Variety Hits History

[OldAkronite]

It was unclear to me how this format was "born", so I went to our esteemed moderator's own website, http://www.varietyhits.com/variety/history.shtml

Let's see if I'm understanding this correctly, from Lou's history...

The format appears to have two starts, which may or may not be related:

* From research by programmers at CHUM Group's stations in Winnipeg, sometime in late 2001, and debuting a few months later as "Bob FM" in that market. The station is on the air today.

* As a nostalgic turn at a web feed by Bob Perry (aka "Cadillac Jack", and "jack" on this very board) in 2001, which still exists at <a target="_blank" href=http://www.jack.fm>jack.fm</a> today.

Now, somewhere in there, someone (CHUM Limited?) stumbled upon Bob's website, and used the "Playing What We Want" and "JACK FM" trademarks...I presume in Vancouver. As I understand the story, Bob/BuzzNet/Big Sticks found out about it, and contacted them, and they licensed it.

Somewhere in there, Big Sticks licensed the trademarks in the U.S. to SparkNet, which is the one licensing JACK FM to Infinity et al. in various markets across the country.

If you believe the first part of the history, this Winnipeg programmer came up with the idea himself, and hadn't stumbled upon Bob's website. But...someone in Vancouver did, and attached it to the Bob FM format out of Winnipeg? I'm lost here.

-OA

 

[LouPickney]

> If you believe the first part of the history, this Winnipeg
> programmer came up with the idea himself, and hadn't
> stumbled upon Bob's website. But...someone in Vancouver
> did, and attached it to the Bob FM format out of Winnipeg?
> I'm lost here.
>
> -OA

How the JACK-FM name started up in Canada is not something that I am entirely clear about.

Here's the short and sweet of it, from what I understand:

<u>JACK-FM</u>
-How it began in the U.S.: Bob Perry created it (the Jack name inspired from his Cadillac Jack Garrett radio persona) for jack.fm in late 2000/early 2001.

-How it began in Canada: Rogers Broadcasting put the first one on in Vancouver on December 27, 2002. How they got the idea to use the JACK-FM name and slogans, and then whatever subsequent deal was worked out to let them legally use that intellectual property, is something that I don't have many details about. It worked out well for all sides in the end; Rogers has a format that worked great for them, and Big Sticks/Buzznet received proven success for the format on commercial radio, which lead to the opportunities that then opened up in the United States.


<u>BOB-FM</u>
-How it began in Canada: Howard Kroeger liked the "Bob" name of the old WBOB-FM in Minneapolis; the format he installed on CHUM Broadcasting's 99.9 CFWM-FM in Winnipeg on March 26, 2002.

-How it began in U.S.: Bob FM was first put on in the United States on KHUI in Honolulu on September 16, 2003.<P ID="signature">______________
Lou Pickney
Tampa, FL
RadioHotTalk.com & VarietyHits.com</P>

 

[musicloverII]

Jack, Bob. Sounds like Cabbage Patch Dolls. Probably the way the format will go too.

> > If you believe the first part of the history, this
> Winnipeg
> > programmer came up with the idea himself, and hadn't
> > stumbled upon Bob's website. But...someone in Vancouver
> > did, and attached it to the Bob FM format out of Winnipeg?
>
> > I'm lost here.
> >
> > -OA
>
> How the JACK-FM name started up in Canada is not something
> that I am entirely clear about.
>
> Here's the short and sweet of it, from what I understand:
>
> JACK-FM
> -How it began in the U.S.: Bob Perry created it (the Jack
> name inspired from his Cadillac Jack Garrett radio persona)
> for jack.fm in late 2000/early 2001.
>
> -How it began in Canada: Rogers Broadcasting put the first
> one on in Vancouver on December 27, 2002. How they got the
> idea to use the JACK-FM name and slogans, and then whatever
> subsequent deal was worked out to let them legally use that
> intellectual property, is something that I don't have many
> details about. It worked out well for all sides in the end;
> Rogers has a format that worked great for them, and Big
> Sticks/Buzznet received proven success for the format on
> commercial radio, which lead to the opportunities that then
> opened up in the United States.
>
>
> BOB-FM
> -How it began in Canada: Howard Kroeger liked the "Bob" name
> of the old WBOB-FM in Minneapolis; the format he installed
> on CHUM Broadcasting's 99.9 CFWM-FM in Winnipeg on March 26,
> 2002.
>
> -How it began in U.S.: Bob FM was first put on in the United
> States on KHUI in Honolulu on September 16, 2003.
>

 

[Yeziknoradio]

> Jack, Bob. Sounds like Cabbage Patch Dolls. Probably the way
> the format will go too.

Depends on the market, and what there may be other demand greater for.
Bob in Hawaii, for example, is already no more.

In Thunderbay Ontario Canada, after only a very short time, Larry was dropped in favour of a return of top 40 to that market. <P ID="signature">______________
"If you never say NO, How much is your YES worth?"









</P>

 

[uncamark]

> > Jack, Bob. Sounds like Cabbage Patch Dolls. Probably the
> way
> > the format will go too.
>
> Depends on the market, and what there may be other demand
> greater for.
> Bob in Hawaii, for example, is already no more.

Because of a station sale to Salem, not because of ratings.

 

[peppertree]

And I understand that Bob in Hawaii was the first and only station of this type to fail so far and change format.
>
> -How it began in U.S.: Bob FM was first put on in the United
> States on KHUI in Honolulu on September 16, 2003.
>
<P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>