Maybe Smooth Jazz Will Stay On 97.5 After All?

[DToTheJ]

Today's Philadelphia Daily News includes a blurb regarding a Sunday jazz brunch series that will start next month after recent inactivity.

For what it's worth, there was a smooth jazz brunch series in effect at the time Clear Channel flipped the old WJJZ back in 2006...

 

[cbsstaffer]

Don't bet the house on it, they will be singing a different tune by Memorial Day....

 

[Beejus]

Don't bet the house on it, they will be singing a different tune by Memorial Day....

Considering your claim of MMR back on St. Patty's day... I doubt your words... but with JJZ's #s, anything is possible.

Remember... a broken clock is right twice a day.

 

[wprt949]

the ratings come out today at 5pm lets pray something happens




thoughts/prayers to everyone at 97.5

 

[Rockin Rob]

the ratings come out today at 5pm lets pray something happens


thoughts/prayers to everyone at 97.5

WHOOPS! They're down again.... Only in-markets they are beating are PHT, Praise (WOW! There's a station that started off real strong and has tanked since then), WPEN, Martini Lounge Radio (would LOVE to see them on a stronger signal), Mega, Rumba and the Salem and non-comm stations. Oh yeah, and WURD as well....

 

[aindik]

They're 18th in the market in 6+ cume. 16 of the 17 stations above them were up in cume February over January. They were down (and so was WIP). Doesn't sound like good news to me.

Though, they were up in 6+ share from 1.3 to 1.8 December to January, flat January to February.

 

[wprt949]

now i want to know how they did 25-54 ??? the money demo

 

[BRNout]

The recent trend has been to whack SJ formatted stations. However, that being said, it's not Greater Media who has done the whacking (mainly Citadel). Nonetheless, things aren't looking good for the smooth jazz format. It's quickly being pushed to the fringe. And, where it differs from oldies (which was being pushed off the cliff for a while, but is returning) is that oldies had the audience numbers. The main concern there was (and is) demos. SJ isn't as skewed in the demos, but lacks the audience in a big way. In other words, PPM isn't going to save this format in the way that it did for oldies.

I also hope that Philly is different and that it stays on the dial here. But, I wouldn't bet my paycheck on it!

 

[aindik]

now i want to know how they did 25-54 ??? the money demo

I'm just quoting the numbers posted here on radio-info. I have no other source.

 

[aindik]

I also hope that Philly is different and that it stays on the dial here. But, I wouldn't bet my paycheck on it!

What are they going to do with it that gets any bigger audience but doesn't trample on MMR or MGK or BEN?

 

[cklw800]

Either this is some kind of incredible stroke for the format in Philadelphia or sort of a smokescreen. They can still do a Jazz Brunch on a Sunday morning while going into a new format. Some form of AC. If this is not some kind of incredible stroke, one or more of the following could happen, remembering that with these ratings they have to cut back costs somehow while fixing things:

1. They become the first SJ station to evolve to a full-fledged Smooth AC with the Jazz Brunch as a specialty program on Sunday mornings. This would garner press and interest for the station providing a bump in the ratings while the new format evolves.

2. They go all BA and ditch all staff except Tozzi who remains PD and Jazz Brunch host and while WJJZ stays with SJ or evolves into Smooth AC with BA affiliation intact.

3. This is either wishful thinking on the local level or Greater Media is egging them on (telling them to develop ideas to help the format) until a yet unknown format launches to stave off negative press. Maybe as a form of "temporary damage control" until BA can pitch Smooth AC to other affiliate prospects.

1 and 2 will cut costs and #3 will provide the "Smooth" bail out. They have to do one or the other. Often the PD has absolutely no idea what his or her company is planning for them, so they continue to try and develop ideas like the Jazz Brunch. Looks good in the newspaper. Wonder this didn't hit the trades first. Other thoughts?

 

[Interstate 78]

meanwhile, another smooth jazz station recently bites the dust. A small one in Louisiana. add that to the loss of smooth jazz in Jacksonville, Savanna, Denver, Houston, Washington, New York, am I missing any? what an amazingly bad month or two for the format.

 

[cbsstaffer]

I also hope that Philly is different and that it stays on the dial here. But, I wouldn't bet my paycheck on it!

What are they going to do with it that gets any bigger audience but doesn't trample on MMR or MGK or BEN?

In answer to your question the logical format would be "OLDIES", going after the lucrative OGL audiance...but with a very different approach and music makeup...

 

[BRNout]

I also hope that Philly is different and that it stays on the dial here. But, I wouldn't bet my paycheck on it!

What are they going to do with it that gets any bigger audience but doesn't trample on MMR or MGK or BEN?

In answer to your question the logical format would be "OLDIES", going after the lucrative OGL audiance...but with a very different approach and music makeup...

The one Greater Media "oldies" station that I know of is WROR in Boston - which is really a classic hits format that is very rock heavy. That wouldn't do well for GM here because it would trample on MGK and BEN. I don't know of them programming any 'real' or 'true' oldies stations, which is what I think you're getting at here. Given the prevailing concerns about "the demos, the demos, the demos" - I don't see them trying it out in Philly either. The only way to go after WOGL here would be to focus on 50s and 60s and that would result in demos that are "too old" for a top 10 market. I know that others are trying it, but under different circumstances. No, I don't see this happening.

All of this brings up a good point: Philly is a great radio market and wants for nothing when it comes to formats. What's missing? Not much. That makes it tough on programmers, and it may be what keeps smooth jazz going here.