New WRXP Positioner: Just "Rock"

[DToTheJ]

In your spot-on observation, you actually hit a home run when you wrote:

"Everyone wants to hear what they want to hear..."

And you can't do that with a radio station, now, can you? At least in the rock genre, technology - iPods, iPads, you name it - are posing a serious threat to the format's existence in some markets. Yet in places like San Antonio, KISS-FM is doing gangbusters. You take the good, you take the bad...

 

[pjc1961]

By the way, I noticed that there's a break in the music between 9 and 10 AM... Public affairs shows? Infomercials? Hmmm...

That hour is "The Vinyl Experience" (wonder if it's been renamed! ;D) hosted by Paul Cavalconte, where everything's played off of vinyl, with news & notes about the original versions/mixes of the songs. Maybe it's a prerecorded show (not sure) & just loaded in to the 1019rxp.com database as a single entry. Here's a link to past listings from the Vinyl Experience: http://www.1019rxp.com/blogs/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10072067

From yes.com for today's (6/20/10) listing:

Incubus - Let's Go Crazy 20.06.2010 9:01am
King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man: Mirrors 20.06.2010 9:07am
Grizzly Bear - While You Wait For The Others 20.06.2010 9:14am
Sonic Youth - Shadow Of A Doubt 20.06.2010 9:19am
The Rolling Stones - Torn And Frayed 20.06.2010 9:25am
MGMT - It's Working 20.06.2010 9:34am
The Electric Prunes - I Had Too Much To Dream (Last Night) 20.06.2010 9:37am
Depeche Mode - Strangelove 20.06.2010 9:41am
Nirvana - All Apologies 20.06.2010 9:44am
Pearl Jam - Alive 20.06.2010 9:52am
Billy Idol - Hot In The City 20.06.2010 9:57am

Note: mediabase.com's WRXP listing "missed" "Incubus - Let's Go Crazy".
Link: http://www.mediabase.com/whatsong/WhatSong.asp?var_s=087082088080045070077

 

[DToTheJ]

"The Vinyl Experience" (wonder if it's been renamed!) ...

Based on the text here, I wouldn't be surprised if the show was renamed "Vinyl Basics"...

 

[NoMoreLurking]

Just looked at the ROCK 101.9 RXP web site. I love that little afterthought script "FM" that now appears to the right of the logo. I wonder how many execs sitting around a conference room table it took to think that up....(cue the harp music for the fantasy dream sequence)....

Guy in pinstripes says: "If we remind them we're on FM, maybe they'll stop searching for the 101.9 frequency on their microwave ovens!" Three more guys in pinstripes nod and smile. "That's good for another share point right there!" says the fresh-faced up-and-coming manager-in-training who typically agrees with what the other guys say. (end of dream sequence, more harps)

Meanwhile, across town, representatives from ESPN Radio and Emmis corporate meet for a business lunch....

 

[radiojomo]

RXP actually has a great cume, they're just trying to get people to listen longer.
RXP can probably hit the "Top 20" if they just play music that won't make people tune out after hearing a good song. Going more Alternative like FNX would be a pretty good way to serve the "Alternative" hole in New York (new and 90's alternative) and to serve the 18-49 audience

 

[DToTheJ]

RXP can probably hit the "Top 20" if they just play music that won't make people tune out after hearing a good song...

Does this mean no more Coldplay-into-Van-Halen-ballad trainwreck segues?

 

[Barry]

The daily newsletter, Taylor on Radio, speculates that WRXP will tweak to a more focused format that plays more modern rock tunes, and less of the classic stuff. It predicts that it will stop trying to play, "all kinds of sub-genres of rock."
The article mentions that 'RXP is #17 in the 25-54 demo, 11th for men 25-54, and 10th with men 18-49. All of these figures are way below those for classic rock station WAXQ.

 

[altexpert]

I noticed the change almost immediately after it happened. My immediate thought was "Uh-Oh". Smacks of desperate ratings knee jerks. "New York's Rock Experience" is a great positioner, too bad they had to make it more generic to trick the ratings, oh the psychology of it all. A few weeks back I said "Uh Oh" too when "From The Basement" went to night time from overnights. It doesn't "sound" like an opportunity for guys that already do other jobs at the station. It "sounds" like when Nick Carter left they didn't want to budget out for better or similar talent and "promoted" these guys to prime time to save some $$$. These guys run a college radio quality show at best. They step on the tails of ending songs by dropping the music down too quick before they start talking, step all over song intros....... we deserve better as listeners. And the one jock is always apologizing or "kidding" about gay references, what's THAT all about??? Sorry to digress. RXP is an IMPORTANT station for NYC especially now. The Steve Show and Brian Phillips do a great job, Cavalconte is corny but every station seems to have a corny weekender. The station has personality and fills a hole. The music......another story. They are what they are, there's a lot of compromises, you hear it, you tune out, you come back. Why do you come back? Because every song on the opposing classic rock station is something you've heard a million times. RXP may tune me out with G'n'R and Metallica and Van Hagar because these songs are there to pull in the other classic rock listeners but I always come back BECAUSE they play classic alternative and because they play great new stuff. I would work for this station in a heartbeat no matter what kind of ratings they generate.

 

[WRXPinsider]

These guys run a college radio quality show at best. They step on the tails of ending songs by dropping the music down too quick before they start talking, step all over song intros....... we deserve better as listeners. And the one jock is always apologizing or "kidding" about gay references, what's THAT all about???

The entire "From The Basement" show is VOICE-TRACKED.

As far as the reason for why they're on air at that time, you're correct: management didn't want to pay for Nik, whose ratings happened to be huge in that daypart (he was one of the lowest paid on-airs, and he justifiably wanted more $$$ based on the excellent #'s that he was delivering). Advertisers, btw, were specifically buying spots during his shift so that they could reach his listeners.

 

[altexpert]

The entire "From The Basement" show is VOICE-TRACKED.

So what, we still deserve better, technically.

 

[wprt949]

wow a voicetracked show in market #1 seems unheard of

 

[DToTheJ]

And did you hear who replaced "The Basement" in their old overnight time slot?

Good ol' Otto Mation!

 

[TheBigA]

This is a radio station that has fewer listeners than the NPR stations, and the NPR stations are automated almost all the time. Put it in context. You want live radio? There needs to be more listeners, and that may mean some compromises in the format. They're not going to spend a lot of money for an overnight show called "The Basement" on a station with a 1 share. This is a station a few months away from a format change, and throwing money away isn't prudent.

 

[mjb1124]

As far as the reason for why they're on air at that time, you're correct: management didn't want to pay for Nik, whose ratings happened to be huge in that daypart (he was one of the lowest paid on-airs, and he justifiably wanted more $$$ based on the excellent #'s that he was delivering).

At first I was wondering why they'd pay an afternoon drive jock with previous NYC experience less than other on-air people at RXP. Then I remembered that most of the jocks have other positions at the station. Perhaps Carter could have sought another position at the station. Or maybe he tried and was denied such a position. In any case, it's clear that the reason why the station isn't bleeding red ink is because it's run on a shoestring budget.

As for music tweaks, I don't know if they will be in the right direction. The changes I've noticed are a mixed bag. I like that they are playing some tracks from Rage Against the Machine and System of a Down now, as well as deeper cuts from core 90's artists. I don't like that they added Metallica and Evanescence. And they don't seem to have any intention of dropping the arena rock bands, if the new TOH I heard today featuring AC/DC is any indication.

Again, if any tweak will work, it's a straight-up alternative rock format that is centered around familiar music, but still features some new stuff, along with one or two lesser-known 80s-90s cuts per hour to add flavor. This would be like the modern rock equivalent of the approach that CBS-FM has found success with: a steady diet of familar favorites, but with enough "oh wow" songs thrown in to keep things interesting.

 

[mikerock]

They are sounding really good with this latest tweak. In fact I cannot remember a rock station out of NYC sounding this good since WAPP. I think this is the longest I have ever listened to a NYC radio station without switching.

RXP is just sounding too good, so good in fact that whenever I find a rock radio station like this it usually means they are switching formats shortly. It is sad that we never seem to be able to get a rock station like this for very long in NYC. As far as I am concerned it is the only rock station in NYC right now. WAXQ is not what I would consider a rock station. They are more like repetitive classic hits format and an extremely painful listen for a fan of the rock genre.

 

[WRXPinsider]

***In any case, it's clear that the reason why the station isn't bleeding red ink is because it's run on a shoestring budget.***

Don't misunderstand the situation: the station is absolutely bleeding money.

***As for music tweaks, I don't know if they will be in the right direction. The changes I've noticed are a mixed bag.***

Any music tweaks are envisioned, approved, and enacted by the new operations manager, who oversees RXP's PD. FYI, the new operations manager just happens to be one half of the "From The Basement" duo.

http://www.fmqb.com/article.asp?id=1804395

 

[DToTheJ]

They are sounding really good with this latest tweak... I think this is the longest I have ever listened to a NYC radio station without switching... In fact I cannot remember a rock station out of NYC sounding this good since WAPP...

Are we talkin' WAPP with or without commercials?

 

[Barry]

If their voice tracked show begins at 7 pm, as I think it does, and overnights are automated, WRXP has only about 13 hours of live programming each weekday.
BTW, according to their website, WRXP is offering 3 chances to win $1,000 each weekday. That would seem to show a considerable effort to make the new programming catch on.

WRXP Contest: http://www.1019rxp.com/mattsmoney/index.aspx

 

[mikerock]

They are sounding really good with this latest tweak... I think this is the longest I have ever listened to a NYC radio station without switching... In fact I cannot remember a rock station out of NYC sounding this good since WAPP...

Are we talkin' WAPP with or without commercials?

Both and the 1985 format. Outside of NYC the last time I remember being able to listen for long periods was Westchesters X-107 before they went country and some incarnations of the WDRE/WLIR tweaks in the 90s.

I think the problem RXP has is lack of promotion. People that sampled in the past and were dissatisfied with the format may not come back unless they hear a bit of buzz about the latest tweak.

 

[WRXPinsider]

***I think the problem RXP has is lack of promotion. People that sampled in the past and were dissatisfied with the format may not come back unless they hear a bit of buzz about the latest tweak.***

Look for a billboard campaign, coming soon.