• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

WJZA Days Numbered?

J

Jazz_Kat

Looks like WJZA in Columbus, Ohio days may be numbered as they are most likely to flip to talk radio.

Courtesy of: http://www.radio-info.com/news/making-moves-monday-july-19-2010

Is a format flip to “FM talk” coming soon for Columbus, Ohio? Ohio Media Watch says the website domain names “1035FMTalkColumbus.com and 1043FMTalkColumbus.com,” stations owned by Saga Communications, were registered last week …
Click to expand...

WJZA is a BA station, but are live at midday and night time. (Trappman and Mike Roebuck)
 
File this in the mixed emotions "I could care less because it's a BA station, but there's still some sentimental value so I'm kinda sad" category. I remember when that station was top-notch and one of the best-sounding, locally programmed, smooth jazz stations in the nation, just a mere 9 or 10 years ago. I could care less about Oklahoma's station going off-air (see other thread), but when an old institution like Columbus Jazz folds, it's a bit sad.
 
I wonder if 103.5 and 104.3 will start simulcasting again, this time as a talk station? I was in Columbus this past winter and 104.3's signal was barely audible on the south side of the city where I stayed. Or perhaps they'll move 104.3 to talk and move the classic hits to 103.5. I don't know about now but when I was in Columbus 104.3 wasn't even broadcasting in stereo.
 
WJZA at 4:30 eastern changed formats to an 80's based greatest hits format and they are calling themselves Rewind 103-5 and 104-3. Yes, they are simulcasting both frequencies once again. I have the same mixed emotions as Interstate 78 stated. As the original programmer who put the station on the air and guided it for the first 12 years, we did a lot of things right. There was a great staff who knew what to do and made my job much easier. We were a good smooth jazz radio station and I want to say "Thanks" to everyone who made the ride possible. Knowing it was going away, I listened a lot the past few weeks and it was time. The BA product is not acceptable and to get that out of the market is almost worth the move itself. I also have a heavy heart knowing my show does not have a base in my home town but hopefully we can solve that problem in the next couple of weeks. Everything changes and everything ends and WJZA's time had come. Don't like the way it ended up but I'm very grateful for the opportunity to make some terrific radio along the way and I'm looking forward to what the future holds because in the end, the music and fan base are still very viable and there are some interesting experiments going on that will be well worth the listen.
 
Bill Harmonic said:
WJZA at 4:30 eastern changed formats to an 80's based greatest hits format and they are calling themselves Rewind 103-5 and 104-3. Yes, they are simulcasting both frequencies once again. I have the same mixed emotions as Interstate 78 stated. As the original programmer who put the station on the air and guided it for the first 12 years, we did a lot of things right. There was a great staff who knew what to do and made my job much easier. We were a good smooth jazz radio station and I want to say "Thanks" to everyone who made the ride possible. Knowing it was going away, I listened a lot the past few weeks and it was time. The BA product is not acceptable and to get that out of the market is almost worth the move itself. I also have a heavy heart knowing my show does not have a base in my home town but hopefully we can solve that problem in the next couple of weeks. Everything changes and everything ends and WJZA's time had come. Don't like the way it ended up but I'm very grateful for the opportunity to make some terrific radio along the way and I'm looking forward to what the future holds because in the end, the music and fan base are still very viable and there are some interesting experiments going on that will be well worth the listen.
Click to expand...

Well said, Bill. And I am sure your listeners appreciated what you did then, and what you are doing now. I certainly do. Change CAN be good, and in this case it is. The less of a stale product listeners are exposed to, the better. I was in Rehoboth Beach, DE, and Ocean City, MD, this past week tuning in to WQJZ, and I felt the same way. While WQJZ was never locally programmed, it was the first Smooth Jazz station I can HONESTLY say I "fell in love" with during the early days of Jones. The vibe of the station was perfect for the demo down there. Now, it's like watching a prize fighter step into the ring 15 years past his prime and being picked apart by a boxer half his age. It's sad, but it will only serve to accelerate the emergence of this format on Internet radio, which in the end, is a good thing.
 
It is is a nice dream to think that internet radio is going to solve all the problems and that a magical number of listeners are going to save the business. I want to see the audience start buying music again. I'm out there everyday and this summer has proven that the music business is truly broken and cannot find it's way yet. Concerts are a disaster and CDs aren't selling. Across the board-Not railing on SJ (or whatever it's called) Once corporations took over the music the end becomes slow and painful.
One internet station DJ told me David Benoits album is just off the charts-Constant calls to play it. OK but when I got my Soundscan report I see that nobody is buying the CD.
Success comes from generating revenue-Internet radio is not generating revenue for the artist. I get my BMI statements back from Internet radio play-one of my songs got 20,000 spins-I made about 35 cents from that. When I get my Sound exchange statement back The revenue was considerably more from subscription services.
We'll see how the future plays out but IMHO it's going to be a long time before we see a new paradigm take hold
 
I never said Internet radio would save "the business." But it can save "the genre." Save for donations from generous listeners, I have not made a single penny on my station. This will not be the measure of my success. You want to know why CDs aren't selling??? Because labels are still gouging listeners at $18.99 a clip, and listeners can now pull what they want at $.99 a song via ala carte digital downloads. I cannot tell you how many times I have been burned in the past paying $18.99 at Sam Goody for one stinking song on a CD. But I can tell you unequivocably that if I was not getting CD service, I would not be paying $18.99 for the full CDs, not a snowball's chance in hell. I want artists to survive, do well, and make the money they deserve for their art. But as an educated and discerning consumer who knows what he likes when he hears it, why should I drop $18.99 for a CD when I can spend $3-4.00 for the songs I really like from the album? Say what you want about digital downloads. I do not condone artists getting inadequately compensated for their work. But digital downloads have forced labels and artists to produce COMPLETE efforts in the studio, because listeners have more power than ever as consumers to choose what they want to listen to, how they listen, and how to spend their disposable income, and frankly, that's how it should be. GREED ruined the music industry and radio a long time ago---they have only themselves to blame.
 
Quote from: Bill Harmonic on July 30, 2010, 04:31:03 PM

WJZA at 4:30 eastern changed formats to an 80's based greatest hits format and they are calling themselves Rewind 103-5 and 104-3. Yes, they are simulcasting both frequencies once again. I have the same mixed emotions as Interstate 78 stated. As the original programmer who put the station on the air and guided it for the first 12 years, we did a lot of things right. There was a great staff who knew what to do and made my job much easier. We were a good smooth jazz radio station and I want to say "Thanks" to everyone who made the ride possible. Knowing it was going away, I listened a lot the past few weeks and it was time. The BA product is not acceptable and to get that out of the market is almost worth the move itself. I also have a heavy heart knowing my show does not have a base in my home town but hopefully we can solve that problem in the next couple of weeks. Everything changes and everything ends and WJZA's time had come. Don't like the way it ended up but I'm very grateful for the opportunity to make some terrific radio along the way and I'm looking forward to what the future holds because in the end, the music and fan base are still very viable and there are some interesting experiments going on that will be well worth the listen.

Jazz_Kat

Bill, thank you for all that you did there at WJZA. I listened as of late, and even listened Friday when Trappman was on, I had feeling that they might flipped Friday, but thought they would wait until Labor Day. Rewind said that they are going three weeks without stopping of music, (or something like that) with that being said, I don't know if this is the format they going with, I could be wrong though.

By the way, anyone have a copy of that new Kenny G cd booklet, where he thanks Allen for keeping the format going. You just lost another station boys.

AC, I know what mean about cd prices. The prices these days are crazy, but for those who live on a limit budget and espically these days. Not many folks can plop down 15 to 20 dollars for 30 to 45 or in some cases at most an hour worths of music.
 
So people can't put sown $15 for a CD but can pay to see a totally crappy movie with when you buy popcorn,soda etc puts you back $25? If you see a movie in Ny that's $25 admission. You can download music on Amazon fairly cheaply. You can get many Cds for $7.99 and under as downloads. I do believe there are lousy CDs out there but there is so much music out there that is a great value. No it's not SJ but I recently bought a present for a friend-It was a copy of Kind of Blue and it costs me $7. That is an amazing deal for a CD can listen to 1000 times.
As far as Kenny G's comment on AK-who ever said Kenny was ahead of the curve? I heard his new Cd which unfortunately to me sounds like a total piece of s..t. Maybe AK talked him into making this CD so he could try and save whatever is left of his fallen empire.
BTW-If you want to hear what absolutely amazing Contemporary jazz was back in the 70's-2 Cds or Downloads you need to pick up are
White Rabbit-George Benson
High Energy by Freddie Hubbard
exceptional music
 
So what can we all do to encourage people to buy albums? Or is it too late? My connection at Kutztown Radio tells me that most artists they interview say that while people may not be buying CD's at record stores, they still are buying them at concerts and that concerts continue to sell out.
 
I've read quite a few of the postings and all I can say is, what a load of $hit. Honestly, this is not about Kenny G or the producers or anything else. This is really about the loss of the only Jazz station that Columbus had. Let's focus here!

I actually heard the change of the radio station's format. I'm sure they thought it was cute to have that montage of songs with "the end" in their lyrics, but I think it's bull$hit. That's great, that's all Columbus needs is one MORE friggin' station that plays 80s and 90s songs. At first there was a dearth of those stations, sure 94.7 or 93.3 would throw in a great 80s or 90s song once every 40th or 50th song, but most of their music remained the kind of mediocre crap they've always played like Kenny Loggins and Bryan Adams. But now, unless I'm missing one, we have 3 stations dedicated to that kind of music (80s/90s). I'm a big fan of REM, the B52s, etc. etc. but even I am eventually going to get tired of hearing them.

I read Bill Harmonic's post stating that WJZA wasn't fresh and it was time for it to end. Oh really, Bill? Now, where the he!! am I supposed to get my jazz fix? You're a knucklehead. In my opinion, it's better to have a jazz station (though not up to, apparently, YOUR standard) then not have one at all. You think it's better to have multiple stations of the same stuff? Oh wait, maybe we need ONE more talk radio station. I'd rather listen to f****** static!

So, now what? I have power up my PC just to hear some jazz? Just another example of Columbus screwing up a good thing. If Columbus ever wants to grow up and be a "Big City" it needs to get some REAL radio stations!!
 
Relax dude. Buy a satellite radio and listen to Watercolors, Channel 71. Problem solved. Yeah, it'll cost you 12 bucks a month, but that's the price of a pizza. Don't buy pizza one day, and you've got 31 days of stellar music. Problem solved. Smooth jazz on terrestrial radio is unfortunately dead. Don't blame Bill for thinking the way he thinks. Using the pizza analogy, I'd rather have no pizza at all than some horrible tasting, moldy, burned, doughy pizza. WJZA was horrible tasting, moldy, burned, doughy jazz. Internet stations like The .wav or satellite stations if you want to be more mobile, are great pizza. And actually, you CAN listen to The .wav when mobile. On your phone.
 
Look, I am sad for those in Columbus and every other city that lost Smooth Jazz on the FM dial. I lost my station over two years ago, and we all have our own Smooth Jazz terrestrial radio sob stories. But Interstate 78 is right. Please save the personal attacks for the guys who really could care less about this format's survival. Bill cares. So do I. So does Interstate 78, and ALL of the other regular posters on this forum. It sounds like you're a passionate guy. Use that passion to find alternative outlets for your music. Listeners who like this music have more viable choices for programming than they ever had if you look beyond the FM dial.
 
Hey JazzisDeadinCols...

Take a pill and chill will you. You don't think I'm upset too but the reality is that what they (the network) were putting out was not an acceptable product and with a little work you can find many other sources to get your fix. At one time I programmed the original Columbus jazz radio station (WBBY) back in the day and started WJZA so if you had what I've invested in that format in this city then you would have the right to go off but don't sit on the sidelines and shout, especially at me (Knucklehead indeed). If you don't like the situation then be the change you want to see and do something about it. I understand there's been a LOT of e-mails into the station feeling the same way you do and no, I'm not a fan of the same old thing. In fact that's one of terrestial radio's BIG problems but I just would rather not listen (f****** static) than support sub par product on any level with any format. I understand you more than you might give me credit for but you need to put on your big kid pants and get on with it. I would be glad to talk with you at any time but focus is not the problem. You can find all my contact information on my website and that's www.harmoniclounge.com. I look forward to the conversation!
 
All you have to know is that NYC has no Jazz station-WBGO is NPR and is basically straight ahead. although Marion McPartland Piano jazz is a great show. In the 1970's we had WRVR-it was a true state of mind-So strong and vibrant playing the best contemporary jazz. Then it changed to country then we got CD101 which was also an excellent station until their priorities got twisted.When NYC loses a jazz station the rest of the country couldn't have been far behind
 
It's been a while since I've posted, just been sitting back watching the dominoes fall. Big surprise about the Ohio station. I'm still in shock about our Detroit station being blown out. Haven't listened to WJZA online in a while and I'm surprised as well to know they had local hosts midday and nights? I thought they were totally BA. SJ stations don't have anyone to fire these days normally. Hey "Phil" Harmonic. Sorry to hear about that but I'm sure you can roll over to their AC. It's too easy and they can grab fans of your show and move them over. I've heard you on AC Tone's station and it rocks. Several companies that had AC stations and SJ stations in the same market moved SJ stuff over to the AC when SJ got blown out. Keeping my fingers crossed for you!
 
I just have to stick with my Smooth Jazz through my internet radio receiver.The KMGQ 106.3 stream has the same satellite programming as WJZA once did.
 
OHIODEAL said:
I just have to stick with my Smooth Jazz through my internet radio receiver.The KMGQ 106.3 stream has the same satellite programming as WJZA once did.
Click to expand...

KMGQ is fine if you like BA satellite programming. Have you tried out KYSJ in Coos Bay, WXJZ in Gainesville, and WSJW in Starview? If you enjoy good smooth jazz, I think you might enjoy these a little more. 8) Happy listening!
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom