spectacle said:
I hope someone switches to real oldies soon. KJR is too much Camaro rock and KZOK is well, totally Camaro rock.
Oldies were fun, you know, like most of radio ISN'T now.
Need oldies, fun times, great oldies--not angry 70s rock.
When I think of angry '70s rock, I don't always think of KJR-FM or KZOK. The angriest music of that decade was the early punk music, which neither of them play (aside from the occasional pre "Rock The Casbah" Clash song on KZOK.)
Neither KJR-FM or KZOK would TOUCH Patti Smith or The Sex Pistols. Even "No More Mr. Nice Guy" Alice Cooper is RARELY heard on either of them.
KJR-FM is for the most part, a classic rock with jingles (and maybe a Hall & Oates song or two.) KJR-FM rarely ventures into the deeper album cuts ("Brain Damage" Pink Floyd, "Miss America" Styx, etc.) that KZOK whips out every now and then.
On the other hand, KZOK hasn't touched Hall & Oates since their "Quality Rock" phase in 1985.
KWJZ seems to be doing OK for now. Even though snooze jazz is tanking everywhere else, KWJZ hasn't really felt that too much here.
But times ARE changing. And by this time next year, KWJZ may start really feeling it.
I think by adding more lite R&B hits (originals with vocals, not their dime-a-dozen saxophone covers) they should continue to do well and may even slowly transition into lite AC this way, like KTWV seems to be doing....
There's other directions 98.9 could go: Alternative is one, with KNDD in the pits and not doing much about it, it just might be exactly what KNDD needs now; a swift kick in the arse.
When KRQI went on, KNDD went into hyperoverdrive to reinvent themselves. Granted KRQI committed alternative suicide with dumb "gag" oriented stuff that got a lot of bad alternative press. an Alternative-formatted 98.9 could actually embrace the local alternative culture and even be a threat to both KMTT and KEXP if it plays it's cards right
Doubt it will happen, but it's something Sandusky should mull over the clouds in their coffee with if the bottom did drop out of snooze jazz......
But Mrs. Bongwater pointed out another reality. "What gives with even that? Radio listeners aren't getting any younger and I think it's stupid to replace something that works for older people in the vain hope of grabbing a generation so tech savvy, it doesn't even need radio. Think about it, radio NEEDS it's older listeners and if they think they can somehow reverse the march of time by jettisoning them off in favor of what a bunch of older people and their formulas think the kids like now. I have an easier suggestion; why not just play all Insane Clown Posse and Twizted for all those Juggalo clown-boys out there? Why not? I see them everywhere and there's no station that caters to them?"
"Honey" I said "They would lose their licenses in ONE MINUTE FLAT if they ever played that garbage"
"That's exactly my point" she responded. "I can't think of a faster way to kill radio than to pander to a generation that really doesn't need it."
"But what about the future of radio?"
"Radio's future is not in cannibalizing itself. It's in making it RELEVANT again. Making it something worth listening to"
"How?"
"I don't know. You and your buddies here are the experts. You guys hash it out. I'm going to bed. I expect a miracle by tomorrow morning....good night"
"No...seriously, what would you do to make radio work again"
She paused and said;
"Turn it on....good night!"
DAMN! Hate when she does that!
Philly smooth jazz is the latest to bite the dust and it looks like Smooth Jazz across the country is goin away thanks to the PPM. :-\ Philly is just the latest major market to bail :'(Oldies seems to do pretty darn well and ya got a big ole opening right now. Will KWJZ become Z-Oldies ??? Any word on how Country looks in the PPM ??? Cowboy UP!