Than in other areas of the country? Just wondering...I'm in AL here. Friend of mine on Facebook started a group about how terrible Birmingham radio is. My thinking is radio is awful everywhere these days, not just in Birmingham. He tells me that markets such as Memphis and Louisville, KY have "better radio". I told him I figured all that is relative...that folks in Memphis and Louisville probably would tell you that radio is terrible there, also. So...what's ur opinion of Memphis radio?
-
Get involved.
We want your input!
Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.
After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.
After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/
Thanks in advance and have fun!
RadioDiscussions Administrators
Is Radio Worse in Memphis...?
- Thread starter passtheword
- Start date
Memphis has WEVL. That's better.
WEVL is a small cup of awesome.
As far as corporate radio goes, I rather like 'KQK and WDIA but the rest are very cookie cutter. Well, KQK is cookie cutter too but I rather enjoy the presentation and the HD2 comedy channel. Memphis to me is curiously heavy on rock and modern music and light on urban formats considering the demographics.
I think a lot of the negative attitude towards radio just has to do with being stuck with the same choices. Louisville and Memphis and Atlanta and Nashville and Mobile and everywhere have the same slate of formats, more or less, the only difference is some of the jocks may be local and some of the commercials are different. But in the end there just isn't that much difference.
As a former resident of the 'Ham I think Birmingham is particularly cookie cutter. There really isn't much in the way of breakout local music talent that I'm aware of, even on the gospel and Hispanic stations. And certainly no locally run alternative formats on commercial or non comm airwaves. At least Memphis, Atlanta, New Orleans and possibly Nashville have outlets for that.
As far as corporate radio goes, I rather like 'KQK and WDIA but the rest are very cookie cutter. Well, KQK is cookie cutter too but I rather enjoy the presentation and the HD2 comedy channel. Memphis to me is curiously heavy on rock and modern music and light on urban formats considering the demographics.
I think a lot of the negative attitude towards radio just has to do with being stuck with the same choices. Louisville and Memphis and Atlanta and Nashville and Mobile and everywhere have the same slate of formats, more or less, the only difference is some of the jocks may be local and some of the commercials are different. But in the end there just isn't that much difference.
As a former resident of the 'Ham I think Birmingham is particularly cookie cutter. There really isn't much in the way of breakout local music talent that I'm aware of, even on the gospel and Hispanic stations. And certainly no locally run alternative formats on commercial or non comm airwaves. At least Memphis, Atlanta, New Orleans and possibly Nashville have outlets for that.
I wish this post had been up maybe a month ago. Because of some health issues at our household there haven't been any roadtrips lately but earlier this month we passed through Memphis coming and going and would have loved to sample WEVL. (I followed their link and I have them blasting away here in my little home workshop/studio/control-center-of-the-universe. Interesting.
There is always a sick moment when I drive through and past Memphis. I punch up WREC as I drive past their transmitter site, say a couple of uncivilized words before turning off the radio. I remember the GLORY DAYS.
I think you guys are on target. Radio is probably rather consistent from market to market these days. If you dislike radio in your home town, you probably won't like radio in Memphis or Tulsa or Cleveland or Minneapolis. But somebody must have taste-buds (ear-buds?) that find something they like in each city.... or there would be no audience and no response to advertising and the industry would disappear.
The WEVL websites invites people to volunteer to do program segments. If I lived in Memphis I bet I would find something useful to do for WEVL.
There is always a sick moment when I drive through and past Memphis. I punch up WREC as I drive past their transmitter site, say a couple of uncivilized words before turning off the radio. I remember the GLORY DAYS.
I think you guys are on target. Radio is probably rather consistent from market to market these days. If you dislike radio in your home town, you probably won't like radio in Memphis or Tulsa or Cleveland or Minneapolis. But somebody must have taste-buds (ear-buds?) that find something they like in each city.... or there would be no audience and no response to advertising and the industry would disappear.
The WEVL websites invites people to volunteer to do program segments. If I lived in Memphis I bet I would find something useful to do for WEVL.
Goat Rodeo Cowboy said:
WEVL has some 42 volunteer on air people, not to mention electricians, air conditioning people, painters, drywallers and people that go out to do their promotions (sign up contributors, sell t-shirts and stuff, and just support this incredible effort). I've volunteered for them with studio engineering (they have a very competent transmitter guy) for about three years. When you walk into the WEVL space, you feel like you're in the presence of history and greatness. There are a gazillion vinyl records and CD's everywhere, and the little control room I rebuilt a couple of years ago shows how much the music matters and technology doesn't. A programmer can play CD's, DAT, vinyl, iPod or even their computer through an interface I built, and you never know what you're going to get because whoever is on the air is the format of the moment. It's interesting, creative radio in its finest free form. I went down the other day to look at installing the PPM gear, and had to spend the first 10 minutes fixing the toilet. Not that it had anything to do with the PPM, it just needed fixing.
I love it.
radiosaur said:
I wish I did Saur, but I don't. I had a brief stint at WZZQ in Jackson, MS at the height (lowest) of their format days as a part timer DJ. I view WEVL as an extension of those glorious days. I don't know the LYX story, but I'd bet it's almost as good as the ZZQ legend. WEVL to me is the living example of good radio does well. Without commercials.
My understanding is that the format at WLYX was "at the top of the hour say WLYX, Memphis". That would be what I consider fairly free-form.
Rob pretty much has it nailed. WLYX was the Rhodes College (at the time called Southwestern) radio station which later became WYPL. I don’t remember the power level back then and the tower was on campus, but as I remember you could hear it pretty well all over the city. Basically, anything went. As I recall Zappa was only one of many artists who came though the WLYX studios. Maybe someone who worked there can chime in…if they even remember.
- Status