WOBM and WCHR: Disasterous books

[SoulCrusher]

Both of these stations dropped substantially in the 12+. I personally would chalk it up to these stations being the unfortunate victims of format overkill. It may be a little early to jump to conclusions, but let's be honest: There's too many stations with these formats that are audible in Monmouth/Ocean, so I think Millennium would be smart to go in a different direction with these stations.</P>

WOBM claims to be "Ocean County's Hometown Station", but it has been noted that their coverage on some news stories has been lackluster. And their music? The most boring, safe soft rock around. There's a handful of formats this market can use: Adult Standards, Smooth Jazz, Urban, and Alternative (that is, Alternative that includes the stuff that G Rock doesn't play: Tool, Marilyn Manson, Rage Against The Machine, Disturbed, Korn, System Of A Down, and has a deeper library). Any of these stations would at least equal WOBM as far as ratings are concerned. But the most imprtant factor is this: How well does WOBM bill?</P>

As for WCHR: There is just no excuse for a flamethrower signal like this to post such weak ratings. People seem to be flocking to the classic rockers in the big markets instead. Here's an idea: How about becoming an Active Rocker instead? Ditch the hair metal and the Journey and Styx, and embrace some of the edgier rock out there - no one is playing any of these bands here, so it makes plenty of sense. Play enough classic rock to retain the current listeners, while reaching out to the ignored demographics by playing newer rock. Again, if billing for WCHR isn't up to Millennium's expectations, this should be a no-brainer. Thoughts? Ideas? Comments?</P>

 

[BobAltimari]

> Both of these stations dropped substantially in the 12+. I
> personally would chalk it up to these stations being the
> unfortunate victims of format overkill. It may be a little
> early to jump to conclusions, but let's be honest: There's
> too many stations with these formats that are audible in
> Monmouth/Ocean, so I think Millennium would be smart to go
> in a different direction with these stations.


> WOBM claims to
> be "Ocean County's Hometown Station", but it has been noted
> that their coverage on some news stories has been
> lackluster. And their music? The most boring, safe soft
> rock around. There's a handful of formats this market can
> use: Adult Standards, Smooth Jazz, Urban, and Alternative
> (that is, Alternative that includes the stuff that G Rock
> doesn't play: Tool, Marilyn Manson, Rage Against The
> Machine, Disturbed, Korn, System Of A Down, and has a deeper
> library). Any of these stations would at least equal WOBM
> as far as ratings are concerned. But the most imprtant
> factor is this: How well does WOBM bill?

But, isn't the whole gimmick of an AC to play the safe stuff and be the "at-work radio station"? And, it seems, JLK is more of a Hot AC. From where I sit, their competition consists of WJLK and The Breeze.

G Rock might be the wave of alternative for the forseeable future. Sure, it's safe and sounds more Modern AC-ish....but that's the only way alt.rock radio will exist in this day and age. There was a mantra bestowed upon me by a former boss "just play the hits", which is what G does.

> As for WCHR: There
> is just no excuse for a flamethrower signal like this to
> post such weak ratings. People seem to be flocking to the
> classic rockers in the big markets instead. Here's an idea:
> How about becoming an Active Rocker instead? Ditch the hair
> metal and the Journey and Styx, and embrace some of the
> edgier rock out there - no one is playing any of these bands
> here, so it makes plenty of sense. Play enough classic rock
> to retain the current listeners, while reaching out to the
> ignored demographics by playing newer rock. Again, if
> billing for WCHR isn't up to Millennium's expectations, this
> should be a no-brainer. Thoughts? Ideas? Comments?
>

How well do stations like Q104, WMGK and The Shark get into M/OC? Maybe even 97.5 the Hawk? Classic Rock is going to become the oldies of the new millenium. Consolidation has led to a high burn rate.

And, trust me, it PAINS me to say rock isn't viable in 2006, for the most part. There is no new product coming out and, rather than keep the thing afloat for the next Pearl Jam/Nirvana/etc to come around, these stations and their older counterparts classic rock suffer. It seems modern day radio programmers have decided that the radio bands should pander to the lowest common denominator (no industry surprise there), so, everything will become a form of safe music spun in tight rotations or hot talk, hip hop, rhythmic CHR...and those who like rock are probably more affluent, so they can afford things like satellite radio, where rock continues to thrive. <P ID="signature">______________
I've done it all...HOO HOO...tell 'em, Fred!
FOX News Alert: YOU SUCK!!! Ya like apples?</P>

 

[KC2GVX]

WOBM: A Snoozefest!

No comment on WCHR, since it isn't my type of music. But, I do have a little insight to the WOBM snooze-fest. I work at a bank in Toms River, we use a receiver to play FM radio over the whole branch through speakers in the ceiling. We used to have on WOBM, and it was boring. Elton John, Celiene Dion, and Billy Joel over and over again. The music was so bad and predictible, you knew what they were going to play every day. Then I went in the attic, worked the antenna, and we play The Breeze now. All the people in the branch enjoy it more, and even the customers noticed. Just something about WOBM-FM that sounds boring and sleepy.<P ID="signature">______________
Dave from Toms River</P>

 

[hubcity]

> G Rock might be the wave of alternative for the forseeable
> future. Sure, it's safe and sounds more Modern AC-ish....but
> that's the only way alt.rock radio will exist in this day
> and age. There was a mantra bestowed upon me by a former
> boss "just play the hits", which is what G does.

There's no reason for me to begrudge G their success - they're a very good rock station.

Let me repeat that, augmented slightly: a very good contemporary rock station. Very good indeed.

But - and this is my biggest issue with alternative rock radio at the moment - there's nothing about what they do that could reasonably be called alternative.

So what is it about that word that makes them cling to it?

-Sean
Altrok Radio at http://www.altrokradio.com
Playing When Posted: New Order, "Blue Monday"

 

[JerseyShor]

WCHR-FM is *THE* most powerful FM station in the market, with 13,000 watts from 460 feet up on a VERY open frequency, 105.7 should be Top 5.

105.7 is getting beat by 3,000 watt WJRZ which fights with TWO full power Class B stations on 100.3!

Even out of market WAXQ which SAYS ON THE AIR that it is "NEW YORK's Classic Rock Station" beat WCHR-FM! That's sad!

 

[semiclassical]

WCHR

I actually Love WCHR very much, but it is the AM one [WCHR-AM 1040, Flemington, NJ]. Oh sure it is Religious but then again sometimes that is extremely important to people [ yes I are one of those] as we do this journey thing on Earth.

> Both of these stations dropped substantially in the 12+. I
> personally would chalk it up to these stations being the
> unfortunate victims of format overkill. It may be a little
> early to jump to conclusions, but let's be honest: There's
> too many stations with these formats that are audible in
> Monmouth/Ocean, so I think Millennium would be smart to go
> in a different direction with these stations.WOBM claims to
> be "Ocean County's Hometown Station", but it has been noted
> that their coverage on some news stories has been
> lackluster. And their music? The most boring, safe soft
> rock around. There's a handful of formats this market can
> use: Adult Standards, Smooth Jazz, Urban, and Alternative
> (that is, Alternative that includes the stuff that G Rock
> doesn't play: Tool, Marilyn Manson, Rage Against The
> Machine, Disturbed, Korn, System Of A Down, and has a deeper
> library). Any of these stations would at least equal WOBM
> as far as ratings are concerned. But the most imprtant
> factor is this: How well does WOBM bill? As for WCHR: There
> is just no excuse for a flamethrower signal like this to
> post such weak ratings. People seem to be flocking to the
> classic rockers in the big markets instead. Here's an idea:
> How about becoming an Active Rocker instead? Ditch the hair
> metal and the Journey and Styx, and embrace some of the
> edgier rock out there - no one is playing any of these bands
> here, so it makes plenty of sense. Play enough classic rock
> to retain the current listeners, while reaching out to the
> ignored demographics by playing newer rock. Again, if
> billing for WCHR isn't up to Millennium's expectations, this
> should be a no-brainer. Thoughts? Ideas? Comments?
>

 

[Radio411]

> WCHR-FM is *THE* most powerful FM station in the market,
> with 13,000 watts from 460 feet up on a VERY open frequency,
> 105.7 should be Top 5.
>
> 105.7 is getting beat by 3,000 watt WJRZ which fights with
> TWO full power Class B stations on 100.3!
>
> Even out of market WAXQ which SAYS ON THE AIR that it is
> "NEW YORK's Classic Rock Station" beat WCHR-FM! That's sad!
>


I would have to agree! In North Jersey we have a rather similar station to WCHR but it is always refreshing to hear 105.7 and their presentation of Classic Rock. As another poster had previously mentioned I would have thought that the fact that they are MORE bold than WTHK in terms of playlists, would have worked so much more in their favor but I guess not. What I DO know is that there is INDEED an "Over Saturation" of Classic Rock in the Central and South Jersey areas between the "Locals" and Philly stations. Kinda makes The Rat look that much worse that out-of-market WMMR is doing better in the Market!

Let me just say in Closing..."MMR DOES Rock!!"

 

[SoulCrusher]

WOBM, G Rock Radio, WCHR, and the Alternative format

> > WOBM claims to
> > be "Ocean County's Hometown Station", but it has been
> noted
> > that their coverage on some news stories has been
> > lackluster. And their music? The most boring, safe soft
> > rock around. There's a handful of formats this market can
>
> > use: Adult Standards, Smooth Jazz, Urban, and Alternative
> > (that is, Alternative that includes the stuff that G Rock
> > doesn't play: Tool, Marilyn Manson, Rage Against The
> > Machine, Disturbed, Korn, System Of A Down, and has a
> deeper
> > library). Any of these stations would at least equal WOBM
>
> > as far as ratings are concerned. But the most imprtant
> > factor is this: How well does WOBM bill?
>
> But, isn't the whole gimmick of an AC to play the safe stuff
> and be the "at-work radio station"? And, it seems, JLK is
> more of a Hot AC. From where I sit, their competition
> consists of WJLK and The Breeze.


Sure, but WOBM boast about being unique in their IDs that mention "a mix...custom made for Ocean County" - which, oddly enough, sounds like every other soft rock station in the country. And when the out-of-market stations are beating you at your own game (and quite handily, I might add), it's time to abandon ship and try something different.</P>
> G Rock might be the wave of alternative for the forseeable
> future. Sure, it's safe and sounds more Modern AC-ish....but
> that's the only way alt.rock radio will exist in this day
> and age. There was a mantra bestowed upon me by a former
> boss "just play the hits", which is what G does.


This is perhaps true, but it can't be denied that System Of A Down's "B.Y.O.B." and Mudvayne's "Happy?" were rather popular Modern Rock hits in 2005 - songs that G Rock, of course, didn't touch, because they were too busy playing Eve 6, Stroke 9, Republica or some other irrelevant one hit wonder. While still hit-intensive, I credit G with playing a very strong amount of currents right now, with the occasional pleasant surprise (they played "Alex Chilton" by The Replacements the other night) - that puts them a few steps beyond the standard issue Infinity or Clear Channel Modern Rocker right there IMO. I do think that at some point, they should try to reach the real Alternative fans (as in, those of us that loved FM 106.3) by playing fewer hits and some edgier and deeper tracks from their excellent library (which I know still exists thanks to the Retro Rocktober Weekend) now that they've established themselves as one of the top ratings performers in the market after two books. Seriously: If we wanted to hear meathead-rockers like 3 Doors Down and Nickelback and candy-cane-licking pop/rock acts like Fall Out Boy and Blink 182, there's other options out there - I think few would miss them if their air time was reduced, or eliminated completely.</P>
> How well do stations like Q104, WMGK and The Shark get into
> M/OC? Maybe even 97.5 the Hawk? Classic Rock is going to
> become the oldies of the new millenium. Consolidation has
> led to a high burn rate.


Seems to me that 97.5 The Hawk and Q104 cover the northern part of the market quite well, MGK has the south, and 103.7 The Shark is audible pretty much everywhere (I for one find its lack of a showing in the Mon/Oc books to be puzzling). It's format overkill, which can be chalked up to the changing musical climate or the FCC allowing media conglomerates to own more stations, but what can you do. Millennium must have something to gain by staying the course - the station must bill okay, which is enough to keep it afloat. But speaking from a ratings viewpoint, this station is as big of a disappointment as JACK-FM in NYC.</P>
> And, trust me, it PAINS me to say rock isn't viable in 2006,
> for the most part. There is no new product coming out and,
> rather than keep the thing afloat for the next Pearl
> Jam/Nirvana/etc to come around, these stations and their
> older counterparts classic rock suffer. It seems modern day
> radio programmers have decided that the radio bands should
> pander to the lowest common denominator (no industry
> surprise there), so, everything will become a form of safe
> music spun in tight rotations or hot talk, hip hop, rhythmic
> CHR...and those who like rock are probably more affluent, so
> they can afford things like satellite radio, where rock
> continues to thrive.


Blame it on the record labels and all of the mergers (for major distribution channels, we're down to only 4 companies!). Everyone is looking for a quick fix, and that is why we are stuck with such dreck like the tone-deaf Ashlee Simpson, the sugary bubblegum power-pop of The Click Five and Simple Plan, the shallow knucklehead rock of Nickelback and 3 Doors Down, and hip-pop act Black Eyed Peas singing about "lovely lady lumps". Is there a band that can bring rock back to prominence? Five years ago it looked like At The Drive In had that potential, but the band imploded before it could happen, splintering off into two very good, albeit less commercially viable bands (Sparta and The Mars Volta). If I had to pick a band for 2006, I would say that Living Things have a good chance at taking the world by storm with their blistering energy, thought-provoking lyrics - and oh yeah, the songs are catchy without being too overtly poppy. What works against them is that they aren't the most original band in the world (but the same could be said for Nirvana - after all, everyone knows that "Smells Like Teen Spirit" was derived from "More Than A Feeling") and that they are signed to the Jive label, home to many pitiful bubblegum pop acts. Here's hoping that it happens, or that some other deserving band gets its shot, because the whole concept of "just play the hits" may lead to the eventual demise of the Alternative format. That was the way every CBS/Infinity modern rocker operated - rather than give the listeners what they wanted, they decided to battle satellite radio with Free-FM

 

[SoulCrusher]

Re: WOBM: A Snoozefest! / The Breeze

> No comment on WCHR, since it isn't my type of music. But, I
> do have a little insight to the WOBM snooze-fest. I work at
> a bank in Toms River, we use a receiver to play FM radio
> over the whole branch through speakers in the ceiling. We
> used to have on WOBM, and it was boring. Elton John,
> Celiene Dion, and Billy Joel over and over again. The music
> was so bad and predictible, you knew what they were going to
> play every day. Then I went in the attic, worked the
> antenna, and we play The Breeze now. All the people in the
> branch enjoy it more, and even the customers noticed. Just
> something about WOBM-FM that sounds boring and sleepy.
>


I think what was holding The Breeze back was the fact that they were using a satellite format initially. Going live and local is what has worked wonders for them. Musically they're head and shoulders above WOBM and WFPG, with plenty of songs that most ACs don't touch. At first I was a little disappointed that they didn't go in the Adult Standards direction that the "unforgettable favorites" tagline hinted at, but they have succeeded by improving on a formula that had become stale. I'm sure they probably pull in their best ratings during the evening/night shift - who the heck wants to hear that treacly, saccharine, maudlin Delilah show on all of the other AC stations? Whoever doesn't become nauseous at the mere mention of that show must have a very strong stomach.</P>

 

[Slinky]

Re: WOBM, G Rock Radio, WCHR, and the Alternative format

> This is perhaps true, but it can't be denied that System Of
> A Down's "B.Y.O.B." and Mudvayne's "Happy?" were rather
> popular Modern Rock hits in 2005 - songs that G Rock, of
> course, didn't touch, because they were too busy playing Eve
> 6, Stroke 9, Republica or some other irrelevant one hit
> wonder.

Yes, SOAD and Mudvayne did well on the Alternative chart, but let's look at how the Alternative chart reporters are doing: For the most part, not well. If I'm an Alternative PD, why would I want to follow a bunch of other stations that are failing? It's similar to how the CHR chart was in the early-mid 90's.

There's one common thread between all the rock stations that are doing well right now and that's that they're accessible. They play the hits and eliminate the songs, like SOAD and Mudvayne, that are an instant tuneout for older and female audiences during the daytime. (G-Rock does play SOAD at night.) G-Rock is far from alone in this. In Philadelphia, MMR has added Coldplay, Weezer, and the Killers, while ignoring SOAD. In Washington, DC101 has added back old Goo Goo Dolls hits, while limiting their currents to less than 20 songs.

Playing "extreme rock" doesn't work anymore; it was too narrow a niche. Every successful rock station is trying to broaden its appeal, by adding songs with more appeal to older and female audiences, while limiting the hard stuff.

There are still quite a few stations that are heavy on Disturbed, Mudvayne, and the like, stations like WXDX/Pittsburgh, WEDG/Buffalo, and WHRL/Albany. I'll leave it as an exercise to the reader to go check how those stations are doing in the Arbitrons, and what kind of listeners those stations get (hint: lots of male teens). In your area, stations like WYSP and WJSE are playing the music you're suggesting, and they're not doing well with it. You might just want to grab yourself an XM, tune to channel 48, and rip the knob off, because terrestrial radio isn't going to swing back towards nu-metal for a long time.

Plus, I think you're not giving the G-Rock crew enough credit for breaking music. It may not be the music you want, but they've taken chances on up-and-coming artists that do appeal to their audience, artists like the Living Things, Matisyahu, and She Wants Revenge.

 

[hubcity]

Re: WOBM, G Rock Radio, WCHR, and the Alternative format

> While still hit-intensive, I credit G with playing
> a very strong amount of currents right now, with the
> occasional pleasant surprise (they played "Alex Chilton" by
> The Replacements the other night) - that puts them a few
> steps beyond the standard issue Infinity or Clear Channel
> Modern Rocker right there IMO.

Shock! If one were to nominate FM106.3 signature tunes, that'd be a top runner, and it amazes me that Alternative radio has allowed itself to forget The Replacements.

> I do think that at some
> point, they should try to reach the real Alternative fans
> (as in, those of us that loved FM 106.3) by playing fewer
> hits and some edgier and deeper tracks from their excellent
> library (which I know still exists thanks to the Retro
> Rocktober Weekend) now that they've established themselves
> as one of the top ratings performers in the market after two
> books.

Why should they? They'll only lose us the moment 3 Doors Down come back on. What they're doing is working, and my best advice to them would be to keep at it. It's actually listenable on occasion (though hearing a good song is still a shock, rather than an indicator of reliability.)

They *do* have the library, though. They don't know what to do with it, but they've got it. (Frankly, I'd commit unspeakable acts to get my hands on it.)

-Sean
Altrok Radio at http://www.altrokradio.com
Playing When Posted: Dogs Die In Hot Cars, "Pastimes And Lifestyles"

 

[lance]

Do you even read the replies that people write when you constantly write the same thing over and over again and each time people explain why not?

Funny how you forget to mention the stellar numbers that WRAT put up.<P ID="signature">______________
</P>

 

[weekendjock]

> Both of these stations dropped substantially in the 12+. I
> personally would chalk it up to these stations being the
> unfortunate victims of format overkill. It may be a little
> early to jump to conclusions, but let's be honest: There's
> too many stations with these formats that are audible in
> Monmouth/Ocean, so I think Millennium would be smart to go
> in a different direction with these stations.WOBM claims to
> be "Ocean County's Hometown Station", but it has been noted
> that their coverage on some news stories has been
> lackluster. And their music? The most boring, safe soft
> rock around. There's a handful of formats this market can
> use: Adult Standards, Smooth Jazz, Urban, and Alternative
> (that is, Alternative that includes the stuff that G Rock
> doesn't play: Tool, Marilyn Manson, Rage Against The
> Machine, Disturbed, Korn, System Of A Down, and has a deeper
> library). Any of these stations would at least equal WOBM
> as far as ratings are concerned. But the most imprtant
> factor is this: How well does WOBM bill? As for WCHR: There
> is just no excuse for a flamethrower signal like this to
> post such weak ratings. People seem to be flocking to the
> classic rockers in the big markets instead. Here's an idea:
> How about becoming an Active Rocker instead? Ditch the hair
> metal and the Journey and Styx, and embrace some of the
> edgier rock out there - no one is playing any of these bands
> here, so it makes plenty of sense. Play enough classic rock
> to retain the current listeners, while reaching out to the
> ignored demographics by playing newer rock. Again, if
> billing for WCHR isn't up to Millennium's expectations, this
> should be a no-brainer. Thoughts? Ideas? Comments?
>
Wobm-fm suffers from many things mostly lame personalities,but this is a result of the on air talent not being able to be themsleves. As far as the hawk,well what can u say,dr phil is a good program mgr,but again he does not have alot of talent to work with. Millennium refuses to hire real personalities,they reward lame disc jockies like lou russo and others with very very high salaries,leaving very little in the budget to cultivate and develope raw talent.
this is why sirrus and xm are going to be big hits with the listener base in monmouth-ocean!!!!!!

 

[SoulCrusher]

> Do you even read the replies that people write when you
> constantly write the same thing over and over again and each
> time people explain why not?
>
> Funny how you forget to mention the stellar numbers that
> WRAT put up.
>


Well, come on, Lance, when is the last time WRAT has put up ratings higher than a 3 share? It's been a while, hasn't it? That said, they could be performing better, but let's keep in mind the very modest signal they have to work with. For one, I think they should expand the playlist and embrace music a little edgier in response to the steady ratings decline, but will it happen? My guess is that Greater media would sooner drop the format and start from scratch. Which would be unfortunate, given the lack of options for male radio listeners in Mon/Oc.</P>

 

[SoulCrusher]

Re: WOBM, G Rock Radio, WCHR, and the Alternative format

> > This is perhaps true, but it can't be denied that System
> Of
> > A Down's "B.Y.O.B." and Mudvayne's "Happy?" were rather
> > popular Modern Rock hits in 2005 - songs that G Rock, of
> > course, didn't touch, because they were too busy playing
> Eve
> > 6, Stroke 9, Republica or some other irrelevant one hit
> > wonder.
>
> Yes, SOAD and Mudvayne did well on the Alternative chart,
> but let's look at how the Alternative chart reporters are
> doing: For the most part, not well. If I'm an Alternative
> PD, why would I want to follow a bunch of other stations
> that are failing? It's similar to how the CHR chart was in
> the early-mid 90's.
>
> There's one common thread between all the rock stations that
> are doing well right now and that's that they're accessible.
> They play the hits and eliminate the songs, like SOAD and
> Mudvayne, that are an instant tuneout for older and female
> audiences during the daytime. (G-Rock does play SOAD at
> night.) G-Rock is far from alone in this. In Philadelphia,
> MMR has added Coldplay, Weezer, and the Killers, while
> ignoring SOAD. In Washington, DC101 has added back old Goo
> Goo Dolls hits, while limiting their currents to less than
> 20 songs.
>
> Playing "extreme rock" doesn't work anymore; it was too
> narrow a niche. Every successful rock station is trying to
> broaden its appeal, by adding songs with more appeal to
> older and female audiences, while limiting the hard stuff.
>
> There are still quite a few stations that are heavy on
> Disturbed, Mudvayne, and the like, stations like
> WXDX/Pittsburgh, WEDG/Buffalo, and WHRL/Albany. I'll leave
> it as an exercise to the reader to go check how those
> stations are doing in the Arbitrons, and what kind of
> listeners those stations get (hint: lots of male teens). In
> your area, stations like WYSP and WJSE are playing the music
> you're suggesting, and they're not doing well with it. You
> might just want to grab yourself an XM, tune to channel 48,
> and rip the knob off, because terrestrial radio isn't going
> to swing back towards nu-metal for a long time.
>
> Plus, I think you're not giving the G-Rock crew enough
> credit for breaking music. It may not be the music you
> want, but they've taken chances on up-and-coming artists
> that do appeal to their audience, artists like the Living
> Things, Matisyahu, and She Wants Revenge.
>



Credit is definitely due, no doubt about that. G Rock Radio has improved by leaps and bounds when it comes to their selection of currents - this is true. And that's probably because they don't have shallow infantile bands like Nickelback and 3 Doors Down hogging up all the top spots on their playlist right now (alas, there's still Fall Out Boy and Weezer's weak new material ... a whole chorus strung together from a bunch of whoa-ohs - that's so amazing ... but that's another rant). The one area that I would really like to see G Rock Radio improve at is with their library. I think everyone who listened to the Retro Rocktober weekend and FM 106.3 knows that they have a vast music catalog, and I know for a fact that they are not taking full advantage of it. You know how it's been said that humans only use a small percentage of their brains? I would estimate that G Rock Radio uses about 5 to 10% of its music catalog, instead pounding the same tired hits by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, Blink 182, Pearl Jam (only the first three albums, mind you), Nirvana (only Nevermind and Unplugged), and even bands the format has forgotten or barely played, like No Doubt, Tonic, and neo-classic rockers, the friggin' Black Crowes (?)! They loosen up just a little bit after 7 PM, but the change isn't all that drastic - maybe 1 in every 5 or 6 songs will be something that isn't played during the day. When it comes to their catalog, they're safe and hit-intensive to the point that it turns some listeners off. Now Indie 103.1 and WFNX - these are stations that have a much broader playlist and are more exciting for fans of the Alternative format. Yes, you can argue that these station aren't doing huge ratings, but you have to consider the competition in those cases - of which G Rock Radio has none, as their "The Only Alternative" tagline proclaims.</P>

On a related note, not only is G Rock Radio safe in their artist selections, but they're safe with song selections as well. 9 out of 10 times, if they play a Soundgarden song, it's going to be "Black Hole Sun". What, do you think listeners are going to run away screaming if you played "Outshined", "Blow Up The Outside World", or "Spoonman"? Ditto for Radiohead, with "Creep". This is the band that Coldplay owes their success to, and it stuns me that they get such infrequent airtime. And don't even get me started with how Depeche Mode and Morrissey get such limited play, because G Rock's too busy playing mentally challenged ape rockers like Puddle Of Mudd or acts like Fall Out Boy that are better suited for play at a child's birthday party.</P>

Forgive me. I'm a "glass is half-empty" person. I tend to see the negative before the positive. Criticisms aside, it's good to have a commercial Alternative station in the Monmouth/Ocean market. Of course, there's nothing to satisfy our hunger for edgier rock, becuase we don't get WJSE here, WYSP is now something like "50% Talk, 40% Sports, and 10% Rock - much of it softer, I might add", and WRAT is surprisingly not all that edgy either - they've yet to add a few tracks in the Active Rock Top 20 (Thousand Foot Krutch, Sevendust) and they ignore bands like Slipknot and Static-X in favor of a lot of the blues-based classic rock that other stations are playing, which IMO has led to their decline in ratings. There was a time where I said that I probably would not bother checking out satellite radio, but as time goes on, it begins to look all the more attractive - not having to please advertisers gives them the ability to offer something for everyone, and in a market like this where options are limited, I also see XM and Sirius gaining popularity in this area.</P>