jocks. And where's Mailbu Sue?! The one thing the station shouldn't ignore, at least in my estimation, is the WLIR/WDRE influence on the "roots of alt" in NYC & points north and east. WDHA back in the day as well, before it turned into all hair bands all the time.

The good thing is that there is a lot of good new alternative music out there right now.

I think Malibu Sue is working at Fresh now. However she is not the jock a station hires that is trying to appeal to the 18-34 year old

 

[quadrun1]

The HD1 signal is now identifying the song artist and title.

 

[WNTIRadio]

I think Malibu Sue is working at Fresh now. However she is not the jock a station hires that is trying to appeal to the 18-34 year old

That was a joke... I don't think RXP should hire her either. But Julie Kramer or Adam 12 from formerly FNX... yes.

So far I don't hear RXP as being 18-34. I hear more 25-40 music, just because I wouldn't call it the broad brush of 25-54, which is a ridiculous span of ages when you stop and think about it.

 

[FellOutBoy]

I think Malibu Sue is working at Fresh now. However she is not the jock a station hires that is trying to appeal to the 18-34 year old

That was a joke... I don't think RXP should hire her either. But Julie Kramer or Adam 12 from formerly FNX... yes.

So far I don't hear RXP as being 18-34. I hear more 25-40 music, just because I wouldn't call it the broad brush of 25-54, which is a ridiculous span of ages when you stop and think about it.

No its sounding 18-34 50/50 male/female targeting and Julie Kramer would be the same as hiring Malibu Sue as she is way out of the demo.There are articles about the entire wfnx staff going to some online start up run by the Boston globe including the two you mentioned.

 

[WNTIRadio]

Most jocks are way out of the demo, but can still relate to the demo. How old is Elvis Duran? Even Seacrest is out of the Z-100 demo now too, yet he's on most CC CHR stations.

I still don't hear 18-34. The upper end, 25-34 yes, but not 18. Tell me where you hear an 18 year old tuning in to the new RXP? Especially an 18 female. They're already listening to 92.3 now and Z-100.

And which would you rather do as a former FNX staffer, fart around on the internet or be on NYC radio?

 

[Frequency Breakdown]

... Tell me where you hear an 18 year old tuning in to the new RXP? Especially an 18 female. They're already listening to 92.3 now and Z-100.

Not all of them! I know that all demographics do is basically generalize, but you're taking it to a whole new level here! Assuming that EVERY SINGLE 18 year old female is listening to CHR? Please.

The New RXP plays just enough new music to keep the younger audience around. It's without a DOUBT going for that 18-34 demographic.

 

[mjb1124]

We're just talking about what the *majority* of listeners in a specific demographic would go for. I mean, I'm 27 and I love 60's oldies, but I'm not delusional enough to think that my tastes are typical for my age. And I have to agree that this format probably will appeal primarily to people in their mid-late 20's and 30's.

 

[FellOutBoy]

Most jocks are way out of the demo, but can still relate to the demo. How old is Elvis Duran? Even Seacrest is out of the Z-100 demo now too, yet he's on most CC CHR stations.

I still don't hear 18-34. The upper end, 25-34 yes, but not 18. Tell me where you hear an 18 year old tuning in to the new RXP? Especially an 18 female. They're already listening to 92.3 now and Z-100.

And which would you rather do as a former FNX staffer, fart around on the internet or be on NYC radio?

You know your comments almost always telegraph your age WNTI, not a specific number but clearly someone out of the demo as they say. Just a blanket statement like "theyre already listening to 92.3 Now and Z100" demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of the format, and radio in general; so here are some general guidelines. The alternative format is generally an 18-34 demo target, some stations may skew a little older as their secondary cell but 18-34 persons or male concentrations make up the alt demo as a rule. we're speaking generally and traditionally. More importantly assuming that all 18 year old females are CHR fans reflects a complete misunderstanding of young people in general, there are many of that age who would not listen to either station on principle or their perception that it is "the Justin Bieber station" etc and they dislike that entire genre of music, many are bigger fans of anyone from My Chemical Romance to passion Pit, or whoever the current band du jour is, , to the red hot chili peppers for that matter and just despise anything top 40, some are not that vehemently opposed to other musical genres but the alternative listener tends to at least identify him or herself with that genre more than others. the simple answer is not all 18 year old girls like Rhianna, Chris Brown, etc, if you go to festivals like Lollapalooza when it actually toured Bonaroo etc many of the fans are on that end of the age spectrum and younger.

 

[WNTIRadio]

Not all of them! I know that all demographics do is basically generalize, but you're taking it to a whole new level here! Assuming that EVERY SINGLE 18 year old female is listening to CHR? Please.

The New RXP plays just enough new music to keep the younger audience around. It's without a DOUBT going for that 18-34 demographic.

No, I didn't mean ALL of them. But a good enough portion of them already are. Are there enough left to help make RXP a success? Don't think so. 24+, yes.

Naturally there will always be outliers in every demo.

It's without a doubt going for the upper end of the demo, 25-34. Honestly, most of the 18 year old females that are into rock are way ahead of RXP in terms of what music they discover and download on the internet. If they were all about 18-25, then all of the 90's rock would be off the playlist. There's plenty of "in high school in the late 90's/early 2000's" fare.

 

[WNTIRadio]

You know your comments almost always telegraph your age WNTI, not a specific number but clearly someone out of the demo as they say. Just a blanket statement like "theyre already listening to 92.3 Now and Z100" demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of the format, and radio in general; so here are some general guidelines. The alternative format is generally an 18-34 demo target, some stations may skew a little older as their secondary cell but 18-34 persons or male concentrations make up the alt demo as a rule. we're speaking generally and traditionally. More importantly assuming that all 18 year old females are CHR fans reflects a complete misunderstanding of young people in general, there are many of that age who would not listen to either station on principle or their perception that it is "the Justin Bieber station" etc and they dislike that entire genre of music, many are bigger fans of anyone from My Chemical Romance to passion Pit, or whoever the current band du jour is, , to the red hot chili peppers for that matter and just despise anything top 40, some are not that vehemently opposed to other musical genres but the alternative listener tends to at least identify him or herself with that genre more than others. the simple answer is not all 18 year old girls like Rhianna, Chris Brown, etc, if you go to festivals like Lollapalooza when it actually toured Bonaroo etc many of the fans are on that end of the age spectrum and younger.

For the record, I'm 34.

I worked for 8 years at a college, so I was exposed to hundreds of people, male and female in the lower end of the target demo.

And yes, I DO understand how radio works. You need critical mass to support a station in NYC. I just don't think there are enough of those 18 year old females in NYC. The numbers were NEVER there for it.

My Chemical Romance and Passion Pit have a following, but it's nowhere near the artists on top 40. In a more "rock town" I can see it happening, say Boston or Philly... but I can't see RXP making a huge splash going after 18-24 year old females.

Like we've learned with country, just because 25,000 people show up to a concert doesn't mean it's enough to get a 2.5 million cume on a NYC station.

 

[FellOutBoy]

You know your comments almost always telegraph your age WNTI, not a specific number but clearly someone out of the demo as they say. Just a blanket statement like "theyre already listening to 92.3 Now and Z100" demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of the format, and radio in general; so here are some general guidelines. The alternative format is generally an 18-34 demo target, some stations may skew a little older as their secondary cell but 18-34 persons or male concentrations make up the alt demo as a rule. we're speaking generally and traditionally. More importantly assuming that all 18 year old females are CHR fans reflects a complete misunderstanding of young people in general, there are many of that age who would not listen to either station on principle or their perception that it is "the Justin Bieber station" etc and they dislike that entire genre of music, many are bigger fans of anyone from My Chemical Romance to passion Pit, or whoever the current band du jour is, , to the red hot chili peppers for that matter and just despise anything top 40, some are not that vehemently opposed to other musical genres but the alternative listener tends to at least identify him or herself with that genre more than others. the simple answer is not all 18 year old girls like Rhianna, Chris Brown, etc, if you go to festivals like Lollapalooza when it actually toured Bonaroo etc many of the fans are on that end of the age spectrum and younger.

For the record, I'm 34.

I worked for 8 years at a college, so I was exposed to hundreds of people, male and female in the lower end of the target demo.

And yes, I DO understand how radio works. You need critical mass to support a station in NYC. I just don't think there are enough of those 18 year old females in NYC. The numbers were NEVER there for it.

My Chemical Romance and Passion Pit have a following, but it's nowhere near the artists on top 40. In a more "rock town" I can see it happening, say Boston or Philly... but I can't see RXP making a huge splash going after 18-24 year old females.

Like we've learned with country, just because 25,000 people show up to a concert doesn't mean it's enough to get a 2.5 million cume on a NYC station.

Of course My Chem and Passion pit's followings are nowhere near what top 40 artists have, that is one of the things that makes them...listen closely: "AL-TER-NA- TIVE"

all Im saying to you is that you're constantly posting about a station who's format you dont really understand or it's audience make up. 18-34 that is the alternative demo, that is what stations that are "alternative" formatted target. Yes the sweet spots of that cell is 25-34 and that's the number that sales people pull to demonstrate the station's ability to sell everything from Audi's to Budweiser, but if youre a personality you will usually be bonused on your ratings 18-34 depending on whether the station leans male, female or right up the middle. You may be 34 but you also posted several times that the original wrxp was not working because it was not a textbook definition of the AAA format, another format that does not work on any large level outside of perhaps three markets and it took all of those stations years to become consistently successful. Your opinions are just that, they're not reflective of facts and given the fact that the demo of the format is traditionally 18-34 and their (RXP"S) entire approach is at times painfully snarky the way the liners are written etc using the term "********" for example, this is obviously a station that is not targeting the upper end of the demo at least with this initial launch. Same principle as CHR's for years the demo was 18-34, yes the broader demo was 12-24 but the one that the station touted in terms of their reac, the MONEY DEMO was usually 18-34 year olds. Having worked both formats i speak from experience, not opinion.

 

[WNTIRadio]

Of course My Chem and Passion pit's followings are nowhere near what top 40 artists have, that is one of the things that makes them...listen closely: "AL-TER-NA- TIVE"

Seeing that you have all the answers, and are just a jackass about them, I quit.

I in fact, LIKE the new version of RXP. Much more focused. My comments on AAA on the old RXP were either be a AAA or don't be one, but don't try and be everything to everyone. Where they failed is that for the first year and a half they were all over the musical map. A AAA on RXP v1.0 would have done... ah screw it, you'll just have another rude comment to add to the discussion.

Over and out.

 

[Brooklyndon]

Here's how out of touch we all are: just like they called New Wave alternative 15 years after the fact, now they call al-ter-na-tive In-Die, and have for like the last five years. And, thankfully, it seems WRXP plays a fair bit of music released in the last 5 years, so I'd even go as far as to call them an Indie station...cage the elephant, black keys, and Alabama shakes obvious debt to their forbearers ignored, of course.

But seriously, once Gin Blossoms, Collective Soul, Soul Asylum, Counting Crows and similar acts find their way on WRXP, then you can make blanket statement that it is ignoring the 18-24 set and skewing older. Until then, it looks solidly like it has an under-40 target.

 

[FellOutBoy]

Of course My Chem and Passion pit's followings are nowhere near what top 40 artists have, that is one of the things that makes them...listen closely: "AL-TER-NA- TIVE"

Seeing that you have all the answers, and are just a jackass about them, I quit.

I in fact, LIKE the new version of RXP. Much more focused. My comments on AAA on the old RXP were either be a AAA or don't be one, but don't try and be everything to everyone. Where they failed is that for the first year and a half they were all over the musical map. A AAA on RXP v1.0 would have done... ah screw it, you'll just have another rude comment to add to the discussion.

Over and out.

Rude? all im saying is that you throw your opinions around presenting them as facts when you're misinformed about the very audience of the format itself. I have not resorted to name calling, ive been reading your posts for a long time and found them demonstrably wrong with regard to this particular station in virtually all of it's incarnations. The first version of rxp WAS horribly unfocused but even near the end when the station had numbers and a huge cume you were still posting that it had no business playing acdc etc. It doesnt matter how a station is identified by the industry if it is working.

 

[p_herring]

Here's how out of touch we all are: just like they called New Wave alternative 15 years after the fact, now they call al-ter-na-tive In-Die, and have for like the last five years. And, thankfully, it seems WRXP plays a fair bit of music released in the last 5 years, so I'd even go as far as to call them an Indie station...cage the elephant, black keys, and Alabama shakes obvious debt to their forbearers ignored, of course.

But seriously, once Gin Blossoms, Collective Soul, Soul Asylum, Counting Crows and similar acts find their way on WRXP, then you can make blanket statement that it is ignoring the 18-24 set and skewing older. Until then, it looks solidly like it has an under-40 target.

I actually heard Collective Soul's "The World I Know" the other day on there. Not sure why anyone would think this station was 25-54 (I don't know many people 45+ who listen to Grouplove, Foster The People, Fun, Green Day, Pearl Jam, etc.) but perhaps I'm just uninformed.

 

[WNTIRadio]

All of those songs you mention are also on most commercial AAA stations... target demo, 25-54, usually median age of 38-42.

LOTS of people that are 40 listen to Pearl Jam, STP, Jane's Addiction, etc because they were in HIGH SCHOOL when those songs were new.

If someone graduated high school in 1991, that person is now likely 39 years old. Pretty damn close to 40. If they were in college and got into the alt/grunge scene in the early 90's, they're over 40.

I don't see RXP 2.0 going for 45 year olds. But they aren't gong for 18 year olds either. Listen to it. For expample, playing Spacehog, "In the Meantime" (they did yesterday), a one hit wonder from 1995 isn't going after someone who was 1 when the song came out. What 18 year olds they get are gravy compared to the 25-34's.

I know plenty of people in their late 30's early 40's who enjoy Alabama Shakes, Black Keys, Foster the People, Of Monsters and Men... Just saw the Alabama Shakes this past weekend, also recently saw the Black Keys and Of Monsters and Men. Guess what? The crowd wasn't all Allston hipsters (I was in Boston), but lots of people in their 30's.

And, RXP 1.0 playing AC/DC WAS the WRONG DIRECTION for the station. But you and I won't agree on that, ever.

And finally, this is radio programming. Just like politics, there are differing opinions about how to execute a format and target a demographic. Not all of them are right. I'll admit that in retrospect a straight up AAA on RXP wouldn't have done any better than what it did doing the hodgepodge that it was.

Lots of people thought that FM News would work too, and we all know how that turned out. Lots of people on this board, who aren't super experts could see that it wouldn't work and said so. Just shows you that sometimes when you're too close to something and have a vested interest it's tough to see the forest through the trees.

Since you've proclaimed yourself to be the expert on alternative and the 18-34 demo, and the final word on such, this is my last post because I'm tired of typing.

I'm done. I'll stick to the engineering board, Fell Out Boy, who's name and resume remain unknown, can now be emperor of the RXP posts and anything else on the NYC board.

 

[FellOutBoy]

All of those songs you mention are also on most commercial AAA stations... target demo, 25-54, usually median age of 38-42.

LOTS of people that are 40 listen to Pearl Jam, STP, Jane's Addiction, etc because they were in HIGH SCHOOL when those songs were new.

If someone graduated high school in 1991, that person is now likely 39 years old. Pretty damn close to 40. If they were in college and got into the alt/grunge scene in the early 90's, they're over 40.

I don't see RXP 2.0 going for 45 year olds. But they aren't gong for 18 year olds either. Listen to it. For expample, playing Spacehog, "In the Meantime" (they did yesterday), a one hit wonder from 1995 isn't going after someone who was 1 when the song came out. What 18 year olds they get are gravy compared to the 25-34's.

I know plenty of people in their late 30's early 40's who enjoy Alabama Shakes, Black Keys, Foster the People, Of Monsters and Men... Just saw the Alabama Shakes this past weekend, also recently saw the Black Keys and Of Monsters and Men. Guess what? The crowd wasn't all Allston hipsters (I was in Boston), but lots of people in their 30's.

And, RXP 1.0 playing AC/DC WAS the WRONG DIRECTION for the station. But you and I won't agree on that, ever.

And finally, this is radio programming. Just like politics, there are differing opinions about how to execute a format and target a demographic. Not all of them are right. I'll admit that in retrospect a straight up AAA on RXP wouldn't have done any better than what it did doing the hodgepodge that it was.

Lots of people thought that FM News would work too, and we all know how that turned out. Lots of people on this board, who aren't super experts could see that it wouldn't work and said so. Just shows you that sometimes when you're too close to something and have a vested interest it's tough to see the forest through the trees.

Since you've proclaimed yourself to be the expert on alternative and the 18-34 demo, and the final word on such, this is my last post because I'm tired of typing.

I'm done. I'll stick to the engineering board, Fell Out Boy, who's name and resume remain unknown, can now be emperor of the RXP posts and anything else on the NYC board.

For the record i dont claim to be an expert, I merely exposed some holes in your argument regarding wrxp, the alternative demographic and 18 year old girls in general. I also didnt call you any names but when you present your opinions like heir facts you should expect that someone will challenge them.