I really like Lightning 100. They used to refer to themselves as ""Nashville's Progressive Radio,"" but I guess 'progressive' is a dirty word here in the Bible belt south.
But what's in a name anyhow? So what if the name ?Lightning 100? sounds like a station that might be playing in my orthodontist's office. So what if the name ""Lightning 100"" conjures images of a 9-5 receptionist tapping her toe to familiar music while multi-tasking, a picture of her two kids sitting left of her CRT monitor to remind her what she's working for. So what if ""Lightning 100"" sounds a generic as the office cubicle space it surely fills... And so what if ?Lightning 100? sounds like the name of a radio station a family of four can all listen to together and enjoy, maybe on their way to Applebee?s after a Sunday service.
The honest truth is I could care less about the name. If the programming is solid, the name doesn?t matter. It turns out Lightning 100 actually is my choice radio station here in Nashville. I'll admit to switching between lightning 100, NPR and 89.5 almost exclusively. Well, except for when I'm listening to Sirius-XM programming.
Lightning 100 does a lot of things great. They spend some of their programming allotment highlighting local artists. That?s very cool. And they do play some new indie label music.
Local music and independent label music doesn?t fit with the name ?Lightning 100.? Unfortunately just about everything else about this radio station does fit. The trite ?professional? sounding DJs who sound like your father (or your father?s father). A mix of quasi-pop, oldies and overall familiar tunes drowns out any organic sentiment conferred by the interspersed truly local and independent label music. The more you listen to Lightning 100, the more you realize they didn?t get the name wrong at all. It fits their programming perfectly!
What?s a Nashville native to do? We live in the mecca of music. It?s NOT LA, not London. It?s NASHVILLE, baby. Nashville is the mecca of music. Is this the best we can do? Really?
Recommendations:
Get new DJs. There is plenty of talent out there that deserves a chance. And Nashville deserves to hear them. That old DJ voice belongs somewhere circa 1990. Today, radio DJs talk in a more natural voice.
Focus more of the programming on local and new independent label music. There?s plenty out there and Nashville is ready to hear it.
And finally, for God?s sake! Change the name already! :)
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