I live in the Atlanta area, where 96 Rock was an institution and the soundtrack to my rebellious youth. A few years ago it became Project 9-6-1 which pissed a lot of people off. Seriously, if you are from Atlanta and are a “certain age” you’ll understand. Still, 9-6-1 played rock, albeit with a younger slant. I’m a hip mommy-o and I actually like nu-metal. But now!!! Last night, a sudden change in format to Top Fucking 40! With Ryan Fucking Seacrest, apparently.
Words cannot express my rage. I never acknowledged the name change to Project 9-6-1, preferring to still call it 96 Rock even though the young people didn’t know what I was talking about.
I feel your pain. One of my saddest media memories is the day we lost KMET in LA. The best rock station in the country vanished and was replaced by computerized instrumental soft rock. Van Halen was replaced by Michael Bolton.
Ah, this happened to me here in Cincinnati too. 107.1 FM was a station called “The Power Pig” and it was a cool concept for the early 1990’s…it had no commercials except the occasional station break to identify the station. They played all the cool alt rock, grunge and heavy metal. Suddenly one day it went to strict alternative rock. I was kinda pissed, but dealt with it as I like that kind of music too. A year later, it became KISS 107.1 and now only plays dance, rap and hip hop. And not any of the good kind.
I was listening last night when the change happened. WTF!! Complete surprise. 96.1 has been a rock station for 38 years. You don’t just change that. I’m not a huge fan of the newer metal, but now there is none in Atlanta. We have two classic rock stations here, I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them starts playing more new stuff. I’m looking at you Rock 100.5! I read online that the station *may *reappear further up the dial in the 100s. Still… fuck you Clear Channel. :mad:
Yeah - I have a bone to pick with Clear Channel. They bought WRDU in Raleigh several years ago. WRDU was consistently in Rolling Stone’s Top FIve Small to Mid sized Market radio stations.
They made it Classic Rock[sup]TM[/sup]. Even worse, it’s now Talk Radio[sup]TM[/sup].
Something similar happened here a few months ago. There was a station that played a bit harder alternative, some classic metal, that sort of thing…and then changed to adult contemporary.
No lie, one of the Top 40 stations near me dissing one of the other top 40 stations by saying something like,
"That other station plays music from 2004…excuse me?!
Listen to the real Top 40! Only today’s hottest hits!"
Yep. And this is why I switched to talk radio about 12 years ago now.
Every once in a while I flip over to FM for classic rock and hear something I haven’t heard in a while, 99% of the time it’s the usual stuff played to DEATH!
Yes. Much the same way as a vibrant international farmer’s market is like a vending machine that forces you to listen to blaring advertisements before dispensing 30-year-old Raspberry Zingers or a bag of petrified pork rinds.