RADIO 94.7

«94.7 is the place where people come who want to discover new music.» (Plays a White Stripes song from 2003.)
Wow, thanks 94.7 for broadening my horizons!

Radio 94.7 is my «go to» radio station in the Sacramento area. Take this lightly, because there isn’t much competition.
When I first moved to the area at the beginning of 2010, I used to love this alternative rock station (I don’t remember the name) that reminded me of my beloved Live 105 radio station in the Bay Area. Literally a week after I moved to town, the radio station went off the air. Never to be heard from again.
What the f…
I was stuck listening to the pop rock stations and top 40 for the next few years. Ugh. Then I discovered Radio 94.7 and I was in love! I finally got to hear my favorite alternative rock songs from the late 1990’s that I loved and none of the repetitive crap that has been coming out within the last decade.
I loved how you could text «like» or «dislike» while listening to vote for your favorite songs to keep them on air, or vote off the less popular ones. I’ve actually heard them cut off songs mid air because of this!
Radio 94.7 never left my dial until recently they have been slipping a bit. Not unlike all the other stations in the area, they keep playing the same songs over and over and over again. What about all the other great alt. rock songs?! It seems like they play less than 100 songs on constant repeat. I find myself changing the channel more and more. They also have stopped doing the «like» and «dislike» feature ²⁴⁄₇. Now it’s only during certain days/​times.
I will update the rating on my review of the downhill slide continues.

I signed up just to bash this radio station. OMG what happened to 94.7? You used to be cool, man! Now you are lame 90s alternative station. Nobody wants to hear these tired old songs all day. Just like a year ago, you could turn it on and hear great new music, now it’s SPOON MAN (or similar 90’s song) AND WHEN ITS NOT THOSE IT’S RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS. I’VE NEVER HEARD SO MUCH RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS IN MY LIFE! All day… and when I thumbs down a song on their website, they count it as a thumbs up. Not that it matters… Just perfect!

I used to like this station but it’s gone down hill. It seemed to be cutting edge and alternative for a while. Then they started to play all these tired old songs nobody wants to hear anymore. Like that awful Crash Test Dummies «mmmm, mmmm, mmmm» song.
As if my day isn’t depressing enough reading about global warming and ISIS. That song once got «Disliked» off the air but they started playing it again a week later. I «Disliked» that song about 40 times while it was being played. Still they persist in playing it! It’s like a bad rash riding a boomerang.
The worst part is no DJs! Just that smug, cheerful pre-​recorded voice telling us how we like to re-​discover old music on Radio 94.7. No we don’t! That’s the last thing we want! People tuned in for the new and interesting alternative music! Stop your pathetic attempts to program us into thinking we want to listen that old crap you bought at a discount in the bargain basement bin smug-​cheerful voice man!
94.7 your shit is slipping! I’m only giving you two stars because your radio breaks are short. Woof!

Have you heard Matt Passmore’s, Global Music Discovery — Passport Approved alternative music on Sunday’s from 8pm-​10pm? Grab some fish and chips and listen to your heart’s content.

A radio station that actually plays GOOD music? A rarity in Sacramento!

After KWOD’s alternative music format was killed in favor of all-​90s, owner Entercom ended up regretting it enough to flip one of their other stations to a similar format. This used to be smooth jazz, which I have a legitimate reason to hate having once worked for a competing station in town with the same format that has long since changed to something else.
Sadly they are making the same mistakes that made people tune out KWOD– mainly playing a small variety of songs and often playing older songs like «Smells Like Teen Spirit» which were all fine and good but have been played WAY too many times and we don’t really need to hear on the radio anymore as we all have the CD. They focus on the guitar-​driven stuff a lot more than electronic which I happen to like more, and for some strange reason they keep playing songs from Depeche Mode’s 1990 album but have played NOTHING from their most recent one.
Lack of DJs is also a minus– in the age of internet radio, one thing broadcast has going for it is the ability to add personality. That means people who KNOW and LOVE the music that’s being played and can share their knowledge and enthusiasm with the audience. (Note that this differs from people who are just annoying and talk for the sake of talking.) With no live voices on the air, it’s little more than a dead automated jukebox, with songs being programmed most likely by someone out of town.
This has potential to be a good station if it played a wider variety of songs and took more chances, but the way it is now it’s a bore.

One of the only local stations I can actually stomach.
They have a pretty decent selection of alternative-​ish (what does ‘alternative’ mean anymore anyways?) music. I can consistently count on them to be playing something that doesn’t make me want to immediately switch to the next channel.
They keep commercial breaks to a minimum and there’s no annoying morning show. All in all, it’s a pretty solid station, although I do miss actual disc jockeys.

Out of the hundreds of mediocre acts that have come and gone in the last 20 years, why do you continue playing a certain few? Why?! Here are a few examples of who I’m talking about:
House of Pain — Okay we get it, «Jump Around». «Oh man, I totally remember this song!». The nostalgia has worn off and we are sick of this song… again. Stop playing it.
Beastie Boys — Really, does anyone even listen to this shit anymore? Nobody wants to keep hearing «Girls» or «Brass Monkey». Stop playing it.
Toadies — Here’s a one hit wonder that has magically clung to the airwaves like a reoccurring skin fungus. Seriously, out of ALL the songs that have come and gone, you STILL play «Possum Kingdom».Why?! I am willing to bet that even the members of this band are wondering why they still hear themselves on the radio as they work their day jobs that they have likely been at for the last 15 years. Stop playing it.
Nobody likes the fucking Red Hot Chili Peppers. Stop playing them.
Bob Marley — Summer only music. Use sparingly.
Eurythmics — «Sweet Dreams» WTF? Stop playing it.
Look, I get that most of the new mainstream stuff is pretty lame, but there are still a lot of talented musicians out these days that deserve attention. If you are going to play songs from the past, great! But please don’t beat that bloody dead horse to a pulp for a second and third time. There are so many oldies but goodies that would bring back that nostalgic joy, and won’t make everyone change the station immediately.
With that said, let me tell you that I love the fact that you actually play MUSIC! Very little talking, very little commercials and no annoying morning show. All this makes me a fan, but you could be so much better.

Just last night I heard someone call Radio 94.7 «the Sublime station,» and while I tend to agree that they are heavily stocked with those 90s ska punk hits, I still think this is the best radio station in Sacramento. There’s a decent mix of nostalgic alternative rock and good new stuff that consistently keeps me from changing the station, and that’s saying a lot these days in the age of satellite radio and iPods.

They seriously play either Bob Marley or Pearl Jam every hour. At least it seems like a song from one of them comes on every time I leave it on this station during a drive. Don’t get me wrong, I love having an alternative rock station again in the Sacramento area. And, I love how their commercial breaks seem to be pretty quick. But, alas, they leave so much to be desired, especially from an alt rock station. I don’t expect them to play deep cuts or bands that no one has heard of (go to 90.3 KDVS for that). I just get really tired of how their playlists seem to be heavy with songs from the 90’s.
This is my favorite radio station now days (which really isn’t saying much because of the slim pickings in the Sac area), but it could be so much better.

Much like the way a mini pap smear or prostate exam helps prevent your inner funny parts from tumors, Radio. 94.7 helps to keep your musical mental health in check from the cancerous evil that is terrestrial radio. iPods are great for drives over 30 minutes, such as trips to the Bay Area or up to Tahoe. But do you really want to be fumbling through your iPod playlists just for a late-​night trip to Safeway for some tampons or a six back of beer? No. So punch up the FM preset button #1 on the deck and 94.7 it is.
But as with any procedure, there are some downsides to listening to Radio 94.7:
It can be a little uncomfortable —
You’ll find out just how much you actually like The Cure and that one Airborne Toxic Event song, «YOU JUST HAVE TO SEE HER, YOU JUST HAVE TO SEE HER, YOU JUST HAVE TO SEE HER…» Ehem. Sorry.
It feels like it takes a lot longer than it really does–
By that I mean the music to advertisement ratio is great.
Bravo on that. Long blocks of tunes and the commercial breaks are only about 60 – 90 seconds. So that’s cool.
It can be a little invasive —
Like when the terrible DJ trio consisting of two shit-​talking dudes and one «setup gal» squawk off about the current news involving today’s entertainers. Nice quips guys, we get it, you personally hate every artist your radio station plays. Hell, I’d be bitter too if I was just getting started in a failing industry and my job was limited to just doing quick 45 second prerecorded banter-​spots to fill the gaps in-​between songs. But congrats on landing that completely expendable full-​time gig while getting internship-​grade pay.
Kidding. Just shut the fuck up and play some early Foo Fighters.
Overall, it’s the only radio station worth listening to in Sacramento. Period.

I love me some Radio 94.7! I am old school and still listen to the radio and buy cds… so what!
So, the other day as I was jamming and driving on 50 I realized how much love and respect I have for this station. And, then this novel idea popped into my head. I’ll write a Unilocal review to show my appreciation. I mean, I already became a fan on facebook and I just became a VIP person too via text so this is the final step. Not to mention, it will probably be a first to review because who else would have written anything about a radio station on here? Yeah… apparently a lot of other people love it too!
Keep it up 94.7! Your lack of djs, short commercial breaks, and insanely good tunes keep me moving and coming back to you.

The actually play music, unlike many of our other stations who jabber constantly, as though anyone gives a shit about their opinion on well… anything. The selection is pretty good, the commercial runs are short and let’s face it, they have to run something to pay for the airtime. Their slogan is «just because we are owned by a corporation, doesn’t mean we have to be corporate», and they pretty much live up to it. They do sometimes have a tendency to overplay some things, but generally it is good music so what can I say. Like another Unilocaler, I think they could stand to increase their library a bit, and the only reason I’m holding back one star.
The lack of gossipy, opinionated DJ’s and their very short commercial breaks make this one of the best stations in the Sacramento area.

I really like 94.7. So happy to see an alternative or whatever station pop up a few months after KWOD’s demise. In fact, I like them more than KWOD. I LOVE that there are no DJ’s! Just music, and less than one minute commercials. Often they will play 4 or 5 songs in a row that I love.
Also really like the commerical-​free days they have occasionally.
My only complaint and reason for not giving 5 stars: Not enough new music. Seems they play a lot from early 00’s. I’d like to hear new bands that I haven’t yet heard of, and brand new songs from bands I already like.
And oh-​my-​god please lay off of the Red hot chili peppers. Enough.

I gotta admit, they play the music that I want to hear. They also have very short commercial breaks. It’s hard to argue with that.
The one downside to this station is that it doesn’t really have any sort of local presence. No DJs, no morning show… just music. There’s a lot that’s great about that, but as radio stations are slowly being bought up by large corporations and dominated by national DJs like Ryan Seacrest, it’s really nice to find stations that still employ local talent and have a connection to the community.
98 Rock is usually my first string radio station. It’s great that they have a powerhouse morning show and (for the most part) talented and entertaining DJs that don’t talk more than necessary. They still have a local presence, and that’s admirable. However, they’ve more and more been playing stuff that I’m not a fan of (and it should be noted that I am a fan of the heavy music). Three Days Grace, Five Finger Death Punch, even Disturbed… It’s all starting to sound the same, and that isn’t a good thing. Whenever 98 Rock goes to commercials or starts playing some of the new heavy garbage, I find myself switching to 94.7, and I usually find what I want to hear.
KWOD’s demise was unfortunate (my former second string station), and The Buzz is such a random grab-​bag of music that it usually isn’t worth checking out (third string for me). I will commend them for having a local presence and a morning show (although I can’t listen to it for more that 2 minutes without completely losing interest… Have these people ever worked in radio?)… and I wonder if maybe 94.7 can keep the commercial breaks short because they don’t have to blow money on DJs, but it seems like this DJ-​less radio is starting to catch on (perhaps satellite radio is to blame?), and a part of me is a little sad to see that.
Still, they play great music, and it’s hard to argue with that. 94.7, welcome to second string on my radio dial.

EH…
It’s ok. Trying to be KWOD from a few years ago, but a lil more like KWOD before it went off the air (meaning kind of lame).
Unfortunately it is still the best alt station Sac has to offer anymore.
SEEMS VERY REPETITIVE.
The need to expand into other sub alt Genre’s of current music.
Their older alt stuff is great and not too repetitive, they just need to widen their tastes a lil bit.

So I heard Brick, Sex is On Fire, One, Round Here and Kids all in a matter of minutes. And they even play stuff from local artists, too.
Are you kidding me right now?
The only thing I would suggest is play a little less Muse. Other than that, perfect.

Dear Jebus,
Thank you for bringing back an alternative rock station back to Sacramento. I was getting tired of listening to lame top 40 crap from Ke$ha, lame auto tuned rap from Rihanna and horrible hard rock a al Nickelback. I was a little sad when you took away my KWOD that I grew up listening to but you have done well now. You have truly made me a happier person… Now only if you could play more Deftones!!!
–Manda!

Christmas in my Inbox this morning! Subject line reads, «Sacramento’s New Alternative Radio Station».
I immediately opened this email, and to my delight, Sacramento has a REAL Alternative station again! Hooray!
Ever since KWOD 106.5 left us, radio has not been the same for some (or most) of us. I’m so tired of hearing Justin Beiber on three unnamed stations all at once. And if I hear the Bed Rock song one more time I might go crazy, if not already!
Today I had the joy of listening to Flaming Lips, STP and 311, just to name a few. You can listen live at
. Go listen now!
It’s about time we have an Alternative station again. Thank you Radio 94.7!