X103.9 Finally Passes Away

[AZOOTEN]

When I first moved to phoenix in 2004 I really enjoyed 103.9 "The Edge"
from then till now, they have went downhill, it was as if they had a disease, that slowly progressed till they passed away as of thursday.
Having Dave Pratt on 103.9 didn,t help at all. I don,t mind classic rock, BUT not on my favorite Modern Rock station.
I tuned in 103.9 to hear new artists, like "Foster The people, Coldplay, The killers, death cab for cutie and stuff of that nature, but 103.9 was turning away from the new stuff more and more.
I remember listening to Chuck and Vince everymorning and really enjoyed there "Last Character Standing" got a bunch of those still on MP3.
Dave Pratt is NOT funny at all and his taste of music well is "Tasteless" So I would tune him out, basically the only thing left on terrestial radio for me is KWSS 106.7, when I can pick them up and KCDX 103.1 for classic rock and I guess the only place for new stuff is going to have to be 101.5 Jamz for the dancey pop new stuff.
Yep, that,s what Im stuck with when Im in my company work truck, THANK GOD, I have Satellite Radio in My personal Car, where I will NEVER have to listen to terrestial radio again.
Phoenix Radio YUCK!

 

[Robctas]

Not being from the USA but listening from Australia, I've had The Edge in my favourites folder since they moved from the 106 frequency.
I listened every now & then and thought they had a big presence in Phoenix especially when they were in competition with The Zone, but what's happened since then??

Can you explain the gradual "decline" for me of this once great station?

 

[Saladressing]

Can you explain the gradual "decline" for me of this once great station?

While some feel the decline started when they switched from 106.3, and maybe it did, the decline may have started around, oh, maybe '03 or '04 or so when they stopped talking over ramps, added tons of classic alt in, dropped all punk, female artists, etc. and dropped their edgy presentation in favor of the "bland" presentation pioneered (and still run to this day where it sounds good) by FM 94/9. At the time stations all over the country were adopting this approach and The Edge followed suit. I believe there were periods of time over the last 9 years where the skapunk show, the local show, etc. were added, dropped, added back. Another show that was very popular and was dropped for some reason was the 'all request lunch' which really did seem to be an all request lunch show.

Then over time they began to add the punk rock back and generally get some swag back into the music selections. There was a very short period in 2009 where the station became extremely eclectic which pleased hardcore music fans. Before and after that however, the playlist was a nonstop barrage of 90s and other classic alt. tracks with the occasional new song thrown in. More or less the same exact music was played over and over for years on end as though it was a classic rock station. The presentation of the station had minimal excitement and it sounded like it was way over-consulted. So yeah I would agree with the sentiments of the first poster; in an odd way, it's better that the station was "put out of its misery" rather than continue to sound the way it had for the last several years, just a slight glimmer of what it once was.

 

[Robctas]

Can you explain the gradual "decline" for me of this once great station?

More or less the same exact music was played over and over for years on end as though it was a classic rock station. The presentation of the station had minimal excitement and it sounded like it was way over-consulted.

Thanks - sound about right to me. Over the last few days when I was listening it seemed the rotates were so tight. I mean RHCP every 2 hours & the same Muse song over & over??
Great shame!

 

[DJ_Perry]

While some feel the decline started when they switched from 106.3, and maybe it did,

It was when they lost Stern, which was the same as losing 106.3 (as 103.9 was unable to have the feed)

 

[radioresearcher]

Can you explain the gradual "decline" for me of this once great station?

While some feel the decline started when they switched from 106.3, and maybe it did, the decline may have started around, oh, maybe '03 or '04 or so when they stopped talking over ramps, added tons of classic alt in, dropped all punk, female artists, etc. and dropped their edgy presentation in favor of the "bland" presentation pioneered (and still run to this day where it sounds good) by FM 94/9. At the time stations all over the country were adopting this approach and The Edge followed suit. I believe there were periods of time over the last 9 years where the skapunk show, the local show, etc. were added, dropped, added back. Another show that was very popular and was dropped for some reason was the 'all request lunch' which really did seem to be an all request lunch show.

Then over time they began to add the punk rock back and generally get some swag back into the music selections. There was a very short period in 2009 where the station became extremely eclectic which pleased hardcore music fans. Before and after that however, the playlist was a nonstop barrage of 90s and other classic alt. tracks with the occasional new song thrown in. More or less the same exact music was played over and over for years on end as though it was a classic rock station. The presentation of the station had minimal excitement and it sounded like it was way over-consulted. So yeah I would agree with the sentiments of the first poster; in an odd way, it's better that the station was "put out of its misery" rather than continue to sound the way it had for the last several years, just a slight glimmer of what it once was.

The hardcore music period (May-December 2009) was something the station never recovered from. It drove so much cume off, it was never able to come back. If you want to pinpoint the destruction of Alternative music there - it was that FM 103-9 debacle.