I'm beginning to think WLLZ has a liberal bias

[Mega Hertz]

Now that I've got your attention, I wanna lay out a "State of the Dial" of sorts.

I spend MUCH time in my work van. I travel all day and really only have radio and tapes (my phone is tied up with Google Maps and I can't play with it while driving). It seems as though the dial is even more boring and predictable than ever, and that's saying a lot. So during my 67 hour work week, I made a few mental notes to jot down. Here they are, station by station.

WLLZ:
Musically, I don't even know. This playlist hurts. I will grant them that they are attempting a deeper song from time to time. But the rest of the day? I hear Queen, Smashing Pumpkins, random 80s butt rock like Skid Row and Def Leppard nearly constantly. And as far as what the jocks can say, they're better off going jockless. It's a mark on what the original WLLZ was. I've heard some seriously trainwreck segues, too. Bad Company into Offspring. Warrant into Green Day. Tom Petty into Puddle of Mudd. What in the actual fuck??? But I will credit them also for getting some Tool into the playlist. Bands like that should be a cornerstone of that station. But no, I MUST hear Bohemian Rhapsody AGAIN!!!

WCSX:
Who the fuck do they have on the payroll with Nielsen? How can this station be #1? Who the hell is that that's been filling in on middays? Sounds like an AC jock from Buffalo. Again, breaks consist of stupid anecdotes, Chaffee gets about 3 words in a minute and should be doing work on WCRJ with that delivery. And Dahmer, well...what can be said that hasn't been? Again, no stationality with the music. Simple Minds, Huey Lewis, more 80s butt rock...

Did I mention that the other night, both WCSX and WLLZ were playing "Foolin'" within 2 seconds of each other? For fuck's sake...

WOMC: Sublime. No, as in "Santaria". Surprising as all hell. Not what I expected to hear on OMC. I'd venture to say they may have the best varied playlist. But the whole JJ and Joanne thing? Nah. And who is doing middays there now?

I'm overall tired of hearing the artist repetition. Journey, Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, the same played out Nirvana, AIC, Soundgarden and Temple of the Dog stuff, but Wheels did play "Dumb" this morning, so kudos to them.

I've been favoring the Bounce a lot more lately. When at any given time I can hear one of the above mentioned bands or songs on 4-7 different stations on my travels, it's nice to hear an older Ludacris song or something.

I'm not sure what direction WHMI is anymore, and that processing sticks out like a sore thumb.

There's just nothing all that entertaining. Same songs, same bands, jocks don't say much in the way of anything (hey, is Wheels signing someone up for the rock n roll payroll at 10 after?), and I'm finding myself actually recording albums for the van like it's 1989. And why not? All of the rock stations are stuck in 1989 as well.

[Deleted User 15342]

This is not a Detroit thing, it’s the same nationally. The same playlist is in New York, Chicago, Washington D.C. and L.A. it’s corporate radio. Just where the hell have you been? this has been going on since the deregulation took place in 1996. Nothing new for the last 25 years but the same boring radio. I did see something on Radio Insight today, apparently IHeart may start a format called Totally 90’s they are getting some internet domains together for this format. Just another corporate format.

[armchair pd]

Can't argue with any of this.

[MWmetalhead]

WRIF by far has the best playlist of the area rock stations.

WOMC plays "1979" by the Smashing Pumpkins twice or thrice daily, it seems.

[JLesinski]

This is not a Detroit thing, it’s the same nationally. The same playlist is in New York, Chicago, Washington D.C. and L.A. it’s corporate radio. Just where the hell have you been? this has been going on since the deregulation took place in 1996. Nothing new for the last 25 years but the same boring radio. I did see something on Radio Insight today, apparently IHeart may start a format called Totally 90’s they are getting some internet domains together for this format. Just another corporate format.

Ok, so explain to us not familiar with radio management how and why this is, please?

Is it a cost cutting move?
Is it just for simplicities sake? Make 'em all the same?
Is it a lack of faith in talent or creativity at the PD level nationwide?
If its all focus driven who is in these focus groups that we end up with this pablum? And why cant it change?

[Deleted User 15342]

This is not a Detroit thing, it’s the same nationally. The same playlist is in New York, Chicago, Washington D.C. and L.A. it’s corporate radio. Just where the hell have you been? this has been going on since the deregulation took place in 1996. Nothing new for the last 25 years but the same boring radio. I did see something on Radio Insight today, apparently IHeart may start a format called Totally 90’s they are getting some internet domains together for this format. Just another corporate format.

Ok, so explain to us not familiar with radio management how and why this is, please?

Is it a cost cutting move?
Is it just for simplicities sake? Make 'em all the same?
Is it a lack of faith in talent or creativity at the PD level nationwide?
If its all focus driven who is in these focus groups that we end up with this pablum? And why cant it change?

I’m not in the business, but all you have to do is listen to stations in other markets via www.radio.com or www.iheart.com and you’ll be able to hear corporate radio doing the same playlist in most if not all large and medium markets. The small markets even have the same playlist of their large market sister stations. It’s all corporate radio. Is it cost cutting? Yes, is it for simplicity’s sake? Yes, is it lack of creativity? yes. The limited playlist is what the programming people at the corporate level call safe music (what ever the hell that is).

[Mega Hertz]

Perhaps I'm just noticing this more as I travel from job site to job site. A couple of weeks ago, we counted hearing Bohemian Rhapsody 34 times in one week. It's now a running gag in the van.

I've known for a long time it's all about repetition. Hell, the AOR format was based on artist recognition. Wheels doesn't know what it wants to be. How many folks that tune into that station want Triumph deep cuts mixed in with rock of the 90s and 00s? And the hair metal quotient is getting way out of control. Spinning Once Bitten Twice Shy like it's a Goddamn current. We're talking marginal tunes 30 years ago that are probably getting more plays now than back then. I'm also noticing a LOT more Tom Petty. I like Petty, but I need a break from Refugee and Won't Back Down.

I will agree with MW that Riff may be the best of my options, but that isn't necessarily because they ARE better, but with all the other garbage, it's perception. But there have been times where I'll spend more time at Riff because they'll put a decent sweep together.

I think what's happening now is, they're trying to grab at that last grasp of air before internet/iTunes/Pandora kicked in. The 90s are a harder decade as it was all over the map, and Top 40 back then wasn't what it had been 30 years earlier. If you grew up in the 90s (like me), by the end of the decade you had Napster and LimeWire, so this generation is the first one that embraced the net, so we had everything at our fingertips. We're probably not scanning the dial as often as the Boomers and Gen X. I do because my options are limited.

We've been saying for years that the "writing is on the wall" about FM music radio, but the problem is the writing is 12 feet high and the programmers/owners are standing too close to read it. I'll bet if I go downstairs and scan the rock the stations, I'll hear one of the songs or bands I mentioned before. But why? I have a minimum of 50 hours I can hear it again next week, in between useless breaks from a no-name "DJ" that's based in either Dallas or was recorded 4 days ago.

That reminds me, I was gonna tape "...And Justice For All" for the van. After all, Metallica did have more albums than black album and Ride the Lightning. Shhhhh...don't tell the rock stations that. It's our little secret.

[Deleted User 15342]

It’s time for corporate radio to sell their properties to smaller broadcasters one station at a time. Give radio back to the people because the reality is the internet will kill music on FM radio if corporate radio remains in control. Look at how much IHeart Radio, Radio.com and all the other big radio corporation’s have a tremendous internet presence, because they want to destroy AM and FM radio so therefore they need to sell and give broadcast radio back to the people who care about radio.

[ChrisWL1980]

At first I thought the OP meant WLLZ had banned all Ted Nugent records or something.

WHMI bores the hell out of me. They seem to be trying to be WOMC Jr. ... only tighter. At the same time they eliminated their classic rock lean, they apparently cut back their playlist to the typical "safe 150-200" songs. It seems I hear "I Will Survive" every time I tune in.

[szmigiel]

I think the internet has already killed music on FM radio. The small playlist of safe songs, boiling down major artist with multiple albums down to a handful of songs, some artist just one or two songs if they are lucky to even get played. Being very restrictive in the bands they do play.

About the only radio station I listen to is 89.5 WAHS. Sure play a few songs that aren't my tastes, but surprisingly I actually heard old songs I had forgotten, and some new artist I have started to listen to and track down. I get disappointed if I need to leave the small coverage area they have.

[Mega Hertz]

At first I thought the OP meant WLLZ had banned all Ted Nugent records or something.

While it's true you don't hear much Nugent anymore, no. That's not the case. The only way to get a thread noticed is to whine about liberals. It worked.

[Deleted User 15342]

At first I thought the OP meant WLLZ had banned all Ted Nugent records or something.

While it's true you don't hear much Nugent anymore, no. That's not the case. The only way to get a thread noticed is to whine about liberals. It worked.

It’s about time this board gets back to Broadcasting and away from Covid and Political crap. It’s actually becoming depressing lately. By the way good topic Mega Hertz.

[Mega Hertz]

https://youtu.be/rpPQqs_Qou8

Ted Nugent at WLLZ (1987)

[Realist]

I wouldn’t walk across the street to see him even if the tickets were free. Same with Kid Rock anymore. Don’t want to have your politics shoved down my throat, boys. Just entertain me and shut up...

[Mega Hertz]

I wouldn’t walk across the street to see him even if the tickets were free. Same with Kid Rock anymore. Don’t want to have your politics shoved down my throat, boys. Just entertain me and shut up...

I'll still jam some Ted. Kid Rock, on the other hand, can stay out of my ears.

Anyway, the topic at hand...