Hit the road, Jack?

Bob1370 · Dec 20, 2005

This morning in the Toronto Star, columnist Greg Quill says there's a strong buzz that the BBM-challenged 'Jack' (92.5 FM) may be about to dump the format, which has been sinking in most major North American markets (and made a catastrophic implosion in New York City this year). The new format? The station's original one when it signed on a decade ago, country music.

The article can be found here:
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Co...388&call_pageid=968867495754&col=969483191630

Well, why not? If CHR and jockless adult hits didn't work out, and every other format that DOES work is in use by someone else, what else can they do? The only question is---will they invest in the personalities and promotion to make it work, or will they just try to do it with automation (something that NEVER works with a country format)?

agreenbe · Dec 20, 2005

i wonder how jack fm in buffalo is doing.....i will miss jack in toronto if it flips...guess i will need to get out the tape recorder and make some tapes.

> This morning in the Toronto Star, columnist Greg Quill says
> there's a strong buzz that the BBM-challenged 'Jack' (92.5
> FM) may be about to dump the format, which has been sinking
> in most major North American markets (and made a
> catastrophic implosion in New York City this year). The new
> format? The station's original one when it signed on a
> decade ago, country music.
>
> The article can be found here:
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article> &cid=1134946211388&call_pageid=968867495754&col=969483191630
>
>
> Well, why not? If CHR and jockless adult hits didn't work
> out, and every other format that DOES work is in use by
> someone else, what else can they do? The only question
> is---will they invest in the personalities and promotion to
> make it work, or will they just try to do it with automation
> (something that NEVER works with a country format)?
>

wired · Dec 21, 2005

>Was that the "original" format?? (only 15 or so years ago). So, there
wasnt any thing in TORONTO on 92.5 fm prior to "Ciss/kiss country?"

I find it that extremely difficult to believe.

Now, as far as jack-FM Flipping the format..well, now is the
best time to do so..You want the new sound by summer, and
the winter,esp in southern ontario..well, the leafs are doing
great(this year) so a format change wont be such a shock..and,
may just 'ease' into every one's pre-sets..and radio's at work.

BUT*there wont be the only game in town..-Techincally- they
are the only in the "t-dot" however, what about..CING,95.3FM.
they are audible in toronto, and when they were Energy-FM,
"sold" it as a toronto station....OR, is that country that bad,
it was forgotten about that, by default, it would be the
only country station in toronto...

Personally, I would like to see the CHR-get another RUN.
Keep the Jack moniker/name,station Philosphy,etc..etc..
soo u can sneek in some fave's from all the CHR's charts...
-Where on ]ack-fm, it wont sound strange, to hear..
oh say, backstreet boys, then inner circle, then petshop boys..
versus, a top40-focused station..ok backstreet would fly,
but then..inner circle..most would flip (either flip out)
or just flip the dial...

*PS* i hope they stay jack @ 92.5 / i heard "La-La-La-Long" by
inner circle..today on Jack/92.5FM - it sounded "FUN" : )
to me, fun is not some thing you get w/ country.
-
RIGHT NOW * playing Queen "we will rock you/champions" *
Yea, i will miss you jack!!
-
What would be funny...not original, but still funny:
"Jill" the new country girl on the radio dial !!
Jack's alter-ego, playing what she(or the b--tch) wants : )
Edited by wired on 12/21/05 09:15 AM.

Falcon · Dec 21, 2005

> This morning in the Toronto Star, columnist Greg Quill says
> there's a strong buzz that the BBM-challenged 'Jack' (92.5
> FM) may be about to dump the format, which has been sinking
> in most major North American markets (and made a
> catastrophic implosion in New York City this year). The new
> format? The station's original one when it signed on a
> decade ago, country music.
>
> The article can be found here:
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article> &cid=1134946211388&call_pageid=968867495754&col=969483191630
>
>
> Well, why not? If CHR and jockless adult hits didn't work
> out, and every other format that DOES work is in use by
> someone else, what else can they do? The only question
> is---will they invest in the personalities and promotion to
> make it work, or will they just try to do it with automation
> (something that NEVER works with a country format)?

> Country is a very viable format but not the kind of thing that Rawlco tried to pass off as country a few years ago. It would take a lot of work, as it has in Vancouver, but in the long run they would have a very stable revenue generator and would likely be in the top 5 consistantly.

Bob1370 · Dec 21, 2005

> >Was that the "original" format?? (only 15 or so years ago).
> So, there
> wasnt any thing in TORONTO on 92.5 fm prior to "Ciss/kiss
> country?"
> I find it that extremely difficult to believe.

It's true. 92.5 was a drop-in frequency first authorized to Toronto in the early 1990s and awarded to Rawlco in a competitve hearing at which Milestone (eventual operator of Flow 93.5) was the principal runner-up. It's actually short-spaced to Rochester, which is allocated a full power class B FM (50 kW ERP @ 155 meters HAAT) and has been since the early 1960s. CJAQ therefore, as a condition of its license, has to use a directional antenna that nulls to the southeast over central and western NY to protect WBEE's transmissions from Penfield, just east of Rochester.

>
> Now, as far as jack-FM Flipping the format..well, now is the
> best time to do so..You want the new sound by summer, and
> the winter,esp in southern ontario..well, the leafs are
> doing great(this year) so a format change wont be such a
> shock..and, may just 'ease' into every one's pre-sets..and radio's at
> work.

Could be what Rogers is thinking of, and why they may make the move before the spring BBM book.

Anything they do will clearly have to be heavy on personality, image, and community visibility and presence. Radio by computer just doesn't cut it in a big market.

Yeziknoradio · Dec 22, 2005

> i wonder how jack fm in buffalo is doing.....i will miss
> jack in toronto if it flips...guess i will need to get out
> the tape recorder and make some tapes.

YEP! That may be a good idea.

As for 92.5, which signed on in 1993 as a Country station owned by Rawlco, Remember this fact: CHFI was INDEED a target, with the idea that "It's ok to listen to country at work"

This time round, 98.1 CHFI and 92.5 are both owned by Rogers, so, today, not only do they have to figure out how to seperate themselves from 95.3 and KX96, (Or compete effectively with them)
but they also have to be careful not to focus as much on the workplace...or if they do...how to do so without hurting CHFI.______________
"If you never say NO, How much is your YES worth?"

wired · Dec 23, 2005

hi-jack 92.5, now its "chr-jack"@92.5

what if the station 're'invents itself as...
a cross between jack and the "alice" fm's..

in other words, 're'sign on..have listeners
're'discover the station w/ creative liners:
"My canada includes jack" ( takin' off on:
"My canada includes quebec")...etc,etc.

reTool..the on-aire presence and presentation.
"still play what you want" but limit the format
to a "hot-100" and "party top 200" and a "golden
oldies top 50" Last night, i heard "Rythmn..Dancer" by snap!!
i will miss this on an FM station within my listening range..
esp. if the station that played it, has "gone country"
-
Instead of: just a jumble of everything...
playing, Steve Miller band; mcHammer and then, the cars

have some continunity(?sp):
cotten-eye joe; snap"the power" and m/a/r/r/s "Pump..volume"
then, the next set maybe have: dmb; u2 and, then perhaps,
some thing like new our lady peace(*can-con : )

I think a chr-jack playing all top 40 radio hits,
minus, street.cred gangsta rap...would be alot more
enjoyable then "current" jukebox-jack.
-
Or, a 90s..mainstream pop, and a best of 2004 and 2005 playlist
would also work..The more and more i listen to "these"
jack-fm's...the problem i have is jammin' to...
a classic hit, such as uB40, and follow it up with..
"something" really bad. I know that is the attraction
the deeeper playlist, but less is more. Narrow it down
by 15% or so, and, you may see different/better numbers.

example:
for some one that LOVES zz-Top, the last song they want
to follow zz-Top would be P!nk "don't let me get me"(club mix).
and vice-versa..

Gregg · Jan 22, 2006

The new
> format? The station's original one when it signed on a
> decade ago, country music.
> Well, why not? If CHR and jockless adult hits didn't work
> out, and every other format that DOES work is in use by
> someone else, what else can they do?

Yes, but wasn't CISS poorly rated no matter what sort
of country music format they aired? They tried straight
ahead country and a sort of country/AC mix that included
Gordon Lightfoot and Eagles songs. Neither format was
that strong.

And isn't Toronto more multi-cultural today than when
CISS gave up country? No, if NYC and San Francisco have
no country stations because they're too multi-cultural and
cosmopolitan, country won't work in Toronto either. 95.3
has a strong enough signal from Hamilton that country fans
can get their fix there, or from the country FMs in nearby
Ajax, Barrie or Buffalo.

Gregg
[email protected]

Hit the road, Jack?

Bob1370

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agreenbe

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wired

Falcon

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Bob1370

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Yeziknoradio

wired

Gregg