An Interesting Experiment

[gnomi]

For the past couple of weeks, WFNX has been teasing listeners with the question, "What if commercial radio had no commercials." Starting this past Monday, they've been following this question up with the news that the station would be making a "big announcement" on Friday at 8 AM. Well, today is that Friday. And as it's just past 8 AM, I have now heard the announcement.

And, to be honest, it is a big one. With the sponsorship of Snapple, FNX is going commercial-free for 40 days. They're calling it "The Snapple Summer Free for All," and they're going to run nothing but sponsorship announcement breaks from today through 4 July.

It's a fascinating experiment, and one that mabfan and I have been speculating about for a couple of weeks.

And the first song played after the morning DJ, the news director, and Wendy the Snapple spokeswoman made the announcement? "Radio Radio" by Elvis Costello.

Comments

[xochitl42.livejournal.com]

That...that is just COOL. I've long lamented the sorry state of radio inthe New York market (the market is too lucrative for anyone to take risks, so all the good stations are now a uniform medicore across the musical genre board [with the glaring exception of country/western--no C/W station]). I just took a look at the WFNX site, and I ache at how there's no NYC analog to what is clearly a fantastic station. The last alternative station, WLIR, went Spanish-language over 2 years ago. WNEW has been through several different (failed) formats; I was here when it was its original, cool self.

Argh. I hate NYC radio. And I hate having to say it, and I hate it being true.

Good thing I can get WFNX online...

[kuroshii.livejournal.com]

is WLIR dead?!

i'm a "child of" WLIR-in-the-80s, but i've lived in chicago so long (going on 11 years) i haven't kept up with its status. :(

[xochitl42.livejournal.com]

First, sit down. Then, take a stiff drink. It can be any drink--a good oolong, perhaps--but something that comforts and fortifies you.

Because, yes--WLIR is gone. This article opens in a new window, and tells the story.

BUT.

I'm glad you asked, because it made me do research, and this is also what I found: WLIR is back!

Thank you--because without your most sympathized-with lament, I wouldn't have discovered this news!

[kuroshii.livejournal.com]

hee! i remember the whole WDRE debacle.

thank you for linking to that article! also for the new station location. gotta love internet radio. :)

[tanaise.livejournal.com]

WNNX is better. 99x.com, from Atlanta. It's literally one of the most important alternative stations, and they get music that no one else will have for months, they're that powerful. It's unfortunate that they're not commercial free, but I still pick them over WFNX, even though WFNX is local to me.

[xochitl42.livejournal.com]

My folks live near Atlanta, and I listen to them as much as I can. For a while they were a little too hard-rock Slipknot/Korn kinda stuff for me, but I suspect they've chenged a bit since the last time I listened regularly.

[gnomi.livejournal.com]

I love FNX's streaming audio. I don't have a radio in my cube; I listen to FNX streaming all day. :-)

[530nm330hz.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but just wait for the pledge breaks! ("We're waiting to get 100 more people to buy a Snapple before we can go back to playing the music you know you want to hear....")

[michelel72.livejournal.com]

93.7 ("Mike FM") Boston has been flirting with this idea; a couple of times they've had single hours or few-hour blocks sponsored by one of the Boch enterprises.

But 40 days is pretty huge.

[madmadharri.livejournal.com]

ee! very cool. i love FNX - they play some great music.

[emmyjag.livejournal.com]

Is this a new stunt to try to compete with XM radio, where most of the channels are commercial free? I'm stranded on a tropical island in Hawaii, where most of the stations play touristy-type Hawaiian music (think ukuleles and swaying palm trees...urp), so much of what I listen to is downloaded to my ipod.

[rikibeth.livejournal.com]

Wow, I wish I had internet in my kitchen at work. I either have to play CDs or put up with the local hard rock station (which at least is an independent, not a Clear Channel or other corporate clone) and my CD player just got flaky again.

I was wondering about those teaser announcements myself!

[vettecat.livejournal.com]

That is a fascinating idea... I'll be curious to hear how it goes over.

[jenwrites.livejournal.com]

Cool! I'd been wondering what the big announcement would be, and since I left for WisCon on Thursday morning, I completely missed the announcement.