Like "Magic," Smooth Jazz Disappears, Kiss Relocates In Hampton Roads

[DToTheJ]

Kiss-FM 92.1 gets a simulcast on 107.7, replacing WJCD. At the same time, 105.3 FM, Kiss' former simulcast frequency, becomes the new classic hits "Magic 105.3".

More info:
http://weblogs.dailypress.com/enter...g/2010/10/smooth_jazz_format_bumped_in_c.html

 

[jlehmann]

Kiss was just on 105.3. 92.1 was oldies/classic hits as "Cool 92.1."

 

[stevations]

Result, Tidewater loses two formats, oldies and smooth jazz, gained another best of yesterday and today type format which is already covered by several stations.

 

[LCAUTRY]

Cool 92.1 was an oldies station like 6 months ago; however since then they were basically a 70s, 80s station. This new station actually plays some '60s music. Not a true oldies station, but better then what we had (plus a much better signal).

Kiss FM stays the same, just on a weaker signal (Their theory I guess is, people will try hard to find a 'good' station, but won't try hard to find a not so good station. Hence they need the less popular Oldies on a powerful signal)

Smooth Jazz, not a huge fan, but sad to see it go.

 

[blue67ccm]

The PPM numbers that just came out, I think, helps to show why this decision was made. WKUS was getting whipped in its own format battle, and WOWI has lost listener share the past few years. With BOB, The Point, and 92.9 showing strengths in PPM, they decided to beef up the format, go after some of that PPM (and ad dollar) pie, while hoping the Tom Joyner/Michael Baidsen fans won't mind going to the other two signals, depending on where u live in Hampton Roads.

The way I looked at the numbers, they had little choice, they have to stay relevant as a cluster in the market. Some would question if they have been the past few years anyway.....

 

[Radio-X]

I'm suprised smooth jazz has survived this long. It's pretty much gone to pasture. I think the number of "big boy" operated smooth jazz stations can be counted on a shop teacher's hand now and I'd guess less than a dozen actually exist as "smooth jazz" now.

Radio-X

 

[MsMusicRadio]

I'm suprised smooth jazz has survived this long. It's pretty much gone to pasture. I think the number of "big boy" operated smooth jazz stations can be counted on a shop teacher's hand now and I'd guess less than a dozen actually exist as "smooth jazz" now.

Radio-X

What did you do in Farmville?

 

[Radio-X]

I'm suprised smooth jazz has survived this long. It's pretty much gone to pasture. I think the number of "big boy" operated smooth jazz stations can be counted on a shop teacher's hand now and I'd guess less than a dozen actually exist as "smooth jazz" now.

Radio-X

What did you do in Farmville?

Worked at WLCX/WMLU (before and after its upgrade and NPR affiliation) from '01-'04 and later at WVHL "V-93" and later "92-9 Kickin' Country". It was a TON of fun even though I was a rock guy at heart playing Johnny Cash, Brooks & Dunn, Waylon Jennings, and Bluegrass for a little while. There was a lot of Bluegrass in rotation on that station until it went straight country in '02-03.

Like all small-town local stations, it had plenty of drama, lots of work, little pay, lots of good memories, and we were the only station in town with its own "remote" van...a 1987 Dodge Caravan that also doubled as a newspaper delivery vehicle! Very good core group of folks, and the Farmville Herald spared little expense in its construction.

Oddly enough, when I was there, the old Scott Studios system (with the rare at-the-time touchscreen) was from WPTE-FM in Va. Beach! I remember clearing out hard drive space and deleting about a half dozen "94-9 the Point" liners off there. After I left, the SS29 (I think?) from WPTE was replaced by a SS32 (from WBQB/Fredericksburg).

WMLU was interesting too. It had a transmitter originally on top of the student theater with 10 watts, which gave it a range of...not much! Lots of profs. would not move to town because there was no ability to pick up NPR within town limits. Enter WMRA which provided a very good FM receiver and external antenna to pick up 103.5/Charlottesville. Moved the tower to top of the "high-rise" dorms, bumped up the power to 150 watts, and now Farmville has the odd student programming and NPR news/talk combo seen today. I had a punk/grunge rock show on there right after the Sunday rebroadcast of the Metropolitan Opera...so you'd go from an aria to a station ID to The Melvins in about 40 seconds...made for fun listening and even more fun selecting an opening song to let your NPR listener know it was definitely not the opera. Shoulda used that as my show name...wait a second...

Sorry for those not really interested in Farmville radio history. A bit off topic too, but jeez did I have fun and jeez did I drink tons of free liquor/food from the nearby bar/grill who would trade shots for requests from a slightly underaged DJ!

Radio-X

 

[MsMusicRadio]

Thanks. I left Virginia in 2001 and I don't remember those stations. I do remember WFLO, WSSV AM &FM, 93.5 as AC then country, and the many formats at 104.7. I lived in western Chesterfield Co., so those all came in fairly well.