Radio Stations from the Tri-Cities area you miss the most? (Spokane: appointed, price)

[Mopac1980]

What are some of the radio stations from the Tri-Cities area that you miss the most?

Me the radio stations I miss the most are 95.7 BOB FM (adult contemporary) and 97.9 THE HAWK FM (classic rock which IMO was way better than EAGLE 106.5 FM).

Does anybody remember those stations?

[M3 Mitch]

Maybe it's just me, but I almost never listen to anything other than NPR. Ever since the major commercial stations all got bought out by Clear Channel, etc, they are all alike, they base their play list on focus group studies, with a goal of playing something that the minimum number of listeners will tune away from. Like a cook who is shooting for a minimum quality level that you will "eat it and beat it" without complaining, but just barely.

I hate focus groups. I like experts. I miss the old 1970s approach of a DJ who actually knows something about the type of music the station specializes in, be it jazz, classical, or rock.

That said, there is a good commercial jazz station at 101, check it out.

[tcres]

Our radio stations are horrible. I agree with the post above. You can travel to Spokane or another city and not even know that the station has changed because they are identical to the ones we have here. Same format and style. Nothing original.

[Mopac1980]

Originally Posted by tcres

Our radio stations are horrible. I agree with the post above. You can travel to Spokane or another city and not even know that the station has changed because they are identical to the ones we have here. Same format and style. Nothing original.

The last good radio station we've had is BOB FM 95.7, I was so mad they've gotten rid of that station, I definitely agree with you that our radio stations are horrible, I would rather listen to Music Choice on TV over the AM/FM stations anyday.

[pw72]

This goes back a few years, but does anyone remember (or miss) OK-95? It was sold to a country operator in 1996. I was there and one of the casualties, along with my partner Jolynn Winter. We had a pretty good thing going until the new owners decided they could make more money with Garth & company. I'm currently in Idaho, Jolynn is in Portland. Miss all the great listeners we had. Not to get too nostalgic but it seemed radio was more fun back then. Hope all is well with everyone.

[tcres]

Ok95 was a great station. I was extremely disappointed the day it went off the air and refused to the listen to the replacement station. It was at first Thunder Country and now The Wolf.

The first station I thought of when I saw this thread was OK95. I remember the van the station had they would park down at the boat races and blast music until it became a problem with the beer garden being so close? I can't remember exactly.

What was it... two years ago there was a billboard announcing the return of OK95 but it was at 96.7 or something odd. Not sure what happened with that.

[M3 Mitch]

Actually the *commercial* radio spectrum here is pretty bleak with the exception of the 101 Jazz station, however I think NWPR is great, listen to them all the time. Most places in the Tri-Cities you can get both the Classical format (89.1) and the News and Views format (89.7).

They are so consistently good, and the commercial spectrum so consistently bad, that I almost don't listen to the commercial stations at all. Once in a while I'll tune in 610 AM for local news. Even this has gone over to a "sports talk" format part of the time that I for one don't much care for.

pw72, yeah, I think radio (commercial radio) was more interesting when each station was an independent business, like a coast-to-coast network of independent, unique cafes, some I liked, some I didn't like, but each unique anyway, while now it's more like the same old Mickey D's, Burger King, etc where-ever you go.

Don't get me started on "Contemporary Country" or whatever they call the current crop of unworthy heirs to Bob Wills, Hank Williams, and Johnny Cash...(who I always did like and still like)...

If you travel and nothing changes, what was the point in traveling?

[pw72]

Originally Posted by M3 Mitch

Actually the *commercial* radio spectrum here is pretty bleak with the exception of the 101 Jazz station, however I think NWPR is great, listen to them all the time. Most places in the Tri-Cities you can get both the Classical format (89.1) and the News and Views format (89.7).

They are so consistently good, and the commercial spectrum so consistently bad, that I almost don't listen to the commercial stations at all. Once in a while I'll tune in 610 AM for local news. Even this has gone over to a "sports talk" format part of the time that I for one don't much care for.

pw72, yeah, I think radio (commercial radio) was more interesting when each station was an independent business, like a coast-to-coast network of independent, unique cafes, some I liked, some I didn't like, but each unique anyway, while now it's more like the same old Mickey D's, Burger King, etc where-ever you go.

Don't get me started on "Contemporary Country" or whatever they call the current crop of unworthy heirs to Bob Wills, Hank Williams, and Johnny Cash...(who I always did like and still like)...

If you travel and nothing changes, what was the point in traveling?

Yes, you hit it on the head. Soon after they blew up OK95 there was huge consolidation in the industry, it became all about the stock price, and creativity and fun soon disappeared. Stations began sounding the same all over the country. The industry has not recovered, and may never fully will. OK95 was one of the last of a breed that wasn't afraid to do it the way we wanted to do it, whether it be playing music that you couldn't hear anywhere else, or doing wacky stunts. Those days, sadly, are gone.

Oh, yeah...the Columbia Cup. During my tenure the event was starting to get a little out of hand, and OK95 attempted to spearhead a more "family-oriented" event. Questionable success. I believe the station policy was no adult beverages before the first race of the day. Which was about 10AM!
Hate to admit it, but my head still hurts from some of those Columbia Cups, or as the locals called them, simply the "boat races"! Fun times.

[Mopac1980]

Originally Posted by tcres

Ok95 was a great station. I was extremely disappointed the day it went off the air and refused to the listen to the replacement station. It was at first Thunder Country and now The Wolf.

The first station I thought of when I saw this thread was OK95. I remember the van the station had they would park down at the boat races and blast music until it became a problem with the beer garden being so close? I can't remember exactly.

What was it... two years ago there was a billboard announcing the return of OK95 but it was at 96.7 or something odd. Not sure what happened with that.

I believe it was 3 years ago and I did not like that OK95 station at all, I thought the original OK95 was alot better, I was really dissapointed when OK95 later became Thunder Country, alot of people I knew loved OK95 and it was such a popular station, I also thought BOB FM 95.7 was kind of similar to OK95.

[Mopac1980]

Originally Posted by pw72

This goes back a few years, but does anyone remember (or miss) OK-95? It was sold to a country operator in 1996. I was there and one of the casualties, along with my partner Jolynn Winter. We had a pretty good thing going until the new owners decided they could make more money with Garth & company. I'm currently in Idaho, Jolynn is in Portland. Miss all the great listeners we had. Not to get too nostalgic but it seemed radio was more fun back then. Hope all is well with everyone.

I do remember OK95 and that was my childhood favorite station, I was shocked that it later went off the air, I definitely agree that the radio seemed to be alot more fun back in those days, I really liked the deejays on OK95, they were humorous and funny and they didn't try hard to be funny, the music was great too.

Also does anybody remember 97.9 The HAWK (another classic rock station)? That was another great station that should've stayed, I would've gladly gotten rid of The Eagle 106.5 and kept 97.9 The HAWK.