Another new Cox translator for Greenville?

[awp69]

ALTERNATIVE is it, X98.5!

First song - Fun. - We Are Young

After the local host wrapped things up, the "PD" came in, said he voted for Obama, and said it was better to just play music..."It's The End Of The World As We Know It" started up with "Planet" spliced in over and over, then some sound effects, and it came on. Great stunt and sign on.

Holy crap! I'm out in Arkansas visiting my in-laws (oh, what fun....). And this comes on the air. Can't wait to get back to check it out.

Wouldn't mind hearing some impressions on the station so I know what to expect! Anything's got to be better than The Planet (goes without saying, of course). I hope when Cox sells off the stations in Greenville that this doesn't go away.

 

[carolinaradio]

I haven't been able to sit and listen for an extended period of time yet, but I've heard a lot of stuff Planet wouldn't touch. Foster The People, Fun, Third Eye Blind, etc.

Hopefully they'll get a stream up soon - I think you'll like it. Sounds good to me, way better than 93.3. I campaigned for Alternative all along, but never thought I'd hear it on the radio around here.

 

[tylerSC]

So apparently the whole Talk98.5 bit was just a big stunt until the new X98.5 debuted. Hide the real plans until launch time. Hopefully this will please the alternative rock fans out there. But I was kind of hoping for a Cox formatted talk station to counter WORD, which I normally don't choose to listen to. So are there any local stations still carrying Neal Boortz and Clark Howard? Meanwhile, I guess I'll just stream WSB.

 

[freqdev]

stop it. you might go blind

 

[carolinaradio]

So apparently the whole Talk98.5 bit was just a big stunt until the new X98.5 debuted. Hide the real plans until launch time. Hopefully this will please the alternative rock fans out there. But I was kind of hoping for a Cox formatted talk station to counter WORD, which I normally don't choose to listen to. So are there any local stations still carrying Neal Boortz and Clark Howard? Meanwhile, I guess I'll just stream WSB.

As far as I know, 1600 WFIS has both (they used to have the translator at 94.9, which, BTW, is now transmitting 1070 WCSZ and its Spanish format). They also have some interesting programming like Laura Ingraham and Loveline. I have heard Clark Howard on 103.1 WRIX. It's a shame to continue to see WORD have no competition. The only thing I really care for on there is Coast to Coast AM, it would be nice if they would remove Mike Gallagher and Bob McLain and put Neal Boortz and Clark Howard on, but I know that won't happen as both have such loyal followings, especially Mike Gallagher (probably my least favorite national host on the station).

The whole Talk 98.5 thing was indeed a smokescreen and that last hour stunt was really tricking. X98.5 was planned since June if you look at their Facebook pages and web domain, which they didn't even register with the typical Cox registrant. They got to have some fun with Entercom/WORD for a month, now on to Entercom and The Planet. I love how they are hammering The Planet in so many of their liners/bumpers!

I noticed that the 94.1 translator is still broadcasting Hot 98.1. How is this? It was being fed via WJMZ-HD2 (now X, used to be Hot which made that possible). FCC requires there to be an original source for translator programming.

 

[upstate29651]

I haven't been able to sit and listen for an extended period of time yet, but I've heard a lot of stuff Planet wouldn't touch. Foster The People, Fun, Third Eye Blind, etc.

So X is going for the "poppy" side of Alternative vs. being an active clone.

How is Planet responding?

G

 

[awp69]

I haven't been able to sit and listen for an extended period of time yet, but I've heard a lot of stuff Planet wouldn't touch. Foster The People, Fun, Third Eye Blind, etc.

So X is going for the "poppy" side of Alternative vs. being an active clone.

How is Planet responding?

G

Not there to hear it but I would guess it's just Alternative. The "active" rock stuff that The Planet plays skews heavily towards thrashing, hard-rock including older stuff by the likes of Ozzy Ozborne. To me Active and Alternative itself are very different. Slipknot and Five Finger Death Punch are pretty much the heavy-metal of the 2000s in my book not really alternative. Alternative to me isn't always "poppy", it's just newer rock that's more cutting edge.

 

[upstate29651]

Alternative to me isn't always "poppy", it's just newer rock that's more cutting edge.

"Fun." isn't cutting edge.

Let's revisit the 1990's. Active rock was born of a heavy Grunge & post-grunge sound, combined with 70's & 80's gold (Ozzy, etc). Mainstream alternative was where active rock was living before it was given a name. Alternative remained, for the most part (and still is in some markets), interchangeable with 90% of an active rockers playlist thru the 90's til now.

NOW the newer bands in Alternative are far from edgy or heavy. Many have a lighthearted, peppy sound. The newer stuff could easily cross over to your local CHR outlet, but will never see the light of day on the crosstown rocker. I'd categorize most new alternative music this way. I'd say there is now a distinct difference between active & alternative; to the point that they shouldn't be competing against each other.

G

 

[carolinaradio]

Have been listening for the last hour, and tried to keep track of what they played:

Black Keys - Howlin' For You
Bush - Glycerine
311 - Don't Tread On Me
Weezer - Sweater Song
Green Day - Blvd. Of Broken Dreams
Soundgarden - Black Days
Cage The Elephant - Shake Me Down
Cake - Going The Distance
Linkin Park - Faint
Korn - Freak On A Leash
Of Monsters & Men - Little Talks
RHCP - Under The Bridge
American Hi-Fi - Flavor Of The Weak
Live - Lightning Crashes

Haven't listened to The Planet to hear if they have reacted any.

 

[awp69]

Alternative to me isn't always "poppy", it's just newer rock that's more cutting edge.

"Fun." isn't cutting edge.

Let's revisit the 1990's. Active rock was born of a heavy Grunge & post-grunge sound, combined with 70's & 80's gold (Ozzy, etc). Mainstream alternative was where active rock was living before it was given a name. Alternative remained, for the most part (and still is in some markets), interchangeable with 90% of an active rockers playlist thru the 90's til now.

NOW the newer bands in Alternative are far from edgy or heavy. Many have a lighthearted, peppy sound. The newer stuff could easily cross over to your local CHR outlet, but will never see the light of day on the crosstown rocker. I'd categorize most new alternative music this way. I'd say there is now a distinct difference between active & alternative; to the point that they shouldn't be competing against each other.

G

I think you misunderstand what I mean by "cutting edge". Back in the '90s when alternative was born groups like R.E.M., Weezer, Cake and the Cranberries were side by side with Nirvana, Pearl Jam and the grunge that's migrated mostly to active rock stations. I would says there's less "cutting edge" about groups like Korn and Five Finger Death Punch than there is with even a group like Fun., Gotye or Of Monsters & Men. These groups are at least bringing a different sound to the table. And honestly, I think the reason why some alternative rock is corssing over to CHR is because people are getting tired of the same old Top 40 pop of Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and the like. I wouldn't call "Someone That You Used to Know" a pop song. It's a quirky rock song that just caught on. Cutting edge does not equal loud rock.

 

[carolinaradio]

I have to agree with awp69 about groups like Fun., Gotye, Neon Trees, Grouplove, Of Monsters & Men, etc. They are something new and different, and more unique, instead of the same loud, noisy rock that dominates Active Rockers like 93.3 The Planet. I'm sure that music has its audience, but it just all sounds the same to me.

I actually like the mix of guitar rock and "peppy" rock on Alternative, but that's just my taste. X98.5 doesn't go that far back (like I've said, they do play some 90s, though), and I like the presentation...not "in your face" like The Planet (however, that's typical for an Alternative, like Radio 104.5). X-98.5 actually has class in its presentation, somewhat. I know Cox uses "X" in all of its Alt. stations, but I think it's fitting here given that 103X used it in the 90s in their short existence. I've actually heard people still talk about that station 15 years later.

Here's a question; if Active Rock was playing 70s and 80s music in the 90s, why is 93.3 still playing Pink Floyd, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Aerosmith from the 70s? Especially since that's sister station WROQ's territory? What a mess of a station.

 

[awp69]

Here's a question; if Active Rock was playing 70s and 80s music in the 90s, why is 93.3 still playing Pink Floyd, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Aerosmith from the 70s?  Especially since that's sister station WROQ's territory?  What a mess of a station. 

Yeah, if the loud, same sounding Active Rock music wasn't enough, mixing in this makes it even worse. Guess there's an audience for it or else it wouldn't have lasted as long as it has.

But it sounds like I'll be happy with the new X98.5. Thanks for posting some of the songs. Sounds like they may be more along the lines of 99X in Atlanta than 104.5 in Philly, but it's still much better than anything we currently have. While I've liked the new MY, I'm pretty sure I'll be listening to this much more.

(Oh, and sorry about all the typos in my last post....geez...and you'd wonder how I was a journalist at one time...Think the Internet turns my spelling and grammar side of my brain off.)

 

[carolinaradio]

X98.5 is way more gold heavy than Radio 104.5, from what I have gotten to hear. I haven't listened to 99X in quite a while so I don't know what they're doing these days.

Yeah, this will cut in to my listening of MY also. It may take some of the male (or even female) listeners they have away from them, but I don't think it would really have a significant impact on them.

I expect this, just like Chuck FM, to quickly surpass Shine in its first book. What a joke that station is. Translators have way more potential, and that signal is better.

 

[KyleSmith1988]

What is cox playing on the HD Channels...Theres gotta be 4 of them in use.
Hot 98.1 AFAIK was on the HD2 but now X98.5 says that's their position.
Next time I'm in Spartanburg or further west I'll have to flip on 107.3, must be alot of choices on that frquency.

My guess:
107.3 HD-1...Jamz
107.3 HD-2...X98.5
107.3 HD-3...Chuck FM
107.3 HD-4...Hot 98.1

IMO the audio quality on 98.5 didn't sound all that great with some of their songs, but it's still good.
Glad to see alternative on the dial finally.

I'm able to hear it up in the Cowpens area, though pretty weak I can still hear it ok if I move around a little.
It does a little better than 97.7 up here which is plagued by both surrounding WCOS & WPEG.

98.5 is gonna be a big mess during tropo up here, now there'll be 4 things trying for the 98.5 frequency up here,
Greenville, Atlanta, Columbia & Tri-Cities.

I just tried 98.5 here in Cowpens and I'm getting a mix of WTFM & X depending on antenna position...
we've had some good tropo up here the past few nights.

 

[carolinaradio]

There was never any paperwork filed with the FCC to say that the 94.1 translator would be fed via WJMZ-HD4, though. I wonder if that translator is really necessary to the point of comprimising more audio on WJMZ's HD.

I get a much stronger signal from 98.5 than 97.7, which is odd, because it has less wattage. Both are on the same tower. 97.7 is a much clearer frequency, also.

I think I am the happiest with the variety of choices on the dial I have been here in a long time. Between this, ChuckFM, MY, and Channel 96.1 in Charlotte when I want CHR, there is plenty for me to listen to.

 

[Kent]

There was never any paperwork filed with the FCC to say that the 94.1 translator would be fed via WJMZ-HD4, though.

I'm not sure they even have to. If they do, it's a recent requirement as the FCC didn't used to consider HD subchannels separate from the main station. You just listed the calls of the main station, and you were free to translate any channel on the main station you wanted. Also, keep in mind that those translator apps don't always show up on the FCC website. So, if they did make a change, it's possible they filed it, and we just can't see it.

I wonder if that translator is really necessary to the point of comprimising more audio on WJMZ's HD.

I'm sure they'd think it is because very few people really listen to the HD. They'd probably rather have a makeshift large cluster to compete with Entercom and Clear Channel.

I get a much stronger signal from 98.5 than 97.7, which is odd, because it has less wattage. Both are on the same tower. 97.7 is a much clearer frequency, also.

That is odd. 98.5 is also about 35 feet below 97.7 on that tower.

 

[carolinaradio]

There was never any paperwork filed with the FCC to say that the 94.1 translator would be fed via WJMZ-HD4, though.

I'm not sure they even have to. If they do, it's a recent requirement as the FCC didn't used to consider HD subchannels separate from the main station. You just listed the calls of the main station, and you were free to translate any channel on the main station you wanted. Also, keep in mind that those translator apps don't always show up on the FCC website. So, if they did make a change, it's possible they filed it, and we just can't see it.

I know upon reviewing some of the applications for these translators, they have noted that "______ will rebroadcast the HD2 channel of WJMZ-FM", for example. That was the reason I thought it was necessary.

That is odd. 98.5 is also about 35 feet below 97.7 on that tower.

I was near the tower site today and took my portable Grundig G8. 98.5 was around 36dbu in strength while 97.7 was around 42dbu. However, the 98.5 signal definitely carries better in the car and on my portable radio at home. I have to work to get 97.7 clearly, but 98.5 is quite easy. I wonder why 98.5 couldn't be the full 250 watts.

 

[ngriffin]

The antenna mounting may affect the strengths of 97.7 and 98.5 in certain directions. Unless they are using a panel antenna, the tower will distort the pattern a bit. Some stations use that to their advantage (side mount on a tower facing the target population). Of course, space on a tower is limited and sometimes a station has to take what's available.

 

[KyleSmith1988]

I was near the tower site today and took my portable Grundig G8. 98.5 was around 36dbu in strength while 97.7 was around 42dbu. However, the 98.5 signal definitely carries better in the car and on my portable radio at home. I have to work to get 97.7 clearly, but 98.5 is quite easy. I wonder why 98.5 couldn't be the full 250 watts.

Yesterday when I went to Greenville, I didn't get a static free signal from 98.5 until I reached exit 60 on I-85. It doesn't do so well around exit 63 but its semi-ok in and around Spartanburg. 97.7 does about the same in Spartanburg until you head east then WPEG really starts to interfere. Although yesterday I stopped at the light on Haywood Rd above 385 and I had static on 97.7 at that intersetion, 98.5 didn't, but it was ok when we started moving again.

 

[carolinaradio]

Finally a website, but no stream:

http://www.x985fm.com/

I get static on several stations, 102.5 and 93.7 I know, at that intersection. Not sure why.