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Two Ideas to Bring Alternative/Triple-A Back To Atlanta

AbsurdHero

AbsurdHero

Let me preface this by saying that I don't work in the industry, so I invite reality-checks.

Idea the First:

I was in Columbia, SC over the weekend and found this station particularly interesting. WXRY is a 17-watt station operating in the heart of Columbia that refers to itself as The Independent Alternative. Other than my surprise at the fact that 17 watts at a modest tower height can carry fairly well, I was also impressed by their mission and theme, if not the playlist itself, which was primarily soft and safe. It's run by a nonprofit of USC alumni.

This station has been around in more or less its current form since March 2005, which seems like an eternity to this Atlanta radio listener. It has existed alongside an Active Rock WARQ and seems to do rather well (the formats don't overlap much if at all.)

If Streetz can keep coming back from the dead, why not an Alt?

Idea the Second:

WABE is doing pretty well, but I see opportunity to expand. If you go to NPR Music, you're not reading about Classical. Minnesota Public Radio runs a multi-station service called The Current which plays a healthy playlist of indie-heavy Triple-A.

I'm not suggesting replacing the classical & news format, but if Cumulus can stunt "Q100 20 at 97.9" I really don't see why there couldn't be an off-shoot of WABE somewhere out there playing current music, on an HD channel at the very least.
 
What about Album 88 and WREK?
Album 88 was the progressive alternative in Atlanta years before the dish company decided alternative was ready for prime time.
These two college stations pretty much provide what many on this board are constantly complaining about - diversity.
Love it or hate it.....it ain't cookie cutter radio. What you do get is all that is new..... an early peek at the "mainstream of the future" and a not-so-jaded presentation of the present.
 
The dish company is Pflaltzgraff, the former owners of 99x (Susquehanna broadcasting) before the Cloud company (Cumulus) acquired them.

Album 88 is the only terrestrial radio I now listen to. Taylorengineer is right. This is where alternative has always been. It may not have all the "flair" of a full blown commercial station, but it plays the music, and serves its community as it has since 1971.
 
Not sure if their supporters would go for it, but I think it would be a genius move (at least ratings-wise) to drop classical and bring back AAA to Atlanta.

5-9: Morning Edition
9-1p: Mara Davis
1p-4p: Sully? Margot? Yvonne?
4p-7p: All Things Considered
7p-8p: Fresh Air
8p-5a: More Music with Sully/Margot/Yvonne

That would be a pretty BA-sounding radio station in my opinion.
 
ATLRadioFan said:
Not sure if their supporters would go for it, but I think it would be a genius move (at least ratings-wise) to drop classical and bring back AAA to Atlanta.

5-9: Morning Edition
9-1p: Mara Davis
1p-4p: Sully? Margot? Yvonne?
4p-7p: All Things Considered
7p-8p: Fresh Air
8p-5a: More Music with Sully/Margot/Yvonne

That would be a pretty BA-sounding radio station in my opinion.
Click to expand...

And in my opinion, an utter snooze-fest.

G
 
MRFLASHPORT said:
The dish company is Pflaltzgraff, the former owners of 99x (Susquehanna broadcasting) before the Cloud company (Cumulus) acquired them.
Click to expand...
Susquehanna-Pfaltzgraff had four lines of business: radio, tableware, cable TV, and real estate investments. For some reason--liquidating an estate, IIRC--the radio (to Cumulus Media Partners), cable (to Comcast), and tableware businesses (to Lifetime Brands) were sold off and now Susquehanna-Pfaltzgraff (since renamed Susquehanna Real Estate) is a real estate holding company (http://www.susquehanna-realestate.com/index.html)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susquehanna_Pfaltzgraff

If you go to the GRHOF site and go to WLTA (99.7), there are some items related to both WLTA and Pfaltzgraff, as I remember.
 
I don't omit Album 88 out of negligence - I enjoy the station and think it's fine as it is. But it's not a consistent format, and that's kind of the point. There are lots of specialty shows with music you can't hear anywhere else.

I'd personally be happy with a station that plays 88.5's Regular Rotation 24/7, but I'm not expecting anyone to go that far.
 
Im an alternative nut but album 88 does not come anywhere close to taking care of my alt fix. Album 88 spends way too much time on experimental music that comes from the electronic world and while alternative has this sprinkled in it, its not the main theme. One of the best college style alternative stations is CD 101 out of Columbus, Ohio. Now this stations plays some mainstream alternative, indie_alternative and even some old school.
 
I wish Album 88 did not spend so much time on "artistically shaped noise" too! That should be left to the WREK folks who are intelligent enough to actually understand the throbs of noise........
 
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