KEGL

[Kramer]

That does not mean he automatically knows better than the music testing. It is not unlikely that the KEGL he worked for would have had different test results. It doesn't take more than a year or two for a target demo's preferences to change.

In terms of programming, I've always said the most recent research gets the most weight in decision making.

(Cough sock puppet)

I digress.

A National music study or test - doesn't mean anything here.

And yes, social media is a FANTASTIC way to judge certain things. I'm on the Eagle fan page right now, and everyone of them are bitching about Jelly Roll.

And when I go back to the Eagle soon, I'll continue to say exactly what I'm saying right here about the music. If I took 100 calls and asked each one to rate Weezer, All American Rejects, Jelly Roll, Muse, Sum 41, 30 Seconds to Mars, The Ataris, Sublime, Blur, 21 Pilots) between 1 and 10 - none of those artists would get above a 5. Most not above a 2.

They also have a MAJOR issue with artist separation. How many consecutive hours can you play Green Day? Christ.

I will say it again, there's a reason why the Eagle maxed out at a 2.5 last time, and the primary reason was FIRST the music, and then the 2 terrible talk shows.

 

[Delete My Account]

As much as I love radio, and in many cases stations that used to be or represent a certain thing, at this point...

If you're a serious fan of whatever branch of rock, why is it worth the time as to how a corporation chooses to program one station in Dallas? Even if they're absolutely wrong, $10 a month or thereabouts will get every flavor of rock one could want, curated by people who are far more passionate and invested in it than whoever's scheduling the stuff KEGL plays.

I mean, I very much enjoyed KDGE when it started in 1989...but...that was 25 years ago. I can hear The B52s, The Smiths and the Clash on a good non-comm music discovery station or music service, and not have to sit through ED med and tax relief spots to hear it. Dallas used to have solid rock radio of every variety - KZPS, KDGE, KEGL, Q102. At their peak, these were all well programmed stations with local talent, big promotions, the total package.

Music radio now by and large isn't designed for people who consider music one of the most important aspects of their lives. It's so people in their commute can hear something they're likely to at least tolerate, so they hopefully will hear a spot or register on the meter. I love great entertaining, interactive radio, and there's still some places that do it, but generally music radio is a convenience for casual consumers, not the "lifestyle" product it used to be. Most of us have more time to post about music and think about these things than the available audience, or even the programmers who have many other things to do just to keep the station profitable in the era of 1,000 choices.

I used to be a huge fan of alternative/modern rock radio. I'm in a market with a heritage alternative station and a thriving music scene, that attracts critically acclaimed artists to great venues. Our once famed "alternative" AND our "classic rock" stations each have one local daypart with the rest nationally tracked, and they both are still playing the Red Hot Chili Peppers roughly every two hours. Their owners regularly have less than great financial news to report.

It's not even an age thing. I'm still as interested in new and good music as ever, and I've loved radio since my childhood, but for various reasons a lot of it is no longer "for" people like myself. Fortunately, I have options. I used to get really upset about the state of it, but you can't turn back the tide. KEGL will never be as "good as it once was" to those who have great memories of it - nor can it be the 2024 version of it. And if it was, that's no guarantee of anything other than that it would cost more to operate, and we all know that isn't happening.

So, I give money to non-commercial stations with DJs that champion new or deeper tracks, follow curators on streaming services, and remember fondly what I found great about the medium I loved. And still do, but it's like meeting your first love after so many years. You may reminisce and have some good interactions, but you're not able to go back. Ultimately that's radio in 2024. I still think some of the hosts and DJs I grew up with were great - but if I heard them now, I'd probably find them tacky or dull.

Nothing, including KEGL, can ever compete with how we remember it.

 

[TheBigA]

I will say it again, there's a reason why the Eagle maxed out at a 2.5 last time, and the primary reason was FIRST the music, and then the 2 terrible talk shows.

My take on this is that they'd be just fine with a 2.5 if they can clear Woody and the Mavericks. The goal isn't 6+ ratings. The goal is to reach a target demo and sell it. The reason the Freak is gone is because it was too old and too male. It was too old because it was duller than dull. If they can bring the age down and broaden the range, they'll be just fine. They have Kiss in the Top 5 for ratings.

I also think they're still stunting right now.

 

[TheBigA]

Music radio now by and large isn't designed for people who consider music one of the most important aspects of their lives.

Exactly. This needs to be on a poster somewhere. If music is important to you, you should be willing to PAY for it. Music has value.

Everything changed when congress signed the DMCA. It gave a royalty right to artists and labels. They didn't have that before. So the labels and artists are focused on superserving their fans bases and building their streaming numbers. They don't visit rock radio stations like they did in the 80s and 90s. They instead talk directly to their fans on social media.

Radio is the free sample. That's it. It's been that way for the last ten or so years. The people in radio know this, and they program accordingly. They play the songs that will get listeners to seek out more music online. The radio companies are building out their online presence so they can be a source for more music. But it's all online, not on the air.

I give money to non-commercial stations with DJs that champion new or deeper tracks, follow curators on streaming services, and remember fondly what I found great about the medium I loved.

Me too.

 

[TheBigA]

And when I go back to the Eagle soon, I'll continue to say exactly what I'm saying right here about the music.

BTW I would support that idea. When John Allers revived KITS in SF, one of the first hires was to return Aaron Axelsen to the station:

Audacy Announces Return of Live 105’s “Soundcheck” with Aaron Axelsen | Audacy Inc.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – July 5, 2023 – Audacy is proud to announce “Soundcheck,” one of the longest-running new music specialty shows in alternative rock

audacyinc.com

It was a good idea and helped give the station cred. So maybe adding Kramer to the Eagle would do that.

 

[Will_H_69_9]

BTW I would support that idea. When John Allers revived KITS in SF, one of the first hires was to return Aaron Axelsen to the station:

Audacy Announces Return of Live 105’s “Soundcheck” with Aaron Axelsen | Audacy Inc.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – July 5, 2023 – Audacy is proud to announce “Soundcheck,” one of the longest-running new music specialty shows in alternative rock

audacyinc.com

It was a good idea and helped give the station cred. So maybe adding Kramer to the Eagle would do that.

actually for the 2007-2022 incarnation, the station gain cred through Russ Martin & his show and Cindy Skull, Russ is dead and his show is now The Treehouse and they moved on to podcasting where they can be a better fit, and i don't know if Cindy wants to come back to the Eagle after they way iHeart let her go in 2022 which furthered the downfall of that incarnation.

also Kramer getting mad over songs that "Don't belong" on the Eagle when in reality, the version of the Eagle he wants is the version he worked, the OG 1992-2004 incarnation that played the hardest of hard rock instead of the top 40/alternative stuff the post 2017 part of the 2007-2022 incarnation picked up when KDGE 102.1 The Edge died to make way for Star 102.1.

 

[E-Cam]

They just played 30 Seconds To Mars - THE KILL. The song never charted on any format in the U.S. - and topped 35ish in the UK on the alt chart there.

Apparently, it topped at #3 on the Alternative Airplay (formerly Modern Rock Tracks) chart, also #14 on Mainstream Rock, #25 on Adult Top 40, #30 on Mainstream Top 40, and #65 on the Billboard Hot 100. Don't know where you got that "The Kill" wasn't even added on US stations back in 2006, because I remembered The Edge (and later The Eagle, even Alt) playing them back then and was a staple during their times since then.

Not one single song from All American Rejects - ever - charted on rock radio in America. They didn't even bother putting up the ROCK chart on my site I use.

The only ones I remembered Modern Rock added was "Swing Swing" and "Gives You Hell." Let's look at "Swing Swing" first. The song topped at #8 on Modern Rock back in 2002-2003 but when was the last time any alternative station in the nation played this? Both their "Move Along" songs (Dirty Little Secret and Move Along), are their biggest hits ever because of their adds on CHR and Hot AC and Billboard Hot 100. Modern Rock didn't even add this back then, and I mentioned this before, yet alternative stations play these two more than "Swing Swing." "Gives You Hell" was a moderate success on Modern Rock (#28) but hit #1 on CHR and Hot AC, and #4 on Billboard Hot 100, and even this song is played more often than "Swing Swing." So Modern Rock/Alternative Airplay's biggest AAR song "Swing Swing" is taking a back seat compared their bigger hits that weren't even added on Modern rock/Alternative Airplay.

 

[K.M. Richards]

So Modern Rock/Alternative Airplay's biggest AAR song "Swing Swing" is taking a back seat compared their bigger hits that weren't even added on Modern rock/Alternative Airplay.

Which just proves that it as just as true for Alternative as it is for Classic Hits ... it doesn't matter how a song charted as a current, it's whether or not today's audience wants to hear it.

 

[davideduardo]

This is why Alternative is in a better place overall right now. The fanbase is more flexible; a lot of songs from back to the 80’s to fresh artists debuting now are a-ok to play. The bigger problem is nationwide consensus, the format tends to be hyper-localized in terms of playlists these days (if not DJs). Songs that work in the Midwest absolutely do not work on the coasts and vice versa, that type of thing. I think it’s a problem that Active Rock PDs would kill for though.

To the contrary, Alternative is three or four formats with one marquee name. If you do research, you find that the first 100 or so songs are loved by everyone. Then, everything fragments to where a third of the supposed Alt fans really like each song, a third are neutral or indifferent ("It never did much for me") and a third hate it. And every song has different love-neutral-hate partisans.

This is like a Russian egg: a format inside a format inside a format. Unfortunately, what pleases some is hated by others.

It seems right now KEGL is trying to dodge part of the issue by hardly playing any currents at all; they have exactly four recurrents on the playlist and nothing that has been released as a single so far this year.

Gold is much easier to research, as the currents take some time to define their appeal and, in the meantime, two-thirds of the listeners think you are playing stiffs.

 

[CTaylor]

So does UNT Mean Green football go back to KHYI?

I would love that, but I think they have a multiyear deal with Learfield, so format change or not, they're obligated to carry the games.

 

[Deleted member 76036]

As I said: FORGET ABOUT THE PAST!!!!!! The old Eagle is dead. Their listeners are gone. This station is starting from scratch. It's playing different songs. But it's also playing some familiar stuff. That's what a format is.

The station is NOT AT ALL starting from scratch. They have the same name, the same logo, the same music, the same voiceover guy, the same talk shows. I know this isn’t how it works, but it’s almost like they unplugged the automation computer when The Freak was introduced and now they pulled the computer out of a closet and plugged it back in. If they were wanting different, they could’ve done anything else.

 

[TheBigA]

The station is NOT AT ALL starting from scratch.

They're starting from scratch as far as the audience. The freak chased everyone away.

 

[davideduardo]

Which just proves that it as just as true for Alternative as it is for Classic Hits ... it doesn't matter how a song charted as a current, it's whether or not today's audience wants to hear it.

And that is why music tests play the hook for each song and ask, "how much would you like to hear that song today?". The question is not "Twenty years ago, did you like this song?".

 

[Loverofradio]

What do you mean by that? Can you name specific songs? I've never heard the term "American rejects" applied to radio music programming before.

lol!! I’m sorry I should’ve specified. Kegl played “gives you hell” by All American rejects before their flip to the freak. Now that’s a song we can all agree on may not need to be on the Eagle 🤣🤣

 

[Loverofradio]

I also think they're still stunting right now.

ive felt the same way since the eagle came back on. Nothing about this station seems “complete”.

 

[charles1234]

I think it’s now time for The Eagle to play more hard rock and heavy metal bands besides the stuff that they’re playing.

 

[K.M. Richards]

I think it’s now time for The Eagle to play more hard rock and heavy metal bands besides the stuff that they’re playing.

I'm sure that if whatever research KEGL did before flipping back to Rock indicates that the majority of the audience wants that, they will play it. But it is not likely that their time frame for doing so is going to be determined by one listener posting on a message board.

Perhaps if you would share with us why you believe that "it's now time" we would get a better idea of just what you mean. How about a few examples of bands that you feel are lacking from the format?

 

[charles1234]

I'm sure that if whatever research KEGL did before flipping back to Rock indicates that the majority of the audience wants that, they will play it. But it is not likely that their time frame for doing so is going to be determined by one listener posting on a message board.

Perhaps if you would share with us why you believe that "it's now time" we would get a better idea of just what you mean. How about a few examples of bands that you feel are lacking from the format?

Iron Maiden, Dokken, Bulletboys etc.

 

[Deleted member 108832]

Iron Maiden, Dokken, Bulletboys etc.

I'll chime in, again. All 3 you've mentioned are now considered classic rock bands, and that makes me wonder why you aren't advocating for these artists to be featured prominently on KZPS? Your argument fights against itself because you're not taking into consideration how playing this particular era of rock music on The Eagle cannibalizes the sister classic rock station in town.

KEGL's focus should be centered somewhere around 2010. Rock hits from 90's grunge, clear up to currents on this week's charts, and they could start by bringing back Mandatory Metallica to The Eagle, where it belongs. Anyone have Cindy Scull's number? That'd be another step in the right direction. I'd certainly be ringing Kramer's phone off the hook, too, hoping that I could get him waking up with the roosters as soon as I could get a pen in his hand and him dropping some ink on the paper.

 

[TheBigA]

I don't expect any further changes until basketball season ends.