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Globe spins off the online radio station it set up after WFNX went away
By adamg on Mon, 03/26/2018 - 2:33pm
RadioBDC, the online station the Globe set up in 2012 with the help of WFNX refugees goes silent next week as it morphs into Indie617, a new online station that will feature many of the same staffers, including Julie Kramer and Adam 12, playing a "carefully curated playlist" selection of indie and alternative music that "can't be found anywhere on the dusty FM dial."
The station, which will be available over the Web and through phone apps - including a rebranded RadioBDC app - is scheduled to go live at 2 p.m. on Monday.
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Comments
They must be doing OK
I saw Adam at an event a little over a year back and asked him if the Globe was going to pull the plug anytime soon. He told me then that the station was revenue positive so they were safe.
They'd probably be doing
They'd probably be doing better if they had left the Sandbox and/or Big Jim on the air back when Mindich was still in charge... RIP
Sandbox
That was the demise of FNX. Horrible radio, but a precursor of radio today, with a bunch of people in a studio laughing at idiotic stuff.
Big Jim?
I think you are the only member of his fan club.
Big Jim
was bad and has only become infinitely worse now that he makes his money playing miserable sniveling Boston fan and yes man to Tony Massaroti on 98.5. True nature revealed in a telling way. Imagine seeing Mazz's success and deciding that your only hope to achieve it by being even more of a killjoy whiner.
I listen to BDC on my internet radio and will listen to the new station.
Bring back Storm 'Woohoo' Zebel (lightning sound effect)
Nowhere?
Just wait. WERS (Emerson's station) already has done that for years and does it daily. Indie and alternative and just plain new is 88.9 FM. We love the station.
Agreed.
I love ERS but the best thing about them are the young, new DJ's stumbling over the names of older acts the are not familiar with. My favorite was the poor fella trying to introduce a song by The The and descending into a complete panic. "Coming up next we have a great song by, uh, um, Thee The? The Thee, The Thee Thee?"*music starts abruptly*
Best thing about ERS
...is how they make those poor kids play 100000 Maniacs and Bruce Coburn and then pretend like that's music for people under age 50.
'College' radio for the alumni and faculty.
Make them?
Having a couple of young audiophiles in my home, I have noticed something: Kids today grew up with enormous access to the back catalog of humanity. They tend not to put the kind of emphasis on "new" and "now" that us older folk once did - it is all simultaneously new and deeply explorable. It isn't unusual to hear something that is 30, 40, or even 60 years old coming out of their portable bluetooth speakers. Or have them put together a coherent play list that spans 50+ years of music for a road trip.
Yup.
Yeah, I have a lot of BC students as neighbors, and am amazed at how much 70's and 80's classic rock I hear them playing. Similar experience when visiting my kids at college.
Ok, maybe a bit hyperbolic
But what's the difference between the River (does that still exist?) and ERS? Effectively zero.
It still exists
I assume you're referring to 92.5 The River (also broadcast on 96.5). Some differences between ERS and The River:
ERS: seems like they list the "Concert Calendar" every 5 minutes, 6 months ahead of whatever show will be playing in 6 months. Also, please donate your old car and vehicle as much as possible. Why a very small part of each student's tuition cost can't pay for the radio station operation is beyond me. I don't like George Knight but he's only on for part of the morning so that's not so bad. I feel like ERS plays the same group of songs frequently ("This is a NEW song from such-and-such musician") but that may just be my impression.
The River: I think they group all their commercials together which makes me change the station until they're done - however I guess it must work for them revenue wise. Also, they repeatedly tell you that this is a LOCALLY owned station (is it?) and that the "programming" is created by a human. I think their Facebook Friday feature (i.e. people send in song requests via Facebook for Friday playtime) results in a more varied format than usual.
Summary: I think they play pretty much the same music. Even though ERS is "commercial free", there's enough interruptions to make you feel like you're listening to a commercial station.
I still like WMBR the best, followed by WHRB for the morning jazz program.
the River
I still listen to it although the signal is not strong and I live north of Boston. The music is OK, like ERS, songs from the past I like once in a while, the new music is forgettable. I try to support the River because it is the last commercial station in Boston playing at least some of the music I like to listen to.
ERS has that horrible mindtwister question every morning which gives you a clue as to the demographics listening to the station, and it isn't pretty. One morning Knight asked what Abraham Lincoln's first job was and someone answered "pedophile". On the other hand if the prize is George Knight guitar picks and a CD they've been giving out for years, I guess that sums that up.
WMBR is a little rough for my delicate sensibilities early in the morning.
Late Riser's club, etc.
I'm fond of WERS as well, but definitely have a soft spot for the MIT's station 88.1 and The Late Risers Club. A good jolt of punk rock in the late morning helps the job site chug through to the lunch break in an effective manner.
Was happy to throw them a contribution for their fund drive this year.
Que Bueno!
WERS...
Unfortunately, WERS has succumbed to the playlist demons. This station is a shadow of what it was as few as ten years ago. You will hear songs played every day that are years old and can be heard on commercial radio stations. Why do they still play Fun. and Peter, Bjorn and John and Florence and the Machine? We will hear the new David Byrne at least twice a day. This is supposed to be college radio where the music is curated by various tastes that show the listener what's new and most importantly, different. But, having criticized the corporate creep of their playlist mentality, it's still one of the better stations here in Boston, which says a lot about how horrible radio has become. They're not even trying to compete with Spotify. It's incredible that the winning formula is staring you in the face and you don't adapt.
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