The Infinite Dial

"Radio 104.5" looks like it's being built with the PPM in mind more than anything. No need for a moniker that a diary needs to remember.

There's something else completely missing from the website; any mention of Clear Channel as the owner.

Great point about PPM, Lance. Still, there are 101 ways to skin the PPM cat; one hopes that passive measurement does not usher in an era of passive branding.

The first PPM data showed that rock stations can make an instant splash, especially if you're one of the only games in town (i.e. 'MMR). Plus, PPM, at least initially, seems to have diminished some the ethnic bias (and by bias, I mean that in the statistical sense) we've seen in the diary system. Be it diary or PPM, it's a new kind of ratings game, and CC has come to play.

As for its web impact, if the recent CRB ruling is any indication, streams of terrestrial stations --whose parent companies can afford the rate hikes--will hold the upper hand.

Since the demise of Star 104.5 (which I still miss), Clear Channel Philadelphia appears to have been quite happy letting the 104.5 frequency be an also-ran in the market--as long as it's not losing money.

Irony: If the Alice debacle had never happened, Star 104.5 would be what My 106.1 is right now and all the ensuing revenue loss would never have happened.

But the Alice debacle did happen and it's now a part of CC's majestic and storied history here in Philadelphia. Following that, Sunny came on the scene as a nearly jockless jukebox for the money demo. And it worked.

Whodathunkit? A cheap-to-run format that protects other interests in the cluster and, as icing on the cake, adds some dough to CC's coffers. Wasn't long before Smooth Jazz WJJZ 106.1 was voicetracked and following Sunny's "business model."

Anyway, my point--and I do have one--is this: CC Philly doesn't care how Radio 104.5 performs outside the realm of Philadelphia's FM band. Their only concern is protecting the rest of the cluster and not losing money. For evidence of this, look at the cluster's dismal performance in the most recent Arbitrons. That's what it took for them to say, "Rumba wasn't the way to go."

For something that matters to ever again appear on one of CC's properties in this city, it will need to have been sold to an owner who isn't using it solely to protect other stations.

What's up Tom -

5 different formats and station names in 10 years on 104.5 in Philadelphia, many including entirely different target audiences? Funny, 95.7 used to always be the whipping boy of Philly after flipping from classical. How is the 104.5 frequency supposed to find a loyal audience when the threat to change the brand every few years in real?

Like Tom, I too worked with this frequency for many years (some of those years with Mr. Webster, actually), and I distinctly remember the days of Clear Channel (at the time AMFM) absolutely OWNING the ratings in Philly. Literally 4 of the top 5 25-54's on multiple occasions.

Look at the great Philly radio brands - WDAS, WXPN, WMMR, etc. While each adjusts its product, each maintains its essence and retains a long-term audience.

Let's see how their online presence complements their sound, and what they do for mornings. My gut, though, is that Philly listeners are smart - and they won't buy this one bit.

Ive been listening to this channel for about an hour now at work, and i must say, i love it...

keep it.

thanks

I love this new station! I didn't want to turn the car off because i enjoyed it so much. It's so refreshing to listen to. It's much better than the other stations that play the same 10 songs...
Does 104.5 have a website/phone number??

I found this station totally by accident and stream it in at work every day. I'm from the metro NY area and wisht they had a station like 104.5 here that I could listen to in my car - where I spend most of my time. Very few commercials and very little talk.

The only down side is that they need a way to communicate who the artist and the song is that is playing.

We discovered this station this morning at work (I work in a small machine shop in South Jersey), and it instantly knocked WMMR off every radio in the building. 'MMR's pitifully small rotation (they BRAG about their deep archives far more often than they ever actually play anything out of it), endless DJ chatter, and frequent long commercial interruptions had already pushed me into playing NPR at my own workstation, and apparently, nobody else was in love with 'MMR either.

Ahhhh, Clear Channel. Guess they won't be playing Rage Against the Machine or any truely 'controversial' bands. And I was hoping they'd be the next WDRE (before the rap) or WPLY (ironically before the rap again).

This is the best station since WDRE!!! Although I'm not optomistic about how long it will stay around. Seems whenever a great station comes along that has something different and enjoyable to listen too, it gets taken off the air and substituted with the same old tiring music that's being played on 4 or 5 other channels. For the first time in what seems like 10 years, EVERY radio at work is tuned to the same station!! It's almost too good to be true. While it's on the air, I will listen to NO other station!!!!!!!!!

aside from the sort of lame moniker radio 104.5 its about time philly had alt rock station. we had the great 103.9 wdre and it was replaced by urban station. shortly after y100 was born and it was replaced by the same urban station. mind you preston and steve's leaving had a great deal to do with the fall of y100. then we were left with y100rocks on the internet. so aside from my feelings about cc i welcome the alt/modern rock format with open arms in philly.

The local alternative crowd is excited. This new station can compete as the only alternative niche player since philly's loss of y100. Don't under estimate this station. If they maintain low interuptions and focus on emerging "new" material along with solid rock tunes from bands like 311, chili pepper, sublime, etc. their place on music lover's dial will be ensured. Lets just hope they don't do too well so cc can screw it up by focusing on market share, numbers, and other things completely lame.

Finally... a radio station that I dont need to change the channel. I put you on and enjoy the alternative music. Thanks for bringing the good music back unlike the other stations that play the same music every hour.

This station is amazing! I haven't listened to the radio since Y100 went off the air some 3 years ago and before that I listened to Max 95.7. All I listened to was my Ipod but now I have a reason to listen to it again. It combines both stations which is fantastic. They finally got it rite. Thank you.

As much as I love MMR, I've been dying for an alternative rock station since Y100 was converted to the 487th Philly rap station (bleh). Now we FINALLY have one again. It's not going to replace WMMR as my number 1 station, but it's probably going to push WMGK back from number 2 to 3.

Since Y100 left us, I really got into classic rock. So it was kind of a double edged sword. On the one hand I lost a lot of the alt rock I loved because MMR doesn't really play stuff like 311, Rage Against the Machine and stuff. But on the other hand I discovered all this great classic rock like The Who, Skynard, AC/DC and Led Zeppelin which had never interested me before.

At the same time, I only get to hear 311 played on the radio every blue moon and it's almost always All Mixed Up. Now we've finally got alternative/modern rock back again. Sure we've had YRock on WXPN, but it's only on a few hours a week and at the worst possible time. Not too mention that they play a lot of REALLY weird crap on it.

Anyways, I'll keep on listening to WMMR for Preston and Steve and all the classics (WMGK too) that 104.5 isn't going to play. But I'll definitely give 104.5 plenty of play time. After all, I pretty much haven't stopped bitching about the loss of Y100 for more than 5 consecutive minutes over the last 2 years or however long it's been.

I found this by accident and i love it. It has a good balance of modern music and some oldies. I love that there isn't a lot of commercials or talking. I just wish they would say the name of the song/artist.

I'm so glad Alternative Radio has a spot on the old school radio dial here in the Philadelphia area again. I heard a CC alternative station from Albany on the way to VT. So glad it's here. I have the "alternative" to Free FM talk now.

I heard about this station at my doctor's office. Went home, turned it on, and have been listening since. My teenage boys like it too. They're amazed that I love this station. Where do they think I've been living? Under a rock?

Ditto to many of these comments: This is a Great station, the best since Y100 and the great DRE. Now lets hope they follow in those stations' footsteps and recreate an alernative dance party simulcast like the ones on all those Saturday nights at the late, lamented Maui (w/DJ Greg).

104.5 is a great new station. It brings a constant flow of music without many interuptions. Those who listen to the station know that it is a great source for good music. Clear channel should keep the station exactly the way it is; the less interuptions, the more music, which in turn equals more listeners. Keep up the work :)

Thank goodness there is a radio station that is finally playing music that we are NOW listening to. The landmark stations that have been in the Phila area since the 70's are great organizations but come on now.....how and why would they think that their listeners want to hear the same tired 20 year old or top 40 songs day after day. AND....why would you want to hear "Talk radio" at 3 pm as one of those landmark stations does. Personally, i would rather hear great music.
Please get a chance to look at this station from the OuterBanks of North Carolina (WBOX 98.1 FM)http://www.wobx.net/
What an awesome program they are broadcasting to their public. Your radio station 104.5 can do this and grab the attention of the Philadelphia and surrounding music listeners of today!

THanks,

JK

The best station I have heard in years. Don't change a thing!

I love Preston and Steve, but I can't tell you how much I miss Y100. There are so many awesome bands out there that wmmr isn't fit to play. You can catch some cool stuff on yrock on wxpn, but thats only once in a while. I've been listening to 104.5 for a few days now and I love it. I hope Clear Channel keeps this format around. I love the cool music, but we all know what happens when you don't play enough commercials to pay the bills.

I say enjoy it while it lasts, before they turn it into the umpteenth 'urban' station in Philly....

I do a lot of part time gigs playing a lot of old y100 and wdre stuff in manayunk. and I must say i love it too. As we spend lots of time on this site talking about it, we have to take action as a pseudo 104.5 street team and GET THE WORD OUT! the more it spreads, the better it will do and the greater following it will create.

Urban/hiphop/pop have their place, Alt Rock needs one too!

Bye Bye Now!

I found the station by accident. I'm so excited! Philadelphia needs an alternative station. Every time we get a good one it gets replaced with rap. It's a great station!! I love it. I hope it stays and doesn't get replaced with another type of music.

this station is great! we need something like this in this area!

It is very refreshing to FINALLY find a station that plays all the good alternative stuff...103.9 WDRE was stolen from us by that rap garbage, then Y100 with more of that rap garbage....STAY ALTERNATIVE, STAY ALTERNATIVE, STAY ALTERNATIVE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, KEEP THIS STATION THE WAY IT IS NOW, I LOVE IT, GIVE US (the ones without a voice, in my opinion) something to listen to....Thanks for bringing some really good frigging music to the airwaves...I listened to matt and huggy show and kidd chris show every day..now my radio Doesn't leave 104.5.......

I love the new station because we need all the rock music we can get. I like the fact that you are letting people choose what kind of station you want this to involve into. I like all the different bands. I drive all day long for my job, and I listen to this station all day.

This station is incredible and they play the perfect mix of 90's rock and modern rock. I have been searching for something like this in the area and online for a while and have not heard anything as good as this. Don't change a thing please!

I think it is great to be able to listen to "my" music on the radio. My parents have classic rock stations (although I was shocked to hear nirvana on a classic rock station), kids and young adults have the rap and pop stations, but people like me in their very late 20's (ok, almost 30) have nothing. I have been hoping for a station that plays a lot of 90's rock.

Radio 104.5 is a great station, although I could do with less of the new music they play. I hear some song about a shirt all the time and that annoys me. It would be great if they could keep it to more songs from the 90's and less of the new stuff.

I grew up in the 90's and miss a station that only plays this type of music. I greatly miss WDRE and Y100. I can remember what was going on in my life as I listen to the songs. If the station could only bring back my hair (balding sucks)!! I hope they never go away. I listen in the car and online at work. Tell your friends!!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I have been in a lull since Y100 turned to the darkside. Like many others have said on here, I haven't listened to the radio since that sad day in 05'. Listening to downloaded music on your Ipod just isn't the same, even on shuffle you lose the shock value of "what's coming on next?". I will do my part as a listener to spread the word. Please Clear Channel do your part, keep this format around long enough for my word to get around.

I guess the answer to this must be "not enough listeners", but can anyone direct me to something specific that explains why Rumba got canned? I wrote a lament on my blog a few days after it moved to AM, and since then I've gotten 35 hits from people searching the web with close variations on the question "What happened to Rumba?"

They couldn't have given it a little more time?

Now I know why I invested in car and home Sirius units! I actually enjoyed Rumba and was excited that Philly had more than a rock type station or an urban station then poof! Gone. So much for having a mix of music selections on commercial radio...that's for the old days or if you live in other markets!

thank god..... a friend told me about this station and i haven't stoppped listening yet. like a few people have said i haven't been able to hear "my" music on the radio in years. listening makes me almost not feel like i'm getting old. please keep this station on the air....pass on the word, hopefully if we get enough people listening they (clear channel) won't be able to take it away from us

One of the best stations on the market in Philadelphia. You must stop looking at what "experts" tell you is popular and actually ask the people what they want to hear. As long as they keep doing what they are doing, 104.5 will soon take a spot near the top of adult 30 - 50 drive.

Thank goodness for the seek button!!! I thought I was dreaming when I heard the music being played. Being from NJ the closest to alternative is G106.3 (and they went abit commercial). This station seems tohave hit the nailon the head. Both my hubb and I are in our 40's and love this kind of music. We are tired of having Rap, Pop and Oldies shoved downour throats - it's about time that someone saw the need for a philly adult alternative station - there are some of us "old folk" that love this kind of music...clear channel should recognize the diversity of ages this music attracts when it comes to advertisers. KEEP THIS STATION GOING!!!

D

I really enjoy WRRF. I really appreciate the no-nonsense talk. You guys play great music with few commercials and not a lot of B.S. Keep up the good work. As long as you keep this format I will be a faithfull listner.Don't do what a lot of other stations do. They get the ratings and then start to bombard you with a lot of talk and commercials. Keep up the good work.

I love it. Reminds me of my old favorite Y-100. Please go get Barski for the morning show. Start doing festivals again at the tweeter. Welcome back to real.

nice not to hear people talk about themselves and about others and the music fits me just right I keep saying have not heard that one for awhile keep up the good tunes

mmr rocks - same format 38 yrs!

no flipping formats!

so excited to hear this station...i love the music! however, i really do miss the Y100 DJs and concerts and stuff (the FEZ was a summer ritual) i looked forward to hearing the DJs, they gave the station charater and personality that straight music and commercials dont. Hire Matt Cord!

Actually, there are only two rap stations in Philly. Where as there are 13 rock n roll/alternative stations for rock n roll heads to stab themselves with their heroin needles to. Yeahhhhhh Rock n Roll Kurt Cobain Whooooooo! Close minded idiots!