Who REALLY invented the Jack format?

[superj]

I read on another site that it came from a couple of guys in the Long Island area one of them named "Cadillac Jack", another source tells me that it originated in Canada a few years ago. Does anyone know the real origin?

 

[DiamondJoe]

> I read on another site that it came from a couple of guys in
> the Long Island area one of them named "Cadillac Jack",
> another source tells me that it originated in Canada a few
> years ago. Does anyone know the real origin?

You may want to direct that question to our Variety Hits forum. Moderator Lou Pickney may have the answer you're looking for.<P ID="signature">______________


New York City Radio and TV</P>

 

[mlaura1224]

> I read on another site that it came from a couple of guys in
> the Long Island area one of them named "Cadillac Jack",
> another source tells me that it originated in Canada a few
> years ago. Does anyone know the real origin?
>
According to the trade papers, Jack originated in canada. Personaly, I think college radio and high school radio stations should get some possitive credit. They have done this style of format for years. Many college stations that I listened to, have had block formats playing random music. It is not excatly structured, but the concept is kind of the same. It almost seems that Jack experimented with this and created a better structure that was made for commercial radio. If it is a guy on Long Island who created the idea, then I think he was listening to a few non commercial stations for the brain storm concept. Stations like WUSB, WSHR, WPOB, WXBA, WRHU and so on. Just a thought on the topic.

 

[JohnnyMorganWXJX]

> I read on another site that it came from a couple of guys in
> the Long Island area one of them named "Cadillac Jack",
> another source tells me that it originated in Canada a few
> years ago. Does anyone know the real origin?
>

Jack-FM was a creation of Buzznet Media founders Cadillac Jack and Famous Amos. Then a PD in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada picked up on it and used it on a station up there. Rogers (Canada) got wind of it then and marketed it across the Great White North.

But, the "Jack" thing was a purely U.S. invention--and internet based. Cadillac Jack and Buzznet still have www.jack.fm licensed, and ain't about to give it up. For the record, the NY Times credits Rogers with the format, but they were at least the THIRD to adopt it.

 

[peppertree]

Jack originated on the air in Canada, but it was on the net first. Also I thought that Winnepeg was the first and it was Bob. I also thought that Vancouver had Jack before Ottawa.

Am I wrong?

> > I read on another site that it came from a couple of guys
> in
> > the Long Island area one of them named "Cadillac Jack",
> > another source tells me that it originated in Canada a few
>
> > years ago. Does anyone know the real origin?
> >
> According to the trade papers, Jack originated in canada.
> Personaly, I think college radio and high school radio
> stations should get some possitive credit. They have done
> this style of format for years. Many college stations that I
> listened to, have had block formats playing random music. It
> is not excatly structured, but the concept is kind of the
> same. It almost seems that Jack experimented with this and
> created a better structure that was made for commercial
> radio. If it is a guy on Long Island who created the idea,
> then I think he was listening to a few non commercial
> stations for the brain storm concept. Stations like WUSB,
> WSHR, WPOB, WXBA, WRHU and so on. Just a thought on the
> topic.
>
<P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>

 

[mlaura1224]

> Jack originated on the air in Canada, but it was on the net
> first. Also I thought that Winnepeg was the first and it was
> Bob. I also thought that Vancouver had Jack before Ottawa.
>
> Am I wrong?
>
> > > I read on another site that it came from a couple of
> guys
> > in
> > > the Long Island area one of them named "Cadillac Jack",
> > > another source tells me that it originated in Canada a
> few
> >
> > > years ago. Does anyone know the real origin?
> > >
> > According to the trade papers, Jack originated in Canada.
> > Personally, I think college radio and high school radio
> > stations should get some positive credit. They have done
> > this style of format for years. Many college stations that
> I

Sorry I did not add that in. Yes, you are correct. I was using some Long Island stations as an example of mix format presentation. I'm sure Cadillac Jack heard a few stations that had success with a mix bag of music and thought it might have some success. The Jack concept did start in Canada and was first placed on the web for some time. Sorry if I was misleading. The variety format received good reviews from what I gather. The Jack format structure worked so well they added it in commercial radio up in Canada. The back round is pretty cool on how it started. I just wanted people to see that the educational band has some interesting radio. They might not sound as good as commercial stations do, but high school and college stations who are independent, and DON'T run NPR, do an excellent job! Because they are learning about radio they tend to go all over the place. Educational stations don't have the corporate monsters to worry about, so they have fun with it. You might like what you hear if you give them a try. Sorry for going off the topic a little, I just wanted to clear a few things up. Thanks.
> > listened to, have had block formats playing random music.
> It
> > is not exactly structured, but the concept is kind of the
> > same. It almost seems that Jack experimented with this and
>
> > created a better structure that was made for commercial
> > radio. If it is a guy on Long Island who created the idea,
>
> > then I think he was listening to a few non commercial
> > stations for the brain storm concept. Stations like WUSB,
> > WSHR, WPOB, WXBA, WRHU and so on. Just a thought on the
> > topic.
> >
>