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91X San Diego goes Classic Alt

Hey, some of us like to talk about happenings in other areas of the country, too. Here's the place to do it.
ChrisWL1980
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91X San Diego goes Classic Alt

Post by ChrisWL1980 » Thu Feb 24, 2022 6:51 pm

https://radioinsight.com/headlines/2204 ... ternative/

Garrett Michaels was PD of Planet 96.3 back in the late '90s (during the time Ann Delisi was MD) and IIRC he was responsible for that station's move to "Alternative Classics" in September of '99. I know a lot of the harder rock fans on this board turn up their noses at that station, but I always enjoyed their classic alt "Flashback" programs. Last I heard Michaels was also programming the Nina Blackwood-hosted "New Wave Nation," heard Saturday nights on 107.1 WQKL.



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MWmetalhead
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Re: 91X San Diego goes Classic Alt

Post by MWmetalhead » Sat Feb 26, 2022 8:29 am

Planet 96.3 as Classic Alternative stunk to high heaven because the playlist was air tight - only about 300 songs I would guestimate - and the station refused to play acts such as Beastie Boys, Faith No More, Bad Religion, and any deep cuts from core artists.

The music was boring, most of the DJs were boring, the imaging was boring, pretty much everything about 96.3 at that time was boring, unless one counts the ultra niche weekend evening specialty shows such as Big Sonic Heaven.

It was a really stupid time to launch a "Classic Alternative" format, as the subgenres that allowed the format to gain mainstream success had just emerged earlier in the 90's. There was no pent up demand to hear heaping servings of 80's New Wave and very early 90's pre-grunge alternative, especially in Detroit! It would be akin to launching a classic hip-hip station around the year 2000 that focused on 80's & very early 90's material.

Classic Alternative Planet 96-3 was such a disaster that, invariably, WPLT transitioned back to Modern AC and about a year later rebranded itself ("96-3, the new DVD"). Once Q95-5 became Channel 955, WDVD went full bore Hot AC, complete with Sean Caldwell voiceovers. The move to Hot AC, once the horrible Rocky Allen morning show was dumped, brought many consecutive years of healthy ratings.

In the early 00s, similar (albeit somewhat better programmed) stations went Classic Alternative or took on a heavy Classic Alternative lean, and all saw miserable ratings. This list includes 96.5 Seattle, 93.7 Sacramento, 106.9 Houston, and the venerable 99X in Atlanta, among others.

91X is playing a much wider assortment of artists and songs than WPLT ever did when he was there. 91X also isn't shying away from the harder-edged side of alternative. The fact the format has been around for another 20+ years since the time WPLT tried Classic Alt definitely helps.

91X will still play a smattering of currents; those will be re-introduced gradually in the coming weeks. They're already including a handful of currents in rotation.



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Ben Zonia
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WAIT A MINUTE-HOW CAN THIS BE?

Post by Ben Zonia » Sat Feb 26, 2022 10:30 am

A new station in San Diego on 91.1? With XETRA right across the border in Tijuana, BC?

https://www.fccdata.org/?call=XETRA&cco ... g=en&city=

https://www.fccdata.org/?lang=en&facid= ... 0960c3&i=2


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MWmetalhead
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Re: 91X San Diego goes Classic Alt

Post by MWmetalhead » Sat Feb 26, 2022 2:38 pm

Very funny.

XETRA-FM, of course, is the station known as "91X."



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Ben Zonia
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Re: 91X San Diego goes Classic Alt

Post by Ben Zonia » Sat Feb 26, 2022 5:26 pm

Scott Fybush said it was because of an incomplete database. The FCC has been converting to a new database and filing system, and international records were/are missing in many cases. I noticed it with Canadian stations and allotments. Someone here told me that you had to cobble at least two or three databases together to get all the international station records and allotments in the meantime, sometimes adding manually the ones you need. Canada is on the way to the station and allotment record situation being fixed. David Gleason may know more about the Mexican database.

Well, I'm going to go calibrate the Field Strength meter for 950 and measure the WWJ IBOC sidebands near the Straits.


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MWmetalhead
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Re: 91X San Diego goes Classic Alt

Post by MWmetalhead » Sat Feb 26, 2022 8:15 pm

Listening via TuneIn, I'm really digging the new sound of 91X.



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Re: 91X San Diego goes Classic Alt

Post by paul8539 » Mon Feb 28, 2022 12:43 am

'Alternative' to what?



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MWmetalhead
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Re: 91X San Diego goes Classic Alt

Post by MWmetalhead » Mon Feb 28, 2022 6:13 am

...it is "alternative" to everything else on the FM dial. 91X now features a highly unique playlist. Hell, I don't even think there is a Sirius XM channel that sounds similar to 91X.



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Re: 91X San Diego goes Classic Alt

Post by Chrocket87 » Mon Feb 28, 2022 7:46 pm

91X has always been a pretty unique station. It’s hard to believe they are/were considered the same format as competitor Fault 94.9. I loved the sound they had before this change, including the currents for the most part. The new sound is pretty good, too, though I don’t recognize a lot of the 80s stuff.



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Re: 91X San Diego goes Classic Alt

Post by Mega Hertz » Fri Mar 04, 2022 8:29 pm

I could fucking kick myself.

In 2006, my now late great aunt was going to get me in there. She knew the GM or something like that. No, my dumb ass decided to stay in Detroit.

This is EXACTLY what I suggested 89x should have done. And now 91x is doing it. Son of a bitch. I would kill for this format in Detroit. There is plenty of well known 80s-00s alternative rock to go around for a full time format!!!


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Re: 91X San Diego goes Classic Alt

Post by MWmetalhead » Sat Mar 05, 2022 6:26 am

I loved the sound they had before this change, including the currents for the most part. The new sound is pretty good, too, though I don’t recognize a lot of the 80s stuff.
Agreed; I would've been perfectly content had they kept their prior sound.

The thing is - 91X was playing current & recurrent alternative product, 94.9 was (and still is) doing the same, and here's the kicker - Rock 105.3 within the past year has gone hybrid active / alternative similar to KTBZ in Houston.

Rock 105.3 by far has the strongest ratings of the three stations; their playlist category modifications have given their numbers a boost. In the past few months, KBZT's numbers have also improved quite a bit.

So, the change at 91X carves out more wiggle room for themselves in terms of music space.

One thing about 91X that annoys me: the frequent station IDs that the Mexican government requires in Spanish. I believe those have to be performed near the top & bottom of every hour (as opposed to just hourly here in the U.S.), and they apparently are required to include the city, province and country. Wouldn't bother me a bit if it were once hourly.



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Re: 91X San Diego goes Classic Alt

Post by paul8539 » Sun Mar 06, 2022 5:10 pm

Hope they don't wind up like WPLT about 20 years ago, when we had to 'blow up the planet'.



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Re: 91X San Diego goes Classic Alt

Post by MotorCityRadioFreak » Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:35 pm

MWmetalhead wrote:
Sat Mar 05, 2022 6:26 am
I loved the sound they had before this change, including the currents for the most part. The new sound is pretty good, too, though I don’t recognize a lot of the 80s stuff.
Agreed; I would've been perfectly content had they kept their prior sound.

The thing is - 91X was playing current & recurrent alternative product, 94.9 was (and still is) doing the same, and here's the kicker - Rock 105.3 within the past year has gone hybrid active / alternative similar to KTBZ in Houston.

Rock 105.3 by far has the strongest ratings of the three stations; their playlist category modifications have given their numbers a boost. In the past few months, KBZT's numbers have also improved quite a bit.

So, the change at 91X carves out more wiggle room for themselves in terms of music space.

One thing about 91X that annoys me: the frequent station IDs that the Mexican government requires in Spanish. I believe those have to be performed near the top & bottom of every hour (as opposed to just hourly here in the U.S.), and they apparently are required to include the city, province and country. Wouldn't bother me a bit if it were once hourly.
Thing is as most of us know that the 18-29 demo doesn't listen to the radio. Many of us elder millennials and Gen X'ers still do.
That said, some of the 80's alternative does suck. If it would have meant keeping 89X, I would have been all for it. Canadian country sucks!


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Re: 91X San Diego goes Classic Alt

Post by MotorCityRadioFreak » Wed Mar 16, 2022 7:37 pm

Mega Hertz wrote:
Fri Mar 04, 2022 8:29 pm
I could fucking kick myself.

In 2006, my now late great aunt was going to get me in there. She knew the GM or something like that. No, my dumb ass decided to stay in Detroit.

This is EXACTLY what I suggested 89x should have done. And now 91x is doing it. Son of a bitch. I would kill for this format in Detroit. There is plenty of well known 80s-00s alternative rock to go around for a full time format!!!
Yep. San Diego is much better than Detroit. One of the warning bells for my ex should have been that his family moved from there to metro Detroit. Makes no sense.


They/them, non-binary and proud.

Remember that “2000 Mules” was concocted by a circus of elephants.
The right needs to stop worry about what’s between people’s legs. Instead, they should focus on what’s between their ears.
Audacity sucks.

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