I was in Los Angeles last week, and was able to check out their Jack FM station. And let me tell you, it makes Mike FM pale in comparison.
As many of you know, KCBS-FM experienced a large growth in listeners since they dumped classic rock for Jack. The music blend was quite good, I'd say the basis was of the station was 80's and 90's rock hits, with a sprinkling of some 70's music. I don't recall hearing any real current stuff, either. 93.1 Jack FM stayed away from most rhythmic tracks as well. One song I heard twice, though, Tone Loc's "Funky Cold Medina", seemed quite out of place. I'm not a big fan of the retro-sounding jingles that Jack and Mike use, and KCBS did not use them at all (that I heard).
I also got to hear KKJJ/Las Vegas and KFMB-FM/San Diego. "100.7 Jack FM" in San Diego frankly didn't sound too much like a Jack to me. Songs like Pink's "My Own Worst Enemy" just seemed out of place, and the voice of this Jack was about 50% Howard Cogan and 50% some lady who only said "Jack FM". Looking at the playlist online right now, the station looks like a Jack, but when I listened it sounded like a Hot AC that wanted cost-cutting. They also used a ton of the "we play what we want, on Jack F-M-" jingles, which I didn't really care for either. However, KFMB-FM is locally owned and not part of Infinity, so I'm certain that is why the station is so different from the other two.
I didn't hear KKJJ, "100.5 Jack FM", in Las Vegas too long, but it sounded pretty good. I was unfamiliar with a few of the songs which the station played, but the station seemed overall quite good. KKJJ played many listener calls, all positive, and wasn't bad on the jingles.
One thing that I liked about KKJJ and KCBS were the amount of local references and the like. These Jacks have tons of them, and they are far better than "The Big Dig has a bunch of dirt, and, uh, we have a bunch of songs" and "more hits than Whitey Bulger". KCBS' legal ID goes "KCBS-FM Los Angeles. Broadcasting from a dumpy little building in beautiful Culver City, this is 93.1 Jack FM." One that I can recall, going to commercial on KCBS, was "Everyone in Southern California spends more than they make. Here's some suggestions". Jack pokes fun at the commercials, which just made the station more interesting to listen to and I guess the commercials more bearable.
One last thing is the voice and additude of Jack. On all of the Jack stations, Cogan makes Jack sound like a guy that's just laid back and enjoys having fun and playing music. Nothing against Mike's voice-over guy, but he frankly sounds like an (insert explative for annoying person here) compared to Jack.
I've said enough in the past about how much I'd like to see Jack in Boston, even with Mike, but Mike just seems set up to flop. Right now, Mike is playing Justin Timberlake's "Rock Your Body". KCBS and KKJJ would not be caught dead playing this song, and I'd doubt that it's in heavy rotation on KFMB-FM. Jack's variety of songs is much better, the voice is better, the presentation is better; frankly, I can't think of anything that Mike does better than Jack. I'd bet that even a simulcast of KCBS-FM could probably beat Mike in the ratings.
As many of you know, KCBS-FM experienced a large growth in listeners since they dumped classic rock for Jack. The music blend was quite good, I'd say the basis was of the station was 80's and 90's rock hits, with a sprinkling of some 70's music. I don't recall hearing any real current stuff, either. 93.1 Jack FM stayed away from most rhythmic tracks as well. One song I heard twice, though, Tone Loc's "Funky Cold Medina", seemed quite out of place. I'm not a big fan of the retro-sounding jingles that Jack and Mike use, and KCBS did not use them at all (that I heard).
I also got to hear KKJJ/Las Vegas and KFMB-FM/San Diego. "100.7 Jack FM" in San Diego frankly didn't sound too much like a Jack to me. Songs like Pink's "My Own Worst Enemy" just seemed out of place, and the voice of this Jack was about 50% Howard Cogan and 50% some lady who only said "Jack FM". Looking at the playlist online right now, the station looks like a Jack, but when I listened it sounded like a Hot AC that wanted cost-cutting. They also used a ton of the "we play what we want, on Jack F-M-" jingles, which I didn't really care for either. However, KFMB-FM is locally owned and not part of Infinity, so I'm certain that is why the station is so different from the other two.
I didn't hear KKJJ, "100.5 Jack FM", in Las Vegas too long, but it sounded pretty good. I was unfamiliar with a few of the songs which the station played, but the station seemed overall quite good. KKJJ played many listener calls, all positive, and wasn't bad on the jingles.
One thing that I liked about KKJJ and KCBS were the amount of local references and the like. These Jacks have tons of them, and they are far better than "The Big Dig has a bunch of dirt, and, uh, we have a bunch of songs" and "more hits than Whitey Bulger". KCBS' legal ID goes "KCBS-FM Los Angeles. Broadcasting from a dumpy little building in beautiful Culver City, this is 93.1 Jack FM." One that I can recall, going to commercial on KCBS, was "Everyone in Southern California spends more than they make. Here's some suggestions". Jack pokes fun at the commercials, which just made the station more interesting to listen to and I guess the commercials more bearable.
One last thing is the voice and additude of Jack. On all of the Jack stations, Cogan makes Jack sound like a guy that's just laid back and enjoys having fun and playing music. Nothing against Mike's voice-over guy, but he frankly sounds like an (insert explative for annoying person here) compared to Jack.
I've said enough in the past about how much I'd like to see Jack in Boston, even with Mike, but Mike just seems set up to flop. Right now, Mike is playing Justin Timberlake's "Rock Your Body". KCBS and KKJJ would not be caught dead playing this song, and I'd doubt that it's in heavy rotation on KFMB-FM. Jack's variety of songs is much better, the voice is better, the presentation is better; frankly, I can't think of anything that Mike does better than Jack. I'd bet that even a simulcast of KCBS-FM could probably beat Mike in the ratings.