Alternatives to CFNY

Great Natas · Post by **Great Natas** » Fri Jan 03, 2003 11:08 pm

I first turned on a bit to CKLN in 1981 when they played Killing Joke--unlike Screw Q107 back to back (or nearly back to back)with Black Sabbath--which CFNY didn't play save once or twice when Chris Sheppard was around. When CFNY went trendymania in 1984 there was Brave New Waves (wasn't there an electronic music show before BNW on CBC?!?). When CFNY went Madonnakinmania and even played NKotB, there was CHRY (Rob's Ministry of Truth) and Much Music on basic cable. Now we have the internet. The way I see it, instead of this cyberspace kaffee klatsch over how bad 'Ny's become, what alternatives to it do you listen to? Describe such, review such, and how others can turn on.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Sat Jan 04, 2003 4:14 am

CFNY trendymania in 1984??? try 1988.
Live 365 is a good place on the internet to search for stations that offer something interesting to listen to. If you are looking to hear some of the music CFNY was playing in the early to mid 80's DarkSynth is a station to consider. There are a ton of other 80's stations to sample.

Great Natas · Post by **Great Natas** » Mon Jan 06, 2003 6:50 pm

Thanks anon and so noted. As for 1983-84, yeah, it was bad. It might have been when they first went on the CN Tower. During this time even Q107 was playing lots of Duran Duran--however they tried to deny it a year or so later. These were the days when CFNY played the extended mix of Neil Young's Sample and Hold, the extended mix of Killing Joke's 80's, the extended mix of Homo Sapian, and perhaps the worst song of the 80's--even worse than Come on Eileen--Don't You Want Me Baby (a song not of love, but co-dependency)(I'm Only Human was also terrible)(Funny thing is the rest of the album was great and I admire their attempt with Lebanon to make a song that had nothing to do with Northern Ireland, the coal strike, Thatcher, peace with the USSR, or so-called "animal rights."). Even CFNY referred to "'trendymania'--not real music, but a close simulation"--not too unlike that late nite CFNY DJ who'd diss Eminem before &/or after playing him. During this time, CFNY ignored Pil, most of the Cramps, etc. They were so anglophilic they wouldn't play Black Flag, Sonic Youth, much Caberet Voltaire, the Swans, etc. Prince was a hit on 680 before CFNY played him.

KMFDM10000 · Post by **KMFDM10000** » Wed Jan 08, 2003 12:42 pm

I was also listening to Live 365 stations, and The Iceberg.com is also good. But my boss won't let me listen to streaming audio anymore. He says why don't you listen to your radio. He just doesn't get it. As far as the radio, I almost exclusively listen to 103.5 now. I turn of the hip-hop but I love Euro, Freestyle and Dance. I find anything really dancy keeps me happy. I can dance to Real McCoy, Spiller, Vengaboys, Culture Beat etc. just as easily as I can to New Order and Skriekback.

Antarctica · Post by **Antarctica** » Wed Jan 08, 2003 5:02 pm

No surprise there that he doesnt get it. At least 103.5 is better than what my poor husband has to listen to day after day at work. He is stuck with listening to EZ Rock, bleck! Poor thing, if I was in his position I would have gone totally mad!! Yeah Euro and freestyle is good. I remember that station up in Newmarket, before they were power 88.5 used to play CFNY stuff, that was like 5 years ago or something but now they totally suck! What is it that they are called now? Foxy or something? Yeah whatever. A

Jason · Post by **Jason** » Wed Jan 15, 2003 1:47 am

CBC's Definitely Not the Opera is a good source of new music. I discovered Goldfrapp on that show. It's on Saturdays at 2:00 PM - but doublecheck that since I am now in Kuwait.

Bill Yetman · Post by **Bill Yetman** » Wed Jan 15, 2003 2:14 pm

It's very weird reading the last few messages, it's like someone's been spying on me. 103.5 does feature a lot of annoying tunes, but many of them have that 80's synth kind of feel. Some of them are downright hilarious, and that makes it a better station than most. And up until about a year or so ago, Foxy 88.5 in Newmarket played a mix of Retro and Old-School; what made it wacky made it fun.

Antarctica · Post by **Antarctica** » Wed Jan 15, 2003 2:35 pm

Yup Bill, you have a good reason to be paranoid, I've been spying on you :o) Hmm I thought it was longer than a year ago when Foxy stopped playing retro and old school. Didnt they go back and forth too with playing dance, then country, then back to dance and now they just play crap? Why didnt they just stick with playing CFNY stuff? I think I remember that their signal was weak but at least it was better than what all of the other stations play. Actually I was listening to 103.5 this am around 10 and they played nothing but 80's tunes. I enjoyed that. A

Bill Yetman · Post by **Bill Yetman** » Thu Jan 16, 2003 5:30 pm

I'm not sure exactly when Foxy went real, real bad, so you could easily be right. I just remember changing the station and having what sounded like 60's easy listening slosh out of the speakers. I assume that most stations that change formats frequently just can't find a market to target successfully. As for 103.5, their "Wayback Playbacks" are definitely worth checking out. There's some real poop, of course, but they throw in a few surprises every now and again.

Antarctica · Post by **Antarctica** » Thu Jan 16, 2003 10:57 pm

Oh right, the wayback playbacks, they have an hour of that on Sundays too right? I think even the MIX has played some good stuff every now and then too. A

KMFDM10000 · Post by **KMFDM10000** » Fri Jan 17, 2003 10:34 am

103.5's Freestyle Frenzy and Wayback Wednesdays
102.1 beginning of Club 102, and Sunday nights after 10pm
99.9- retro Saturday's, especially the beginning
105.1 (formerly 101.1) has retro long weekends

Antarctica · Post by **Antarctica** » Fri Jan 17, 2003 12:06 pm

105.1? Excuse my ignorance but which one is that? A

Bill Yetman · Post by **Bill Yetman** » Fri Jan 17, 2003 2:26 pm

The only beef I have with Sunday nights on the Edge and Saturday nights on Mix is that, like one of the other recent threads has complained about, only certain songs usually get played. There are a whole lot of standards, which shall remain nameless, and I'm more interested in the more obscure gems.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Fri Jan 17, 2003 3:37 pm

Unfortunately, you'll rarely hear anything obsure and the reason is simple, radio is designed around keeping the listener listening. They're too afraid of being creative with their programming for that might cause a listener to tune out because they don't recognise the song in the first 15 seconds, the root of the problem with radio is this fundamental thinking by those that call the shots at these stations. What I find ironic is how these stations ever play anything brand new. Listeners have never heard a brand new debut single from a soon to be released album, yet their needs to be a first time listen for everyone. Obviously not everyone tunes out the first time they are exposed to something they've never heard before (it's human to be curious) or these stations would never have any loyal listeners. You would think they would carry that logic over to retro. I guess when it comes to retro the listener can't be curious. If only someone would give David Marsden a shot again at running a station where creativity and applying a unique approach to programming is the norm rather than the exception. Oh yeah and to once again believe that listeners are curious.

kevpunni · Post by **kevpunni** » Sat Jan 18, 2003 11:27 pm

88.5 from the beginning has been a lost little station searching for an identity. They started out about 8 years ago as 88.5 The X, playing all retro. I listenend religiously to see what they would come up with but seemed to have a very limited record collection (and announcers for that matter), then i believe they dropped that format and went country(?) - stopped listening after that. Then about 2 minutes later they switched to Foxxy 88.5 playing r&b/disco faves with a few of thier old retro records in the mix. That had a very bizarre playlist/format which was entertaining to listen to as the sequays from one (old) song to another were so vastly different you knew it couldn't last. Now they decided to appeal to the baby boomer population with an fm version of CKOC 1150. I would love to have a serious conversation with the man/woman in charge over there to find out what the hell they were thinking!! Agreeably the baby boomer population is a great market to sell anything but there is such a market gap for a NEW format in this city that this little station could pounce upon. Like the old CFNY there is so much CREATIVE NEW MUSIC out there being skipped over in between formats like Edge 102 and 103.5 that don't get any attention. This including electronic music, progressive dance stuff(that energy 108 once marketed) and everything else between Soundgarden, Underworld AND EMINEM. (Pick up a copy of CMJ New Music Monthly which includes a cd for all your New Music needs, Alan Cross turned me on to that. There's alot of interesting stuff out there) For a station that was willing to take risks and unable to find a niche, it's too bad he/she in charge didn't have the creativity or geniune interest in music/commercial radio that David Marsden did. They could have grown from the little station like CFNY once did (and been the high powered signal sellout that Edge 102 is today in the year 2020) Edge 102 by then will for sure be Classic Grunge. Who knows, maybe the baby boomers prefer AM.