In our house we have been mourning the loss of good radio and it's just not getting any easier.
Our beloved Edge 103.9 had been changed to X 103.9 a while back and then got a complete format overhaul out of nowhere.
For years, we've been able to count on 103.9 FM to play alternative music that appealed to so many listeners in the valley. Music that wasn't always "mainstream popular" but that added a spark to FM radio and introduced music lovers to new and up and coming artists. 103.9 FM would play songs and artists that you couldn't hear on other stations.
Now, I'm not usually one to point fingers or make irrational opinionated statements, but here goes...
I believe Dave Pratt "The Morning Mayor" is to blame for these unappealing changes.
Radio veteran Dave Pratt came to 103.9 FM back in August and not even six months later, it's a completely different station. Coincidence? I think not.
Some people believe he was just ahead of the curve of the future of X 103.9 when he joined. Ya, right.
From the moment he stepped into the studio he was set on having a "no format" format and played artists such as Van Halen and Aerosmith. I think most listeners would agree that these artists aren't bad. That's not the issue. The issue is that if 103.9 listeners want to hear classic rock and popular music, from before most of them could drive, there are plenty of other stations they can turn to. The valley didn't need another mainstream station, and we didn't need a good station to be taken away to make room for classic bands.
What stations are going to regularly play bands such as Sublime, Blink 182, The All American Rejects, Cage the Elephant, Good Charlotte, Authority Zero, Unwritten Law, Jimmy Eat World, Flogging Molly, Incubus, etc. Additionally, what station is going to bring these types of bands to the valley for concerts? None.
The list of good music radio is losing is a mile long.
Radio DJs that were well known on 103.9 were also let go with the format change. Craven Moorehead, the host of The SkaPunk Show (both of which are now gone) did an interview with The Phoenix New Times. His outlook on the future and livelihood of Alternative music in the valley is a lot more positive than mine.
Given the format shift at X103.9, are you optimistic about the future of alternative radio?
I am not sure about the future of alternative on the FM. It certainly has taken its licks over the last few years. It's a tough format to program because there are so many different genres under the alternative umbrella. You can't simply plug in the top testing songs around the country like you can on other hit driven radio stations. And you can't get away with just playing old time tested classics from it's hey day in the '90s because I believe alternative listeners of all ages do not want to be treated like classic rockers.
I believe alternative listeners of all ages are people who constantly crave new music. That is what made them listeners of alternative music in the first place. They wanted to find something new that was different from the norm. But with the way ratings are tabulated new music is a no-no. If you're not playing a tested hit song past or present your station is losing ratings, your station is losing money and then you walk into work like I did and you lose your job! I do believe it can work, but it would take some insanely good programming that was equal part guts and research. Not just playing the numbers game.
You can read the full interview article here.
I worry that great alternative music is going to suffer. New bands are not going to get the air time and publicity they need. Every station is going to be the same old music that you hear in shopping malls and played in your ear while you're on hold with your dentist's office.
What can we do to bring back the old EDGE, X, whatever you want to call it, 103.9?
Repost this and share it with whoever you can. Post a link on your blog, facebook, twitter, etc.
Let's get the word out and bring good bands back to "valley of the sun" radio!
