Suck ratio, as it pertains to a given radio station, is defined as (number of songs that suck)/(total number of songs played).
About two years ago, KZZP (104.7) was a pretty good radio station, with a suck ratio of about 25%. Gradually it added more and more pop and hip-hop songs, bringing the suck ratio up to about 60% as of this time last year–still not too bad, comparatively speaking. Lately, the pop and hip-hop has escalated dramatically, raising KZZP’s suck ratio to about 95%. I blame this on Rick Dees, whose syndicated morning show has recently been picked up by the radio station being discussed. Clearly it is time to deprogram this station from my Walkman. I shall replace it with KUPD, which has a suck ratio of about 70%. They play hard rock, which I like in general, but the amount of thrash metal significantly drives that suck ratio.
However when I think about it, I must also consider kick-ass ratio, which is (number of songs that kick ass)/(total number of songs played) and so-so ratio, which is (number of tolerable songs)/(total number of songs played). For instance, I would prefer a radio station with a suck ratio of 80% and a kick-ass ratio of 20% over a radio station with a suck ratio of 70% and a so-so ratio of 30%. I also need to factor in seekability. For example, on my truck radio, 101.5 is seekable from 100.7, whereas 104.7 is not close any of my other favorite radio stations, so it will remain programmed into my truck radio. Since my Walkman does not have a seek button, seekability is not an issue. Another thing determining programmability is availability of better alternatives; I could not deprogram KZZP from my Walkman if the suck ratio of every other unprogrammed station was 100%. Eventually I will come up with an empirical formula to determine the programmability/deprogrammability of radio stations based on the aforementioned factors, and science will thank me. I expect my creation to overshadow that of my great-grandfather, who invented those little gages used to measure elongation of a structure due to applied loads.
I was going to post this in IMHO, but then I started ramblin’, like the wreck I am.
There are only five radio stations in my area that I’m willing to listen to at all - since the programmer has six possible buttons, I’m still good.
I would generally go with gut on this - to what station do I set it when I first turn it on? If it’s in commercial, what do I go for next? Based on this, I end up with a ranking. If something is always last place, no matter what mood I’m in, I would go with a trial replacement, to see whether I can get something that would climb in the rankings. This isn’t numerical, but it chooses based on what I actually, moment-to-moment, listen to.
But then, I only listen to the radio while driving, which isn’t that often.
Ya know, when I first moved here five years ago, I loved KZZP. When they brought back Bruce Kelly and Lou Valentino, I looked for a new station, but I left ZZP on my presets until I realized that they NEVER play anything I want to listen to anymore. It’s gone.
I’m looking for a decent morning show. I loved Brian and Ginny on KZZP. Then it was Ginny, Johnathan, and John. Johnathan went away, but John Ballard was good. I enjoyed them very much, too. Then they brought in Lou Valentino (whom I can’t stand) and Bruce Kelly, and I switched to 101.5 - Steph and John. (KZZP eventually replaced Valentino & Kelly with Ron, Don, and Jackie, and saw their ratings go into the toilet.) The Zone fired Steph & John, and now it’s the New Guys. Dave Smiley gets on my nerves so much that I just can’t listen to them. John Holmberg’s back on in the afternoon, now, but it’s just not the same. Steph kept him sane.
I hate it when they mess with my mornings.
Apparently, KZZP’s parent company (Clearchannel Communications - which also owns Mix 96.9) decided, without doing any research in the area, mind you, that Phoenix needed a Top-40 station. It’s pretty obvious by the response of the general populace that this assumption was wrong. Check out http://radio-info.com/phoenix if you want updates on what’s going on. I understand KZZP has a new program director. Here’s hoping they can turn the station around.
I have a pretty nice Mp3 player, and that’s about all I listen to. The radio stations in Mont-guhm-rey, AL leave much to be desired. Occasionally on Saturday nights they get some good house going on the two pop stations, but not often. And sometimes the hip-hop stations will play some of the local rappers, and that’s pretty cool. There’s really only one radio station here worth listening to, besides NPR that is, and it comes out of Auburn, so it’s kind of hard to pick up.
IMHO, there’s only two stations worth listening to (and as I’m reliably correct 50% of the time):
National Public Radio. Click here to find a station near you. Good high-brow stuff and enlightening conversation. If you met my co-workers, you’d know why.
John Boy & Billy andThe Big Show. This syndicated broadcast, based in Charlotte, NC, specializes in NASCAR, Redneck Humor, Hooters Girls and BBQ. I personally like the editorial commentary of curmudgeonly Robert D. Raeford. Sort of a redneck Andy Rooney. Usually carried by Classic Rock (60’s/70’s Rock) stations. Doobie Bros., Grand Funk RR, Deep Puple, Hendrix, Aerosmith, etc. Good Stuff.
And the best part is that they’re both online. I log on every morning to check recent database updates, which takes about 5 minutes or less, and then I go to either site (depending on mood) and tell my boss that “the connection is shit and the download’s taking forever”, so I don’t have to actually do any work until after lunch.
My boss is a putz. After two years, he still hasn’t figured it out.
Well, WNIB is now WDRV, which I thought was in West Virginia. (Talk about too much time on one’s hands! The kids are looking askance at the Hard Core DX link in my favorites, thinking they don’t DARE click it!) It has stopped its All One Artist, All Day and Night format, which was really a 6-disc CD changer on auto repeat, and has started its “new” Classic Rock format, except without DJs or commercials for the next few weeks.
It’s supposed to be aimed at the “forgotten” White Male 25-54 market, a little disingenuous considering the entire AM dial is aimed at that group with Rush Limbaugh and sports talk. However, there is rather a lot of Atlanta Rhythm Section and such glurge for most guys’ tastes. But the GOOD stuff is at about 20% and the insufferable crap is around 10%, with the rest listenable, as long as I don’t have to listen to commercials.
NPR is great. Friend turned me onto a station in Cincy that netcasts and has a real good music show in the afternoon, but I can’t remember its call letters.
This is one of the things that makes me proud to be a Phoenician. Arise! Do not tolerate the top-40 crap that is set before us!
A side question for the ladies (I don’t think the women of the SDMB are as guilty of this as the general female population, but I’ll ask anyway): If you asked your boyfriend or husband what he was thinking, and it was something along the lines of the OP, would you really want to know that? OK, so your SOs probably aren’t as strainge as I am, but that’s beside the point.
