They Have Given Up On Us
Yes, they have given up on us. By they, I mean free radio (who else would I mean?). The winter of 2005 brought the message of a harsh reality- big name stations were going to change their format from the norm to talk radio with brief intervals of music.
"Thee station"- 92.3 K Rock was probably the best rock station in the NY City area, filling the airwaves with a balance of modern mainstream to alternative to hard to classic rock, as well as adding in some talk radio which was always funny. This was "my station". I had heard the news on "The Booker Show" on my way home from school in December. The D.J. had said in a conversation that most big rock radio stations all across the country were changing formats over. As of January, 92.3 K Rock became 92.3 Free FM. I gave a listen to David Lee Roth (yes, the Van Halen singer) in the morning who replaced the irreplaceable Howard Stern. As I recall, it wasn't that bad. I turned it on another time after that one afternoon and realized that 92.3 needed to be deprogrammed off my favorites list. They had lost the music, especially when I was driving and needed the tunes. Now in the NJ area, there is only one good modern alternative station, G 106.3, and one good classic rock station, Q 104.3.
So this is how free radio is going to compete with their pricier competition in satellite radio. What the hell!? Call me crazy, but there is no competition. They have made it crystal clear- anyone who gives a shit about music, and doesn't like commercials, should switch to satellite radio. Then there are people like me, who can't afford satellite radio. My solution was a tape adapter for my iPod so I can have an indispensable amount of music at my fingertips. Unfortunately for some, new cars only have CD players, so they don't have this luxury, although CD's are better than nothing.
That day on "The Booker Show" he had said that "rock radio stations" were the ones changing the format. There was no mention of any other format, just rock (conspiracy?). What the hell!? The only formats that deserve to be on FM radio are rock, jazz, blues, classical, and I'll even put country (even though I can't stand it). All of these are music; it takes talent to compose and perform these pieces.
Free radio, rest in peace, unless you bring the music back.
"Thee station"- 92.3 K Rock was probably the best rock station in the NY City area, filling the airwaves with a balance of modern mainstream to alternative to hard to classic rock, as well as adding in some talk radio which was always funny. This was "my station". I had heard the news on "The Booker Show" on my way home from school in December. The D.J. had said in a conversation that most big rock radio stations all across the country were changing formats over. As of January, 92.3 K Rock became 92.3 Free FM. I gave a listen to David Lee Roth (yes, the Van Halen singer) in the morning who replaced the irreplaceable Howard Stern. As I recall, it wasn't that bad. I turned it on another time after that one afternoon and realized that 92.3 needed to be deprogrammed off my favorites list. They had lost the music, especially when I was driving and needed the tunes. Now in the NJ area, there is only one good modern alternative station, G 106.3, and one good classic rock station, Q 104.3.
So this is how free radio is going to compete with their pricier competition in satellite radio. What the hell!? Call me crazy, but there is no competition. They have made it crystal clear- anyone who gives a shit about music, and doesn't like commercials, should switch to satellite radio. Then there are people like me, who can't afford satellite radio. My solution was a tape adapter for my iPod so I can have an indispensable amount of music at my fingertips. Unfortunately for some, new cars only have CD players, so they don't have this luxury, although CD's are better than nothing.
That day on "The Booker Show" he had said that "rock radio stations" were the ones changing the format. There was no mention of any other format, just rock (conspiracy?). What the hell!? The only formats that deserve to be on FM radio are rock, jazz, blues, classical, and I'll even put country (even though I can't stand it). All of these are music; it takes talent to compose and perform these pieces.
Free radio, rest in peace, unless you bring the music back.
posted by Anonymous at 2/15/2006 09:27:00 PM
9 Comments:
Don't give up hope.
I live in a much smaller market and the format changes are quicker.
One station will change format and it causes kind of a cascade effect as the stations compete for market share and bucks. If there is a market vacuum created for a particular genera, someone will pick up the format after the next arbitron ratings.
warren:
K Rock was no small station, it was huge. it was the best overall rock station in the NY metro area. maybe Stern's going to sirius was the deathblow because it was when he was about to leave (late Nov-early Dec) that the new format was announced.
elijah:
actually my post about the payola scandal involving sony showed that rock was also involved in such payoffs.
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my problem is with people who give way too much credit to singers who can't write their own lyrics, can't play instruments, and in general have no talent. like i've said before- rap, pop, etc. are NOT music. unfortunately many people buy into that garbage and hence we have a million stations playing shit, not to mention american idol (and reality shows).
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on a side note- G 106.3 is about to celebrate its first birthday. congrats for sticking with NJ and i wish continued success and growth for the station. G 106.3 not only started up this past year, but also streams over the internet- not too shabby.
You're probably right about Stern leaving.
There was a local C&W station that had a DJ who was a local legend. He had been broadcasting as Tinny Hughes since the late 60s and although I couldn't stand the music, his schtick was hilarious. Even though it was an AM station (it was actually one of the very few stereo AM stations), it was always in the top tree in the arbitron ratings.
He had a heart attack and died in 1984 but the station continued for about three months playing his recorded shows as a "best of". The arbitron ratings dropped through the floor and the station never recovered. The station was sold to a bible thumper then it folded and was replaced with a talk radio station at a new frequency and with new call letters.
My point is, The station manager knows what market share each program has and Stern was probably "the" money maker.
i just dont listen to radio stations anymore. i find it a waste of time. in my area there is only two id listen to that maintain a kind of musical integrity, thats triple j and triple z. although id rather listen to my cds, music i know i like.
drummaster - i'd like to add john mayer to my list of shredders - or would he be considered a slowhand? you young people and your newfangled ways of hearing life! loving every moment of it!
nanc:
i will never understand john mayer. he writes and performs all these soft tracks, but i have seen him do some shredding on the 'chappelle show' and wondered "why the hell hasn't he been doing this?"
Nope..you can give up any hope. Free radio will forever be second rate. It's been sliding downhill slowly for at least the last decade but now with satellite radio it went over the precipice. Gone for good.
people, there are tons of great guitarists. stevie ray is great, zakk wylde is great, and there are a ton more who are also extremely talented shredders.
i chose my list of top three by tunes, accomplishments, time period, influence on others. if i had made a top ten, i would have added mostly the people we had already mentioned.
elijah:
the Young brothers collaborated a lot with the writing from what i have read.
Mutt Lange had actually felt that AC/DC would have made a perfect slow rock band (which they probably would have been), but they wouldn't hear of it and did what they wanted to do.
the SG is a classic guitar, but Angus' is even more awesome with the tail piece and a carving on the headstock. its a little top heavy though.
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