As a fan of rock radio in Houston for 30+ years its hard to believe that rock air djs are becoming a dying breed.I have been reading these boards to try and understand the in and outs of radio but all I see is growing corporate greed. Has the day of a good ole air personality left for good? ???
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IS ROCK RADIO DEAD?
- Thread starter bigthunder
- Start date
K
kendro
Guest
Yes, other cities to it well. Real Rock radio in Houston is out of the picture.
Someone should write a book about it.
Someone should write a book about it.
M
machinehead
Guest
Is rock radio dead? It sure feels that way.
In addition to the points raised here, what's really sad about the overall death of rock radio is there aren't any kids being trained to be the cool rock DJs we all know and loved growing up on AORs around the country. They've never been exposed to it; it's as if it's not good enough anymore to be a cool, interesting personality talking about the music and the community without trying to be a Howard Stern (whom I like for being Howard Stern) or "wacky" DJ knock-off. Worse, a lot of the new blood in the business thinks it's perfectly okay to be overtly profane for the sake of being profane, and abusive to listeners on the phone, in person, etc., instead of realizing it's an opportunity to be even more cool and build your station's base even further. Will never understand why folks choose to squander what is an otherwise tailor-made opportunity for, if you'll pardon the term, "customer service." Hey, not every caller is interesting, I get it, but I tell my people listeners calling up and talking to the guy or gal on the air might be the coolest thing that happens to that person that day. And if isn't, fine ~ but don't make them regret it either.
A shame, but the industry has done it to itself. Everything is all for very short-term gain now, operating at a slow loss, and this has been the case for some time now, certainly since 1996. And with the dearth of rock and rock-attitude stations, there's less people hearing them and becoming interested in being a personality on those types of stations. Times change, of course, and the music does too and that's fine, but why does the quality of presentation also have to be watered down as time goes on?
Cities like Houston (and for that matter, the state of Texas!) deserve and certainly have the available audience for great rock stations, but all you need to do is listen to the new Springsteen song to hear how that creativity, spirit, connection to the audience, and passion for great rock radio has evaporated with the help of big corporate players...oh wait, you COULD hear that new Springsteen track...if there were any rock stations playing it.
The folks who supposedly know better like to tell me kids (and adults) go to the internet for songs they enjoy and want to hear. Makes sense. But I ask those same folks where do they think these kids hear these songs they want to download in the first place? When you expose a kid to a rock cut he's never heard before, be it from Jimi Hendrix or the Clash or the White Stripes, he's going to want to know who it is and where he can get it. Why? Because great rock knocks your socks off and leaves you wanting more no matter what era it's from.
In addition to the points raised here, what's really sad about the overall death of rock radio is there aren't any kids being trained to be the cool rock DJs we all know and loved growing up on AORs around the country. They've never been exposed to it; it's as if it's not good enough anymore to be a cool, interesting personality talking about the music and the community without trying to be a Howard Stern (whom I like for being Howard Stern) or "wacky" DJ knock-off. Worse, a lot of the new blood in the business thinks it's perfectly okay to be overtly profane for the sake of being profane, and abusive to listeners on the phone, in person, etc., instead of realizing it's an opportunity to be even more cool and build your station's base even further. Will never understand why folks choose to squander what is an otherwise tailor-made opportunity for, if you'll pardon the term, "customer service." Hey, not every caller is interesting, I get it, but I tell my people listeners calling up and talking to the guy or gal on the air might be the coolest thing that happens to that person that day. And if isn't, fine ~ but don't make them regret it either.
A shame, but the industry has done it to itself. Everything is all for very short-term gain now, operating at a slow loss, and this has been the case for some time now, certainly since 1996. And with the dearth of rock and rock-attitude stations, there's less people hearing them and becoming interested in being a personality on those types of stations. Times change, of course, and the music does too and that's fine, but why does the quality of presentation also have to be watered down as time goes on?
Cities like Houston (and for that matter, the state of Texas!) deserve and certainly have the available audience for great rock stations, but all you need to do is listen to the new Springsteen song to hear how that creativity, spirit, connection to the audience, and passion for great rock radio has evaporated with the help of big corporate players...oh wait, you COULD hear that new Springsteen track...if there were any rock stations playing it.
The folks who supposedly know better like to tell me kids (and adults) go to the internet for songs they enjoy and want to hear. Makes sense. But I ask those same folks where do they think these kids hear these songs they want to download in the first place? When you expose a kid to a rock cut he's never heard before, be it from Jimi Hendrix or the Clash or the White Stripes, he's going to want to know who it is and where he can get it. Why? Because great rock knocks your socks off and leaves you wanting more no matter what era it's from.
A
aunti-terrestrial
Guest
The folks who supposedly know better like to tell me kids (and adults) go to the internet for songs they enjoy and want to hear. Makes sense. But I ask those same folks where do they think these kids hear these songs they want to download in the first place? When you expose a kid to a rock cut he's never heard before, be it from Jimi Hendrix or the Clash or the White Stripes, he's going to want to know who it is and where he can get it. Why? Because great rock knocks your socks off and leaves you wanting more no matter what era it's from.
Myspace. My kid's got 524 Myspace friends (mostly bands), and while she never bothers with the tuner on her radio anymore, she's constantly downloading new music, either directly from their Myspace pages, or from iTunes. Interactive networking is this generation's cool thing---she gets online and sends a Myspace message to Green Day and they actually write back---heck, I've gotten a "thanks for the add" from Jimmy Page, so I understand the thrill. To her, it's so much cooler than sitting around hoping to hear one song on the air, which seems like a ludicrous waste of time to her. I try to explain to her that people used to use snail mail to communicate with each other, and radio used to be the only way to get new music, but she's of a generation that has no experience with either scenario. They think you're nuts when you tell them such things.
Rock radio is dead in this market, but rock music is very much alive and well.. It's just that, in essence, radio has trained the kids to get their new rock from every other source except the dial.
Myspace. My kid's got 524 Myspace friends (mostly bands), and while she never bothers with the tuner on her radio anymore, she's constantly downloading new music, either directly from their Myspace pages, or from iTunes. Interactive networking is this generation's cool thing---she gets online and sends a Myspace message to Green Day and they actually write back---heck, I've gotten a "thanks for the add" from Jimmy Page, so I understand the thrill. To her, it's so much cooler than sitting around hoping to hear one song on the air, which seems like a ludicrous waste of time to her. I try to explain to her that people used to use snail mail to communicate with each other, and radio used to be the only way to get new music, but she's of a generation that has no experience with either scenario. They think you're nuts when you tell them such things.
Rock radio is dead in this market, but rock music is very much alive and well.. It's just that, in essence, radio has trained the kids to get their new rock from every other source except the dial.
D
dsadof
Guest
From the mouths of babes.... It really puts it all in perspective, when you look at it from the p.o.v. of the children of today. There are so many ways for them to discover unheard music (new and old) that radio is no longer at the top of that list.
I would agree that it's dead in Houston.
I drove to McAllen, TX over the weekend and stumbled upon the rock station in Victoria, "the Bar" I think, and the 4 of us in the car were blown away by how great the station was. Shortly after, we lost the signal and started picking up the Houston stations. Good thing my Ipod was fully charged.
I drove to McAllen, TX over the weekend and stumbled upon the rock station in Victoria, "the Bar" I think, and the 4 of us in the car were blown away by how great the station was. Shortly after, we lost the signal and started picking up the Houston stations. Good thing my Ipod was fully charged.
I have to agree. 
I was in Denver during the summer and we listened up and down the radio. We couldn't believe how many rock stations were in the area. My friends and I really liked the 995 The Mountain. It was a TRUE album rock station. I heard songs I hadn't heard on commercial radio in years. it reminded me of the better days of KLOL.
And then there is KBCO 97.3 is a commercial classic and alternative rock station in Boulder. another station with great variety.
oh well...i'll keep XM and my ipod.
I was in Denver during the summer and we listened up and down the radio. We couldn't believe how many rock stations were in the area. My friends and I really liked the 995 The Mountain. It was a TRUE album rock station. I heard songs I hadn't heard on commercial radio in years. it reminded me of the better days of KLOL.
And then there is KBCO 97.3 is a commercial classic and alternative rock station in Boulder. another station with great variety.
oh well...i'll keep XM and my ipod.
rageradio said:
I am pretty sure he is talking about 100.9 KBAR. I live down near Victoria and listen all the time. They were a Spanish station that flipped about a month ago. I couldn't find a website but I did find a myspace page.
http://www.myspace.com/kbarfm
Hey Jay, don't you remember...100.9 was hip-hop (100.9 the beat) before they flipped a few months back. And yes Russell is doing a fantastic job of programming the station. It's unlike any other rock station I have ever heard!
J
-juan-
Guest
I thought they were a Rhythmic station before switching to The Bar 100.9. I don't remember them being a spanish station. But then again, I haven't been in that region for a while now. The only other spanish station in FM are KHMC and KIOX.
While in the Victoria subject, I recall a while back (years now)being a Spanish/Tejano station at 92.3. Does anyone remember the name of the station? I can't remember for some reason. Just beating my head trying to remember.
While in the Victoria subject, I recall a while back (years now)being a Spanish/Tejano station at 92.3. Does anyone remember the name of the station? I can't remember for some reason. Just beating my head trying to remember.
Re: IS ROCK RADIO DEAD?
I think its safe to say yes, but very much alive in Satellite.
I think its safe to say yes, but very much alive in Satellite.
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