The X: Home of Metallica, Zepplin & AC/DC.. ?
Don Day | September 24, 2008
Dropped in on KQXR/100.3 The X lately? You might think you accidentally locked on to sister station KJOT/J-105. The station has changed its playlist and jettisoned the “New Rock & 90s” tag. New liners, secondary voice and liners touting that “the X rocks.”
I tuned in after 11am and heard Runnin’ With the Devil by Van Halen – the song is just one of a flood of classic hits on the new active rock-sounding station.
New music isn’t gone, but the blend is what a lot of people have been saying one of the Journal stations should do. It could be the way to effectively attack KKGL/96.9 The Eagle, but it looks to spell trouble for J-105. It makes you wonder if more shoes will be dropping from the second floor of 5257 Fairview…
Hmm, interesting. I know, as of a few years back, that Chris Brewer, then-PD of J-105, felt he was being pressured to get out of the X’s way.
The X was the favorite child and J was the red-headed stepchild.
Looks like the scenario is finally playing out.
Suprisingly THE has it backwards which is strange. J always had the budget, the music reasearch, amd the backing! I think Brewer was being preassured to not almost kill his stunt guy’s and maybe keep a Spud Brother around for longer than 6 months! But I miss Uncle Max!
What I don’t get is why.
Why would you put your two rock properties that close to one another musically?
“I think Brewer was being preassured to not almost kill his stunt guy’s and maybe keep a Spud Brother around for longer than 6 months!”
That may be true, Big J, but let’s just say that “certain people” felt that J-105 was being slighted in favor of The X.
Chris did have a habit of burning out partners, didn’t he? (nudge nudge, wink wink)
“Why would you put your two rock properties that close to one another musically?”
The theory at Journal was to own Rock in the market by having demographically-overlapping stations. In other words, when you got too old for The X, you would (in theory) move on to J-105.
It’s looking like they’re overlapping a little TOO much these days, though.
One would think with the heritage that comes with J105 they would make the shift there. I would think, most of the needed library is already being played on J and the addition of currents to the hour would fit a little better.
Now instead of hearing Van Halen and Zeppelin on two stations at the same time, I get hear them on three. When will these stations learn?
We are being force fed the same old stuff that everyone else is doing. Why not take a chance and do something that is out of the box. If more people would take a stand and listen to their ipods, mp3 players, and cds more, they might actually listen to what everyone is saying.
If you want some ideas, let me know. I have a ton of them.
A ton, D? Well, open the flood gates. Lets hear about it.
Just keep in mind that this is commercial radio we’re talking about, and commercial radio is a business. Good ideas are ones that will sell, make money, and keep these businesses in business.
Call me crazy, but I can’t help but think that taking wild chances in these slow economic times may not be a such a good strategy.
Well, I may not have a Ton. But I do have a few. I won’t give them all away. I am saving the best for myself for future use.
I flip through 3 major stations. The Eagle, The X, and J105. The number one complaint I hear is how bad the talent is. 2nd would be the music.
The Eagle, I find very boring as far as talent is concerned. The only thing they have going for them is Bob and Tom. The music is to be expected. Nothing exciting here.
If it were me, and I was making the decisions, I would lose all of the X’s talent except for the morning show. Big J, has stepped up and actually improved over the past year. As for Jackie, even though she is officially gone, she still is on during the weekends. She doesn’t have the knowledge or personality. She comes across as a dumb blonde. That also goes for Britt. As for Josh, he comes across very harsh and not very well liked. You don’t insult your audience or the bands they love. I haven’t really had the chance to hear anyone else so, I will give them respect and not comment on them.
The X needs to find talent with personality and knowledge. Even if they hold open auditions. You can teach someone how to work the boards. You want talent that can relate to people. That’s why AM talk shows do so well. This would also shake up the existing talent by having them work harder in order to keep their jobs. I think you need to look towards the audience in order to succeed.
As for J105, I think they have the best talent out of the 3. Every talent they have, is down to earth and understands the audience along with the music. The only complaint I have is they play too much of the same bands.
I don’t want to give to much away. I have pitched ideas to Journal before and they were taken and modified then used as their own. I would love to work for a station who was willing to listen to my idea’s and let me show them what I can do.
I have a feeling that changes are not complete with Journal. I would like to see a little more shake up and think out of the box. Just look around the valley and the answers are there.
Ah, Dizzle (or should I say “D”)…. the boards have missed you.
Yes, I was waiting for Dizzle to take credit for all of Journal’s moves past, present, and future! As far as the talent goes, there is plenty of it in this building, and honestly through out the whole Treasure Valley. Please someone hire D! If just for one week, I have ideas I would like to steal!
Dizzle? Of course, Adam, why didn’t I even think that “D” was Dizzle. It HAS been awhile. Its the circle of life…what goes around..yadayada…
I gots to fasten me seatbelt!
Editor’s note: For what it’s worth, I don’t think D and Dizzle are the same person. Dizzle is permanently banned here for a pattern of derogatory and inflammatory comments.
D,
What happened to a sense of humor? My comedy may be dry and crass….but doesn’t that constitute of (as you say) ‘doing something out of the box’? People like REAL jocks, not someone that is fake and lovey-dovey all the time. Last I checked, we are playing ROCK MUSIC. Not lite hits of the 80’s. I don’t know…maybe you just don’t understand it. And as Big J said – good luck with those ‘ideas’…oh, and unemployment.
Lets not forget some listeners really feed off of being called an idiot! Hence why they call in and act a fool to begin with! Personally I like hearing a jock bitch out a listener from time to time, especially when they are being dumb! Then again we can all be dumb. Attitude is absolutely necessary I think as a jock. Sometimes the line gets crossed, but sometimes it doesn’t!
Nice Josh. Make fun of people on unemployment.
You jerk.
Ian,
I love you.
Wait, I’m supposed to be the harsh one.
I mean…uhhh…you…uhh…are a…uhh. Damnit. Can’t do it.
As a listener of 100.3 since it’s inception as Pirate Radio broadcasting from Mountain Billiards on Grove St, I like the expanded play list. They played everything from hair bands to thrash to grunge.
What I would like to see, er I mean hear is something other than the same songs that are being played on 96.9 or 105.5. I’ve heard You’ve Got Another Thing Commin’, Iron Man or any Led Zepplin song you’d care to name more than enough times. And unless Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones release any new music Led Zepplin shoudl be banned from radio forever.
Bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest and Def Leppard have released new cds in the past few years and songs from those disks should played instead of the same tired old songs played on other stations.
Ian — Hey, we make fun of you because you are you. We don’t need anymore. Really.
(Seriously, Ian knows we love him, or Bambi, or whomever ….)
Um you guys…like, I totally don’t get any of this. Remember? I’m a dumb blonde.
Jackass. I’M A DUMB REDHEAD! GET IT RIGHT!
Bambi? Oh it burns! There’s a rare dig from RDS. The poor dude doesn’t even work radio anymore, and he’s still getting teased about once being “Bambi.”
If it’s any consolation, the X misses you, Ian. Just not enough to hire you back, though. Kind of hollow, huh?
Well then, I miss you. How about that?
Yeah, creepy.
You know Peabody, some days, I grab a bottle of Old English 2000, head on down to the ol’ Plaza 7 building, and cry myself into a drunken stupor while standing outside the west side door.
It’s not the work I miss. Nor is it necessarily the great group of people that I am no longer blessed to work with ( I do miss Rocky’s friendly barbs, that is for sure). Nor am I crying because I miss how much I loved taking a sample of Dan’s scotch from his desk whenever he wasn’t in his office.
Mostly, I cry because I miss the Bosnian janitors who used to always walk into the studio when I was on the air. I regret never teaching them more than fractured English. I hope you guys are feeding them well. I just wish I could have done more.
Also, I regret drinking OE. I can afford better on my weekly paychecks.
Don’t worry, Ian. Radio is a fatal addiction. You’ll be back someday, and then I can wonder why you’re in the building, just like I did before. We need you — there’s no one to pick on anymore. (And to all of you out there, Ian occasionally would get a good one back at me. Not often, but he did.)
You’d be happy to know, Ian, that the Bosnian janitors have retained some of your fractured English. Especially the profanity.
I’ve been listening to the X lately and I am impressed. I enjoy hearing new stuff from bands I grew up with and rock music that hasn’t been heard in the Treasure Valley for years. It’s a hard format to configure and make it sound good. GOOD WORK guys.
I think this is one of the funniest things I’ve ever seen. How stupid is Journal?? Cannibalism is funny to me.
The X… once a listened to station a few years ago. It’s so sad to see cheezy dj’s in Top 40 rule. Go back X!!!!