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jack in toronto

A

agreenbe

Guest
if anyone is going to toronto today or during the week...jack does not have anymore dj's...they were fired on thurs......this could also mean there might be a format change.....
 
> if anyone is going to toronto today or during the
> week...jack does not have anymore dj's...they were fired on
> thurs......this could also mean there might be a format
> change.....
>
A couple things could be going on here. One, of course, is a format change, because Jack has lost some traction in the latest BBM books and it's down to a 3 share. The other, is that they've just decided to go on the cheap and see if they can keep a 3 share as an automated jukebox. The experience of Jack in Buffalo (mired in the low 2s) and in New York (where it fell from a 4.1 and 6th place in its last trend as a personality oldies station, down to a 1.7 and dead last among New York's full market signal FMs) should give them pause. The research by Arbitron and Edison, whicb shows Jack stations have bad TSL and AQH unless they include foreground personalities in the mix, ought to give them still more pause.

It oculd be that Jack just doesn't work as a format unless it's a really strong personality station. That's what made the musically eclectic top 40 stations of the 1960s and 70s, like WKBW and CHUM, work so well...and that's what Jack needs to succeed too. Toronto's Jack made its jocks keep a low profile and Buffalo and NYC doesn't have them at all...and the results can't be making their respective front offices anything but miserable.
 
Our jack type station in phoenix "The Peak" is doing pretty good and I think besides the music it is the presentation and personalities. There is a jock in every time slot and every jock relates to the listener. They actually make it fun to listen to the radio. I think in this day in age of IPODS and Satellites you have to give the radio listener something you can't find anywhere else. A jack station without jocks can be found other places then on terrestial radio.

> > if anyone is going to toronto today or during the
> > week...jack does not have anymore dj's...they were fired
> on
> > thurs......this could also mean there might be a format
> > change.....
> >
> A couple things could be going on here. One, of course, is a
> format change, because Jack has lost some traction in the
> latest BBM books and it's down to a 3 share. The other, is
> that they've just decided to go on the cheap and see if they
> can keep a 3 share as an automated jukebox. The experience
> of Jack in Buffalo (mired in the low 2s) and in New York
> (where it fell from a 4.1 and 6th place in its last trend as
> a personality oldies station, down to a 1.7 and dead last
> among New York's full market signal FMs) should give them
> pause. The research by Arbitron and Edison, whicb shows Jack
> stations have bad TSL and AQH unless they include foreground
> personalities in the mix, ought to give them still more
> pause.
>
> It oculd be that Jack just doesn't work as a format unless
> it's a really strong personality station. That's what made
> the musically eclectic top 40 stations of the 1960s and 70s,
> like WKBW and CHUM, work so well...and that's what Jack
> needs to succeed too. Toronto's Jack made its jocks keep a
> low profile and Buffalo and NYC doesn't have them at
> all...and the results can't be making their respective front
> offices anything but miserable.
>
 
> A couple things could be going on here. One, of course, is a
> format change, because Jack has lost some traction in the
> latest BBM books and it's down to a 3 share. <---2.7 to be exact. AND it wasn't just the dj's let go. NO MORE news weather or traffic updates...not even in the morning!(as of this morning) Just music music music, and Howard Cogan's annoying voice overs.<P ID="signature">______________
"If you never say NO, How much is your YES worth?"
</P>
 
From today's Toronto Star:

"Yesterday, morning man Rob Christie, afternoon guy Scot Turner, weekend jock Richard Charles, along with Larry Silver and all their producers have been shuffled off the premises.
"'They are all exccellent broadcasters, but we've made a decision to differentiate ourselves by having no deejays,' program director Patrick Cardinal told 'The Star' in an email. 'Toronto has over 20 radio stations available to listeners and the rest of them have deejays if that's what someone wants.'"

Whoa-hang on one second, buddy! What you're saying here is that IN YOUR VIEW most people don't want deejays any more? Then get thee to a web site or a Wurlitzer plant and leave the radio biz to the professionals.

Oh, wait, "the professionals" are all accountants and lawyers these days anyway so you might as well just get assimilated by them, Pat.

Isn't this the same PD who took Q-107 on a fast trip down the toilet 10 years ago?

Bottom line: soemone at Rogers needs to see that JACK as a format just doesn't work (I hear it's even going down the tubes in its home town of Vancouver). But since Rogers, like every other major company, is being run by suits who either have no actual experience in broadcasting or have forgotten what they used to do to make their stations work, by the time they wake up and smell the stench of radio without DJs, there will be nothing left of the once-proud signal at 92.5fm in Toronto.

Are you listening/watching/observing, Infinity?
 
> Isn't this the same PD who took Q-107 on a fast trip down
> the toilet 10 years ago?

Yes he is, and he f@#$ed up a couple more too...

> Bottom line: soemone at Rogers needs to see that JACK as a
> format just doesn't work (I hear it's even going down the
> tubes in its home town of Vancouver).

Debaser's right, down 2 full points in 2 books in Vancouver

> Are you listening/watching/observing, Infinity?


Probably not...
 
> Isn't this the same PD who took Q-107 on a fast trip down
> the toilet 10 years ago?

Yes he is, and he f@#$ed up a couple more too...

> Bottom line: soemone at Rogers needs to see that JACK as a
> format just doesn't work (I hear it's even going down the
> tubes in its home town of Vancouver).

Debaser's right, down 2 full points in 2 books in Vancouver

> Are you listening/watching/observing, Infinity?


Probably not...
 
What about the traffic tags?..."Traffic brought to you by..."
With no traffic reports, isn't there some revenue being lost there?<P ID="signature">______________
"If you never say NO, How much is your YES worth?"
</P>
 
Toronto also has to contend with jack in buffalo and spirit fm...the toronto area is becoming saturated with the jack format...many other cities in Canada and the U.S have the one jack or bob station...jack fm from toronto cannot be picked in buffalo well as it is weak signal.

> > if anyone is going to toronto today or during the
> > week...jack does not have anymore dj's...they were fired
> on
> > thurs......this could also mean there might be a format
> > change.....
> >
> A couple things could be going on here. One, of course, is a
> format change, because Jack has lost some traction in the
> latest BBM books and it's down to a 3 share. The other, is
> that they've just decided to go on the cheap and see if they
> can keep a 3 share as an automated jukebox. The experience
> of Jack in Buffalo (mired in the low 2s) and in New York
> (where it fell from a 4.1 and 6th place in its last trend as
> a personality oldies station, down to a 1.7 and dead last
> among New York's full market signal FMs) should give them
> pause. The research by Arbitron and Edison, whicb shows Jack
> stations have bad TSL and AQH unless they include foreground
> personalities in the mix, ought to give them still more
> pause.
>
> It oculd be that Jack just doesn't work as a format unless
> it's a really strong personality station. That's what made
> the musically eclectic top 40 stations of the 1960s and 70s,
> like WKBW and CHUM, work so well...and that's what Jack
> needs to succeed too. Toronto's Jack made its jocks keep a
> low profile and Buffalo and NYC doesn't have them at
> all...and the results can't be making their respective front
> offices anything but miserable.
>
 
Shot O' Jack

<font face="times new roman" color="330066" size="3">
Jack Bashin' has become a blood sport on this board and as one of the original members of Jack Bashers, Inc., I've ripped WBUF as much as any other poster.

But I've observed a few of the people with whom I work and Jack may be catching on with the "right" people. To what extent is anybody's guess, but here are a few things worth noting. One of the (three) people in our company's business office listens to Jack at work. She used to listen mostly to The Lake (still does, from time to time) and Star (again, from time to time) but now, I've noticed her radio is on Jack more than the other two stations. I'm not in the office enough to know how often she switches around during the day, but fact is, Jack shows up on her radio.

Two of the best guys on one of our company's crew, normally 97 Rock devotees, are now listening to Jack. Interestingly, they listen to the 97 Rock morning show and switch to Jack around 10 or 11 and listen through most of the day, switching back to 97 Rock later in the day.

I think Jack is an abysmal radio station, but some people clearly think otherwise. I suppose this is where somebody drops in the line, "there's no accounting for some peoples' tastes.

I'm with most of the posters who think Jack and stations like it need real live bodies on the air to ease the wierd transitions and massage the music, but as long as Infinity is running the format in Buffalo, that isn't likely to happen. I'll go on record as saying that once Howard books, the Jack morning show will be dedicated to music and not much more. No live bodies, no news, no nothin'.

BTW, as I write this, I'm playing what I like... an off the wall mix of "Haitian Divorce" by Steely Dan, "The Girl from Ipanema" by Stan Getz & Astrid Gilberto (seasoned with a touch of Jim Beam on the rocks) and Roy Orbison's "Blue Bayou." Undoubtedly, three songs you'll never hear back to back on ANY radio station in America... even Jack.

I'm playing and listening to what I want... and it's not Jack.</font>
 
Re: Shot O' Jack

I live in Toronto and I flip back and forth between jack fm - buffalo and 97 rock as they come in well up here....I like 97 rock in the mornings and late at night...Jack is good to listen to when 97 rock is doing Buffalo Bills programming...I don't care so much for Stern as he is going to sirus...i used to like his show..all they talk about is sirus this..sirus that. it is just a promo to get 3 million people to sign up.

I wonder if jack is going to have a morning show when stern is gone or will they play music.


> Jack Bashin' has become a blood sport on this board and as
> one of the original members of Jack Bashers, Inc., I've
> ripped WBUF as much as any other poster.
>
> But I've observed a few of the people with whom I work and
> Jack may be catching on with the "right" people. To what
> extent is anybody's guess, but here are a few things worth
> noting. One of the (three) people in our company's business
> office listens to Jack at work. She used to listen mostly to
> The Lake (still does, from time to time) and Star (again,
> from time to time) but now, I've noticed her radio is on
> Jack more than the other two stations. I'm not in the office
> enough to know how often she switches around during the day,
> but fact is, Jack shows up on her radio.
>
> Two of the best guys on one of our company's crew, normally
> 97 Rock devotees, are now listening to Jack. Interestingly,
> they listen to the 97 Rock morning show and switch to Jack
> around 10 or 11 and listen through most of the day,
> switching back to 97 Rock later in the day.
>
> I think Jack is an abysmal radio station, but some people
> clearly think otherwise. I suppose this is where somebody
> drops in the line, "there's no accounting for some peoples'
> tastes.
>
> I'm with most of the posters who think Jack and stations
> like it need real live bodies on the air to ease the wierd
> transitions and massage the music, but as long as Infinity
> is running the format in Buffalo, that isn't likely to
> happen. I'll go on record as saying that once Howard books,
> the Jack morning show will be dedicated to music and not
> much more. No live bodies, no news, no nothin'.
>
> BTW, as I write this, I'm playing what I like... an off the
> wall mix of "Haitian Divorce" by Steely Dan, "The Girl from
> Ipanema" by Stan Getz & Astrid Gilberto (seasoned with a
> touch of Jim Beam on the rocks) and Roy Orbison's "Blue
> Bayou." Undoubtedly, three songs you'll never hear back to
> back on ANY radio station in America... even Jack.
>
> I'm playing and listening to what I want... and it's not
> Jack.
>
 
When satellite radio hits Canada in a few mos...i am not going to get it...i have lots of stations to choose from as I get Toronto, Hamilton, St. Catherines and most of Buffalo on FM....I have lots of online streams to choose from that come from Canada, US and UK...there are CD's, tapes, records and the mp3 player...I am already feeling overloaded with stuff....satellite would just be one more.

> Our jack type station in phoenix "The Peak" is doing pretty
> good and I think besides the music it is the presentation
> and personalities. There is a jock in every time slot and
> every jock relates to the listener. They actually make it
> fun to listen to the radio. I think in this day in age of
> IPODS and Satellites you have to give the radio listener
> something you can't find anywhere else. A jack station
> without jocks can be found other places then on terrestial
> radio.
>
> > > if anyone is going to toronto today or during the
> > > week...jack does not have anymore dj's...they were fired
>
> > on
> > > thurs......this could also mean there might be a format
> > > change.....
> > >
> > A couple things could be going on here. One, of course, is
> a
> > format change, because Jack has lost some traction in the
> > latest BBM books and it's down to a 3 share. The other, is
>
> > that they've just decided to go on the cheap and see if
> they
> > can keep a 3 share as an automated jukebox. The experience
>
> > of Jack in Buffalo (mired in the low 2s) and in New York
> > (where it fell from a 4.1 and 6th place in its last trend
> as
> > a personality oldies station, down to a 1.7 and dead last
> > among New York's full market signal FMs) should give them
> > pause. The research by Arbitron and Edison, whicb shows
> Jack
> > stations have bad TSL and AQH unless they include
> foreground
> > personalities in the mix, ought to give them still more
> > pause.
> >
> > It oculd be that Jack just doesn't work as a format unless
>
> > it's a really strong personality station. That's what made
>
> > the musically eclectic top 40 stations of the 1960s and
> 70s,
> > like WKBW and CHUM, work so well...and that's what Jack
> > needs to succeed too. Toronto's Jack made its jocks keep a
>
> > low profile and Buffalo and NYC doesn't have them at
> > all...and the results can't be making their respective
> front
> > offices anything but miserable.
> >
>
 
> What about the traffic tags?..."Traffic brought to you
> by..."
> With no traffic reports, isn't there some revenue being lost
> there?
>
Some, but not much. Traffic report sponsorships traditionally bring in very little money.
 
> > What about the traffic tags?..."Traffic brought to you
> > by..."
> > With no traffic reports, isn't there some revenue being
> lost
> > there?
> >
> Some, but not much. Traffic report sponsorships
> traditionally bring in very little money.
>
I understand Jack Toronto to have been borrowing a body from 680 news to do traffic.
Cost was therefore low, and if the penny is there to pick up, they really should pick it up. <P ID="signature">______________
"If you never say NO, How much is your YES worth?"
</P>
 
Re: Jack Sh*t

Jack, Giant, Bob, Fickle, Chuck and Dick. All these stations will morph into something else within five years. Maybe sooner. The more I hear these stations, the more they sound like "format of the month" and "flavor or the week." Memo to the suits who run these mp3 mills: YOU AIN'T FOOLIN' ANYBODY.

It's really disgusting what radio has become. Lemmings. Is ANYBODY in it for the long haul these days?

It takes PEOPLE to make a great station. PEOPLE on the air, PEOPLE in promotions , PEOPLE on the street selling and PEOPLE listening.

Q-107 is a PEOPLE station. 97 Rock is a PEOPLE station. WBEN is a PEOPLE radio station. WJYE is a PEOPLE station. WHTT is a people station. I dare say KISS is a people station (although it seems to be losing its base) and above all WYRK is a PEOPLE station. These are stations that are in it for the long haul; stations that spent years building a brand and reinforcing it properly.

You can take your iPod stations like Jack, Giant and Fickle and toss 'em in the crapper. Five years from now, maybe sooner, they'll be another format... probably whatever's hot at the time.

Why? Because they've chosen to take the cheap and easy way out. You have to have PEOPLE on the air, live and preferably LOCAL, to make a radio station part of the community, part of PEOPLES' listening experience and part of the fabric of life.

Anything else is just bullsh*t.

Guys like Jeff Silver should know better, because they have great radio stations like WYRK and WJYE in their clusters. Of course , it's quite likely Silver is taking his marching orders from Infinity headquarters and "just following orders."

Pity, that.

-9-
 
Re: Jack Sh*t

> You can take your iPod stations like Jack, Giant and Fickle
> and toss 'em in the crapper. Five years from now, maybe
> sooner, they'll be another format... probably whatever's hot
> at the time.
>
> Why? Because they've chosen to take the cheap and easy way
> out. You have to have PEOPLE on the air, live and preferably
> LOCAL, to make a radio station part of the community, part
> of PEOPLES' listening experience and part of the fabric of
> life.

I wouldn't drag Giant into this. They have a very good morning show.
Afternoon drive is ok.
Not sure about mid day...havn't listened.
Overnight is vt'd...but at least they intended to have a voice on the overnight.

Also Angus the morning traffic guy is VERY funny.
Giant 91.7 is independantly owned, and either kept people employed when they fliped from country, or, at the very least, still hired bodies, and kept them employed, unlike JACK. <P ID="signature">______________
"If you never say NO, How much is your YES worth?"
</P>
 
Re: Jack Sh*t

> I wouldn't drag Giant into this. They have a very good
> morning show.
> Afternoon drive is ok.
> Not sure about mid day...havn't listened.
> Overnight is vt'd...but at least they intended to have a
> voice on the overnight.
>
> Also Angus the morning traffic guy is VERY funny.
> Giant 91.7 is independantly owned, and either kept people
> employed when they fliped from country, or, at the very
> least, still hired bodies, and kept them employed, unlike
> JACK.
>
Point well-made and conceded.

Nonetheless, I think the format has a limited shelf life in the "Jack" mode.
 
Re: Pat Cardinal

>> Isn't this the same PD who took Q-107 on a fast trip down the toilet 10 years ago? <<

> Yes he is, and he f@#$ed up a couple more too... <

Isn't Pat Cardinal the guy who put Jack on the air in Vancouver? Format likes or dislikes aside and considering the numbers they pulled there, wouldn't that go on the plus side of his resume?
 
> Our jack type station in phoenix "The Peak" is doing pretty
> good and I think besides the music it is the presentation
> and personalities. There is a jock in every time slot and
> every jock relates to the listener. They actually make it
> fun to listen to the radio. I think in this day in age of
> IPODS and Satellites you have to give the radio listener
> something you can't find anywhere else. A jack station
> without jocks can be found other places then on terrestial
> radio.

Bingo. Marrying an eclectic music mix with appealing foreground personalities is exactly how you make adult hits work as a format, just as it was the way you made top 40 work in the 60s, 70s and 80s (and come to think of it, the way you still make CHR work now).
The Jack station operators basically don't get it. Jack as an automated station won't work and CAN'T work because it can't compete with people's own iPods and CD changers, which not only let you throw your own music mix together but do it commercial-free. If you want an audience for what you do, including the commercials you're trying to sell, you'd better provide value-added, over and above throwing an iPod on shuffle and wiring it into the audio chain, stopping for extended stopsets twice an hour.
 
Re: Pat Cardinal

>
> Isn't Pat Cardinal the guy who put Jack on the air in
> Vancouver? Format likes or dislikes aside and considering
> the numbers they pulled there, wouldn't that go on the plus
> side of his resume?
>
NO.
The Vancouver market was/is special in respect to the fact that there was nothing anywhere on the dial that played any of the music Jack was playing.

Any monkey can flick a switch and say "Ta da! look what I accomplished" but to do that in a market where listeners already had a station to switch from would have been a better accomplishment.

I'm sorry to say, Pat is nothing more than a music driven pd today, and therefore isn't worth hiring...unless a station has plans to be an ipod for the poor or whatever.

If Pat is so great, He'd have kept Larry Silver(news guy) and Rob Christie employed, at the very least...or had another morning show lined up. (with Larry still doing news, because he's really good)



<P ID="signature">______________
"If you never say NO, How much is your YES worth?"
</P>
 
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