I just found out that the best radio station in Los Angeles, Indie 103.1 is shutting down. Instead of bowing to corporate radio culture and playing crap music, they are stepping down with their head up. Here’s something from their site.
Indie 103.1 will cease broadcasting over this frequency effective immediately. Because of changes in the radio industry and the way radio audiences are measured, stations in this market are being forced to play too much Britney, Puffy and alternative music that is neither new nor cutting edge. Due to these challenges, Indie 103.1 was recently faced with only one option — to play the corporate radio game.
We have decided not to play that game any longer. Rather than changing the sound, spirit, and soul of what has made Indie 103.1 great Indie 103.1 will bid farewell to the terrestrial airwaves and take an alternative course.
This could only be done on the Internet, a place where rules do not apply and where new music thrives; be it grunge, punk, or alternative � simply put, only the best music.
For those of you with a computer at home or at work, log on to www.indie1031.com and listen to the new Indie 103.1 – which is really the old Indie 103.1, not the version of Indie 103.1 we are removing from the broadcast airwaves.
We thank our listeners and advertisers for their support of the greatest radio station ever conceived, and look forward to continuing to deliver the famed Indie 103.1 music and spirit over the Internet to passionate music listeners around the world.
I got the feeling a few months back that things were changing at that station. When they starting playing Coldplay, I knew things were shifting a little. When their morning DJ, Joe Escalante, decided to move on, it was another sign. Then some of the radio segments, like Watusi Radio, were being replaced with more standard airplay, I knew for sure. Their standard airplay was getting to be a bit on the lame side, playing the same songs over and over but still interspersing it with some cool stuff (emphasis on some).
At least their is still KCRW.
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Yep, I agree. The snowball effect started a while back… little things/nuances kept adding up… until it came to a screeching halt.
Their radio/transmitting strength seemed to also decline over the past month or so… I’ve been having to listen online just to pull a decent sound.
I’ll also be listening to KCRW more now.
I never put much thought into the signal strength before, but now that I think about it, you’re right. It was getting worse.