I think we're witnessing the dumbing down of America. Perhaps Mike Judge wasn't too far off the mark with his movie
Idiocracy, judging by the fact that we have so many stations spewing out nothing but the most shallow pop songs. That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but there actually was a study that indicates there are legitimate facts that support this statement. Check out an article on it here:
http://pitchfork.com/news/34733-sci...u-stupid-sufjan-and-radiohead-make-you-smart/
The fact is that Monmouth/Ocean no longer has a station in market that plays predominantly new rock, and Monmouth actually doesn't even receive any Active or Alternative Rock stations outside of the market either.
The area has WCHR, 105.7 The Hawk, your prototypical Classic Rock station, which it's worth adding has posted consistently weak ratings ever since it signed on despite a flamethrower of a signal. But there is something to be said about dedication, and Millennium's patience with The Hawk is to be commended - it's a trait that Press Communications obviously lacks with their incessant tinkering with G Rock before dropping it completely, and now WKMK changing the branding from "K 98.5" to "Country Thunder" or whatever.
There's also 95.9 WRAT, The Rat. This station used to be decent when it first signed on - it was operated by a different company and had a pretty balanced mix of old and new, and they weren't afraid to mix things up with some heavier rock as well. Now it's owned by Greater Media and they've turned into a safe, middle-of-the-road "Get The Led Out / Two For Tuesday" type heritage rock station (even though they don't do either of those features to my knowledge, but they still have that sound). Despite a change in ownership, they have performed an incredible feat in keeping almost the exact same DJ lineup in place since they signed on over 13 years ago ... my hat's off to them for that. However, the music is extremely bland ... no heavier rock bands that are either fairly new to FM radio (All That Remains, Hollywood Undead, Five Finger Death Punch) or well established (Slipknot, System Of A Down, or even Korn with the exception of some awful remixes obviously intended to make the songs sound tamer) ... no Alternative lean that would help them lure in some displaced G Rock listeners ... but lots of very cheesy rock (Van Halen, some '80s hair metal dreck), predictable Classic Rock moldy oldies (Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Ozzy), and only the safest, most bland new rock titles out there, including lots of soft ballads (Theory of Daughtry Saving Abel who lives 3 Doors Down to get his Nickelback). When your rock station can be described as safe, tame, and bland, maybe it's time for a change. The Rat needs to get its edge back.
Other stations: I like the spirit of WRXP and the personalities on the station, but the music is frustrating and all over the place. You can hear Cake into AC/DC into Elton John! This is definitely the kind of station that people will listen to for 15 minutes at a time, rather than locking it on at work or in the car. ... WRFF, Radio 104.5, has the whole "Jack" approach going. Minimal jock chatter, and a strong emphasis on the music. Disappointing for a music-intensive station, however, is the lack of depth to their playlist. It's about 400 songs a week, compared to roughly twice as many titles on RXP or G Rock. Plus, for an Alternative station, the selection of newer titles is slim ... maybe 20-25 songs, and among the tracks in "A" rotation are some Killers and Muse songs that are a few years old! I also call into question some of their not-so-Alternative selections - 3 Doors Down? The Fray? All-American Rejects? ... WMGK, WMGM and WAXQ sound almost exactly like The Hawk, nuff said ... WYSP is a slightly younger Classic Rock station that plays tons of cheesy arena rock, hair metal, and the most predictable '90s titles around. They sound not too far off from what K-Rock was before it died. ... WMMR has personality, and to its benefit and detriment, a broader playlist than its sister station WRAT. Swings very much toward Classic Rock though, with a side helping of some newer titles. And it also displays the common bond that links all Greater Media rock stations: too timid to play any heavier rock titles ... WJSE is much improved, having moved past its lackluster phase as "The Ace" and is now a solid new music intensive Modern Rocker. However, their coverage is miniscule, and always will be since they share a frequency with a New York City radio station with a signal that dwarfs it ... WZXL is a pitiful Rock station. No disrespect to The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, or Billy Joel, but they belong on a Rock station about as much as the Pet Shop Boys belong on a Country station. There's a place for all those acts, and that would be the myriad "lite rock" or "soft rock" stations.
In summary: Lots of the same old same old, which will leave a lot of rock fans frustrated. No outlet for the heavier rock bands out there (many of which are very popular, so someone must be buying their music and merchandise), and one Alternative station from Philly that pales in comparison to G Rock and doesn't cover Monmouth. I can't be alone in finding all of the options around here dull (while I like some aspects of WRXP, it comes in very poorly here, and 102.7 is nothing but static for me), and until something better comes along, the radio is only good for talk and sports as far as I'm concerned.
