New FM station 95.3 "95X" rocks..

Great new triangle station that flat out rocks!!!

 

Heck, yeah, it does! 95X is close to what 96 Rock was *about* to become maybe 10 years ago, before 96 Rock decided it wanted to go mostly classic rock. I can't believe Raleigh has been without an alt rock station this long.

Unfortunately, they've got a relatively weak signal. It comes in fine in the car, but I can't pick it up in the house, at work, etc.

 

It gets better...
http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/netgnomes/58676/alt-rock-returning-to-raleigh/

Plus.....
http://www.95x.com/Article.asp?id=1990873&spid=28211

 

From the article, 250 watts doesn't seem like alot of power for a radio station.

 

250 watts really isn't a lot at all, but they have a pretty solid signal in the car (around Raleigh and southern Wake County) considering... I try to listen at work on 105.1's HD-2 signal, but it doesn't come in that well where I am and cuts out a lot. Before 95X, 105.1's HD-2 signal was carrying a satellite or "I Heart Radio" alt rock format that was very similar to 95X. I listened to that at work as much as I could.

I hope they're able to do something eventually to increase their signal. I'd hate to see them dump a great format because of signal problems, and then use that as a reason why rock doesn't work in Raleigh.

 

Also, there is the "Radio Free Raleigh" that started this month. You'll probably recognize some of the names over there:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Radio-Free-Raleigh/248506308609735?fref=ts

<blatant promotion>Of course, if you are looking for a great variety of music with local, Johnston county info, there is also our own 4042.com Radio</ blatant promotion>
http://stream.4042.com 8)

 

6. Postings concerning business "opportunities", advertisements
for products or services, multi-level marketing, etc. should be
posted in the 4042.com FREE Classifieds - not in the Discussion
Group.

A bit of "do as I say not as I do"? :mrgreen:

 

You really need a sense of humour.

 

Nope, that honour would go to Dіck Martin.

 

LOL,,

 

the FCC is opening up more FM frequencies to smaller power transmitters to encourage more local radio. i rode with 95x all the way from capital and the beltline to smithfield today....

regarding why alt rock has never really appeared in raleigh other than as spice for classic rock or when top 40 was forced to play a lot of it in the 90s...well, it's all y'all's fault actually. it has never tested well with the 25-54 "money demo". it does well with 18-35, but many advertisers (beers for example) will not buy stations whose demos are too young. a small transmitter and minimal overhead will allow for it to exist without the financial demands of a 100k station like 96.1.

 

Never have enjoyed 90's or alt music. Never found any energy in it or find the songs fun. You listen and after the song its....meh..

 

Dangerboy, does the difference in power really make that much difference in costs? I mean, 95X is obviously mostly automated, and the jocks they have were already employed with Clear Channel (so I assume they're salaried and not getting paid any extra). So, other than the electricity, I assumed operating 95X would be the same as operating any other mostly-automated station.

I know that formats like this don't test well, but it basically has no competition. Not every station can be a G105 or WQOK, so (speaking to stations that aren't country, urban or pop) find your niche and own it, even if it's not getting the largest share!

 

jtm,

even a fully/mostly automated station still has to have a large enough following to sell some advertising to pay the monthly bills for operation.

 

Greenboro has the best Rock station around and that's 100.3. They play metal and Rock. When I drive through I hit it all the way to VA. Check em out. Some one needs to clone it.

 

CraigSPL: I know, but ANY format should be able to generate enough revenue to pay the electric bill. Especially a company with multiple stations (if you buy 2 ads on G105, for 10% more we'll throw in an ad on 95X). People (DJs) are likely the biggest cost.

My main point was wanting to know if there was really that much overall cost difference in running a 100k watt station compared to a 2.5k watt station.

 

But a company isn't going to pay that 10% more if they don't think the ROI is there. And if the demographic doesn't fit an advertiser then there is 0% ROI.

 

I also like 92.3 out there

 

East of here

99.5 or 105.5

 

@jtm the cost of the equipment is hugely different between a 100k FM Stereo transmitter and a 250 watt (that's how small the 95x transmitter is, although they are also looking at putting one up in durham). there's also the consideration of the tower. that 250 watt transmitter is sitting 1500 feet in the air on already leased CC tower space. this "relaxation" has been done to encourage LOCAL, SMALL radio businesses. unfortunately, the CCs of the world can take advantage of that. most places whose budgetary limitations put them in the category of having a transmitter less than 1k are not able to hang it on a 1500 foot tower. many smaller stations with transmitters up to 6K would be lucky to have a nice 500 foot tower. that makes a HUGE difference in how far the signal will carry. and yes, CC has g105 et al to package together. they can package it with the river pretty nicely, too. but the smaller companies that this was intended to help wouldn't have that resource, wouldn't have that "foot in the door". an indy company who rounded up enough money to finance a small transmitter and maybe lease some space on an existing tower is going to struggle no matter what format they play, because they are an unknown entity...

oh, and don't assume the jocks don't make extra. one of them is the program director, and an air shift is part of his job. but clear channel has ALWAYS paid their employed jocks 5 or 6K extra to voice track a shift on another station. anyone remember big rig who did nights on rdu towards the end of the rock era? HE WAS NEVER HERE. he was the afternoon guy at the CC station in tampa. he was already full-time employed, but they gave him an extra 5k for every station out of that market that they put him on. before or after his shift, he'd go into the production studio, open an email containing the music log for the next day (all music is prescheduled. there are format clocks to follow. commercial breaks happen at the same time every hour. the software knows where a person is supposed to jump in and talk, and indicates that on the log), record his talking parts to be inserted into the music, and emailed it back. probably took an hour a day to do the whole 5 hour night shift. not a bad gig if you can get it...