Another new Cox translator for Greenville?

[carolinaradio]

I wonder if there will be a name change coming soon, maybe mix 102.5.

Well, that was just one of their MANY mistakes when they first made the flip. They really didn't make any effort to rebrand themselves. They should have changed their name with the flip. Jazzing up the "MY" moniker wasn't enough. Of course, the very poor transition to Hot AC didn't help anything (ie., holding onto slower traditional AC songs -- even from the '70s when they first became "fresh").


No matter how they sound now and if they did change their name, it's probably futile at this point. The last year and half (or has it been longer now?) was mostly piss poor in terms of being true Hot AC. They did move in that direction in a stronger way in the Spring/Summer, but then some of those "sleepy" '80s songs started to creep back in. Since the Christmas music ended, it does seem like they truly are pure Hot AC now.

I think they held on to the MY name to retain some recognition. I guess I can see the reasoning, but I think it was too tarnished and set-in-stone with the older AC format. I still think thought a name like "Fresh" or "Mix" along with a cut and dry flip with a fresh, clean slate would have been better. Still don't understand the gradual shift towards Hot AC. They went to "fresh" in July 2011 and didn't even start reporting as Hot AC until April 2012! It was one of the most botched "format changes" I have ever heard.

I think they sound the best they ever have now. The 80s are definitely gone. Why they couldn't have had their crap together last year like this is beyond me. It's not that difficult. I think the 25-54 numbers on here had them almost last in the summer book.

 

[vchimpanzee]

Can we please use the My 102.5 topic for that station, so that we know we're reading about X-98.5 here?

 

[awp69]

As much as I like X98.5, they really, really need to freshen up their bumpers. Songs like "Take A Walk", "Ho Hey" and "Kill Your Heroes" have been out for months and yet they're still promoting them as "new music". In the meantime, a newer song, like Metric's "Breathing Underwater" has completely disappeared. It's charting on Alternative and haven't seen any complaints about the song on Facebook (since they seem to listen to comments on there). It still seems like they have something against female bands. It's like they throw a bone - like Churchill's "Change" - and think that's enough.

I'm not a female, but variety is good and Metric, even if they played an older single from them, is an Alternative staple.

Still listening because they are a good station. Just annoying sometimes to hear "new" music that isn't really new anymore. And kind of like the way The Planet refused to play anything without screaming and heavy guitar riffs. X seems to treat female artists the same way.

 

[awp69]

^^ Just to add to this. I was looking at X98.5's sister station 97X in Jacksonville and found it interesting to compare. The playlists are very similar with a few exceptions. 97X seems to play just about everything X98.5 plays but with just a few more Active Rock songs like I saw Metallica and Marilyn Manson in their Last Songs Played list. BUT they seem to be more female-artist friendly. Not only is Metric being played regularly but also groups like The Joy Formidable and older hits from the Cranberries.

Don't know why this bothers me, but probably my only real nit pick with X98.5. I'd love to hear The Joy Formidable in the line-up in addition to bringing back Metric.

 

[carolinaradio]

"Ho Hey" was a hit when they signed on the air, actually (this is one of my least favorite songs from 2012, BTW), and they didn't play it at first. Do you mean 97X in Tampa or X-102.9 in Jacksonville? Both are Cox Alternatives so I can't tell which one you mean. I think 97X is a little better myself.
If you're talking about X-102.9 in Jacksonville, it could be a little more active leaning because I don't believe that market has an Active station.

In addition to what you mention - they still don't play anything like Paramore or Florence and the Machine. They do play Evanescence sometimes which could count towards female acts. The lack of Metric is head-scratching, and I can't think of anything that would be offensive about them. I don't know why you would add something new just to pull it before it's peaked on the chart, unless there was an overwhelming negative reaction (which there doesn't seem to be)...

 

[awp69]

Yeah, got mixed up. It was 97X in Tampa. The playlist was very similar to our X98.5 but maybe a bit broader - seeing that they play a little more active rock like the bands I mentioned, but also are playing more bleeding edge alt songs like The Joy Formidable single that just came out a few weeks ago.

Metric is far from offensive. Only thing that seems to correlate is that they started playing Churchill around the same time they stopped playing Metric. Seriously hope they don't feel they just need to hit a quota or something. If it's good alternative, it doesn't matter if it's female led.

What's stranger is that a good percentage of their Facebook fans seem to be female.

Even if they do take some opinions from their listeners, it's still probably some corporate suit saying what they think is appropriate for the market. They still clearly are trying to go after The Planet and maybe think female artists are somehow a turn off to that crowd.


Oh and "Ho Hey" and "Take a Walk" are starting to grate on my nerves. But they still are in the top 10 on at least the Billboard Alternative radio chart. Think they're way past their prime. And even more annoying when they're announced as "new music".

Feel like I'm complaining too much when I'm still grateful to have the station.

 

[carolinaradio]

X 98.5 played "Breathing Underwater" earlier today!

 

[awp69]

X 98.5 played "Breathing Underwater" earlier today!

Missed that but good to hear! I was wondering if they'd ever respond to my Facebook post asking to put it back in the mix. Seems lately that they respond more to the positive posts where they used to address even the negative ones. Wonder if someone else took over their FB duties.

 

[awp69]

Interesting....they played Florence & the Machine this morning for the first time that I know of as well.

 

[carolinaradio]

Interesting....they played Florence & the Machine this morning for the first time that I know of as well.

Wow - they keep getting better. Flo & Machine have rarely been heard around here, except for when MY played them a little after they went fresh. I've been reading posts on the Atlanta board about how that market doesn't have an Alternative or AAA station - several years ago, I never would have thought it would be the other way around.

 

[awp69]

Interesting....they played Florence & the Machine this morning for the first time that I know of as well.

Wow - they keep getting better. Flo & Machine have rarely been heard around here, except for when MY played them a little after they went fresh. I've been reading posts on the Atlanta board about how that market doesn't have an Alternative or AAA station - several years ago, I never would have thought it would be the other way around.

Strangely, it was just played once the entire day and, while having a good music selection, there's very few songs on X's playlist that don't get played at least 3-4 times a day. Wonder if it was just something thrown in as a request. But even requested songs I've seen requested on FB might take a day or two to get onto the air as I'm pretty sure it's almost completely automated / pre-planned days in advance (not the occasional DJ slots that other stations get to fill).

 

[carolinaradio]

Well, I've rarely (if ever) heard a 90s song that's older played more than once in a day, so maybe it's just a light rotation like those.

This is something I like about Radio 104.5 that it seems like so few other Alternative stations do - they play a GREAT (IMO) selection of 90s Alternative that most Alt.'s don't - like Dave Matthews, Verve Pipe, New Radicals, Soul Asylum, No Doubt, Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms, Counting Crows, Goo Goo Dolls - these are some of the 90s Alternative bands that I enjoy instead of the worn out grunge/post-grunge stuff that seems to get much of the spotlight. I still don't get the draw of any kind of grunge over the stuff I mentioned.

 

[awp69]

Well, I've rarely (if ever) heard a 90s song that's older played more than once in a day, so maybe it's just a light rotation like those.  

This is something I like about Radio 104.5 that it seems like so few other Alternative stations do - they play a GREAT (IMO) selection of 90s Alternative that most Alt.'s don't - like Dave Matthews, Verve Pipe, New Radicals, Soul Asylum, No Doubt, Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms, Counting Crows, Goo Goo Dolls - these are some of the 90s Alternative bands that I enjoy instead of the worn out grunge/post-grunge stuff that seems to get much of the spotlight.  I still don't get the draw of any kind of grunge over the stuff I mentioned.

Yep, feel the same about the 90s stuff. I too wish they'd play bands like you mentioned. Even things like R.E.M., The Cure, Depeche Mode and the like were played on Alt stations in the '90s and would be nice to hear instead of all the grunge. I even find it sad that a once huge band like U2 has been pretty much banished to Hot AC or Variety Hits.

Seems like they have cut back a little (again) on the grunge. But since it was cut back before then seemed to start creeping back up in the airplay counts, I don't know if that will hold. They seemed to have put a lot of re-currents that they were saying were "new" into some of those slots and finally changing some of their bumpers to put the "introduction to new music" before songs that are truly new.

The fact that they're at least putting more of what are really re-currents in-between the "new" songs (which seem to be about every 4-5 songs) at least is making them sound even a bit more focused on newer music. That said, those other, 90s slots don't need to be all grunge.

BTW, they did play Florence & the Machine again today. Maybe just a once a day type rotation.

 

[awp69]

Just FYI. They've got a new music survey linked on their Facebook page. What I liked was that only one of the songs questioned even sounded remotely Active Rock (also the only song in the sampling that I had never heard). Also gives you the chance to tell them we're sick of hearing "Ho Hey" and a few others they've overkilled.

And the best part....a question about how you feel about a station that plays grunge (well, they list a few grunge bands). Of course, I was all the way against it on the survey (even though I don't mind it on an occassional basis).

Wish they had given some sort of free form input to list some bands that we'd like to hear -- like the ones mentioned in the past few posts.

 

[carolinaradio]

Well, I've rarely (if ever) heard a 90s song that's older played more than once in a day, so maybe it's just a light rotation like those.

This is something I like about Radio 104.5 that it seems like so few other Alternative stations do - they play a GREAT (IMO) selection of 90s Alternative that most Alt.'s don't - like Dave Matthews, Verve Pipe, New Radicals, Soul Asylum, No Doubt, Blues Traveler, Gin Blossoms, Counting Crows, Goo Goo Dolls - these are some of the 90s Alternative bands that I enjoy instead of the worn out grunge/post-grunge stuff that seems to get much of the spotlight. I still don't get the draw of any kind of grunge over the stuff I mentioned.

Yep, feel the same about the 90s stuff. I too wish they'd play bands like you mentioned. Even things like R.E.M., The Cure, Depeche Mode and the like were played on Alt stations in the '90s and would be nice to hear instead of all the grunge. I even find it sad that a once huge band like U2 has been pretty much banished to Hot AC or Variety Hits.

This is very true. I have always hoped/suggested that X-98.5 would do a 90s block on the weekends, or a 90s lunch hour, or maybe a 90s @ 9 type feature. IMO, the 90s was the peak decade for Alternative music - so many great bands, so many great songs. Heck, of all music genres in that decade, I think Alternative was the best, hands down (might be a little nostalgic for me, as well). The best chance for hearing the less-grungy stuff from the 90s around here would be MY. Most Hot AC's have even moved away from 90s Alt., but I'm glad they haven't.

I'm all for hearing some older mixed in with new - but just not all post-grunge or grunge. Alternative had a variety of sounds in the 90s.

Some Alternatives still play R.E.M., Cure, U2, etc. CD-102.5 in Columbus has a very interesting playlist that occasionally goes back to the 1970s. They are locally owned, so they have a unique sound. They even play Peter Gabriel, The Police, The Clash, and so on.

Thanks for the heads up on the survey!

 

[awp69]

Can't declare victory over grunge yet, but nice to see that they actually played Metric about the same number, if not a few more times, than Nirvana over the past few days.

Hope your FB post regarding non-grunge '90s music gets some attention.

 

[carolinaradio]

Yeah, even 106.5 The End in Charlotte (who mixes in a fair helping of Active rock) plays some of the older, more mainstream Alternative like U2, Cranberries, Depeche, No Doubt, DMB, etc.

I am so glad to hear Metric, and I also like the new one by The Joy Formidable. I was surprised "Thrift Shop" wasn't on the music test. Not that I'm complaining...I say it's going to do better on CHR than on Alternative.

BTW, I had no idea until the other day that Florence Welch (yes, of The Machine) had a solo track out with Calvin Harris. I haven't listened to CHR much lately, so I'm not up on some of the new hits. Interesting to hear her doing something with a rhythmic/dance sound.

 

[carolinaradio]

I caught the end of another Florence & The Machine song I hadn't heard them play until this afternoon - "Shake It Out."

 

[awp69]

Didn't take long for X to respond to your request. Not exactly playing non-grunge '90s, but they did play last year's "Settle Down", by No Doubt this morning. Surprised me, but glad to hear it.

 

[carolinaradio]

^ That's interesting, because "Settle Down" just peaked at #19. I didn't think it was their best work, but it was good to hear them back together again. Good to know!