MarcR said:
In reality, music fragmentation started with the advent of Rock and Roll back in the middle '50s (many liked the music while many others, of the same age cohort, detested it) and only accelerated in subsequent decades. I love the ageing boomers on these radio message boards who think fragmentation in pop music started in the eighties! :
I am not a 'baby boomer" - so there goes that part of your theory. "Ageing" is a relative term and describes something we're all doing. Again, immaterial. Perhaps those of us who have been around for a while have learned a few things over that time.
And, your comment belies a lack of understanding about what I was referring to. Let me try again:
Prior to the 1980's, hit radio stations (which most people listened to) played EVERYTHING. From Barry Manilow to Led Zeppelin to James Brown. Everything. Check out a CHR station playlist from 1967 or 1974 (some are on the 'net). And, it worked.
During the 80's, that became less and less true, to the extent that certain heavy metal albums were barely represented on pop radio. The trend continued through the 1990's and accelerated. Few stations played a lot of Smashing Pumpkins or Pearl Jam and then followed it up with Dr. Dre. Certainly not more than one song. Not to mention that CHR radio bottomed out during that era and actually split into hip hop oriented CHR stations (like Wired) and mainstream CHR stations (like WPST). Few people were listening - they either gravitated toward rhythmic stations, alt rock stations or active rock stations. Your 90's music is probably different than someone else's 90's music. You see, son, 60's music is 60's music. Anyone of that generation shared the same musical experience. Not so for the 90's - and it's no so today. This is the problem with the idea.
You may not recall this, but there was a brief movement toward all-80's formats for a while. But, a station generally had to choose whether they wanted the format to be rock-based or R&B based or a hybrid of pop hits and certain new wave songs. None have been successful and the 80's format lasted only a year or two. This is an even more difficult problem for programming a 90's format because you couldn't even group a lot of "alternative" rock (by then it was grunge) with standard pop. So, if you want a 90's format, it will be highly niched and will not garner much of an audience.
From what I read here, it seems that you guys are thinking of a station that would primarily consist of grunge and rock music. What about Janet Jackson, Boyz II Men, Mariah Carey, TLC or Ice Cube? What, they don't fit with your idea? But they're 90's too. And, they all sold a heck of a lot of CDs. If you program a format with lots of Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, Bush, etc., those of your age who liked Janet and Mariah or Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg will not tune in.
See, that's why 'your' format would end up being niched. Trouble is: That kind of format may work on satellite, but it doesn't work in the radio marketplace. The ratings would be too low to attract advertisers. Satellite radio has a lot of formats that would never be offered on terrestrial radio.
That's what makes it different from a standard "oldies" format like WOGL has. Their listeners will sit through songs from the Temptations, Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones, the Supremes, the Kinks, etc. without tuning out. Popular music was in a different place back then and was more of a mass appeal platform. It was different music from a different era and you can't just extrapolate that experience to the 1990's. It will not work in the same way.
If you don't believe me, then look around and see how many stations are programming such a format. If it was such a great idea, it would be happening already.
