Free-FM Discussion

[musicradio77]

As I said this morning as of 6:00 AM, 92.3 becomes Free-FM and the new calls are WFNY, the original calls are WXRK, because the calls had moved to Cleveland, Ohio where WXRK calls now stands forever.

RIP: K-Rock (1985-2006)

And now, it's Free-FM. This is a discussion where you can discuss the show that were on Free-FM on its first day. Will start with David Lee Roth. I've listened to David Lee Roth doing mornings before on the new station. Then there JV & Elvis (not Elvis Presley), Penn Jillette and Lesley Gold. I don't really listen to Free-FM, I know you folks are listening to the new station. Any thoughts, please post.

[Jrnygrl]

I live in L.A. and we have Adam Carolla. It was the biggest borefest I have ever heard. I think I could put together a better radio show than what he did yesterday.

Adam proved that what Howard Stern did on terrestrial radio, was pure genius. Adam will not last.

[vashti1999]

Originally Posted by Jrnygrl

Adam proved that what Howard Stern did on terrestrial radio, was pure genius.

Yep, that's why I placed my Sirius order last night. Don't know if I'll get it in time for Howard's first show, but my radio is on the way and I'll be listening to Howard again soon.

[musicradio77]

Originally Posted by vashti1999

Yep, that's why I placed my Sirius order last night. Don't know if I'll get it in time for Howard's first show, but my radio is on the way and I'll be listening to Howard again soon.

You should listen to Stern's first day at Sirius this Friday. I would like to tell the people that Free-FM is a station that the old WNEW used to be back in 1999. I listen to the aircheck of David Lee Roth on his first gig at the new Free-FM at 92.3 courtesy of Radio-Info. At the beginning there was some leftover rock music towards the end of K-Rock's 20-year run in favor of Free-FM. I heard some stunting before Roth's first show where they throw a montage of clips from movies, TV shows and famous speeches and the announcer came in and said "Starting January 3rd, it's the all-new 92.3 Free-FM". I've heard that stunting before when I listen to that aircheck from Radio-Info. In the middle of the montage, I heard the static in the middle of the stunt when they inserted a song "When You Wish Upon a Star" (which is a Disney trademark, a song from "Pinocchio" and the theme from the TV show "Disneyland" back in the 50's) and then a weird space martian came in and saying "Greetings beautiful humans." and all that stuff. There was Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, a "Free Fallin'" where he was saying "FREE!" many times and then "Power to the People", some Schwarzenegger dialogue, a clip from "Night of the Living Dead", and a batch of rock songs thrown in to the montage. That stunting reminds me of "Revolution 9" from the Beatles "White Album". But now, back to Free-FM discussion. Allan Sniffen on the NYRMB posted his response. I know you fans who don't know Allan Sniffen. He's the webguy who runs the Musicradio WABC website and runs the NYRMB where he discuss the topics that he made about radio. He said in his post:

I guess it shouldn't come as any surprise that there's a lot of criticism of WFNY/Free-FM (post-WXRK/K-Rock). It's one of those formats that you either "get" or you hate. There's very little middle ground.

But here's the dilema. On the one side you have me suggesting that David Lee Roth shouldn't be talking serious issues and other the other side there's a large contigent of posters criticizing Leslie Gold for lambasting Dick Clark or ripping JV and Elvis for speculating what the "H" might stand for in the explicative "Jesus H Christ".

I heard Gold's riff on Clark. It wasn't all that terrible. No, I didn't personally like it but, then, I'm not 25. I *have* done my share of laughing at jokes in bad taste as I'm sure many of you have so it's not like I can claim some kind of moral high ground. And as far as the "Christ Bit", come on. Let's at least try to have a sense of humor.

Free-FM, as a concept is based on the idea that some of what you hear will be over the edge. That's the hook. If it's done right, it's programming you can't get on an iPod. It's content (as opposed to playing music which is distribution). Don't expect this station to be another WABC/WOR.

So, if the goal is to skirt the edge and to be of questionable taste, then don't criticize Free-FM for delivering it. Don't expect it to talk politics anymore than you would expect Z-100 to play Mozart. The format is what it is.
Frankly, I think the station will have a bigger problem if David Lee Roth spends too much time discussing issues like Gun Control than if Leslie Gold does a riff on Dick Clark. The format is the format and needs to do what it's supposed to do. If the station is supposed to be an edgy insult to good taste then evaluate it as such. In my opinion it's more of an issue when it isn't skating the edges then when it is.

Thoughts?

[musicradio77]

I know you fans like TJL, Jrnygrl and some members who had listened to Free-FM, Allan Sniffen had given a Real Audio response for this week's "Board Reflections" talking about Free-FM. Here it is.

http://musicradio.computer.net/other...ions1-5-06.ram