WBBB Radio 96.1

More music… less Blah, Blah, BLAH! They stay true to their word.
I must admit, this has become one of my favorites in the Raleigh area. I love the 80s rock that they play, the 90s alternative, the occasional 70s classics, and the occasional 2k rock hit.
My main beef comes with the DJ’s… or lack thereof. DJs provide a sense that you have a friend. The lack of DJs makes the station seem like an iPod that is interrupted with liners and ads begging us to go to Hardees. The lack of DJs causes a deduction of a star and a half. Another half star is deducted until they play more rock variety (go back to the 60s and air more music from the 70s).

I hate the new format. WBBB use to be the oasis in the triangle, now it’s just like everybody else. I want the DJ’s, the two for Tuesday, I miss Bob the Blade and Alli and Foster.
It’s like the «new Coke» was. You took something that worked well and screwed it up.

Hey, hey, hey you guys… they don’t just play Nickelback.
They play Hinder, Three Days Grace, Saving Abel, Puddle of Mudd, Stone Sour… just about every flavor of Nickelback you could ever want! I used to love this station a few years ago. I remember when they came on the scene as the first (non-​college) modern-​ish rock station in the Triangle. They used to have great concert ticket giveaways and such, pretty much some sort of contest every day, and cool air staff. These days, though, they’ve turned into a recycled, regurgitated pile of more music I really don’t want to hear.
I had such high hopes for 96rock. It had a great start, and I really enjoyed their first few years on the air. I guess when they became the only rock station in town they let themselves go a little… and it shows.

This station is pretty much the only commercial station in the area that plays exclusively rock music since 106.1 became a country station.
While they might not play the best rock, depending on your preferences, at least you won’t hear a rap song or Beyonce. When I get to choose the station at work (which is rarely) I invariably choose this one, but it wins by default. All my usual choices (WKNC, WUNC, WNCU, etc) are all either too «crazy» or «boring» to all the other people who work there. This station is the only one that I can listen to without offending others or driving them up the wall.
Like Adrienne says, they do display a bit more of a propensity towards Nickelback (a horrible, horrible band) than I would usually find acceptable, but when the chips are down and certain choices are out, this is what I turn to.

I usually stick to the college radio stations in the area, but on the rare occasion that they’re playing music I don’t like, I sometimes switch over to 96.1. I really liked it when I was in college, because they played so many different varieties of rock, from classic to modern to metal to mellow. Lately, however, I think the programming is sort of bland and definitely more corporate. 96 Rock is owned by Curtis Media Group, which is a smaller, more local version of Clear Channel, basically. Their influence is palpable, with less musical variety and more commercials. On the plus side, they give away of ton of concert tickets and the like. I do also enjoy the Hangover Café, which is on weekend mornings and features a lot of acoustic, mellow, and sometimes local (!) music. It’s not a terrible station, but if you’re deathly allergic to Nickelback and Staind, keep your finger on the dial.