Maybe along with the Ford Center tax, we can pass a penny sales tax to get some real radio stations in Oklahoma City. Because just when you thought the Oklahoma City radio market couldn’t get any worse, our friends at OklahomaRock.com (who…by the way…do not respond to emails) share this “news:”
During their nothing-but-Metallica weekend, 94.7 The Buzz teased a format change with sweepers like “What’s the Buzzzzzz? Find out Monday morning at 10″.
After sitting through Lex & Terry, they tipped their hat toward the rumors that KTOK was going to take over the 94.7 signal with a Glenn Beck soundbyte. (cringe) After taking a few swipes at the KATT, the first song we hear is AC/DC’s “Back in Black” (ugh), followed by Foo Fighters, The Ramones, Korn, Pantera, Atreyu and Tool.
So obviously, the station is switching from ‘Alternative’ to ‘Active Rock’ in order to take some market share away from the KATT. The fourth quarter of 2007 was very unkind to 94.7 FM (1.4), falling just above La Indomable 105.3 FM (1.3) in the ratings. Meanwhile, KATT (5.7) has been a consistent top five station in the ratings. So from a business sense, it’s a very smart move the KHBZ.
Despite it being the ‘number one’ present on my car radio, I don’t think I’ve listened to 95x The Buzz since it broadcast Hornets games in 2005. In that regard, I would like to thank Oklahoma Rock for unintentionally reminding me to remove 94.7 from my line of stations that I have preset but never listen to.
Additionally, I’d like to thank the powers-at-be at the Buzz for making a completely idiotic decision and (instead of bringing Indie Rock back to Oklahoma City radio) deciding to compete with one of Oklahoma City’s (like it or not) few radio institutions, The KATT. And the reason I’d like to thank them is because I like to see incompetent people get fired, and hopefully these buffoons will get fired pretty soon.
Seriously, imagine how great it would be if instead of throwing out AC/DC, Korn and Atreyu, we were greeted by even mainstream indie rock like The Flaming Lips, The Arcade Fire, Band of Horses, or dear god, even Interpol. Imagine the “Buzz” (eh) that would have created. But no, we get to hear–as an OklahomaRock commenter perfectly labeled it–more MethRock.
And to go with it, I bet we’ll eventually get Blade Runner, too. Thank god for illegal downloading.
Who cares….90.1fm is where its at anyway. Right before I’m charged up for the day by getting my savage nation fix.
I gave up on commercial radio in favor of public radio years and years ago and determined I wasn’t missing anything. Not to be snide, but I was right.
But, the idiots who program commercial music stations would probably win a listener back if there was a REALLY GOOD rock format that would be a decent mix of new type stuff (Decembrists, etc) and old-school stuff. I guess I’ll just stick with the Gimme Noise! channel on iTunes …
… but I’ll still be listening (and donating my hard earned scratch) to KGOU.
kgou is awesome.
This doesn’t bother me, because you see, my soul died when The Spy did.
Long live Ferris and his rambling diatribes on the history of The Smiths.
Oh well, I always have SIRIUS.
Another LJ Smith screw up. I HATED working for that douche bag. The day he left he kept waiting around for someone to through him a going away party, little did he know that they were having one downstairs at the Belle Isle Brewery, but, he wasn’t invited.
I am an XM guy, occasionally KOSU for the Capitol reports
Local radio has sucked for years
Heh. I suck. I’ll e-mail you now.
Yeah except for KGOU, I pretty much just listen to Sirius satellite radio now. Local radio could be cool (lots of great local radio station in Austin) but it is so very not cool in OK.
So they played nothing but Metallica. To do what drive people away. I kinda like Metallica but 25/8, COME ON! Maybe it was a test to see if they could raise the ratings or wanted to drop the ratings. I also stopped listen to the “fuzz” after they started broadcasting the hornets games. WTF was that all about. I try to avoid the radio. Except to hear Jim Traber getting punked by his own co-hosts. And all of a sudden after the break they were missing. Good stuff. The Hornet’s games was a death sentence for the “buzz”. Lets all bow our head……. to spit a pond there grave.
If you think you can spit a pond, then go ahead.
Local radio makes me wanna puke, as does commercial radio in general. The only good commercial radio station I have ever heard is The Ticket in Big D… if only we could dig up some talented, actually funny people in this town.
You think broadcasting an urban sport on an alternative rock station was a mistake?
Wait a sec… a crappy radio station that wasn’t making money changed to an even crappier - yet more ‘viable’ - format and slashed some jobs? The horror!
Isn’t this the 2nd time 94.7 has failed as an “alt rock” station? Last time they switched to a KOFM clone. This time a KATT clone. Maybe next they will just go back to keepin everybody country…
having worked in corporate radio for 5 years…running promotions for 6 stations and voice tracking on two stations…doing live breaks on the others when “talent” could not be found…I can without a doubt say CORPORATE RADIO SUCKS.
I think it only sucked because you were there SoonerDustin! Oooh, snap! nm
ghey
Preach it. I’m the choir.
The new Buzz doesn’t carry Loveline — NOW I’M ANGRY.
You guys keep whining about the spy but reality is, NO ONE (to be precise less than 900 people) listened the station. Even worse, it could not sell ads in months. Was it bad programing? Lack of talent? Bad management? NOPE.
Unfortunately, there’s not enough market(in other words, only you and couple of guys like that kind of music) and if you dont support your station (with money, purchasing things) it would not sustain…sad cuz it has some harcore fans, and Ferris is great!
Actually, I would argue that poor managment, really bad marketing and a really really really bad signal is why The Spy failed.
When it was on the air, I could only listen to it in my car and even then the signal sucked. Hell, I couldn’t even pick it up in my home or office. I would think that’s a death wish for any station.
I liked the original SPY at 93.7 out of stillwater. That was the indie rock station.
105.3 was just a lame corporate attempt to reproduce the 93.7 station
Mexicans don’t seem to mind the signal?
Maybe I was little bit kind to managEment, Corporate or not a station needs money to survive, and this comes in the form of ads and live broadcast from _____
How many radio choices do
“Mexicans” have?
3…well actually it’s more like 2 (no offense to the am station)
How many of you listen to Deano, Traber or AL ESCHBACH? compare that to the spy….
The signal gave the Spy no chance. Norman would have been that station’s biggest market, but it’s signal barely even got to the north part of Moore.
And I’d argue that they went a bit too indie in their music choices station-wide. And their lunch hour was awful.
R.I.P. original SPY (93.7)
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out New SPY
all in all im sick of oklahoma radio in general!! ok im sorry but metallicuh had its time and now that we have beat that into a pile of crap, let us move on to the fact that a. there are millions of songs out there why must i be put on repeat every freakin day PLAY SOMETHING NEW or at least older stuff that isnt overdone b. i know that it is a cool thing to be a dj belive me i know i am one but dammit people catch up with the times and not with what the station tells you to. there is a whole world of music out there and people need to hear it not the repetitious chris daughtry shite we hear everyday!!!!
I remember KSPI-FM 93.7/Stillwater, good times good times. Now its top 40. Meh. Also, 90.9 FM (91 FM, Okc) was really good indie Rock/Christian/Alt.Rock up ’til a couple of years ago.. Now it is Air 1.. and not the same. Yes, same format, but it is probably being run via auto-pilot from Cali. It was the DJ’s who make the stations so great.