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The day I discovered WLOQ

mikedow

mikedow

Earlier this summer, my favorite Smooth Jazz Internet station, smoothjazznow.com, switched to an AAC+ streaming format that my Squeezebox radios apparently cannot receive. This morning I decided to find a good replacement. I found the perfect station, but WLOQ in Orlando is running announcements saying goodbye.

WLOQ has the right mix of instrumentals and vocals and air talent that is both live and engaged. Right now they’re playing Birdland by Weather Report! The announcer is Robin Austin. She’s knowledgeable and doesn’t get in the way of the music.

Does anyone have a suggestion for a good streaming station that is similar to smoothjazznow or WLOQ? I don’t want to hear endless elevatior music like the Clear Channel stations, and I certainly don’t want to hear Hall and Oates or Anita Baker. WLOQ is a great station, but they’re running messages from listeners saying goodbye. My search is about to begin again.
 
mikedow said:
Earlier this summer, my favorite Smooth Jazz Internet station, smoothjazznow.com, switched to an AAC+ streaming format that my Squeezebox radios apparently cannot receive. This morning I decided to find a good replacement. I found the perfect station, but WLOQ in Orlando is running announcements saying goodbye.

WLOQ has the right mix of instrumentals and vocals and air talent that is both live and engaged. Right now they’re playing Birdland by Weather Report! The announcer is Robin Austin. She’s knowledgeable and doesn’t get in the way of the music.

Does anyone have a suggestion for a good streaming station that is similar to smoothjazznow or WLOQ? I don’t want to hear endless elevatior music like the Clear Channel stations, and I certainly don’t want to hear Hall and Oates or Anita Baker. WLOQ is a great station, but they’re running messages from listeners saying goodbye. My search is about to begin again.
Click to expand...

I own a Logitech Squeezebox, and it does support AAC+ streams. I know because I listen to my own station with it (I stream in both AAC+ and mp3). 8) Check to make sure you have the correct streaming URL, and it SHOULD work. If you have not done so already, add/peruse the RadioTime/TuneIn channel for your Squeezebox and check to see if smoothjazznow is listed there. I have to believe they are. Also, make sure you have installed the latest firmware with your Squeezebox. Good luck, and happy streaming!
 
Heloo AC Tones,

Thanks for your response. I have on Wavenet right now and it sounds great. Commercial free for at least the last hour or so, and you played one of the “oh wow” songs I believe this format needs. “Dreamboat Annie” by Heart is 33 years old and never got higher than 42 on the Billboard charts, but it has always been a favorite.

What I like about SmoothJazzNow is their instrumental to vocal ratio is 3:1, and their vocals are fantastic. Two songs from last year come to mind: Nikki Yanofsky’s “God Bless This Child” and Paul Brown’s “Love You Found Me.” I’d be thrilled to hear an all-vocal or 1:1 ratio. I’m not sure what genre the two songs above fit. Do you have any suggestions?

As for finding SmoothJazzNow in any of the databases, I haven’t come up with anything. No response from the station either. The url for the desktop player is:

http://streamdb2web.securenetsystems.net/v4/index.cfm?stationCallSign=SMOO&relocateURL=true

for mobile phones they offer:

http://ice5.securenetsystems.net/SMOO

Neither brings a response in my Squeezebox.

Thanks for your response. If nothing else, I’ve found a few great stations in the last couple of days. In addition to Wavenet Jazz and WLOQ, I really like Seabreeze.fm in the Florida panhandle. (It’s very old to hear the time checks an hour behind when the station is in the same state and I’m in, but the western tip of Florida is in the Central Time Zone.)

Mike
 
Hi Bill,

I have on Harmonic Lounge right now. I'm loving "The Peeper" by David Sanborn. Thanks for the tip.

Mike
 
Hey Mike. Thanks for checking out the station. The format needs vocals, IMO. I have about a 4:1 ratio of instrumentals to vocals right now. To your point, they have to be interesting, have vibe, and provide a true change of pace for listeners. I think some of the bad rap this format has gotten over the years is due to a homogeneous sounding product. Some of the "oh wow" vocals you speak of, to include the aforementioned Heart cut, have not sat well with some of my regular listeners. I understand the growing pains. I have built my base the last 3 years on an instrumental-heavy format, so this has been a trying stretch for some. I have been itching to try something different and spin vocals you would not expect to hear on most Smooth Jazz streams. And it is not just change for the sake of change. I genuinely enjoy these vocals I have added, and think they can have a place in this format, or on my station, at the very least. But I also believe that, despite some of the great cjazz music produced of late, we desperately need to broaden our listenership as a whole and go after younger listeners. The format is going the way of the dodo, unfortunately, and we need to find ways to keep it viable. In my mind, it starts with taking chances as a programmer.

BTW, I am going to explore my Sqeezebox for sjnow, and I will get back to you.

Peace,

Chris
 
Mike, you can't go wrong with either one. Both are run by excellent guys. 8)
 
The station is promoting asking listeners to check out the website on Monday. 99.9% chance they will be streaming but if they stay with the music mix they are now playing there are much better programmed stations on the web that don't make you sit through so many pop vocals and that give you more music that came out after 2000..so if they don't change their music mix to serve CJazz/Sjazz fans and people are going to have to listen to it on the internet why not listen to better stations? Orlando has a strong fan base for this music, here's hoping they don't feel compelled to dumb it down and turn it into an A/C anymore.
 
I hate this for Alicia Kaye, who went there from WSJT/Tampa and who is one of my favorites, highly knowledgeable about this format. I hope she finds a good gig worthy of her talents.

To lose WLOQ, CIWV and WSJW at once sucks big time. I like the wav and harmonic lounge, but this should be on terrestrial radio, folks. Not everything has to be geared to 25-34 females.
 
sjs1959 said:
Not everything has to be geared to 25-34 females.
Click to expand...

The targets of most stations are in the 18-54 age range, because advertisers who buy using ratings go after that spread and its subsets.

WLOQ was down to an average of 18th in 25-54, and was even 20th in 35-44! There is just not enough money available for the 55+ demos that WLOQ was attracting.
 
Wikipedia reports that 103.1 is now stunting as Elvis 103.1.

Meanwhile, I've has the online stream of WLOQ on this morning. I miss the human collection, but the music is a good as it was last week. My first guess is that I'll be keeping the preset.

I wish WLOQ luck in keeping the music alive.
 
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