The format is alive and well, as far as the music is concerned. Over the past two years, I have sampled and spun some of the best original contemporary jazz music I have heard in years. Sure, the options on the FM dial are increasingly limited. I know it's disappointing to see the continuing spate of flips. But seriously guys, we all knew this was coming. This format was set up for failure once the powers that be decided to make it into a format it never was. It was a flawed strategy to appeal to the masses through the lowest common denominator, while hanging base listeners out to dry. Greed, nothing more, and nothing less, got us to this point. What gets us out will be a commitment from those involved in the production and delivery of this wonderful music, from the studio to the ears of our consumers, i.e., the listeners, to get back to the principles that made this a true adult alternative format in the late 1980s. The days of the big boys like WQCD, WNUA, and the old KTWV are over. But in time, with the quality of the music that is being produced these days, I can easily see this format re-emerging in small and medium sized markets with the right leadership, a commitment to imaginative programming, a willingness to adapt, and EMBRACE base listeners, namely the ones who have kept the discussion on this board alive and thought-provoking over the last couple of years.
Consider me the cockeyed optimist in a sea of pessimism. But the music being made these days is far too good for this format to go the way of Beautiful Music. Look at Koz's latest. Look at the Ripps' latest. These guys are legends who, like so many of their contemporaries, fell victim to Kepler's Medusa-like stare. But somewhere along the way, they remembered that they were once some of the best musicians this genre had ever seen, and said "to hell with demos and consultants" and got back to the basics.
