No Classic Rock in Austin?

[Gregg]

It's certainly odd that Austin is one of the largest market in the country with no Classic Rock station. Other than Pittsburgh, I can't think of another sizable market with no Classic Rock. (At least Pittsburgh has a suburban Classic Rock station.) There are two Classic Rock stations in places like LA, Boston and Denver.

Yes, KLBJ-FM plays a mix of old and new, but only harder edged stuff. No Billy Joel, Elton John or Fleetwood Mac. And KGSR also goes back several decades for their Adult Alternative. But it's still not a Classic Rock outlet.

You have to admire KGSR for doing a format that isn't found in most cities, large or small. But with their so-so ratings, and the fact that they now have a fulltime non-commercial competitor in KUTX, you wonder if they'd have more luck cranking out a mix of Stones, Springsteen, Heart and Eagles found almost everywhere else.

 

[sdh483]

Austin is lucky. They don't have to deal with Bohemiam Rhapsody played as if it was a current top 40 song on heavy rotation.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

It's certainly odd that Austin is one of the largest market in the country with no Classic Rock station. Other than Pittsburgh, I can't think of another sizable market with no Classic Rock. (At least Pittsburgh has a suburban Classic Rock station.) There are two Classic Rock stations in places like LA, Boston and Denver.

Yes, KLBJ-FM plays a mix of old and new, but only harder edged stuff. No Billy Joel, Elton John or Fleetwood Mac. And KGSR also goes back several decades for their Adult Alternative. But it's still not a Classic Rock outlet.

You have to admire KGSR for doing a format that isn't found in most cities, large or small. But with their so-so ratings, and the fact that they now have a fulltime non-commercial competitor in KUTX, you wonder if they'd have more luck cranking out a mix of Stones, Springsteen, Heart and Eagles found almost everywhere else.

Houston would gladly send you one of ours if we could get oldies in return.

 

[fredcantu]

Is there a younger version of classic rock?
You're not talking 40-year-old tracks from the 70s are you?

 

[Mediafrog+]

Austin is young, hip, high-tech, different. The money demographics aren't going to go for music from 30 to 50 years ago.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

Austin is young, hip, high-tech, different. The money demographics aren't going to go for music from 30 to 50 years ago.

Which is why KLBJ FM is so unpopular!

 

[Gregg]

@ Fred Cantu...

>>>Is there a younger version of classic rock?<<< Well, I guess a younger version of Classic Rock is KBPA. Except for one or two songs per hour, everything else they play is a Rock hit from the 90s, 80s or 70s. Here's a look at what they played between 4 and 5am today, according to their website...

"TAKE A CHANCE ON ME" - ABBA
"HERE I GO AGAIN" - WHITESNAKE
"I HATE MYSELF FOR LOVING YOU" - JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS
"BREAKDOWN" - TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS
"ENJOY THE SILENCE" - DEPECHE MODE
"SOMEBODY TOLD ME" - THE KILLERS
"ROCK THE CASBAH" - THE CLASH
"KYRIE" - MR. MISTER
"THE DEVIL WENT DOWN TO GEORGIA" - CHARLIE DANIELS
"EYES WITHOUT A FACE" - BILLY IDOL
"SOLSBURY HILL" - PETER GABRIEL
"TURNING JAPANESE" - THE VAPORS
"ORDINARY WORLD" - DURAN DURAN
"DON'T GET ME WRONG" - THE PRETENDERS

Other than Abba (too pop) and The Killers (too new), I suppose you could hear all these other songs on a Classic Rock station. But Bob leans a bit more to Modern Rock than most Classic Rock stations. No Classic Rock station woud play the Vapors, Duran Duran, The Clash and Depeche Mode all in the same hour. So I guess you could say Bob is a sort of newer Classic Rock station, except for one or two out-of-format songs per hour.

>>>You're not talking 40-year-old tracks from the 70s are you?<<< Well, yes. The average Classic Rock station goes back to the 60s for an occasional Beatles or Stones song. Most of what they play is 70s and 80s with a few major 90s artists (Green Day, Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers) a few times per day. Why go back so far? Because Rock stations always played older music than Top 40, Country and AC stations. If you grew up in the 80s or 90s, you heard plenty of 60s and 70s music on your Rock station. Even today, a young man listening to KLBJ-FM is going to hear plenty of Rock music that pre-dates his youth.

It's a format that is usually tops with Men 25-54. That's true even in markets that are supposed to be trendy, like Austin. Classic Rock is top 10 in New York, Seattle, Portland and San Jose, all considered more hip than the average city. But it's missing in Austin.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

Well, I guess a younger version of Classic Rock is KBPA. Except for one or two songs per hour, everything else they play is a Rock hit from the 90s, 80s or 70s.

They are so good, I put up with a little static and fading here in Houston. Great station, a little weak but listenable. Its on my presets.

 

[purpledevil]

Houston would gladly send you one of ours if we could get oldies in return.

Amen to that, Bruce!

 

[willdav713]

Austin is lucky. They don't have to deal with Bohemiam Rhapsody played as if it was a current top 40 song on heavy rotation.

I second that. Unfortunately it is still played on Bob. Even the Wayne's World fad is long and gone. :

 

[willdav713]

I would say Austin doesn't have a Classic Hits station, nor an Active Rock station. Sadly, the Rock format is dying. Why do you think I have Time Warner? I needed to replace my radio. and Tivo let's me watch the Music Choice channels without Time Warner's $10 monthly box. At least KLBJ AM is going strong.

San Antonio's got 99.5 KISS (which I still think is 90's Classic Rock) and no Alternative besides SAC's KSYM. They have Classic Hits.

Houston well there's the Arrow, and the Wannabe Arrow also known as the Eagle.

Austin has way too many Indie formatted stations.
Granted I don't listen to 93.7 a whole lot as it playlist is not really desirable.
Funny that people ask me why I listen to cassettes? I tell them well radio no longer caters to my needs, and Analog is better than Digital when it comes to music. They become shocked when I tell them I'm 33 if my grey hairs are showing. ;D

 

[davi78239]

I will gladly trade you kiss or kzep for
One of yalls indie stations.

 

[willdav713]

I will gladly trade you kiss or kzep for
One of yalls indie stations.

No thanks, I want KONO! and your not having KDRP or KOKE.

 

[Anonymouse]

No thanks, I want KONO! and you're not having KDRP or KOKE.

But I like Texas country!
Might be just as well though, into the newer stuff not the classics.



And your signature...
"Favorite Stations: Jammin 103.1. "
Sorry but that's now non-existent. I know you probably want it to come back though.

 

[captex]

i've have gone back to listening to my cd's ipod and out of town radio stations. in the past, when there was a good radio station in austin. it didn't last long, so i went back to my cassette tapes and out of town stations.

kamx 93.3 mix 93.3
kahk 107.7 107.7 the hawk
z 102.3 z 102
koke 95.5 95.5 koke-fm (not the new koke 99.3)
keyi 103
oldies 103
98.9 austins greatest hits

i've don't subscribe to satellite radio

 

[rbrucecarter5]

Well, I guess a younger version of Classic Rock is KBPA. Except for one or two songs per hour, everything else they play is a Rock hit from the 90s, 80s or 70s.

They are so good, I put up with a little static and fading here in Houston. Great station, a little weak but listenable. Its on my presets.

I've been getting HD off of them every morning in NW Houston. Amazing signal!

 

[jd]

koke 95.5 95.5 koke-fm (not the new koke 99.3)

Don't call it that, you might jinx it!

[assuming you remember what happened with "New Coke."] ;D

 

[Kent]

kamx 93.3 mix 93.3

Just being picky, but Mix 93.3 was KMXX. I never got a chance to hear it during that short-lived incarnation, but I remember its predecessor KBTS B-93.3 being quite a good CHR. Too bad Booth/Genesis was in the process of becoming Secret Communications and decided it wanted to be an East Coast company, though it did end up keeping Denver and Sacramento when everything was said and done. Of course, if Secret had kept San Antonio and Austin, both would probably look pretty similar to how they look today since it eventually got gobbled up by Clear Channel through a series of mergers.

 

[willdav713]

No thanks, I want KONO! and you're not having KDRP or KOKE.

But I like Texas country!
Might be just as well though, into the newer stuff not the classics.



And your signature...
"Favorite Stations: Jammin 103.1. "
Sorry but that's now non-existent. I know you probably want it to come back though.

blame it on the server, ha ha . I will fix it.

 

[MarkW]

KLBJ is more-or-less a Classic Rock station for 2013. A lot of CC's heritage rock stations, which usually are identified as Classic Rock for panel purposes, play very similar music.

Cox and Cumulus have stations that fall into that same boat, too.

You're going to be hearing less 70's and more 90's played on Classic Rock during the next five years. Classic Rock radio more-or-less phased out tunes from the 60's close to a decade ago. The 70's will largely be phased out, too, in the not-too-distant future, save for maybe 8 - 10 core artists.