shocker
Gold Member
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Posts: 815
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Post by shocker on Jun 13, 2007 0:58:04 GMT -5
There are a few Hot AC stations around the country that call themselves Alice@whatever, such as Alice@97.3. A few examples are KLCA in Reno, Nevada, KLLC in San Francisco, and KALC in Denver.
What's unique about these stations is they seem to be a little more alternative-leaning than the average Hot AC outlet; and their playlists tend to favor newer music over recurrents. Basically, a much higher turnover rate for songs.
So how did this "Alice" thing ever get started? Who or what is Alice, and why is she or it confined to the Hot AC or pop-alternative format?
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Slinky
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Retired
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Post by Slinky on Jun 13, 2007 9:27:44 GMT -5
"Alice" was part of a trend that reshaped Hot AC in the mid-90's. Up until that time, Hot AC had been mixing older AC stars with some adult-friendly Pop tracks. Then a station in Denver called "Alice" (KALC) started to mix in more singer-songwriter and modern rock acts, jettisoning the AC music as well as most rhythmic music. While a typical Hot AC would have played Rod Stewart and Janet Jackson, Alice played Sarah McLachlan and Pearl Jam.
1996 was a great year for Pop/Rock music, Denver's Alice got some great ratings, and thus the Alice trend, also known as Modern AC, was born. A lot of stations flipped to Modern AC, using the Alice name or a similar girl's name (Jane was one I remember).
The trend petered out towards the end of the decade, with the rise of boy-bands and a dearth of quality pop/rock. A lot of Modern ACs flipped away from the format, while others broadened their music mix so they were more like Hot AC than Modern AC. A few stations, like the ones you mention, survived, and are still Alternative-leaning to this day.
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shocker
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Posts: 815
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Post by shocker on Jun 13, 2007 11:07:00 GMT -5
That's a good analysis. Thank you.
I'd still like to know WHO Alice is or was. Was there a specific reason these more alternative-leaning Hot ACs started using females' names like Alice or Jane?
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Post by tico on Jun 13, 2007 13:01:54 GMT -5
There is an Alice in Little Rock that's a CHR. I'm thinking the Alice name was created to be different from your usual monikers like Mix, Magic and Kiss.
There are a few other hot ACs that have used other women's names, like Kelly in Fresno. There used to be Rosie in Portland, but from my understanding, Rosie O'Donnell threatened to sue them. Then there's Kim in Memphis, which started out as variety hits (Jack, Bob, etc.), but they've since gone hot AC.
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irock
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Post by irock on Jul 22, 2007 4:34:54 GMT -5
That's a good analysis. Thank you. I'd still like to know WHO Alice is or was. Was there a specific reason these more alternative-leaning Hot ACs started using females' names like Alice or Jane? I think Slinky gave you the answer but without stating it explicitly. The call letters for the Denver station are K ALC. I'm guessing that the station was calling itself Alice before its Alt-AC format had gelled, perhaps years before. Once the format was in place and the station's reputation was staked on it, the new format came to be associated with the older name.
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