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Regional format differences

J

Jersey Maiden

Guest
How do parent companies decide where they should emphasize active rock vs alternative? I used to have a co-worker who played WMMR on his phone. Although they claim to be active rock, I noticed that they put a pinch of alternative once in a while (Weezer, Coldplay). Where I live (central Jersey), I get its sister station, WDHA, where you would never hear those artists. It seems like an odd choice on the part of Greater Media to want to compete with WRFF. Since New York has had no alternative station since the demise of WRXP, you would think the PD's at DHA would want to draw in more of those listeners by making their playlist more like MMR's. What makes the Philly market different from New York?
 
I know that Active Rock (in general) tends to appeal to a more working class listener base, and Alternative tends to appeal to a more university-educated listener base
 
Philly's different for a variety of reasons. WMMR does change the landscape. Many of the old chestnuts most alternatives play (STP, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, RHCP) get plenty of love at 93.3. Most markets don't have a mainline rocker that can play Alice In Chains next to Zeppelin. And unlike a lot of mainstream rockers, they always have. Most "rock guys" in Philly listen to WMMR since it's always been there. WRFF playing a ton of 90's classic isn't going to dislodge most 'MMR listeners.

Philly is the kind of market that has historically embraced all flavors of alternative, going back to the Y100 and WDRE eras. WRFF is finding success in playing more currents and less 90's than most stations in the format. Considering all the colleges around the city, the approach works for them. Older demos who want the harder rocking and 90's stuff are not as important. They aren't a "heritage station" either (like a KROQ, Live 105 or 91X) which has to worry about catering to the 35+ crowd.
 
I wouldn't say at all that WRFF is not gold-friendly. They just play lighter gold than most alt. rockers do. For instance in the last 3 hours they have played tracks from Blind Melon, Third Eye Blind, Counting Crows. And even Goo Goo Dolls ("Slide")!!??? At least they aren't 100% soft like they used to be, with Rise Against and some old Nirvana song as the only two 'harder' songs in that three hour timespan.
 
MMR can be eaily compared to WDVE or WDXD Pittsburgh, just saying. The whole feel of them.

RFF is... The softest alternative format know of. It sounds somewhat Indie/AAA. (which we have at 88.5 or 93.7 HD-2). I honestly feel Philly needs a Hard Alternative that only plays current (2007-2012).

Also; The Philadelphia Area is experiencing some heavy growth, an already ethincally diverse city is becoming even more so. PD's here realize MMR is the only station for newer rock (even more so on weekends when 104.5 is AAA) with the exception of WSTW and WRFF.

Now; You want a unique active rocker? Go north about 120 miles to Scranton for 97.9X. They're like XM 37 Octane - New Hard Rock. They're the only active or modern rocker that plays Breaking Benjamin, Sixx AM, Korn, Volbeat, Disturbed, etc without throwing in Classic Rock.
 
Take a look at the most spun current songs at Alternative. Gotye. Fun. Foster The People. Grouplove. M83. Black Keys. Neon Trees. Young The Giant. Coldplay. That's the direction the format is headed, not harder. There are some thirty somethings that want the active rock version of the format back. It's not happening, outside of a few tracks by established artists.

Going back to the pre-Nirvana days, alternative has always done the best when it has embraced the pop leaning product as opposed to the harder rocking tunes. It's hard to play Disturbed next to Gotye. WRFF has made the decision to play less gold and more currents, and the gold they do play matches better with the newer tracks. As a result, they have one of the highest cume numbers in the market.

Longtime alternative outlets have to balance between playing the active rock and 90's grunge it's older audience expects with the trendier, pop based stuff the younger demos prefer. If stations like WRFF continue to succeed with their sound, and the current product continues to improve, expect more stations in the format to thin out the hard rockers and heavy 90's gold.

If anything, the format is returning to it's roots, instead of the late 90's-early 2000's male-only, Active rock sound.
 
fmradio1 said:
Philly's different for a variety of reasons. WMMR does change the landscape. Many of the old chestnuts most alternatives play (STP, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, RHCP) get plenty of love at 93.3. Most markets don't have a mainline rocker that can play Alice In Chains next to Zeppelin. And unlike a lot of mainstream rockers, they always have. Most "rock guys" in Philly listen to WMMR since it's always been there. WRFF playing a ton of 90's classic isn't going to dislodge most 'MMR listeners.

Philly is the kind of market that has historically embraced all flavors of alternative, going back to the Y100 and WDRE eras. WRFF is finding success in playing more currents and less 90's than most stations in the format. Considering all the colleges around the city, the approach works for them. Older demos who want the harder rocking and 90's stuff are not as important. They aren't a "heritage station" either (like a KROQ, Live 105 or 91X) which has to worry about catering to the 35+ crowd.
Click to expand...

WDHA also plays Zepellin next to Alice in Chains so I really had no idea that this wasn't so common. Someone on the New York boards pointed out to me that Greater Media also owns a classic rocker in Philly, which makes a huge difference in MMR's playlist. Because that's not the case in Jersey, DHA plays more classics since they don't have to worry about overlapping a sister station. The only problem with that is that they play the same Zepellin songs that I can hear on Q104.3. The biggest problem with New York radio is overlap. DHA really drove me up the wall in December when most of their Xmas songs were also on Lite FM. But since they're the only rock station in much of NJ, beggars can't be choosers. I just wish DHA played more of what makes them different.
 
RadioPhillyFan said:
MMR can be eaily compared to WDVE or WDXD Pittsburgh, just saying. The whole feel of them.

RFF is... The softest alternative format know of. It sounds somewhat Indie/AAA. (which we have at 88.5 or 93.7 HD-2). I honestly feel Philly needs a Hard Alternative that only plays current (2007-2012).

Also; The Philadelphia Area is experiencing some heavy growth, an already ethincally diverse city is becoming even more so. PD's here realize MMR is the only station for newer rock (even more so on weekends when 104.5 is AAA) with the exception of WSTW and WRFF.

Now; You want a unique active rocker? Go north about 120 miles to Scranton for 97.9X. They're like XM 37 Octane - New Hard Rock. They're the only active or modern rocker that plays Breaking Benjamin, Sixx AM, Korn, Volbeat, Disturbed, etc without throwing in Classic Rock.
Click to expand...

Hard to believe I even wrote this... I see some errors.
 
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