woxy.com

Clear channel just bought the last independant alternative radio station in america and this is their last week on air over the net or over the airwaves.

they are playing from A-Z every song they have ever played in the past 25 years from the clash to interpol... they are rocking this last week and you can record it live by downloading a live streamer while the music is still live...please tune in and give a last listen before the music dies...at least here in san antonio i will be back into a musical void of corporate radio without a good alternative source...give woxy a listen before its silence

woxy.com

again, as posted in the Aggie Football board ...

If there is a market for it, and Clear Channel just bought it - it's in Clear Channel's best interest to keep it going and profit from it.

If it's not profitable - it already killed itself and Clear Channel had nothing to do with it. Clear Channel doesn't determine what's appealing to the masses - people do. If Clear Channel gets no listeners - they get no money.

If this station is so great - they'll keep it, and you've got nothing to worry about.

spoken like a true artist

Clear Channel is shooting themselves in the foot, and it will show in a few years, much like the major record labels are about to die. The blind support of CC on here simply because of Mays is hilarious.

The best "radio" stations out there right now, don't come from that medium anyway. How many of you listen to radio at home? The rock stations on most satellite or digital cable systems are far superior, and with satellite radio we can start bypassing the CC run crap altogether.

just log on and listen...they are playing really good songs if you like alternative rock ...you will like this rundown of their entire collection


by the way pop music hit makers are never the best because they make money...just read rolling stones worst songs...all number one hits that suck because marketing mage them the best not natural selection as you claim


i.e.

mcferring?-don't worry be happy
Too sexy for my ...
vanilla ice ice baby
starship we built this city
etc.

right now woxy is playing their best countdown and its worth a listen

just use winamp and type in woxy and then listen if you have a stream ripper then you can record it off the net and record all the songs

right now they are playing the sisters of mercy - dominion/mother russia

they are on the letter D and will be going to Z by next saturday

back to the argument..do you think Mcdonals is quality burgers...due to marketing they have built a financial empire and steak and ale cannot compete with their rib eye steak and closed down in San antonio..my point is profit and market share do not equal quality when it comes to art,

I have extreme distaste for McDonald's food. So you win there.

I also would like to point out that I do not blindly follow Mays just because he's an Aggie (though I do appreciate the fact that an Aggie is kicking that much @ss) ... I'm pointing out the business side of this situation.

"Profit and market share does not equal quality when it comes to art" ...

This varies from person to person. Quality of art is a serious grey area, but there's a reason why the majority of the people on this board immediately started singing the lyrics of those non-quality songs that were posted.

They were damn-catchy. Most people like that. Not everyone, but the majority of people do.

Vanilla didn't have a great riff to rival Jimi Hendrix in Ice Ice Baby (he actually ripped off Queen, right?), but at one point in time people were telling that white boy to go, and in a good way.

It's pretty obvious that Clear Channel is doing something right, or they wouldn't still be around. That's common sense.

Radio stations live off of how many people listen, and when the Arbitron books come back in - and no one is listening to WOXY anymore because "Clear Channel killed it" by turning it into a different format ... Clear Channel will have to bring the old format back, because they will not keep an unprofitable radio station.

It's business. And to read that (and say that) gives off a really cold vibe ...

but radio is a unique business in the fact that it's vitality is controlled by the listener. You, me, and everyone else reading this too-long post. It's all your "I'm too sexy" neighbors that have killed WOXY.

Maybe diamondag and syd are musical geniuses, and their musical taste is the equivalent of wine while everyone else wants orange juice. I'm not trying to mock you guys, what I said is probably true (sid's job is in "music" ) ... but until wine is marketable to the masses, orange juice will be served, because deep down inside - we've always loved orange juice, and we'll buy another quart next week.

(I had to edit out a "winky" face ... who intentionally posts those? )

[This message has been edited by aggiealphamale (edited 5/9/2004 10:38a).]

With all due respect, AAM, you're way off base.

I know everyone on the board's going to have a hard-on for Lowry Mays, but I've seen several Clear Channel-run stations ground into the dirt once Clear Channel took over.

They fire the higher-priced personalities, replace them with people from out of state who can pipe their voice in between songs, and when the ratings tank, use that as a reason to fire more personalities and replace them as well.

Try calling a local Clear Channel radio station after 7pm or any time on a weekend. Better yet, try calling all the Clear Channel stations in Houston on a weekend.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Does Clear Channel make a lot of money? Sure. It's easy to prop up the bottom line when you cut airstaff to one or 2 people per station. Over the long term, radio will become pretty irrelvant, and Clear Channel is leading the way.

I'd like to also note that stations like clear channel are supposed to provide a local flair in their music selection.

Not just play what sells but according to the FCC radio applications, they are to provide a service to the locality they broadcast too. There is supposed to be little overlap between stations playlist rotation

Matter of fact, Clear channel is under investigation for monopoly violations and abuse to the air wave privilege by profiting by stream lining their company and providin no unique customized air play to the community\

i.e. taking and playing request versus what ever playlist they think is profitable

they only pay 20,000 a year for the radio license. they do not need alot to make a profit with that small overhead.

RIAA has purposefully cut off any free trade via the internet by making internet radio too expensive to broadcast by charging per listener thus continuing the monopoly.

Aritst are being ignored and blocked from exposure becuase it IS more profitable to market only a few artist with controlled media and marketing rather than by allowing free trade and selection of the music by choice.

For the argument that people will not listen, WOXY has over 50,000 internet radio listeners and was growing. there is a market why dont you take a listen for your self and reply if whether you do or do not like the music

I hear corporate radio and have actively chose not to listen to airwaive music becuase it sux so i listen to internet radio.

woxy.com give it a listen

then tell me if you think it is that bad but the corporate mentality that what sells is good because it sells is not a viable argument and i just wish all genres of music are allowed. in san antonio we have 3 z rock stations, classic rock, 3 stations...that is a littel too much classic rock, we have like 5 tejano stations and 3 country, only 1 jazz, no alternative, 2 mix stations playing pop radio et. and much hip hop...

i really do not hear much variety in the airwaves..it would be different if open competition allowed for a business person to establish a new station but they are so controlled that only companies with millions can open or buy a radio station and these are our public airwaves

Give me a break...its an INTERNET RADIO STATION. Tomorrow the sun will rise and the would will not end because it was bought by Clear Channel.

quote:

---

Clear channel just bought the last independant alternative radio station in america

---

Is that really the last independent alternative radio station in America? I found that hard to believe. Isn't 101X in Austin independent? Or it was when I lived there.

Hey DiamondAg -

I'm here in San Antonio as well ... but I do listen to the radio a lot. I love music like crazy - so if I possibly can - I'm listening to it.

I do have to argue the no locality attack on Clear Channel. Just a couple weeks ago I went to a concert put on by MIX 96.1 ... 2 of the 5 acts were Texas bands - Blue October (hell yes) and Los Lonely Boys (pretty b.a. as well), and I hear both of those bands pretty consistently on that station.

I seriously doubt those 2 bands are getting heavy airplay on all the other Clear Channel/MIX-type stations across the globe.

I also hit up County Line on Wednesday nights pretty often - and that's a KJ-97 thing promoting Texas music. KJ is Clear Channel too. I haven't lost faith in our radio stations yet.

Maybe it's different in other markets, but the San Antonio stations are actually promoting local music.

oh yeah, superunknown, well you suck!!

but seriously ... it's just a matter of time until there is only one DJ for all Clear Channel stations?

Then who is going to go to remotes/appearances/concerts, etc?

I'm sure a lot of stations are voice-tracked from midnight til 6am - it would be pure idiocy to pay a talent to sit there at that hour ... but after 7pm?

Also, I don't think it would be so bad to voice track weekends - as long as the weather and traffic people are still around in case of emergency ... the djs gotta have a break sometime.

Boooo.... I listen to that station at work all the time.

build the hell - which one?

WOXY, the one the thread is about...

yikes.

I should've never brought other stations into the mix. yes, that was intended.

101X is now owned by Simmons Media. They were formerly owned by LBJ-S (a conglomeration of Sinclair Media and the LBJ trust fund type thing).

just trying to help.

oh, and for the people who talked about local bands, etc. In the rare case it happens, it's a win-win. Someone like Blue October will gladly play a radio station's show for free to get the exposure, or someone who's up and coming (Los Lonely Boys) will be put on the bill via an agreement with the radio station and their record label.

Record label says "hey, add this song by (fill in the blank) and we'll send you Los Lonely Boys to play at your ____fest this year."

Radio station says "ok!"

that's the simplified version of how the radio shell game works.

I know this will sound like I'm being some music snob, but the reason Clear Channel makes so much money and programs what it does, is because 90% of the world likes crap.

Joe Blow will just listen to whatever they play, and not pay attention or really think about what they're hearing, nor try to go out and search for that next really great band that just hasn't been heard yet.

I have one friend on earth that I can talk music with. The rest of 'em listen to AM, clear channel crap, and one drives around with no radio on at all, talk about infuriating.

Bottom line is, clear channel is appealing to the masses, and the masses taste in music sucks.

There are still a few good 'alternative' stations. San Antonio has KSYM 90.1 run at SAC, College Station has KANM 99.9 cable 1580 AM run by Aggie students, Houston has KTRU 91.7 from Rice. I'm pretty sure t.u., SMU, Tech and a few others have alternative stations also.

I'm a huge fan of internet radio. The best part is the ability to listen to shows from different countries.

well i have logged onto other alternative radio stations...

most are pretty good such as 3wk...and ksym but stations like 3wk and ksym in my opinion were not as good as woxy; and ksym only played alternative radio certain time of the day and have in the past few years change their format strying away from alternative rock


i will try the houston stations on the net and 101x you mentioned hopefully they will fill that void

to make matters worse...my home got broken into this weekend so not only is my favorite radio station going off the air i lost over 500 CD's

most of my collection was out of print stuff like neds atomic dustbin, peter murphys early cd's etc.

My led zeppling collection, rush collection, who, beatles, etc. all gone

so this weekend has SUCKED!!!!!



[This message has been edited by diamondag (edited 5/10/2004 8:33p).]

[This message has been edited by diamondag (edited 5/10/2004 8:34p).]

sorry I didn't respond earlier.

will they just have 1 DJ per station? maybe. so far most of the attempts to regionalize have failed. They still try to do it in the mornings, but since it hasn't caught on there, it's been slow in other areas.

yes, it makes economic sense to not pay anyone to be there from midnight to 6am (especially in a small town like B/CS) but the problem I have with it is two-fold.

1) there aren't many DJs who can entertain...and all too often the ones who do piss off one person who cries and stomps and moans till the DJ is fired.

and
2) there's no training ground for new DJs...

if you think DJs suck now, just wait a few more years. as contracts will run out, it'll be easier to hire someone at an hourly wage (who's never had the chance to develop an actual personality) than to replace them with a quality on air personality.

and as you said about weekends, I agree. Very few people work a 7 day work week, so why should DJs? Back in the good ol' days, the weekends and graveyard shifts were where you culled people who really wanted to be in radio and learn it inside and out and up and down from the people who want to listen to music and hit on 14 year olds who call the request lines.

and that's not even addressing the severe weather and other emergency situations. God forbid a train full of toxic whatever derail on campus at 9pm or a tornado tear up half the town, because I'm guessing it would be at least half an hour or more before you heard anything but an automated weather bulletin generated from D/FW, Houston or Galveston over the radio.

How many people have TVs that are battery powered? If nothing else you can tune into the car radio to find out what's going on. Or, rather, you used to.

At the absolute risk of sounding like the posters that I can't stand because I am not going to say anything to back this up but -- Clear Channel Sucks A$$!!!

Welcome to the world of vanilla, white bread and big brother; good bye diversity and free thoughts.

The problem with the blind loyalty is that you won't convince them no matter what you say or try to tell them which is why I won't try to say or tell them anything.

however - Superunknown and Syd -- excellent points and I agree with you.

and Superunknown -- Great post of the kool aid pitcher! that made my week!

Clear Channel does suck and they are the reason I bought XM radio a couple weeks ago. Some cities are worse then others when it comes to Clear Channel and I can't imagine any could be worse then Houston. They have destroyed every station they have touched in town, complete crap.

aggiealphamale, I just noticed in your profile that you do radio advertising and live in San Antonio. Are you an employee of Clear Channel? Just curious, might help explain your complete faith in them.

Amen. I find it appalling that in a city the size of Houston, there is not hardly one channel worth listening to. I have not listened to houston radio since 95.7 Texas Country went off, which by the way was a pretty damn good station.

The fact that Sam Malone has been doing his horrible morning show so long is all the proof you need Houston radio is in the toilet.

Which brings up another problem I have, who the hell within Cear Channel decided that we want to listen to a-holes yap on the way to work instead of listening to music ?

O&G -- that would explain a lot. While reading his defense of CC, it reminded me frightfully of the corporate woman they always show on the Simpson's who is always touting the company line.

[This message has been edited by Windy City (edited 5/12/2004 4:12p).]

I live in San Antonio as well and am also disapointed with the stations here. In fact, I bought my jeep in January and still haven't set the stereo yet. I'm still living on the thousand plus CDs I own. (with the exception of KSYM which is really good sometimes)

What is disapointing is supposedly we had the opportunity to get a alternative station here a few months ago but they chose a straight up rock format so now we have two identical rock stations. (Metallica, Guns N Roses type of stuff): 99.5 and the new one. Can anybody see the sense in that? Plus we have the classic rock and Mix 96 Simple Plan Machines. Super Suckage.

[This message has been edited by CoolaidWade96 (edited 5/12/2004 9:50p).]

windy city - I resent the "corporate woman" comment, but yes, I do actually work for Clear Channel Radio.

Specifically MIX 96.1 - San Antonio's "#1 Hit Music Station", and HOT 92.5 "Where Hip-Hop Lives".

I do have a lot of faith in the company - as well as the product. Then again, I am only familiar with Clear Channel Radio in San Antonio.

I know and have seen the efforts that our staff, and my friends, are making to serve the local music community. We've got a calendar full of events for each station.

Our stations will not retain listeners if we do not serve our communities. Obviously, none of the Clear Channel Radio stations in your markets have managed to hit home with you.

I myself have made efforts to encourage San Antonio's live music scene through my station. I also highly recommended Blue October to our Program and Music Director, and they listened. We are the only station in San Antonio that plays them.

I also heard Terri Hendrix on our station for the first time today. For those of you who are unfamiliar - she is a Texas songwriter from San Marcos.

A couple years ago - this definitely would have surprised the crap out of me. I was an intern at Clear Channel Radio then, and I had a true distaste for MIX 96.1. But I had good reason to. I was a 20 year old male, and the target audience is 18-34 year old women.

So who caters to me now? None, really, though some get close. I'm a 23 year old male.

MIX plays rock songs that I enjoy. KISS plays some songs that I like, but then plays the same Monster Magnet song they overplayed when I was in high school, and I just have to change the station. K-Rock doesn't know who they are. Z106.7 copies everything MIX plays, and then plays some techno crap. 98.5 da BEAT plays some R&B crap that makes me wanna throw up. HOT 92.5 is a little too hardcore for me with their Hip-Hop, but I do enjoy an occasional "hey I'm a whitey but I'm still bumpin'" listen. KJ is good for random occasions I wanna hear country. I don't like Y100 so much ... and any other station is completely off the map.

Why am I on here defending Clear Channel? Because I sincerely respect the efforts of my co-workers, and because we're an easy (huge) target with few defenders.

I appreciate the criticism. Let me know your thoughts. They just might make us better.

have any you tried listening to woxy since i posted there webpage up top at least

try it out
www.woxy.com

there is some good news just announced

Clear channel did not buy out woxy after all, under tight wraps until just yesterday, it was announced that 1st broadcast out of dallas bought out woxy and is keeping the same format and just rehired the same program manager so hopefully there is still a great music source to look to

still, mix 96 in San Antonio could still play more variety

such as

The Stills
Stella star
Modern Mouse
Trail of the Dead
Paul Okenfold
coustau
sea change
Franz Fernidad
THe music
Starsailor

etc these are radio friendly

here is a link to about woxy unique playlist that is different than other playlist

http://www.cincypost.com/2004/05/11/woxy051104.html

and an article about the NEW TREND IN MUSIC - Alternative Rock making comeback

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4933394/

The woxy boards:

http://msg.woxy.com/forumdisplay.php?s=cc2c89581afc55740f1f898e049b8475&forumid=2


[This message has been edited by diamondag (edited 5/12/2004 11:16p).]

aam:

I know what's it's like to toe the company line. And I don't mean to bash Clear Channel at every turn. One of the points you make is a good one. I'm glad you believe in the product. I don't think everyone in Clear Channel is evil, I just think it's a little top-heavy and they need to do a lot to give local markets more control. Essentially, I'm not calling the individual market program directors and other local parts evil, but I disagree a LOT with the corporate management.

AAM --

Just so you know... to me it doesn't matter what local songs or bands are being played. It is the assumptions they make that everyone is stupid. Like we can't see through the Howard Stern thing. We hear their company line; we don't believe it.

I hear your company line. I don't believe it.

BTW -- I don't listen to Howard Stern. I don't like him. I change the station. I miss the days of local dj's playing what they wanted.

I don't like the new programmed music to wash everyone away. The CC stations here in Chicago play the same music (based on their format) over and over. Boring.

Worse yet the FCC just gave them permission to flood the airwaves with just more of the same. How is that good?

600 say goodbye

http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?savewoxy&301

Windy City -

Who has assumed that people are stupid?

Songs are tested to see how the audience responds - if they like them - they get air play. Do people's tastes make them stupid?

I don't mind if you don't believe what I say.

Howard Stern was removed because some of his program is considered indecent by the FCC. Do you hate and distrust the FCC now?

And I've already said that our san antonio stations don't have the same playlists as other markets - so that voids your mass playlist argument.

What do you have against Clear Channel? Were you in a band before you were a "logistics manger" - and the local station wouldn't play your songs? Seriously. What's the deal?

[This message has been edited by aggiealphamale (edited 5/14/2004 1:22p).]

[This message has been edited by Windy City (edited 5/14/2004 4:05p).]

AAM --

No, I have never been in a band whose music was rejected by the local radio station. In fact I've never been in a band.

My dislike and distrust of CC stems from the assumptions that corporations know what is better for local markets than do the people living there. (Especially a corporation with an agenda to push). Perhaps they know better on how to improve the bottom line but quality IS sacrificed.

The rest of my grievances were mentioned by Syd and Superunknown. To repeat them would have been redundant.

Regarding the FCC, yes their decisions have made me quite angry of late. Are the FCC and Clear Channel in cahoots? Hell Clear Channel clearly is one of the largest winners in the FCC's decision to deregulate the PUBLIC's airwaves even further.

You didn't answer my question though. HOW IS THIS GOOD? I read a lot of how it "isn't bad" or "it won't be the end of the world" but not one of the testimonials I've read has said how it will be better for the public. We know why it is better for Clear Channel... (Or for Michael Powell seeing as his father sits on the board of directors of a major media company.)

How is it better for me and the rest of the posters who aren't happy with it? That is where I say that CC thinks we are stupid and we can't see this.

btw - I can appreciate you defending your company. If I were in your shoes, I would most likely do the same thing.

[This message has been edited by Windy City (edited 5/14/2004 4:05p).]