DAVE FM- Leaning More Alternative

[acheron82]

I've always said that 99x is a weak alternative format.  Not only because their signal sucks but also because the playlist is pathetic.  I'm sure DAVE FM has no intentions on going Alternative but I've noticed they have dropped much of the classic rock and are leaning harder with Alternative and playing some deeper cuts from artist like Smashing Pumpkins.  This afternoon, they played the new Silversun Pickups which I can imagine being played on typical AAA formats.  The 80's weekend that they did this past weekend was much different than B's 80's weekend because they focused on the New Wave/Classic Alternative of the 80's.  Perhaps just a small tweek though.  Seems like AAA is a lot like Classic Hits in how there are different subgroups of each with some leaning in one direction and others leaning in another. 

[Uriah]

Sensing the nuances of slight format adjustments comes natural to the analyzer gene in a PD personality.  There's also a dark side to this trait: exaggeration of how subtle changes impact positioning, ratings, etc.

This is akin to a restaurant owner, seeing business drop, repositioning bad food on the plate and serving the meal to customers as new.  If the cook can't cook where you put the crap on the plate will not change the flavor - and the patrons that give you a second chance will discover the sham in one bite. 

Cox made a bold move on The River with Eddie Money - didn't work - and they quickly bailed on the idea. Credit the company with A) cooking up something off the wall to drive sampling and B) knowing when the new recipe was a failure.  Midday being the slight exception (albeit tired and trite at times) the Dave-FM strategy of just reprinting the menu while the same ingredients are being prepared make building memorable benchmarks to create habit and a brand identity difficult. 

You know that building you pass on the commute that's been remodeled 10 times - each time as a different restaurant - What are the chances you'll ever eat there?

[jabba17]

I've always said that 99x is a weak alternative format.  Not only because their signal sucks but also because the playlist is pathetic.  I'm sure DAVE FM has no intentions on going Alternative but I've noticed they have dropped much of the classic rock and are leaning harder with Alternative and playing some deeper cuts from artist like Smashing Pumpkins.  This afternoon, they played the new Silversun Pickups which I can imagine being played on typical AAA formats.  The 80's weekend that they did this past weekend was much different than B's 80's weekend because they focused on the New Wave/Classic Alternative of the 80's.  Perhaps just a small tweek though.  Seems like AAA is a lot like Classic Hits in how there are different subgroups of each with some leaning in one direction and others leaning in another. 

Now that's an idea; I wonder if Dave could be more successful as a blend of AAA, 80s classic alt  , and 90s/00s alt by playing with the dayparts.  Put softer, more AAA stuff in AM drive, midday, and maybe PM drive, harder 90s/00s alt in evenings and overnight (maybe PM drive), and retro stuff on the weekends during the day and harder/newer stuff in the weekend evenings and overnight.  Really be "everything alternative".  In a way, program the station like B98.5 (post-Delilah) but alternative.

They could take some listenership from 99X@98.9 (which will NEVER return to its previous level of listenership even if Cumulus put them back on 99.7) while preserving their own.

I don't care for 90s and later alt, but if they are doing a classic alt all-70s/80s weekend I'm there. 

[Vinylking]

Just looked up the "Alternative" chart list.  Top 25 songs - Dave is NOT playing #5 Grouplove, #7 Foster The People "Don't Stop", #8 M83, #9 Rise Against, and that's just the top 10.  10-25 is even more of a void.  Bold statements should require some fact.

[atlantaboy]

^All he meant is they were leaning more Alternative, as opposed to Classic Rock - no one said they were changing formats, especially not with Train and John Mayer in heavy rotation

BTW I don't see any currents that are out of format for AAA, looking at the Mediabase playlist

[acheron82]

Yeah, let me make this clear.  DAVE has NOT went Alternative BUT it is leaning "MORE" Alternative than a few months ago when it first started using "FINEST ROCK" slogan.  It's like saying Q100 is leaning more HOT AC or B 98.5 is leaning more HOT AC.  Does not mean they are HOT AC.

[wpb1999]

Yeah, let me make this clear.  DAVE has NOT went Alternative BUT it is leaning "MORE" Alternative than a few months ago when it first started using "FINEST ROCK" slogan.  It's like saying Q100 is leaning more HOT AC or B 98.5 is leaning more HOT AC.  Does not mean they are HOT AC.

B98.5 is Adult Rock or Hot AC, one of the two.  B needs to be older, because they are pretty much a copy of Star 94, right now.

[atlantaboy]

Yeah, let me make this clear.  DAVE has NOT went Alternative BUT it is leaning "MORE" Alternative than a few months ago when it first started using "FINEST ROCK" slogan.  It's like saying Q100 is leaning more HOT AC or B 98.5 is leaning more HOT AC.  Does not mean they are HOT AC.

B98.5 is Adult Rock or Hot AC, one of the two.

 

They're only playing FOUR currents that are on the Hot AC chart - that's a long way from being Hot AC...

[wpb1999]

The amount of currents vs. rc/gold IMO determines which level of AC you are.

[atlantaboy]

The amount of currents vs. rc/gold IMO determines which level of AC you are.

Right, which is why B98.5 is AC, not Hot AC (because it only has 4 currents on its entire playlist)