WAXQ 104.3 New York City January 1994

[stevations]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkVsXNYX3To

Does NYC have a rock radio station now? Was this the last rock radio station in NYC? Should this board be called New York City rather than New York? Years ago, who would believe that major cities would not have a rock radio station? I remember most cities having several rock stations and most having a station called The Home Of Rock and Roll. I guess the homeless trend has hit Rock and Roll. Is this because rock has invented all of the songs and sounds and can't evolve anymore?

 

[JoeyBagODonuts]

You can still hear rock on Q-104...just no songs newer than the year of that clip!

 

[XCountry285]

There is no rock station or any alternative rock station or AAA station in NYC at all unfortunately. Hopefully someone will flip a station to that format. The last rock station was WRXP-FM on 101.9 in August of 2011 however they were not programmed that well. The last "real" rock station in NYC was 92.3 KRock in 2009. New York is New York City. Technically they're incorrect. But as the NYC Market we don't need the city it's implied because of the greatness of the area. Rock hasn't created all the sounds and invented all the songs. People did and there's still more to be invented. There's tons of great Hip Hop music, Country, Pop, Rock, Jazz, Classical, Dance, R&B, and other types of music that I forgot to mention that are excellent in their sounds. NYC needs a rock station though that plays current rock- preferably an Alternative Rock station specifically. IMO I really am tired of all of the hard rock nickelback, seether type bands they all sound the same and are all overplayed. I like rock with an edge but not when all of it sounds alike.

 

[reelyreal]

Here's my totally non-scientific observation I've come to realize over the past couple of weeks:

I've been in CHR programming and on the air for 7 years. That entire time, up to and including today, my phones get blown up by the under-18 crowd. NON-STOP. I get prank phone calls from the bus! I get kids and young adults requesting songs, winning contests, interacting with the station along with their 18-49 counterparts.

I've also beeing DJing and coordinating weddings for about 5 years. When I start to get a feel for a couple's taste in music I always start with "what radio stations do you listen to?" If they say that they listen to radio, the answer is ALWAYS the CHR, the Hot AC, or the country station. Sometimes, I get Radio 104.1 here in CT as an answer. When my couples tell me they don't listen to radio, they only listen to pandora, they're always, time after time, into one of the rock subsets.

The division of the rock genre and the distaste of certain factions to the rest of rock is perfectly suited for Pandora. Pandora and its online bretheren cater perfectly to the niches of rock today.

I haven't seen any research on it, but in my professional experience over the past 7 years, I think the rock/indie/alternative etc. listener is much more likely to find their particular flavor of rock online.

I think rock has been most susceptible to splintering of the audience... mostly because using the word "rock" today is almost like using the word "music" to describe a genre. IT'S HUGE, MAN!

 

[DToTheJ]

You can still hear rock on Q-104... just no songs newer than the year of that clip!

Actually, doesn't the current form of Q-104 play Green Day, who rose to fame in 1994? (If not now, I'm sure it won't be long, at any rate...)

 

[mrbrightside]

Here's my totally non-scientific observation I've come to realize over the past couple of weeks:

I've been in CHR programming and on the air for 7 years. That entire time, up to and including today, my phones get blown up by the under-18 crowd. NON-STOP. I get prank phone calls from the bus! I get kids and young adults requesting songs, winning contests, interacting with the station along with their 18-49 counterparts.

I've also beeing DJing and coordinating weddings for about 5 years. When I start to get a feel for a couple's taste in music I always start with "what radio stations do you listen to?" If they say that they listen to radio, the answer is ALWAYS the CHR, the Hot AC, or the country station. Sometimes, I get Radio 104.1 here in CT as an answer. When my couples tell me they don't listen to radio, they only listen to pandora, they're always, time after time, into one of the rock subsets.

The division of the rock genre and the distaste of certain factions to the rest of rock is perfectly suited for Pandora. Pandora and its online bretheren cater perfectly to the niches of rock today.

I haven't seen any research on it, but in my professional experience over the past 7 years, I think the rock/indie/alternative etc. listener is much more likely to find their particular flavor of rock online.

I think rock has been most susceptible to splintering of the audience... mostly because using the word "rock" today is almost like using the word "music" to describe a genre. IT'S HUGE, MAN!

Yes, Pandora is great, but you have to have a smartphone, and that costs money. There is ENTIRE generation New York radio is ignoring, the kids of the baby boomers, born in the late 70s and early 80s. We grew up listening to music in the 90s, grunge, etc., when Top 40 CHR consisted almost entirely of rock music. In fact, we were that last generation to listen to the radio for new music. We are now being ignored completely in NYC, and it's stunning. Yes, we like the music we grew up with, but we do not shun new music. The "Radio" formats of Hartford (104.1), Philadelphia (104.5), and Boston (92.9) all do well in the ratings, and use a gold mixed with currents format. Why is this not being tried in NYC? Isn't Adults 25-34 a money demo??

 

[Barry]

Yes, Pandora is great, but you have to have a smartphone, and that costs money. There is ENTIRE generation New York radio is ignoring, the kids of the baby boomers, born in the late 70s and early 80s. We grew up listening to music in the 90s, grunge, etc., when Top 40 CHR consisted almost entirely of rock music. In fact, we were that last generation to listen to the radio for new music. We are now being ignored completely in NYC, and it's stunning. Yes, we like the music we grew up with, but we do not shun new music. The "Radio" formats of Hartford (104.1), Philadelphia (104.5), and Boston (92.9) all do well in the ratings, and use a gold mixed with currents format. Why is this not being tried in NYC? Isn't Adults 25-34 a money demo??

I think that Jack FM, when it was on a few years ago, played a wide range of interesting rock music from the 80's to currents. Too bad it was not placed on 92.3 FM, instead of 101.1, so that it would not have been controversial, and may have still been on the air.

 

[XCountry285]

The 90s bands are NOT classic rock. They're not that old. Even 60s music isn't classic or old yet. Why don't stations play music from the 1700's now that was a good time in music let me tell you

 

[badjef]

Sometimes, the product just isn't there.

The record companies have to promote what is available. It is a big risk to promote a song, or artist, that may or may not take off.

New = obscure = unknown.

Careers are made or broken by the public's preception of the song.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[mrbrightside]

Sometimes, the product just isn't there.

The record companies have to promote what is available. It is a big risk to promote a song, or artist, that may or may not take off.

New = obscure = unknown.

Careers are made or broken by the public's preception of the song.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

That is why the "Radio" formats play a lot of gold, mixed with some new music. The product is there, and this is the problem with radio.

 

[andreajesus]

No - it's the demographics, the demographics, the demographics - if Q104 (or ANY radio station) is trying to appeal 25-54 male (skewing even younger as I speak), they gotta mix in the "gold" tracks in order to maintain some semblance of the upper end of that demo, and they HAVE to do WHATEVER currents would appeal to the younger end of the demo.....

 

[WNTIRadio]

WFUV is a AAA station in NYC. Unfortunately, a lot of people have no idea it exists. They need a good marketing campaign.

If you're in Bergen, Rockland, Westchester, or Fairfield, you have 107.1 the Peak.

 

[XCountry285]

If you're in Morris, Passaic, or Essex you can get 105.5 DHA
Or if you're in Upper Northern Passaic you can get WRRV on 92.7/96.9 (96.9 surprisingly works better with no issues with Hot 97)
If you're in Northern Passaic/Morris you can get WNNJ-FM on 103.7 FM

 

[liradioisbad]

You can still hear rock on Q-104... just no songs newer than the year of that clip!

Actually, doesn't the current form of Q-104 play Green Day, who rose to fame in 1994? (If not now, I'm sure it won't be long, at any rate...)

They've played some 90's stuff ever since Bob Buchmann was program director a decade ago.

I kinda wish 94.7 would be the station that would flip to this type of format if it ever gets sold. I still think it's a disgrace NYC has no home for it. Then again, the rock market is extremely fractured now, and I've heard that record executives are doing a horrible job with rock acts.

It makes one wonder where future classic rock is gonna come from.

And as for WFUV, how do you market a non-commercial station?

 

[badjef]

Sometimes, the product just isn't there.

The record companies have to promote what is available. It is a big risk to promote a song, or artist, that may or may not take off.

New = obscure = unknown.

Careers are made or broken by the public's preception of the song.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

That is why the "Radio" formats play a lot of gold, mixed with some new music. The product is there, and this is the problem with radio.

No, there is not enough new "good" product. It is WHY it is mixed with the "tried and tested" older music. And that music, is mixed with the music, that is in "the public domain".

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

 

[mrbrightside]

Sometimes, the product just isn't there.

The record companies have to promote what is available. It is a big risk to promote a song, or artist, that may or may not take off.

New = obscure = unknown.

Careers are made or broken by the public's preception of the song.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

That is why the "Radio" formats play a lot of gold, mixed with some new music. The product is there, and this is the problem with radio.

No, there is not enough new "good" product. It is WHY it is mixed with the "tried and tested" older music. And that music, is mixed with the music, that is in "the public domain".

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

Not trying to pick a fight, and I realize rock is now fragmented. However mixing the new alternative rock with gold is a format that has worked in other cities.

 

[badjef]

Sometimes, the product just isn't there.

The record companies have to promote what is available. It is a big risk to promote a song, or artist, that may or may not take off.

New = obscure = unknown.

Careers are made or broken by the public's preception of the song.

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

That is why the "Radio" formats play a lot of gold, mixed with some new music. The product is there, and this is the problem with radio.

No, there is not enough new "good" product. It is WHY it is mixed with the "tried and tested" older music. And that music, is mixed with the music, that is in "the public domain".

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!

Not trying to pick a fight, and I realize rock is now fragmented.However mixing the new alternative rock with gold is a format that has worked in other cities.

You don't have to apologize, I love a good fight.

Mixing new with the old is what DOES work. It is done as a staple of formatics. It is a tried and true formula. It is just finding out what mixture works. "Oldies" stations used to play new music as "Future Gold". Imaging is what works to define to the average listener what you are trying to do.

Ie: If you do an 80/20 old/new songs, you were an oldies station.

If you were new/oldies you were a new station.

The ratio changes, but you get the idea. With further fracturing of the formats, some stations are stuck in a time capsule and then you have satellite...

Jeff in Sa-ra-so-ta!