Can Houston radio get any worse?

[Fieldtech1]

With all the "Houston radio sucks" , "cox sucks" post its hard to keep score of who likes what.

 

[willdav713]

With all the "Houston radio sucks" , "cox sucks" post its hard to keep score of who likes what.

There seems to be no complaints in the Regional Mexican format department.

 

[metroneck]

My CD player has never sounded better since H-town radio continues it's slope down from quality radio offering variety to a diverse population of millions upon millions of potential listeners. I will pronounce it officially dead to me when I receive my FM transmitter to play internet radio off my smart phone.

Why dont you like KHJK? They spins lots of 90s alt rock. They are the only H-town station spinning the #1 song on the Alt Rock charts- Foster the People's 'Pumped up Kicks'. I have discovered new artist thanks to KHJK, like The Avett Brothers, Alpha Rev, and others that dont get airplay on 'the Fizz' i mean 'the Buzz'.

Um....where in my post does it say I don't like KHJK? I actually do listen to KHJK quite a bit. Actually, it's the only station I will listen to. You might want to re-read before you make a comment or make assumptions.

KHJK doesn't suck, but I don't feel any loyalty to the station. 1 of 5 songs are great, but I only catch about 3 songs a day. I'm a P1 Buzzard, and a P5--103

 

[slaterradio]

Call me crazy if you must, but I find Houston radio superior to most other major markets. It beats the tar out of Dallas and San Antonio (and I lived in or near both of those cities and know the FM/AM offerings quite well).

Dallas may boast four hip-hop stations, but two of them operate on crappy signals. Neither of the popular frequencies there jams better than The Box. KBXX's presentation still wins that fight for Houston. I also disagree with the notion that the station stays stuck in the past. It comes across as up-to-date as "The Beat."

Mega 101 (after it dumped the doomed-from-the-start Reggaeton format) morphed into a Spanish-language hits operation that plays some popular English currents. Even if 101.1 often sounds like a 104.9 clone and vice versa, at least Houston has stations dedicated to Mana, Juanes, Julieta Venegas, Paulina Rubio and Shakira's Spanish-language music.

Mega, in its infancy, should have been called "Daddy Yankee and all his wannabes." It was either that or the indistinguishable tunes on Estereo Latino. I prefer the Spanish-language ditties without an accordion in every bleeping song.

Native speakers who like Norteno and the other Regional Mexican staples can get their fix on several frequencies. Those folks with more developed taste (a potshot perhaps) can dial up Mega or Party.

KRBE is one of the few non-generic CHRs left in the country. You can travel anywhere in this great country and hear a “Kiss FM” or a “Hot.” Enough already. The same music may dominate all of these stations, but the voiceovers and presentation make a difference. How many frequencies are still known exclusively by their call letters?

You can’t get that in Dallas, San Antonio or Austin.

I tend to hate Roula and Ryan, but I would rather listen to a morning show delivered live in Houston than Kidd Kraddick’s syndicated, aimless show.

On that subject, how many other markets still offer multiple popular frequencies with local morning shows? San Francisco, for the longest time, did not provide many options there.

Detest Rod Ryan or The Buzz all you want, but at least that show attempts to connect with the Houston community. The station’s playlist is programmed well enough to appease active rock aficionados and alternative junkies.

No station in Dallas airs anything as interesting or intriguing as KHJK’s “Live at Five” segment. I enjoy the option of tuning into a mini-concert that might feature anyone from John Mayer to Talking Heads to Sting to Feist to early 90s STP.

Rich Lord remains a gold standard for sports talk show hosts in any big market. KILT’s lineup delivers the right combination of sidesplitting humor, abrasive opinions, compelling interviews with popular athletes, plus non-sports mainstays.

If you want a guy to find creative ways to bash the woeful Astros, Charlie Pallilo is a fantastic choice.

Call me wacko if you must, but I don’t find Houston terrestrial radio abominable. If you complainers lived in the markets you trumpet now, I bet you’d wish you were back here.

 

[mr.ric]

Can Houston radio get any worse?

If that rumor of 106.9 being sold to Univision turns out to be true.... then hell yes!

 

[Drucifer]

The grass is always greener on the other side. Houston radio is no better and/or no worse than anyplace else. It is what it is. That being said, there are things that could make the market better depending on whose opinion we are hearing.

 

[willdav713]

Call me crazy if you must, but I find Houston radio superior to most other major markets. It beats the tar out of Dallas and San Antonio (and I lived in or near both of those cities and know the FM/AM offerings quite well).

Dallas may boast four hip-hop stations, but two of them operate on crappy signals. Neither of the popular frequencies there jams better than The Box. KBXX's presentation still wins that fight for Houston. I also disagree with the notion that the station stays stuck in the past. It comes across as up-to-date as "The Beat."

Mega 101 (after it dumped the doomed-from-the-start Reggaeton format) morphed into a Spanish-language hits operation that plays some popular English currents. Even if 101.1 often sounds like a 104.9 clone and vice versa, at least Houston has stations dedicated to Mana, Juanes, Julieta Venegas, Paulina Rubio and Shakira's Spanish-language music.

Mega, in its infancy, should have been called "Daddy Yankee and all his wannabes." It was either that or the indistinguishable tunes on Estereo Latino. I prefer the Spanish-language ditties without an accordion in every bleeping song.

Native speakers who like Norteno and the other Regional Mexican staples can get their fix on several frequencies. Those folks with more developed taste (a potshot perhaps) can dial up Mega or Party.

I think 3 FM stations is enough for that format. San Antonio has 2 KLEY 95.7, and KROM 92.9

KRBE is one of the few non-generic CHRs left in the country. You can travel anywhere in this great country and hear a “Kiss FM” or a “Hot.” Enough already. The same music may dominate all of these stations, but the voiceovers and presentation make a difference. How many frequencies are still known exclusively by their call letters?

You can’t get that in Dallas, San Antonio or Austin.

Austin still has KGSR as 102.7 and 93.3 KGSR.

San Antonio still has 1200 WOAI, KONO 101, KZEP 104.5, 94.1 KTFM, and 99.5 KISS

Detest Rod Ryan or The Buzz all you want, but at least that show attempts to connect with the Houston community. The station’s playlist is programmed well enough to appease active rock aficionados and alternative junkies.

It is hard to compare 94.5 The Buzz to 99.5 KISS.

No station in Dallas airs anything as interesting or intriguing as KHJK’s “Live at Five” segment. I enjoy the option of tuning into a mini-concert that might feature anyone from John Mayer to Talking Heads to Sting to Feist to early 90s STP.

[/quote]

It would be nice to listen to KHJK without having to go to Radio Shack and buy an outdoor antenna and having to erect it on a rooftop. ;D

 

[sdh483]

Call me crazy if you must, but I find Houston radio superior to most other major markets. It beats the tar out of Dallas and San Antonio (and I lived in or near both of those cities and know the FM/AM offerings quite well).

Dallas may boast four hip-hop stations, but two of them operate on crappy signals. Neither of the popular frequencies there jams better than The Box. KBXX's presentation still wins that fight for Houston. I also disagree with the notion that the station stays stuck in the past. It comes across as up-to-date as "The Beat."

Mega 101 (after it dumped the doomed-from-the-start Reggaeton format) morphed into a Spanish-language hits operation that plays some popular English currents. Even if 101.1 often sounds like a 104.9 clone and vice versa, at least Houston has stations dedicated to Mana, Juanes, Julieta Venegas, Paulina Rubio and Shakira's Spanish-language music.

Mega, in its infancy, should have been called "Daddy Yankee and all his wannabes." It was either that or the indistinguishable tunes on Estereo Latino. I prefer the Spanish-language ditties without an accordion in every bleeping song.

Native speakers who like Norteno and the other Regional Mexican staples can get their fix on several frequencies. Those folks with more developed taste (a potshot perhaps) can dial up Mega or Party.

I think 3 FM stations is enough for that format. San Antonio has 2 KLEY 95.7, and KROM 92.9

KRBE is one of the few non-generic CHRs left in the country. You can travel anywhere in this great country and hear a “Kiss FM” or a “Hot.” Enough already. The same music may dominate all of these stations, but the voiceovers and presentation make a difference. How many frequencies are still known exclusively by their call letters?

You can’t get that in Dallas, San Antonio or Austin.

Austin still has KGSR as 102.7 and 93.3 KGSR.

San Antonio still has 1200 WOAI, KONO 101, KZEP 104.5, 94.1 KTFM, and 99.5 KISS

Detest Rod Ryan or The Buzz all you want, but at least that show attempts to connect with the Houston community. The station’s playlist is programmed well enough to appease active rock aficionados and alternative junkies.

It is hard to compare 94.5 The Buzz to 99.5 KISS.

No station in Dallas airs anything as interesting or intriguing as KHJK’s “Live at Five” segment. I enjoy the option of tuning into a mini-concert that might feature anyone from John Mayer to Talking Heads to Sting to Feist to early 90s STP.

It would be nice to listen to KHJK without having to go to Radio Shack and buy an outdoor antenna and having to erect it on a rooftop. ;D


[/quote]

At one point, Houston was better than San Antonio radio, as the airwaves had more variety and less spanish language clutter. There was only one classic rock and there were niche formats like smooth jazz. The country stations weren't playing the same Alan Jackson and Garth Brooks songs. Sunny 99.1 was an amazing AC station with great imaging. 107.5 was a REAL classic hits station that didn't cater solely to The Eagles and ZZ Top.

Now I can say that San Antonio has the better stations than Houston. Sure, they have two classic rock stations like here, but the market isn't over saturated with Spanish, in spite of being a largely Hispanic population (don't bother with that they're 3rd generation Hispanics, blah blah blah. We have lots of those Hispanics here who are being under served because we assume they listen to nothing but Norteno, when the young ones like hip hop and the older ones love rock and R&B along tejano, a format that doesn't exist here but should).
Even country station KJ97, a Cookie Channel station beats the pants off 93Q and KILT. There's Nickleback-free active rock thanks to KISS, and KONO - a real classic hits station that does play Skynyrd, but also plays those great Motown and R&B hits alongside the rock hits of the 60s through early 80s. Magic 105 is still bland but Mix 96.5 is starting to sound like Hot 95.7 clone. Oh yeah, SA does cater to its non-comm side with alternative/indie rock and jazz, which is now non-existent in Houston (90.9 plays a lot of contemporary jazz).
So I am going to go out on a limb and say that San Antonio has officially knocked off Houston for better radio.

 

[Pete Pyeatt]

Stripping us of 106-9 The Zone was a tragedy, but there are still a lot of great channels to choose from in Houston:

93-7HD3 KTRH (Go 'Stros!)
94-5 The Buzz
94-5HD2 The Rock of Houston
95-7HD2 Dance
103-7
106-9HD2 Pat FM

Give me at least six stations in one city and I'm happy.

 

[slaterradio]

KISS isn't Nickelback-free active rock radio. The band is a staple of that format, and you'll hear its tunes in San Antonio as much as or more than in Houston.

It is not difficult to compare KISS and KTBZ. The two stations share most of the same artists now. The difference: The Buzz sounds interesting and diverse, crossing between an alternative outlet and an active operation.

Since its mediocre format tweak, 99.5 seems to play less Tool, Rage Against the Machine, Deftones and Pantera. The station management's idea of an exciting twist was adding Poison's "Every Rose Has Its Thorn." The last time I visted the Alamo City, in May, I heard that dreadful dirge four times in three days. Come on!

The Buzz has been playing more and better Metallica cuts for some time. You also get as much Tool and Rage. The only active staples not in the regular rotation: Guns N' Roses, Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath, Pantera and Megadeth.

Don't count on hearing many breaking bands on KISS, either. I still love rocking out on that frequency, but I doubt I would relish my listens as much if I had to live in San Antonio.

When I turned on my car Friday afternoon, The Buzz was streaming Tool's "Eulogy." Hell yes. I heard Mumford and Sons, Janes Addiction "Had a Dad" and Rage's "No Shelter."

 

[slaterradio]

KHJK tends to get good reception in most parts of town. My vehicle’s antenna might boast superior coverage, but I experience minimal clarity problems when I flip over to 103.7.

The station, for that matter, plays much more interesting 90s tracks than anything I found on The Zone. This morning’s gem: Joan Osbourne’s “One of Us.”

WOAI's two virtues: the great Charlie Parker and the Spurs. I cannot stomach talk radio that is not sports centric, aside from maybe BBC, so Houston, to me owns the better cluster of AMs.

 

[willdav713]

KHJK tends to get good reception in most parts of town. My vehicle’s antenna might boast superior coverage, but I experience minimal clarity problems when I flip over to 103.7.

The station, for that matter, plays much more interesting 90s tracks than anything I found on The Zone. This morning’s gem: Joan Osbourne’s “One of Us.”

WOAI's two virtues: the great Charlie Parker and the Spurs. I cannot stomach talk radio that is not sports centric, aside from maybe BBC, so Houston, to me owns the better cluster of AMs.

The last time I heard Joan Osborne's One of Us in Houston was in 1995 on KRBE. My grandfather thought KRBE was a Religious formatted station until after the next song came on then he flipped it back to KQUE. :-X

 

[TXCalradio]

I LOVE 103.7 FM's AAA format! It's too bad it won't last due to it being on a rim-shot signal! Nothing on the frequency 103.7mhz will get good ratings in Houston because of it's signal coverage.

 

[Mediafrog+]

I LOVE 103.7 FM's AAA format! It's too bad it won't last due to it being on a rim-shot signal! Nothing on the frequency 103.7mhz will get good ratings in Houston because of it's signal coverage.

KHJK's ratings are horrible. It wouldn't shock me to see Cumulus exit the market, and make a ton of money off of KRBE while getting rid of the 97.5 and 103.7 turkeys.

If the market wasn't at a saturation point for the demographic, a Spanish language format would probably be best for 103.7, as it has a decent signal in Houston's heavily Hispanic East End. Thus my speculation a while back that SBS might target this frequency, if they are indeed in the market for a Houston FM (which is still highly doubtful.)

Also have wondered if the frequency might be a good place for one of the EMF religious formats, which are not available in Houston, apparently due to a gentleman's agreement with KSBJ.

 

[stan]

Neither of the formats you mentioned are needed. Keep 103.7's format as is and we'll be happy. We've already had one clueless decision by Cox recently.

 

[DToTheJ]

...I am going to go out on a limb and say that San Antonio has officially knocked off Houston for better radio.

How would you compare both markets' spoken word stations?

 

[Mediafrog+]

Keep 103.7's format as is and we'll be happy.

It's a very tiny number of listeners who are kept happy by the current 103.7 format, as evidenced by the fact the AAA format is at the bottom of the ratings.

Austin is a AAA town. So is San Francisco. Seems to also work in Denver. But Houston? Nope.

I suspect the only reason AAA is still on 103.7 is because Cumulus has absolutely no idea what else to do with the station.

 

[TXCalradio]

Keep 103.7's format as is and we'll be happy.

It's a very tiny number of listeners who are kept happy by the current 103.7 format, as evidenced by the fact the AAA format is at the bottom of the ratings.

Austin is a AAA town. So is San Francisco. Seems to also work in Denver. But Houston? Nope.

I suspect the only reason AAA is still on 103.7 is because Cumulus has absolutely no idea what else to do with the station.

Cumulus should have never moved the frequency out of Lake Charles and spent all the wasted money building a new transmitter in Chambers County which is where it resides now.

 

[Mediafrog+]

Cumulus should have never moved the frequency out of Lake Charles and spent all the wasted money building a new transmitter in Chambers County which is where it resides now.

KHJK is not the Lake Charles station (KBIU), which was moved from 103.7 to 103.3 to accommodate the tower move and ugrade of what was the original KVST on 103.7.

 

[jasondm4]

The one thing i can't seem to figure out is why radio corporations never try a Active Rock format. Houston has never had one from what i know. Maybe it would be a huge money maker. Nobody knows because it's never been tried here. I think it would be huge here since just about everyone i know wishes the Buzz would play harder rock more often instead of just "Hard Drive" on Saturday nights. C'mon people wake up there is huge potential here so stop thinkng Alternative and think Active Rock. I bet the zone would have been more successful if it had started out playing Pantera . And please no more religious stations everytime i skip past 105.7 i think how good of a signal that would be to broadcast some actual music that people would listen to. Just saying.