Des Moines radio sucks
I used to think KAZR 103.3 was a cool station. That was probably in 1998. Now it's like a three band rotation - Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Stone Temple Pilots. A 103 minute Rock Block isn't complete without playing "Smells Like Teen Spirit" 23 times, "Jeremy" 14 times, and "Vasoline" a few dozen times. Maybe throw in a little Linkin Park or Korn and you've got your rock block.
Oh yeah, separate said "rock blocks" with ads for strip bars. Classic, dude.
I'm beginning to believe that KAZR appeals to 15 year old boys and meth heads.
KGGO 94.9 is about as old and moldy as you can get. At least they don't pretend to be hip and cool. They realize that some segment of the audience likes the Steve Miller Band and Journey, so they play it. Occasionally they try to be coy by having a "Blue Ball Golf Tournament", just to remind you that you're still dealing with dirty old men with mikes in their faces.
Let's face it - Terrestrial music-based radio is on it's death bed, at least in central Iowa. Talk radio is doing just fine, as it is fresh and responsive every day. But music based radio is old, stinky, and crappy. XM and/or Sirius are the way to go for the best music selection in your vehicle. At least you don't have to listen through ads for the Lumber Yard ("Where real men go to get wood...").
Oh yeah, separate said "rock blocks" with ads for strip bars. Classic, dude.
I'm beginning to believe that KAZR appeals to 15 year old boys and meth heads.
KGGO 94.9 is about as old and moldy as you can get. At least they don't pretend to be hip and cool. They realize that some segment of the audience likes the Steve Miller Band and Journey, so they play it. Occasionally they try to be coy by having a "Blue Ball Golf Tournament", just to remind you that you're still dealing with dirty old men with mikes in their faces.
Let's face it - Terrestrial music-based radio is on it's death bed, at least in central Iowa. Talk radio is doing just fine, as it is fresh and responsive every day. But music based radio is old, stinky, and crappy. XM and/or Sirius are the way to go for the best music selection in your vehicle. At least you don't have to listen through ads for the Lumber Yard ("Where real men go to get wood...").
posted by bgunzy at 1/31/2008 07:34:00 PM
6 Comments:
Most of it is run by the same corporation and it is a simple fact that corporate radio sucks.
The consolidation has been a disaster for radio especially radio in smaller communities.
There is always the pirate radio route. Some of the best radio out there has been from pirate radio stations set up in small towns. A transmitter (bought from the internet and imported - google veronica transmitters), antenna, a mixer board, a microphone, a CD changer or two and if you get really fancy a computer and you're in business. Heck, if you want to get fancy you can apply for a Low Power FM license and be totally legal.
Dude, I've been to the Lumberyard. It is in fact where men to get wood. :-)
NE Iowa actually has a pretty good choice of stations. Rock 108 is your good rock station.. Metallica, Ozzy, the greats! 99.3 is out of Waverly and it is a pop type station. You got 92.3 which is like your hiphopish/popish station. 96.1 is like your pop station with a bunch of 80's thrown in there. 102.9 out of Cedar Rapids is kinda like 92.3, but not has hiphoppish, as is 106.9 out of Rochester, Mn. (Yeah, it has range baby.)
You got 97.7 which is your classic rock from the 70's.
Country you have 93.9 out of Mason City, 98.5 out of Waterloo and 95.1 (I think) out of New Hampton. There is also one around Hampton Iowa.. 94 something, but it is not that strong.
AM we get your 1040 in, and we have 1540 which is the talk format (Beck/Rush/Hannity/Bruce Williams.) 1650 which is Fox Sports Radio.
We are in a sweet spot for picking up radio from cities and towns in the area (And Minn!!!)
Sat Radio does rule though, especially for long trips. I live a mile from work so it doesn't help me much, and I wouldn't get a signal in my office, so I have just been using my Zune in the car and at work.
So what I'm saying is my Radio Stations beat up your Radio Stations. :-)
Dang, I meant to say: It is in fact where men to TO get wood. :-)
Bob,
Try 101.5 out of Oskaloosa. It has rock from the 60's -80's. It is also pretty neat since they always tell little bits of trivia that you did't know about the bands.
I'm in northeast Missouri. It's a wasteland here. A couple of Illinois stations that just barely make it into the east side of the county and that's it. Corporate radio has this formula that says, if an area is rural therefore the hicks must be all about country music. That may have been true a generation or two ago but it couldn't be more wrong now. Satellite radio is definitely something to look at if you're stuck in an area like this. I know quite a few farmers have it in their tractors and combines. The more well to do ones anyway.
A bit of trivia: KGGO copied the format of a dinky 1 KW AM radio station from back in about 1978. The station is no longer on the air in Des Moines and the call letters have been reassigned to a California radio station.
Can anyone remember this station?
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