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Will KJR-FM (95.7 The Jet) and KJAQ-FM (96.5 Jack FM) co-exist as iHM stations?

R

Radio Radio Listener

With all the talk about KFNY 102.9 and KTDD 104.9 being sold to another broadcaster, I kind of wonder what iHeartMedia will do with 96.5 Jack FM, especially since 95.7 The Jet is very 80s-centric, and the adult hits format is still centered on the 80s.

First, should KJAQ flip, iHeartMedia would redirect listeners to KJR-FM before flipping 96.5. But what 96.5 should flip to is another story.

The market has too many rock stations, not to mention two established alternative stations (KNDD and KEXP - yes, I know the latter is noncommercial but I think they are a factor considering how much of a following they have). So ALT for 96.5 may be less likely.

iHeartMedia can bring KUBE back to a Seattle signal, but before KUBE moved to 104.9, KUBE had low ratings. So I'm not sure about trying Rhythmic/Urban again.

What format holes are there in the market? Could iHeartMedia also consider taking on KRWM with an AC format, effectively forming a "Wall of Women" along with KBKS and KPWK (although neither of them are top-rated stations)? Perhaps Seattle lacks a Soft AC or Oldies, but none of them make money.

Or iHeartMedia can be content with two stations (KJR, KJAQ) that sound very similar to each other.
 
KJAQ plays more Rock hits from the 90's and 00's along with 70's and 80's hits. So I think they are different enough from KJR FM to keep the format. We shall see.
 
JakeMott said:
KJAQ plays more Rock hits from the 90's and 00's along with 70's and 80's hits. So I think they are different enough from KJR FM to keep the format. We shall see.
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I think this is correct. While KJR-FM and KJAQ might share audience, they are different products, with a different attitude. I would expect the two could easily co-exist, with some minor music changes to Jack.
 
If iHeartMedia plans to flip 96.5 Jack FM, they should move ALT to 96.5 which would be a perfect opportunity for iHeartMedia to bring The Woody Show into Seattle, considering they launched that show into national syndication last summer.
 
KJAQ is about the only Seattle-centric FM that I listen to when in town, and when it's not the holidays. At least their playlist is slightly larger than The Jet. Hopefully there won't be too many changes.
 
A Classic Hits station and an Adult Hits station can co-exist in the same city with the same ownership. In Dallas, CBS for many years owned, and Entercom currently owns, both KLUV (Classic Hits) and KJKK (Adult Hits). The two may share plenty of titles but a Classic Hits station plays more pop songs and Jack plays more rock and alternative songs. And as said above, Classic Hits concentrates on 70s/80s and a few 90s. Jack is more 80s/90s, with some early 2000s titles. Yeah, once per hour a Jack station may go back even to the 60s, but its concentration is a decade or more later than Classic Hits.
 
The great thing about the Jack-FM Format....they can alter the playlist as they see fit depending on ratings. They can bring back some 60s and 70s stuff if they wanted to without altering the station's image. Each city's Jack-FM seems to be slightly different sometimes.
 
Gregg. said:
A Classic Hits station and an Adult Hits station can co-exist in the same city with the same ownership. In Dallas, CBS for many years owned, and Entercom currently owns, both KLUV (Classic Hits) and KJKK (Adult Hits). The two may share plenty of titles but a Classic Hits station plays more pop songs and Jack plays more rock and alternative songs. And as said above, Classic Hits concentrates on 70s/80s and a few 90s. Jack is more 80s/90s, with some early 2000s titles. Yeah, once per hour a Jack station may go back even to the 60s, but its concentration is a decade or more later than Classic Hits.
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That's a good point, iHeart Cleveland has the same setup. The question is, find me a cluster that has both those plus a Classic Rock. There's an opportunity for iHeart to build a wall of women here if they go AC, but they could easily build a wall of men by flipping 96.5 to Alternative. Then they'd have all the sports stations as well as the two rock stations.
 
Radio Radio Listener said:
With all the talk about KFNY 102.9 and KTDD 104.9 being sold to another broadcaster, I kind of wonder what iHeartMedia will do with 96.5 Jack FM, especially since 95.7 The Jet is very 80s-centric, and the adult hits format is still centered on the 80s.

First, should KJAQ flip, iHeartMedia would redirect listeners to KJR-FM before flipping 96.5. But what 96.5 should flip to is another story.

The market has too many rock stations, not to mention two established alternative stations (KNDD and KEXP - yes, I know the latter is noncommercial but I think they are a factor considering how much of a following they have). So ALT for 96.5 may be less likely.

iHeartMedia can bring KUBE back to a Seattle signal, but before KUBE moved to 104.9, KUBE had low ratings. So I'm not sure about trying Rhythmic/Urban again.

What format holes are there in the market? Could iHeartMedia also consider taking on KRWM with an AC format, effectively forming a "Wall of Women" along with KBKS and KPWK (although neither of them are top-rated stations)? Perhaps Seattle lacks a Soft AC or Oldies, but none of them make money.

Or iHeartMedia can be content with two stations (KJR, KJAQ) that sound very similar to each other.
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Why would they want to do ANYTHING right now? The stations are all doing well so it would seem to be a move in the wrong direction. If it aint broke don't fix it. Sure maybe a slight tweek to the music but I'd think you'd be foolish to change anything right now. Besides iHeart has major debt issues and with these stations all making money you aint gonna flip or move and take on new costs of flipping a station and bringing on a new one....or new format.
 
Goi said:
Why would they want to do ANYTHING right now? The stations are all doing well so it would seem to be a move in the wrong direction. If it aint broke don't fix it. Sure maybe a slight tweek to the music but I'd think you'd be foolish to change anything right now. Besides iHeart has major debt issues and with these stations all making money you aint gonna flip or move and take on new costs of flipping a station and bringing on a new one....or new format.
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The thing is new owners like to tamper with things. If you bought a new car, you wouldn't leave it in the garage and not see what it can do.

I sure there's going to be changes yet. And with iHeart, maybe even some surprises, like last year's sudden switcheroo of formats and call letters.
 
Bongwater said:
The thing is new owners like to tamper with things. If you bought a new car, you wouldn't leave it in the garage and not see what it can do.

I sure there's going to be changes yet. And with iHeart, maybe even some surprises, like last year's sudden switcheroo of formats and call letters.
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Like an abrupt flip to country?
 
And Soft AC on KMPS (soon to be KSWD).

Wow. I did NOT see THAT coming. But I guess with whatever changes in ownership come new people and different ideas.

Still it is kinda sad. Not that I'm particularly a die-hard country fan. But 40 years is a few lifetimes for the typical station. But I didn't really see the point of owning two country stations flanking each other in Seattle because historically, it never worked for long. The itch to try something different is always too great (KMPS & KYCW in the late '90s didn't last long.)

But this playlist takes me back to dentist offices in the '90s. With, aside from Adele & Colbie Calliat, time appropriate, if mostly generic selections. "One Love" Bob Marley was a nice shakeup.

But still very weird hearing it on 94.1 after all these years...
 
I suspect the format of 102.9 will be moving to 96.5, as I heard a promo earlier saying that Alt was going away and redirecting listeners to 96.5.
 
This is turning into a major chess match, with some making some poor moves. If Alternative ends up at 96.5, it would be about the 8th or 9th format on that frequency. KXRX would probably be the closest cousin, but KXRX was more rock than alternative, and was extremely personality-driven. There was another close cousin in the mid early 2000's with KRQI, classic alternative? Bottom line, all these format and frequency changes are not good for listeners, and some backlash has and could continue to occur. On the other hand, fewer and fewer listeners even care. (as LBB intimated)
 
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ksradiogeek said:
Nothing regarding KUBE?
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KUBE calls seem to be toast, well in this market at least.

I honestly think that KUBE would've had a longer life if cook Inlet had not gone for a niche format in '92 with (c)rap and hip-hop, and evolve their adult friendly top 40 format to an AC instead. But that was 25 years ago...
 
If 'Alt' ends up on 96.5, it will be a ratings disaster. KNDD would burn them to toast. Just keep Jack in the house, they are doing just fine! 12 years, good ratings, no annoying morning zoos...
 
Not so fast Crain, I think Alt could do well at 96.5. With the recent launches by Entercom, I wonder if KNDD will abandon the AAA presentation they'ave had for a few years and go back to more of the way they were around 2010? I just got a CD with an aircheck of them as well as a bunch of other Seattle stations, and found that I didn't mind that presentation. I don't like them at all now though, I find them boring.
 
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