What has happened to the Alternative format? 

Overall it’s about as healthy as an asthmatic in a hay field. Alternative, which in the past was an aggressive, current based format has turned into a cautious, regressive, anemic offering.

On a whim I analyzed two random markets to ascertain how current based formats offer current, recurrent and gold music.  The results have made me scratch my head... until it bled.

 

Chicago, Market # 3

San Francisco, Market # 4

In both Chicago and San Francisco, Alternative is the least aggressive and the least ranked of all the current based format offerings. 

Though station rankings are based on easily obtained persons 12+, it’s easy to ascertain that these stations overall probably don’t have a lot to root about in the hallways when talking key demos persons 18 -34.  In a time where add dollars are migrating to anywhere else but radio, not placing top 5, 18-34 persons is not a welcomed prospect.

We both know that there’s is a lot more to programming a successful radio station than just the music you play, how frequently you play it and the era(s) your station represents.  But, if the Alternative format (if we can even call it that anymore) is to survive or move forward we as a group will have to move forward with it.

You don’t see CHR, Rhythmic, Urban, Latin or even Country resting on their laurels, why does Alternative?  Leaning on a 75% gold library isn’t resting… it’s downright latent!  The music is there... Alternative just doesn’t play very much of it.

Is it because countless perceptual studies have found that listeners gravitate towards to 90s?  Is it because as times have gotten lean we as a group have become more guarded?  Is it because as we become more guarded we feel less comfortable throwing a punch?  If we’re not throwing any punches does that give the competition the advantage simply because they’re willing to go for the knock out?  Calculated defense doesn’t make for much of an event.  Don’t expect spectators to stick around to see it.

If your Alternative station is not embracing NOW then you are inching a little closer towards irrelevance in the market place with every day that passes further away from 1994.  

sd