MAJOR BUMMER: Y100 off the airwaves at WXPN

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MAJOR BUMMER: Y100 off the airwaves at WXPN

POSTED: Wednesday, June 9, 2010, 11:52 PM

Filed Under: Music | Radio

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All of those people in the various "I Miss Y100" Facebook groups have been dealt another blow. Michael Klein reports WXPN has cut the on-air time of YRock, meaning the Wednesday-Friday block usually filled with the old-school Y100 alt rock is no more. The format will survive at yrockonxpn.org and for whoever the hell has HD radio (the same people who brush off the ol' laser disc player every now and again?). In 2006, CP's current editor-in-chief Brian Howard wrote about Y100's switch from traditional radio to WXPN hybrid:

McGuinn introduces them and the trio explains the situation: Y100rocks.com will cease to exist ... at least as a name. What won't cease is the station itself. In an unprecedented maneuver, the newly appointed "Y-Rock" is joining the "WXPN family." For the folks at Y100rocks.com, that means getting actual studio space and equipment at WXPN's digs, being able to host unlimited listeners (they currently operate with a cap), and — save for cleaning up their language and adhering to the rules of public radio — not having to change what or how they play at all. In other words, the scrappy little station is going legit. Oh, and in addition, McGuinn will get his own show on which to spin alt rock three nights a week (Wed. through Fri.) on WXPN's airwaves, meaning that for the first time since February of 2005, modern rock will be back on the air in Philly, if only for 10 hours a week.

Jim McGuinn, who pioneered the new format, left for Minnesota Public Radio in 2008. As Klein reports, Josh T. Landow, who helped McGuinn in his underground version of YRock (after the shortwave plug was pulled, before the WXPN copulation) and later took over McGuinn's position, was one of six laid off by WXPN. So that leave Radio 104.5/WUBA WRFF as the only alternative station in the city.

Greg

Posted 2010-06-09 22:40:23

HD Radio is a farce!

http://hdradiofarce.blogspot.com

Ryne

Posted 2010-06-10 10:11:10

That is very unfortunate.  I guess it is a sign of the times.  104.5 is actually WRFF.

Spam

Posted 2010-06-10 11:03:03

HD radio and laser dics?  That's quite a metaphor.  By that, I mean it's a bad one.  :)

*old* one.  Early adopters of new technology have likely forgotten laser discs by now.

Spam

Posted 2010-06-10 11:03:57

HD radio and laser dics?  That's quite a metaphor.  By that, I mean it's a bad one.  :)

HD radio is a new technology while the laser disc is an OLD one.  Early adopters of new technology have likely forgotten laser discs by now.

Dennis C. McGrath

Posted 2010-06-10 11:37:32

HD radio works for me quite well in the Germantown section - I get WRTI and WHYY's HD-2 signal very nicely. The sound quality is at least as good and I think better than traditional FM. I'm not shilling for the seller of this unit, but here's the HD tuner I use; it's a Sony and actually one of the highest rated tuners of any time on the market today, and it's under $100. 

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-XDRF1HD-HD-Radio-Tuner/dp/B00168Q248

I don't know if HD radio will be the betamax of the '00s, but if you;re really devoted to hearing Y100 it's an option for now.

Laureley

Posted 2010-12-30 15:54:43

Yeah boooyyyyy! Now you know what a BS move that was to fire one of the few remaining local dj's that started at Y100 back in the day and cutting the programming completely off the air. How dumb. Well, Josh is still broadcasting on the Web (check out Y-Not Radio.net) and fighting this underhanded and unlawful takeover of intellectual property by the people who don't own it. Alternative terrestrial radio is dead. WXPN is dead. Radio 104.5FM is dead. NPR is going to be dead soon. Raise your hand if you are under 35 and you've listened to the World Cafe on XPN recently? Last 6 months? EVER? My point exactly. Over and out.

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