[BC] On the FM Dial, Rock Is Sliding Away

[SteveOrdinetz]

  Larry Albert wrote:

>The format changes, coming on the heels of moves over the past 18 months 
>to change formats at rock stations in Washington, Houston and Miami, show 
>that radio executives are increasingly ceding the rock audience to iPods 
>and satellite radio.
>
><snip>
>
>Aside from the continuing rise of Hispanic-oriented hits, the trend in 
>music programming on broadcast radio is toward a narrower range of 
>formats. As jazz, classical, bluegrass and other minority music interests 
>are vanishing from public radio, so too are oldies and rock starting to 
>fade from commercial stations in many cities.


To blame this on Ipods or satellite radio is pushing things a bit.  Rock 
formats have been on the decline for a good 10 years now as the tastes of 
teen/20something males has changed.  Next time some kid in his riced-out 
Suburu drives by listen to what's blasting out of his stereo...chances are 
it's hip-hop, not rock.  Remember the days when Top 40 used to pull 
double-digit shares 'most everywhere?  All of the aforementioned cities 
have large non-white populations.