several reasons why "hate speech" talk radio is successful in Boston

[BoscoGoldBear]

1. WXKS-FM's John Ivey (now at KIIS) changing the Sunny Joe White disco culture (most had moved over to then-disco WBMX at the time - myself included) to a mostly metal-based one. Yes, it has clearly succeeded as Kiss - in an effort to stand out musically vs. gangsta rap sister WJMN - has ascended to #1 in both overall and young adults (basically 18-29) and is #2 in mainstream adults (30-49), but it took so many years to climb out of the gutter back in 1994.

2, 3 and 4. WMKK, WROR, and WZLX all with the same classic rock format - all AC/DC, Zep, Who, Floyd, Mac, Eagles, Skynyrd, VH and Aero with very little variation (ROR has Loren and Wally in the AMs; otherwise I can't tell the difference).

5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. Failing hard rock stations WAAF/WKAF, WBCN, WBMX, WBOS and WFNX with virtually the same alt/hard rock format. The differences: BCN has the Pats, BMX plays the original alt-rock Friday nights on Back To The 80s, which is the same as FNX's Leftover Lunch, BOS has no DJs, and both BCN and BMX (plus FNX from what I've read) play a heavy amount of AC/DC, Aero, Zep, VH, GNR, Bon Jovi, Skynyrd, etc., with BMX playing that on weekends under the title "Whatever Weekends" and BCN doing it whenever.

10. WODS delving deeper and deeper into classic rock by the minute, becoming a virtual clone of WXLX (outside of Barry's "Lost 45s", that is).

11. WMJX passing off rockers generally known as metal groups like Journey, Nickelback, Springsteen, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi and REO Speedwagon as soft music (may as well play AC/DC, Van Halen and Hendrix as well - your sisters WBOS and WROR already do).

12. WJMN being its usual hard core gangbanger crap self.

AND NOT A SINGLE G-D ONE OF THEM PLAY ANY DECENT AMOUNT OF GOOD MUSIC! (Examples of good music include Chic, Earth, Wind & Fire, Clinton's P-Funk, Gap Band, Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash, Donna Summer - from Boston even - Prince, Madonna, Sylvester, Michael Jackson and Rick James.)

Just MHO, y'all!

PS

Take a look at the WAMO postings on the Pitt board - sound familiar, Rapking?

 

[Don Juan]

1. WXKS-FM's John Ivey (now at KIIS) changing the Sunny Joe White disco culture (most had moved over to then-disco WBMX at the time - myself included) to a mostly metal-based one. Yes, it has clearly succeeded as Kiss - in an effort to stand out musically vs. gangsta rap sister WJMN - has ascended to #1 in both overall and young adults (basically 18-29) and is #2 in mainstream adults (30-49), but it took so many years to climb out of the gutter back in 1994.
2, 3 and 4. WMKK, WROR, and WZLX all with the same classic rock format - all AC/DC, Zep, Who, Floyd, Mac, Eagles, Skynyrd, VH and Aero with very little variation (ROR has Loren and Wally in the AMs; otherwise I can't tell the difference).
5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. Failing hard rock stations WAAF/WKAF, WBCN, WBMX, WBOS and WFNX with virtually the same alt/hard rock format. The differences: BCN has the Pats, BMX plays the original alt-rock Friday nights on Back To The 80s, which is the same as FNX's Leftover Lunch, BOS has no DJs, and both BCN and BMX (plus FNX from what I've read) play a heavy amount of AC/DC, Aero, Zep, VH, GNR, Bon Jovi, Skynyrd, etc., with BMX playing that on weekends under the title "Whatever Weekends" and BCN doing it whenever.
10. WODS delving deeper and deeper into classic rock by the minute, becoming a virtual clone of WXLX (outside of Barry's "Lost 45s", that is).
11. WMJX passing off rockers generally known as metal groups like Journey, Nickelback, Springsteen, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi and REO Speedwagon as soft music (may as well play AC/DC, Van Halen and Hendrix as well - your sisters WBOS and WROR already do).
12. WJMN being its usual hard core gangbanger crap self.
AND NOT A SINGLE G-D ONE OF THEM PLAY ANY DECENT AMOUNT OF GOOD MUSIC! (Examples of good music include Chic, Earth, Wind & Fire, Clinton's P-Funk, Gap Band, Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash, Donna Summer - from Boston even - Prince, Madonna, Sylvester, Michael Jackson and Rick James.)
Just MHO, y'all!
PS
Take a look at the WAMO postings on the Pitt board - sound familiar, Rapking?

There are a ton of assumptions in this post. Most of them incorrect.

BTW...

WBMX was never Disco.

Hardly anyone would consider WMKK, WROR, and WZLX as all having the same classic rock format. If you can't tell the difference, it says something about you.

When was WBMX a "Failing hard rock station"?

I have never heard anyone ever consider WODS "a clone of WZLX".

"WMJX passing off rockers generally known as...soft music" Today, that IS soft rock. What should they play instead? Barry Manilow, Dionne Warwick, Anne Murray? Do you think they would be as sucessful as they are 25-54 if they played these? Journey IS todays soft rock for younger women.

AND NOT A SINGLE G-D ONE OF THEM PLAY ANY DECENT AMOUNT OF GOOD MUSIC!

You should have named this post. "Stevie N. is upset that no stations in Boston appeal to him"..and then stop right there....which is a more valid comment than blaming evberything and everyone else that the current offerrings don't appeal to you.

"Good Music" is a subjective term. Not something that only you have an understanding of.

 

[BoscoGoldBear]

There are a ton of assumptions in this post. Most of them incorrect.

BTW...

WBMX was never Disco.

It was from 1991 to 1996 when Greg Strassell finally flipped it to alt-rock (Alania, No Doubt, Hootie, Green Day, Blind Melon, Collective Soul, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Counting Crows). Strassell wanted to flip to rock in the first place back in '91, but with Kiss making the flip back then (only to have to scramble to retrieve the Kiss classics by the end of '91), WROR (turned Mix) owner Steve Dodge said no, flip it to disco.

Hardly anyone would consider WMKK, WROR, and WZLX as all having the same classic rock format. If you can't tell the difference, it says something about you.

I'm sorry, but when the overwhelming majority of songs are from the vein of Zep, AC/DC, Aero, Who, Eagles, Elton, Floyd, Clapton, BTO, ELO, Mac, Boston and VH, what the hell AM I supposed to think as an average listener?

When was WBMX a "Failing hard rock station"?

I have never heard anyone ever consider WODS "a clone of WZLX".

Really? You don't call playing an overwhelming amount of non-hit album tracks from Skynyrd, BTO, the Who, Boston, Floyd, Clapton, etc. - the same ones as ZLX et al - being a clone of the three?

"WMJX passing off rockers generally known as...soft music" Today, that IS soft rock. What should they play instead? Barry Manilow, Dionne Warwick, Anne Murray? Do you think they would be as sucessful as they are 25-54 if they played these? Journey IS todays soft rock for younger women.

Sorry, but there's a phrase most of us in Southie - and especially the South Shore burbs - think, namely once you're X, you're X forever and ever. (I can't say what the X is because of radio-info posting rules and regs, but if you know anything about Southie history and/or have seen "The Departed," you can take your guess.) In my case, once a song is heavy metal, it's heavy metal forever and ever, and there is NO flexibility IMHO.

AND NOT A SINGLE G-D ONE OF THEM PLAY ANY DECENT AMOUNT OF GOOD MUSIC!

You should have named this post. "Stevie N. is upset that no stations in Boston appeal to him"..and then stop right there....which is a more valid comment than blaming evberything and everyone else that the current offerrings don't appeal to you.

"Good Music" is a subjective term. Not something that only you have an understanding of.



[/quote]

 

[mistermicrophone]

11. WMJX passing off rockers generally known as metal groups like Journey, Nickelback, Springsteen, Aerosmith, Bon Jovi and REO Speedwagon as soft music (may as well play AC/DC, Van Halen and Hendrix as well - your sisters WBOS and WROR already do).

Yeah, nothing fuels a mosh pit like "Can't Fight This Feeling"...crazy metal fans!

And I didn't realize that Lady Gaga, Kelly Clarkson, Pink, Jason Mraz and SOOOOOO many other groups are labeled as Classic Rock as they're all played on MIKE-FM. Thanks for opening my eyes to that, Steve.

Now I have to go and delete "Secret Garden" by Springsteen off of my Ipod as I don't want any of that metal/devil music corrupting my impressionable mind.

 

[radiorama1]

Now I have to go and delete "Secret Garden" by Springsteen off of my Ipod as I don't want any of that metal/devil music corrupting my impressionable mind.

You forgot about "I'm On Fire" , "Hungry Heart" , "Tunnel Of Love" and "One Step Up".

And you'd mighty surprised about what can be heard when you play "Streets Of Philadelphia" backwards.

 

[BRNout]

Hey Steve, what's your definition of "hate speech"? Would that be speech that YOU hate listening to?

Thanks for another absurdly useless post.

 

[Don Juan]

It was from 1991 to 1996 when Greg Strassell finally flipped it to alt-rock (Alania, No Doubt, Hootie, Green Day, Blind Melon, Collective Soul, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Counting Crows). Strassell wanted to flip to rock in the first place back in '91, but with Kiss making the flip back then (only to have to scramble to retrieve the Kiss classics by the end of '91), WROR (turned Mix) owner Steve Dodge said no, flip it to disco.

No it wasn't it was a Hot AC. And Steve Dodge wouldn't know a radio format if it hit him in the face. He's a money man...i.e...investor. Not a programmer or a manager.


Hardly anyone would consider WMKK, WROR, and WZLX as all having the same classic rock format. If you can't tell the difference, it says something about you.

I'm sorry, but when the overwhelming majority of songs are from the vein of Zep, AC/DC, Aero, Who, Eagles, Elton, Floyd, Clapton, BTO, ELO, Mac, Boston and VH,

The overwhelming majority of songs on WROR are from AC/DC and Pink Floyd? Try checking mediabase...and you'll find they haven't played one of these in the last week.


I have never heard anyone ever consider WODS "a clone of WZLX".

Really? You don't call playing an overwhelming amount of non-hit album tracks from Skynyrd, BTO, the Who, Boston, Floyd, Clapton, etc. - the same ones as ZLX et al - being a clone of the three?

WODS plays non-hit album tracks? I have the Joel Whitburn book on my desk....I can find virtually every song I hear as a charting single BTW...When was the last time you heard Skynyrd on WODS? Or Floyd?


"WMJX passing off rockers generally known as...soft music" Today, that IS soft rock. What should they play instead? Barry Manilow, Dionne Warwick, Anne Murray? Do you think they would be as sucessful as they are 25-54 if they played these? Journey IS todays soft rock for younger women.

Sorry, but there's a phrase most of us in Southie - and especially the South Shore burbs - think, namely once you're X, you're X forever and ever. (I can't say what the X is because of radio-info posting rules and regs, but if you know anything about Southie history and/or have seen "The Departed," you can take your guess.)

In my case, once a song is heavy metal, it's heavy metal forever and ever, and there is NO flexibility IMHO.

I think we've identified your problem...no flexibility.

People's tastes change, people grow up, the world changes.

Your labels, such as "heavy metal" are seriously flawed. Ask one of your fellow Southie residents if they consider Eric clapton and Bruce Springsteen to be HEAVY METAL. ;-)

AND NOT A SINGLE G-D ONE OF THEM PLAY ANY DECENT AMOUNT OF GOOD MUSIC!

You should have named this post. "Stevie N. is upset that no stations in Boston appeal to him"..and then stop right there....which is a more valid comment than blaming evberything and everyone else that the current offerrings don't appeal to you.

"Good Music" is a subjective term. Not something that only you have an understanding of.

 

[WLYNWAZNgm]

America is a great country. Where else in the world can somebody with no experience
and no facts to back up his claims, shoot his mouth off, in public, on a regular basis?
The 4th Stooge - joins crap monarch, junior, and bye-bye... :
Their posts are always the same - like a one-joke comedian...
Give us all a break...

 

[BoscoGoldBear]

Hey Steve, what's your definition of "hate speech"? Would that be speech that YOU hate listening to?

Thanks for another absurdly useless post.

In case you were wondering, the "hate speech" stations that I was writing about are WRKO (home of Rush, Howie and Savage Nation), WTKK (home of Jay - I think - **** In The Morning - Howard's wording, NOT mine - and Graham Crackers) and (especially) WEEI (home of D&C - by far the worst hate speech offenders - and the Big Show). Those three have generally gained listeners at the expense of WAAFs, WBCN, WBOS (for a long time anyway) and WBMX (although Kiss and Magic MAY be more responsible).

 

[WLYNWAZNgm]

"Those three have generally gained listeners at the expense of WAAFs, WBCN, WBOS (for a long time anyway) and WBMX"

Sorry Shemp, uh, Stevie. This is yet another unfounded and uneducated assumption,
WITH NO FACTS TO BACK IT UP. Not to mention the original premise of comparing audiences
for music formats versus talk formats is absurd from the start. Dude, you should really learn to THINK
before you open your mouth, yet again... : : :

 

[Adam Rivers]

Hey Steve, what's your definition of "hate speech"? Would that be speech that YOU hate listening to?

Thanks for another absurdly useless post.

In case you were wondering, the "hate speech" stations that I was writing about are WRKO (home of Rush, Howie and Savage Nation), WTKK (home of Jay - I think - **** In The Morning - Howard's wording, NOT mine - and Graham Crackers) and (especially) WEEI (home of D&C - by far the worst hate speech offenders - and the Big Show). Those three have generally gained listeners at the expense of WAAFs, WBCN, WBOS (for a long time anyway) and WBMX (although Kiss and Magic MAY be more responsible).

How are you not banned?

 

[chrish]

Does anyone else detect that Steve N is Rapking (Graham Crackers)

 

[jlehmann]

Does anyone else detect that Steve N is Rapking (Graham Crackers)

I don't think so, because if it was, there would be a space before every period .

 

[raccoonradio]

I guess I could complain about WWZN's libtalkers being hate speech but i haven't listened enough to find
anything offensive (other than the one time I tuned to Thom Hartmann out of curiosity and heard a female
caller say "I'd like to taser every White Male Republican". Stay classy. The good news is...I'm unenrolled.
She can't get me! ;D

Maybe I should listen for hours and hours and find something offensive The advertisers do like listeners
who tune in for hour upon hour even if they hate what's being said.

As I've said before...
"I just want to let you know you're disgusting and lowest-common-denominator radio and you don't
deserve to be on the air! I hate your guts!"

"Ah...and how often do you listen, caller?"

"Every day."

 

[raccoonradio]

>>AND NOT A SINGLE G-D ONE OF THEM PLAY ANY DECENT AMOUNT OF GOOD MUSIC! (Examples of good music include Chic, Earth, Wind & Fire, Clinton's P-Funk, Gap Band, Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash, Donna Summer - from Boston even - Prince, Madonna, Sylvester, Michael Jackson and Rick James.)

Let's see, WODS: Earth Wind and Fire--they play them. Donna Summer--she DOES work hard for the money.
Michael Jackson--well, with his brothers at least. Maybe they'll start to play Madonna soon as they get into
80s stuff. Actually on Tom Kent's show they probably do.

Actually here's some good music I'd like to hear on WODS, myself:

Tom T Hall: "I Like Beer"
Muddy Waters: "Champagne and Reefer"
Sex Pistols: "Friggin In The Riggin"
Barrence Whitfield and the Savages: "Dust On My Needle"
Rubber Rodeo: "Anywhere With You"
B.B. King: "The Thrill is Gone" (actually was a hit in the 60s, wasn't it?)
but I digress...

 

[SonicOverload]

Thom Hartman is pretty mild-mannered but can hold his own debating callers/guests with an opposing point of view. Believe me, you want to hear invective? Listen to Mike Malloy. I listen to his webcast almost every day.