Techno’s Back at KOCM After Listener Outcry

After thousands of listeners wrote angry letters about the decision to stop playing a style of music known as “techno,” KOCM-FM (which calls itself MARS-FM) reinstated the style this week.

A month ago, KOCM (103.1) owner Ken Roberts instructed program director Freddie Snakeskin and music director Egil Aalvik to drop the genre--a fast-paced, electronic style of dance music--because it was “too dark” and didn’t attract a big enough audience.

“I think it’s exciting music for a specific, very narrow audience. . . . But there’s not an audience in my mind that’s large enough to cater to the advertisers, especially the ones that I want,” Roberts said in a phone interview.

But Roberts added that he had received about 10,000 letters urging him to bring back the sound, which is the mainstay of underground parties called “raves,” and so decided to give it a second chance. Techno music now will be part of a mix of progressive dance tunes and alternative music.

“It’s back for now,” Roberts said, but he added that it is “no secret” to station personnel that he has been conducting research to see what musical format would be most successful for the station, which he bought last year.

“I like to see new things happen, but the bottom line is I want to see the bottom line,” he said. “I’ll give it time. Maybe all this will show advertisers that people like it. If (station personnel) are all enthusiastic about doing this, maybe they’ll get the listeners to get people out there to advertise.”

Snakeskin attributed Roberts’ change of heart to the music’s widespread support.

“After the outpouring of faxes and letters, I think (Roberts) could see that the audience consisted of a lot more people than just guys with baseball caps with the letter ‘X’ on them. We got letters from lawyers, investment bankers, accountants, real estate people, housewives and teachers,” Snakeskin said. “Even we were surprised by how well-thought-out and reasoned their responses were.”