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Clear Channel Alternative Stations

J

Jacko

Is it me, or are most Clear Channel owned "alternative" stations not really alternative at all? I look at playlists from stations like WJRR/Orlando, WHRL/Albany or even WWDC/Washington, and they all contained more active rock-appropriate bands like Buckcherry and Nickelback. There really isn't anything "alternative" about those bands at all as they are basically continuing the track of hard rock music, not alternative music. Most Clear Channel alternative rock stations didn't even play Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy," or played it very little. It's a shame, especially for small-market alternative stations that are only relying on Billboard and Mediabase charts to make their stations' playlists where hard rock bands have pretty high chart positions. I'd love to see an alternative rock charts without any Clear Channel stations to see the difference. I know that there are several other alt-rockers that skew more hard rock that aren't Clear Channel stations, but by and large, it's the Clear Channel stations that are the worst alternative rock stations.

Thoughts?

Jacko
 
Yeah, people seem to dislike Clear Channel and their safe, cookie-cutter approach to Alternative. However, don't they have something to do with Indie 103.1 in California? That's probably the best commercial FM in the country - one of them, at least.
 
Indie is good. Now it looks like Philly might get a CC alternative after 18 months with no alternative.
 
Clear Channel had a Joint Sales Agreement early in the debut of Indie 103.1. Indie is completely an Entravision property and programmed and sold by that company. Clear Channel has no affiliation with KDLE-KDLD any longer.
 
most programmers today dont even know what an 'alternative' format is. hence you end up with Metallica, S.O.A.D. and a bunch of other bands that aren't alternative on 'alternative' stations while true alternative artists go on ignored by the format.

When people go around saying 'rock is dead' 'rock radio is dead' this is the reason why. the same person that wants to hear Gnarles Barkley, she wants revenge, the killers, ect...as a general note doesnt want to hear S.O.A.D., Slipknot, Buckcherry, ect...between them.

There is a difference between hard rock/heavy metal and alternative

(FYI - I like old metallica, slipknot, ect...so im not bashing them)
 
hamNcheese said:
most programmers today dont even know what an 'alternative' format is. hence you end up with Metallica, S.O.A.D. and a bunch of other bands that aren't alternative on 'alternative' stations while true alternative artists go on ignored by the format.

When people go around saying 'rock is dead' 'rock radio is dead' this is the reason why. the same person that wants to hear Gnarles Barkley, she wants revenge, the killers, ect...as a general note doesnt want to hear S.O.A.D., Slipknot, Buckcherry, ect...between them.

There is a difference between hard rock/heavy metal and alternative

(FYI - I like old metallica, slipknot, ect...so im not bashing them)
Click to expand...

I think System Of A Down have as much a place on the Alternative format as bands like Rage Against The Machine .. or not, depending on your opinion. They are the torchbearers for discontentment with what's going on in the world. With the unique touches in their sound, such as Armenian folk music and very quirky lyrics (listen to "Chic N' Stu" from Steal This Record for an example), they seem right at home on Alternative to me. I think Korn, Slipknot, and similar bands also fit, since they have enough different touches that you can't really compare them to Classic Rock or Metal of the past.

What I really don't understand is when rock acts like Nickelback, Hinder, Buckcherry, Shinedown, etc. get played on Alternative. Don't get me wrong, they have their place, and I have to admit to liking some of Shinedown's material (earlier stuff in particular). It's just closer to the traditional arena rock of the '70s and '80s (i.e. Aerosmith, Guns N' Roses, Def Leppard), and therefore does not belong on Alternative. Especially Hinder and Buckcherry, who are clearly influenced by decadence-fueled hair rock acts like Warrant, Poison & Motley Crue.
 
look at the Buzz in Houston as where the other Crap Channel stations have developed into.
the Buzz is SOOO early 2000 with the angst/nu-metal. they still play Limp Bizkit, System of a Down, POD, and Metallica.

even the Edge in Dallas lost the cool "edge" factor.
 
Radio one owns this so called alternative station in louisville,ky my hometown called wlrs and it is really a bad station.An active rocker with a few modern rock tracks thrown in.I still can't figure out why radio one keeps them there ratings suck and they don't seem to fit the radio one philosophy???
 
Call some of these stations what you will (Buzz/Houston, KDGE/Dallas, etc.). These stations may or may not be "Alternative", but they are relatively successful in a format which has been floundering. This suggests that they are responding to the needs and desires of their market, and their audience doesn't care if we call them 'active rock' or 'alternative' - they only care if they hear the music they enjoy.

None of the big corporations care if their station's are viewed as 'alternative' by industry observers, they only care if the they reach a large enough audience to appeal to advertisers. This is not bad, nor is this good, it is simply fact.
 
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