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To those who would bash K-Rock

P

Pratte4Life

K-Rock gets a lot of criticism on this board, but I'm not sure it's at all justified.

Case in point. I've often traveled to rock concerts in other cities and on my way to the venue, I turn on the local rock radio station.

Almost all the time there will be a "pre-concert show" playing lots of cuts from the band playing in town that night and a bit of band history or interviews with everyone from the musicians to fans.

Often there is a post-concert show done the same way, generally with great enthusiasm from the DJs.

Going to the Post-Gazette Pavillion last night, I had on WDVE. They were not playing cuts from the greatest American rock band of all time or the pre-emenent hair band of all time.

No, what they were doing was playing "Cuts of Three" from Donny Iris. Then from Rush. Earlier in the day it was Bob Segar.

Granted, K-Rock wasn't any better playing their regular playlist going into the show.

But at the end of the show, I turned on the radio. Same old same old from WDVE. You would never have known this once-in-a-lifetime concert was in town. I think they were dusting off an old Stanley P. Kachowski bit or maybe something by The Clarks.

But at least K-Rock ACKNOWLEDGED WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THEIR TOWN! They alternated cuts from Aerosmith and Motley Crue, took calls upset that Aerosmith's playlist was too short and made up for it by playing songs the Smiths didn't play such as "Dream On," and generally either were the proper cap to a wonderful night of rock and roll or made you feel as if you were there if you missed the show.

Simply put, on Saturday night K-Rock blew WDVE away.
 
At first I didn't like K-Rock. But it has grown on me. Better than DVE which tends to just repeat the songs. I like that K rock has talk too. And even though I bashed Kidd Chris before I heard him..he is funny even though he is from Philly. ;)
 
DVE usually does do the kind of coverage you're talking about. I don't know why they would have skipped this one. Maybe it was some sort of "official sponsor" issue?
 
Corporate- I remember they did it for Def Leppard a few years ago and I was almost stunned because I had never heard it before.

But that's one time.

Give you some examples. A few years ago when AC/DC was touring, I went to Detroit on a Saturday night to see them at Joe Louis Arena.

Sure enough, WRIF had exhaustive interviews with the band, played the songs with commentary, and did so with such enthusiasm you were convinced you were going into a very special event.

Same tour a bit earlier- and on a Saturday- the Philadelphia rock station had a remote from the Spectrum- the same sort of block coming in and out- even DJs giving commentary about AC/DC's show, such as how special it was to have the band at the Spectrum and not the FU Center and how unique it was that the lead guitarist was the star of the band instead of the singer.

I even remember when I went to see AC/DC at the Cap Centre in 1991. DC 101 had practically an AC/DC history lesson prior to the show.

And what did WDVE do on Saturday night with equally prestigious Aerosmith in town along with Motley Crue?

Played three Donny Iris songs.

Don't give me Saturday nights don't drive the revenue train. Not only could such a pre and post-concert show generate additional revenue for the station, but it would motivate your staff with a fun assignment.

That sort of mindset is right out of Erwin, Tennessee, where an FM station I worked for used to shut down at 11 p.m. even though they had the license to go 24 hrs because they hadn't sold any overnight ads!
 
To those who would bash K-Rock...We Sa-Lute You - no, that was bad. I think there are a lot of CC trolls on this board.

Which brings me to the reason I'm posting: was the aforementioned show a "CC" show, or (lots o'luck) another promoter? Would that account for DVE's indifference?
 
Was the concert a sell-out, or were there still tickets available that plugging and promotion might have helped sell? If it was a sell-out, then why would any radio station worry about making a big deal out of it or not in the time leading up to the concert?

And as for the post-concert coverage, how would that have helped 'DVE? K-Rock and 'DVE have such different playlists that it almost impossible to consider them as competitors of each other. 'DVE gets the audience who likes the 'DVE playlist while K-Rock gets the audience that likes the K-Rock playlist.

Come to think of it, there aren't very many stations in town going directly head-to-head. You got 104.7 versus the Froggies, WLTJ against 99.7, and the two AM sports-talkers. I guess you could call KDKA a head-to-head competitor of 104.7. Almost all of the other stations are the only station in their particular niche.
 
Plus, it could be that the musicians didn't want to be interviewed because they were busy preparing for their performance and afterwards, getting some [EDIT]

[EDIT=inappropriate language.]
 
corporateradiosucks said:
Plus, it could be that the musicians didn't want to be interviewed because they were busy preparing for their performance and afterwards, getting some [EDIT]

[EDIT=inappropriate language.]
Click to expand...

I guess that answers my question.

So to euphemize...the musicians might have been otherwise occupied with members of the opposite sex. ;)
 
Looking more at PRE concert interviews, here. ;)

Realist- I don't know the actual numbers. But by judging by the interviews I heard with Def Leppard from the last time they were in Pittsburgh being played on WDVE yesterday afternoon between songs to prep that band's Wednesday concert with Journey I would guess Def Leppard has quite a publicist or there is a huge Def Leppard fan at WDVE.

I also understand what you're saying about WDVE and K-Rock not being direct competitors. True, it's not like WRRK used to be.

However, I think they are competetors to some degree or another. You have to admit that Opie and Anthony are the sort of a morning show designed to capture that young and middle aged white male audience. Both stations do play classic rock.

It's the sort of thing where if I'm in my car and I want to listen to rock, and I don't like the song on WDVE the first place I'm changing to is K-Rock.

On your final question- what I'm saying is that to me WDVE is running on memories.

Okay, they are No. 1 overall. But I would say that has as much to do with the demise of KDKA and the fact that selling classic rock to Pittsburgh is like selling country music to Knoxville or winter coats to Eskimos.

They are an establishment, but it seems to me they are running more on their glory days when Paulsen and Krenn were still coming up with fresh and new comedy ideas, when rock ballads ruled the Top 40 and listening to hair bands and metal was "in," when you didn't get a WDVE license plate for the front of your car at a giveaway- you bought it for $5 at an auto parts store, when the Penguins were winning Stanley Cups and capitalizing on that scene helped WDVE beat out KDKA for a book or two legitimately.

Okay, those days are gone forever with our youth. But while maybe I will wax nostagic for a song from those days, I don't find Bobby Subgum that funny anymore. I know all the jokes Stanley P. Kowchowski will tell. And I've heard that interview cut with Joe Elliot so many times I have memorized it.

So when I see the WDVE balloon coming out of the venue where Aerosmith and Motley Crue are playing, and I turn to the station, and what I hear are The Clarks (GOD HELP US!)-

BUT I turn on K-Rock and they are playing Aerosmith and Crue and legitimately taking calls on the show- it makes a statement as to what station is actively trying to pursue me as the listener.

By the way, before anyone says "Well, what about people who didn't see the show?"- it's Aerosmith and Motley Crue. You either went or you wanted to or you're listening to The X.

So if I couldn't make it, sure I'd like to be filled in on what went on.
 
Which station sponsored the show? Sometimes it gets so political that
one station underpromotes just to make a point.
 
I didn't bash kidd chris show but i do miss music being played during that time.
 
Agreed. I don't even think it's that good of a show.

When I was hearing them, they were crank calling some Eminem-Marky Mark wannabe.

Not what a guy tuning into a station to hear Nickelback or AC/DC wants to hear.
 
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