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KKGO-HD3 is now Smooth Jazz 105.1 FM HD3

P

pjc1961

Story link: https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/...h-jazz-debuts-on-kkgo-hd-3-los-angeles-lite-f

Saul Levine says the new station "...is the result of a major effort to bring Smooth Jazz
into the present era without the issues that caused many stations to drop the format.
With over 2,000 songs and a fresh approach, L.A.'s new Smooth Jazz station is a contender."

Using the website address set up and then set aside several months ago:

https://www.litefmla.com/

Listen Live web player link (includes song history): http://player.listenlive.co/34651

Direct streaming URL (copy + paste the text between the >>arrows<< in the link below):

>>http://playerservices.streamtheworld.com/api/livestream-redirect/KBOQAMAAC.aac<<

+++++

The station is a "sort of" update of the "Unforgettable" format of years past and
similar to what ran on one of the KKJZ 88.1 HD channels several years ago.
 
unforgettablela.com seems to get no love, which is curious as it is known to be a personal favorite of Saul's. For the last two years it has been bounced away during the December holiday music period.

Saul has reincarnated versions of adult standards on 1260 AM over the years, but these days it can't seem to even find a home for the duration on any of his FM's HD side channels.

LARadio.com is reporting today that Saul is installing a new state of the art HD transmitter for KKJZ 88.1 FM, so hopefully K-Mozart will resume transmitting there on HD2, the excellent CSULB student-run 22WestRadio on HD3 (ideally with a higher bit rate range for improved fidelity), and if an HD4 becomes an option, it will be nice to see unforgettablela.com resurface on perhaps a future 88.1 HD4.
 
david said:
unforgettablela.com seems to get no love, which is curious as it is known to be a personal favorite of Saul's. For the last two years it has been bounced away during the December holiday music period.

Saul has reincarnated versions of adult standards on 1260 AM over the years, but these days it can't seem to even find a home for the duration on any of his FM's HD side channels.
Click to expand...

The problem with way upper-demo formats like Adult Standards is that while there are younger people who like the music and will listen, there aren't enough of them listening at the same time and for a long enough period to make a difference in the ratings and the demographics. This latest switch suggest that Saul's finally accepted that, is content with the percentage of standards that get played under the guise of jazz on KKJZ (especially during Johnny Magnus' weekend shows) and has moved on to trying to breathe new life into a slightly younger format (if The Wave was music for 35-year old women when it launched, those women are 67 now).
 
>>> "...is the result of a major effort to bring Smooth Jazz
into the present era without the issues that caused many stations to drop the format.
With over 2,000 songs and a fresh approach, L.A.'s new Smooth Jazz station is a contender."<<<

I listened for a while to Lite FM LA, which is what the Smooth Jazz service is being called. Where do I begin?

1. Most of the instrumentals were unfamiliar. Nice, yes, but unfamiliar to me, a Smooth Jazz listener.

2. The vocals were often old jazz standards. People listening to Smooth Jazz don't want to hear Peggy Lee or Sarah Vaughn vocals.

3. You're bringing Smooth Jazz into the present era? Then why play these old vocals? Maybe to please the owner?

4. Why call it Lite FM LA? Lite is a moniker for Soft AC. I've never heard it associated with Smooth Jazz.

OK, it's Saul Levine's sandbox. He can program it as he wants. Mainstream Smooth Jazz is already available on KTWV's HD channel. I think it's good that LA now has two Smooth Jazz HD stations. But this one is clearly not addressing the reasons that Smooth Jazz disappeared from the regular FM dial. As much as I hate to say it, Smooth Jazz ran its course because young people clearly don't want to hear instrumental music or soft music. I don't understand why, if every other generation found some instrumental music and soft music to enjoy, why today's generation can't. But that's it. There's no way to make Smooth Jazz likable for young people, other than to do what KTWV did. Eliminate the instrumentals and leave some of the vocals, mixed with other Adult R&B hits.

But even if you disagree with my assessment, it's clear KKGO-HD3 is not going to be "a contender."
 
Gregg. said:
>>> "...is the result of a major effort to bring Smooth Jazz
into the present era without the issues that caused many stations to drop the format.
With over 2,000 songs and a fresh approach, L.A.'s new Smooth Jazz station is a contender."<<<

I listened for a while to Lite FM LA, which is what the Smooth Jazz service is being called. Where do I begin?

1. Most of the instrumentals were unfamiliar. Nice, yes, but unfamiliar to me, a Smooth Jazz listener.

2. The vocals were often old jazz standards. People listening to Smooth Jazz don't want to hear Peggy Lee or Sarah Vaughn vocals.

3. You're bringing Smooth Jazz into the present era? Then why play these old vocals? Maybe to please the owner?

4. Why call it Lite FM LA? Lite is a moniker for Soft AC. I've never heard it associated with Smooth Jazz.

OK, it's Saul Levine's sandbox. He can program it as he wants. Mainstream Smooth Jazz is already available on KTWV's HD channel. I think it's good that LA now has two Smooth Jazz HD stations. But this one is clearly not addressing the reasons that Smooth Jazz disappeared from the regular FM dial. As much as I hate to say it, Smooth Jazz ran its course because young people clearly don't want to hear instrumental music or soft music. I don't understand why, if every other generation found some instrumental music and soft music to enjoy, why today's generation can't. But that's it. There's no way to make Smooth Jazz likable for young people, other than to do what KTWV did. Eliminate the instrumentals and leave some of the vocals, mixed with other Adult R&B hits.

But even if you disagree with my assessment, it's clear KKGO-HD3 is not going to be "a contender."
Click to expand...


I'll be in L.A. for a few hours on Wednesday. I'll make a point to listen.
 
Gregg. said:
OK, it's Saul Levine's sandbox. He can program it as he wants.
Click to expand...

That's the real story here. Let me know when he puts this on an actual radio frequency and not an HD.

I mean, it's not even an HD2! Not even!

Unless it can be heard on a conventional radio, it's a tree in an empty forest.
 
TheBigA said:
I mean, it's not even an HD2! Not even!
Click to expand...
And suddenly it is.....UnforgettableLA.com is now on an HD2, KKJZ 88.1 HD2 in fact. So as of this moment (1/21/19) here is Mt. Wilson's line-up:
88.1 HD1 K-Jazz, HD2 Unforgettable, HD3 22WestRadio from Cal State Long Beach
105.1 HD1 Go Country, HD2 K-Surf Oldies, HD3 Smooth Jazz LiteFMLA.com, HD4 K-Mozart Classical
 
david said:
And suddenly it is.....UnforgettableLA.com is now on an HD2, KKJZ 88.1 HD2 in fact. So as of this moment (1/21/19) here is Mt. Wilson's line-up:
Click to expand...

Pretty funny. And it sounds like they're all running spots. So he must be selling it all as a package.
 
Listened to both "Lite FM LA" and "Unforgettable" yesterday while I was in L.A.

During the time that I listened to "Lite", I only heard smooth jazz---it sounded very straightforward, and I can't imagine how Saul thinks he's----"bringing Smooth Jazz into the present era without the issues that caused many stations to drop the format"---unless he thinks the R&B oldies are what killed it.

"Unforgettable" is pretty much what it always has been, which is fine. It complements the mix he has on K-Jazz, and is a place for weekend Johnny Magnus listeners to tune (if they have HD radios) during the week.

None of it is going to set the world on fire.

My wife and I drove through L.A. on our way back from a week in Palm Springs. Between the senior population and the whole "mid-century" thing the area has embraced, you'd think the standards format would fly there. But KWXY (1340 AM and an FM translator) doesn't even show in the ratings. If you can't move the needle there with that music, you sure can't in L.A.

But as for my personal taste, I'm glad Saul keeps trying.
 
david said:
And suddenly it is.....UnforgettableLA.com is now on an HD2, KKJZ 88.1 HD2 in fact. So as of this moment (1/21/19) here is Mt. Wilson's line-up:
88.1 HD1 K-Jazz, HD2 Unforgettable, HD3 22WestRadio from Cal State Long Beach
105.1 HD1 Go Country, HD2 K-Surf Oldies, HD3 Smooth Jazz LiteFMLA.com, HD4 K-Mozart Classical
Click to expand...


As a slightly off topic aside note, I hear LA Oldies on AM 1260 almost nightly here in southeastern Wyoming RIGHT before Los Angeles power down time at 5pm pacific. Sometimes its barely audible. .sometimes its enough that Shazaam and soundhound can ID the songs.. it usually peaks 445-5pm pacific. It was strong enough Wednesday night I could clearly hear the music drop off at power/pattern change
 
michael hagerty said:
Listened to both "Lite FM LA" and "Unforgettable" yesterday while I was in L.A.

During the time that I listened to "Lite", I only heard smooth jazz---it sounded very straightforward, and I can't imagine how Saul thinks he's----"bringing Smooth Jazz into the present era without the issues that caused many stations to drop the format"---unless he thinks the R&B oldies are what killed it.

"Unforgettable" is pretty much what it always has been, which is fine. It complements the mix he has on K-Jazz, and is a place for weekend Johnny Magnus listeners to tune (if they have HD radios) during the week.

None of it is going to set the world on fire.

My wife and I drove through L.A. on our way back from a week in Palm Springs. Between the senior population and the whole "mid-century" thing the area has embraced, you'd think the standards format would fly there. But KWXY (1340 AM and an FM translator) doesn't even show in the ratings. If you can't move the needle there with that music, you sure can't in L.A.

But as for my personal taste, I'm glad Saul keeps trying.
Click to expand...

I still recall that when "Smooth Jazz" first came on the scene in the Bay Area (mid 1980s?) at KKSF, it competed with an established station - KBLX, "The Quiet Storm" which was more or less the same, though a bit more soul oriented. Their PD was interviewed, and dismissed the whiter version of Smooth Jazz on KKSF as "Yuppie Wallpaper." For some reason, that has stuck with me all these years.
 
What's the weather?

MarquisP4 said:
First mistake: naming it "Smooth Jazz". That moniker is toxic.
Click to expand...

Call it what it is, the music bed they play during The Weather Channel's local weather breaks.
 
There are some out there who say that they can't/won't listen to music on AM, but yet they can tolerate it on an HD-3 or HD-4 subchannel? I don't get it. Personally, if the AM station is decently processed, I don't have a problem listening to music on AM (even though I am one of the most demanding audiophiles that one could meet), but that's me. I've never heard an HD-3 or HD-4 station, so I'm not sure I should be commenting, but judging from the bitrates allowed for the HD-3 and HD-4 stations, I'm not sure I could tolerate it. I definitely can't tolerate the Sirius/XM audio via the satellite (internet stream audio, OK). Sorry if I unintentionally hijack the thread.
 
Following up on my earlier post in this thread, AllAccess has today that CSULB RESEARCH FOUNDATION has applied for an STA to operate Jazz KKJZ/LONG BEACH, CA with reduced power from an auxiliary transmitter while it installs a new main transmitter.
Saul Levine discussed recently in LARadio.com his plan to donate a state of the art new digital transmitter to the station!
 
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