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Radio in the Upstate


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What does everyone think of radio in the upstate? What needs to be done to improve the radio stations?

I think it's in pretty bad shape. Formats duplicated...overlap....etc...There are so many formats for us to have so many duplicates.

96.7 the Buzzard, WBZT, comes to mind at the moment. Except for WZLA, which has trouble in parts of Greenville, there isn't an FM oldies outlet. I'm sure the audience is definately there, and considering the signal is very low, I don't think the expectations would be very high, unlike former Oldies stations (106.3, 96.1, etc). Their parent company, Clear Channel Communications, has taken many low-powered stations that weren't doing well (just like Buzzard), and turned them in to successful Oldies outlets, usually in a market where a larger station was pulled. Having been involved with radio before, I know that, like I said, the smaller the station, the lower the expectations...perfect for an oldies formatted station.

That's the one station that came to mind...what does everyone think?

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I find that there are only four stations worth listening too.

88.3 WGWG Gardner Web, AAA

88.7/97.3 WNCW Isotermal Poly Technic, AAA

950/1330 AM WORD/WYRD News Talk

104.9 Sports Talk

And all four have signal strength issues.

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The greatest radio station in the entire known universe is the might WDVX of Knoxville, TN. K-Town's radio scene was pretty generic before that little station began transmitting its mix of bluegrass, classic country, folk, and alt-country from an RV in Norris, Tennessee. The success of WDVX proved that East Tennessee could support a station that wasn't new country, classic rock, oldies, or lite rock. I don't see why a station like that could not succeed in Greenville. After all, we do have plenty of recreational vehicles here.

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I don't picture folk, bluegrass, and alt-country music to be as popular in Greenville as it is in the mountains. Obviously some people in Greenville like that music, but it doesn't seem nearly as widespread as in Western NC and Eastern Tennessee. Perhaps I am wrong, though...

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I don't picture folk, bluegrass, and alt-country music to be as popular in Greenville as it is in the mountains. Obviously some people in Greenville like that music, but it doesn't seem nearly as widespread as in Western NC and Eastern Tennessee. Perhaps I am wrong, though...

we do have that, it is broadcast by WNCW on 88.7 from NC which reaches the upstate, but they also ahve a Greenville Translator I think it is 97.3.

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I want Greenville to get a Carolinas' Jazz station. The nearest one I know of is in Rock Hill/Charlotte. I absolutely love that station and can't believe it isn't here as well.

There was a radio station in Hendersonville (?) back in the mid to late '80's that carried "The Breeze," which was a jazz station whose signal came from Minneapolis, if memory serves. I just googled it and it apparently doesn't exist anymore, at least under that name.

I really liked it. The signal was strong in Greenville. Maybe GSPA is ready for something like that again. Samford U. here in Birmingham has a jazz station that has a pretty good following (I think), and the GSPA radio market is at least as big as, and is probably more suitable for, a jazz station than B'ham.

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93.7 is definately the clearest station in the Upstate along with WSSL 100.5. I can pick up WSSL in Irmo as well as I can in Spartanburg, but I can't in downtown Columbia. Its weird.

96.7 is probably my favorite rock station. It mixes classic rock and new rock fairly well. its problem is that its coverage sucks. There are some parts of eastern Spartanburg that it doesn't reach (and it doesnt pick up at all in cherokee)... and I can't get it very clearly in Clemson. I like 93.3, it has decent coverage... but some of the latest new rock songs are just annoying. I hope that doesn't mean I'm getting old.

We do need an oldies station. Otherwise I think out radio stations are a pretty good mix. Perhaps some of the more ecclectic musical tastes are not well represented. I wouldn't mind having more duplication similar to the 93.3 / 96.7 combo with other types of music. We have several country stations, and I pick up some from other markets too (like Asheville, Columbia, Athens/Atlanta, and Charlotte) depending on which part of the Upstate I am in.

We don't have a good 100% classic rock station. I think that would do well here. There is a new one called 107.1 (i think) "The River" out of Atlanta that plays pretty good music, but you can't pick it up east of Liberty/Easley.

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I gave up on terrestrial radio a year ago. ClearChannel and Entercom have basically levelled the radio landscape and put up "Wal-Mart" after "Wal-Mart" of cookie cutter stations that pump out junk.

So I went to XM and I'm loving every minute of it. The only thing that could get me to come back to AM/FM is if Greenville got a good new/progressive/college rock station. No more of this "Nickelback" crap. WOXY in Cincinnati is a great example. And 93.5 was great back in the mid 90's in Columbia...before ClearChannel bought them.

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I don't picture folk, bluegrass, and alt-country music to be as popular in Greenville as it is in the mountains. Obviously some people in Greenville like that music, but it doesn't seem nearly as widespread as in Western NC and Eastern Tennessee. Perhaps I am wrong, though...

I dunno- The Handlebar books a fair number of bluegrass, folk, and AAA performers, so I have to believe the audience exists.

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To be honest, I rarely listen to the radio these days as well. I receive tons of music channels through my satellite TV provider and that is basically more than I need at home. While out on the road, I enjoy 104.9fm since I love sports. 90.1fm is a must-have as well since I enjoy shows like 'A Prairie Home Companion, with Garrison Keillor' and 'Michael Feldman's Whad'Ya Know?' I have been considering XM Radio for quite awhile, but just haven't felt the urge to splurge yet. Ironically, I was just studying both XM ans Sirius again today. Each have pros over the other, though it seems that in the end I would prefer XM.

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I gave up on terrestrial radio a year ago. ClearChannel and Entercom have basically levelled the radio landscape and put up "Wal-Mart" after "Wal-Mart" of cookie cutter stations that pump out junk.

So I went to XM and I'm loving every minute of it. The only thing that could get me to come back to AM/FM is if Greenville got a good new/progressive/college rock station. No more of this "Nickelback" crap. WOXY in Cincinnati is a great example. And 93.5 was great back in the mid 90's in Columbia...before ClearChannel bought them.

Um, so would I be upsetting you if I told you that XM is owned by ClearChannel?

Still, it's a good alternative, and I listen to that, Public Radio, or my iPod almost exclusively. Seems every time I find a decent station, it gets switched over to some format of Christian Karaoke.

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Um, so would I be upsetting you if I told you that XM is owned by ClearChannel?

Still, it's a good alternative, and I listen to that, Public Radio, or my iPod almost exclusively. Seems every time I find a decent station, it gets switched over to some format of Christian Karaoke.

Wasn't XM originally a Sony Product?

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Um, so would I be upsetting you if I told you that XM is owned by ClearChannel?

They made a small investment in XM in 1999, but have no controlling interest (they're expected to turn over all their shares in 2008). They only run 4 of the 150+ channels...and I definitely steer clear of those.

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i miss bob and sheri :cry: they were on the 80's station before it changed formats to contempo christian and country :rolleyes:

They are heard on their home station, 107.9 FM The Link (Charlotte). That station was okay years ago when they had 1980s, 1990s and 2000s music and just hte morning show. Now, the format has shifted to all talk and John Tesh and little to no music.

Star 103 was good before they got the christian/country junk. That station is weakly performing against WLFJ, WSSL and WESC. They should switch back to the successful 1980s/1990s sounds.

One station I like is Star 104.3 out of Asheville. It has done very well with playing 1980s music. I wish they would increase their signal or gain another frequency to cover the upstate better so I do not get stuck with an Augusta, GA adult comteporary station.

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I think the entire moving Christian/country to 106.3 was a disaster. They were doing fine with Oldies, just needed some adjustments to the sound to update it a bit. Last I heard was that it hasn't been as successful as Oldies was, but that might have changed. I wouldn't be surprised, though. After 106 was bought they didn't even TRY or work with what they had when it was still Oldies....I'm confident that station could have been turned in to a successful enterprise with just a little bit of work and freshening up. They switched it to that Country/christian format overnight it seems.

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Local radio has some small part in the coolness and overall personality of an area. Also, these stations have the ability that satalite radio doesn't have to be on location to promote the latest 'whatever'. But this only matters if people listen, and I don't know anyone older than 20 that actually likes to listen to our (non-country) local radio.

When I travel, I am very envious of the lineup some cities are able to listen to (96 Wave in Charleston). In the Upstate, I mostly listen to talk on 1330, 104.9 and NPR because there isn't a music station here that has that cool personality.

Metallica is simply not mandatory.

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Local radio has some small part in the coolness and overall personality of an area. Also, these stations have the ability that satalite radio doesn't have to be on location to promote the latest 'whatever'. But this only matters if people listen, and I don't know anyone older than 20 that actually likes to listen to our (non-country) local radio.

When I travel, I am very envious of the lineup some cities are able to listen to (96 Wave in Charleston). In the Upstate, I mostly listen to talk on 1330, 104.9 and NPR because there isn't a music station here that has that cool personality.

Metallica is simply not mandatory.

I am not a huge radio listener (I prefer CDs so I can be in control, and not have to listen to commercials). With that said, it seems that most cities seem to have the same stations that play the same songs. I have never felt that Greenville's radio stations were inferior, but perhaps I just don't listen to enough radio to know.

I have not been impressed with 96 Wave at all. I had always heard of it, but each time I switch to that station it seems like they are playing something crappy or weird. There are better rock stations in Charleston if you ask me. What's supposed to be the big deal about them?

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