Bet you know what I’m about to say. That’s right kiddos, the ALT format currently has no credibility. We should just change the name of the format to ALT 40. Cuz that what it is. Some sort of mutant hybrid of a supposed new music format with a hyped out mainstream bro-dude attitude.
Once again I listened to a handful of our best and brightest this week. Sadness and uncontrollable sobbing was my reward. I had to listen to “All Cried Out” by Alison Moyet just to get my spirits boosted again. One station, in particular, almost made me jump out the window of my ground floor apartment I was so depressed. Let's just say the station is west of the Mississippi and north of Mexico, which obviously rules out 91X. The staff at this station look like starving POWs, cuz the Non Comm A3 is eating their breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
A typical hour went kinda like this: song / ID / song / ID / song / recorded promo ID / song / right into spots with no back announce.
Out of spots with a half hearted front announce of an artist much of the nation is just starting to discover and is starting to move on radio everywhere. But here, I could barely make out what the jock said. The artist was Noah Kahan and he was treated like just another recurrent even though he’s still unknown enough that you should spend time letting the audience know who he is.
Look, if your USP is that of a new music station, then you need to scream that fact from the rooftops all day long. If this is what separates you from the rest
The story of Alternative radio can't be told without Max Tolkoff's name being invoked. He's programmed 91X in San Diego and WFNX in Boston. He's done a bunch of other stuff as well, but we're not sure if he wants that known. Hell, we're not even sure he wants to be writing this column, but we're thankful he is! Want to reach Max? click here!
GAG REFLEX with Max Tolkoff
credibility
Alto! You happy at your job? Got great ratings? Get laid regularly? Then this is the last thing you need to be reading. Go away.
"The staff at this station look like starving POWs, cuz the Non Comm A3 is eating their breakfast, lunch, and dinner."
"I don’t know why I’m talking to you guys; you have no power. I should be sending this to your bosses, but they won’t listen either."
"The staff at this station look like starving POWs, cuz the Non Comm A3 is eating their breakfast, lunch, and dinner."