Miami (FINALLY) Gets Alternative Station

[johnm1120]

WAXY 104.3 which has been simulcasting the sports station has flipped to 104.3 The Shark, playing Alternative. The station is doing 5000 songs in a row to start off the set. It has been reported that Deena Lang, who is currently at Sunny 107.9 in West Palm has been tapped to be one of the DJs.

[K.]

It really didn't have one until now? That's shocking. Are there any other major cities that don't have big-genre radio stations?

[Pipa]

Aug 23, 2015 17:51:08 GMT -5 K. said:

It really didn't have one until now? That's shocking. Are there any other major cities that don't have big-genre radio stations?

New York really doesn't have any current-based rock station at all.

[johnm1120]

They sure do like Uma Thurman. I've heard that song 4 times so far. So far I've only heard 3 songs I didn't care for.

[ben777]

Aug 23, 2015 22:22:38 GMT -5 Pipa said:

Aug 23, 2015 17:51:08 GMT -5 K. said:

It really didn't have one until now? That's shocking. Are there any other major cities that don't have big-genre radio stations?

New York really doesn't have any current-based rock station at all.

Yeah, the problem is (apparently) most Alt listeners in NYC don't drive, just take buses and subways, so every time they try a rock or Alt station there it flops

Baltimore and San Antonio have no Alternative or Hot AC - Nashville has no Hot AC

Active Rock is missing in many cities - same with Urban and Rhythmic

No Country station in San Francisco

Dallas, Minneapolis, and Milwuakee have no AC

[Green Baron]

Aug 23, 2015 23:25:28 GMT -5 ben777 said:

Aug 23, 2015 22:22:38 GMT -5 Pipa said:

New York really doesn't have any current-based rock station at all.

Dallas, Minneapolis, and Milwuakee have no AC

Man, it must really suck for them during the Summer.

[ben777]

Aug 24, 2015 9:25:23 GMT -5 Green Baron said:

Aug 23, 2015 23:25:28 GMT -5 ben777 said:

Dallas, Minneapolis, and Milwuakee have no AC

Man, it must really suck for them during the Summer.

Lol - especially Dallas with temps near 100

[friday]

Aug 23, 2015 23:25:28 GMT -5 ben777 said:

Aug 23, 2015 22:22:38 GMT -5 Pipa said:

New York really doesn't have any current-based rock station at all.

Yeah, the problem is (apparently) most Alt listeners in NYC don't drive, just take buses and subways, so every time they try a rock or Alt station there it flops

Well, the last time there was an alternative station here, the plug got pulled before it ever really got going. That was when CBS bought WRXP so they could move WFAN over to FM. RXP was only on the air for 100 days and already making steady gains in the ratings, but Merlin Media was apparently so much in debt that I guess they had no choice but to sell.

Hard to believe that was almost three years ago. I remember the final week was when Hurricane Sandy beat the shit out of the region, which just made that week doubly tough for me. Now I refuse to listen to anything on WFAN, even with the Yankees airing their games there, at least until someone else has the guts to try the format again. I still think it's ridiculous there's a country station here but no alternative station.

[ben777]

Aug 24, 2015 22:33:28 GMT -5 friday said:

Aug 23, 2015 23:25:28 GMT -5 ben777 said:

Yeah, the problem is (apparently) most Alt listeners in NYC don't drive, just take buses and subways, so every time they try a rock or Alt station there it flops

Well, the last time there was an alternative station here, the plug got pulled before it ever really got going. That was when CBS bought WRXP so they could move WFAN over to FM. RXP was only on the air for 100 days and already making steady gains in the ratings, but Merlin Media was apparently so much in debt that I guess they had no choice but to sell.

Hard to believe that was almost three years ago. I remember the final week was when Hurricane Sandy beat the s**t out of the region, which just made that week doubly tough for me. Now I refuse to listen to anything on WFAN, even with the Yankees airing their games there, at least until someone else has the guts to try the format again. I still think it's ridiculous there's a country station here but no alternative station.

I think the way the New York City Neilsen ratings system is set up, you've got to do well in the actual city, not just the suburbs (most NYC suburbs are listed under separate markets, so I don't think their numbers count for NYC ratings) - It's probably that most of the advertising money on NYC radio is from businesses that service the city, so they need to reach listeners that live in the city and listen to the radio either at home or at work, and apparently, Alternative listeners don't do that so much

[Carlitoz]

Awesome news!! I just read this!! I hope it lasts!!
A year ago I was looking for one and couldn't believe there wasn't any! I'll give it a try for sure! Hope it's really alternative. Nowadays there are some teenybopper acts that get the alternative label. Even if it's mixed with good retro alternative, I'll be very happy.

[EvanJ]

Aug 25, 2015 21:57:36 GMT -5 ben777 said:

I think the way the New York City Neilsen ratings system is set up, you've got to do well in the actual city, not just the suburbs (most NYC suburbs are listed under separate markets, so I don't think their numbers count for NYC ratings) - It's probably that most of the advertising money on NYC radio is from businesses that service the city, so they need to reach listeners that live in the city and listen to the radio either at home or at work, and apparently, Alternative listeners don't do that so much

The suburbs have their own radio markets but also count towards the New York market. The right side of www.arbitron.com/downloads/Arb_US_Metro_Map_12.pdf says:

"New York also includes:
Middlesex-Somerset-Union
Monmouth County, NJ
Morristown
Nassau-Suffolk (Long Island)
Putnam, Rockland, and Westchester Counties, NY
Stamford-Norwalk"

That website is old but I couldn't find anything newer and I doubt the area of the market has changed.