How many years away is NYC from having...

[frozenfiresb]

a predominantly 90's-based station. I know Frsh has a Saturday Night 90's but I mean a station that plays virtually no new music and only very little from the early 2000's or pre-1990.

www.90sbuzz.com Here's a link to the first station in the country to flip all 90's (which was only about a year or two ago) so there's no reason not to assume that there will be more stations like this in the coming decade.

I wonder if that could generate better ratings than NOW or 'RXP.

Just a little something to think about :

 

[DToTheJ]

I don't recall New York ever having an 80's station. If any markets have an all-90's station, it will probably be the Tampas and the Cincinnatis of the world, and not so much the New Yorks and the Chicagos.

 

[collegeDJ86]

Clear Channel is doing a 90s format called "Gen X Radio" in Louisville and Tulsa (the one in Louisville had been a classic hits station prior to the September 2009 launch). The only problem is where would Clear Channel even consider doing that in their NYC cluster? Not Lite, not Q, not Z, and probably not Power or KTU... maybe HD-2?

 

[DToTheJ]

Most likely on an HD-2 on an FM signal in New York. Remember, all five CC FM stations in NYC, for the most part, aren't broken. Besides, if anything, they'd want to turn an FM signal into a news/talk station if they manage to get rights to Rush Limbaugh's show after its contract is up with WABC... but now with WOR grabbing Noory, on top of Beck, I think the easiest thing to do would be for CC to just buy WOR outright...

 

[TonySantiago]

Just an opinion,

Even if NYC did come up with a 90's formatted station, how long can it last and how could it be formatted since things musically started becoming diverse and separative?

At least with 70's music, there was some sort of common bond with all of the genres. Even disco was accepted as part of the format. To a certain degree 80's music had a common bond whereas you can get away with a new wave track, pop, with an early rap track.

The problem with the 90's is that musically, things went in different directions. You could have a station with Alanis Morrissette, Ace Of Base, Sarah McLachlan, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, The Verve and to an extent some 90's dance in there such as No Mercy, Real McCoy. But HIP-HOP really came on its own and "mainstream" during that decade, the "gangsta" music especially. You can't have a format with the artists I've listed and ignore Tupac, Big E. Puff Daddy, etc. That is where things have fractured and in that sense, you would have a fractured audience because of the fact that the 90's didn't have that common bond anymore, per se.

NYC became VERY fractured radiowise in the 90's. Hot 97 played more gangsta stuff. Z-100 had a "grunge" period in there, 'KTU leaned on dance. If a 90's station did come up, I don't think it would last long based on the "fracturing" of the audience.

Like I said, just an opinion.

 

[magicjellybeans]

I wonder why we never had a 70s or 80s based station.The 90s basically was the worst in the lines of songs to me,but to each his or her own.
I think Jack-Fm would have done better if it wasnt on 101.1 ,people loved WCBS and now thyey have it back,well kinda.The people have spoken!LOL

 

[mary]

??? 90's NONO!! we have enough stations of that!! OK I will settle for 70's and 80's really I love the 60's some 50's but if a format change not to 90's or 2000 unless its Bruce S or Bon Jovi I like them alot but even their 80's stuff is better.

 

[travisl5678]

That all 90s station would be 106.5 the Buzz in Sacramento,CA

 

[mjb1124]

I don't think anyone's suggesting a CBS-FM format change here. And while it's true that a lot of stations include 90's music to some degree, it only seems to be a small selection of songs. There are plenty of 90's hits that don't get any regular airtime.

 

[itsthesong]

What NY really needs is a country station. Talk about a market hole.

 

[mary]

I would like a country station. I listen to country on sirius sometimes

 

[frozenfiresb]

I'm only 20 years old (will be 21 later this year) and IMHO '90's music > '00's music. However, I still don't consider 80's (and most late 70's) music oldies, because of my parents' generation.

 

[InSearchOfGear]

Just an opinion,

Even if NYC did come up with a 90's formatted station, how long can it last and how could it be formatted since things musically started becoming diverse and separative?

At least with 70's music, there was some sort of common bond with all of the genres. Even disco was accepted as part of the format. To a certain degree 80's music had a common bond whereas you can get away with a new wave track, pop, with an early rap track.

The problem with the 90's is that musically, things went in different directions. You could have a station with Alanis Morrissette, Ace Of Base, Sarah McLachlan, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, The Verve and to an extent some 90's dance in there such as No Mercy, Real McCoy. But HIP-HOP really came on its own and "mainstream" during that decade, the "gangsta" music especially. You can't have a format with the artists I've listed and ignore Tupac, Big E. Puff Daddy, etc. That is where things have fractured and in that sense, you would have a fractured audience because of the fact that the 90's didn't have that common bond anymore, per se.

NYC became VERY fractured radiowise in the 90's. Hot 97 played more gangsta stuff. Z-100 had a "grunge" period in there, 'KTU leaned on dance. If a 90's station did come up, I don't think it would last long based on the "fracturing" of the audience.

Like I said, just an opinion.

And now my opinion. I do 90s at SIRIUS XM. It works just fine. One of the top channels on the platform. The key to making it work lies in tempo and attitude. We don't play any Celine Dion or Wilson Phillips.

 

[NoMoreLurking]

Bring back 97-DJ.

 

[Jacko]

Being a teenager through basically all of the 90s, a station with a 90s focus has to be programmed just right. The station should be predominantly pop, with some very high-performing R & B, hip-hop, alternative, and mainstream rock acts. I think that the 90s station on Sirius does it just right. You don't want music that's too sleepy or too loud and in your face.

Hey, it could just be the next format on 92.3.

 

[Tom Wells]

When will there be a replacement for WQEW? There must a lot of old people in New York still cranky about losing that
station to a radio Disney format. I'm 48 and still cranky about it in Chicago all these years later.

The worst thing about big market radio is the herd mentality and relentless duplication of formats proven to make money by serving
the least engaged listeners with narrow tastes and closed minds.

The great unserved audience is the people who like many different types of music.
Not all listeners fit the "least common denominator" model, nor do they enjoy the bland product as much as they would
something which requires more attention but is too risky for most stations to attempt.

There are more oportunities for radio to take risks in a big market, if they can develop an audience.
I remember when I first heard WFMU in East Orange, back in 1982. It is still one of the finest radio stations in the world,
at least from a listener's perspective.

If 90's music works out like any other decade, it NEEDS 10-20 years to season, and we'll see if sounds good then.
In the 1970's there was very little music of the 1950's being played. Or 40's or 30's.
Some songs are great and stand well, others fare better or worse with time.

 

[davideduardo]

When will there be a replacement for WQEW?

Never. This is one of a number of formats that only can work on listener supported platforms like satellite or the web.

There is no advertiser support for the format.

On the Nassau / Suffolk forum there is an interesting thread about WHLI, the MOR / Standards AM which has lost half its meager billing and half of its low ratings in the last 4 to 5 years. A full NY signal can't exist on $40 k to $50 k in monthly billing.

There must a lot of old people in New York still cranky about losing that
station to a radio Disney format. I'm 48 and still cranky about it in Chicago all these years later.

In a word, iPod.

The worst thing about big market radio is the herd mentality and relentless duplication of formats proven to make money by serving the least engaged listeners with narrow tastes and closed minds.

Whether in NY, Chicago, LA or any of the biggest metros, I have no problem differentiating between stations. I see the differences between even the closest competitors, such as Fresh and Lite or Now and Z100 or Mega and X 96.3, and know that each appeals to a very identifiable group with passion for the music each station. I can even distinguish between WINS and WCBS, each with its target appeal.

While a person who does not like rock might lump classic rock, alternative, active rock, etc. together, within the partisan groups of each there is acceptance / rejection of the different rock genres.

And stations target 18-54 because there is no ad money outside those demos for radio. It's a reality no station can change, so naturally targeting will be at different subsets of that age range, which spans nearly three generations!

 

[ericdxx]

The problem is that 90s music was so diversified. Alternative rock, nu-metal, rap and boy bands. I can't even imagen how you would put together a format out of the hits from the 90s.

 

[InSearchOfGear]

The problem is that 90s music was so diversified. Alternative rock, nu-metal, rap and boy bands. I can't even imagen how you would put together a format out of the hits from the 90s.

You don't have to imagine. Check out SIRIUS XM 90s on 9.

 

[badjef]

I would like a country station. I listen to country on sirius sometimes

94.7, after Camping kicks the bucket, they can start kicking the s---, er, kicking it.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!