Could Classic Alternative work on a non HD signal

Like if CBS threaded the waters with a "Roq of the 80's" format in select markets around the country, using the HD2 from KROQ for reference. Like on stations that either rimshot the market, or have failed in other formats. Heck even a translator relayed from an HD2.

Like Tampa for instance with sports on 98.7, what dismal ratings the station has had are now even worse. Last time the 98.7 signal had any success was when it was Hip-Hop prior to 2009. A niche format were people would deal with the poor signal. I'm sure a music format like Classic Alternative would be cheaper to run than Sports. No stations in the area play much New Wave/ Pre-Grunge music. The stations in the area that do play music from the 80's only play the most mainstream, well-tested hits.

Since Tampa's heritage Alternative is mostly new music it wouldn't affect that stations bottom-line. Other than pulling in people from the upper-end of the demo, or people who gave up on radio entirely. Or people who listen to Classic Hits radio because its the least worst thing on the dial. The closest thing to a "Roq of the 80's" format in Tampa was an all-80's jukebox that leaned Classic Alternative. Even then the playlist was super short and only played the most mainstream, well-tested music that was still considered alternative. Think "People are People", "Rock the Casbah", "Bed's are Burning". Not to mention mixing the works of Depeche Mode with Def Leppard sounds awful together.

I'm not taking about prime real-estate here. Just a rimshot to supplement better billing flagship stations in the cluster. 98.7 with its signal will always be the weakest link of the CBS Tampa cluster. However offering a unique niche format on a rimshot could bring in money to the cluster. Look at translators that have beaten Class C FM's with the same format, like Jacksonville with 106.1. I fully understand how a format like this would have issues though.

gamefreak said:

I'm not taking about prime real-estate here. Just a rimshot to supplement better billing flagship stations in the cluster. 98.7 with its signal will always be the weakest link of the CBS Tampa cluster. However offering a unique niche format on a rimshot could bring in money to the cluster.

Click to expand...

At what cost? They'll have to staff it, and will have to market it as a niche format, rather than combine it with other similar formats in the cluster. That costs money.

Or even HD2 and HD3 Channels in other markets. Advertise a unique, one-of-a-kind format on an HD sub-channel via advertising on HD1, or investing in Billboards. May be a risk but with lots of markets running banal 300-song jukeboxes on HD sub-channels it would be different. Maybe even enough for people to start adopting HD Radio. HD Radio equipment with vehicles sure is cheaper than a Satellite subscription. Especially since CBS owns a lot of billboards.

For starters voices could be voice-tracked from other stations in the cluster, costly less than live DJ's. Since sister station Q105 with its 70's and 80's Top 40 is the closest format to Classic Alt most of the radio advertising for the format could be on there. Hear all the music you listened to in College on 98.7. R.E.M, The Clash and The Smith's, no subscription needed.

gamefreak said:

Or even HD2 and HD3 Channels in other markets.

Click to expand...

Once again, at what cost? HD channels don't have enough audience to sell. So it doesn't matter how unique it is. No one has HD radios, so no one can hear, especially advertisers.

The thing you see as an advantage, the uniqueness of the format, is actually a disadvantage, because it won't attract enough audience to justify the work.

"Alternative" is only a sub-genre of rock that was hot for a while. The only difference between Alternative and Punk Rock is Alternative wasn't presented to the public as what it was, a form of rock, but instead pushed as some new thing. Now, Alternative is as much an outmoded rock sub-genre as punk, hair metal, or any other passing trend. A station has about as much chance being successful with all Alternative in 2014 as it would be playing all punk or all metal.

This station out of Albuquerque sounds very close to classic 80's alternative. www.krke.fm

The 31-54 demo could be served by a classic alternative station that plays 80s and 90s, much like the retro noon show on X103.9 in the Inland Empire.

When you look at the success the Classic Hip Hop stations have had out of the box, I believe a similar phenomenon could occur with this format.

The Classic Alt format was tried many years ago in places such as Minneapolis, Seattle, San Fransisco among other areas but did not catch on. One of the reasons was extremely tight playlists with almost no 'wow factor' songs.

With the incredibly vast library available to such a station, certainly there should be enough hits & surprise tracks available to be able to keep both casual and active listeners pleased, much like what is going on at least initially with the Classic Hip Hop format.

Here's the way I see this. The problem with alternative, well rock stations in general, is that the typical rock station format is not as "exclusive" as formats like CHR or Urban, in which both formats would focus on newer music. Rock stations on the other hand, depending on the station and/or market, would only do big hits mostly from the 90's and within the last decade and focus less on newer music.

E-Cam said:

Rock stations on the other hand, depending on the station and/or market, would only do big hits mostly from the 90's and within the last decade and focus less on newer music.

Click to expand...

The problem being that it's next to impossible to build any consensus around newer rock music. It's very individual.