Feb. 3, 1959. July 12, 1979. And now, Oct. 15, 2010. What do all three of these dates have in common? They’re all considered days when the music died.
Feb. 3 will be forever immortalized in Don McLean’s “American Pie,” memorializing the plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper. July 12 was Disco Demolition Night — a promotion at a Chicago White Sox game gone wrong that resulted in a near riot against disco. Oct. 15? Rock 104 signs off for the last time, and 103.7 The Gator signs on air with country music for Gainesville.
I’m not a person who considers himself a music snob or a rock exclusivist; I legitimately listen to everything. Yes, that includes country.
But it’s a matter of checks and balances, and the death of Rock 104 significantly upsets the balance of the Gainesville music scene.
There are now at least six country music radio stations that can be received in Gainesville, four being larger stations.
When it comes to the modern rock that Rock 104 broadcasted? Just one. There are more stations in the Gainesville/Ocala metropolitan market that broadcast Christian contemporary music than modern alternative rock ‘n’ roll. That’s just not right.
But wait a second, according to the powers that be, Rock 104 isn’t dead! It’s just available online now. It’s time to send a message to companies that continue to move stations online and pretend they still exist. Granted, something’s better than nothing.
But until I can receive Internet radio or HD radio easily and affordably in my car, where radio still reigns supreme, although CD players and iPod docks are creeping up to kill it completely, Rock 104 is dead to me.
Furthermore, the actual signing off of Rock 104 isn’t the worst part. The format change leads to less diversity in the Gainesville radio spectrum, making the metropolitan area less attractive to students who aren’t from the North Florida area, and aren’t getting to listen to Jimmy Eat World, Papa Roach or The Black Keys they’re used to listening to back home.
Of course there’s no way to cater to every student’s interest. It’s safe to say we won’t see a dedicated world music station any time soon.
However, 103.7 FM is registered to UF, and it should be in the best interest of the university to represent its student body as best possible.
Rock 104 was an enterprise that catered to, and was often run by, students. In contrast, 103.7 The Gator seems to be catering toward the local community.
The ideal scenario for a university-operated radio station should be to provide quality content for its students, faculty and staff while also providing a public service to the local community.
By becoming the eighth country music station in the area, reducing the diversity in the Gainesville/Ocala radio market and by eliminating one of the two modern alternative rock stations, UF is doing just the opposite of that.
Don McLean would agree.
Sean Quinn is a first-year political science student. His column appears every Wednesday.
