Debaser Pits the Boston Radio Market

I just woke up from a coma that I’ve been in for the past few years.

I’m in the mood to listen to the radio.

I turn on the dial and feel in the mood for some modern rock, so I put on WBCN 104.1.

I’m greeted by the soulless sounds of dance music. What the fuck? BCN has been on the air for decades, how could this happen?

I quickly change the station. Maybe some alternative rock will cheer me up. I tune to 101.7 WFNX. Once more techno-craptastic dance shit in my ears. What is this, some kind of sick joke?

Maybe there will be something about this on the news. Beginning to panic, I tune to the FM Talk station: 96.9. I’m sure that Jim and Margery will be discussing this shocking turn of events. Again, the monotonous beating of disco drum annoying-ness blaring away relentlessly.


I mean, really: Do we absofuckinglutely need to have another three vapid dance-shit stations on the radio in addition to the twelve we already have? Now on FM there isn’t a single alternative rock station or a single talk station.

Losing 96.9 is particularly bad for a couple reasons. First of all it’s good for talk radio to be on FM. Everyone under 30 doesn’t even know that AM exists, so it’s nice to have a format that is accessible on the FM dial. Secondly, I appreciated that there was a talk radio station not dominated by right wingers. Jim and Margery were both solidly left wing and yet still carved out a niche for themselves in talk radio. It was a shame that the assholes at AM680 wouldn’t let Howie Carr over to FM because I’m sure his presence would have kept them on the air. Now it’s all we’re left with.

Fuck this.

Who listens to this shit anyway? Are there really that many Jersey Shore shithead-juiced up, oily douchebags and dumb as a rock, slutty Snookie wanna-be hookers out there that justify having six dozen of these stations on the air? God forbid a fucking note of music that was played by a person will skill and talent find it’s way onto the airwaves rather than one that was carefully produced by some sniveling nerd sitting at a computer.

I can only hope that the producers who are tasked with deciding which order to play the same six songs over and over again throughout the day have a conscience and decide to slit their own throats with broken Justin Bieber CDs.

Radio is not an instrument for entertainment, it has changed into an ad-revenue generator. What brings in money will be the most common programming.

You’re old.

Get the fuck off my lawn.

Why do you hate the free market?

I approve of this epic rant. Here in the UK things are not quite that bad but I daily thank Steve Jobs/God for all the great little radio stations the tunein app pulls in for me. The USA has so many great jazz, blues and rock radio stations.

You are a wise person of impeccable taste.

Justin Bieber’s not dance or electronica. He’s very much pop.

Apparently not in Boston, which I find slightly incredible. OP, are you sure you know how to work a radio?

It has changed? Please tell me when any form of media was anything other than both a generator of ad revenue and a form of entertainment?

Whatever.

We’ve still got some classic rock stations, plus one hard rock station. But the’re dropping like flies. There are no alternative rock stations or FM talk stations now.

Word is there will be a new FM talk station soon with Howie Carr and others once his contract is up in a couple of years. He openly talks on air about how much he hates his current AM radio, low-powered prison.

It is now POINTEDLY more of an ad-revenue generator than an entertainment provider, which I think is different than the situation in radio’s infancy. Same as TV. The market won’t support the local classic rock station, but will support three dance stations? Oh well. If ad revenue were less important, they’d program classic rock anyway, with less or no profit, for the good of the classic rock fans.

When it was/is under the auspices of the BBC. Not that that stops Radio 1 being a torrent of shite but at least that leaves Radio 2 (where the Beatles etc can now be found), Radio 3 (classical music) and Radio 4 (varieties of non-moronic ‘talk’) for people who don’t know or care what a ‘Ga-ga’ is. All advert free.

Try The River 92.5 for independent rock. As for FM talk, well, is that really a loss? Especially if it includes Howie Carr?

Good example, though not particularly relevant to US media.

92.5, the River? WERS? WUMB (which was folk, but now is verging on alternative)?

You mean, back when advertisements were actually a part of the show, and the closing theme music for programs was “See the USA in your Chevrolet”?

Yeah, TV is a much better entertainment medium now than it was then, and it isn’t even close. Radio is, as well, with still more variety than was available in the glory years you pine for.

if you would have kept listening then they may not have lost their market. it’s your fault.

We’re not on your lawn.
For some reason I just love that little clip

Lots of talk on NPR. And what about college radio?

Yes, 92.5 is good, but it’s more of a mix station that leans rock. There is also 92.9 which leans a bit alt-rock. But they’re both pale shadows of FNX, IMHO. For instance, FNX regularly played entire blocks of the Pixies. You won’t see any other station doing that now.

Howie’s still on AM. I’m sure you hate his politics but even so you should appreciate that he has so much dirt on the local politicians. He really adds value in keeping everyone honest. Without Howie, where would people go to “drop a dime” when they see a Lexus with MA legislator plates pull into the NH State Liquor store?

The FM station we lost had conservative voices, but the flagship show was Margery Eagan and Jim Broude. Eagan is a down the line liberal and Broude reminds me of you. He’s way out on the left on everything. But they were entertaining and didn’t take themselves to seriously. Like all good talk radio you learned a lot by listening to them.

I wonder where Deval Patrick will go now when he wants to do his “ask the Goverrnor” bits. Anywhere else won’t be as friendly of an audience, that’s for sure.