How does L.A. support 3 rock stations?

[p_herring]

So, this is coming from a New Yorker, but I'm curious as to how Los Angeles supports 3 rock stations? Here in NYC, we just can't seem to get it right. We have one boring-as-hell sort-of Active Rocker (that plays maybe 10 currents a week mixed with all the tired classic and modern rock songs) WXRK. We have WAXQ, your meat-and-potatoes classic rocker (also a totally boring and predictable playlist, but does the best in terms of serving the audience) and then WRXP, billed as New York's "Rock" experience. These guys seem to think that playing Spoon followed by Aerosmith followed by Lifehouse is the best way to hook listeners (not surprisingly, they are coming in with a 0.9).

I've only been out to L.A. 2-3 times in my life but from my experience there, and what I've read, you have three rock stations (all who play currents). The famous KROQ, Indie 103, and Star 98.7 (though a rocker positioning itself as "Star" is a bit odd). How do these stations survive? Does their playlist overlap or do they each serve individual audiences. It seems like Star is a modern rock station that isn't afraid to play the uncool rock that KROQ ignores (Three Days Grace, Seether, Puddle Of Mudd, 3 Doors Down, etc.) while Indie 103 follows whatever the blogs are raving about these days. Does this work? I'm just so confused as to why in my city, we have the most conservative playlists, yet in market #2 (where I imagine the ad dollars are just as valuable), there seems to be more free reign.

Any thoughts/comments are welcome.

 

[davideduardo]

I've only been out to L.A. 2-3 times in my life but from my experience there, and what I've read, you have three rock stations (all who play currents). The famous KROQ, Indie 103, and Star 98.7 (though a rocker positioning itself as "Star" is a bit odd).

98.7 is now, well, just 98.7.

Indie only covers a tiny swatch of the LA market, so it's not a player.

How do these stations survive?

LA was, till the recession, the highest billing market in the US, way ahead of NY. There is, simply, lots of money here.

Does their playlist overlap or do they each serve individual audiences.

Indie is more esoteric, but most of the market can't hear them.. so they get a few tenths of a share. KROQ has been a major player for many, many years. It's also one of the top 2 to 3 billing stations in LA every year. KYSR is Clear's effort to keep KROQ from total dominance, and they have focused on peeling the Hispanic listenership away from KROQ.

 

[p_herring]

I've only been out to L.A. 2-3 times in my life but from my experience there, and what I've read, you have three rock stations (all who play currents). The famous KROQ, Indie 103, and Star 98.7 (though a rocker positioning itself as "Star" is a bit odd).

98.7 is now, well, just 98.7.

Indie only covers a tiny swatch of the LA market, so it's not a player.

How do these stations survive?

LA was, till the recession, the highest billing market in the US, way ahead of NY. There is, simply, lots of money here.

Does their playlist overlap or do they each serve individual audiences.

Indie is more esoteric, but most of the market can't hear them.. so they get a few tenths of a share. KROQ has been a major player for many, many years. It's also one of the top 2 to 3 billing stations in LA every year. KYSR is Clear's effort to keep KROQ from total dominance, and they have focused on peeling the Hispanic listenership away from KROQ.

Interesting. So a few questions:

How does KYSR take the Hispanic audience away from KROQ?
Why does Indie have such a low powered station (lack of funds?)
Also, how does KROQ continue to do well when other Alternative stations fail. Isn't their audience primarily the ipod/internet-listening generation as I imagine that those who loved KROQ of the older days are turned off by the excessive Offspring, Linkin Park, etc.

 

[davideduardo]

How does KYSR take the Hispanic audience away from KROQ?

Probably they include a high percentage of Hispanics in their research.

Why does Indie have such a low powered station (lack of funds?)

Indie's two frequencies are both Class A signals, vastly inferior to the B's that "own" most of the audience due to higher power. Indie is shortspaced and can not increase power or antenna height, per FCC rules.

Also, how does KROQ continue to do well when other Alternative stations fail.

It's been here "forever" and has a very positive heritage and a really good PD. The station has created its own following... look at AAA, where there has not been a really successful launch of a new one for many, many years. KROQ is good, and it is entrenched.

[/quote] Isn't their audience primarily the ipod/internet-listening generation as I imagine that those who loved KROQ of the older days are turned off by the excessive Offspring, Linkin Park, etc.
[/quote]

When a station is as good as KROQ (top morning show, lots of events and stuff going on) there is more to it than music. That often beats the iPod or the mindless web streams.

 

[Doctah]

BTW, p_herring fails to note that L.A. actually has five rock stations (since he's counting the classic rockers in NY for their tally) -- KLOS and newcomer KSWD "The Sound" as well.

 

[scooty430]

There used to be even more. At one time it was:

KMET
KLOS
KLSX
KROQ
KNAC
KNX (I think it was called CD93 or something - kind of a "quality rock" thing)

Plus many people could pick up 91X and KGB out of San Diego.

...and maybe you could count KRTH too.

 

[AM FM listener]

Yeah, the "Doctah" is correct. If you include Classic Rock and AAA, we have 5 rock stations.

KROQ is indeed legendary, arguably the premier Modern or Alternative Rock station in the country. The personalities, many of whom have been there a long time, and the music make it a kick to listen to.

Classic Rocker, KLOS, is also legendary but does not have quite the ratings and influence of KROQ these days. KLOS is strictly Classic Rock, no currents. They also have well known LA personalities. Pretty predictable playlist but a solid station that will probably be around in its present form for a long time to come.

KYSR, another Modern or Alternative rocker, used to be a Hot/Modern AC but morphed to the rock side earlier this year to go after some of KROQ's audience. It seems to be working to some extent. KYSR, which now identifies itself as "98-7" rather than "Star 98-7", plays a bit more pop than does KROQ. Perhaps that attracts more Hispanics than a typical rock station(?).

KDLD ("Indie") is our 3rd Mod/Alt stations. It has a limited signal, reaching only the coastal areas of greater LA, not the inland valleys. It comes across as a truly local station and has a very eclectic playlist. As such, it has become a cult favorite among the "rock elite". It has been this way for over 5 years, probably to the surprise of many as it has never garnered much in the way of ratings (< 1%). However, its target audience may be served just well enough to keep the revenues just high enough to keep it going.

KSWD ("The Sound") has been an AAA station for only about a year. It has a full, market-wide signal but is struggling to get a significant audience (also < 1%). It is a pleasure to listen to because it is different from the other 4 stations, mixing classic rock with newer, adult oriented alternative rock. It also has some fans among the "rock elite," but with a stronger signal, more is probably expected from The Sound than may be for Indie, audience-wise. So, I don't know if it will prosper in its present form but I hope so.

There you go. That's my "review" of rock radio in LA.

 

[p_herring]

BTW, p_herring fails to note that L.A. actually has five rock stations (since he's counting the classic rockers in NY for their tally) -- KLOS and newcomer KSWD "The Sound" as well.

My fault (not as familiar since I don't live there). How do they differ from each other?

 

[hamNcheese]

5 rock stations?

and Im blacklisted from all of them.

bitches.

 

[XavierRenegade]

In Ventura County we have 95.9 The Octopus and 99.9 KTYD from Santa Barbara which also play classic Rock. The difference between the radio stations is KLOS power is 62,000 watt, KTYD is 34,000 and 95.9 is 1200 watts. The Octopus 95.9 is only 1200 watts and you can hardly hear it unless you live in the Ventura County Area. I usually preferred 98.7 over Kroq but I don't really like either. We have 105.5 Live FM in Ventura that also has Ryan Seacrest for 10am to 1pm. 105.5 is a Variety Station but plays a lot of Alternative music like 98.7 or Kroq. I tried the HD channel for Kroq which has 80's music which I seem to like pretty well.

 

[hotpatrick2004]

Three Days Grace, Seether, Puddle Of Mudd, 3 Doors Down. Artists like these do not belong on alternative stations and ad metellica to that list.

 

[scooty430]

I agree. I miss the days when KROQ wouldn't touch Metallica with a ten foot pole.

Personally, KROQ became unlistenable when they started playing Eminem, Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Korn, and other artists with those HILARIOUS misspelled names. : With an exception here and there, they abandoned their heritage by dumping the Depeche Mode, Oingo Boingo, U2.....

They didn't even play Green Day's American Idiot until it broke elsewhere. Green Day were no longer "testing well" I bet. Now they try to act as if they were always behind the band.

More importantly, they stopped having fun. The jocks used to be really wild, inventive, and even got to spin a few of their own choices. At this point, KROQ is basically a drab corporate outlet for the latest shlock. Then again, all the stations are that way, so what's the difference?

 

[XavierRenegade]

Kroq has an HD channel just for Rocks of the 80's. It along with a few others in Los Angeles make it seem worth while to get an HD Receiver. There is no $50 rebates at the moment and those $100 Portable Recievers only have 5 FM presets which doesn't help much. I like the 80's station Kroq has but like many it can repeat songs. We have KHJL 92.7 Jill FM. You can listen to a song at midnight that was played around 9AM earlier in the day. If you don't mind them repeating songs sometimes. I don't like 98.7 which used to be called the star. They used to do more 80's music and now they hardly do any 80's music.

 

[scooty430]

You can listen to the KROQ2 stream online, which to me makes more sense than buying the HD receiver, which is like videodiscs, DAT, or Betamax: destined to be obsolete.

As for the KROQ2 stream's content, it's cool at first, because you hear a few lesser played tracks, and they pulled out a few old jingles. But there are no jocks, and the playlist is not that big and fairly pedestrian (lots of Police and Eurythmics - safe stuff.) If they want people to get excited, they should put Freddy Snakeskin, Jed, Poorman, Tami, Scott Mason, Rodney, Richard Blade, John Frost, and people like that on live shifts and let them choose the songs. Maybe play some old airchecks. Have some special features like reggae on Sunday.

There is so much potential, but instead they stick a few songs on autopilot and expect people to listen. A good radio station is more than that.

 

[hotpatrick2004]

Go to wxrk website in nyc not sure of the www right now but click on there krock 2 station and it is awesome it is kinda like indie 1031 cd 101 in columbus ohio or wfnx in boston it is really good.

 

[BACKnUSSR]

There used to be even more. At one time it was:

KMET
KLOS
KLSX
KROQ
KNAC
KNX (I think it was called CD93 or something - kind of a "quality rock" thing)

Plus many people could pick up 91X and KGB out of San Diego.

...and maybe you could count KRTH too.

You also had KQLZ (Pirate Radio)

 

[calguy]

There used to be even more. At one time it was:

KMET
KLOS
KLSX
KROQ
KNAC
KNX (I think it was called CD93 or something - kind of a "quality rock" thing)

Plus many people could pick up 91X and KGB out of San Diego.

...and maybe you could count KRTH too.

You also had KQLZ (Pirate Radio)

Anyone remember when KWST 106 was doing AOR?

KNX was never CD93 as far as I know. There was a CD103.1, but it wasn't really rock. KNX-FM was "Mellow Rock Today" and "Where the Music is" doing a soft album rock format in the 70's through early 80's and again in the late 80's.

 

[XavierRenegade]

You can listen to the KROQ2 stream online, which to me makes more sense than buying the HD receiver, which is like videodiscs, DAT, or Betamax: destined to be obsolete.

As for the KROQ2 stream's content, it's cool at first, because you hear a few lesser played tracks, and they pulled out a few old jingles. But there are no jocks, and the playlist is not that big and fairly pedestrian (lots of Police and Eurythmics - safe stuff.) If they want people to get excited, they should put Freddy Snakeskin, Jed, Poorman, Tami, Scott Mason, Rodney, Richard Blade, John Frost, and people like that on live shifts and let them choose the songs. Maybe play some old airchecks. Have some special features like reggae on Sunday.

There is so much potential, but instead they stick a few songs on autopilot and expect people to listen. A good radio station is more than that.

It makes more sense but I like the ability of having some sort of portable radio when I'm on the go. If I'm doing something outside of the home then I can listen to HD radio. If they had a portable radio that was compact and only cost about $50 or so then more people might it. I have Sansa Clip MP3 player than can receive FM radio and you have 20 presets. These cheap HD radios only have 5 presets for FM which doesn't help much if you want to be able to quickly go through the FM stations. In San Diego they have Sophie in which the HD stream is a Dance/Electronic type station which is it. It offers nice variety in comparison to the regular FM stations.

 

[RockTheGlobe]

I agree. I miss the days when KROQ wouldn't touch Metallica with a ten foot pole.

When was that, 1985? KROQ was the first alternative station in the country to play Metallica.

 

[Robnoxious]

I agree. I miss the days when KROQ wouldn't touch Metallica with a ten foot pole.

When was that, 1985? KROQ was the first alternative station in the country to play Metallica.

KROQ didn't touch Metallica until the Re-Loaded album in the mid to late 90's and even today do not go any further back in the catalog than the Black Album (other than maybe playing "One"). Pure Rock 105.5 KNAC had the distinction of being the Metallica destination station back in the 80's and the early 90's.