Not bad, if you like indie rock. I've only heard a little of the "Wake Up" program between 6 and 9 a.m., but a decent music option on the FM airwaves in that timeslot is welcome. I can't stand the repetition of commercial radio. I usually listen to WFMU, but they program Jewish Orthodox from 6 to 9 a.m. on the FM airwaves. (If I'm in front a computer between 6 and 9 a.m. then I listen to WFMU's
web-only free-form programming, but who's in front of a computer between 6 and 9 a.m.? Most of their listeners to that timeslot seem to be in Europe.)
Outside of 6-9 a.m., I'm less likely to listen to WNYE because I prefer WFMU. The KEXP personalities are more professional-sounding. I prefer the peculiar, offbeat, distinctive personalities of WFMU, and their wide-ranging, unpredictable but well-chosen free-form selections. The KEXP guys are mostly limiting themselves (or, perhaps, are forcibly limited) to new music, although the morning drive guy threw in a good James Brown track today, and not a horribly burnt-out one like "I Feel Good" either.
I'm hopeful that this WNYE-KEXP programming will act as a "gateway" to bring new listeners to non-comm radio, rather than being competition for other non-comms like WFMU, especially since WNYE's signal is currently better than WFMU's or WFUV's in many parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Based on a recent Time Out NY article on the WNYE-KEXP partnership, WFUV is severely agitated and up in arms. I'm not sure why -- FUV's focus is different. FUV is much quietier. You wouldn't hear Clinic, Jim Noir, Sebadoh, Lykke Li, Fujiya & Miyagi, Maps, Crystal Castles, !!!, Joy Division, or Yeasayer on FUV. KEXP's morning show has played all of these in the past couple of days (
http://www.kexp.org/playlist/playlist.asp?submitted=true&day=25&month=3&year=2008&hour=7"]the playlist is here[/url]; all time Pacific).
This morning, I tuned into WNYE a few times between 9 and Noon and got dead air. The "John in the Morning" would come back for a little while then disappear into dead air again. Major drop-outs. Bad link-up with KEXP? Hmmm.
Anyway, the partnership is only for 39 hours a week. I have more comments on the state of WNYE overall but I'll save those for later.