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Paul Cross out at WLOQ

A

AnotherCat

As of yesterday (might have been Thursday). They were playing standard BA fare and ratings dropped thru the floor over the last 6 months. Does anyone know who the new PD is? I've been all over the web trying to find out
 
According to their website, Ken Jones is now the PD. If I'm not mistaken, Ken was the PD at KKSF in San Francisco among other stations. It also looks as if John Gross (owner) has taken over the GM slot.
 
OK, that's going to be interesting because the speculation here was that the station would be going more toward programming for PPM which would mean flipping to Smooth A/C. Don't think Jones would move across the country to program Smooth A/C so could it be that LOQ may move into playing more contemporary instrumental music. Jones was a BA programmer but LOQ has been playing the BA list and lost 1/2 of their listeners by doing so so it will be interesting to watch. People have doubted the Gross family's continuing commitment to the genre since LOQ offed the elder Gross and John stepped back/down (??) and the station did start playing a lot more pop music. WSJT has gone smooth A/C and their signal gets into Orlando so maybe LOQ is going to go in another direction and renew their commitment to "jazz" although since Jones is an old line smooth jazz guy it will probably skew 45+ and "relaxing"
 
AnotherCat said:
WSJT has gone smooth A/C and their signal gets into Orlando so maybe LOQ is going to go in another direction and renew their commitment to "jazz" although since Jones is an old line smooth jazz guy it will probably skew 45+ and "relaxing"
Click to expand...

Since the signal swap, WSJT doesn't get anywhere near Orlando anymore. Yes that used to be the case, but not since the move to 98.7.
 
That would be amazing if WLOQ went back to more true contemporary jazz. It's a great local station in a great area, and I hope they last for a long time and are one of the last smooth jazz stations standing with other ones like WSJW who seem to be sticking it out thick and thin.
 
As of now every other song is a vocal and a lot of the playlist is songs that are 20-40 years old. The "retiree belt" starts south of ORL and out of their signal range but that seems to be who they are chasing. Although the new PD couldn't even have his bags unpacked yet.

I think their average age is 35 there which means someone who was crawling in their playpen when "Feels So Good" and "You Are The Sunshine of my Life" came out.
http://www.mediabase.com/whatsong/WhatSong.asp?var_s=087076079081045070077
 
AnotherCat said:
As of yesterday (might have been Thursday). They were playing standard BA fare and ratings dropped thru the floor over the last 6 months.
Click to expand...

WLOQ had an abnormally high Summer, 2009 and a low-range Winter 2010. In the last 6 years, the range has been 3.0 to 5.0, with several books in the low 3's (in '04, 06 and 10) and an average right around a 4.

So it can not be said that the ratings were dropping; the were wobbling. Arbitron is getting Orlando peneled-up for PPM, so many pre-PPM markets have seen the last book or two be a little bizarre

The high TSL on WLOQ and relatively low cume makes it likely that they would take a big or even huge hit in share when the PPM begins.
 
Since I was raised in Florida, I can tell you from experience that the Orlando book has always wobbled greatly, worse than any other market other than maybe a few of the very small ones. Hopefully the PPM will solve that problem.

As for the demo issue, you are right, Orlando is quite a bit younger than surrounding markets such as Tampa, Ocala, Sarasota, etc.
 
RMarino said:
As for the demo issue, you are right, Orlando is quite a bit younger than surrounding markets such as Tampa, Ocala, Sarasota, etc.
Click to expand...

The median age for Orlando is younger... based on most recent ACS data via Claritas, 5 years younger than Tampa MSA, and 7 years younger than Ocala's metro. Sarasota, is of course, predominantly retirees.

But the defining difference here is the Hispanic population, which tends to be much younger. Orlando is approaching 20% Hispanic, while Tampa is half that, and Ocala is around 6% or less. The median age is lowered by this population group in proportion to its presence in each market. So in truth, the non-ethnic population medians are much closer.
 
Question...if Ken Jones is the new PD at WLOQ, why are they running an ad for a new PD that was dated Tuesday June 8th at 10:52am?

"Legendary NAC radio station, Smooth 103.1 WLOQ-FM, Orlando, FL has a rare job opening for Program Director. We are looking for a proven and experienced (ten years minimum) music programmer/music strategist who can program well beyond “in-the-box” NAC.

We are looking for an innovative and strategic music specialist who understands how to use both perceptual and music research, has expert Selector skills, and can market WLOQ’s unique sound over the air, on-line, on-site, and through the use of other mediums. Leadership of WLOQ’s annualized event platforms, music programming and imaging skills are also essential to this position, as are the people skills necessary to coach and manage WLOQ-FM’s talented team of on-air professionals.

Please forward all resumes (with cover letters) to Co-Owner/General Manager, John Gross. . . NO phone calls please.

Gross Communications Corporation (WLOQ-FM) is an equal opportunity employer and encourages qualified candidates of all races, gender, color and religion to apply."
 
An EEO posting after the fact is an understatement...this just in from All Access...

WLOQ Hands Programming Duties To Ken Jones

GROSS COMMUNICATIONS Smooth Jazz WLOQ/ORLANDO names KEN JONES as PD. JONES previously programmed the now defunct Smooth Jazz KKSF/SAN FRANCISCO.
 
Both Paul and Ken are good Programmers! Each to their own influences. LOQ has had a loooong history of Owner meddling. First from the old man and then the sons', primarily John. Things "may" be a better than they use to. Make no mistake though, they've been committed to the format for years-even before anyone called it Smooth Jazz (or even heard of the term) you have to give them that. Not sure whether they're a true BA client or not. They may be just following the list BA is willing to give them as a "gratis" for carrying Top 20. Allen/Rad can be persuasive if they have John's ear. Steve Huntington was one of-if not thee most notable PD to handle the reins of LOQ-of all the PD's that have had to deal with the family peculiarities. PPM as with all other markets that have/had SJ stations will naturally dictate a shift in strategy just to stay viable and generate revenue. Whether John is willing and Ken can maintain, only time will tell.
 
No station has come into PPM playing a true smooth jazz format. Would be interesting to see what would happen if they did. By the time PPM came to markets like LA, SF, Chicago, the stations that called themselves "smooth jazz" were basically playing an oldies format - 20-40 year old pop and R&B songs mixed with covers of same - which seems kind of self destructive since the oldies format took its last gasp in '04 and pretty much went away. LOQ is basically doing the oldies thing right now too. I wish they would call it what it is - EZ oldies - so the failure of these stations did not take a whole genre of music with it when the stations really don't even play much of the music from that genre anymore.
 
Random monitor

Van Morrison - MoonDance (40 yr old song )
Darren Rahn - Talk of the Town **
Brenda Russell - Piano In The Dark (25 year old song)
Dave Grusin - Mountain Dance (30+ year old song or new version of him covering his own 30 year old song)
Robert Palmer - Mercy Me/I Want You ( 20 year old cover of 35 year old songs)
Steve Oliver - Fun In The Sun **
Hil St. Soul - For The Love Of You (cover of 35 year old song)
Euge Groove - Sneak A Peek **
Luther Vandross - Power of Love/Love Power (20 y.o. R&B song)
Jonathan Butler - Make Room For Me **
Bobby Caldwell - What You Won't Do For Love (35 year old song)

----
They did continue to play some decent instrumentals - Elliot's "Crush"
Braun's "Tijuana Dance" Dulfer's "On and On' - but you had to sit thru
Winwoods "Back In The High Life" (30 yo) Benson's "Breezin" (30+)
Grover's "SoulFul Strut" (cover of 40+), Vanessa Williams "Dreamin" (20+ pop song), Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me" (beautiful song for A/C gold airplay) and puh-leeze...there are other Jarreau songs besides "We're In This Love Together" (30)
 
A couple of decent current cuts, but I am not exactly wowed by this playlist, for sure. Speaking of great, forgotten Jarreau cuts from days gone by, am I the only one spinning "One Way"? :-\ Tremendous timeless vocal with great vibe that still works 20+ years after it was recorded.
 
Where is the new blood in that sampling? Any one hear the new Jeff Scott cd. In my opinion, (disclaimer) do not know formula or hook just know good music, this is the freshest stuff out right now.

Nock
 
I have a question about WLOQ, I thought I would put it here, than starting a new thread. ;D

Does Katy Cole (evenings) still work for them? I have listened for the last couple of nights (Wed-Fri) and haven't heard her on there. I thought she might have left or was let go and they haven't took her bio down yet. Just wondering?

Have noticed their new slogan though, "Relax, Refresh, Renew". Used to be "Your Link to the Good Life".
 
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