CC Rants On Removing Rock Stations...

[PassDutch]

1. KFJO San Francisco (Market #4)
They wouldn't have dumped the San Francisco simulcast of former active rocker KSJO/San Jose to make room for KABL-AM to flip to Air America, but standards wouldn't have ended up FM. At least KFRC-AM or Bonneville KOIT-AM woulda flipped to Air America by now. BTW, San Francisco had 6 rockers (KITS, KFOG, KSAN, KCNL, KFFG, KFJO), and now they dump their only hard rock station, just after San Jose's active rocker is history.
2. KEGL Dallas (Market #5)
Last year, former active rocker KEGL was sent to the bin, since they didn't do too well in the ratings, but they made an abrupt flip to a Jack-type AC format as Sunny 97.1, as a clone of CC's Sunny 104.5 in Philly.
3. KLOL Houston (Market #7)
CC wouldn't have started a SPANISH STATION THERE! They flipped to America's original HURBAN! Houston used to have 6 Spanish stations before KLOL's flip, NOW THEY'VE GOT SEVEN! 92.1 woulda flipped to hurban, BTW. 6 Spanish stations are ENOUGH! They were HOUSTON's only hard rock station! Cumulus filled the void 2-3 months later on a rimshot signal.
4. WZTA Miami (Market #12, a dedication to Toronto alternative station CFNY "102.1 The Edge")
What a mistake! Is CC out of its MIND THERE?!! WZTA, despite being the lowest-rated FM in Miami was MIAMI'S ONLY CURRENT BASED ROCK STATION, as an ACTIVE ROCKER. They woulda flipped either 103-5 The Beat or Y100.7 to hurban. If Y100.7 flipped to hurban, Beasley woulda shifted Power 96 from a hiphop format to a CHR format! The best choice was 103.5 flipping instead of 94.9. If 105.9 flipped to Spanish instead, WZTA woulda become a mainstream rocker, or put an "Eagle" classic hits station on 97.3, replacing the AC "Coast" format. Or maybe Infinity woulda sent WPB's "Sunny" format to 106.3 replacing urban oldies and a Spanish station launching on 104.3, aimed at MIAMI! They only had 5 SPANISH FMers. Since many thought of WZTA's flip to Spanish, here were the rules!

A) Cox woulda dumped AC WFLC, since Miami had no hot AC station!
B) They only had 2 ACs -- WFLC & WLYF. 'LYF is the top AC station in the area. 'LYF's music is softer than 'FLC is.
C) They wouldn't have canned "Party" on 93.1, since dance was niche. If that were to be right, "Party" had flipped to active rock, so 97.3 could make room for adult hits in Miami.
D) Maybe the hurban "Mega" format could move to 103.5, and launch a hot AC on 94.9.
E) After Zeta's flip to Spanish, adult hits, active rock & hot AC were Miami's missing holes.

And 102.1 The Edge in Toronto did a tribute to Miami rock station 94-9 Zeta. There'd have been a Zeta rally in both Miami & Toronto today. 94-9 Zeta used to be alternative from 2002-May '04, after 97X in Cincinnati rebranded and tweaked its alternative format to become X97-7. After a year of being X97-7, it's been Jacked.
5. WTBT Tampa (Market #21)
Tampa had 3 classic rockers (the CC-owned WTBT, and Cox's WHPT and co-owned classic hits WXGL). They woulda flipped to Spanish, but instead, THEY FLIPPED to COUNTRY, seeing that Infinity or CC putting Spanish was becoming more of a downfall. It was so nice to remove Thunder from the airwaves in Tampa, just like when Detroit's secondary CHR WDRQ was Jacked to become Doug FM, now Detroit's only CHR is rhythmic-leaning WKQI.
6. KSJO San Jose (Market #32)
Oh, why lose the only hard rocker in Silicon Valley? First KFJO San Francisco, NOW KSJO SAN JOSE?!? KSJO became Spanish oldies, which soared 'SJO's ratings to the top. They had an 0.x share!! KCNL woulda been dumped instead, leaving Silicon Valley with Live 105!
7. KABQ-FM Albequerque (Market #71)
AAA was a dying format, so the hurban Mega arrived there. Nice move. Their ratings were so low, BTW. If you wanna listen to your AAA fix, you'll be split between the hot AC on 100.3 or the alternative rocker on 104.7.

 

[Oldbones]

> 4. WZTA Miami (Market #12, a dedication to Toronto
> alternative station CFNY "102.1 The Edge")
> What a mistake! Is CC out of its MIND THERE?!! WZTA,
> despite being the lowest-rated FM in Miami was MIAMI'S ONLY
> CURRENT BASED ROCK STATION, as an ACTIVE ROCKER.


The fact that they were the lowest-rated FM should tell you something. Miami's other heritage rocker WSHE folded years ago. Miami is not a rock town.

Face it, except in a few cities AOR is toast. It had it's day but tastes of 18-24 males have changed.

 

[wavelength]

> > 4. WZTA Miami (Market #12, a dedication to Toronto
> > alternative station CFNY "102.1 The Edge")
> > What a mistake! Is CC out of its MIND THERE?!! WZTA,
> > despite being the lowest-rated FM in Miami was MIAMI'S
> ONLY
> > CURRENT BASED ROCK STATION, as an ACTIVE ROCKER.
>
>
> The fact that they were the lowest-rated FM should tell you
> something. Miami's other heritage rocker WSHE folded years
> ago. Miami is not a rock town.
>
> Face it, except in a few cities AOR is toast. It had it's
> day but tastes of 18-24 males have changed.
>

This is the trend. FM is going to go all talk. People can only hear Fleetwood Mac and the Eagles so many times before boredom sets in.

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

Rock isn't doing well.

Today, rock radio's traditional demo of young men is more likely to listen to urban radio.

It's a cultural shift.

I'll even go as far as saying this: Had this year's televised "American Idol" competition occured in the late 1990's instead of 2005, Bo Bice would have won it because rock music (which he's done a lot of on that show), especially as a radio format, was much healthier than it is now.

I think the decline of rock radio was one reason country songbird Carrie Underwood became the winner.

 

[RFLA]

> I'll even go as far as saying this: Had this year's
> televised "American Idol" competition occured in the late
> 1990's instead of 2005, Bo Bice would have won it because
> rock music (which he's done a lot of on that show),
> especially as a radio format, was much healthier than it is
> now.
>
> I think the decline of rock radio was one reason country
> songbird Carrie Underwood became the winner.
>

It was said somewhere's that this idol was going to be in a format that hadn't been done before... I think Bo was too Lynyrd Skynyrd for most people (something that people don't like in today's image concious world)...

They had two rockers make it to the 12..that should have said something there..

But Rock is being eased out of the cities where the ethnic population is growing larger to the point that it makes the majority

AOR IMO could survive but would take eliminating some songs and making it palitable to both new and older rock crowds... I see small town stations due it out of need. I see the younger demo listening to Pink Floyd,Skynyrd and others...but they don't like some of the Neil Young and other softer classics.. where as the older crowd loves what I stated, but never would be able to stomach Slipknot...

In most markets, stations years ago needed to create a niche to survive and that's our rock formats of today... There are people who still like the variety (classics and certain new rock songs) and I think in towns with a good (classic rocker and alternative station doing good) fan base, it could be done.... Cause that is the latest format to flip to if you are a rock station or want to be a rocker...

The kids have been going to urban a lot lately but I'm also seeing a trend possibly starting (or at least in my area) where they are mixing up what they listen to with roughly 4 formats (or a Jack from hell)Country, Rock(classic,alternative,or Active),Top40 , and Urban... I think Urban is no longer having the parents won't listen mentality as it has also (with soccer moms jaming to eminem)

RFLA