WCRB to flip to rock

[Eli Polonsky]

Eli...

Do you remember a program that aired on WCRB called Table at Pops? It aired weeknights (and possibly weekends) from 7-8pm and featured recordings by Arthur Fiedler & The Boston Pops Orchestra.

What you've described in your last post certainly sounds like TABLE AT POPS? The announcer of the program had a tendency to formalize everything The Boston Pops performed....from Bach to The Beatles! ;D

I remember "Table at Pops", but I don't remember if this was on that show. I seem to remember that it may have been later in the evening. They played the actual Beatles hit single, not the Pops covering it. After backannouncing, it was back to the usual classical music.

 

[inthewolf]

Ciao your vendetta against FNX is hilarious.

I just dont understand why so much vitrol against the station. Clearly you worked there at one point and they did you wrong.

Do you know how many times FNX played "Solsbury Hill" last week? The song that you constantly point to as the downfall of the radio station. Once! They played it once. KNRK, one of the highest rated alternative stations in the country, played it 3 times. WRFF in Philly (the new alternative there) played it 3 times. Even WBOS or Radio 929 played it 5 times.

FNX continues to be one the leading new music stations in the country. Just look at the playlist. Who else is playing Vampire Weekend (in power no less)? Muse? MGMT? Kooks? Flogging Molly? Airbourne Toxic Event? Ludo? Band of Horses? And these songs arent buried in the overnight. They are playing 14 times a week or more.

So to say they have abandonded their new music position is completely bogus. No other commercial station in the market is playing bands like this. Even on a national level you are looking at a handful of stations that are as edgy as WFNX. Move to Indianapolis or Tulsa or Memphis or even New York City for that matter and you won't find a station as aggressive on the new music front as FNX.

 

[mgpt6]

Why would 99.5 go rock? A clone of 106.3 the Frank from Nausha? What segmented of rock radio is not covered by Boston radio already?

 

[WBIMDJ]

Ciao your vendetta against FNX is hilarious.

I just dont understand why so much vitrol against the station. Clearly you worked there at one point and they did you wrong.

Do you know how many times FNX played "Solsbury Hill" last week? The song that you constantly point to as the downfall of the radio station. Once! They played it once. KNRK, one of the highest rated alternative stations in the country, played it 3 times. WRFF in Philly (the new alternative there) played it 3 times. Even WBOS or Radio 929 played it 5 times.

FNX continues to be one the leading new music stations in the country. Just look at the playlist. Who else is playing Vampire Weekend (in power no less)? Muse? MGMT? Kooks? Flogging Molly? Airbourne Toxic Event? Ludo? Band of Horses? And these songs arent buried in the overnight. They are playing 14 times a week or more.

So to say they have abandonded their new music position is completely bogus. No other commercial station in the market is playing bands like this. Even on a national level you are looking at a handful of stations that are as edgy as WFNX. Move to Indianapolis or Tulsa or Memphis or even New York City for that matter and you won't find a station as aggressive on the new music front as FNX.

Took the words right out of my mouth.

 

[Neanderpaul]

Songs (IMHO) WFNX has no business playing:

Peter Gabriel - Red Rain...Gabriel has never been an alternative artist. Prog Rock is not Alternative. Were that the case, 'FNX should play King Crimson and Yes. Or, at least new Prog Rock like Porcupine Tree.

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - I Love Rock n' Roll...really? This is an Alternative song?

Goo Goo Dolls - Name...Need I explain?

TRex - 20th Century Boy...what the hell?

Cars - You Might Think...Not this track. Perhaps some stuff off the 1st 3 CDs make sense. But..this was WHTT "Hit Rock Radio" terrain.

Queen/Bowie - Under Pressure...Not Alternative. Bowie yes. Queen? never!

Cheap Trick - I Want You To Want Me...not even a lunchtime flashback show should have Cheap Trick on an Alternative station.

David Essex - Rock On...WHY?????



These songs played today. And are but a few that I believe taint the credibility of any Alternative station. A few more that cause eyebrows to raise would be:

Drive by the Cars
Sledgehammer by Gabriel
Bang A Gong - by TRex

There are the occasional "cume songs" that just (again just my opinion) fail to serve the brand. They're not cool. They're not Alternative. They're confusing. To me, as confusing as KISS 108 playing Metallica. Or Oldies 103 playing Collective Soul "Shine."

But...as they say...everyone's a PD. I am not privvy to the research, or market studies that I'm sure have been done.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

But...as they say...everyone's a PD. I am not privvy to the research, or market studies that I'm sure have been done.

Yes, those selections smell of the work of a consultant to me. An out-of-town AAA type of consultant who is not familiar with the market, or the stations longtime image within it.

But, I may be wrong. Maybe it's all being done in house, I really don't know. Maybe they're trying to fill the AAA-rock niche that WBOS' recent change opened up.

 

[inthewolf]

All the songs that Neanderpaul said were played either in the overnight or in leftover lunch. FNX from 1am to 4am is bananas and plays all the leftover lunch songs.

Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer is likely the only one that played in a regular daypart.

 

[Neanderpaul]

All the songs that Neanderpaul said were played either in the overnight or in leftover lunch. FNX from 1am to 4am is bananas and plays all the leftover lunch songs.

Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer is likely the only one that played in a regular daypart.

Time of day doesn't matter. That's tantamount to saying I only run redlights when nobody's looking. It's still wrong.

If I'm forced to pick out time of day to make my point, I certainly will. But, it's obvious that these songs are (IMHO) not at all conducive to proper branding, and will absolutely confuse anyone listening to any alleged "Alternative" station. Day, or night.

But for the sake of argument...here you go:

Slade - *** On Feel The Noize 12n....I don't care what special feature you're running. You want to play a "leftover lunch" segment on an "Alternative" station? Play The Specials, or New York Dolls, or The Damned...Dead Kennedys...You know Alternative leftovers.

Peter Gabriel - In Your Eyes 11:30 AM Sharing a song that WMJX plays? Really? An Alternative station shouldn't share any titles with Magic. Honestly. The song is 22 years old. Even if you were 13 when it came out and listening to WFNX, you'd be 35 now and out of the target demo.

This horse is dead. Again...my opinion. This is the inevitable result of narrowcasting. You end up painted into a corner. And if you try to expand your playlist, you often taint the original brand. Alternative in Boston on WFNX should never include "Young Americans" or T Rex.

...ever.

Leftover lunch? Try some Bruce Cockburn from 1986 instead of Peter Gabriel. Or, perhaps Robyn Hitchcock, or Billy Bragg, Joy Division, or any of a variety of "leftovers" that WFNX actually played 20 years ago.

One man's opinion. And I'm comfortable with it.

 

[freqlost]

That's tantamount to saying I only run redlights when nobody's looking. It's still wrong.

Thanks for that!
I will try to change my ways,might be too late though.

If I'm forced to pick out time of day to make my point, I certainly will. But, it's obvious that these songs are (IMHO) not at all conducive to proper branding, and will absolutely confuse anyone listening to any alleged "Alternative" station. Day, or night.

But for the sake of argument...here you go:

Slade - *** On Feel The Noize 12n....I don't care what special feature you're running. You want to play a "leftover lunch" segment on an "Alternative" station? Play The Specials, or New York Dolls, or The Damned...Dead Kennedys...You know Alternative leftovers.

Peter Gabriel - In Your Eyes 11:30 AM Sharing a song that WMJX plays? Really? An Alternative station shouldn't share any titles with Magic. Honestly. The song is 22 years old. Even if you were 13 when it came out and listening to WFNX, you'd be 35 now and out of the target demo.

This horse is dead. Again...my opinion. This is the inevitable result of narrowcasting. You end up painted into a corner. And if you try to expand your playlist, you often taint the original brand. Alternative in Boston on WFNX should never include "Young Americans" or T Rex.

...ever.

Leftover lunch? Try some Bruce Cockburn from 1986 instead of Peter Gabriel. Or, perhaps Robyn Hitchcock, or Billy Bragg, Joy Division, or any of a variety of "leftovers" that WFNX actually played 20 years ago.

One man's opinion. And I'm comfortable with it.

I think WFNX is playing a twisted version of VH1s Big 80s,not what they actually played back then.
This is a problem for all stations though,not just WFNX.
On WAAF I heard Marley a few weeks ago,Why?
I should here Rush or Halen or whatever instead.
Mike plays Rush.

 

[radioguy02038]

i think they should flip to something else other then classical crap boston needs variety in the area

 

[Eli Polonsky]

i think they should flip to something else other then classical crap boston needs variety in the area

So, just because you think classical is "crap", you think they shouldn't be the ONLY commercial classical station in the market?

We have about a half-dozen rock stations, and you want to shut off the only full-time classical for "variety". That's not pro-variety, that's anti-variety.

 

[argytunes]

Eli...

I'm 100% in agreement with you on this. Tired...trite...and tedious is what Boston (and many other markets) have become when it comes to programming. You can only listen to 'an oldie' so many times?

It doesn't matter if the song a station is playing is 'an alternative oldie, a 'classic oldie', a familiar oldie, or a sometime played ALBUM CUT! If a listener doesn't like it...he or she will go to another source to find something more interesting?

I think this is one reason I'll go for an alternative listening source.....like a favorite CD, cassette tape, or (believe it or not) an LP! Simply because I can access the type(s) of music I want to hear immediately! This includes classical. [I'm actually listening to some film score material as I'm writing this].

2 THUMBS UP FOR YOUR VIEWPOINT AND FOR VOICING YOUR OPINION ABOUT RADIO IN GENERAL!

argytunes

 

[MarcB]

Normally here in Central Connecticut I can't pick up any Boston FM stations, but yesterday afternoon I heard a station on 99.5 FM playing some sort of rock music mixing in with WCRB's Classical Music. Any idea who that might have been?

 

[WBIMDJ]

Normally here in Central Connecticut I can't pick up any Boston FM stations, but yesterday afternoon I heard a station on 99.5 FM playing some sort of rock music mixing in with WCRB's Classical Music. Any idea who that might have been?

Maybe bleed over from 99.1 WPLR? Are you close to New Haven?

 

[MarcB]

Maybe bleed over from 99.1 WPLR? Are you close to New Haven?

I thought that too and checked it and it wasn't. BTW today WCRB is coming in almost crystal clear and in stereo on my car radio. And so is MIX 98.5. MIX is crystal clear in stereo except for a few occasional blips from Long Island's La Fiesta, which is the station I normally get on 98.5.

 

[WBIMDJ]

All the songs that Neanderpaul said were played either in the overnight or in leftover lunch. FNX from 1am to 4am is bananas and plays all the leftover lunch songs.

Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer is likely the only one that played in a regular daypart.

Time of day doesn't matter. That's tantamount to saying I only run redlights when nobody's looking. It's still wrong.

If I'm forced to pick out time of day to make my point, I certainly will. But, it's obvious that these songs are (IMHO) not at all conducive to proper branding, and will absolutely confuse anyone listening to any alleged "Alternative" station. Day, or night.

But for the sake of argument...here you go:

Slade - *** On Feel The Noize 12n....I don't care what special feature you're running. You want to play a "leftover lunch" segment on an "Alternative" station? Play The Specials, or New York Dolls, or The Damned...Dead Kennedys...You know Alternative leftovers.

Peter Gabriel - In Your Eyes 11:30 AM Sharing a song that WMJX plays? Really? An Alternative station shouldn't share any titles with Magic. Honestly. The song is 22 years old. Even if you were 13 when it came out and listening to WFNX, you'd be 35 now and out of the target demo.

This horse is dead. Again...my opinion. This is the inevitable result of narrowcasting. You end up painted into a corner. And if you try to expand your playlist, you often taint the original brand. Alternative in Boston on WFNX should never include "Young Americans" or T Rex.

...ever.

Leftover lunch? Try some Bruce Cockburn from 1986 instead of Peter Gabriel. Or, perhaps Robyn Hitchcock, or Billy Bragg, Joy Division, or any of a variety of "leftovers" that WFNX actually played 20 years ago.

One man's opinion. And I'm comfortable with it.

Your opinion, albeit is yours, I don't agree with at all. 'FNX is FAR from dead. Honestly, do you listen while you are out there in Kansas or whatever you live now? They give lots of airtime to newer bands like Death Cab For Cutie, Vampire Weekend, MGMT, Hot Chip etc. while other "modern rock" or "alternative" stations around the country are playing crap like Puddle of Mudd and Seether. They are still very popular and have a very devoted following to which they are very loyal.
Honestly, I don't know why you guys constantly bring up or pick out 2 or 3 songs they may play on their Leftover Lunch or some random time of day as innappropriate for the playlist. I could argue with you about what IS and ISNT alternative with you til I'm blue in the face, but I think we can agree that 99% of the stuff 'FNX plays is TRUE alternative. (Btw, Peter Gabriel hasn't been prog rock since about the mid 70's when he left Genesis. But thats neither here nor there) As far as Leftover Lunch goes, DJ Julie Kramer seems to have a good amount of freedom with the stuff she plays. She does pick a couple of weird ones every now and then, but hey WOW what a concept the DJ actually gets to PICK the music and make things INTERESTING. Keyword INTERESTING something missing a lot in radio nowadays. It sucks when most other stations have a 200 or less song playlist they are told to adhere to from some corporate office in San Antonio. But then again with that taking place at most stations today I could see someone freaking out if they DO hear a song that's also played on 106.7. Keep in mind, who probably played that record first? I believe 'FNX was playing In Your Eyes or Sledgehammer in 1986 long before any AC or Top 40 got a hold of it. For another example, does this mean that R&B stations should stop playing new hit "Apologize" because it's played on Magic also? Didn't think so.

 

[12 In a Row]

Eli...

I'm 100% in agreement with you on this. Tired...trite...and tedious is what Boston (and many other markets) have become when it comes to programming. You can only listen to 'an oldie' so many times?

It doesn't matter if the song a station is playing is 'an alternative oldie, a 'classic oldie', a familiar oldie, or a sometime played ALBUM CUT! If a listener doesn't like it...he or she will go to another source to find something more interesting?

I think this is one reason I'll go for an alternative listening source.....like a favorite CD, cassette tape, or (believe it or not) an LP! Simply because I can access the type(s) of music I want to hear immediately! This includes classical. [I'm actually listening to some film score material as I'm writing this].

2 THUMBS UP FOR YOUR VIEWPOINT AND FOR VOICING YOUR OPINION ABOUT RADIO IN GENERAL!

argytunes

Sounds like a mp3 player to me.

 

[Eli Polonsky]

Normally here in Central Connecticut I can't pick up any Boston FM stations, but yesterday afternoon I heard a station on 99.5 FM playing some sort of rock music mixing in with WCRB's Classical Music. Any idea who that might have been?

The closest possibilities to central CT on 99.5 are probably WBAI New York City, NY or WRVE Schenectady, NY, but sometimes "troppo" might bring in something even farther away.

 

[DG02816]

And to radioguy02038,

WHAT do you mean by variety? Another knuckle- dragging active rocker? A snooty 200 tune-playlist alt-rocker? Personally, I'd rather 99.5 stay classical. It rwepesents an actual choice on the dial!

 

[WVCAfan]

i think they should flip to something else other then classical crap boston needs variety in the area

Radio guy 02038 you are absolutely right. I've taken all my classical cd's and the little artwork I own and burned them in a huge bonfire. I printed a "I Hate Art" bumpersticker for my car. Thank you, thank you.