I am so old that today's alternative rock radio is either dead or just plain shit.

From the mid-1990's to the early 2000's, alternative radio was the soundtrack to my younger years.  Here in San Diego, 91X is still the #1 alt.station for over 30 year, but now it is not relevant.  They still overplay Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Bush, blink-182, No Doubt, Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Muse, Stone Temple Pilots, Green Day, Weezer, Kings of Leon, Linkin Park, The Black Keys, Pearl Jam, etc. like it's used gum.  But they also play recent poppy crap like Kaleo, Twenty-One Pilots, Lorde, recent Coldplay, etc.  Either major radio markets play crap (like here in San Diego) or changed formats (like in Philadelphia, Dallas, and Chicago).

History of my favorite defunct stations (and early years of FM 94/9)

92.5 The Flash (XHRM-FM) 1993 - 1998

In 1993, when 91X turned 10, this station made its debut.  It was run mostly by long-forgotten DJs, like Fitz, Bruce Wayne, Big Wave Dave, Randy DeWitt, Todd Kelly, Tom Perry, Bree O'Shea, John Kryvorka, Mary Loos, Kevin Carter, Kenny Weissberg, Robert O'Quinn, Rob Jacobs, Daye Saleni, and Ross "Rossman" Shields"... but it had Steve West (in between 91X gigs) in the mid-90's and Michael Halloran near the end.  It even had a local show hosted by the Riggs brothers, Scott and Jason.  The station also had Dr. Demento's radio show and Spin Radio Network's Spin Sessions.

When I was in high school in the 90's, the defunct 92.5 The Flash was the soundtrack of those years. It's also the first of the other alternative stations in San Diego.  Other than the radio staples (like Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Garbage, Beastie Boys, Beck, and No Doubt), New Wave/college rock classics, third-wave ska, and adult alternative songs, I get to listen to acts like Ash, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Ben Folds Five, Black Grape, Blur, Bran Van 3000, Cake, The Cardigans, Cast, Chemical Brothers, Edwyn Collins, Josh Clayton-Felt, Cornershop, Crystal Method, Daft Punk ("pre-French cylon" era), The Dandy Warhols, Vanessa Daou, Dubstar, Eels, Elastica, Fatboy Slim, Fun Lovin' Criminals, G. Love and the Special Sauce, Geggy Tah, Greg Garing, Hooverphonic, Imperial Drag, Jonathan Fire*Eater, Junkie XL, Kula Shaker, Lincoln, Luscious Jackson, Lush, Marcy Playground, Mansun, Moloko, Money Mark, Mono,  Morcheeba, Mulu, Orbital, Pfilbryte, Pluto, Poe, Portishead, Primitive Radio Gods, Prodigy, Finley Quaye, Reacharound, Republica, Soul Coughing, Sneaker Pimps, Space, Space Monkeys, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Supergrass, Tin Star, Ultrahorse, Veruca Salt, The Verve, Wank, White Town, and even Jamiroquai.  Every weeknight, the station had the "Top 9 at 9" where I could listen to new music back then.  

In the September of 1998 (after I graduated high school), it was ready to change formats by playing Liz Phair's "Polyester Bride", Lenny Kravitz's "Fly Away", and Harvey Danger's "Flagpole Sitta" in loop rotation all day.  Then the corporation that bought it turned it into an "old-school" funk/R&B station, which I don't mind, but I lost my second station that I listened to for four years.

Here is a little sampler from the summer of 1996.

https://youtu.be/aemSZo26Eiw?list=PLTjiO_zec0Yt5damSRwvER5Ud4iUQUFGy

Here is a clip from 1997 with morning DJs Bruce Wayne and Big Wave Dave:

https://soundcloud.com/brucedeego/x1039-1997-duo

Premium Radio 92/1 (KFSD-FM) 2001 - 2003

Notice the Shepard Fairey artwork on this keychain tag

Three years later, I found a new second station.  It was Premium Radio 92/1, a low-wattage station out of Carlsbad.  The DJs played stuff that I could enjoy, like Scapegoat Wax, Afroman, Air, first-album Coldplay, the White Stripes, the Strokes, Gorillaz, Daft Punk, Pete Yorn, The Avalanches and the like, along with the usual staples, pop-punk, and emo music that made me temporarily change dials.  Michael Halloran helped launched this station as the "anti-91X" when 91X was owned by iHeart Media predecessor Clear Channel.

The station had some great shows like Go Loco (local showcase with Scott Riggs, Rick Savage, and Tazy Phyllipz), SP Radio One (also with Tazy), Coup d'Etat (when a special guest plays whatever he or she wants), the retro-themed Wayback Machine, and the Swami Sound System (similar to Little Steven's Underground Garage, hosted by John Reis).  In 2002, station owner Art Astor had to let go of Halloran for being too expensive to hire and in the following year, Jefferson Pilot Communications bought out the station and transformed it into the North County satellite for KSON-FM, San Diego's long-running country music station.

Here is a short documentary produced by some video production students from San Diego State University (unfortunately, 92/1 did not use any video production students from my alma mater, nearby Cal State San Marcos.  We have a great digital video lab.)  It stars Halloran, Rand, Rick Savage, Matty, Scott Riggs, and John Reis.
https://youtu.be/PgRHFos1raA?list=PLTjiO_zec0Yt5damSRwvER5Ud4iUQUFGy

Here is a clip from 2002 with Scott Lowe:
https://soundcloud.com/scott-lowe101/kfsd-fm-premium-92-1-scott

Here are some clips from Mike Howard's Wayback Machine:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOdx4MABFcA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trXdLo0_--E

FM 94/9: The Early Years (KBZT-FM)

When Premium 92/1 was on life support, KSON owners Jefferson Pilot started a new alternative station and acquired some of 92/1's old staff (like Halloran and Anya Marina) and shows (like Swami and Coup d'Etat), but added some new stuff like Desert Island Discs, Four O'Clock Blues Break, Brunch with Bob & Friends (reggae/early ska/rocksteady), Nina Blackwood's New Wave Nation, and the tranquil favorite Big Sonic Chill.  It was great until the station was bought out by Lincoln Financial Media and acquired The Mikey Show (co-starring former 92.5 The Flash DJ Jay Isbell), which started a lot of controversy in all fronts, undermining the station's motto "It's About the Music".  After two years of the Mikey Show, the morning lineup changed in a good way.  Now it's Chris Cantore (along with Steve Woods) who does the morning show (with music and less talk).

It is now Alt 94/9 and it is owned by Entercom (along with other groundbreaking alternative stations 106.7 KROQ in Los Angeles and KNDD The End in Seattle).