Radio One company axes Y-100 FM
T.J. Nicolaides
Issue date: 3/1/05 Section: Forum
Their answers are to dedicate a third of every hour to pushy advertisers, another third to the Howard Stern-patented air studio circuses, and the last third to focus groupapproved, homogenized playlists largely devoid of any real musical talent. Whenever possible, disc jockeys that actually care about the music they play are replaced by fart jokes, prank phone calls, or a computer cycling through preset mp3 playlists without any program staff present. Program directors are often powerless under the sweaty thumb of the sales executives and the cold stare of cartel administration in their faraway company headquarters.
To be fair, orphaned Y-100 listeners have two other choices on the FM dial when looking for modern rock music. 94.1 WYSP and 93.3 WMMR have both been surprisingly gracious to a station they had considered to be their little cousin on the Philly rock scene when the format debuted in 1993.
WMMR veteran Pierre Robert welcomed former WPLY morning hosts Preston Elliott and Steve Morrison as well as their listeners, to the 93.3 airwaves on Monday.
On FMBQ Radio Industry News, rumors swirled about a possible format adjustment at that station, as well as Mix 95.7, which could become a second version of Y-100 later this year, and would most likely hire back all former WDRE/WPLY staffers. If that happens, it would be the fourth different format on 95.7 FM in eight years.
A petition Web site at www.Y100rocks.com is fighting for a resurrection, asking visitors, "Are you ready for Philadelphia to be the biggest town in America without an alternative rock station?"
An online radio station at the site has been broadcasting since before WPLY left the airwaves on Thursday, playing vintage Sonic Sessions and station sweepers in order to drum up support for the ex-DJs. Citing the WHFS example, in which the station was put back on
the air in Baltimore and on the Web after fan outcry, the site has served as a rallying point for a rebirth of Y-100.
To be fair, orphaned Y-100 listeners have two other choices on the FM dial when looking for modern rock music. 94.1 WYSP and 93.3 WMMR have both been surprisingly gracious to a station they had considered to be their little cousin on the Philly rock scene when the format debuted in 1993.
WMMR veteran Pierre Robert welcomed former WPLY morning hosts Preston Elliott and Steve Morrison as well as their listeners, to the 93.3 airwaves on Monday.
On FMBQ Radio Industry News, rumors swirled about a possible format adjustment at that station, as well as Mix 95.7, which could become a second version of Y-100 later this year, and would most likely hire back all former WDRE/WPLY staffers. If that happens, it would be the fourth different format on 95.7 FM in eight years.
A petition Web site at www.Y100rocks.com is fighting for a resurrection, asking visitors, "Are you ready for Philadelphia to be the biggest town in America without an alternative rock station?"
An online radio station at the site has been broadcasting since before WPLY left the airwaves on Thursday, playing vintage Sonic Sessions and station sweepers in order to drum up support for the ex-DJs. Citing the WHFS example, in which the station was put back on
the air in Baltimore and on the Web after fan outcry, the site has served as a rallying point for a rebirth of Y-100.