What are the worst radio stations you've ever heard?
There was a brief period in 1987 when one of the most miserable stations in the Cincinnati area had to have been WCVG-AM, which had an oldies format then. This station was great when it was top 40 as WCLU, but then the station was sold and became oldies as WCVG. One of the problems with this station was that it played the exact same songs in the exact same order on several consecutive mornings. (I know this because we hadn't bothered to change the presets on the AM radio in the car for days after it switched from WCLU.) The station had been purchased by the owners of a failing FM station in town, and WCVG kept running promos encouraging listeners to switch to the FM.
Another bad AM station locally was WTSJ in the mid-'90s, when most of its programming consisted of conspiracy rants. In one episode, the host went on and on about how zip codes were a communist plot.
I've gotten a somewhat poor impression of other stations based on their technical problems, but not enough to really judge the station as a whole. I do remember one time in 1991 when we went to Evansville IN, and I caught one of the smaller stations in the area, which sounded like they were playing scratched-up records in a tin can. I remember hearing them play a scratchy record of "Mercy Mercy Me" by Robert Palmer that sounded like the DJ was clashing a cymbal along with it. A lot of great stations played scratchy records, but this sounded absurd.
Quote from: bandit957 on February 02, 2015, 12:05:40 AM
One of the problems with this station was that it played the exact same songs in the exact same order on several consecutive mornings. (I know this because we hadn't bothered to change the presets on the AM radio in the car for days after it switched from WCLU.)
What kind of radio station plays "I Got You Babe" every morning at 6 AM for the entire month of February, anyway?
Remember KEAR-AM 610 am San Francisco they started the 2011 Judgement Day hype on Bay Area Billboards on Near the Bay Bridge and on other freeways by Harold Camping. I thought this was some bad ratings ploy at first or money issues at the time that Family Radio was facing.
The worst one I heard of was shows that talk about conspiracy. You have to wonder what the mental state the host or troll is in. Its an Alex Jones type person.
XL106.7 in Orlando! It plays the very same music over and over again in such a short time. Most of the good stations make a promise to their listeners where they try not to play repetition of songs, this station will play the same song within a two hour window. Considering that each day gets more and more songs, even with Top 40 you have several decades of songs you can play.
Quote from: roadman65 on February 02, 2015, 12:22:20 AM
XL106.7 in Orlando! It plays the very same music over and over again in such a short time. Most of the good stations make a promise to their listeners where they try not to play repetition of songs, this station will play the same song within a two hour window. Considering that each day gets more and more songs, even with Top 40 you have several decades of songs you can play.
The big top 40 station in Cincinnati in the '80s was WKRQ. There was a time around 1984-85 when they'd actually play the same song twice in a row. I remember them doing this with "I Feel For You" and "Some Guys Have All The Luck". It pretty much defeats the whole purpose of having a top 40 station. On a top 40 station, a song should be followed by a song that's completely different - not the exact same song.
Mixing the genres its called. I learned that in broadcasting school, it is supposed to be done that way, to avoid what is called " A train wreck."
No same style of song is to be back to back and also the same artists is not supposed to be played within one hour of each airplay. This is ASCAP and BMI rules!
However, many old rock stations play block party lunches, or weekends of three songs by the same artists consecutively. Heck even WNEW in New York used to have Two for Tuesdays with two songs back to back from the same artists. Even with Clapton, who also appeared in Cream, you might of heard a solo cut of his followed by a classic Cream song.
Let's see. Worst radio station. There are quite a few in Montana. KYJK-FM I think is craptacular because they just play the same damn song over and over and over and soon enough, it ends up like a broken record. I just hate that. They're not doing their slogan any justice either. I don't think Star FM's any better either since switching from 98.7 FM to 106.7 FM a couple of years ago in the national radio realignment process. And good God, do I ever hate the pathetic "new country" stations? Yuck! Don't shove that crap in front of me! I have no interest in that at all.
Perhaps my opinion on the current state of country music influences this, but WUSH (US 106.1) is probably the worst music station in the area. It's pretty much a zombie feed of country top 40 hits and syndicated morning radio shows. I once had to work with it playing in the background, and the same song ("Cruise" by Florida Georgia Line) played exactly fifteen times over a span of six hours.
Anything NPR. Also anything that was a part of Air America.
The stations around here that I hate are WLRH 89.3 (the local NPR station) and the country/rap stations. I don't mind it if a station [lays some country/rap mixed in with the rest of the music they play, but I don't like it if a station plays only country/rap.
But then again, the stations that I don't like are based on the fact that I don't like talk radio and I'm not a fan of country nor rap.
The two stations I hate the most happen to have the same moniker after their frequency, KISS-FM. They are 103.5 in Chicago and 106.1 in Seattle, and it doesn't help that iHeartMedia happens to own them both. More like SUCK-FM, if you know what I mean. (At least Hot AC Mix-type stations go back a decade or two, which I can tolerate.)
All the stations where the DJs don't pick their own songs.
Quote from: Henry on February 02, 2015, 12:03:07 PM
The two stations I hate the most happen to have the same moniker after their frequency, KISS-FM. They are 103.5 in Chicago and 106.1 in Seattle, and it doesn't help that iHeartMedia happens to own them both. More like SUCK-FM, if you know what I mean. (At least Hot AC Mix-type stations go back a decade or two, which I can tolerate.)
In northeastern Massachusetts (it's where I am; I have no idea where it's centered), there is "KISS 108", which is really 107.9. Songs repeat about once per hour, and songs are always from the latest few months.
(That's not the greatest difference. I have heard 103.3 advertised as 103, which would be more expected of 103.1 than 103.3.)
Just a question: If a particular area receives signals from both a 102.5 and a 102.9 station, will you be able to hear both if set to 102.7?
Quote from: 1 on February 02, 2015, 12:13:58 PM
Quote from: Henry on February 02, 2015, 12:03:07 PM
The two stations I hate the most happen to have the same moniker after their frequency, KISS-FM. They are 103.5 in Chicago and 106.1 in Seattle, and it doesn't help that iHeartMedia happens to own them both. More like SUCK-FM, if you know what I mean. (At least Hot AC Mix-type stations go back a decade or two, which I can tolerate.)
In northeastern Massachusetts (it's where I am; I have no idea where it's centered), there is "KISS 108", which is really 107.9. Songs repeat about once per hour, and songs are always from the latest few months.
(That's not the greatest difference. I have heard 103.3 advertised as 103, which would be more expected of 103.1 than 103.3.)
Just a question: If a particular area receives signals from both a 102.5 and a 102.9 station, will you be able to hear both if set to 102.7?
Your area has a great station in WUML 91.5. Really cool mix of musics whenever I listen, from pop to ethnic to metal to whatever. Can't get it here because Tufts's station WMFO is on the same frequency but north or west of 128 it comes in.
Anything that carries Limbaugh or Beck.
Baltimore's WBAL-AM radio (a news/talk format) got rid of Limbaugh after carrying him for many years.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on February 02, 2015, 01:29:59 PM
Anything that carries Limbaugh or Beck.
Holy hell. You have no idea how much those lip dink brittled farts annoy me. I sort of listened to them, but I quit well afterwards switching over to ESPN Radio, but even now, it's still bad. KGVO in Missoula carries Limbaugh and Beck. Man, those shitheads leave a bad taste in my mouth.
Lip dink brittled?
Anything Clear Channel runs.
The lowest place for radio stations are those that do not try. AMs that just repeat their FM owner, just to keep the license valid. Stations that just carry crud they get free off the sat. Channels that are managed from afar and are just going to carry the same mix as that company's (CLEAR CHANNEL) mix, the local demographics be damned (black music in 99% white markets, etc).
Quote from: roadman65 on February 02, 2015, 12:35:06 AM
No same style of song is to be back to back and also the same artists is not supposed to be played within one hour of each airplay. This is ASCAP and BMI rules!
However, many old rock stations play block party lunches, or weekends of three songs by the same artists consecutively. Heck even WNEW in New York used to have Two for Tuesdays with two songs back to back from the same artists.
Just about every radio station would be in violation of this.
I remember when I visited San Diego for the first time in 1996, there was a station called Sets FM. It was a format that played two, three or even four songs consecutively by the same artist. It was trademarked format, like Jack (the name, that is) and Arrow.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on February 02, 2015, 01:29:59 PM
Anything that carries Limbaugh or Beck.
Might be a little hard to avoid in rural America (not sure about Beck, but Dr. Laura was often on the same stations as Limbaugh, in the days when I was even listening to AM radio for anything other than local weather/traffic).
Especially in those regions, satellite radio is your friend.
What I hate is when a DJ or shock jock says its 10 minutes before the hour instead of its 10 minutes to 9, or simply 8:50. What good is it to say the time that way.
Okay, granted the show is syndicated in several time zones, but then in that case do not say the time at all or have the local station dub in the correct time. Saying its half past the hour is no help to anyone unless they know what hour they are in.
Tom Joyner, is a big one on X past the hour.
Quote from: SP Cook on February 02, 2015, 09:53:21 PM
The lowest place for radio stations are those that do not try. AMs that just repeat their FM owner, just to keep the license valid. Stations that just carry crud they get free off the sat. Channels that are managed from afar and are just going to carry the same mix as that company's (CLEAR CHANNEL) mix, the local demographics be damned (black music in 99% white markets, etc).
The problem with Clear Channel is that it is/was a publicly trade company. As such, they have to maximize as much profit as they can for the shareholders. Which is understandable. However, the things that made radio great (like 24/7 local jocks, local programming control, etc.) has been taken away from the local stations, especially in smaller markets.
Quote from: golden eagle on February 02, 2015, 10:02:39 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on February 02, 2015, 09:53:21 PM
The lowest place for radio stations are those that do not try. AMs that just repeat their FM owner, just to keep the license valid. Stations that just carry crud they get free off the sat. Channels that are managed from afar and are just going to carry the same mix as that company's (CLEAR CHANNEL) mix, the local demographics be damned (black music in 99% white markets, etc).
The problem with Clear Channel is that it is/was a publicly trade company. As such, they have to maximize as much profit as they can for the shareholders. Which is understandable. However, the things that made radio great (like 24/7 local jocks, local programming control, etc.) has been taken away from the local stations, especially in smaller markets.
Ownership rules were greatly relaxed under several administrations. While this is from a business standpoint, it killed diversity and fertility in radio. Coupled with the RIAA freakouts of the early 2000s, it really put the screws to good local radio stations.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on February 02, 2015, 01:29:59 PM
Baltimore's WBAL-AM radio (a news/talk format) got rid of Limbaugh after carrying him for many years.
His show moved from Cumulus to Clear Channel stations in several markets last year. Was that decision part of that switch?
When K-News in the Palm springs area dropped Dr Laura and Glenn Beck, I was relieved (I don't have to listen to them anyway). That was a few years ago, even conservative talk stations decide who to keep or not (based on contracts to air as their affiliates). Dr Laura is now on Sirius/XM with Howard Stern, both hoped they will have more freedom of speech without FCC regulations terrestrial radio has. K-News on the AM (970) and FM (94.3) doesn't interest me anymore, the station used to air Coast-to-Coast AM which has a paranormal format, and hosted by Art Bell later replaced by George Noory.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on February 02, 2015, 10:29:06 PM
Quote from: golden eagle on February 02, 2015, 10:02:39 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on February 02, 2015, 09:53:21 PM
The lowest place for radio stations are those that do not try. AMs that just repeat their FM owner, just to keep the license valid. Stations that just carry crud they get free off the sat. Channels that are managed from afar and are just going to carry the same mix as that company's (CLEAR CHANNEL) mix, the local demographics be damned (black music in 99% white markets, etc).
The problem with Clear Channel is that it is/was a publicly trade company. As such, they have to maximize as much profit as they can for the shareholders. Which is understandable. However, the things that made radio great (like 24/7 local jocks, local programming control, etc.) has been taken away from the local stations, especially in smaller markets.
Ownership rules were greatly relaxed under several administrations. While this is from a business standpoint, it killed diversity and fertility in radio. Coupled with the RIAA freakouts of the early 2000s, it really put the screws to good local radio stations.
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 opened the doors for such a thing to happen. As a Clinton supporter during his years in office, he got this one very wrong.
A waste of a frequency is 92.1 WJXR in macclenny/Jacksonville. It is a radio version of eBay/swap meet. I cringe when I flip thru the dial and hear the DJ with her phoney sounding overdone country accent. ( and I have a Southern accent, l say y'all, fixin' anda shopping cart is a buggy, so I am not hatin' on southerners)
Thank God for Pandora and Spotify
I noticed pretty much that Christian Stations on the FM dial seem to be all placed with low frequency numbers. At one time classical music stations used to dominate the high 80's on the dial, but like Elevator Music that seemed to have died with it.
Then as far as people you cannot stand like Howard Stern, Rush Limbaugh, etc. that is why they have a radio dial or preset station button if its your car radio. There are plenty of people I cannot stand on radio, and I just never listen to them. The same goes for TV, like Bill Maher, I just do not tune into HBO. Even Beck does not interest me so I stay away from Fox.
BTW Limbaugh does not usually interest me unless I am pissed off at Obama, then I happen to switch my dial to him as he is the best for exploiting his mistakes next to Hannity (who I also cannot stand because hethinks that Dick Scott of Florida has created jobs in The Sunshine State as well as being a good conservative despite him only becoming one the day he ran off [literally in election]for GOP nominee as Governor) I will tolerate for the moment as Obama is worse. Nonetheless, when I do listen to them I TURN THEM ON with my hands.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on February 02, 2015, 10:29:06 PM
Quote from: golden eagle on February 02, 2015, 10:02:39 PM
Quote from: SP Cook on February 02, 2015, 09:53:21 PM
The lowest place for radio stations are those that do not try. AMs that just repeat their FM owner, just to keep the license valid. Stations that just carry crud they get free off the sat. Channels that are managed from afar and are just going to carry the same mix as that company's (CLEAR CHANNEL) mix, the local demographics be damned (black music in 99% white markets, etc).
The problem with Clear Channel is that it is/was a publicly trade company. As such, they have to maximize as much profit as they can for the shareholders. Which is understandable. However, the things that made radio great (like 24/7 local jocks, local programming control, etc.) has been taken away from the local stations, especially in smaller markets.
Ownership rules were greatly relaxed under several administrations. While this is from a business standpoint, it killed diversity and fertility in radio. Coupled with the RIAA freakouts of the early 2000s, it really put the screws to good local radio stations.
How about Pay for Play. When a DJ was paid a bit of cash to play a certain record to make it "Hot"
I seldom listen to terrestrial radio except for news, live sports, or traffic reports (though I suppose the traffic reports are part of the news). When I listen to the radio in the car, I listen to XM except when I want a traffic report (I find the local FM reports more reliable than XM's); if I'm driving my wife's car, which doesn't have an XM device, I tend to play CDs.
But when I do listen to terrestrial radio, I avoid so-called "Mix" radio stations because I feel like they all play the same five or six things nobody likes over and over again. The songs they play may vary by year, but their style seldom changes. In the mid-1990s, for example, they'd endlessly play "Only Wanna Be with You" by Hootie and the Blowjob, that "Crash" song by Dave Matthews,* "Every Day Is a Winding Road" by Sheryl Crow, "Runaround" by whoever sang that, and one or two others.
There are other radio stations I don't listen to because I don't care for the entire genre (country music stations, for example), but I don't feel that they're "bad" or "worst" on that basis.
*The first time I heard Dave Matthews play was in college at my first-year class welcome picnic. There was some skinny guy playing an acoustic guitar and singing in a whiny voice. We all asked who this turkey was and they said he was a local musician named Dave Matthews who was hoping to make it big in the next few years. We all sort of smiled tolerantly because we figured with his voice, he'd never make it! This was about three years before his band did become a commercial success.
Quote from: 1 on February 02, 2015, 12:13:58 PM
Just a question: If a particular area receives signals from both a 102.5 and a 102.9 station, will you be able to hear both if set to 102.7?
Usually, no.
Quote from: hbelkins on February 02, 2015, 10:32:57 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on February 02, 2015, 01:29:59 PM
Baltimore's WBAL-AM radio (a news/talk format) got rid of Limbaugh after carrying him for many years.
His show moved from Cumulus to Clear Channel stations in several markets last year. Was that decision part of that switch?
Doubtful, since Limbaugh's new home in Baltimore, WCBM, is owned by the Mangione family (d/b/a M-10 Broadcasting). The change also occurred because WBAL was moving toward having fewer syndicated hosts and more local content (including an all-news format in drive times).
Limbaugh's syndicator, Premiere Networks, is owned by iHeart Media (Clear Channel's new name), so in many markets, Limbaugh's show moved from whatever station it was on to the iHeart-owned station (for example, in NYC the show moved from Cumulus' WABC to iHeart's WOR).
Quote from: roadman65 on February 03, 2015, 07:08:18 AM
I TURN THEM ON with my hands.
You don't even want to know what I'm thinking of right now.
Quote from: vdeane on February 03, 2015, 07:46:40 PM
Quote from: roadman65 on February 03, 2015, 07:08:18 AM
I TURN THEM ON with my hands.
You don't even want to know what I'm thinking of right now.
This video is mistitled (I believe it's Opie and Anthony), but it's the right song. Flashback almost 20 years already with this music. Where has the time gone?
Quote from: cpzilliacus on February 02, 2015, 01:29:59 PM
Anything that carries Limbaugh or Beck.
Baltimore's WBAL-AM radio (a news/talk format) got rid of Limbaugh after carrying him for many years.
Rush Limbaugh has been on KFBK Sacramento since the 1980's and is the flagship station for him.
Iheartradio KFBK's owner carry's contracts for Rush to go nationwide. The interesting part is that Rush is considered a local Sacramento host even though he has been in Florida for 25 years?
Quote from: hbelkins on February 02, 2015, 10:32:57 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on February 02, 2015, 01:29:59 PM
Baltimore's WBAL-AM radio (a news/talk format) got rid of Limbaugh after carrying him for many years.
His show moved from Cumulus to Clear Channel stations in several markets last year. Was that decision part of that switch?
WBAL has been owned by Hearst for many years, so I don't think it was anything more than a business decision by the owners (and it was apparently not about his politics - Limbaugh has traditionally done very well in Maryland, because there are plenty of disgruntled listeners that like him).
Quote from: bing101 on February 04, 2015, 11:04:44 PM
The interesting part is that Rush is considered a local Sacramento host even though he has been in Florida for 25 years?
I thought Limbaugh's "flagship" station was WABC (770 AM) in New York City, though at some point he moved to WOR.
That would explain how Sean Hannity knows the misconceptions about our economy here in the Sunshine State. Limbaugh tells him what a great guy Scott is being governor of our state, so he tells the world how great a conservative we have running our state.
As some should know Hannity and Limbaugh are almost butt buddies in politics and have the same MO. When one thinks one way so does the other.
Quote from: Pete from Boston on February 02, 2015, 07:10:20 PM
Lip dink brittled?
About that, I didn't want to say the other D word because that'd come out wrong, so "dink" is what I came up with. The "lip d!{k brittled" phrase came from one YouTuber expressing his disgust towards Pat Robinson of the 700 Club. Robinson and 700 Club is one of several great examples of the worst TV shows.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on February 16, 2015, 01:15:10 PM
Quote from: bing101 on February 04, 2015, 11:04:44 PM
The interesting part is that Rush is considered a local Sacramento host even though he has been in Florida for 25 years?
I thought Limbaugh's "flagship" station was WABC (770 AM) in New York City, though at some point he moved to WOR.
Neither one is correct. Rush hasn't shown up at WABC in years. He does his show from a studio in Florida near his home.
Quote from: SidS1045 on February 17, 2015, 02:22:46 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on February 16, 2015, 01:15:10 PM
Quote from: bing101 on February 04, 2015, 11:04:44 PM
The interesting part is that Rush is considered a local Sacramento host even though he has been in Florida for 25 years?
I thought Limbaugh's "flagship" station was WABC (770 AM) in New York City, though at some point he moved to WOR.
Neither one is correct. Rush hasn't shown up at WABC in years. He does his show from a studio in Florida near his home.
http://insuremekevin.com/birth-place-of-rush-limbaugh-kfbk-set-to-move-studios/
http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2009/11/10/rush_celebrates_25_years_on_kfbk
http://www.playlistresearch.com/sacradio-kfbk80s.htm
But for some reason you have broadcast experts still insist that Rush Limbaugh holds the KFBK as his home station for three decades. But 25 of those years has been from his florida home.
I thought it was deliciously evil for Clear Channel to change its name to "iHeartRadio" after people started catching on that Clear Channel was turning radio into homogeneous suckage. Slap a new label on that turd and push it out the door! Well done, corporate media!