The State Of Modern Rock (Alternative) Radio

[funnyguysmile]

Last month there was a post about 3 stations that flipped from Modern Rock to other formats. It appears Modern Rock has slipped the last 18 months. A few questions:

1) Anyone know the exact date 99x went off the air (I know they're online/hd/translator)?
2) Is there a list of modern rock stations that have flipped since?
3) Why so many leaving the format? Why now?

 

[SoulCrusher]

There seems to be this prevailing belief that, because of the recession and the fact that there's less money to go around, radio stations have to be more "mass appeal", and that a "niche" format like Alternative doesn't perform well in economic times like these.

I laugh at such a notion. First of all, a format is no "niche" if it gives airtime to a lot of bands that play amphitheatres and arenas, as the Alternative format does. Furthermore, history indicates that whenever the economy is in a downturn and people are struggling, music that is generally more downbeat, moody and even angry tends to become more popular. Case in point: the early '90s, when hair metal and bubblegum pop gave way to the Seattle movement, and alternative rock acts were at the forefront of the music industry for about half the decade.

When you examine what most Alternative stations are flipping to, you'll see that many are going toward the upbeat, positive, and thoroughly vapid sounds of Top 40 radio. While the Telecommunications Act of 1996 changed radio as we knew it, I still question the wisdom of the strategy being implemented here as it runs contrary to what we have seen in the past.

It's a shame to see that so many Alternative stations are flipping, including NJ's WHTG/WBBO (G Rock) in my area, which went Top 40 as Hit 106 and had an abysmal first book ... the only rock stations left in my market are a classic rocker and a boring AOR station. I think it's a good time for the format, and a lot of acts that fit in well with the roots of the format are popular - Silversun Pickups, MGMT, Manchester Orchestra, Phoenix, Cage The Elephant, etc. Of course, we have derivative arena rock dreck like Shinedown making its way to the top of the charts sometimes, but overall the format is in a good place right now.

Thus far, early ratings have indicated that broadcasters that have opted to switch Alternative stations have made bad moves. I hope this keeps up so that the format can have a much-needed resurgence. As I said before, history has shown that darker music enjoys more popularity when the economy is in rough shape. And besides, the intelligent people among us don't want to be subjected to the sugary bubblegum of Black Eyed Peas and Britney Spears, nor do they want to hear Neanderthals like Nickelback and Hinder.

 

[johnbasalla]

One of our Alt stations in the Cleveland, Ohio area has gone jockless. I'd like to know how many others are doing so. If you don't even try to at least have competitive drive-time shows, that smacks of 'giving-up', unless the goal is to lower the overhead so much that you think the station can manage to make a profit of some sort.

 

[WBIMDJ]

One of our Alt stations in the Cleveland, Ohio area has gone jockless. I'd like to know how many others are doing so. If you don't even try to at least have competitive drive-time shows, that smacks of 'giving-up', unless the goal is to lower the overhead so much that you think the station can manage to make a profit of some sort.

Here in Boston, WBOS "Radio 92.9" is jockless, with the "More Music Less Blah Blah Blah" theme. They recently did good in the PPM's. Meanwhile, heritage rocker WBCN is changing formats to sports talk after 41+ years on the air...

 

[p_herring]

There seems to be this prevailing belief that, because of the recession and the fact that there's less money to go around, radio stations have to be more "mass appeal", and that a "niche" format like Alternative doesn't perform well in economic times like these.

I laugh at such a notion. First of all, a format is no "niche" if it gives airtime to a lot of bands that play amphitheatres and arenas, as the Alternative format does. Furthermore, history indicates that whenever the economy is in a downturn and people are struggling, music that is generally more downbeat, moody and even angry tends to become more popular. Case in point: the early '90s, when hair metal and bubblegum pop gave way to the Seattle movement, and alternative rock acts were at the forefront of the music industry for about half the decade.

When you examine what most Alternative stations are flipping to, you'll see that many are going toward the upbeat, positive, and thoroughly vapid sounds of Top 40 radio. While the Telecommunications Act of 1996 changed radio as we knew it, I still question the wisdom of the strategy being implemented here as it runs contrary to what we have seen in the past.

It's a shame to see that so many Alternative stations are flipping, including NJ's WHTG/WBBO (G Rock) in my area, which went Top 40 as Hit 106 and had an abysmal first book ... the only rock stations left in my market are a classic rocker and a boring AOR station. I think it's a good time for the format, and a lot of acts that fit in well with the roots of the format are popular - Silversun Pickups, MGMT, Manchester Orchestra, Phoenix, Cage The Elephant, etc. Of course, we have derivative arena rock dreck like Shinedown making its way to the top of the charts sometimes, but overall the format is in a good place right now.

Thus far, early ratings have indicated that broadcasters that have opted to switch Alternative stations have made bad moves. I hope this keeps up so that the format can have a much-needed resurgence. As I said before, history has shown that darker music enjoys more popularity when the economy is in rough shape. And besides, the intelligent people among us don't want to be subjected to the sugary bubblegum of Black Eyed Peas and Britney Spears, nor do they want to hear Neanderthals like Nickelback and Hinder.

I've always had the theory that the audience for the kind of alternative music you listed above is just too ahead the curve (in terms of FM radio). I don't have any data to back this up and, perhaps I'm biased since I live in New York so I walk everywhere, but I just can't see people who listen to bands such as Silversun Pickups, Phoenix, MGMT to stop surfing their favorite blogs, web sites and turn on the radio.

Why this is? Well, there are a number of reasons. As you grow up, your intelligence starts to get insulted when you are constantly hearing jive DJ's and having lame Budweiser commercials forced down your throat. The whole idea of pairing left-of-center artists with mainstream advertising is just a hard sell. On the flip side, fans of baseball cap rock such as Hinder, Nickelback, etc. are probably not music enthusiasts and most likely just enjoy whatever happens to be served to them at the time. Any quirky or artsy music is usually seen as "just weird, man" for these folks.

Also, I get the feeling that many "Alternative" listeners wouldn't even support a radio station anyways. Especially for those in the 21-25 demo now. It's one of those things that is kind of a "nice to have" when you're stuck in a situation with only a radio, but not a necessity by any means.

 

[radiojomo]

What I think is weakening alternative radio is that they're forgetting who their core demographic is: 18-34. Alternative rock has the same demographics as a Top 40 but they're not treating the format similar to a Top 40. Top 40's focus on the new current music and sprinkle recurrents around, which makes it a successful format. But Alternative nowadays focus their formats on playing recurrents and then sprinkle in a few current titles. If you listen to Rock-It Radio on Goom Radio (http://alpha.goomradio.us/#page=/radio/rockit-radio), that is what alternative radio should sound like. A Top 40 sounding station featuring new alternative artists with a throw-back every once and a while.

 

[Jacko]

Overall, alternative radio has been in a sad state of affairs, but I think that this is primarily due to lack-luster, cookie-cutter programming. I won't go into the so-called "alternative" stations that are still playing mullet-rockers like Nickelback, Seether, and Saving Abel. A number of alternative stations these days are corporately owned by the likes of Clear Channel, and have what I call "alternative greatest hits jukeboxes" for playlists. Only when a song by a new artist reaches the top 20 of the alternative chart will it be added to the rotation, albeit minimally. Some corporately owned alternatives aren't that bad--the Entercom ones (KNDD/Seattle, KRBZ/Kansas City, KNRK/Portland) come to mind and they seem to still put the music first. However, some of the independently owned stations--WFNX/Boston comes to mind--are sounding like they're having tough times finding/maintaining their identity and have been relying on playing a lot more alternative "classics," even throughing in hipster-friendly classic rock fodder from the likes of the Beatles/Stones/Zeppelin in just for fun. It may get better for them now that WBCN is leaving--hopefully WFNX can restore the identity they had for many years (sans the 2 or 3 years of nu-metal!)

In terms of terrestrial radio, stations like WEQX/Manchester, VT, WWCD/Columbus, OH, and WBRU/Providence are still doing it right. The focus is still about the music, especially new music, which I think it what is getting away from many other alternative stations. Hopefully other alternative stations, especially the independent ones, and the corportately-owned ones that aren't in dictatorships, can follow.


Jacko

 

[evolve991]

state of modern rooock is-uh busted doowwn completelahh...err sorry...it just kinda blasted out of my head....


Modern/Alternative/Indie Rock: The victim of incorrectly informed,narrow minded executives who believe that anything NOT of The Norm is unpopular and unprofittable. Innovation and originality be damned! You WILL be saturated with sugar free,fat reduced,vegetarian approved massproduced SAMENESS and you will LIKE it!!!! EVERYONE knows that the Miller Lite commercial will be followed by Pickleneck...errr Nickelback,the Geico lizard will precede Metallica and never ever forget that The Most Interesing Man In The World ALWAYS comes just before Hinder!!! WHAT?!?? They aren't Alternative Rock Artists? YOU sir are WRONG! Alternative artists are Who WE THE SUITS SAY they are,there will be no difference of opinion here.

I was always under the impression that the Alternative genre,for lack of a term easily explained to a suit, WAS IN ESSENCE a DIFFERENT type of music than the majority....and thats the problem....angst,defiance and unrest are no part of a record execs world....they cannot relate at all. By the way-this modern/indie/alt fan is a mid 40s blue collar hardhead who out of spite avoids anything advertised on the bland,talentless stations.

 

[AbsurdHero]

Last month there was a post about 3 stations that flipped from Modern Rock to other formats. It appears Modern Rock has slipped the last 18 months. A few questions:

1) Anyone know the exact date 99x went off the air (I know they're online/hd/translator)?
2) Is there a list of modern rock stations that have flipped since?
3) Why so many leaving the format? Why now?

The station originally went off the air on 99.7 on the morning of January 25th, 2008. The last song played on 99X at 5:30 AM that morning was "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" by Green Day, which is a good example of what is currently wrong with the format. There's far too much reliance on gold, and when new music is played, 80% is new material from well-established artists.

"99X at 97.9" may be on a 250 watt translator, but it's already pulling a 1.1, so it's not all bad. Tower height gives them coverage comparable to a 3,000 watter.

 

[radiojomo]

"99X at 97.9" may be on a 250 watt translator, but it's already pulling a 1.1, so it's not all bad. Tower height gives them coverage comparable to a 3,000 watter.

I was very impressed with this number. A 250 watt translator is only .7 from its rock sister "Rock 100.5. Every month, the ratings just get bigger. My word for Cumulus, switch Rock 100.5 to 99X.

 

[p_herring]

Last month there was a post about 3 stations that flipped from Modern Rock to other formats. It appears Modern Rock has slipped the last 18 months. A few questions:

1) Anyone know the exact date 99x went off the air (I know they're online/hd/translator)?
2) Is there a list of modern rock stations that have flipped since?
3) Why so many leaving the format? Why now?

The station originally went off the air on 99.7 on the morning of January 25th, 2008. The last song played on 99X at 5:30 AM that morning was "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)" by Green Day, which is a good example of what is currently wrong with the format. There's far too much reliance on gold, and when new music is played, 80% is new material from well-established artists.

"99X at 97.9" may be on a 250 watt translator, but it's already pulling a 1.1, so it's not all bad. Tower height gives them coverage comparable to a 3,000 watter.

This brings up a great question. How do you get an audience (such as those listening to radio) who, let's be honest, probably aren't fond of bringing new bands/artists into their musical repertoire (since they're apparently not fond of introducing new ways of listening to music into their lives as well)?

 

[radiojomo]

This brings up a great question. How do you get an audience (such as those listening to radio) who, let's be honest, probably aren't fond of bringing new bands/artists into their musical repertoire (since they're apparently not fond of introducing new ways of listening to music into their lives as well)?

Because the target audience of people listening to Alternative stations has almost been the same since its start and hasn't renewed themselves with a new audience (like a Top 40 station). In the '90's when every town had an Alternative/Grunge station, the audience was a young audience, most of the listeners were in their teens. Alternative stations a decade ago would play more new Alternative product because there was barely any old product that would fit the bill. So around a decade later, the listeners who were listening to their local Alternative station in their teens are STILL listening to that station. And now that generation is a part of the money demo. This demo isn't very interested in hearing new music like the younger generation, they want a piece of what they're used to. We all like the music we grew up with. Unlike Top 40 stations that have a new audience every generation because the sound of the generation changes. And the old generation might not like the sound of the new generation. And with a change in the sound of the generation, older listeners move to a station like a Hot AC, AC, Adult Hits, Oldies or Classic Rock. But for the older generation of Alternative listeners, Classic Rock is still leaving '90's Alternative out. Alternative has a new wave of bands every generation but they're being left out for recurrents. New indie rock bands are taking more time to play and new pop-punk acts are barely spin on Alternative radio. What we need is a station playing
'80s and '90s Alternative and a separate station playing Alternative Hits (all the new stuff), similar to what Sirius is doing with Alt Nation and Lithium. Alternative stations also need to stop playing butt rock bands like Nickelback and Shinedown. That's not Alternative. That's Active rock. Alternative's been lacking the Alternative.

 

[AbsurdHero]

Because the target audience of people listening to Alternative stations has almost been the same since its start and hasn't renewed themselves with a new audience (like a Top 40 station). In the '90's when every town had an Alternative/Grunge station, the audience was a young audience, most of the listeners were in their teens. Alternative stations a decade ago would play more new Alternative product because there was barely any old product that would fit the bill. So around a decade later, the listeners who were listening to their local Alternative station in their teens are STILL listening to that station. And now that generation is a part of the money demo. This demo isn't very interested in hearing new music like the younger generation, they want a piece of what they're used to. We all like the music we grew up with. Unlike Top 40 stations that have a new audience every generation because the sound of the generation changes. And the old generation might not like the sound of the new generation. And with a change in the sound of the generation, older listeners move to a station like a Hot AC, AC, Adult Hits, Oldies or Classic Rock. But for the older generation of Alternative listeners, Classic Rock is still leaving '90's Alternative out.

I don't necessarily agree with this, at least in my experience. I'm 30 years old, and I grew up listening to Alternative stations from the rise of grunge onward, but after 15 years of hearing "Jeremy" and "Been Caught Stealing" being played as if they were currents, I'd had enough. For years I plodded along taking whatever new music scraps I was tossed from 99X's table, occasionally rescued by what my friends sent my way. But the demise of 99X led me to find better sources for new music (obscure online radio stations like WBER Rochester, Indie 103.1, WOXY, and most recently the Indie, Indie Hits, and UK Indie stations on Slacker Radio,) and I haven't looked back.

Alternative has a new wave of bands every generation but they're being left out for recurrents. New indie rock bands are taking more time to play and new pop-punk acts are barely spin on Alternative radio. What we need is a station playing '80s and '90s Alternative and a separate station playing Alternative Hits (all the new stuff), similar to what Sirius is doing with Alt Nation and Lithium. Alternative stations also need to stop playing butt rock bands like Nickelback and Shinedown. That's not Alternative. That's Active rock. Alternative's been lacking the Alternative.

Completely agreed, and I almost had to check to make sure I hadn't written this myself. The dilution of the format has really made me wonder what they think their target audience is. Like myself, I many of the first generation have given up and moved on to something else by now, unless they're brain dead or extremely lazy. And this Active Rock + Gold formula isn't winning them any new, younger listeners, so the ratings have greatly declined.

 

[radiojomo]

Here's my idea of an hour on how an hour of music should be sounding on my idea of an Alternative station appealing a younger crowd:

Green Day- 21 Guns (start off the hour with a popular Alternative hit)
All Time Low- Damned If I Do Ya, Damned If I Don't (good new Pop punk track appealing to a younger crowd, #19 on iTunes Alternative chart)
Metric- Gimme Sympathy (Help, I'm Alive is getting old, this follow-up single should chart about the same)
Modest Mouse- Dashboard (this is what a recurrent on the station would be)
Brand New- At The Bottom (something new and fresh after that recurrent)
Matt & Kim- Daylight (another Alternative hit to keep in first time listeners with familiar songs)
3OH!3- Starstruckk (something to keep the energy high on the station)
Paramore- Ignorance (keeping the music new)
Death Cab For Cutie- The Sound of Settling (a good recurrent to draw in some listeners of Indie music)
This Providence- Let Down (awesome New Alternative pop-punk song, they have to break this stuff out)
Sublime- Santeria (adding a little bit of gold rounds out the playlist just right)
Kings of Leon- Use Somebody (another typical Alternative hit)
The Sounds- No One Sleeps When I'm Awake (went on tour with No Doubt and Paramore, gaining popularity)
Rise Against- Savior (adding in a little harder rock edge to the sound)
Phoenix- Lisztomania (poppy edged Indie track, great follow up to 1901)
Mercy Mercedes- The Perfect Scene (upcoming band)
All American Rejects- Swing, Swing (good pop punk recurrent)
Panic! At The Disco- New Perspective (good new song from Panic)
Taking Back Sunday- Sink Into Me (popular with younger females according to Ratethemusic)
Sing It Loud- No One Can Touch Us (breaking out new act)
Michael Franti- Say Hey (I Love You)


That might be more than an hour, but tell me what you think.

 

[WBIMDJ]

Hmmm, here's my hour of how I think commercial Alternative radio should sound:

Arctic Monkeys - Crying Lightning (start off with a brand new current)
The Von Bondies - C'Mon C'Mon (fun well known recurrent)
Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (gold by a classic alternative staple)
Matisyahu - One Day (popular current)
Spoon - Got Nuffin (a lesser known current)
Does It Offend You, Yeah? - Dawn of the Dead (obscure recurrent for the Indie fanatics)
Nirvana - Pennyroyal Tea (well known gold keeping listeners with some familiarity)
Paramore - Ignorance (brand new pop punk current)
Alice In Chains - Check My Brain (brand new song by AIC)
MGMT - Time to Pretend (well known recurrent at this point)
The Dead Weather - Treat Me Like Your Mother (current from Jack White's new band)
The White Stripes - Fell In Love With a Girl (keeping with the Jack White theme, recurrent)
New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle (classic alternative gold from New Order)
Green Day - (any track off the new album for a new music feature)
Green Day - 21 Guns (followed by the new single)
Atmosphere - You (recurrent, mixing it up with some alternative hip hop)
Dave Navarro - Rexall (a "wow haven't heard that one in a while" type track to keep listeners entertained)
Pearl Jam - Corduroy (round off the hour with a well known gold hit by alternative staple)

 

[SuperRadioFan]

17 songs in one hour? Wow how would that happen?

Funny you mention Dawn of the Dead by Does It Offend You, Yeah? and the mention of Indie.... I actually remember for a brief time KSWD 100.3 The Sound playing this!! Back in the Day.

 

[WBIMDJ]

17 songs in one hour? Wow how would that happen?

Funny you mention Dawn of the Dead by Does It Offend You, Yeah? and the mention of Indie.... I actually remember for a brief time KSWD 100.3 The Sound playing this!! Back in the Day.

With 4 min commercial breaks

Yup! It Also played quite a bit on 101.7 WFNX here in Boston around that same time. They even played their Disorientation show that Fall.

 

[AM FM listener]

I totally agree that Alt Rock needs to re-target a younger audience, 18-34, similar to what most Top 40's do. Play the latest modern rock hits and play them often. Also, limit the the Active Rock material. Alt Rock should fill the gap between Active Rock and Mainstream Top 40, much the way Rhythmic has between Urban and Mainstream Top 40. Let the 35+ move on to other formats if necessary but just like with Top 40, many 35+ will stick around anyway.

 

[WBIMDJ]

Contrary to what some ppl may think, people over 35 (and 40, 45, 50!) want to hear new music. They get tired of the old songs just as much as anyone else does. Alt needs to refocus on 75% currents and not latching onto the grunge that we've all heard a million times!

 

[webhamster]

By the way-this modern/indie/alt fan is a mid 40s blue collar hardhead who out of spite avoids anything advertised on the bland,talentless stations.

Hey! I resemble that remark. Except for the "mid-40's" thing though. I'm only 35.