WOULD GEN-X RADIO WORK IN ATLANTA ?

[gregg75]

This new Gen-X format which seems to be a mix of 80's to present seems to be the "IT" format right now. I haven't followed it that closely, but I think it would be well suited for the Atlanta market. Gen-X stations seem to be breaking all over the country right now.

Such a station would draw listeners away from B-98, Q100, WiLD FM and even a few others. Low on the totem pole WBZY and WNNX would be good flips for this format. It seems to be only a matter of time before this reaches Atlanta.

Gen-X marks a return to what was really TOP-40 in it's heyday (a little bit of everything for everybody).
Even B-98 would be a good flip, as whatever they're doing right now is not going to last forever. That's doubtful, but should another station come forward, B-98 may wish that they had gotten on the boat first.

 

[atlantaboy]

I'd love it, just cause most stations here are so "tight" with their recurrents/gold tracks - there are some songs from the 90s/2000s that you can hear all the time, and others you almost never hear - I doubt B98.5 would ever do it, cause that would leave ATL without an AC, which I think is unheard of in any market - I personally think Rock 100.5 is a useless station (you can hear almost everything they play on other stations)- I'd love it if that one flipped

 

[mike7586]

I think that format would be perfect for Star94.

 

[jabba17]

Cumulus could try it on [email protected].

 

[RTibbs]

Cumulus could try it on [email protected].

I think [email protected](kind of growing on me) is basically a version of this but strictly rock although they probably pick up around 92 instead of the 80's but you can still get a retro one in there somwewhere.

 

[jabba17]

Cumulus could try it on [email protected].

I think [email protected](kind of growing on me) is basically a version of this but strictly rock although they probably pick up around 92 instead of the 80's but you can still get a retro one in there somwewhere.

If 99X made an honest attempt to include 80s alt (outside of a retro show), I would listen to them or at least keep them as a preset. But they dumped all the 80s alt about a year or two after flipping from Power 99. With radio's infatuation with all things alternative, I have never understood why 80s alt never got the traction 90s alt did. It certainly made its mark on college radio.

That's my concern about most of these "GenX" stations--they assume that GenXers heard radio for the first time in 1991. Is this format really an "all-90s" format in disguise?

It's scary when Atlanta's home for 80s alt is...B98.5, an AC station. Then again, I have often wondered if B98.5 is Cox's way to sneak a little bit of their "Point" format onto the dial in ATL.

 

[gregg75]

The few playlists I checked on the internet were a mix of everything (dance, pop, alternative, rock) which seems to be the format's appeal. I think some stations do skew into a certain direction or genre, but all rock & alternative, I don't that is what the format has in mind.

 

[atlantaboy]

Cumulus could try it on [email protected].

The whole reason 99X was brought back (on 97.9) was because of constant pressure on Cumulus from mobs of local Alternative fans - they may not have high ratings, but they have die-hard listeners - and flipping it to include dance, pop, and hip-hop is not gonna happen

 

[gregg75]

I wouldn't be so sure. WBTS had much higher ratings and we all know what happened to it.

 

[Wildstyle K]

Well the WBTS thing... I will admit... was a smart move, because look at where their ratings are headed so far...
I'm sure WBTS doesn't care about this second part here, but it also did give WWVA a chance to go a different direction.

I truly believe WWVA is and will be a better rhythmic than WBTS in terms of rhythmic sound, and I'm glad the WWVA / WBTS / WSB thing happened because it did cause all three stations to change things up a little bit.

 

[monkeymanmoi]

If 99X made an honest attempt to include 80s alt (outside of a retro show), I would listen to them or at least keep them as a preset. But they dumped all the 80s alt about a year or two after flipping from Power 99. With radio's infatuation with all things alternative, I have never understood why 80s alt never got the traction 90s alt did. It certainly made its mark on college radio.

That's my concern about most of these "GenX" stations--they assume that GenXers heard radio for the first time in 1991. Is this format really an "all-90s" format in disguise?

It's scary when Atlanta's home for 80s alt is...B98.5, an AC station. Then again, I have often wondered if B98.5 is Cox's way to sneak a little bit of their "Point" format onto the dial in ATL.

Totally agree. I personally hate a good deal of popular 90's alt-rock. I really think the popular end of 80's alternative is much more interesting. You had the goofy fun of new wave in the early 80's, REM jangle rock, New Order synth-rock, Stonesy punk with The Replacements and harder sounds with bands like Husker Du. Really, most of what the 90's had to offer was influenced by the decade before (as well as the 70's). Of course, the total crap part of 90's alternative was influenced by Pearl Jam. I'll admit that I never cared much for Pearl Jam (way too freakin' serious), but they are light years better than the bands they influenced. Anyway, I pretty much change the radio when DaveFM or 99X goes for some of that weak 90's fare. Hell, I'd rather hear what came out in the 00's over the 90's. I'm only talking about radio play. I have tons of great 90's music on my iPod (Air, Teenage Fanclub, Kirsty MacColl, PJ Harvey, etc.)

 

[Wildstyle K]

What I'd like to know is would a format like KBIG or KMXP work in Atl?
I'm not exactly sure how to describe it or what to call it, so to get the best example, take a look for yourselves:
http://www.yes.com/#KPKX?chart (Scroll down to see ALLLL the music & don't just judge by the first few songs that you first see..)

Would that style alone fill in a hole for both the gen-x and a modern Peach 94.9 sound?

 

[atlantaboy]

What I'd like to know is would a format like KMXP work in Atl?

KMXP is a Hot AC/Alternative hybrid - I think Star 94 kinda tried it last year, or started to, and it didn't work (ratings kept going down) - I really liked it while it lasted though ;D

 

[Wildstyle K]

I MEANT KPKX!!!!

KPKX & KBIG

When I logged out, I did have a feeling I put KMXP by mistake, but for some reason I doubted it and didn't come back to correct it. It also didn't help that I was up all night and went to sleep after I posted that, so I wasn't exactly thinking clearly.. but at least I got my link right!

 

[agentUrge]

Didn't CC try this in 2004/2005? The Max, i think it was called....then they had the talk format with Scott Ferral in the afternoon...

I could see 99x trying this...maybe going 50/50 with the Alt 80's and 90's...but I think they'd still need to toss in some relevant contemporary alternative...maybe current stuff from those retro artists. Though, it would be interesting to see 99x go back to the beginning and hijack the tracks that are played on college radio right now...mixed in with the previously mentioned genres.

 

[kal30005]

Didn't CC try this in 2004/2005? The Max, i think it was called...

The problem, as I saw it, with the Max is that the only thing they played were the TOTALLY burned out hits of the 80s that B98.5 still plays. Basically the River of MTV top 40. If they had expanded the playlist to include a little more alternative and even disco, I think they could have been much more successful.

 

[jabba17]

Didn't CC try this in 2004/2005? The Max, i think it was called...

The problem, as I saw it, with the Max is that the only thing they played were the TOTALLY burned out hits of the 80s that B98.5 still plays. Basically the River of MTV top 40. If they had expanded the playlist to include a little more alternative and even disco, I think they could have been much more successful.

CC showed how NOT to do an all-80s format. The playlist was super-tight. I agree, it was more "River" than "True Oldies" in terms of the size and freshening of the playlist. You can only hear "Come On Eileen", "Mickey", and "Goody Two Shoes" so many times in a row. Add "Never Gonna Give You Up" and you could have had Rick Roll Radio.

Cox's "Point" format is a lot better as far as all- (or mostly-)80s formats go... but is starting to give way to a GenXy 80s-90s format in some markets.