WXPN Says: "Why Rock?"

[DToTheJ]

WXPN has laid off a half-dozen people, including operations manager Josh Landow, and with that, the station has also cut their "Y-Rock On XPN" feature.

Landow had helped develop "Y-Rock" along with Jim McGuinn, former PD of the now-defunct Y-100 (which the "Y-Rock" format was based on); McGuinn is now with Minnesota Public Radio.

"Y-Rock" can still be heard on WXPN's HD-2 channel, as well as an Internet stream on their website.

Full story:
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/magazine/20100610_Inqlings__Alt-rock_show_cut_on_WXPN.html

More coverage:
http://citypaper.net/blogs/criticalmass/2010/06/09/major-bummer-y100-off-the-airwaves-at-wxpn/

 

[wprt949]

put some of the old yrock djs on 104.5

 

[DonTheTrucker]

This is sad, but not really surprising. I don't think that the Y-Rock music fits into the average XPN listener's tastes.

 

[evolve991]

Why Rock? Because 88.5,88.7,90.5,99.7 and 104.9 in the Lehigh Valley won't be on my presets anymore. Unless I buy an Ibiquitious radio. A good bit of the music played on Y-Rock is also played on XPN and has been since WPLY was in Media. Listener Supported Radio is taking a hit in this economy.

 

[MikefromDelaware]

I don't listen to WXPN, but as it is a college station, my guess is, they are a non-comm listener supported station as is WRTI. That's three listener supported radio stations for Philly, that I know of (WXPN, WHYY-FM, and WRTI - we in Delaware also have U of Del's WVUD). That's a lot of listen supported radio for one city, plus Philly also has Channel 12 and Channel 35. With this bad economy, charitable giving (both religious and secular) will be down. Even WHYY-TV and FM has had cuts due to less giving. In the real world, in industry, if sales of your companies product drops, people get laid off, thus the large unemployment numbers of over 9%. Unlike the Federal government, companies, both commercial and non-comms both in radio and industry have to balance their budgets, they don't get to run a deficit like Uncle Sam gets to do. The Inquirer article said due to the poor economy (meaning giving is down) they had to cut those employees. It is unfortunate, but it fits with what's going on with the rest of our society right now. If you have a job, be it in radio or elsewhere, be grateful for it and do a good job, because there are thousands in line for your job.

 

[geostudent]

I wonder if they considered prior to laying people off turning off HD Radio to save money. They're paying iBiquity THOUSANDS of dollars in fees each year to run it. Seems like an unnecessary luxury given their financial woes. The funds saved by not paying iBiquity could have been the salary of at least one of the ones just let go.

Turning it off would mean that they would lose Y-Rock on HD2, but now that it's gone from their main signal I would bet that going forward most Y-Rock listeners will get the programming from the online stream and not the HD2 anyway.

 

[MikefromDelaware]

As with any business, people are the most expensive part, so when cuts need to be made, people get cut. Those left behind have more work to do, but they at least still have a job. Cutting back on HD probably would seem like a step backward for a radio station. Most businesses don't go backward either, they cut people.

 

[DonTheTrucker]

I don't listen to WXPN, but as it is a college station, my guess is, they are a non-comm listener supported station as is WRTI.

XPN is a college station in name only. The staff are all professionals. Penn communications students work the AM station, WQHS.

And the average XPN listener isn't into rock music like Y-Rock plays. Sad really. There should be a home for new rock.

 

[nd2023]

HD is a step backward.

 

[JimmyJames]

"And the average XPN listener isn't into rock music like Y-Rock plays. Sad really. There should be a home for new rock."

I'd say the average XPN listener likes a lot of the music played on Y-Rock. Moreso than they probably liked any phase of Y100.

 

[Dick Skinner]

HD is a step backward.

Agreed, Nick. What a boondoggle!

 

[evolve991]

I hate to admit it since I'm not a fan of HD or the sneaky way its being shoved down our throats but Y-Rock is a much better station than Y100 was. Commercial FM just had too many constraints and the current incarnation is a true alternative to anything on FM. I suspect someone in DC,maybe some guy named Jerry,is paying attention to Y-Rocks playlist and diversity and applying it to "HFS" on 94.7 WIADs HD2 channel ...or maybe not...but its becoming more than its former self(s) also.