G-Rock Suggested Changes

[SoulCrusher]

The folks at Press Communications are just so strict when it comes to operating their stations, in particular G Rock. I'm not looking for Terri Carr to come in and start a one person revolution, but there are a few changes that could be made for the better at this station.

It's great that G Rock has an '80s show, but the powers that be at the station have it on Saturdays ... at 7:00 AM!!! That means that the folks at Press think that anyone that enjoys '80s Alternative is up at that time - so let me grab my walker, take my Geritol with some prune juice and sit back with some Matlock and Murder She Wrote reruns. They also have an acoustic show on Sundays at the same time - that's fine, as acoustic music on Sunday mornings go hand in hand. But putting on a specialty show when so few who would like to hear it are even awake is just dumb. God forbid they spare us the same old Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Green Day, Weezer and Linkin Park songs hammered into the ground to play something that we seldom get to hear these days. Why not have it at Saturday Night (8:00 PM) instead? Major market stations do it, so why can't you?

The station does not play requests unless they are the safest ones out there (hey, can I hear "Smells Like Teen Spirit" for the billionth time?). They also won't play certain acts like Bloodhound Gang for some reason (one jock said management wouldn't let them play it). It is this very tight management of the station that stifles the sound and presentation of what should be the most exciting, interesting commercial radio format. The suits need to stop being so uptight and realize that the listeners aren't a bunch of stuffed-shirt types like they are.

Finally, let me present further proof that G Rock, despite being a "rock" station and having a really gruff-voiced guy doing the station IDs, still targets Females first and foremost: An ad ran for a local piercing/tattoo parlor with a male voice using the phrase "Beautify your body, baby" (more than once, I might add). This is not a type of advertising that should be used on a station that caters to the Male audience. And thus is the quandary posed toward Press and G Rock - a generally Male-leaning format that spends more time courting Females. Perhaps instead of being so high and mighty, they should come down from their high horses and realize that they should look to their audience for creative input instead of assuming they want to hear corny Staind and Red Hot Chili Peppers love songs played ad nauseum. Start by taking requests more often and go from there.

 

[mistermicrophone]

Re: Terri Carr at G-Rock

The folks at Press Communications are just so strict when it comes to operating their stations, in particular G Rock. I'm not looking for Terri Carr to come in and start a one person revolution, but there are a few changes that could be made for the better at this station.

It's great that G Rock has an '80s show, but the powers that be at the station have it on Saturdays ... at 7:00 AM!!! That means that the folks at Press think that anyone that enjoys '80s Alternative is up at that time - so let me grab my walker, take my Geritol with some prune juice and sit back with some Matlock and Murder She Wrote reruns. They also have an acoustic show on Sundays at the same time - that's fine, as acoustic music on Sunday mornings go hand in hand. But putting on a specialty show when so few who would like to hear it are even awake is just dumb. God forbid they spare us the same old Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Green Day, Weezer and Linkin Park songs hammered into the ground to play something that we seldom get to hear these days. Why not have it at Saturday Night (8:00 PM) instead? Major market stations do it, so why can't you?

The station does not play requests unless they are the safest ones out there (hey, can I hear "Smells Like Teen Spirit" for the billionth time?). They also won't play certain acts like Bloodhound Gang for some reason (one jock said management wouldn't let them play it). It is this very tight management of the station that stifles the sound and presentation of what should be the most exciting, interesting commercial radio format. The suits need to stop being so uptight and realize that the listeners aren't a bunch of stuffed-shirt types like they are.

Finally, let me present further proof that G Rock, despite being a "rock" station and having a really gruff-voiced guy doing the station IDs, still targets Females first and foremost: An ad ran for a local piercing/tattoo parlor with a male voice using the phrase "Beautify your body, baby" (more than once, I might add). This is not a type of advertising that should be used on a station that caters to the Male audience. And thus is the quandary posed toward Press and G Rock - a generally Male-leaning format that spends more time courting Females. Perhaps instead of being so high and mighty, they should come down from their high horses and realize that they should look to their audience for creative input instead of assuming they want to hear corny Staind and Red Hot Chili Peppers love songs played ad nauseum. Start by taking requests more often and go from there.

Wow...your post's, to me, are the same thing G Rock is to you!?! You seem to have all the answers to fix this station, did you apply for the PD opening? Have you ever been a PD? Please tell us more Master of Rock Radio...

 

[Beejus]

This is an exact copy and paste from the previous GRock thread (I believe... I am not taking the time to read his post.)

Would that be spam per TOS?

 

[SoulCrusher]

This is an exact copy and paste from the previous GRock thread (I believe... I am not taking the time to read his post.)

Would that be spam per TOS?

You're really grabbing at straws now. You seem to criticize my every post and move, simply because you don't agree with it. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion - if you don't like that, go start your own forum. And for the record, someone (probably a moderator) split this off into a different thread as it was loosely related to the thread that it was posted in.

 

[SoulCrusher]

Re: Terri Carr at G-Rock

Wow...your post's, to me, are the same thing G Rock is to you!?! You seem to have all the answers to fix this station, did you apply for the PD opening? Have you ever been a PD? Please tell us more Master of Rock Radio...

A real smart aleck response, but I'll bite. It's been a while since I had written in detail about G Rock, but the post was written for one reason only - G Rock's lackluster ratings. It can do better, but if Press refuses to change their tired, stodgy vision of what an Alternative station should be, it will not.

As I have pointed out before, there are generally two types of Alternatives out there: The all encompassing mainstream Alternative that plays everything from The Killers to Tool to Shinedown (most CBS and Clear Channel rock stations) and the classic-leaning stations that hew closer to Alternative tradition by eschewing arena rock acts like Shinedown and Buckcherry from their format (The End in Seattle, FNX in Boston, Indie in Santa Monica). G Rock is neither. It's an Alternative station that targets Women by emphasizing female-friendly bands (The Killers, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, Weezer, Incubus and My Chemical Romance among them) along with tons of soft ballads from aforementioned acts and others, and excluding the heavier side of the format (no Tool, System Of A Down or Rage Against The Machine here). It's a station that employs heavy repetition, giving several played-out hits at least one spin a day if not more ("Alive", "Longview", "Interstate Love Song", etc.) and keeping certain songs in heavy rotation for months (the Incubus song "Anna Molly" comes to mind). Their lack of reverance for the format's roots allows them to play arena rockers like Shinedown and Stone Sour - probably because they came out with songs that fit the Hot AC format, like "I Dare You" and "Through Glass" respectively. My critiques of the station are not without merit - a station like G Rock that covers the entire market should be doing better, especially considering the lack of competition. Check the ratings - you'll see what I mean.

For starters, try to win back the adults. Upon purchasing WHTG in 2000, Press managed to alienate everyone who listened to FM 106.3 (Modern Rock At The Jersey Shore) by rebranding the station as "G 106.3: Your Rock Alternative", and, more importantly, sounding like a Hot/Modern AC instead of an Alternative. Several tinkerings occurred over the years as the station failed to reach the expectations of Press. The current G Rock is the most focused the station has ever sounded under Press, but that's not saying much when you consider that WHTG once branded itself as Alternative while playing John Mayer, Avril Lavigne, Norah Jones and Five For Fighting. The current format too heavily emphasizes music from the past 5 or 10 years, thus alienating many listeners over the age of, say, 25. There's nothing wrong with playing a good amount of currents, but music from the previous decades is really getting the shaft. More '80s and '90s tracks need to be added to the rotation (that's right - more than just the same old Nirvana, Pearl Jam and STP) in order to reach out to other demos.

Second: G Rock is currently an Alternative for Women, and has been since Press purchased it. That's as peculiar a concept as a Soft Rock station for Men, and even more bizarre in a market with no other Active Rock or Alternative and about 10 or 15 other stations that target Women (including, but not limited to, Press's own The Breeze and K 98.5, Real Jersey Kountry). Press imposes strict limitations on what can be played, especially during the day, which is absurd. No Alternative station should be concerned with being accessible to doctor's offices - it takes the fun out of the format for everyone. The two common directions for the Alternative format appeal to the Male listener - why not try one of them? You won't know how it will do unless you try it, and since G Rock is currently struggling, what do you have to lose? A lot of people out there remember the heritage of FM 106.3 fondly, so why not embrace the station's roots instead of stomping all over them? Either that, or start playing the heavier acts on the format. I sometimes have to check my frequency wondering if I accidentally landed on a Hot AC after hearing several soft rock songs on G Rock ... on the other side of the coin, no one plays acts like System Of A Down in the market. Doesn't it make sense to target the unserved demo? Maybe I don't have PD on my resume, but anyone that does would be hard-pressed to argue with that statement.

Last but not least, put the specialty shows on at times when people can hear them. So many stations have special programming on Saturday nights - on G Rock, it's just the same old "Playing the biggest Modern Rock hits of the last 15 years with [insert name here]". The DJ isn't allowed to cut loose with dialogue, and the music is still as safe as it is any other time. Does that sound appealing? Not really. Hence the reason why some people have tuned out. It's time for a different show in this time slot ... either '80s, All Request, Techno, Reggae, Punk/Ska, or some other theme. Guaranteed more people will tune in, regardless of the show.

Terri Carr may have some ideas like these, or she may have different ones. But at the end of the day, does it really matter? At Press, a PD has only so much input - what upper management says goes, everyone else be damned. The proof is that there have been countless PDs and MDs during the 7 years that Press has owned WHTG, but not much in the way of changes. The WHTG timeline under Press goes something like this ... From late 2000 to early 2004, it was an "Alternative" that sounded more like WPLJ than any true Alternative you could think of. For a few months in 2004, it was a full-on Hot AC that finally dropped the "Your Rock Alternative" slogan. From mid 2004 to today, it has been "Alternative for Women". That's not to say that it doesn't appeal to Men at times (I listen a good amount, especially during retro weekends - which are few and far between, natch), but in general the station makes Women their most highly coveted demo. It sounds more like a true Alternative than it ever has under Press management, but it's still not quite there and it's not as successful as it could be.

In a nutshell, what I'm saying is this: Maybe it's time for Press to stop making Females their top priority with G Rock. On paper, for all the reasons I just mentioned, it's just good common sense.

 

[Beejus]

This is an exact copy and paste from the previous GRock thread (I believe... I am not taking the time to read his post.)

Would that be spam per TOS?

You're really grabbing at straws now. You seem to criticize my every post and move, simply because you don't agree with it. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion - if you don't like that, go start your own forum. And for the record, someone (probably a moderator) split this off into a different thread as it was loosely related to the thread that it was posted in.

No, I wasn't grabbing straws, it was an actual question.

Yes, I don't agree with your opinion, but then again, no one else does. There have been MANY posts from different users proving pretty much every point you have made wrong, yet you blantantly ignore them, and keep re-posting your agenda, over and over again. Sure their ratings went down, but who doesn't have down books? You don't automatically slam the panic button because you slipped a little bit. If that were the case, B101 in Philly would have flipped a ton of times instead of always being in the Top 3.

We get the point (and have gotten it... if that's correct English...) for over a year. They cater to the audience they want to. Their FCC licene does not say "I will broadcast to SoulCrusher's tastes." There are songs on GRock that I don't like, but I don't flood the messageboard and complain about it every day.

Write to the station, start a petition, but complaining on a messageboard is going to get you nowhere, unless you want to be the laughing stock.

 

[aroundtheway]

Soulcrusher, You hit the nail on the head! That is exactly what Press is doing. We also should note that Zanyor was "let go" this week. He has the highest ratings with the most female listeners. Love him or hate him it doesn't matter. The guy has the numbers and they get rid of him? Frank Calderero, the GM, fired two weeks ago. What is going on? I heard there were more people let go. Mary Elizabeth from The Breakfast Club was let go and she was also on the station in the 90's. Her show was the only one I listened to! Things are looking grim!

 

[Radio411]

WOW!! Sounds like things at "The Shore" are as bad as they are up north at WDHA!!! Good Luck Terrie in "righting the wrongs" that were established before you came aboard. If there is one person that can save a sinking ship, it's YOU!!! ;D

PS- Atleast Press actually hired a PD that is "Qualified" ... or does that not matter anymore on today's "radio world?"

 

[hubcity]

We also should note that Zanyor was "let go" this week. He has the highest ratings with the most female listeners. Love him or hate him it doesn't matter. The guy has the numbers and they get rid of him? Frank Calderero, the GM, fired two weeks ago. What is going on? I heard there were more people let go. Mary Elizabeth from The Breakfast Club was let go and she was also on the station in the 90's.

Not for nothing, but Zanyor was a reason to listen beyond the music - which is what a radio station needs to do to not only gain against other stations, but also against iPods. (The fact that he managed to tuck in an explanation of The Decemberists' name while I was listening only endeared him further.)

Mary Elizabeth was another jock who knew what she was talking about. I'm sensing a trend.

Those are big fat losses right there. Press hasn't got a clue.

 

[SoulCrusher]

Press is just another company that is making their stations sound like glorified iPods. With a couple of exceptions (The Morning Show, Matt Knight) they really don't allow their "personalities" to display any personality, even though they are all capable. Add to that the fact that the station's playlist seems to become more bland and hit-intensive every day, and is it any wonder that people are tuning out? Every day the inexperience of Press when it comes to the radio industry becomes more apparent. They haven't the slightest idea what their audience wants. "Your Music, Your Station"? I think the slogan of a certain NYC station is far more apropos when it comes to Press and G Rock: "Playing What WE Want".

 

[hubcity]

Radio: "We play what we want."

Me: "Me too."

Here's a shattering notion: why not play something I *might* want?

Frankly, I think commercial radio has stunted the ability of its audience to appreciate anything different. Which was, come to think of it, probably its goal.

(Remember, back in the 60's, rock 'n' roll stations would actually infiltrate record plants to get new records on the air before the competition. Where'd *that* attitude go?)

 

[SoulCrusher]

More G Rock notes:

I heard them play a Black Crowes song, "Hard To Handle". They played it Friday morning as well. Not only does this blooze-rock big hair Rolling Stones tribute band (without even the slightest hint of irony) NOT belong on Alternative, but they're playing the hell out of it as well. Let the trucker rock and soccer mom stations have it - they both play it more than enough.

Their Wikipedia entry claims that they play "acts such as The Cure and R.E.M.". They seldom ever play the latter and the former also gets relatively little airplay as well (and when they do, it's cheesy songs like "Friday I'm In Love"). All told, '80s songs usually come around about as often as Halley's Comet. I can't say I blame them, because it would keep us from hearing Green Day and Red Hot Chili Peppers every hour, and I don't think I could go on living if they stopped doing that.

I'm very disappointed to see Zanyor go. As someone else pointed out, it was a reason to listen beyond the music. But the powers that be at Press have decided that the listener wants a CHR presentation of past and present Modern Rock hits (without "scary" bands like Tool and System Of A Down, and with minimal play for acts that actually put effort into their lyrics like Morrissey and Depeche Mode). In addition (and I'm sure this is a corporate mandated policy), lately they start one song immediately when another ends, giving the DJ hardly any opportunity to speak. Going back to Zanyor: He would fit well into the scheme of things at WJSE if they are interested in bringing in another jock. I'm guessing that in time, his slot will likely go to Terri Carr when she starts.

Also gone is Mary Elizabeth, the last link to FM 106.3. I remember her co-hosting the punk/ska show entitled Friday Night Frenzy. I'm guessing again that she was let go for the same reason as Zanyor - the new, even more streamlined approach for the station. It seems to me that Mike Merrill is no longer there as well, though I could be wrong about that - I don't see any mentions of his name on the webpage, including the section for the new music show he hosted, The Underground.

Highly unlikely that this will ever happen, but I can say without hesitation that if a station tried an Alternative format and executed it the right way, it would challenge or even top G Rock in the ratings. G Rock is the Press board of directors programming either what is on MTV or their own personal tastes for the entire market, taking little in the way of input from its staff or from listeners. If a station that had the signal (why not the struggling Hawk?) were to give Alternative a shot without making the same mistakes that Press has, it would be a huge success.

 

[Beejus]

Here we go again.

More G Rock notes:

I heard them play a Black Crowes song, "Hard To Handle". They played it Friday morning as well. Not only does this blooze-rock big hair Rolling Stones tribute band (without even the slightest hint of irony) NOT belong on Alternative, but they're playing the hell out of it as well. Let the trucker rock and soccer mom stations have it - they both play it more than enough.

Hard to Handle has been spun twice in the past 7 days on GRock, and 40something times on Alternative radio. The exact number of times WJSE has played it. I'm not even going to bother with your obvious hatred for the band.

Their Wikipedia entry claims that they play "acts such as The Cure and R.E.M.". They seldom ever play the latter and the former also gets relatively little airplay as well (and when they do, it's cheesy songs like "Friday I'm In Love"). All told, '80s songs usually come around about as often as Halley's Comet. I can't say I blame them, because it would keep us from hearing Green Day and Red Hot Chili Peppers every hour, and I don't think I could go on living if they stopped doing that.

GRock this past 7 days has played:

The Cure- Close to Me (1985) 3 times.
The Cure- Friday I'm In Love (1992) 2 times.
The Cure- In Between Days (1985) 2 times.
The Cure- Boys Don't Cry (1979) 2 times.
The Cure- Just Like Heaven (1987) 2 times.
The Cure- Pictures of You (1990) 1 time.
The Cure- A Night Like This (1986) 1 time.
The Cure- Love Song (1989) 1 time.
The Cure- High (1992) 1 time.
The Cure- Close to Me (Acoustic) (2001) 1 time.
The Cure- Why Can't I Be You (1987) 1 time.
The Cure- Boys Don't Cry (Acoustic) (2001) 1 time.
The Cure- Hot Hot Hot! (1987) 1 time.

REM- Radio Free Europe (1983) 2 times.
REM- It's The End of the World (1988) 2 times.
REM- Orange Crush (1988) 1 time.
REM- The One I Love (1987) 1 time.
REM- Finest Worksong (1987) 1 time.
REM- Pop Song 89 (1988) 1 time.
REM- Man on the Moon (1992) 1 time.
REM- Nightswimming (1992) 1 time.
REM- Great Beyond (1999) 1 time.
REM- Star 69 (1994) 1 time.

13 80s songs just from those two bands alone.

Press have decided that the listener wants a CHR presentation of past and present Modern Rock hits (without "scary" bands like Tool and System Of A Down, and with minimal play for acts that actually put effort into their lyrics like Morrissey and Depeche Mode).

I'm not even bothering with this one, because I've pointed out a million times to you that your small-minded broad generalizations and assumptions are wrong.

Highly unlikely that this will ever happen, but I can say without hesitation that if a station tried an Alternative format and executed it the right way, it would challenge or even top G Rock in the ratings. G Rock is the Press board of directors programming either what is on MTV or their own personal tastes for the entire market, taking little in the way of input from its staff or from listeners. If a station that had the signal (why not the struggling Hawk?) were to give Alternative a shot without making the same mistakes that Press has, it would be a huge success.

Well then you go on out there and buy yourself a radio station and do that. Tell me when the listeners start flocking to your elitist playlist. I'll be eagerly awaiting.

 

[RunWithScissors]

I have had this question but I think you all answered it for me, on VH1 classic they have this segment with Eddie Trunk and Terri Carr, they often speak of the radio background they came from. I know Eddie is a Q104 jock but I did not know the credentials of Ms. Carr. She seems to know her rock history, is she with G-Rock now and what is her claim to fame.....

 

[SoulCrusher]

Hard to Handle has been spun twice in the past 7 days on GRock, and 40something times on Alternative radio. The exact number of times WJSE has played it. I'm not even going to bother with your obvious hatred for the band.

I don't hate The Black Crowes. I obviously don't love them either. They're just a meat and potatoes rock band, like Grand Funk Railroad, Aerosmith, and yes, the Stones. These bands are not being played on Alternative, therefore I don't understand why any station that labels themselves as such would play the Black Crowes either. I'm still trying to believe that the term "Alternative" holds some sort of meaning, and I don't see where a group of straight-faced blues-rock revivalists would fit in on a forward-thinking format.

GRock this past 7 days has played:

The Cure- Close to Me (1985) 3 times.
The Cure- Friday I'm In Love (1992) 2 times.
The Cure- In Between Days (1985) 2 times.
The Cure- Boys Don't Cry (1979) 2 times.
The Cure- Just Like Heaven (1987) 2 times.
The Cure- Pictures of You (1990) 1 time.
The Cure- A Night Like This (1986) 1 time.
The Cure- Love Song (1989) 1 time.
The Cure- High (1992) 1 time.
The Cure- Close to Me (Acoustic) (2001) 1 time.
The Cure- Why Can't I Be You (1987) 1 time.
The Cure- Boys Don't Cry (Acoustic) (2001) 1 time.
The Cure- Hot Hot Hot! (1987) 1 time.

REM- Radio Free Europe (1983) 2 times.
REM- It's The End of the World (1988) 2 times.
REM- Orange Crush (1988) 1 time.
REM- The One I Love (1987) 1 time.
REM- Finest Worksong (1987) 1 time.
REM- Pop Song 89 (1988) 1 time.
REM- Man on the Moon (1992) 1 time.
REM- Nightswimming (1992) 1 time.
REM- Great Beyond (1999) 1 time.
REM- Star 69 (1994) 1 time.

13 80s songs just from those two bands alone.

Without a doubt, most of those spins came on the special features, '90s At Noon and The Breakfast Club - the latter of which is on so early on Saturdays that only postal workers and fishermen are up to hear it. Of course The Cure and R.E.M. get some airplay - that's called throwing the old, undesirable 25 & over demo a bone. But let's put things into perspective: Compare that to how many spins Green Day and Red Hot Chili Peppers received and you'll see how disproportionate the spins can be as G Rock plays toward the favorites of Female listeners. Making matter worse is that with the exception of the Stevie Wonder cover, "Higher Ground", they play absolutely nothing from RHCP's '80s period, leaving the majority of what they play as syrupy balladry worthy of Michael Bolton like "The Zephyr Song" and "Snow".

On a related note: I counted back from 4:06 AM the list of the last 106 songs that were played on G Rock, and guess what? I didn't find even one song from before 1991 on the damned thing! The '90s were represented, but of course took a backseat to the current decade ... songs included such infrequently heard (*cough cough*) tracks as Pearl Jam's "Daughter", Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit", Candlebox's "You", Blind Melon's "No Rain", 311's "Down", Offspring's "Come Out & Play", Everlast's "What It's Like" and Green Day's "Welcome To Paradise". Maybe if G Rock would quit giving such heavy spins to recurrents by the likes of the Killers, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Weezer, they would have room to broaden their playlist a bit. It may be hard for some people, but I think we can all cope with not hearing "Beverly Hills" at least once a day - maybe they could put a patch on the market for the addicts out there.

I'm not even bothering with this one, because I've pointed out a million times to you that your small-minded broad generalizations and assumptions are wrong.

That's funny. Press is making a generalization and assumption, taking an elitist view toward acts like Tool and System Of A Down by saying they don't belong on their station - yet somehow they see fit to play classic rock clone acts like Shinedown and Buckcherry.

I'll tell you why it's that way. Tool and SOAD do not fit into Press's doctor's office accessible, female-friendly vision of what an "Alternative" station should be. Shinedown has a couple of songs that sound right at home between Rob Thomas and Sheryl Crow, and Buckcherry are a hair rock band - since Women love hair bands and we're in New Jersey (the Mecca of hair rock, at least on the east coast), that's why they're played.

Sounds pretty clear to me (and I'll say it again - no male-oriented station would run a commercial that repeats the phrase "Beautify Your Body, Baby"). Listen to G Rock and you'll see just how many crossover titles (past and present) they play. Not exactly a trait shared by all Modern Rock stations (and I've heard quite a few, believe me). They also have the annoying tendency of keeping songs in heavy rotation for a long time ("When You Were Young" still gets played to death after over six months). I'll give them credit for playing a good amount of currents according to the playlist (they still list too many older songs though, like "When You Were Young" and "Welcome To The Black Parade"), but the station's variety still pales in comparison in that department to WJSE - they have acts in the rotation that G Rock has yet to touch, like Dropping Daylight, Underoath, Mickey Avalon, Jonezetta, Young Love, and Under The Influence Of Giants to name just a few acts.

Well then you go on out there and buy yourself a radio station and do that. Tell me when the listeners start flocking to your elitist playlist. I'll be eagerly awaiting.

My playlist wouldn't be as elitist as you would think. Listener input would play a large part in the direction of the station, and I would throw in the acts that I personally can't stand (i.e. Fall Out Boy), so long as the demand is there. The overall sound would be a cross between WJSE's approach without the classic rock (lots of currents, including the heavier stuff) along with a deep library. Unlike G Rock, which only plays about 10% of their library (I'm sure even that is being generous), we would play tracks you haven't heard in a while. You know, what you get to hear on the extremely rare occasions that G Rock decides to have a Retro Weekend.

Chances are that G Rock would have this station beat in the presentation department, but that is becoming increasingly less relevant ... G Rock's new approach seems to be along the lines of "more music, less talk", and tightening the playlist to emphasize the biggest hits even more, as I mentioned before. Going on the merits of music alone, more people would tune into the "interesting" station than the "safe" station. If Press insists on taking such a safe approach with G Rock, granting the jocks more mic time would give those of us who grew tired of "Plush" and "What I Got" eons ago more incentive to listen. But they're going down a different path entirely - chalk it up to folks that lack hands-on radio experience calling the shots.

 

[Beejus]

Your entire post can be wrapped up by this quote you made talking about if you programmed a station:

Listener input would play a large part in the direction of the station, and I would throw in the acts that I personally can't stand (i.e. Fall Out Boy), so long as the demand is there.

GRock IS playing what the listener wants to hear. YOU ARE NOT A TYPICAL LISTENER They cannot program the station exactly to your tastes. Their listeners want to hear the artists they play, and so they play them. Why would they play a song at #145 on the Alt Chart (Jonezetta), #116 (Under The Influence of Giants), or not charting at all (Underoath, Young Love) just to be trendy? If there's no audience for it, it's not going to get played. Shinedown went top 5 at Alternative. People want to hear it, you can't ignore it.

Get it in your head. GRock plays what the people want to hear. Your taste in music is too broad for one station, and if a station would try to follow it, it would fail miserably because ratings and sales would be minute.

 

[Chuck Wagon]

I'm guessing that in time, his slot will likely go to Terri Carr when she starts.

If you'd have gone to the radio station's website, you'll see that Matt Knight is now the new 2pm-7pm DJ.

 

[buckup]

I have had this question but I think you all answered it for me, on VH1 classic they have this segment with Eddie Trunk and Terri Carr, they often speak of the radio background they came from. I know Eddie is a Q104 jock but I did not know the credentials of Ms. Carr. She seems to know her rock history, is she with G-Rock now and what is her claim to fame.....

She brought DHA its highest numbers in the stations history, geting everything she could out of that small signal. A feat that most likely will never be matched. Shes been in the game a long time and will do a great job down there.......just wondering who will follow her??????

 

[SoulCrusher]

Re: G-Rock Suggested Changes / Censorship

One more thing that I wanted to add to this thread that I really don't understand. G Rock is playing the new Papa Roach single, "Forever". I totally understand editing out certain words per FCC standards, but this is absolutely ridiculous. The words "heroin" and "drugs" are actually censored when they play this on G Rock! Kind of a prudish move on someone's part in my opinion. Following the extremely conservative MTV's lead, I guess.

GRock IS playing what the listener wants to hear. YOU ARE NOT A TYPICAL LISTENER They cannot program the station exactly to your tastes. Their listeners want to hear the artists they play, and so they play them. Why would they play a song at #145 on the Alt Chart (Jonezetta), #116 (Under The Influence of Giants), or not charting at all (Underoath, Young Love) just to be trendy? If there's no audience for it, it's not going to get played. Shinedown went top 5 at Alternative. People want to hear it, you can't ignore it.

If G Rock spends so much time assessing the charts, then why are acts like Tool, System Of A Down and Korn (airplay for acoustic "Freak On A Leash" notwithstanding) not receiving any spins whatsoever despite having sizable hits on the Modern Rock charts this past year?

And if G Rock is so concerned with what the listeners want to hear, it doesn't show when it comes to airplay for certain tracks. "When You Were Young" and "Anna Molly" no longer need to be in heavy rotation - I would guess that only the most casual listeners of G Rock are not sick of these songs by now. I'm not going to take up the space by typing countless titles, but there's many songs that G Rock still plays the bloody hell out of that pretty much everyone who hasn't been in a coma for the last 15 years is tired of - "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Alive", "Longview", "What I Got", "Plush", etc.

It also should be noted that the Retro Weekends on G Rock all received very positive feedback, as evidenced by calls played on air and comments made by the jocks themselves. Wouldn't it make sense to have it more often than once every six months, or to at least incorporate more of those songs into the regular rotation? It would certainly keep the pre-MySpace generation tuned in - or are we too old to be of any relevance to G Rock?

Shinedown had a song hit the Top 5. Hinder and Buckcherry had songs reach the Top 20. If anything, that proves that there are a good amount of Alternative stations south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Or, to be more precise, CBS and Clear Channel "Rawk" stations that report as Alternative. Shinedown are a earnest bunch of good ol' boys that were probably playing Skynyrd and Marshall Tucker Band covers before they started writing "original" songs. They just don't flow when played close to the Killers, Shiny Toy Guns, Snow Patrol and the like. Tool and System Of A Down have had several songs chart in the upper echelon of the Modern Rock Charts and have the progressive, more sophisticated approach that bands like Shinedown lack. I wouldn't say that they fit in seamlessly with the G Rock sound, but it definitely fits the definition of "Alternative" better than some acts out there that do receive airplay.

Besides, when have charts meant anything to Press and G Rock anyway? Need I remind you that this station called itself Alternative while playing John Mayer, Avril Lavigne, Michelle Branch, Vanessa Carlton, Five For Fighting, Gavin DeGraw, Maroon 5, etc. How high have all of these acts ranked on the Modern Rock charts?

Just because a song doesn't chart high doesn't mean it doesn't do well with G Rock's audience - look at how many spins Placebo and People In Planes received, despite their singles not charting very high overall. The acts I mentioned before (with the exception of Jonezetta), to my knowledge, are not even receiving rotation on The Underground. G Rock needs to be more proactive in taking input from listeners - if there's a demand for heavier rock out there (I've heard Atreyu receive spins quite often on the Music Lab feature), they should play it. They should also seek out listener feedback more than they currently are. Did you ever think that people are tuning out because G Rock is playing what they think the listener wants to hear, rather than actually making an effort to find out? To further demonstrate my point - they have a "Make A Request" section there, but it's only a formality. If you actually want to hear Green Day's "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" (that's one example) for the umpteenth time, they may play that. But if you want to hear something that G Rock doesn't play incessantly, the chance of hearing it is slim to none.

In closing, The Breeze is a labor of love for Press. I'm guessing that's the style of music that the board of directors really enjoys, and it shows. They have a diverse playlist with few repeats, and they actually let their on air personalities speak more than a few seconds at a time. The same cannot be said about G Rock, unfortunately. They assume their listeners have short attention spans with their obscene repetition and aside from the respectable list of currents, bombard you with hit after overplayed hit. It's the antithesis of FM 106.3 - it's a Modern Rock station for people who hate Modern Rock. Even with the format on the wane and a low profile, FM 106.3 did respectably during its final months. If Press had just left it alone, WHTG would have done far better than it has over the years. FM 106.3 - now that was a station that knew what its listeners wanted to hear.

 

[Beejus]

Re: G-Rock Suggested Changes / Censorship

Here we go again...

One more thing that I wanted to add to this thread that I really don't understand. G Rock is playing the new Papa Roach single, "Forever". I totally understand editing out certain words per FCC standards, but this is absolutely ridiculous. The words "heroin" and "drugs" are actually censored when they play this on G Rock! Kind of a prudish move on someone's part in my opinion. Following the extremely conservative MTV's lead, I guess.

I have stated this in threads before (when you complained about the AFI edit). This all depends on what version of the song you get from the record label or music service. The version of Everclear's "AM Radio" I have at my station edits out the word "CRAP." The version of Wheatus' "Teenage Dirtbag" edits out the word "Gun" but not the word "DICK." If that's all you get from the label or service... that's all you have to use. I doubt GRock maliciously edits their songs like you claim.

If G Rock spends so much time assessing the charts, then why are acts like Tool, System Of A Down and Korn (airplay for acoustic "Freak On A Leash" notwithstanding) not receiving any spins whatsoever despite having sizable hits on the Modern Rock charts this past year?

You mean the has-been wannabe goth "rockers," the "we're against Bush so we're popular" rockers, and the overall has-been rockers? See... I can generalize bands like you can too. I never said GRock spends so much time assessing the charts, I just use the charts as a reference. You use your elitist musical tastes.

And if G Rock is so concerned with what the listeners want to hear, it doesn't show when it comes to airplay for certain tracks. "When You Were Young" and "Anna Molly" no longer need to be in heavy rotation - I would guess that only the most casual listeners of G Rock are not sick of these songs by now. I'm not going to take up the space by typing countless titles, but there's many songs that G Rock still plays the bloody hell out of that pretty much everyone who hasn't been in a coma for the last 15 years is tired of - "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Alive", "Longview", "What I Got", "Plush", etc.

The Killers (16 spins) and Incubus (14 spins), spin totals aren't excessive. They are recurrent tracks that still test well. Getting spins every 12 or so hours (give or take with separation rules) is good programming. Whether you're a P1 or a casual listener, you're not going to hear it all 16 times.

What I Got (6 spins), Smells Like Teen Spirit (4 spins), Alive (4 spins), Longview (3 spins), and Plush (3 spins plus one for the acoustic), are actually below the usual gold spin numbers on most stations. In fact, What I Got was the most spun gold track of the week... 6 spins for a Gold is well below how Alt stations will spin it 10+ times (I've seen as high as 16 and 17). That's twice a day for a Gold track. Once again, you over-exaggerate to make your point. GRock has a great rotation that keeps the music fresh.

It also should be noted that the Retro Weekends on G Rock all received very positive feedback, as evidenced by calls played on air and comments made by the jocks themselves. Wouldn't it make sense to have it more often than once every six months, or to at least incorporate more of those songs into the regular rotation? It would certainly keep the pre-MySpace generation tuned in - or are we too old to be of any relevance to G Rock?

And lose the novelty of it? Doing it every weekend woudl make people bored of it... and a lot of the songs aren't huge hits, more of the oh-wow factor. When you throw in an unfamiliar songs to the rotation, then TSL suffers.

Shinedown had a song hit the Top 5. Hinder and Buckcherry had songs reach the Top 20. If anything, that proves that there are a good amount of Alternative stations south of the Mason-Dixon Line.

Some of Shinedown's biggest stations include Alt Rockers in Scranton, Portland Maine, and Grand Rapids, Michigan, Syracuse, and Toledo... none of which are owned by Clear Channel or CBS.

They just don't flow when played close to the Killers, Shiny Toy Guns, Snow Patrol and the like.

And the Cardigans next to Nine Inch Nails in the 90's was worse how?

Tool and System Of A Down have had several songs chart in the upper echelon of the Modern Rock Charts and have the progressive, more sophisticated approach that bands like Shinedown lack. I wouldn't say that they fit in seamlessly with the G Rock sound, but it definitely fits the definition of "Alternative" better than some acts out there that do receive airplay.

Shinedown isn't sophisticated? I believe they are. They are great sounding musicians that craft great songs. Again, it's a battle of personal tastes, and yours don't match that of GRock... and again, they're not programming to YOUR specific tastes.

Besides, when have charts meant anything to Press and G Rock anyway? Need I remind you that this station called itself Alternative while playing John Mayer, Avril Lavigne, Michelle Branch, Vanessa Carlton, Five For Fighting, Gavin DeGraw, Maroon 5, etc. How high have all of these acts ranked on the Modern Rock charts?

And I've stated this point before... just because you chart as something doesn't mean you strictly follow that format. Star in Atlanta is a Hot AC that charts as CHR. WPST and WSTW are nearly Hot AC during the day, but chart CHR. WMMR just moved from the Mainstream Rock to the Active Rock chart. What chart you align with is just a guideline. Nowadays anyway, there is a ton of crossover (Gym Class Heroes, Hellogoodbye, My Chemical Romance sliding onto the Hot AC charts.... Gnarls Barkley going top 10 at Mainstream AC) G106.3 may have leaned towards a Hot AC sound for a while, but they were still nailing where they wanted to be in their target demo.

They should also seek out listener feedback more than they currently are. Did you ever think that people are tuning out because G Rock is playing what they think the listener wants to hear, rather than actually making an effort to find out? To further demonstrate my point - they have a "Make A Request" section there, but it's only a formality. If you actually want to hear Green Day's "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams" (that's one example) for the umpteenth time, they may play that. But if you want to hear something that G Rock doesn't play incessantly, the chance of hearing it is slim to none.

Listener feedback is great to have, but you have to remember that only a small fraction of the listening audience actually responds, requests, calls in for contests etc... and many times, it's the same people. Getting their occasional feeback is fine, but you can't base a radio station around it... which is what testing is for. If one person wants to hear "Sad Sweetheart of the Rodeo" by Harvey Danger... that's nice, but chances are it will turn the rest of the listeners away because they don't know it. Few stations actually work in requests by their listeners, but welcome the feedback.


How many more times do we have to go through the process of you over-generalizing and over-exaggerating your claims while I prove them wrong? It's a matter of taste, and your tastes don't match up exactly to what GRock is playing. You are not their target audience. Deal with it!