Re: WAZS-AM 980 (Spanish) Flips Format To Jazz
> > They are getting some audience according to the latest
> > Arbitron readings. How are they really doing?
> >
>
> I bet they are getting an audience, since they took over the
> 98.9 frequency (RIP HOT 98.9). I don't know how they are
> really doing, but they are doing big things for the hispanic
> community in the listening area.
>
Charleston has flirted with jazz radio over the years, but the format has never stuck around for long. Now, the Holy City has a new jazz station, WAZS-AM 980. The station, owned by Jabar Communications of North Charleston, broadcasts 24 hours a day and plays popular smooth jazz and standards.
WAZS-AM was a Spanish language station that played Mexican regional music. It simulcast the same program carried on Jabar's FM station, WAZS 98.9.
"We started looking at having two Spanish stations, and everybody was tuning in to the FM since we went to the FM, and we were losing our audience off of the AM, so it just made sense to do something with it. We chose jazz," said Michael Baynard, Jabar Communications manager.
WAZS-AM recently worked through some technical issues to get its signal up to strength. It broadcasts at 1,000 watts.
"We're starting to actually get it all together to officially start really actively going after the market place with it," Baynard said.
Although jazz radio has come and gone in Charleston over the years, Baynard thinks WAZS-AM has a bright future.
WAZS plays about 14 songs an hour. It offers a mix of the current hits on the smooth jazz charts in Radio & Record and Billboard, and more traditional jazz artists such as Al Jarreau and Ramsey Lewis.
"We're going to keep a good mix of both instrumentals and vocals, and just try to keep it interesting," he said.
"We're still actively in the market place looking for other signals. We have our eye on some FMs. And if we get an FM, there's a good possibility we'll flip the jazz over to an FM signal."
Baynard praised the tonal quality of the AM broadcast at WAZS 980.
"I think people will be pleased. I don't think they'll be turning away because it's an AM dial," he said. "Jazz still has a great sound, even on the AM dial."
Baynard said he is excited about the future of WAZS-AM 980, and the public has responded well to it.
"We're getting e-mails and faxes saying how much we (the listeners) appreciate it, and we really haven't done any official launch of the station because of the technical issues," he said.
