Some of you may remember when I blogged about CBS changing the format of 101.1 in New York City – the number one ranked oldies station. When CBS changed from the oldies format to some stupid “Jack-FM” concept (which was based on an iPod style – playing whatever they wanted to play), the station quickly tanked. Again, after realizing the error of their ways – and losing tons of advertising revenue – CBS Radio changed their minds and brought back the oldies format.

And now we have the latest blunder in the New Jersey/New York terrestrial radio meltdown. Press Communications, the owner of four stations in the Monmouth County/Ocean County area, have taken their G-Rock Radio Channel (106.3 FM) and changed it to now be called “Hit 106.” The name change isn’t the problem – it’s the format change. As described in the Asbury Park Press:

Less than a week after the Jersey Shore station WHTG (G-Rock) 106.3-FM switched from an alternative rock format to contemporary hits, a group calling itself “Bring Back G-Rock,” with a Facebook page, is planning a protest at noon Saturday outside the station’s studio at 2355 West Bangs Ave. in Neptune.

Press Communications, the owners of the station, made the switch at noon on Monday, to appeal to the 18 to 44 age range.

How stupid is this decision by Press Communications? If you live in the Jersey Shore area, you know that G-Rock was all over the place up and down the shore during the spring, summer, and fall seasons. They were a household name in terms of the radio world…and they’re rewarded for their excellent marketing and advertising by being taken off of the air? Who’s making these ridiculous decisions in the terrestrial radio world?!

I was glad to read that there is going to be a protest outside of the Press Communications building tomorrow. Though I can’t be there, I agree that G-Rock Radio should be brought back. Since I’ve picked up Sirius XM there have only been a few times that I’ve been forced to listen to old-fashioned, boring, censored radio. During those times the only stations that I listened to were G-Rock Radio and NJ 101.5-FM. This was a good channel and I guarantee that it’s a bigger money-maker (and crowd pleaser) than Hot 106.

Watch – taking G-Rock Radio off of the air will be one of the dumbest moves in Press Communications’ history.

One of Stern’s selling points has always been that, “Sirius XM is much more listenable and just a better product than boring, old, terrestrial radio.” Well, I have a comment on that “boring, old, terrestrial radio” statement…

For the fun of it, I flipped over from my Sirius XM to NJ 101.5 about a month ago. It was great! I got to listen to the Jersey Guys for a few minutes and then it went to commercial. I RARELY hear a commercial on Sirius. When Howard 100 hits commercial, I just flip over to New Country and listen to music or over to one of the news stations or anything, really. Anyway, NJ 101.5 flipped to commercial, so I flipped to G-Rock Radio 106.3. Unfortunately, there were commercials there, too.

Not to be led astray, I put the dial over to what used to be K-Rock at 92.3…yeah, commercials. At this point I flipped back over to Sirius, but then again – I was only in the car for a few more minutes anyway.

Fast forward to when I get back into the car, I admit that I had a hankering for the Jersey Guys so I flipped back to NJ 101.5 and lo and and behold, there was one of the Jersey Guys giving the radio weather report. They do that on that station – it’s a nice service to the listeners. Then, back to commercials.

At that point, I flipped back over to Sirius XM just in time to hear Howard Stern in the middle of rant against, “boring, old, terrestrial radio.” And you know what? Howard was right. Once you get used to satellite radio, hearing the old terrestrial radio just isn’t quite the same.