Visiting Birmingham: what to listen to?

[Doctor_Technical]

If one were to be wandering around Birminghan for a couple of days next week -- looking to sample some radio unique to BHM and Alabama -- what might you good folks suggest?

Been there before when alternative radio was king, so I'm prepared to have my heart broken by what y'all describe has happened to Beaner & Ken on 100.5. Grew up with the other B&K (Burt and Kurt) on WJDX here in Jackson, maybe I hit 'em on a bad day last time but it wasn't the side-splitting show I remember.

Any LPFM stations in town? Any interesting college or public radio programs? Anything creative or just plain weird on AM? Any (gasp) pirate stations?

I'll swap ya: here in Jackson a spin of the dial might stop at

* 1120 WTWZ - Bluegrass music played between preacher shows. Pretty hard-core roots-of-country mix of secular and gospel bluegrass, but with current artists. Alison Krauss and Nickel Creek sound great on AM!
* 88.5 WJSU - Real jazz music - a little too much national production for my tastes but at least nothing like what you normally hear on "smooth jazz" stations.
* 90.1 WMPR - Hard to describe the how well the mix of Blues, Gospel and Talk works on this very-local station. The guitar licks I heard on a gospel song last night were as strong as anything SRV did.
* 93.7 WFMN - (Mississippi) Supertalk network. God bless 'em for running mostly local talk, although most of the time I wind up saying "huh?" and punching up WWL. And why do they have to run their program audio through what sounds like a 16 kb/s streaming encoder? Ech.
* 103.7 WLEZ-LP - All-over-the-dial, mostly adult standards but LOTS of local block programming. All very sincere.

So what are the hidden gems over by y'all?

 

[Charles]

My personal advice on what to listen to while in the Birmingham area: either your Ipod or your CD collection. Better yet, stop by Circuit City or Best Buy and invest in either XM or Sirius. Mediocrity reigns supreme on Birmingham radio.

 

[Sab]

XM

Birmingham is so stagnet, its laughable.

there are a few listenable stations, but only so much.

Check it out:

WBHK 98.7 - I like KISS. Variety isn't terribly great, it's pretty standard to format. However, compared to how other genres are covered in B'ham, it's far more listenable. Plus, I think Joyner is quite possibly the best morning show in Birmingham, even though it doesnt really go up against much, and its syndicated.

WZRR 99.5 - ZRR has gone downhill in recent years, but its still one of the heavyweights of classic rock in the south. Tony Kurre on the afternoon drive can be fun, even if he is a hacky radio guy.

WBHM 90.3 - Just a standard NPR/Classical music channel. But, so many genres are replicated or muddied in the 'Ham (country, urban, rock...yeah, all bases), its a breath of fresh air.

WERC (Paul Finebaum Show) 960 AM - Nothing else on this station is listenable, but Paul Finebaum's show is genius. Just letting these fanboy rednecks call in and bitch about Alabama and Auburn any time of year is greatness. Not to mention he's pretty stellar at interviewing. 2pm - 7pm local. Check it out. (he's on XM 165 as well, live simulcast from 5pm - 7pm)

AVOID AT ALL COSTS:

WRAX 100.5 - Heh, well it's not what it used to be. The station has made strides in recent weeks to try and "get back to its roots" as far as the sound goes. It's pushing AAA, but its not there. The magic is gone. Plus, the B&K show is just chopped up mess. After the magic they had both here in the late 90s and on WANZ, it's a sheer disappointment.

WBPT 106.9 - This station has so much potential, but doesn't know what it wants to be. The format is very expandable, but they kinda hit the basics and leave it at that. No variety whatsoever. Standard, boring AOR.

WZZK 104.7 - Wow. A former country GIANT. This station is a mess now. They are still hits, but you could say they've fallen into the same lapse that WRAX fell into. It's just that there are less message board people who care. BTW, the new on-air talent that was hyped is pretty lousy.

WBHJ 95.7 - This station is ruining everything in Birmingham. It's a signature of Birmingham radio right now. You wanna know a synopsis of B'ham radio? Look no further. A standard, muddled format with crappy on-air talent and a plethora of radio staples. Little variety, lousy morning show, and great ratings. It signifies everything wrong with local radio. When people settle for less, they get less.

I won't rant and rave about XM like I normally do.

Yes, you pay for it, but you don't put up with this trash.

I turn on my XM, I hear the music I wanna hear. The end.

That said, B'ham radio isn't completely lost. However, the market is pretty bad. Something needs to come along to shake the market up. A creative PD, a new format (active rock anyone?), or maybe the introduction of shock jocks are just a few things that could do it.

Either way...

Enjoy your stay in our fair city.




> If one were to be wandering around Birminghan for a couple
> of days next week -- looking to sample some radio unique to
> BHM and Alabama -- what might you good folks suggest?
>
> Been there before when alternative radio was king, so I'm
> prepared to have my heart broken by what y'all describe has
> happened to Beaner & Ken on 100.5. Grew up with the other
> B&K (Burt and Kurt) on WJDX here in Jackson, maybe I hit 'em
> on a bad day last time but it wasn't the side-splitting show
> I remember.
>
> Any LPFM stations in town? Any interesting college or public
> radio programs? Anything creative or just plain weird on AM?
> Any (gasp) pirate stations?
>
> I'll swap ya: here in Jackson a spin of the dial might stop
> at
>
> * 1120 WTWZ - Bluegrass music played between preacher shows.
> Pretty hard-core roots-of-country mix of secular and gospel
> bluegrass, but with current artists. Alison Krauss and
> Nickel Creek sound great on AM!
> * 88.5 WJSU - Real jazz music - a little too much national
> production for my tastes but at least nothing like what you
> normally hear on "smooth jazz" stations.
> * 90.1 WMPR - Hard to describe the how well the mix of
> Blues, Gospel and Talk works on this very-local station. The
> guitar licks I heard on a gospel song last night were as
> strong as anything SRV did.
> * 93.7 WFMN - (Mississippi) Supertalk network. God bless 'em
> for running mostly local talk, although most of the time I
> wind up saying "huh?" and punching up WWL. And why do they
> have to run their program audio through what sounds like a
> 16 kb/s streaming encoder? Ech.
> * 103.7 WLEZ-LP - All-over-the-dial, mostly adult standards
> but LOTS of local block programming. All very sincere.
>
> So what are the hidden gems over by y'all?
>
<P ID="signature">______________
"He deserved to have ice cream smashed in his face, because he's a lying 50 year-old man!"
-Dane Cook</P>

 

[msteven3]

Actually, Burt and Kurt are on the air in Birmingham on WYDE 101.1 in mid-mornings, but they do talk now. I also grew up listening to them on WJDX, and, believe me, it's not the same show.

Other than that, there really isn't much to listen to. Mornings are almost all syndicated, with a few exceptions. Some people listen to Rick and Bubba, whose flagship station is WYSF 94.5. I won't slam them too badly because they're supposed to be really nice guys, but their show isn't what I'd personally listen to.

Only thing I could maybe recommend is to tune to 90.7 and listen to the Birmingham pirate station play hip hop, if it's still on the air, or drive down to Tuscaloosa and listen to WVUA, also on 90.7. They're UA's student station, and they aren't very good, but at least they don't play the same junk everyone else is playing.

You're probably better off getting an iPod or satellite radio over here. Stale and boring pretty much sums things up in this part of the state.

 

[jaleo23]

Re: XM

> Birmingham is so stagnet, its laughable.
>
> there are a few listenable stations, but only so much.
>
> Check it out:
>
> WBHK 98.7 - I like KISS. Variety isn't terribly great, it's
> pretty standard to format. However, compared to how other
> genres are covered in B'ham, it's far more listenable. Plus,
> I think Joyner is quite possibly the best morning show in
> Birmingham, even though it doesnt really go up against much,
> and its syndicated.
>
> WZRR 99.5 - ZRR has gone downhill in recent years, but its
> still one of the heavyweights of classic rock in the south.
> Tony Kurre on the afternoon drive can be fun, even if he is
> a hacky radio guy.
>
> WBHM 90.3 - Just a standard NPR/Classical music channel.
> But, so many genres are replicated or muddied in the 'Ham
> (country, urban, rock...yeah, all bases), its a breath of
> fresh air.
>
> WERC (Paul Finebaum Show) 960 AM - Nothing else on this
> station is listenable, but Paul Finebaum's show is genius.
> Just letting these fanboy rednecks call in and bitch about
> Alabama and Auburn any time of year is greatness. Not to
> mention he's pretty stellar at interviewing. 2pm - 7pm
> local. Check it out. (he's on XM 165 as well, live simulcast
> from 5pm - 7pm)
>
> AVOID AT ALL COSTS:
>
> WRAX 100.5 - Heh, well it's not what it used to be. The
> station has made strides in recent weeks to try and "get
> back to its roots" as far as the sound goes. It's pushing
> AAA, but its not there. The magic is gone. Plus, the B&K
> show is just chopped up mess. After the magic they had both
> here in the late 90s and on WANZ, it's a sheer
> disappointment.
>
> WBPT 106.9 - This station has so much potential, but doesn't
> know what it wants to be. The format is very expandable,
> but they kinda hit the basics and leave it at that. No
> variety whatsoever. Standard, boring AOR.
>
> WZZK 104.7 - Wow. A former country GIANT. This station is a
> mess now. They are still hits, but you could say they've
> fallen into the same lapse that WRAX fell into. It's just
> that there are less message board people who care. BTW, the
> new on-air talent that was hyped is pretty lousy.
>
> WBHJ 95.7 - This station is ruining everything in
> Birmingham. It's a signature of Birmingham radio right now.
> You wanna know a synopsis of B'ham radio? Look no further. A
> standard, muddled format with crappy on-air talent and a
> plethora of radio staples. Little variety, lousy morning
> show, and great ratings. It signifies everything wrong with
> local radio. When people settle for less, they get less.
>
> I won't rant and rave about XM like I normally do.
>
> Yes, you pay for it, but you don't put up with this trash.
>
> I turn on my XM, I hear the music I wanna hear. The end.
>
> That said, B'ham radio isn't completely lost. However, the
> market is pretty bad. Something needs to come along to shake
> the market up. A creative PD, a new format (active rock
> anyone?), or maybe the introduction of shock jocks are just
> a few things that could do it.
>
> Either way...
>
> Enjoy your stay in our fair city.
>
>
>
>
> > If one were to be wandering around Birminghan for a couple
>
> > of days next week -- looking to sample some radio unique
> to
> > BHM and Alabama -- what might you good folks suggest?
> >
> > Been there before when alternative radio was king, so I'm
> > prepared to have my heart broken by what y'all describe
> has
> > happened to Beaner & Ken on 100.5. Grew up with the other
> > B&K (Burt and Kurt) on WJDX here in Jackson, maybe I hit
> 'em
> > on a bad day last time but it wasn't the side-splitting
> show
> > I remember.
> >
> > Any LPFM stations in town? Any interesting college or
> public
> > radio programs? Anything creative or just plain weird on
> AM?
> > Any (gasp) pirate stations?
> >
> > I'll swap ya: here in Jackson a spin of the dial might
> stop
> > at
> >
> > * 1120 WTWZ - Bluegrass music played between preacher
> shows.
> > Pretty hard-core roots-of-country mix of secular and
> gospel
> > bluegrass, but with current artists. Alison Krauss and
> > Nickel Creek sound great on AM!
> > * 88.5 WJSU - Real jazz music - a little too much national
>
> > production for my tastes but at least nothing like what
> you
> > normally hear on "smooth jazz" stations.
> > * 90.1 WMPR - Hard to describe the how well the mix of
> > Blues, Gospel and Talk works on this very-local station.
> The
> > guitar licks I heard on a gospel song last night were as
> > strong as anything SRV did.
> > * 93.7 WFMN - (Mississippi) Supertalk network. God bless
> 'em
> > for running mostly local talk, although most of the time I
>
> > wind up saying "huh?" and punching up WWL. And why do they
>
> > have to run their program audio through what sounds like a
>
> > 16 kb/s streaming encoder? Ech.
> > * 103.7 WLEZ-LP - All-over-the-dial, mostly adult
> standards
> > but LOTS of local block programming. All very sincere.
> >
> > So what are the hidden gems over by y'all?
> >
>

You said everything I was thinking. Especially about all the Cox Radio properties.
<P ID="signature">______________
It is what it is.</P>

 

[TheDingo]

Re: XM

Compared to Huntsville, the ham has so much
up here, a boring country station (WDRM 102.1) that has very little variety stays at #1, mainly because it's the only signal that isn't trashed by terrain and picks up inside of large buildings, Rocket 95.1 has been more interesting lately, taking shots at WTAK, but until they lose the fat men in the morning, it will still be grounded... I too have gone the way of XM since there is nothing worth listening to all day up here, I will listen to rocket if i'm somewhere my XM can't pick up a signal or somewhere it's not easy to set up.<P ID="signature">______________
<div align="center"><a href="http://wolf103.tk">

</P></span></P></span>
</P><P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by BamaWOLF on 03/26/06 07:44 AM.</FONT></P>

 

[tibbs]

Re: XM

You left out Birmingham's ultimate family fun station ---
the absolute MOST boring radio station in America ---

WMJJ!

Is it forgotten by everyone or just so bad no one
wants to admit it even exists?

BTW, you guys are sadly correct. Birmingham is one of
the hardest markets to listen to. I don't get it. AND --
I wish it was different.

 

[Bama-Buddy]

> My personal advice on what to listen to while in the
> Birmingham area: either your Ipod or your CD collection.
> Better yet, stop by Circuit City or Best Buy and invest in
> either XM or Sirius. Mediocrity reigns supreme on
> Birmingham radio.
>

I could not agree more. I have given up on FM here in Birmingham years ago (and FM in general...who needs FM when I have XM?). Sorry, but if you are looking for good radio in Birmingham you are in for a rude awakening. Birmingham radio is stale, boring and predictable. From what I heard this used to not be the case, as Birmingham was known for having an excellent alternative rock, a good country station and a good R&B station. That's not true now.

Invest in a satellite radio or an ipod. You'll be much more satisfied.

 

[Doctor_Technical]

Re: Visited Birmingham: what did I listen to?

Thanks all for comments. BHM was the first leg in a multi-state round trip. Lots of listening over the past 5 days, lots of thoughts. Will post later.


> > My personal advice on what to listen to while in the
> > Birmingham area: either your Ipod or your CD collection.
> > Better yet, stop by Circuit City or Best Buy and invest in
>
> > either XM or Sirius. Mediocrity reigns supreme on
> > Birmingham radio.
> >
>
> I could not agree more. I have given up on FM here in
> Birmingham years ago (and FM in general...who needs FM when
> I have XM?). Sorry, but if you are looking for good radio
> in Birmingham you are in for a rude awakening. Birmingham
> radio is stale, boring and predictable. From what I heard
> this used to not be the case, as Birmingham was known for
> having an excellent alternative rock, a good country station
> and a good R&B station. That's not true now.
>
> Invest in a satellite radio or an ipod. You'll be much more
> satisfied.
>

 

[The Writings on the Wall]

Re: XM

OMG. I grew up here in Birmingham, Hoover to be exact. I couldn't believe it either until I came home and stayed over the holidays. It was down right horrible. :- I am a huge R&B, hip hop, and rap fan, and 95.7 was a major disappointment. Most of their current songs are old, very old. It was like they didn't believe in playing anything that wasn't already more than 3 months old. This is suppose to be what has taken up the legacy of WENN? Also 107.7 is now an all-R&B station called Hot 107.7, what happened to the hip hop? 98.7 was OK for an Urban AC. However, I spent the majority of the time listening to my IPOD. Birmingham stations do need to get it together.

 

[smashedcd2]

birmingham cant possibly be as bad as new orleans..2 fm talkers/ 1 bankrupt silent r/n/b..1 ac/ 1.diva / stale country/ 1 urban ac/1 hip hop (both owned by cc)a classic rocker which plays the same songs every day. and no less than 8 gospel stations ?? we do have 2 stations playing some new orleans music..but both are quite boring..oh yea forgot about tix fm..we have 1 station to listen too :

 

[PaulBWalkerJr]

103.7 in Jackson, MS is owned and operated by Edward St Pe' from his weather studio offices.

 

[b5]

Correction to an earlier post...Paul Finebaum was canceled off of XM about a week ago. I wouldn't be suprised to see him show up though on one of CC's regional talk stations they have planned at XM.