Grand Forks Life is the first and biggest blog covering life in the city of Grand Forks, North Dakota. GrandForksGuy shares local news, rumors, and his own opinions.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Open Thread #34
Anything interesting that you want to comment on or share with us?
I heard a rumor that Space Aliens plans to open a location on S 42nd St kitty corner from Choice Financial.
I'm also wondering why are there so many Country and "Top 40" stations on the FM radio in GF these days? XL93 (92.9), Y94 in Fargo (93.7), and 104.3 (which was until a month ago and now it's dentist office music) are all top 40 stations playing the same 10 songs over again. I remember when there was Magic 96 back in the day, and the classic rock station on 96.1 right now is usually good. And there's 5 country stations around here (94.7 classic country, 97.1, 99.3, 100.3, and 105.5)
It's worth the $13 a month I pay to have XM Satellite Radio. My last straw was a number of years ago, being unable to find anything non-offensive on the radio whilst driving my daughter to school in the morning.
In GF you basically have two choices: either country music on FM or right-wing talk and religious broadcast on AM. I guess everyone else has moved on to podcasts, mp3s and satellite.
One of the best things about living in Grand Forks is you can get 4 different public radio stations. 2 North Dakota Public Radio Stations and 2 MN Public Radio Stations.
Dale, try 104.9 FM. It's contemporary Christian pop and rock music with non-offensive Christian centered lyrics. They have one right wing nut talk show from noon to 3 during and Focus on the Family (another religious right wing show) for about 15 minutes during the week otherwise its all music.
False Reporting: A report from the Health Dept in Minnesota states that"sexual violence" costs $8 Billion a year in Minnesota ! It states 61,000 victims each year in Minnesota. The highest "cost" was "suffering and lost quality of life" for $6.4 Billion a year in Minnesota ! Having to work in the Domestic Violence Field in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Hawaii; these statistics and numbers are complete nonsense. It might be $8 Million, but no way $8 Billion ! A few people are inflating statistics to increase their funding. Other costs listed : health, diseases, abortions, and suicides. They list $139,000 for each adult case. To view entire report go to : www.health.state.mn.us/svp. greenglass4.
False Reporting: In addition your taxes will increase if these reports are not challenged. The other statistic not mentioned is that 70 % of sexual assult cases are "false" according to ND, Mn, and Nat Crime Stats, reported by Att Gen, FBI, and local police depts. See a study by Dr. Ken Dawes of Social Work Dept at UND, he was Dept Head at the time. greenglass4.
One of the best things about living in Grand Forks is you can get 4 different public radio stations.
My wife is a huge MPR fan, and I listen to the stream at home once in a while, but it seems like every time I'm listening to them, it's pledge drive season, which is super annoying. And that's from someone who gives them money.
Dale, try 104.9 FM. It's contemporary Christian pop and rock music with non-offensive Christian centered lyrics.
I actually do listen to this station when I take my wife's car and forget to bring along the XM. It's definitely a good station (I particularly like the small-town flavour afforded by them being locally announced and based outside of Grand Forks,) though I don't know that they were around when I gave up on over-the-air many years ago. However, non-stop Praise Music can grate on the nerves as well, and there are no commercials on XM, a big plus.
104.9 rebroadcasts a Fosston, MN station called Q107 (107.1 FM there). But, they have a studio, sales staff, and a DJ in Grand Forks so it's a Fosston and Grand Forks station. Q107 has been around in the Fosston area since the 1997 flood (correct me if I'm wrong), and they branched out in Grand Forks (104.9 FM) sometime in 2005.
If you listen it them during the evenings and nights, it's mainly Christian rock music, but during the day it's mainly praise music (along with religious right wing talker Janet Parshall during noon to 3PM and Focus on the Family)
It sounds like someone at the GF Industrial Park or EDC screwed up big time. It appeared LM Glasfiber wanted to expand further in town, but there was no land available in the park, so will take their 1000 new jobs to Little Rock instead. Someone's head should roll over this. There was no guarantee they would have built here, but GF no doubt would have been at the top of the list. SHAME!
"but GF no doubt would have been at the top of the list."
I doubt that, given the package Arkansas offered. ND talks big when it comes to economic development, then they fold their cards, and tell higher ed to be the engine. Bearing in mind what other states and cities do to attract businesses, ND will always be sucking hind tit.
LM Glasfiber needed capacity to make a larger blade size. Transportation of these even large blades entirely on interstate highways was not feasible. The Arkansas River's access to the Mississippi River offers barge transportation as an alternative.
I think the best radio talk show is THE BIG DOGS. 1. they are local.2. they dont care what they say or make fun of 3. they are out to get anyone and everyone which is funny as hell
if you dont liek them get the hell outta here says fat mars...
SPeaking about LM, the Herald reported they still plan to expand in Grand Forks in the future.
I have heard that the building next to DQ is going to be a branch of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
And Bob and Tom is on a Fargo station (101.9 FM). Bob and Tom were going to be on 104.3 along with Alice Cooper's evening show (which was on The Box 101.9 until they became Rock 102), though they changed their plans to be a "lite rock" (adult contemporary in radio industry lingo) instead of classic rock.
I doubt the Mayo Clinic is building a branch in Grand Forks.
Interesting slant North Valley Family Medicine in EGF puts on its apparent poor performance by stating they are excited to be merging with Meritcare EGF thus being able to offer better services. These guys left Meritcare about a year ago to offer better services ...but now this remarkable plan to merge?
"I have heard that the building next to DQ is going to be a branch of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester."
Is that a joke or have you actually heard that?
Also, construction seems to have just started on the empty lot south of the Red Pepper/Dakota Textbook building on North 42nd Street. The plans for Campus Place (this particular development) call for a building almost exactly the same as the Red Pepper/Dakota Textbook building, but flipped so the round corner is on the northeast side. I still wish something could be done about Loaf and Jug...that whole corner has gotten to be really nice looking but the gas station is not so attractive.
I still wish something could be done about Loaf and Jug
They can start by changing the name. That's the worst name for a convenience store I've ever heard. Whoever came up with that one should really re-evaluate their crack dosage.
If you're looking for something to do over the next week or so, head over to Red River at 8PM for Les Miserables, put on by the Summer Performing Arts program (SPA.) HMS Pinnafore, done last week by the 9th & 10th graders was excellent, but Les Mis is absolutely stunning, and not to be missed.
SPA keeps getting better, year after year, and is one of the shining lights of the community. According to something I saw there tonight, one in seven GF students, elementary to high school, is involved in SPA.
Support the kids, their dreams, and take in a truly awesome show to boot.
"I have heard that the building next to DQ is going to be a branch of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester."
Is that a joke or have you actually heard that?
I actually heard that, but it I doubt it's true.
Kroger bought out the Mini Mart chain and rebranded them as "Loaf N Jug", which is the dumbest name I have heard of for a convenience store. Almost as bad as Hugo's "triple fresh" beef (grinding them three times doesn't affect the freshness, and they don't even do that).
First, 104.3 has changed format more times than I blink in a day. I think the best incarnation had a great 80s motif (this was only a few years ago) and a really fun, boisterous DJ (not overly-reliant on crude jokes like the Big Dogs, who have their moments). Nothing good lasts long.
In addition to Northern Lights 90.7 campus station, I usually enjoy listening to 90.1 Pioneer Radio out of TRF. Their variety is refreshing. While some of the the DJs sound like illiterate kids who know nothing about music, there is a charm about their presence on the air. And who else is going to have They Might Be Giants, Johnny Cash, and Cyndi Lauper on the same playlist, quite possibly in that order?
The doc's left Merit Care over a dispute and now the dispute is settled. I don't think either of them benefited from the split, it was just more obvious at NVFM as they were the "start-up" and Merit Care wouldn't have asked them back if they weren't feeling it themselves.
I've been hearing the rumor that the flip-flopped Red Pepper/Dakota Textbook Co. building will be a Starbucks and an unnamed tenant. I first heard it more than a year ago, and I heard it again recently.
There may have been a dispute at Meritcare but they were not busy at all at NVFM and there was talk of how long they could make it on their own. So spin as you wish.
I have heard that the building next to DQ is going to be a branch of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
That would be a good idea. A lot of patients at Altru and the new Aurora medical complex (soon to be a hospital) are referred to Mayo in Rochester.
First, 104.3 has changed format more times than I blink in a day. I think the best incarnation had a great 80s motif (this was only a few years ago) and a really fun, boisterous DJ (not overly-reliant on crude jokes like the Big Dogs, who have their moments). Nothing good lasts long.
I was a radio DJ in the past so I am familiar with why stations change formats. Commercial radio stations get their money from advertisers. The advertisers want results in which listeners check out their business. There is a semi-annual radio survey by Arbitron that tracks which stations have the most listeners (ratings). 104.3 has been usually on the bottom of that list for many years (because they change their format so many times).
I know the rundown of most of the formats on 104.3 KZLT. It was "adult contemporary" (yes, radio lingo for light rock a.k.a. dentist office music) K-Lite until about 2000, when it became "hot adult contemporary" (a mix of regular adult contemporary with more newer pop music as heard on Top 40 stations like XL93). as Cities 104.3 until about 2001. Then KZLT became an 80's Rock station (I agree, their best incarnation) as Z104 trying to get some of KJ108's listeners. 104 went back to adult contemporary as "Breeze 104.3" until about 2006, when it became Top 40 as "More Music 104.3" trying to steal XL93's listeners (in which they claimed that they "played better songs than XL93"). The "More Music" incarnation was on the dead bottom of the survey (besides some out of town AM stations) so they went back to adult contemporary as "Lite Rock 104.3". In a nutshell, 104.3 was trying to recreate their adult contemporary glory days or trying to be poorly presented competition for the top station (XL93 and KJ108).
This brings up why 100.3 flipped from oldies "Kool 100.3" to country as "Cat Country" a few years ago. Although Kool 100.3 did fairly well in the ratings, but the main age group of listeners (over 35 years old) aren't what the businesses want to advertise to, and 97 KYCK was usually the top rated station or closely behind XL93 and KJ108. So 100.3 went "Cat Country", and became ahead of KYCK in the ratings race just over a year.
Commercial radio wants profit, that's why stations usually change formats. That's also why a lot of them don't play lesser known songs, since they're scared of alienating their listeners.
As for radio, don't forget AM 990, CBC Winnipeg. They have some great content. 680 AM, CJOB from Winnipeg is also interesting to get a talk radio spin from Canada.
I agree, check out talk radio, CJOB has a gret show on Sundays (was from 10 am to noon) now from ! pm to 3 pm: show is Crime and Punishment by Mike McIntire also a writer for Winnipeg Free Press. How about conversation on local talk show hosts. I like Big Ed and Joel Heitkamp both on KFGO in Fargo, Scott on WDAY, and Mac on KNOX. I have done a few in studio interviews with the above hosts. I like Big Ed the best. Mac was seen on I-29 trying for his spot awhile back, but lost out to Joel H. Nat hosts I like Bill O'Reillyboth radio and tv. Anyone have insight into these guys ? greenglass4.
The docs at NVFM took a huge risk going on their own. The majority of the docs there are great physicians and very compassionate. Sometimes the business management side of things can be overwhelming and that shouldn't be the docs role to do that side and need the right people under them rather than overzealousness.
I'm not sure what you mean by needing the "right people under them rather than over zealousness". They, as physicians, made the decision to go on their own. It surely was a business venture and it failed. I doubt the people "under them" had anything to do with it.
"A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou." I'm sure that Omar Khayyam had run down convenience stores in mind when he penned that. I guess that the full phrase reminds one to buy condoms, at the least.
In regards to what is being built next to the Dairy Queen on Columbia...sorry, it's not a Mayo Clinic branch. Or another Subway (whew...). It's an office building that will be renting out spaces.
The funniest store name I've ever seen is Hinky Dinky. It's a grocery store in Wahoo, Nebraska. Not sure if it's still there; it's been a few years since I drove by it.
There is a Hinky Dinky store also in Bozeman, MT, right across the street from 3 large dorms of Montana State. All the beer distributers dropped off hundreds of beer/girls in bikini posters the first week of school at the Hinky Dinky then they would quickly find their ways onto the dorm room walls.
Lasting? That might be something else, again. I like the variety on 90.7 and 90.1, but so many of the indies are here today, gone tomorrow.
Give me some lyrics, some rhythms that don't jar my hearing...and, with the greatest of respect for a man knowledgeable in his field, it does get a little redundant hearing, "I'm Mike Olson, and you're listening to 90.7."
Personally, I'd like to get a radio station that played something harder than Metallica. This is a market that is completely ignored in Grand Forks, and only slightly touched on in Fargo. 93X in Minneapolis goes to a good level.
As for names of stores, what about the old Pay & Pak that used to be in town? It's now the Poppler's location after they left downtown. They were really the only place in town that you could but a Zero candy bar.
Please keep your comments civil and relevant. GrandForksGuy reserves the right to remove comments. GrandForksGuy is not responsible for the content of comments.
I heard a rumor that Space Aliens plans to open a location on S 42nd St kitty corner from Choice Financial.
ReplyDeleteI'm also wondering why are there so many Country and "Top 40" stations on the FM radio in GF these days? XL93 (92.9), Y94 in Fargo (93.7), and 104.3 (which was until a month ago and now it's dentist office music) are all top 40 stations playing the same 10 songs over again. I remember when there was Magic 96 back in the day, and the classic rock station on 96.1 right now is usually good. And there's 5 country stations around here (94.7 classic country, 97.1, 99.3, 100.3, and 105.5)
Ditto the above. Whatever happened to Sinatra and the likes on 1440?
ReplyDeleteGuess it all comes down to advertising dollars, but one would think there'd be room for some easy listening stuff on the dial.
"Be here when the stars come out." I miss that.
It's worth the $13 a month I pay to have XM Satellite Radio. My last straw was a number of years ago, being unable to find anything non-offensive on the radio whilst driving my daughter to school in the morning.
ReplyDeleteIn GF you basically have two choices: either country music on FM or right-wing talk and religious broadcast on AM. I guess everyone else has moved on to podcasts, mp3s and satellite.
ReplyDeleteCome on over to Talk Radio, people. The BEST station in town is 1440 AM -- The Fan. It's our of Mineapolis, but NOTHING beats their shows.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best things about living in Grand Forks is you can get 4 different public radio stations. 2 North Dakota Public Radio Stations and 2 MN Public Radio Stations.
ReplyDeleteTalk radio, unfortunately, has become blase'.
ReplyDeleteSame ol', same ol'.
Bring back the crooners and music with understandable lyrics.
(And no, I'm not over fifty. :o) )
Dale, try 104.9 FM. It's contemporary Christian pop and rock music with non-offensive Christian centered lyrics. They have one right wing nut talk show from noon to 3 during and Focus on the Family (another religious right wing show) for about 15 minutes during the week otherwise its all music.
ReplyDelete90.7 (ND public radio) is my fav. Plenty of indie and world type music.
ReplyDeleteI do love all the public radio stations. I'd be lost without the BBC radio.
ReplyDeleteFalse Reporting: A report from the Health Dept in Minnesota states that"sexual violence" costs $8 Billion a year in Minnesota ! It states 61,000 victims each year in Minnesota. The highest "cost" was "suffering and lost quality of life" for $6.4 Billion a year in Minnesota ! Having to work in the Domestic Violence Field in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Hawaii; these statistics and numbers are complete nonsense. It might be $8 Million, but no way $8 Billion ! A few people are inflating statistics to increase their funding. Other costs listed : health, diseases, abortions, and suicides. They list $139,000 for each adult case. To view entire report go to : www.health.state.mn.us/svp. greenglass4.
ReplyDeleteFalse Reporting: In addition your taxes will increase if these reports are not challenged. The other statistic not mentioned is that 70 % of sexual assult cases are "false" according to ND, Mn, and Nat Crime Stats, reported by Att Gen, FBI, and local police depts. See a study by Dr. Ken Dawes of Social Work Dept at UND, he was Dept Head at the time. greenglass4.
ReplyDeleteOne of the best things about living in Grand Forks is you can get 4 different public radio stations.
ReplyDeleteMy wife is a huge MPR fan, and I listen to the stream at home once in a while, but it seems like every time I'm listening to them, it's pledge drive season, which is super annoying. And that's from someone who gives them money.
Dale, try 104.9 FM. It's contemporary Christian pop and rock music with non-offensive Christian centered lyrics.
I actually do listen to this station when I take my wife's car and forget to bring along the XM. It's definitely a good station (I particularly like the small-town flavour afforded by them being locally announced and based outside of Grand Forks,) though I don't know that they were around when I gave up on over-the-air many years ago. However, non-stop Praise Music can grate on the nerves as well, and there are no commercials on XM, a big plus.
greenglass4 what expertise do you have to dispute those statistics?
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, are you still a holocost denier too, or have you seen the light?
104.9 rebroadcasts a Fosston, MN station called Q107 (107.1 FM there). But, they have a studio, sales staff, and a DJ in Grand Forks so it's a Fosston and Grand Forks station. Q107 has been around in the Fosston area since the 1997 flood (correct me if I'm wrong), and they branched out in Grand Forks (104.9 FM) sometime in 2005.
ReplyDeleteIf you listen it them during the evenings and nights, it's mainly Christian rock music, but during the day it's mainly praise music (along with religious right wing talker Janet Parshall during noon to 3PM and Focus on the Family)
Sounds like somebody is weirdly defensive about sexual assault claims. I wonder why.
ReplyDeletebah, well, hum, ber, uhh....
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like someone at the GF Industrial Park or EDC screwed up big time. It appeared LM Glasfiber wanted to expand further in town, but there was no land available in the park, so will take their 1000 new jobs to Little Rock instead. Someone's head should roll over this. There was no guarantee they would have built here, but GF no doubt would have been at the top of the list. SHAME!
ReplyDelete"but GF no doubt would have been at the top of the list."
ReplyDeleteI doubt that, given the package Arkansas offered. ND talks big when it comes to economic development, then they fold their cards, and tell higher ed to be the engine. Bearing in mind what other states and cities do to attract businesses, ND will always be sucking hind tit.
You've got to put yourself in the game. Someone dropped the ball.
ReplyDeleteLM Glasfiber needed capacity to make a larger blade size. Transportation of these even large blades entirely on interstate highways was not feasible. The Arkansas River's access to the Mississippi River offers barge transportation as an alternative.
ReplyDeleteWhat is going in next to the Colu
ReplyDeleteWhat is going in next to the Columbia Dairy Queen?
ReplyDeleteWhat is going in next to the Columbia Road DQ? I've seen that question posted at least twice on GFL, but nobody seems to know.
ReplyDeleteI hope it's not another Subway.
the best radio talk show is BOB AND TOM-yes there offensive, but its hilarious!
ReplyDeleteI think the best radio talk show is THE BIG DOGS. 1. they are local.2. they dont care what they say or make fun of 3. they are out to get anyone and everyone which is funny as hell
ReplyDeleteif you dont liek them get the hell outta here says fat mars...
WOOF
SPeaking about LM, the Herald reported they still plan to expand in Grand Forks in the future.
ReplyDeleteI have heard that the building next to DQ is going to be a branch of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
And Bob and Tom is on a Fargo station (101.9 FM). Bob and Tom were going to be on 104.3 along with Alice Cooper's evening show (which was on The Box 101.9 until they became Rock 102), though they changed their plans to be a "lite rock" (adult contemporary in radio industry lingo) instead of classic rock.
I doubt the Mayo Clinic is building a branch in Grand Forks.
ReplyDeleteInteresting slant North Valley Family Medicine in EGF puts on its apparent poor performance by stating they are excited to be merging with Meritcare EGF thus being able to offer better services. These guys left Meritcare about a year ago to offer better services ...but now this remarkable plan to merge?
"I have heard that the building next to DQ is going to be a branch of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester."
ReplyDeleteIs that a joke or have you actually heard that?
Also, construction seems to have just started on the empty lot south of the Red Pepper/Dakota Textbook building on North 42nd Street. The plans for Campus Place (this particular development) call for a building almost exactly the same as the Red Pepper/Dakota Textbook building, but flipped so the round corner is on the northeast side. I still wish something could be done about Loaf and Jug...that whole corner has gotten to be really nice looking but the gas station is not so attractive.
I still wish something could be done about Loaf and Jug
ReplyDeleteThey can start by changing the name. That's the worst name for a convenience store I've ever heard. Whoever came up with that one should really re-evaluate their crack dosage.
If you're looking for something to do over the next week or so, head over to Red River at 8PM for Les Miserables, put on by the Summer Performing Arts program (SPA.) HMS Pinnafore, done last week by the 9th & 10th graders was excellent, but Les Mis is absolutely stunning, and not to be missed.
ReplyDeleteSPA keeps getting better, year after year, and is one of the shining lights of the community. According to something I saw there tonight, one in seven GF students, elementary to high school, is involved in SPA.
Support the kids, their dreams, and take in a truly awesome show to boot.
"I have heard that the building next to DQ is going to be a branch of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester."
ReplyDeleteIs that a joke or have you actually heard that?
I actually heard that, but it I doubt it's true.
Kroger bought out the Mini Mart chain and rebranded them as "Loaf N Jug", which is the dumbest name I have heard of for a convenience store. Almost as bad as Hugo's "triple fresh" beef (grinding them three times doesn't affect the freshness, and they don't even do that).
My sister nicknamed Loaf N Jug "Baby Diaper".
ReplyDeleteAny questions? Take a good look at the logo.
My two bits on radio stations.
ReplyDeleteFirst, 104.3 has changed format more times than I blink in a day. I think the best incarnation had a great 80s motif (this was only a few years ago) and a really fun, boisterous DJ (not overly-reliant on crude jokes like the Big Dogs, who have their moments). Nothing good lasts long.
In addition to Northern Lights 90.7 campus station, I usually enjoy listening to 90.1 Pioneer Radio out of TRF. Their variety is refreshing. While some of the the DJs sound like illiterate kids who know nothing about music, there is a charm about their presence on the air. And who else is going to have
They Might Be Giants, Johnny Cash, and Cyndi Lauper on the same playlist, quite possibly in that order?
I agree with dale...if you miss Les Miz (SPA's final summer show)
ReplyDeleteyou miss one of the major jewels of GF.
Check out Tom Dennis editorial this morning....
Kum and Go is the dumbest name for a convenience store.
ReplyDeleteNorth Valley Family Medicine
ReplyDeleteThe doc's left Merit Care over a dispute and now the dispute is settled. I don't think either of them benefited from the split, it was just more obvious at NVFM as they were the "start-up" and Merit Care wouldn't have asked them back if they weren't feeling it themselves.
Any word on what is going on with the old hardees buildings?
ReplyDeleteI've been hearing the rumor that the flip-flopped Red Pepper/Dakota Textbook Co. building will be a Starbucks and an unnamed tenant. I first heard it more than a year ago, and I heard it again recently.
ReplyDeleteI know who dies in Harry Potter.
ReplyDeleteI disagree, Kum and Go is the COOLEST name.
ReplyDeleteThere may have been a dispute at Meritcare but they were not busy at all at NVFM and there was talk of how long they could make it on their own. So spin as you wish.
ReplyDeleteI have heard that the building next to DQ is going to be a branch of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
ReplyDeleteThat would be a good idea. A lot of patients at Altru and the new Aurora medical complex (soon to be a hospital) are referred to Mayo in Rochester.
First, 104.3 has changed format more times than I blink in a day. I think the best incarnation had a great 80s motif (this was only a few years ago) and a really fun, boisterous DJ (not overly-reliant on crude jokes like the Big Dogs, who have their moments). Nothing good lasts long.
I was a radio DJ in the past so I am familiar with why stations change formats. Commercial radio stations get their money from advertisers. The advertisers want results in which listeners check out their business. There is a semi-annual radio survey by Arbitron that tracks which stations have the most listeners (ratings). 104.3 has been usually on the bottom of that list for many years (because they change their format so many times).
I know the rundown of most of the formats on 104.3 KZLT. It was "adult contemporary" (yes, radio lingo for light rock a.k.a. dentist office music) K-Lite until about 2000, when it became "hot adult contemporary" (a mix of regular adult contemporary with more newer pop music as heard on Top 40 stations like XL93). as Cities 104.3 until about 2001. Then KZLT became an 80's Rock station (I agree, their best incarnation) as Z104 trying to get some of KJ108's listeners. 104 went back to adult contemporary as "Breeze 104.3" until about 2006, when it became Top 40 as "More Music 104.3" trying to steal XL93's listeners (in which they claimed that they "played better songs than XL93"). The "More Music" incarnation was on the dead bottom of the survey (besides some out of town AM stations) so they went back to adult contemporary as "Lite Rock 104.3". In a nutshell, 104.3 was trying to recreate their adult contemporary glory days or trying to be poorly presented competition for the top station (XL93 and KJ108).
This brings up why 100.3 flipped from oldies "Kool 100.3" to country as "Cat Country" a few years ago. Although Kool 100.3 did fairly well in the ratings, but the main age group of listeners (over 35 years old) aren't what the businesses want to advertise to, and 97 KYCK was usually the top rated station or closely behind XL93 and KJ108. So 100.3 went "Cat Country", and became ahead of KYCK in the ratings race just over a year.
Commercial radio wants profit, that's why stations usually change formats. That's also why a lot of them don't play lesser known songs, since they're scared of alienating their listeners.
As for radio, don't forget AM 990, CBC Winnipeg. They have some great content. 680 AM, CJOB from Winnipeg is also interesting to get a talk radio spin from Canada.
ReplyDeleteI agree, check out talk radio, CJOB has a gret show on Sundays (was from 10 am to noon) now from ! pm to 3 pm: show is Crime and Punishment by Mike McIntire also a writer for Winnipeg Free Press. How about conversation on local talk show hosts. I like Big Ed and Joel Heitkamp both on KFGO in Fargo, Scott on WDAY, and Mac on KNOX. I have done a few in studio interviews with the above hosts. I like Big Ed the best. Mac was seen on I-29 trying for his spot awhile back, but lost out to Joel H. Nat hosts I like Bill O'Reillyboth radio and tv. Anyone have insight into these guys ? greenglass4.
ReplyDeleteThe docs at NVFM took a huge risk going on their own. The majority of the docs there are great physicians and very compassionate. Sometimes the business management side of things can be overwhelming and that shouldn't be the docs role to do that side and need the right people under them rather than overzealousness.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what you mean by needing the "right people under them rather than over zealousness". They, as physicians, made the decision to go on their own. It surely was a business venture and it failed. I doubt the people "under them" had anything to do with it.
ReplyDeleteDakota Huesby on KNOX is pretty articulate.
ReplyDeleteEd Schultz's head is so full of ego, it's going to pop soon.
K-Lite/Cities/Z104/Breeze/More Music/Lite Rock/whatever the hell 104.3 is now has never known what they're doing.
On the topic of gas station names, I was always a fan of either "Pump and Munch" or "Hop n Sack" (saw them often in the southern plains)
ReplyDelete50th Comment!
ReplyDelete"Loaf and Jug" is not such a dumb name when you think about the whole phrase. It's actually quite romantic, and lends clever air to it's usage.
ReplyDeletePersonally, it makes me think of hillbillies.
ReplyDelete"A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and thou." I'm sure that Omar Khayyam had run down convenience stores in mind when he penned that. I guess that the full phrase reminds one to buy condoms, at the least.
I think Kum & Go is more of a prophylactic reminder.
ReplyDeleteRelative to the comment of decent radio programming: 90.1's Sunday afternoons: lots of the Rat Pack, Bobby Darin, and such.
ReplyDeleteThe guy gives a fair amount of interesting info along with the artists, too.
Why are radio stations so reluctant to programming music of that genre? There has to be enough people of that era living in this area.
Okay, (Wiping eyes after uncontrollable laughter)
ReplyDelete"Pump and Munch" is, by far and away, the funniest name, EVER!
In regards to what is being built next to the Dairy Queen on Columbia...sorry, it's not a Mayo Clinic branch. Or another Subway (whew...). It's an office building that will be renting out spaces.
ReplyDeleteho-hum.
ReplyDeleteThe funniest store name I've ever seen is Hinky Dinky. It's a grocery store in Wahoo, Nebraska. Not sure if it's still there; it's been a few years since I drove by it.
ReplyDeleteThere is a Hinky Dinky store also in Bozeman, MT, right across the street from 3 large dorms of Montana State. All the beer distributers dropped off hundreds of beer/girls in bikini posters the first week of school at the Hinky Dinky then they would quickly find their ways onto the dorm room walls.
ReplyDelete90.7 is THE BEST.
ReplyDeletekudos for not playing top10 format. listen to something new, you drones.
New is good...
ReplyDeleteLasting? That might be something else, again. I like the variety on 90.7 and 90.1, but so many of the indies are here today, gone tomorrow.
Give me some lyrics, some rhythms that don't jar my hearing...and, with the greatest of respect for a man knowledgeable in his field, it does get a little redundant hearing, "I'm Mike Olson, and you're listening to 90.7."
Heck, I KNOW I'm tuned into 90.7!
Personally, I'd like to get a radio station that played something harder than Metallica. This is a market that is completely ignored in Grand Forks, and only slightly touched on in Fargo. 93X in Minneapolis goes to a good level.
ReplyDeleteAs for names of stores, what about the old Pay & Pak that used to be in town? It's now the Poppler's location after they left downtown. They were really the only place in town that you could but a Zero candy bar.