Worst radio stations

[bandit957]

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.

[algorerhythms]

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?

[bing101]

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.

[bing101]

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.

[roadman65]

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.

[bandit957]

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.

[roadman65]

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.

[Billy F 1988]

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.

[Thing 342]

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.

[hbelkins]

Anything NPR. Also anything that was a part of Air America.

[freebrickproductions]

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.

[Henry]

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.)

[Pete from Boston]

All the stations where the DJs don't pick their own songs.

[hotdogPi]

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?

[Pete from Boston]

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.

[cpzilliacus]

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. 

[Billy F 1988]

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.

[Pete from Boston]

Lip dink brittled?

[golden eagle]

Anything Clear Channel runs.

[SP Cook]

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).

 

[golden eagle]

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.

[oscar]

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. 

[roadman65]

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.

[golden eagle]

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.

[Pete from Boston]

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.