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How the suits KILLED 96rock

I

Insideradio

It started with Jacor, but let's keep it strictly to Clear Channel.

1. Firing of Chris Rude
Yes, Rude was a little hack with some of his bits, and using recorded comedy snipets on the half hour, but the guy was an icon in this market, and up until the end on 96, his ratings were better than everyone elses in PMD.

2. Using Mix 105 as a flank
Ok, let's launch another station, use said icon, (Rude), and play a lot of the same songs 96rock plays just to take away some ratings points from Z93. Huh? Now you have 3 stations playing the same Stones, and Zepplin songs.
Not to mention you're taking cume away from 96rock.

3. Going all Classic when Z93 flips.
The suits thought they would keep their exsisting P1's, PLUS add Z's listeners.... DIDN'T HAPPEN. Z did a better job at playing CLASSIC rock than 96rock did. So now you've lost your old KLS faithful, and you didn't gain Z93's.

4. Bob and Tom.
Bob and Tom pissed off everyone. Regular guys fans hated them, and the P1's didn't like them either. They had so many options, but went with the easiest, and CHEAPEST route, and once again, it didn't pay off.

5. Not firing Marc Chase from Atlanta soon enough
By the time they fired him, it had been WAY past the beginning of the end. He hated the Regular Guys, and would'nt allow PD's to program 96 like they KNEW it should programmed. They wanted to go back to playing ALL rock, but Chase was convinced that "Tiny Dancer" was the answer. WRONG AGAIN.

6. The Braves
No explanation necessary
 
I've never seen Marc Chase in a suit. And it's not his fault; he's a radio guy in a business run by penny-pinchers.
 
Suits is a term for the execs. Stop being so literal. What does penny pinching have to do with his desire to program lite rock like Tiny Dancer, Eagles and Fleetwood Mac?
 
I am by no means an expert, and will not go so far as to say I could have done a better job, especially since I am not privy to the reasons behind most of those decisions, but it seems that there has been a dearth of good decision making in the entire cluster.

And not to change the subject (it is related after all), but how Randall Bloomquist still has a job is beyond me. Everyone abve him has been let go at some point...isn't he the one ultimately calling the day-to-day shots that have lead to the demise of WGST?
 
Are you kidding. 96 Rock is gone? I remember growing up listening to that station in the 80s while in school at Milton High School. In live in Seattle and our 96 Rock equivalent, 99.9 KISW, is stronger than ever. Z93 is still around? It is nice to see long time radio brands still around.
 
TheFrameGuy said:
Are you kidding. 96 Rock is gone? I remember growing up listening to that station in the 80s while in school at Milton High School. In live in Seattle and our 96 Rock equivalent, 99.9 KISW, is stronger than ever. Z93 is still around? It is nice to see long time radio brands still around.
Click to expand...

No. Z93 became 92.9 Dave FM a few years ago. It's a Triple A.
 
I'm so glad someone mentioned Chris Rude. He was a terrific jock. He was fired in such a shameful manner and the station never regained its footing after he left.
 


Just a question. If the programming of bland classic rock at 96 Rock like "Tiny Dancer, Fleetwood Mac, and The Eagles was bad. Then why is The River
doing so well??
 
96rock was targeted to men and had a reputation as a rock station. The River is for B98 listeners with an edge. It's targeted to women, safe choices. It isn't a rock station it is a classic hits station. I think 96Rock's reputation and the TRG and then Braves baseball was not really a turn-on for women. Classic Hits is really what oldies was 15 years ago.
 
RandomGuy6 said:
I am by no means an expert,
Click to expand...

That goes for a lot of us :D :D :D :D :D
 
RTibbs said:
96rock was targeted to men and had a reputation as a rock station. The River is for B98 listeners with an edge. It's targeted to women, safe choices. It isn't a rock station it is a classic hits station. I think 96Rock's reputation and the TRG and then Braves baseball was not really a turn-on for women. Classic Hits is really what oldies was 15 years ago.
Click to expand...

Not to mention that The River actually PLAYS MUSIC. TRGs in the morning, Braves baseball at night... where's the rock n' roll in that?
 
Those were all valid reasons as to why 96 Rock died.

Plus, don't ever underestimate suits brought into a city to run said station, suits not knowing the first damn thing about said city and then killing the station because their great ideas didn't work.
 
The only thing memorable about the brand 96Rock to a typical Atlantean is when Richard Jewell's truck was shown on the news with a 96Rock bumper sticker. That identified overweight, white, middle aged security guards that live with their mother with the 96Rock 'brand'. That and they played a stale, boring 70's classic rock format, that's their identity of the last 10 years.
 
Barbapapa is wrong

Barbapapa said:
The only thing memorable about the brand 96Rock to a typical Atlantean is when Richard Jewell's truck was shown on the news with a 96Rock bumper sticker. That identified overweight, white, middle aged security guards that live with their mother with the 96Rock 'brand'. That and they played a stale, boring 70's classic rock format, that's their identity of the last 10 years.
Click to expand...

I think “Atlantean” refers to a resident of Atlantis. I am a typical Atlantan.

Say what you will, but any radio station/brand that has a 32 year run is something special. 96Rock would still be going strong now had it not been for poor management over the last few years.
 
"That identified overweight, white, middle aged security guards...they played a stale, boring 70's classic rock format, that's their identity of the last 10 years."

So I guess if I listen to Basie, Coltrane & James Brown that I'm a loser too? Hey, the music sounds good to me, and any criticism of the person who is listening to it is illogical. You might as well criticize the types of vegetables they eat.
 
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