Friday, January 06, 2006

Same problems across the lake

I think the disease that has been Milwaukee radio is spreading. Bob has the same problem. After reading his radio dilemma, you may- nay- will say to yourself, "that sounds like the radio station I listen to".

The crap ass music they play is only part of the problem. The reason it will not get any better is because the station manager is being told he is doing a good job. Yes, someone is probably patting the guy on the back at the Hog because of the change they made.

Sidenote: Get rid of the "new station" commercials. It has been 5 months already. We know of the change. Who are you trying to inform, the hick from Kansas (no not you Head- not trying to imply you have any hickness in you but the people around you in your piece of hell) who heard the station once on their way to a brewery tour? WE KNOW YOU ARE NOT LAZER!

But someone must ask, has he done a good job? I would answer no. I am assuming it is the same guy that ran Lazer (from what I had heard), but let's look at why he has failed. First, he got beat by another station. Yes, the Brew stole listeners. It is in the ratings. Second, he ran Lazer into the ground by playing Metallica twice an hour, plus for half hours at a time with Mandatory Metallica (what was so mandatory about Metallica in 2001-2005? Nothing! And this comes from a guy who likes them, has seen them live numerous times) as well as music he thought would be hip in Milwaukee. Third, he changed the format to a harder rock just to slowly imitate the station that was beating him. Hell, if it wasn't for Bob and Brian in the morning, few people would listen to the Hog.

Yeah, I am complaining but hear me out. The Hog had a good thing going. You would hear good music, stuff you could jam to, without the buzzkill song every 4th song. Now they decided to imitate the buzzkill play as well. Last thing I want to hear after Rush, Ted Nugent, and Tesla is Donny frickin' Iris.

Makes me glad I have the 6 banger CD player in my truck. There I can listen to White Zombie, Dangerous Toys, or Motley when I want. I also listen to Music Choice at home on cable. No commercial interruptions and when they say they play hard rock they play hard rock. No pop rock interruptions. Well, except may Europe. I also migrate over to the heavy metal channel because it is uncensored. Ok, that doesn't matter but I wonder why they need to point out that they heavy metal is uncensored. That is like their own warning label.

You have a choice about radio. You can change the station, listen to better music, or be a lemming and accept whatever they shove at you. We live in a society were people want to be rewarded for mediocrity. It happens all the time in sports. It happens in business. And it happens in radio.

Yet, some guy who still has his mullet and an original Kiss Destroyer tour shirt, that though faded he still wears, will call up the station after getting home from the bar and tell the Hog they rock because they played Detroit Rock City. That recording will become a promo for the station and "evidence" to his superiors that the station manager has done a good job.

And the crap radio will live on.

Now, onto other things. I saw the sun. No, seriously. It was out. I know because it hurt my eyes. Of course that lasted a whole 5 minutes before the clouds came back.

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