Yes, I know, it's been said many times before but I have to say, it's really pathetic. It seems like no one has said it lately. There are so many copiers of one another.
I wonder if there is another city in this nation with as many stations, per capita, that play "oldies" in one metropolitan area as there are here in Kansas City. I have to doubt it, but I certainly hope there isn't, for all the rest of those people's sake.
93.3 KMXV "The Mix" 93 FM? I think it's new stuff. Pop/disco type but at least it was newer stuff.
94.9 KCMO Greatest Hits. Unfair. Oldies is all this station has ever been.
96.5 The Buzz I have to say, it seems like this one station comes closest to what I'm talking of here. When I flipped them on just now, not only was the song not familiar but it was The Decembrist singing "This is why" and Young the Giant and Kings of Leon were next up. (This may be that one station. Maybe. If so, nice).
98.1 KUDL? Oldies
98.9 KQRC "The Rock"? Newer (I think) but all really hard rock, for those who are into it. Coming up was ZZ Top and Guns and Roses were playing when I just checked. Motley Crue and Metallica were coming up.
99.7 Gen-X Radio? Maybe some new stuff. Not unique but newer, anyway. When I just went to their site and started listening for this entry, they were playing old Green Day (who I love, admittedly) with Backstreet Boys and Madonna coming up next. That sums it up right there.
101.1 The Fox, "Kansas City's Only Classic Rock Station"? You got it--major oldies
102.1 The newly-renamed and revamped "Alice". Not only is this another of many oldies stations but when they went to re-do the station, the playlist and the name, it seems like they sat around, decided that "Jack FM" was cool or that it worked or both so they decided they'd also rip off their name style. I can hear the conversation now: "I know! Since we can't just call it Jill" (get it, Jack and Jill), "let's call it 'Alice'!" Pitiful.
103.3 Hot 103 Jamz? Soul, R & B, etc. At least there's one original one, eh?
105.1 Jack "Playing what we want" FM? Oldies. All oldies, all the time, just with a wiseguy attitude.
107.3 Magic 107.3? They're description also gives this one away, too: "Classic Soul & Today's R&B!" Right. You got it. Oldies.
Sure, there's XM/Sirius radio and MP3's and iPods and everything else personal everyone's turning to but couldn't there be at least ONE radio station in the metropolitan area that plays things by new, upcoming, fresh artists?
Wouldn't you think?
To hear anything new or different on radio in the area, you have to turn on NPR on the likes of 90.9 The Bridge out of Warrensburg and CMU and hope you get lucky.
If I worked for a local FM rock station in this town, I'd be embarrassed. I don't think I could tell people where I worked, at least, not when the economy recovers.
Trying to make a living selling advertising for them must be murder, don't you imagine. Your sales line: "We're different! Really!"
Yeah, right.
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Oh those old Top 40 deejays will whine that you don't know anything. But fact is, today's FM isn't like when FM was new...and they played Album Oriented Rock (not all tested songs bought by teenage black girls.)
Radio's on hard times. They play it safe. Nobody's in their car very long so every song has to be familiar. Even if five stations have played it so many years most of us can't stand em anymore.
I find Alice (not named after Jack, but for a Denver Station that was successful with the format a few years back),. I find it refreshing because they play some less overplayed material.
Actually I'd rather they played MORE oldies.. they claim their target's 20-50. An impossible challenge for ya can't please the youngers with songs the older's have never heard, and vice versa. Supposed to lean female, but it doesn't. Male music directors at the home office don't know Jack. or Jill, or thirty something moms.
So everyone just serves 31 flavors of vanilla. Dunno if you read the radio room, but anytime someone deviates, they get shouted down.
Everyone's read the same playbook except those of us who have bought hand-helds and buy our own music.
Radio claims to have 70 percent of the avaiable audience but that research is OLD...commissioned by a radio consultant who has an interest in radio being successful. The research was before Apple invented the hand-held and iTunes to go with it.
All radio is today is automated streaming audio with ten back to back commercials twice an hour.
Oldies are good, Mo... but radio stations all play the same ones because they think they're 'tested'. They don't understand that as soon as someone gets SICK of one, and we all get sick of way MORE than one... well today's radios have at least ten buttons on them, plus satrad, iphone input and a ten CD player.
No shortage of choices. So long as you're not listening to the 4 corporations in town that own all the Fm stations--all of which are programmed at the home office. And all of them working out of the same radio strategy playbook.
Play it again sam. And again NEXT hour. And tomorrow at the same time. And NEXT year too, like LAST year. Everyone likes that song, right? Twice a day for twenty years!
96.5?
I couldn't agree more, Radioman, with the exception of Alice.
so it goes.
they're forcing us all off their channels.
But not even ONE station could break the mold? I know they have a heck of a tough problem. I'd hate to be in their shoes...or industry
Not just Kansas. I quit listening to radio years ago--a combination of no new music that wasn't either screaming angry rock, or faux-hick country, and a commercial schedule that was not only 1/3 commercials, but timed so that during my commute it was closer to half. Not to mention the programming--Either oldies, faux-hick country, or screaming angry 'alt rock'. Plus my hours changed and the local NPR station was on crappy local programming while I was in the car.
I started with audiobooks, switched to XM, then to podcasts. Clearchannel has announced fewer commercials--but too little, too late, I've already made other plans.
I wish there was an easier way for me to be exposed to new music, but I'm not willing to sit through the crap necessary.
Yeah, you're so right, Sevesteen.
I'd think radio will be going the way of Blockbuster video in the next decade. Maybe not but it seems headed that way.
The local music shows on 90.1 aren't too bad.
Also, KCUR's weekend music shows are good (except for "Irish Hour").
Taciturn,
I don't catch enough of 90.1. Occasionally I do but I haven't lately. You're right--I need to keep them in mind. And I agree about 89.3 KCUR but it's virtually only on the weekend. I also go one step further than you--I like the "Irish hour", actually called "Thistle and Shamrock" but that's me.
Thanks
oops, sorry--honest mistake--Tacitus
Glad I'm not alone in my disdain for local media. Moved back here a little over a year ago and the first thing I did was get Sirius...for both cars. And for desiring a broad range (read: something with a slightly lefter bent than even NPR) of political discourse, it REALLY blows in this town. Some suggest that radio in general is becoming irrelevant. If they don't acknowledge the whims and wishes of the market, their demise is a foregone conclusion.
Clearly I couldn't agree more rbbrfsh. If I met someone knew to town, I know I'm proud of a lot of the things we do have but FM radio is certainly not one of them. The demise of radio seems nearly certain and unavoidable unless they get creative.
And even then...
I priced a shuffle from Apple. I think that's the way I'm going. Again.
"shuffle" Unless there's some kind of random input function from iTunes or wherever, most MP3 players are only pandering to my known preferences. There may be some pleasent serendipity in the sequencing of music, but there's nothing new. They are the equivalent to a personal oldies station. Where's my "newest favorite" gonna come from unless you're hooked up outside the box that is the local lame?
I think I have an answer for you on that--you likely already know it--but Pandora plays things from old and new artists and I've found they sneak in things from new artists and their new work, both, and that virtually never happens on radio. It's a great source for me. I hope you find that true also.
I use it. Pandora would also need to be available for the car and often with streaming, my processor is not fast enough nor large enough to handle Pandora and my other online and/or computing needs...which all boils back to the point we both agree on: radio is making itself irrelevant with the business model that tries to squeeze the last dime out of out-of-date content.
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