New Article States that Smooth Jazz Might Be In Trouble (You Think?)

[Bill Harmonic]

There's a new article by Jim Harrington of the Contra Costa Times with the headline that "Smooth jazz might be in trouble". You thnik? Aren't we are well past that point? It's a good article and the first notice I saw was this morning from Jim Douglas on Facebook. It appeared again from Edison Media. My only question keeps coming back to "where is the opportunity?" We know its there and we just have to find it again. Here's the link and let's talk amongst ourselves.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/entertainment/ci_12532336?source=rss

 

[passtheword]

There's a new article by Jim Harrington of the Contra Costa Times with the headline that "Smooth jazz might be in trouble". You thnik? Aren't we are well past that point? It's a good article and the first notice I saw was this morning from Jim Douglas on Facebook. It appeared again from Edison Media. My only question keeps coming back to "where is the opportunity?" We know its there and we just have to find it again. Here's the link and let's talk amongst ourselves.

http://www.contracostatimes.com/entertainment/ci_12532336?source=rss

The article says that more than half of the smooth jazz stations in the US have disappeared in the last 15 months. Did I read that right?? The smooth jazz format is headed down the same road that the beautiful music format did years ago. I remember reading in some trade magazine back in the late 80's and early 90's where someone was predicting that the beautiful music format would be extinct on the radio by the year 2000. That was about on target. Here we are 9 yrs later, and the number of beautiful music stations across the country could probably be counted on the fingers on your hands. Can/could the smooth jazz format be saved from the same fate beautiful music encountered? Or have we waited too long to do anything about it? :'(



[EDIT-unauthorized promotion]

 

[Interstate 78]

The article hits the nail on the head when it says that smooth jazz radio tried to be all things to everyone. I remember back in the day (late 80s into mid 90s) when it was a niche format. Stations rarely surpassed a 2.0 in their market ratings and barely past maybe 15th place if it were a large market. But the fans were darn loyal and saying "I like smooth jazz" felt good, sort of like "I'm different and proud of it." Sort of like "I'm a Libertarian because I don't like the top two parties." That kind of feeling. Then the mid 90s rolled around and rules were relaxed over how many stations companies like Cheap Channel could own. Cheap Channel (and other companies) buy up a lot of these stations and get greedy. 2.0 and 15th place isn't good enough. (No regard to the fact that the stations were still making money from a loyal crowd). So start mixing in Whitney Houston and Babyface and tighten the playlists and force artists to all have the same Dave Koz'ish sound. It worked for a few years. Then it backfired when those loyal folks from day #1 got t'd off and left and the other folks that temporarily were swayed to smooth jazz by this new formula, quickly grew tired of it and also left. A good analogy is playing the slots. Prior to the mid 90s, smooth jazz was coming out ahead money wise. Maybe not raking in the dough, but paying the bills. (Analogy: coming out a few dollars ahead on the slots and cashing out, happy that you made some extra cash). Greed comes into play (Analogy: I can do better! Bet more money and keep going on the slots). It works for a little while. (Analogy: wow! Look at that, I'm up to a thousand dollars!) More greed! Let's keep going! This must be working! Put more Whitney and Babyface in there!! Eventually it then backfires and you lose all your money. Darn. Should have been happy just coming out a few dollars ahead and paying the bills. It's too late now. The damage to the format has been done but I think the loyalty the true niche fans have will keep the artists alive for now ... albeit a bit more difficult. Let's not get too bent out of shape about the lack of smooth jazz on the radio. Do people with half a brain even listen to radio anymore? All the niche formats are gone in place of dumb, dumber, and dumbest formats. It's not just smooth jazz. Fans of true alternative radio have the same problem. But now we have the internet, satellite, Ipods. Who cares if smooth jazz is dead on the radio. As long as the true fans still want the format to survive, they'll search it out through other technological means and it'll live on. If anything, Kenny G and Dave Koz may take a pay cut, but smaller, more obscure artists (who are actually how the music "should" sound) will actually do better because every source of smooth jazz I'm finding from other non-traditional radio sources is introducing me to artists way better than Kenny and Dave.

 

[AC Tones]

The below quote was taken directly from the article. This and many other valid points the author makes have been made time and time again by the educated posters/listeners on this board for several months now. The CD 101.9 flip definitely hastened terrestrial radio's demise, but the roots of this collapse were planted long ago. I'll go back to reading my new books now.

"It seems like Clear Channel has decided to kill the (smooth jazz) format," he says.

 

[mlvoice]

Interstate 178, you are a bit off the mark about the early days of Smooth Jazz. KKSF, WQCD, The Wave, WNUA and many other stations were getting ratings shares in the 4s and 5s in their respective markets. In fact evenings in SF regularly ranked in the top 5 and in a couple books, number one. Problem was when the big boys took over and made it corporate, they had to find a way to centralize the sound to avoid hiring real program directors with a true working knowledge of the music. The consultants found them a way to standardize the sound, and promised comparable results, with the eventual ability to pare down the need for DJs, production, news on down. A tantalizing prospect for a corporation, radio station in a box, spend next to nothing, make big money. Audiences just didn't buy in.

 

[AnotherCat]

I 78, I love your analogy. It's right on. The other analogy I would use is a downward spiral. At the time BA took over the format it covered a pretty wide range of musical influences - pop, rock, world, R&B, funk - and energy levels - there was uptempo music on a lot of NAC stations. Then BA came on with the original SJ Network and said songs had to be relaxing and R&B oriented. No more "screecing sax" or "rock guitar solos". So that narrows the focus from the get-go. Then the hook testing came in. Certain types of songs do better in hook testing than others because familiarity is such a factor: covers, pop songs and oldies "test" better than original instrumentals 'cause the listener can recognize them better in 7-10 seconds. So as more of the covers, pop songs and oldies showed up at the top of the test more and more original instrumentals were dropped from the playlist. So the focus gets narrower and narrower until we hit today's SJ format. Almost all covers, pop songs and oldies. That's not what listeners came to hear though so they have gone on their way and the Smooth A/C format just sounds too old, tired, and MOR for the average 35-54 year old. They will get their A/C and oldies on an A/C or Urban A/C that does that better anyway.

I think one of the biggest "killers" has been the research method..it created an inward spiral that has ended in a voice.

I would say Kenny G and Boney clones more than Koz clones though. Koz actually has gotten a lot of flack from the consultant over the years over songs like "Honey Dipped" and "Together Again" because they were not "relaxing" or "R&B" enough for the "format" but WAVE listeners were responding to them so they kinda snuck in the back door.

 

[drt]

Just got the word several hours ago, that in the St. Petersburg/Tampa market, CBS radio will keep their smooth jazz format on WSJT, but.......... will do a frequency swap with another CBS station in the market; bottom line, WSJT smooth jazz will be on a shorter stick with half the power and not serve the entire Tampa Bay market; of course that's good news for the other CBS station (WLLD) involved; I guess this will be a slow death for the smooth jazz station in this market.

Here's the link to an article, that appears to be unedited/unrearched reprinting of CBS's press release; which has several factual errors.

http://blogs.tampabay.com/tbt/2009/08/987-941-switching-places-on-your-dial.html

drt
latitude 27.75
zip 33701

 

[Limp73]

Tune to KKJZ 88.1 FM Long Beach,CA

and online stream at:

http://www.jazzandblues.org


K-JAZZ plays REAL jazz(and blues too!)...not commercialized A/C with a smooth jazz label put on it!!!

 

[Mike Sheridan]

Just got the word several hours ago, that in the St. Petersburg/Tampa market, CBS radio will keep their smooth jazz format on WSJT, but.......... will do a frequency swap with another CBS station in the market; bottom line, WSJT smooth jazz will be on a shorter stick with half the power and not serve the entire Tampa Bay market; of course that's good news for the other CBS station (WLLD) involved; I guess this will be a slow death for the smooth jazz station in this market.

Here's the link to an article, that appears to be unedited/unrearched reprinting of CBS's press release; which has several factual errors.

http://blogs.tampabay.com/tbt/2009/08/987-941-switching-places-on-your-dial.html

drt
latitude 27.75
zip 33701


Just like Clear Channel, the cripple the station and then blame the format when the ratings go down.

Seems I remember a claim that with fewer station owners we'd have more format variety. So much for that idea.

 

[recto101]

I 78, I love your analogy. It's right on. The other analogy I would use is a downward spiral. At the time BA took over the format it covered a pretty wide range of musical influences - pop, rock, world, R&B, funk - and energy levels - there was uptempo music on a lot of NAC stations. Then BA came on with the original SJ Network and said songs had to be relaxing and R&B oriented. No more "screecing sax" or "rock guitar solos". So that narrows the focus from the get-go. Then the hook testing came in. Certain types of songs do better in hook testing than others because familiarity is such a factor: covers, pop songs and oldies "test" better than original instrumentals 'cause the listener can recognize them better in 7-10 seconds. So as more of the covers, pop songs and oldies showed up at the top of the test more and more original instrumentals were dropped from the playlist. So the focus gets narrower and narrower until we hit today's SJ format. Almost all covers, pop songs and oldies. That's not what listeners came to hear though so they have gone on their way and the Smooth A/C format just sounds too old, tired, and MOR for the average 35-54 year old. They will get their A/C and oldies on an A/C or Urban A/C that does that better anyway.

I think one of the biggest "killers" has been the research method..it created an inward spiral that has ended in a voice.

I would say Kenny G and Boney clones more than Koz clones though. Koz actually has gotten a lot of flack from the consultant over the years over songs like "Honey Dipped" and "Together Again" because they were not "relaxing" or "R&B" enough for the "format" but WAVE listeners were responding to them so they kinda snuck in the back door.

I think the Smooth Jazz you hear on 94.7 The Wave in the 2000's and on KBLX in the 1990's were based the Quiet Storm Approach meaning Smooth Jazz, Smooth R&B, soul on the playlists. The Origins of the Name Smooth Jazz came from KKSF in San Francisco because they could not use the name "The Quiet Storm" because KBLX FM already had the rights to this name and format. Well www.live365.com web radio and www.Play.it are web radio stations that might save Smooth Jazz.
KSBR-FM in OC would to the same too.

 

[recto101]

Tune to KKJZ 88.1 FM Long Beach,CA

and online stream at:

http://www.jazzandblues.org


K-JAZZ plays REAL jazz(and blues too!)...not commercialized A/C with a smooth jazz label put on it!!!

I remember back in the 1990's KKSF did Sunday Night Classic Jazz. and back in the 1990's KKSF did Sunday Morning New Age until the 2000's when KFOG took New Age Sundays under a different name Acoustic Sunrise. KFOG does some real Blues and KCSM in SF does Classic Jazz.

 

[majaman78]

Dude:

Us SJ enthusiasts don't really care for classic jazz. FWIW

And we also don't care about what BA classifies as smooth jazz and what KTWV and the rest of their crummy affiliates play.

I hope they all go by the wayside.

 

[davideduardo]

I think the Smooth Jazz you hear on 94.7 The Wave in the 2000's and on KBLX in the 1990's were based the Quiet Storm Approach meaning Smooth Jazz, Smooth R&B, soul on the playlists. The Origins of the Name Smooth Jazz came from KKSF in San Francisco because they could not use the name "The Quiet Storm" because KBLX FM already had the rights to this name and format.

The smooth jazz name was introduced by Owen Leach and Frank Cody for the launch of WNUA in Chicago, because they could not use the "Wave" name due to licensing issues.

 

[davideduardo]

IAt the time BA took over the format it covered a pretty wide range of musical influences - pop, rock, world, R&B, funk - and energy levels - there was uptempo music on a lot of NAC stations.

Broadcast Architecture, then in Princeton, NJ, essentially invented the format for Metromedia and created KTWV in LA, and then offered the format package to other stations.

Then the hook testing came in. Certain types of songs do better in hook testing than others because familiarity is such a factor:

BA's Owen Leach invented electronic dial based music testing... the firm applied it to the Wave format on KTWV from the offset.

And most adults don't like a station that has lots of unfamiliar music. One of the objectives of testing is to discover familiarity and desire to hear a song on the radio... the format was "tested" right from its origins.

That's not what listeners came to hear though so they have gone on their way and the Smooth A/C format just sounds too old, tired, and MOR for the average 35-54 year old. They will get their A/C and oldies on an A/C or Urban A/C that does that better anyway.

The problem is that the format grew old, and an effort to get younger demos in causes change in the original model. Just as "oldies" stations changed to "classic hits" with different music eras, so has smooth jazz changed.

 

[majaman78]

...The problem is that the format grew old...

Wrong.

BA screwed up the format with the inclusion of same old sh*t you hear all of the time on mediocre AC and oldies formats. It was flourishing until the turn of the decade.

You guys just don't get that and never will.

But these radio "experts" are really doing a bang up job nonetheless. They make General Motors look like a success story. lol

 

[davideduardo]

BA screwed up the format with the inclusion of same old sh*t you hear all of the time on mediocre AC and oldies formats. It was flourishing until the turn of the decade.

The format was just over 12 years old at the end of the decade. The average age of the listener was in the mid to late 40's. By 2009, the average age was in the mid to late 50's and most of that group was no longer of interest to advertisers. That's the issue... keeping the format younger.

 

[AC Tones]

BA screwed up the format with the inclusion of same old sh*t you hear all of the time on mediocre AC and oldies formats. It was flourishing until the turn of the decade.

The format was just over 12 years old at the end of the decade. The average age of the listener was in the mid to late 40's. By 2009, the average age was in the mid to late 50's and most of that group was no longer of interest to advertisers. That's the issue... keeping the format younger.

One of my most passionate and knowledgeable listeners is 25 years of age. I'm 41. Are we the exception, or is it time for radio look outside the "target" demographic? The genre didn't get old. Radio did. Sure, I have a number of listeners over 50 who have been listening to this music for over 20 years. These are the kind of listeners who have been put off by BA's product and direction. I am not stating anything here that has not been stated before on this board. This genre has NEVER been about generating tons of advertising revenue. It's success was predicated on loyalty to a passionate, intelligent, and sophisticated listening base. But what's wrong with advertisers going after the 50+ crowd? They have had successful careers, raised families, and own their homes outright. Meanwhile, listeners from the so-called target demographic are mired in studio apartments or still living with their parents paying back student loans while trying to find a job. In the meantime, the average life expectancy in this country is pushing 80 and is expected to rise. In Canada and Australia, it's over 80. My folks are 75 and LOVE this music, see the artists perform live frequently, travel across the country, and have enjoyed life to the fullest in their retirement years. They could not do these things without disposable income that could be attractive to "certain" advertisers, if radio went after them. I have ZERO experience in radio, and only speak as an educated listener. But the fact that radio has chosen to ignore listeners outside of the target demographic in their marketing and programming strategies, they in essence hung their base out to dry, and have no one to blame but themselves.

Chris

 

[majaman78]

<The average age of the listener was in the mid to late 40's. By 2009, the average age was in the mid to late 50's and most of that group was no longer of interest to advertisers. That's the issue... keeping the format younger>>

What about listeners that were in their mid to late 30's at that time? How old are they now? Did that demographic just vanish?

I'll give you that...ad execs could be even dumber than radio execs. They never gave the format a chance to really develop fully. 12 years??...wow...whoop dee doo...is nothing.

And speaking of "keeping the format younger"...how did that work out for radio in the past 10 years or so?

I've got a name they might want to adopt for using that great strategy...."THE TITANIC"

Lastly, I've also got some not-so new news for them...guess what the largest demographic is gonna be in a few years?? lol. Yeah, keep shoving no talent like Kanye West, Beyonce, Amy Winehouse and the like down our throats...we'll all come around.......NOT!!!! lolololol

Fools. I haven't listened to terrestrial radio for the past year (after Jones left the air) and not about to tune in again. Ever.

You radio guys dug your own grave. Enjoy it.

 

[davideduardo]

What about listeners that were in their mid to late 30's at that time? How old are they now? Did that demographic just vanish?

Most of the listeners were not in that age group, and the point is that the bulk of listeners, previously in 35-54, are now 55+ on many of these stations. 55+ is not salable.

I'll give you that...ad execs could be even dumber than radio execs.

Ad execs at agencies know that their clients specificly instruct them to but the client's target demo. For nearly all clients, there is poor or no ROI on 55+, so the orders to the agency are not to buy it.

And speaking of "keeping the format younger"...how did that work out for radio in the past 10 years or so?

Very well for most formats, like AC and Urban and CHR and Country and Regional Mexican and such. Odies had to transform into Classic Hits, playing the 70s instead of the 60's.

[/quote]Lastly, I've also got some not-so new news for them...guess what the largest demographic is gonna be in a few years??[/quote]

And as long as advertisers have no interest in 55+, it does not matter. There is no revenue.

 

[davideduardo]

But the fact that radio has chosen to ignore listeners outside of the target demographic in their marketing and programming strategies, they in essence hung their base out to dry, and have no one to blame but themselves.

In the larger markets, most revenue comes from agenices. Agency clients specify the ages to target, and they are nearly never over 55... because client level research by companies lik P&G and McDonalds and Coke and so on show that there is a very poor ROI on advertising to that crowd as the number of impressions needed to cause a change is more costly than the profit on the sale.

This is no different than the death of Beautiful Music two decades ago... the listeners were too old to be of value to advertisers, and the format went away.