CBS Alternative “Live 105” KITS San Francisco has relaunched its HD2 as Indie Rock “Indie 105“.
The new format replaces Classic Alternative “Classic Live 105“. The company describes the new station as focusing on rock for the digital generation targeting Millenials and Gen Z’ers with “a cutting edge mix of indie rock hits from the streaming and music blog universe”. KITS Program Director Jacent Jackson and Assistant PD/Music Director Aaron Axelsen are overseeing the new brand extension.
Live 105 is launching “Indie 105.” It replaces “Classic Live 105” on our HD2 channel and will also live on Radio.com.
The new “Indie 105” focuses on rock for the digital generation. It targets Millenials and Gen Z’ers and plays a cutting edge mix of indie rock hits from the streaming and music blog universe.
The playlist has been curated by Live 105 Program Director Jacent Jackson and Assistant PD/Music Director Aaron Axelsen.“This is a radio station for opening bands and the fans who love them. It’s a true channel for the digital streaming, festival going generation. Aaron and I have programmed shows like this on broadcast radio and they are a labor of love. I couldn’t be more pleased to bring this channel to the Bay Area locally and everywhere on the radio.com app” said Program Director Jacent Jackson.
“Think of this exciting endeavor as an amalgamation of our venerable new music program Soundcheck, combined with the vibrant blogging culture and digital streaming movement, all while catering to those with an adventurous appetite for underground music and emerging artists, and that should give you an accurate snapshot of what to expect from Indie 105” added Aaron Axelsen, Music Director, Assistant Program Director and host of Live 105’s specialty shows Soundcheck and Subsonic.
Indie 105 signs the weekend of Live 105’s BFD concert.
The station launches with a mix of music that includes St. Vincent, Arcade Fire, Purity Ring, LCD Soundsystem, The War On Drugs, Vampire Weekend, Hot Chip and Jack White.
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Interesting and glad to see how CBS stations are still investing in creating unique programming formats on their HD subchannels. Hopefully more stations can be more innovative with their subchannels, instead of focusing on using it as a leeway to get a FM translator and/or special music loyalty rates for online streaming.
I LOVED Classic Live 105 and listened to it a lot online. I’m sad to see it go. It is on the same day I see a Facebook post from WSRV HD3 “The Other Side of the River” in Atlanta saying they are probably going to be gone soon as well.. then that post was deleted.
I guess it is back to KROQ HD 2 “Roq of the 80s” for now.
Check out WAPS-HD2 Akron online as well for a healthy dose of retro-new wave.
While some of CBS and iHeart’s HD formats take a stab at variety, they’re mostly aimed at streaming devices. The HD signals are just royalty-reducers (for now). HD subchannel broadcasters are mostly looking to pump out the same old formats that graced the analog airwaves until recently to lowest-common-denominator listeners in cars. That’s why 300-song moldy oldie playlists are replacing “deep tracks” formats on HD. Sad, but inevitable given the nature of ‘broad’casting.
Long live streaming!