February 5, 2007
94.7 Changes Format; Fights Climate Change
I don’t spend much time listening to the radio anymore. What with WHFS having gone Latin and DC101 moving further and further towards an “All Nirvana, All the Time” format, I’ve had to turn to 94.7 The Arrow for anything approaching rock. Problem is, I’ve never much been a fan of classic rock, much less classic rock stations that promote themselves via TV ads starring a guy with a "radio in his finger." Yeah, you know the one.
So I was shocked when over the weekend they played Screaming Trees and REM on the station. Either I was getting much older, much faster -- since when was "Nearly Lost You" considered classic rock? -- or 94.7 had changed its format. Thankfully, it was the latter. From an email DCist received last Friday, we learned that 94.7 was re-naming itself "The Globe," doubling its play list to include more rock hits from the 90s and actively working to fight climate change. Huh? Yeah, we were confused too. From the email:
Starting today, WARW-FM will be renamed 94.7 The Globe, CBS Radio's first environmentally-friendly "World Class Rock" station! 94.7 The Globe will operate using renewable energy to power its 50,000 watt signal. This move will contribute to lowering the threat of global warming through the purchase of energy resources generated by wind. Additionally, station vehicles will be replaced with hybrid models, and 94.7 The Globe will further its "green" focus by taking a number of steps on and off-air to consistently promote ways for listeners to live an eco-friendly lifestyle.Wow. You have to give the honchos over at CBS Radio credit. We never expected that last week's announcement by the Intergovernmental Climate Change Panel saying that global warming is all but a reality would provide such immediate marketing opportunities, especially in radio. But it has, and now we can all listen to Sublime's "Caress Me Down" while helping ensure that polar bears aren't helplessly stranded on chunks of glacier floating out into the ocean.
Listeners, you've had a weekend to ponder the change, so what do you think? DCRTV's Dave Hughes is a fan, writing last week that the mix of more rock and environmental advocacy is "energizing and thought provoking." The Post's Marc Fisher, an expert on radio, has withheld judgement, though many of his commenters love the new format. Is the switch from the standard "Zeppelin Rules" classic rock to a more 90s friendly format a good one? Or is it just more watered down corporate radio?
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Expanding the playlist of rock to the 1990s is fine, so long as they send the graying hippie rock playlist to the dumpster.
D.C. doesn't need three rock stations (see Big 100) playing all baby-boomer rock like Crosby Stills and Nash (but surprisingly not Jimmy Hendrix) 24-7...
Time to leave the 1960s, D.C.!
I'm definitely not a fan. I'd almost succeeded in forgetting that Natalie Merchant existed until this sudden format switch.
It won't help if you listen to radio only in the car, but for desk-jockeys like me, try www.woxy.com. It used to be a terrestrial station in Cinci, and is now ad-free and online only, but still with real DJs and live sets from bands that will make you feel cooler just knowing their names.
Seriously, best music on the inter-tubes: all your hipster favs, from Sufjan to the Shins, TVOTR to Wilco, and a smattering of hip-hop and brit-pop. Plus a vintage channel for people who can't get enough of 80s REM and Husker Du.
DC radio gets more broad and diluted and this is good news?
Oh no! Just when I was enjoying WARW's inclusion of the 80s. Is there nowhere on the radio dial a girl can find some Def Leppard? Sigh.
It's like changing the bread on a shit sandwich.
I usually just listen to SHOUTcast stations. How green is that!
The new format sounded better to me than the old one, but it's probably too late -- internet music and the iPod have made radio less relevant to my musical selections than cassette and vinyl.
Why doesn't DC have any good college radio? You'd think that among Howard, UDC, American, GWU, Mason, Southeastern, and Georgetown that there'd be a college station. Or is there?
Um, yeah, I know I left out Galludet . . .
I actually listened to it coming in this morning. I like the eighties, but some of the songs they were playing I really wouldn't consider 'World Class.' Whatever that means.
have you heard the little marketing statements they run between songs about how they don't need 'marketing research' and 'corporate playlists'? lol. what a joke. it's kind of insulting to the audience's intelligence. as if there's actually d.j's in there playing what ever the hell they feel like playing.
don't be fooled. this format is EXACTLY what they say it isn't. Corporate Playlists generated by a computer based on market research. Just like EVERY station on the FM dial that plays music. and the whole 'green'thing....PLEASE.
the only green thing Infinity executives care about is MONEY.
The environmentally friendly thing is so weird. I mean - was anyone really concerned about the emissions produced by radio stations? 'Cause I wasn't.
WARW was an amazing classic rock station. They played the things you expected to hear along with some obscure ones you would never hear elsewhere. I think the new format is a change from a good plan to a shaky one that won't catch on. They had so many great things going for them and now they have lost a listener.
Am I pissed? Yeah, yeah I am. 94.7 got me through many days in traffic, sitting up late doing work, etc. They will be missed greatly.
As for college radio, I only can speak for AU. They had a college radio station, but campus sold it to NPR and it became WAMU (I'm skipping details and generalizing here). The "College Radio" at AU can only be listened to a) in the station itself or b) on the internet. No "normal radio".
So far it's bad, bad, bad. Despite early reports that the station had changed to AAA, what the new format really is is a combo of the overplayed 60s-80s oldies from the old Arrow (Brown Eyed Girl, again!) combined with the overplayed 90s grunge and alt of DC101 (Lightning Crashes, one more time!). Throw in some of the overplayed A/C from 107.3 (Sarah McLachlan and Natalie Merchant, anyone?) and you've got The Globe. There is precious little in this new "format" that didn't already have a home on the DC airwaves. They've just diluted things.
Maybe when DJs come back later this week things will improve, but likely not by much.
"WARW was an amazing classic rock station. They played the things you expected to hear along with some obscure ones you would never hear elsewhere."
My experience was that WARW never played anything that you couldn't find on that band's Greatist Hits album; your mileage obviously varied.
You mean the campus only WAMU AM 610 is gone?
yay! woxy is the best!
AU has a student-run station that can be accessed by watching a television hooked into a dorm cable box. Or something like that.
My radio show was predictably awesome.
Georgetown used to have a big tower and a good freq and they sold it off. For awhile it was only available on campus via some sort of arrangement in the pipes on campus buildings I think and then later via campus cable TV. They're online now too, not sure if they have gotten to the point of trying to get back on-air so anybody can listen or not. WGTB is the current call sign.
Driving to work on Saturday was a very sad time when I came to realize my favorite station had died. Sure, they're keeping some of the old staff (which I worried about), but when I heard a commercial that coupled Zeppelin (good!) with clips from Dave Matthews and James Blunt (bad, bad, bad!), I knew this new station was not going to be something I could get into. I'm 24 and own 2 ipods, but I was brought up on listening to classic rock on the radio. I listened to 94.7 at least on my way to and from work everyday, and normally once I got there as well. While I commend the notion of a green broadcast, who else but a bunch of rockers would have totally supported them? Thanks for the good times...
If you're at a desk (or something like it), try WFMU online--it's about the best station ever, say all the music critics who get called up for Pazz and Jop every year. Free, no commercials, about a decade's worth of archives online, playlists, and song/artist search.
Plus, 'FMU puts some shows on podcasts. The big problem now is that I run out of hours in the day to listen to new music on the radio.
Or if you really want to waste time on music, get into last.fm.
I'm liking the changeover. George 104 has been a bit disappointing with its playlist ranging a little too old for my tastes, and Jack 102.7 out of Baltimore has been loading up too heavily on the commercials. This new Globe 94.7 is off to a good note, for my ears ... at least compared to the rest of the radio dial.
this is the best news i've heard since nickelback scored the drummer from three doors down.
my work day will totally rule if i can start it with some candlebox, spin doctors or (if there is a god)-- ugly kid joe.
sure i'll miss the occasional "sharp dressed man"-- but come on, what fills the void better than, "you're unbelievable"--?
OHH!!!!
chiggity check yourself homeboy! i'm uber-pumped about this new format and hope it catches on like wildfire. i have not been this happy since i heard that nickelback scored the drummer from three doors down.
i don't care how cold it gets...my windows will undoubtedly be down now that i can pump me some candlebox, live, alice in chains, spin doctors-- and if we're lucky-- ugly kid joe.
sure, i'll miss some classic rock (i.e. jethro, little river band), but nothing that can't be satiated with a taste of EMF.
unbelieveable...OHHH!
chiggity check yourself homeboy! i'm uber-pumped about this new format and hope it catches on like wildfire. i have not been this happy since i heard that nickelback scored the drummer from three doors down.
i don't care how cold it gets...my windows will undoubtedly be down now that i can pump me some candlebox, live, alice in chains, spin doctors-- and if we're lucky-- ugly kid joe.
sure, i'll miss some classic rock (i.e. jethro, little river band), but nothing that can't be satiated with a taste of EMF.
unbelievable...OHHH!
This is a very sad time- All this new music they're playing can already be found elsewhere on the dial. 94.7 was unique. If someone wanted 90's rock, they have 101.1, if they wanted old geezer classic rock, they have 100.3. It's time to buy a good FM Transmitter and start using the IPOD on my way to and from work.
FM transmitters almost never work well in a major metro area, no matter how expensive. For $100 installed you can get a new stereo with input jack at Best Buy or Curcuit City, and it will sound better than any FM transmitter under the best conditions.
Music-focused radio all over the country is hopeless, not just in DC. Public radio can be great depending on where you live.
Btw, it's Jimi Hendrix. Show some respect for a legend.
I am saddened at the loss of the classic rock station that I have loved for years . Although a dedicated environmentalist, I will no longer be listening.
I totally agree with Rosscott.
It took me six years to find a radio station in DC I loved. I like hearing mostly songs I know the words to, and not a lot I don't. I loved the frigging Eclectic Lunch and the 9 PM Box Set, and so did all my friends. And we're not THAT old.
Saturday, in the shower, was when I discovered 94.7's change. Five songs, not one of which I recognized, then what I swear was a dance mix of Clapton's "After Midnight." Gag.
They played "My City Was Gone" while I was drying my hair, but screw it. Too little, too late. That's the end of that.
On Sunday, I was listening to 100.3 in the car around six, and when the Super Bowl started they switched to an ALL CRICKETS ALL THE TIME format for the next several hours. What. The. Hell.
Losing 94.7, my music station, so hot on the heels of losing 90.9, my talk station, just absolutely SUCKS. I'm buying Sirius this week.
My roommate and I loved tuning in to the wiley Weasel during those nights of staying at home and cracking a couple brews. He was one of those great DJs who's personality came right across the airwaves - a character who's persona was only surpassed by his endless knowledge of pop music.
somafm.com = commercial free, online only
There are too many mix stations in DC, and the Globe doesn't stand out in any way. Sometimes I'm in the mood for classic rock, and sometimes modern stuff. With no more classic rock, the stations just blend into each other. As my husband said, "DC radio just got suckier."
Their playlist is head and shoulders above DC101's, on depth alone, but I could fart a better playlist than those clowns; the bar is set pretty low. ARW had the best DJs in town, and they let them run free from time to time, and it made for really compelling radio. I was glad to hear the Underground Garage on Sunday night, and apparently Weasel still works there, so all hope is not lost, but seriously - great radio is not hard, you just get 5 or 6 engaging people who love music and let them play what they want for several hours a day. A station that did that would clean up in this wasteland of a market. I would bet KEXP, KCRW, and WOXY have more listeners and more dedicated listeners in this area than any of these faux-radio broadcast stations like DC101 and the Globe. And yeah, that 'market research' promo is really insulting, and I change the station when it comes on. It makes me want to find their offices and drive my car through the building, mangling and dismembering as I go. I just want to make like R. Kelly and relieve myself on their faces for what they've done to rock radio.
Radio sucks pretty much everywhere, but PFW (89.3) has a decent hip-hop show on from 11pm-midnight during the week. Definitely more J-Dilla than Jay-Z.
Has anyone here heard WSQT lately?
This is a little off, but if anybody works in the Rosslyn to Ballston corridor, 104.7FM is an apparent pirate or low frequency station that plays instrumental pop standards, i.e. "elevator music". No announcers, no station id, no voices of any kind. It's quite soothing, and my days have been more productive since I discovered it.
I'm probably an oddball, but I miss the golden oldies format such as the syndicated "Music of Your Life" program. Of course, the demographic for that format is dying, literally. I was just getting into it when the DC station that had it swapped formats (was it WGAY?)
I'm surprised at how many people actually miss the tired old classic rock on 94.7. While there were some exceptions, such as Weasel's excellent Box Set show each night, and the aforementioned Underground Garage, most of the day was filled with just about the same stuff that you now hear on Big 100.
As for the new format, it was pretty interesting for the first few days. They were mixing in a lot of fairly deep, obscure stuff. But now, other than the friendly reminders telling me to switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs and "if it's yellow let it mellow," it doesn't sound a whole lot different than the old 94.7.
It doesn't matter much to me, anyway. I've got Internet radio, XM, and HD Radio to entertain me. Regular ol' terrestrial radio around here has sucked for years.
rock/alt/weirdness: WFMU
hip hop/r&b: BBC 1xtra
comedy: Sound of Young America
religion: Howard Stern
This is politics not radio... bring the arrow back... fuck cbs...
This was the last station that had active listeners. Goodbye Arrow. As for the Globe, naa, I can get that stuff on several other stations. Thanks anyway.
Internet radio would be the solution, if most of us didn't have to deal with work bandwidth issues.
So... there *are* still DJs? 'Cause all I've been hearing are the recordings explaining how green the new format is and how I should visit their website. If Weasel's gone, so's the station...
Please,bring back the old format; you're the only one doing that kind of stuff you know. The only one kind of stuff,so cut the craft and bring the glory back, please.
The new format sucks, this radio station will die very quickly. It was nice to have something different to listen to. The new format is too jumbled.
changed the radio preset as fast as when 99.1 went hispanic
Definitely a work in progress...94.7 needed to be refreshed and this is a step in the right directon. Green scene and eco friendly messages 24-7 a little tiresome but once Weasel gets back it's all good.
This new format is right on target. As a long time listner of 94.7, I was getting tired of the classic rock format. Although I love the stuff from the 70's and 80's they were always playing the same songs. Also, I was tired of the non-music programming in the morning ( no offence Stephens and Medley but you guys were stuck in a rutt.
Your music selection is pretty good but as I can see from other comments, you can't please all the people all the time ( but you can try...)
I love the combination of new and old, as long as you stick to the rock format and do not get mired in playing the same songs OVER AND OVER.
Also, I really appreciate the no talk format and the minimum of commercials. I know that format does not pay the bills, but if you do have to take on advertising, try to eliminate the irritating stuff (i.e. WAWA commercials) and focus on the informative and mature humor.
I like the environmentally friendly goal as long as you do not become too preachey.
Finally, I have been listening to the classic rock format for so long that I am out of touch with the newer music. If possible, it would be great if you could find a way to identify the songs (including artis and album) after they are played (but do it in a low key way that does not detract from the low-talk format).
Bottom line???? CARRY ON !!!!!!!!!!!!
Bring back the classic 94.7 before I move to 100.3 and Jack. Don't like your new format at all.
What the *#!!&&##!!! is this ??? I listened to the old "Classic Rock Station" 106 or 104 or something many years ago, then they did the same thing you're doing now!! Except that it met an audience that accepted it (jazz). So I had to look for another "Classic Rock Staion". I found 94.7 and was in heaven for years!!! Now I have to try and find another "Classic Rock Station"!! Which I hope I can find!! But I doubt that!! Bottom line: YOUR NEW FORMAT SUCKS!!! BIG TIME!!
Stay "GREEN" ( HA HA HA!!! )
Having listened for a week now, I'm not a fan. I had high hopes when I first heard the idea for it, but it turns out the music from the era it's emphasizing just isn't really that good, overall. The best songs from that time period were, in fact, being played on the old 94.7 (which did play songs from the 90s). There's no good classic rock station left, either. 100.3 is not the same as the old 94.7: the music is more on the light-rock side (more Elton John, Paul Simon, and Jackson Browne), and the DJs can't match up to the old 94.7 guys, who really knew their stuff.
Also, the whole environmental focus just pisses me off. What does that have to do with radio? It just seems like a cheap ploy to develop a marketing niche. Those ads actively make me not want to listen to the station.
I really miss the old 94.7,if it isnt broken dont fix it.It is broken now good luck fixing it,I wont be listening anymore.