• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Winter I trends - GSP

Alternative rock is typically an 18-34 format, I believe, so when 99X in Atlanta signed on (1992) the oldest GenX listener was 28 and the youngest was 13 (LOL)...shockingly, Gen X has aged out of that demographic after this year. The way time flies is astounding. I have to agree with awp69 that it's just been carried on after all of these years. I think if it had much negativity, it would have been dropped or would no longer be used.

Gen X Radio was tried (with quite deep libraries) and did pretty poorly. Most that stuck around morphed in to Chuck-FM type Variety formats or Hot AC formats, which can also target Gen X audiences but cater to a little wider variety.
 
carolinaradio said:
shockingly, Gen X has aged out of that demographic after this year.
Click to expand...

Damn you make me feel old and I aged out of that demographic 10 years ago! But I still like my alternative.... :)
 
That's why I am not particularly fond of demographics, and wish radio didn't focus so much on them. IMO, you are never too old or young for any kind of format.

I actually think Alternative fans would be more likely to stick with the format even outside of the demo than listeners of other formats. It doesn't seem as easily "outgrown" as formats like CHR can be.
 
and that is why there are stations that focus on what you like when you want to hear it. i like a lot of different styles and eras of music and i know which stations play them. one station cant play them all. when i walk into target i am not there to buy a car.
 
So,...quietly, I listened to the (alleged) Philisofical sales gal (or was it just the tight skirt?) spill to the owner of the business about MY 102's new audience...Women! He let her spill-on, as I purruzed his merchandise (or for him, maybe it was the tight skirt?). Sheeesh, I thought sales Weezels/Weezel-ettes were full of it years ago. Wooosh, they couldn't hold a candle to these yarn spinners. If he bought a flight, she was promising him the world. So, in dee-section of what I was over-hearing, MY is happy with their Female numbers,...shun the 12+. However, I just don't know...cuz I'm not prevy to any of the breakdowns. Anyone know the skinny on that?
Also, can anyone confirm that rumor that the GM, himself, said that..."The station just sounds Awful", sighting mainly Zach & Marne. I'm searchin' for the truth here,...no crap!
 
Scooter Lesley said:
So,...quietly, I listened to the (alleged) Philisofical sales gal (or was it just the tight skirt?) spill to the owner of the business about MY 102's new audience...Women! He let her spill-on, as I purruzed his merchandise (or for him, maybe it was the tight skirt?). Sheeesh, I thought sales Weezels/Weezel-ettes were full of it years ago. Wooosh, they couldn't hold a candle to these yarn spinners. If he bought a flight, she was promising him the world. So, in dee-section of what I was over-hearing, MY is happy with their Female numbers,...shun the 12+. However, I just don't know...cuz I'm not prevy to any of the breakdowns. Anyone know the skinny on that?
Also, can anyone confirm that rumor that the GM, himself, said that..."The station just sounds Awful", sighting mainly Zach & Marne. I'm searchin' for the truth here,...no crap!
Click to expand...

I'd like to know the truth there MYself (see what I did there?). Anyway, it is true that most of us here, at least those that comment on the numbers, don't know the story in individual demographics that may be why some stations survive longer than we think they would be. Despite being "fresh", IMO, MY hasn't done a very good job lately in keeping up. Even if they're pretty much completely Hot AC now, the music they play is almost identical to what they played late last year with very little new material added (yes, there's some, but not enough from what I've heard). I don't listen to them as much as I once did though, so I can't be too judgemental. The times I've heard Zach & Marnie, it also doesn't seem they've improved much either. And if they still don't have good chemistry for a morning show by now, they probably never will.
 
Of course they're going to say they're happy with it if they're going to try to sell advertising. If the parent company isn't "happy" with the numbers, how can they expect anybody to buy advertising on it?

We know one thing...they keep losing share, and I find it hard to believe they are continuing to post consistently strong numbers in the target demographic while the station's overall market share continues to fall. They are undoubtedly better in the target, I'd think, but I would think those numbers are falling also.
 
Thought you, carolinaradio, would especially appreciate some of the changes I've been hearing on X98.5. Heard Dave Matthews Band and Love & Rockets this morning and will be curious to see what else they add.

I just hope they spread things out. Even with the last batch of '90s alternative, they played it for a few hours using the same exact songs. Then went back to their regular mix (mainly new music with grunge in between). That was incredibly annoying -- not only to hear a limited selection of other '90s alt, but to then hear grunge between the new music the other 80% (or more) of the day.
 
^^ Just to add to that they do seem to be spreading them out, which is great. I don't think they need to get rid of grunge all together (even if I don't like it). I just want a freakin' break from it and so far they seem to be doing just that.

R.E.M. was played a while ago and now am listening to another Dave Matthews Band tune ("Ants Marching", different from the earlier, "Crush"). So if they stick with mixing things up like this and keep up with the new music as they have been, I won't complain.

Two thumbs up!
 
Yes, as I had Ranted before, it is only natural, and Ear-pealing to want a Deep, Wide playlist, regardless of the format. Too much repetition,
too much repetition,...I said too much repetition, eventually perpells anyone, and everyone to punch the preset buttons. Everyone's taste is different, I'm OK with "Love & Rockets", but can't stand any DMB.
To me, having to listen to that would be like someone holding a gun on me, making me play Twister with MarkSC, and Chaz Bono. So, let me ask this: If I'm so wrong about "Thick" playlist, then why is X98.5 "Thickening" theirs?
 
Scooter Lesley said:
DMB. To me, having to listen to that would be like someone holding a gun on me, making me play Twister with MarkSC, and Chaz Bono.
Click to expand...

But would you rather hear DMB than Pearl Jam 20 times a day?

I agree. There's always going to be a band (or two or three) that someone's not going to like on ANY format. But X98.5's "thickening" of the playlist is sorely needed when you've got The Planet playing nothing but grunge and thrashing rock. It'll never be 2000 songs thick, but just a wider range keeps people listening -- at least IMO.
 
I am very, very pleased indeed! This is the kind of stuff I had been suggesting also. R.E.M. and DMB (especially R.E.M.) are staples and deserve airplay. I hope they continue to mix in more of this kind of stuff, and perhaps some of the one or two-hit wonders. 90s Alternative music was fantastic, spare most of the grunge, and it's kind of disappointing to see how it's been banished from so many stations these days.

BTW, I'm always surprised that "Lightning Crashes" by Live remains a staple on so many Alternative playlists vs. so many other songs from that time period, much like "No Rain" by Blind Melon. I heard it earlier (followed by "Let The Bodies Hit The Floor", yuck). It's a decent track, but its longevity is somewhat surprising.

I like DMB, and love "Crash Into Me." "Ants Marching" is a great one also. I'd take them over any grunge or even a lot of new stuff out these days.
 
carolinaradio said:
BTW, I'm always surprised that "Lightning Crashes" by Live remains a staple on so many Alternative playlists vs. so many other songs from that time period, much like "No Rain" by Blind Melon.  I heard it earlier (followed by "Let The Bodies Hit The Floor", yuck).  It's a decent track, but its longevity is somewhat surprising.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I don't understand that either (and MY even plays both of those songs). I used to like Live, but it's kind of the same feeling I have about grunge. It didn't hold up well and was played to death for so many years that even if I liked it back in the '90s, I'm no longer a fan of it. There's a lot of other '90s alternative that does hold up better when played against newer music.

And I still don't understand why X plays "Let the Bodies Hit The Floor". That and the one Kid Rock song they play. Both are pure Active rock head banging garbage IMO and it stands out like a sore thumb.

They've played some interesting new stuff today by bands I've never heard. Serena Ryder's "Stompa" reminds me a little of a grittier Adele. But Adele was played on alternative before she got big. I don't have a problem with "Stompa". I like variety and I actually liked Adele somewhat before she got WAYYY overplayed.
 
Know this will probably jinx things, but amazing to listen and not hear a SINGLE grunge song in two hours (now, I'll probably hear 10 over the next two hours).

I know grunge won't go away and I don't expect it to, but it is a nice change. Not a huge volume of '90s tunes but things like Sonic Youth and Garbage are nice additions (particularly interesting to hear the former since they were critically acclaimed but I wouldn't say were ever huge commercially). Playing DMB maybe a bit too heavily, but much prefer it over grunge. And it's probably a big plus for them since DMB was very popular in the South.

EDIT: And, there she goes as I was writing this, Smashing Pumpkins.  ;D
 
I agree with Landecker. I'm not suggesting that X-98.5 play stuff that's off the wall and dig way back in the vaults. However, I don't think it's dangerous to diversify the playlist somewhat like so many other stations in the Alternative format across the country do. I realize they're a Cox station, so they're going to have an exceptionally tight playlist as long as they own them, but expanding to play some more a wider spectrum of big hits from the 90s isn't a bad thing.

It's interesting that some of the 90s stuff they have rolled out recently has been kind of forgotten-type stuff. I still think Radio 104.5 in Philadelphia has the absolute best balance of Alternative there is. Brilliantly programmed. They are one of the "lightest" Alt. stations I've ever heard (hence the Blues Traveler, U2, etc. type stuff). I remember them being very early on Adele, but I don't think they play her anymore since she has become so popular. It's interesting they would add "Stompa" as it is from last year and isn't even on the chart anymore. Maybe it was a hit before they came on the air? I haven't heard that song "Hero" in a while. I know it wasn't very Alternative-friendly, maybe, but I REALLY liked that song and wanted to see it do well somewhere.
 
carolinaradio said:
I haven't heard that song "Hero" in a while. I know it wasn't very Alternative-friendly, maybe, but I REALLY liked that song and wanted to see it do well somewhere.
Click to expand...

I hear them play it last night while I was out running an errand so they haven't completely abandoned it.
 
carolinaradio said:
It's interesting they would add "Stompa" as it is from last year and isn't even on the chart anymore.  Maybe it was a hit before they came on the air?
Click to expand...

I just heard "Stompa" again and was curious about it because they keep announcing it as "new music". It actually was a big hit on Alternative stations in Canada last year, but apparently was never released in the U.S. Read on another board that it was released to AAA and Alternative stations March 4th so I guess it is "new" for U.S. stations. Definately has some similarities to Adele IMO and since she has since vanished from Alternative, I have a feeling "Stompa" will do better on Adult Alternative than straight Alternative stations. I kind of like it, but I kind of liked Adele before she crossed to CHR and hit it big (still think Adele is talented, just grew tired of hearing her). I can easily see CHR picking this song up as well.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom