• 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

Worst sounding audio ever award goes to 98.7

M

MarkW

Does NO ONE in the building realize how pathetically awful the audio on 98.7's FM signal sounds?

Compression is outrageously over the top, with a narrow range of treble frequencies pushed to the max. Dynamic range is pretty much non-existent. The sound settings make for an extremely fatiguing listening experience.

My speakers are pretty neutral; they are neither bright nor warm biased. I can only imagine how indescribably bad 98.7 sounds on innately bright speakers (such as Klipsch).

In the car, on OEM Bose speakers, the result is exactly the same as on my AV receiver. The audio settings 98.7 is using are so hideous I cannot stand to listen for more than 1 song.

This is a recent issue. There have been stretches where 98.7's audio sounds bad, but I cannot recall it ever sounding this bad. The listening experience is equally dismal regardless of whether one listens in analog or HD.

In stark contrast, the audio settings of the relaunched 89X are virtually perfect. Sound stage effect is outstanding and dynamic range sounds natural.

I will say Alt 98.7's stream has gentler and more tolerable audio than the FM signal.
 
Just returned to town, and it sounds quite a bit better today versus the past several days, with the HD signal in particular sounding a LOT better.

The settings, at least for the moment, are dialed in well!

Perhaps someone at Audacy saw my complaints.
 
@MarkW Speaking of 98.7 FM, one can only wonder... How long will the alternative rock music format remain at WDZH now that CIMX 88.7 FM has reverted back to alternative rock after the country music format failed???
 
Last edited:
Well, 98.7 does have a much better signal in Metro Detroit than 88.7. It all will boil down to (a) how much share 89X siphons from 98.7 or (b) how badly Audacy wants WWJ to simulcast on analog FM.

89X was removed from most U.S. listeners' presets ages ago. In many cases, the station became an afterthought by about 2015. What had been a 3.5 share radio station until 2013 (with far higher shares in some demos) became a 1.5 share radio station by 2015.

Although zero marketing effort is being made on the U.S. side of the border, the rebirth of 89X received a TON of mainstream media attention. Both major daily papers, at least 3 TV news outlets, and even Michigan Public Radio all reported on it. Channel 7 did an extensive news story on it.

The only other radio stories in my 25 years here that have received this much attention is when Dick Purtan retired, when 89X was tossed to the curb in November 2020, when WJR lost Tigers and Red Wings broadcast rights (2001), when WRIF decided to replace Drew & Mike (their morning show at WRIF ended in spring 2013, I believe), and when Jim Harper left WNIC to join upstart Magic 105.1 (2002, I think).

Even the demise of WDRQ, the demise of W4 Country at 106.7, the demise of 98.7 Amp Radio & launch of 98.7 The Breeze, and the launch of 105.1 The Bounce didn't receive this much publicity from local media.
 
Bad time for 98.7 to be challenged, audio wise.

WWJ still garners decent ratings. I'm skeptical that a move to FM would improve that. Agree that the future of ALT will depend on how much they lose with the return of 89X. I think its status quo for the rest of 2025.
 


Back
Top Bottom