• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Best program Alt stations.

B

buzzrockradio

Guest
My top 6 (not incuding my own):
WEQX
91X
YROCK ON XPN (formally Y100rocks.com)
INDIE 103.1
KTCL
G Rock Radio
 
Here's mine:

1) KBZT/San Diego
2) XTRA/San Deigo
3) KDLD/LA
4) KRBZ/Kansas City
5) WLUM/Milwaukee (the newest version)
 
Just curious, why are these stations great? For my choices, I've combined my personal criteria for enjoyment, along with ratings success, creative programming, jock presentation, and music balance.

1.) KROQ - overhyped, but the station flows
2.) KCNL (rip) - Way eclectic alternative, which got ratings, but went away because of money
3.) KWOD - Been getting better lately
4.) WBRU - The anti-Alternative-alternative. They manage to get ratings despite crappy DJ's and marginal production. Yet, there's still an organic charm to the station.
5.) KDGE - Yes, its borderline active rock, but the station sounds good and they get ratings
 
I picked my stations because of music, imaging and jocks.
 
1. indie 103.1
2. k-slug 94.1 eureka - arcata, california
3. 94.7 portland
4. wwcd columbus
5. weqx
 
My top 5, in no particular order

WEQX Manchester, VT/Albany, NY: Best overall
WHFS Baltimore: Good to see the format running at least part-time
WFNX Boston: Gets points for originality and promotions
KDLD Los Angeles: I like a stations that's all over the place musically
WBRU Providence: Kind of a generic playlist, but really promotes local music and has an independent spirit

Honorable mentions:
WHTG Jersey Shore
WWDC Columbus
WCYY Portland, ME (I am CYY)
XTRA San Diego
 
Re: Best Alt stations.

wow, the music being played on wlum these days is right on the mark.

1) Indie/LA
2) WLUM/Milwaukee
3) 91X/San Diego
4) KBZT/San Diego
5) Q101/Chicago

marko 83 - our tastes are similar :)
 
mine is only a top 3...but..

1. WTGZ "The Tiger/ Auburn Al
2. WRAX "The X @100.5" / B'ham Al
3. 99x /Atlanta
 
I dont have a top 5...

but 96 Wave in Charleston is an excellent Alt that stays true to the format, reflects the community it is in, supports local music (plays locals in regular rotation..'working title, red handed, #1 contender, ect...) does a good job of breaking tunes and going deeper into album cuts.

Indie 103 is an alt in the true spirit of the format.

X96 in SLC does a good job at alt and reflects the community

The SD alts/actives are corporate bs saying that they arent corporate bs.

99x...havent checked them out in awhile, but last i did they were more an active/alt(ish) not an alt. I like them though...
 
hamNcheese said:
I dont have a top 5...

but 96 Wave in Charleston is an excellent Alt that stays true to the format, reflects the community it is in, supports local music (plays locals in regular rotation..'working title, red handed, #1 contender, ect...) does a good job of breaking tunes and going deeper into album cuts.

Indie 103 is an alt in the true spirit of the format.

X96 in SLC does a good job at alt and reflects the community

The SD alts/actives are corporate bs saying that they arent corporate bs.

99x...havent checked them out in awhile, but last i did they were more an active/alt(ish) not an alt. I like them though...
Click to expand...

I think that everyone in New York City, Philadelphia and surrounding areas have forgotten what an Alternative is supposed to sound like. The closest thing we have to Alternative is one of those "Corporate BS" stations that plays an extremely safe format with only the hits - the funny thing is that it's not CBS, Clear Channel or a really massive media conglomerate that runs it. This station is different in that it sounds closer to a Hot AC than an Active Rocker.

We've had a few good Alternatives in South Jersey bite the dust recently - one turned into a CHR that gets even weaker ratings, the other morphed into a good Active Rock/Alternative station that was rebranded as "The Ace" and kept its calls. I don't understand how these stations can call themselves Alternative when they slam Evanescence, All American Rejects, Fall Out Boy, 3 Doors Down, Switchfoot and other acts while virtually ignoring The Smiths, Joy Division, Depeche Mode, The Pixies, Sonic Youth and the heavier bands of today that still fit in better than this soft corporate pop music that gets played now.

As far as well-programmed Alternatives - I would go with Indie 103.1 in Santa Monica, The End in Seattle, K-Rock in Cleveland, WLIR in Long Island (Suffolk County) and WOCL (O-Rock 105.9) in Orlando. I'm sure there's some stations that I might have missed or don't know about, but all of these stations represent the type of Alternative that a station in NYC, Philly, and surrounding areas should aspire to sound like.
 
94/7 NRK Portland
Indie 103.1 LA
103.9 The Edge Phoenix
Live 105 SF
FNX Boston (That snapple thing was damn creative)
Fly 92.7 Wichita (only heard it while passing through a few years ago, but what I heard of it really impressed me. too bad its going spanish in September)
 
DC101/WWDC: WASHINGTON DC
STAR 101.9/WUCD: HONOLULU
KROQ 106.1/KROQ: LOS ANGELES
104.7 THE EDGE/KTEG: Albuquerque
 
I have to say, I almost gave up on modern rock radio in the last few years as stations went to tight playlists and an excess of metal and commercial crap (like Nickleback).

Add to that the demise of some very good stations, like KJQ in SLC, The Spy in OK City, The Edge and REV105 in Minneapolis and WOXY (on-air).

Recently, the format seems to have made a comeback by just going back to basics. And that's a very good thing.

I haven't had the chance to listen to many alt stations as of late, but in my town (Milwaukee), WLUM relaunched recently and they finally sound pretty good after years of horrible programming. Bigger playlist, some neat gold selections (Replacements, Primus) and even the occasional oddball track (Run DMC, Pantera, Public Enemy, Black Flag, Snoop Dogg, They Might Be Giants). They claim they ditched the consultant and took back control of the station after years of two hour rotations, bad music selections, lame syndicated morning shows (Mancow, Bob and Tom) and a track from the Beastie Boys' ancient "Licence to Ill" just about every hour. Still a bit too much grunge (at times they still sound like the "Soundgarden Station"), but they're getting there. Jocks even sound somewhat apologetic for playing Stone Temple Pilots. Nice imaging, too.

Q101 also refocused a year ago, and they sound great. I like the wide playlist.

Also tuned in to Drive 105 in Minneapolis via stream. I've always liked them, though it seems a bit neglected by ABC. They've focused their alternative approach as of late after flirting with a hard AAA direction years back.

And then there's Indie 103.1. Shows that an approach that shouldn't work on radio actually does.

I'm a bit wary of any station owned by CBS (they tend to be active rock hybrids), though I will check out KROQ and Live 105 sometime today, something I haven't done in years (I'm glad CBS is finally streaming their stations, though I wish they did this back in the 90s when their stations were actually good).
 
CC-run Alt rockers used to be good (the old WJRR in Orlando was great!), but they all suck now.

I dig 96Wave in Charleston (last of a dying breed), 99X in Atlanta (heritage, and trying to refocus), and TK101 in Pensacola (a CC station, but still pretty good).

G
 
jaycomedia said:
1. WTGZ "The Tiger/ Auburn Al
2. WRAX "The X @100.5" / B'ham Al
3. 99x /Atlanta
Click to expand...

Sorry jaycomedia, but Citadel pulled the plug on the X a few days ago.

Reports are they took it sports, simulcasting WJOX, their 50kW AM blowtorch.

Just today however I read that Clear Channel jumped into rock B'ham by ditching gospel for alt.rock on 105.5... Hope they do better than the X, which by all accounts was a shell of its former self. I remember back when they were considered one of the better alternative stations out there, but their downward spiral couldn't be stopped, it seems. It's too bad, a lot of the DJ's sounded passionate about their music.

I always figured them more corporate rock tho. Not that there's anything wrong with that. 99X in ATL and TK 101 in Pensacola both do that well.

Personally, my list is short too...

1. KEXP Seattle
2. WTGZ Auburn, AL (always jealous of their translator in Montgomery, it meant Mont. had the best rock in AL!)

Wow. Shorter than I thought. There just aren't that many Alt rockers out there anymore that are worth listening to... Mostly I like XMU on XM for alternative rock (etc) music. WVUA out of Tuscaloosa and 770 AM out of Minneapolis played a lot of good music, but those are college stations.
 
Let's see... my list consists of some college stations.

1.) WHTG- GRock- Monmouth/Ocean- NJ. Great sound, great music selection.
2.) KSDJ- Brookings, SD. College station from the University of South Dakota. Great musical selection.
3.) KXUL- Monroe, LA. College station from the University of Louisana- Monroe. I've found a ton of bands I would never have heard of without tuning into them.
4.) WICB- Ithaca, NY- OK. I'm biased because I DJed from them.. but it's a great blend of indie/popular.
5.) KRBZ- Kansas City- I can't stand the 4 songs then 2 minutes of commercials thing... but musically, a great station.


I really haven't had time to listen to many others... but that's my list.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom