103.9 Jack FM

[OHIODEAL]

I totally agree!!!!!!!!

 

[Kent]

I like the Sparknet feed but I know it's not going to sound nearly as good as R1 did with Jack. JD Kunes programmed that to the market with help from Lee Davenport. The liners were local, music was local, and it sounded damn good. The problem with the bird is:

Is it the SparkNet feed or the Dial Global feed? I'd actually guess it's Dial Global since SparkNet, at least a few years ago, wouldn't have worked with them on any signal other 99.7.

1) You won't hear nearly as many local liners. I'm sure they leave room for a few per hour but nothing like the stuff R1 wrote.

The Dial Global feed uses STORQ. Essentially, all the music and liners are on the hard drive but programmed remotely by Dial Global. If 103.9 wants to use local liners, it can do that quite easily. All you have to do is substitute your local liners for the cart numbers Dial Global uses for its national feed.

2) No room to tweak... if we have a Buckeyes gameday, you can bet R1 Jack FM would play Hang On Sloopy with a custom liner for it.... not with 1039.

Again, Dial Global's Jack FM was run off of local hard drives. If the PD pays attention, he can simply substitute "Hang On Sloopy" with its custom liner for any other song on the playlist. Since Jack doesn't have jocks, you don't even need to let anyone know you're doing it. If you have a format with jocks, you have to send them those substitutions a day or two in advance so they know to plug it and/or not plug it if it's on their log.

3) Mistakes... If not carefully ran, you will hear mistakes with running it off the bird. Song overlapping, liner errors, dead air, it'll sound choppy. Let's hope they get it right.

None of this happens with STORQ unless the on-air computer goes out or there's an error voicing a shift. There can also be errors sending playlists via the network, but those are extremely rare and more common for jock voicetracks than importing the music logs. Of course, the PD or MD could also screw up a song or two, but the STORQ system is actually very professional and slick. It just requires a bit more effort on the local end than the standard plug-and-play satellite format.

 

[alans613]

http://formatchange.com/wege-becomes-ted-fm/

Everyone remember this? Imaging was actually good, and the music mashup sounded great. Not sure what happened. Wouldn't surprise me if Hal programmed it, considering I don't think he knows what he's doing behind a scheduler hence why he doesn't program The Blitz.

I like the Sparknet feed but I know it's not going to sound nearly as good as R1 did with Jack. JD Kunes programmed that to the market with help from Lee Davenport. The liners were local, music was local, and it sounded damn good. The problem with the bird is:

1) You won't hear nearly as many local liners. I'm sure they leave room for a few per hour but nothing like the stuff R1 wrote.
2) No room to tweak... if we have a Buckeyes gameday, you can bet R1 Jack FM would play Hang On Sloopy with a custom liner for it.... not with 1039.
3) Mistakes... If not carefully ran, you will hear mistakes with running it off the bird. Song overlapping, liner errors, dead air, it'll sound choppy. Let's hope they get it right.

I do agree with placing it on 1039, but if The Blitz continues to decline, I am all for dumping the format and going with CHR to go against NCI. If X beats them (if they're not already), I'd look into another format. Hell, they already are putting money into Blitz with jocks, imaging, and remotes. CHR requires that.

Who's programming The Blitz if Hal isn't?
TED FM was awful! They threw in Soft AC such as "Wind Beneath My Wings" by Bette Midler at one point. Ugh. I remember they were one of the three stations that tried Bob and Tom(105.7 The Fox and 99.7 The Rock were the other two). They had a billboard on the west end in mid-2005 IIRC.

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

I like the Sparknet feed but I know it's not going to sound nearly as good as R1 did with Jack. JD Kunes programmed that to the market with help from Lee Davenport. The liners were local, music was local, and it sounded damn good. The problem with the bird is:

Is it the SparkNet feed or the Dial Global feed?  I'd actually guess it's Dial Global since SparkNet, at least a few years ago, wouldn't have worked with them on any signal other 99.7. 

It's Sparknet using DG's STORQ.  And I believe than previously Sparknet had said that any Jacks in a market larger than #50 would have to be locally programmed.

http://jack.fm/news/sparknet-announces-programming-deal-dial-global

At least thus far 103.9's music seems identical to what I hear on the Jacks in Amarillo and Victoria, TX, and in Lake Havasu, AZ -- although they are not fully in-synch time-wise, which isn't surprising given how you describe the STORQ system.

 

[xmusicmatt]

I like the Sparknet feed but I know it's not going to sound nearly as good as R1 did with Jack. JD Kunes programmed that to the market with help from Lee Davenport. The liners were local, music was local, and it sounded damn good. The problem with the bird is:

Is it the SparkNet feed or the Dial Global feed? I'd actually guess it's Dial Global since SparkNet, at least a few years ago, wouldn't have worked with them on any signal other 99.7.

It's Sparknet using DG's STORQ. And I believe than previously Sparknet had said that any Jacks in a market larger than #50 would have to be locally programmed.

http://jack.fm/news/sparknet-announces-programming-deal-dial-global

At least thus far 103.9's music seems identical to what I hear on the Jacks in Amarillo and Victoria, TX, and in Lake Havasu, AZ -- although they are not fully in-synch time-wise, which isn't surprising given how you describe the STORQ system.

The way the STORQ System works is that all the music is 'stored' locally -- They send LOGS and VTs (if you have them which most Jack's don't) and updated imaging via the Satellite down link (along with any song updates) ... stations can also manually insert local content (like the Sloopy example) and their ad breaks can be long as they want (since there are no satellite ques for rejoin)

 

[Kent]

It's Sparknet using DG's STORQ. And I believe than previously Sparknet had said that any Jacks in a market larger than #50 would have to be locally programmed.

In the past, SparkNet worked directly with stations in markets 40 and higher, though groups could work directly with SparkNet in smaller markets, too, if they signed a group deal including some of their larger markets. SparkNet also wouldn't allow anyone working directly with them to put Jack on class A sticks. I'd assume they changed that eventually because Radio One was programming Jack locally on 98.9, but I heard that was a problem in Knoxville when South Central was happy with its Jack FM in Nashville and wanted to add Jack to its Knoxville cluster. SparkNet wouldn't let them use 95.7/106.7. So, South Central went around that and signed a deal with ABC to put Jack there.

 

[KFodor]

Throwing Jack on 99.7 wouldn't mean success. Look no further than Dayton's Fly 92.9, also an Adult Hits outlet, did a 2.2 in a recent book...and Fly is on a 40,000 watt Class B signal.

Conversely, look at CC's big-signal Adult Hits WHLK (The Lake) in Cleveland, which is currently #2 there with an 8.5 share. They've had strong ratings ever since they debuted in the beginning of 2011. Adult Hits is doing really well in Pittsburgh, too. And this is one format where the "money demo" shares tend to be higher than the published 6+.

Naturally throwing Jack-FM on 99.7 wouldn't "guarantee" success. As always there are so many variables at play. But the potential is sure there, especially looking at Jack's momentum on 98.9 in the months before it was bought and dumped by Salem -- and that was on a Class A. One hurdle for 103.9 might be that Rewind has inched a bit more in a musically-Jackish direction over the past few months, although it's still quite different.

Potential is definitely there. However, historically, NABCO's problem seems to always be its execution of formats.

 

[AnalyticalMonkey]

Potential is definitely there. However, historically, NABCO's problem seems to always be its execution of formats.

Speaking of which, I tuned in over the weekend. I haven't heard such awful sound quality in a long time.

 

[jakej]

Potential is definitely there. However, historically, NABCO's problem seems to always be its execution of formats.

I agree. They put them to death, but then the formats always seem to eventually come back. Clear Channel, now there's a company that knows how to execute -- as its many terminated employees know all too well.

 

[knowbetter]

Potential is definitely there. However, historically, NABCO's problem seems to always be its execution of formats.

I agree. They put them to death, but then the formats always seem to eventually come back. Clear Channel, now there's a company that knows how to execute -- as its many terminated employees know all too well.

Well, at least they seem to have a new management direction, and they also seem to be searching for a new CE...so hopefully they are finally in the right direction!

 

[alans613]

Potential is definitely there. However, historically, NABCO's problem seems to always be its execution of formats.

I agree. They put them to death, but then the formats always seem to eventually come back. Clear Channel, now there's a company that knows how to execute -- as its many terminated employees know all too well.

CE? ???

Well, at least they seem to have a new management direction, and they also seem to be searching for a new CE...so hopefully they are finally in the right direction!

 

[Nu_Roo_2]

Potential is definitely there. However, historically, NABCO's problem seems to always be its execution of formats.

I agree. They put them to death, but then the formats always seem to eventually come back. Clear Channel, now there's a company that knows how to execute -- as its many terminated employees know all too well.

Well, at least they seem to have a new management direction, and they also seem to be searching for a new CE...so hopefully they are finally in the right direction!

Hope NABCO gets a good Chief Engineer soon. What leads you to say they have a "new management direction?" Does that include new people?

 

[knowbetter]

Potential is definitely there. However, historically, NABCO's problem seems to always be its execution of formats.

I agree. They put them to death, but then the formats always seem to eventually come back. Clear Channel, now there's a company that knows how to execute -- as its many terminated employees know all too well.

Well, at least they seem to have a new management direction, and they also seem to be searching for a new CE...so hopefully they are finally in the right direction!

Hope NABCO gets a good Chief Engineer soon. What leads you to say they have a "new management direction?" Does that include new people?

It just seems like they are making some new decisions, that seem, fairly logical to me, so I assumed that there was a management change somewhere, as they have not changed for a while. I don't have any inside info, but when things changes, it normally means a decision maker has changed. I thought I heard they had a new GM a few months ago, but not sure.

I did see the ad for a new CE, but at the same time I thought the requirements excessive. From the description in the ad, I don't think Greg S, the Mark's or anyone else in the market would qualify. Most of the CE's I know wouldn't meet the requested requirements, which to me means that the person looking for an engineer most likely doesn't know a lot about them!

I frankly wish them the best. I think they should look backwards for some talent, and help, and someone upgrades them from AudioVault, which is likely a big part of the reason they don't sound that smooth.

For sure, they need to find an engineer, one with a bit of "competitive savy".

And a lot of folks seemed to like what Lee Davenport did for Radio One's Jack, so they should likely look at him as a resource.

 

[gabigley1]

I did see the ad for a new CE, but at the same time I thought the requirements excessive. From the description in the ad, I don't think Greg S, the Mark's or anyone else in the market would qualify. Most of the CE's I know wouldn't meet the requested requirements, which to me means that the person looking for an engineer most likely doesn't know a lot about them!

I frankly wish them the best. I think they should look backwards for some talent, and help, and someone upgrades them from AudioVault, which is likely a big part of the reason they don't sound that smooth.

For sure, they need to find an engineer, one with a bit of "competitive savy".

Found this ad on the web. Is the the one you are talking about? NABCO is looking for a new Chief Engineer:

http://www.simplyhired.com/job-id/5p6sdchw5m/chief-engineer-jobs/

 

[lovejamminoldies]

Got a chance to listen to Jack today and quality-wise, it didn't sound bad at all! I think the format is great and I enjoy listening especially with all the imaging. I feel like they have hundreds of sweepers in rotation. I'm only 21 and I find myself singing along to a lot of the stuff they play. It's a lot better than Fly in Dayton where every time I tune in, I hear a 70's song. I know NABCO is trying to sell it though, because I heard a spot for "Advertise on JACK". There's two breaks an hr, :15 and :45. Both of them have two Dial-Global ads that kick off the spot break. At the :15, there's the two ads, a local sweeper, than where it should go to local break, it plays a filler song (probably what the Sparknet feed is playing) considering they never play commercials online. However, at the :45 break, there is no song, there is local spots. I'll have to listen overnight where there are limited spots to see if they play a filler song there too. I wonder how many spots they had when they were "NewsRadio". They need to get spots at that :14 break even if they start offering a few spots when advertisers buy on Blitz. I do love how much music Jack plays, but I'm worried it won't last long, but with that signal, it won't nearly get the numbers 989 did. I wonder if NABCO has the money to do some TV advertising during morning/afternoon news. We'll see what happens!

 

[xmusicmatt]

I do love how much music Jack plays, but I'm worried it won't last long, but with that signal, it won't nearly get the numbers 989 did. I wonder if NABCO has the money to do some TV advertising during morning/afternoon news. We'll see what happens!

They really need to build out their west side CP -- That will give 103.9 a chance to compete.

 

[Allfirdup]

Potential is definitely there. However, historically, NABCO's problem seems to always be its execution of formats.

Speaking of which, I tuned in over the weekend. I haven't heard such awful sound quality in a long time.

I have to Agree the over the air sound quality makes it hard to listen to for any amount of time. I hope this gets addressed soon as i really do like the format.

 

[AnalyticalMonkey]

Potential is definitely there. However, historically, NABCO's problem seems to always be its execution of formats.

Speaking of which, I tuned in over the weekend. I haven't heard such awful sound quality in a long time.

I have to Agree the over the air sound quality makes it hard to listen to for any amount of time. I hope this gets addressed soon as i really do like the format.

I was on Schrock Road when I tuned in and I have a pretty good sound system in my car. Theoretically, I should have had a very listenable signal at that location. Because I was so close to the tower, I'm gonna have to say the processing was bad. It sounded worse than CD 101.

 

[lovejamminoldies]

I compared it to WNCI this morning, and I don't know how I missed it. They really do need a chief engineer.

 

[AnalyticalMonkey]

I compared it to WNCI this morning, and I don't know how I missed it. They really do need a chief engineer.

I don't understand all these half-assed launches lately ... CBS Sports on the former K-95, Q-FM-96, CD-102.5, WVKO's lib-talk format and 98.9 The Answer all come to mind. You would think they would have all their ducks in order first, before they go live.

98.9 still sounds like crappy low-bitrate audio and I guess CD-102 can't afford a decent STL. They've had plenty of time to get it right. Wasn't Q-FM-96 doing the low-bitrate audio thing when they moved studios?

I guess nobody believes in making a good first impression anymore?