It is a sign of any format in transition and, at this moment, of every new music format. Many stations begin relying more heavily on gold, even if new titles are in the minority already. Then come the new-station launches that just decide to dispense with the currents. What began with the launch of Classic Hip-Hop in the mid-’00s continued with Active Rock and, in recent months and weeks, more Country outlets. Last month, WOLT (Alt 103.3) Indianapolis rebranded as “Alternative of the ’90s and 2000s, Indy 103.3.” Earlier this week, Hot AC WGER Saginaw, Mich., became 106.3 The Core.
Alternative was early to feel the impact of streaming rivals, as well as the advent of PPM ratings measurement that showed how 18-34 listening had been diminished. Alternative was largely a library-based format already, although Audacy’s stations briefly tried to contemporize a few years ago, to the derision of much of the industry.
Recently, XETRA (91X) San Diego as well as Audacy’s KROQ Los Angeles and KNRK Portland, Ore., have gone notably older, although they still play currents. But what has marked those stations is playing less music from the last few years (when a small number of viable hits was destroyed by overplay) and a willingness to go back even to the ’80s and pre-grunge early ’90s.
The recent launches aren’t as old as those stations. The Core is mostly early 2K, and it’s based in the music on the cusp of Active and Alternative, making it the inverse of 91X. (It was that period when the two formats were at their closest that prompted the launch of 91X’s predecessor, the “FM94/9” version of rival KBZT., in turn setting off another brief building boom of gold-based Alternative outlets.)
I took a First Listen to Indy 103.3 shortly after its launch and to The Core on the afternoon of its format flip from Hot AC. I also happened to be listening to WBTZ (The Buzz) Burlington, Vt., this week, which is covering much of the same territory as The Core, but with currents, and enjoyed it enough to include here.
One of the best ways to ensure that any format will rebound is to declare it dead. Country saw that after a New York Times article in the mid-’80s. CHR has come back three times, although a slight improvement in product hasn’t helped much recently. Alternative was actually in a pretty happy place in the late ’80s/early ’90s, but grunge was bigger and more undeniable and brought back current-based rock radio overall.
As it happens, I find myself liking a decent number of both Alternative and Active titles these days. If stations would play them both, it seems like a quorum for a format, but it’s hard to know where the radio motor for that comeback would come from. The new musical trends — bedroom and TikTok pop — are places Alternative radio didn’t want to go in the end. Triple-A, more current than ever in recent years, seems to be the place to take new Alternative music, but not all of that product fits.
As the former WRZX (103X), one of the format’s hardest rocking outlets, you might have expected the new Indy 103.3 to rock harder, but Cumulus’s WNDX (939X) is already in that space. WRZX is down the center, although most of what it plays became bro-friendly with time. Here’s Indy 103.3 on just before 3 p.m. on its first day, Aug. 25, playing “the music you downloaded illegally.”
- Alice in Chains, “Man in the Box”
- Blink-182, “First Date”
- AWOLNATION, “Sail”
- Franz Ferdinand, “Take Me Out”
- Pearl Jam, “Jeremy”
- All-American Rejects, “Dirty Little Secret”
- Offspring, “Come Out and Play”
- Yellowcard, “Ocean Avenue”
- Nirvana, “Lithium”
- Muse, “Starlight”
- Fatboy Slim, “The Rockefeller Skank”
- Foo Fighters, “Best of You”
- Everlast, “What It’s Like”
On its first day, The Core was already hosted, and running spots. There was also already a first promotion — a chance for 20 listeners to take place in a pumpkin smash at Johnson’s Farm. PD Clay Pierce was on the air and proudly noted “all the social media matches, thank goodness.” There’s also a sweeper that refers to “The Core” as “your new safe word.” Here’s The Core at 5 p.m. on Sept. 20.
- Third Eye Blind, “Jumper”
- Stone Sour, “Through Glass”
- Offspring, “Come Out and Play”
- Shinedown, “45”
- Semisonic, “Closing Time”
- Seether, “Remedy”
- Evanescence, “Going Under”
- Marilyn Manson, “The Beautiful People”
- Incubus, “Stellar”
- Foo Fighters, “All My Life”
- Sublime, “Santeria”
- Hole, “Celebrity Skin”
Burlington, Vt.’s The Buzz was launched during the “new rock revolution” of the mid-’90s. Like KPNT (The Point) St. Louis, it never stopped living in the place where Active and Alternative Rock meet. Texturally, it’s only a little poppier than The Core, but the four currents an hour still make a difference. In the spring Nielsen, it was up 3.3-5.4, its best 12-plus number in two years. Here’s The Buzz on Sept. 20, just before 2 p.m.
- Papa Roach, “Scars”
- Dirty Heads, “My Sweet Summer”
- Ataris, “The Boys of Summer”
- Muse, “Uprising”
- Highly Suspect, “Natural Born Killer”
- Audioslave, “Like a Stone”
- Jelly Roll, “Dead Man Walking”
- Fall Out Boy, “Dance Dance”
- Vance Joy, “Charity”
- Beastie Boys, “Sabotage”
- Palays Royal, “Broken”
- Bush, “Everything Zen”
- Theory of a Deadman, “Rx (Medicate)”
- All Time Low f/Blackbear, “Monsters”
- Cage the Elephant, “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked”
