WKTZ in Jax - Missed Opportunity?

John FL · Jun 14, 2014

I’ve enjoyed reading about and actually listening to streaming of Standards format WGMA & WBXY from the Gainesville/Ocala/The Villages. I can’t help but think of Jacksonville’s WKTZ. I also consider formats such as “The Dove” in Tampa and similar that are a softer version AC. Often times, these formats represent a deviation from a lot of sameness.

I don’t believe WKTZ performs optimally and I strongly believe the beautiful music format keeps them back. Discounting listening outside of Jacksonville, a relatively small number of local people actually support the station via donations based on what has been reported. For those 10, 15, 20 years younger than a typical WKTZ listener, they would certainly represent the future and it’s also obvious they are under-served in this market.

Jacksonville is a unique animal. We have a beautiful music format on a non-commercial FM and one of a very few remaining and then there is everything else commercially. Talk about a leap of one extreme to another. That leap is in decades leaving behind a soundtrack of songs and artists that are not featured anywhere in Jacksonville. Couldn’t/Shouldn’t WKTZ fill that void?

I’m confident, there would be more business support and there would be a larger local audience as well. Many of our traditions are going away and it’s rather refreshing to see Jones College dedication in keeping a 50 year tradition alive in Jacksonville. But in this case, tradition can be simply be updated to include soft hit music that is popular among a much more age-diverse listener to remain viable. Clearly, that has to increase odds for long term success.

Commercially, the market is missing a Greatest Hits/pop retro type station as well as an alternative to the current AC that is softer and has a more consistent sound like a WDUV. There doesn’t seem to be a rush to fill the programming holes. WKTZ can help fill a void. Maybe someone in the radio community can make the case to them. It makes total sense to me.

bclark71. · Jun 17, 2014

WKTZ is an odd bird indeed. I admire their dedication to the standards format. How I wish commercial radio was half as dedicated!

I agree that WKTZ should “generation shift” as their listening audience ages (and, let’s face it, dwindles). Just as I have said before, oldies stations should have done the same. If it was advertiser-friendly to play music from 1965 in 1985, then shouldn’t it have been OK to play music from 1985 in 2005? 1995 in 2015? Instead, so many oldies stations played the same 150 songs from 1964-74 until the demo aged out and the stations were forced to flip.

WKTZ will have to age forward sometime. Wouldn't it make more sense to do it gradually?

John FL · Jun 18, 2014

Your points are well taken regarding former oldies formats. We can say the same thing about a number of other formats in Jacksonville that have come and gone with a stale playlist as part of the reason.

However, on the subject of WKTZ, I believe the time is now for them to make a bold move. Unfortunately, we don’t see the full or even true ratings picture in Jacksonville. I have my observations, assumptions and comments from listeners both directly and in reading social media radio sites.

The CHR format, for example, has changed over the years and I reported this years ago. I hear WAPE, for example, in a number of businesses where traditionally AC has ruled. Their FB page isn’t all teens. There are the moms too and I find that interesting. 97.9 appears to be the more teen-oriented station from what I can tell.

I bring this up because AC WEJZ finds itself in a probable difficult situation. They can no longer go through the motions. They probably have to fight a little harder for their P1s. There is no doubt they have had to advance the music and depart from some tradition as well. This would naturally cause certain listeners to no longer feel comfortable. Here in lies the opportunity for someone if WKTZ cannot see the writing on the wall.

A little while back, many of us were getting rather excited in thinking a “WFEZ” would be coming to Jacksonville. I was absolutely convinced a softer AC was in the offering for Jax because Cox had done so well with the format. It also exceeded 25-54 expectations. I was also convinced Cox needed to add more females to their cluster. That didn’t happen. It’s becoming obvious WAPE was being protected at all costs. The station is probably doing well among moms of teens and they didn’t want anything to interfere with that. At least, that is my theory. Plus this market is notorious for offering formats to spoil it for the other guy.

When Clear Channel killed Magic 107.3, they created a huge programming hole in the market if you consider everything I have said above. With a wider, more diverse CHR audience and with subsequent changes that have occurred at the AC level, there has to be a feeling among certain listeners, especially female in upper 25-54 that they have to settle for perhaps country or probably classic rock hits because they don’t have anything else.

Jack FM, the replacement, is not necessary in the market because it does not satisfy that displaced audience. It's in the fray with so many other stations going for the same audience. There is also considerable music overlap. Miami scrapped the format. I hope Jax does the same. We’ll see.

A WKTZ is in a perfect position to modernize their sound so the 40 and 50 somethings will find them, pull them in and listen. I believe long range that move will prove more economically viable because I’m convinced they would earn increased local business sponsorship because there would be more listeners who could be sold. There would be some flak from some listeners. But if they took a slightly older WDUV approach, believe it would be a win-win for them.

If that doesn’t happen, I still maintain Jack FM is the weakest link in the CC Cluster. Lightning doesn’t always strike twice in radio. CBS radio made a huge mistake a number of years ago when they replaced WCBS FM with Jack. They came to their senses. And so many of us keep waiting for CC to admit their error too. But, seriously WKTZ can’t remain as they are especially given how often they are begging for money. The audience is dying and are on too tight a budget. Why they don’t seem to get that, I don’t have a clue.

It's going to take a radio person to convince them or make the case commercially. CC, for example, has enjoyed tremendous success with WOLL, technically an AC but they act like a Greatest Hits format. Lots of things are possible if someone is willing to make changes.

John FL · Jun 18, 2014

BClark71, I am a stickler for accuracy and I’d like to clarify one of your points regarding the years oldies station should have played music. A lot of it has to do with overall sound. In 1985, oldies station did play 1965. They also played the 50’s and they even went as recent as the early 70’s back then to around 1974 as you point out.

The kind of songs offered from the early 70’s actually sounded like they could have come from the 60’s. The 50’s satisfied the older set at that time and they stuck with the station. Plus, in the 80’s, 50’s music was only 30 years old anyway.

Classic Hits is a format that seems to “get away” more with featuring music that was popular before a good number of their listeners were even born. It takes the right programmer, the right management and the right company to create the proper and viable balance. A classic hits station today should not actively be featuring 20 year old music because their success is standing out from a lot of sameness. That sweet spot is still from the mid/late 70’s through the 80’s. There is a very careful “add” of some very early 90’s titles on a very limited basis. I am one who does not believe in song lines of year demarcation. A great song is a great song..it's the sound that determines a lot.

Yesterday, I was in the car quite a bit. I heard many hours of SiriusXM and I was locked into the 70’s on 7 channel. The songs were all so awesome. It’s safe to say at least 60% of what I heard is not aired in Jacksonville. It was probably even more if you don't count Adult R&B. A lot of what I heard forms a great foundation to a really good, variety based classic hits station. Then there is music testing.

While I can appreciate music testing and the reality of not featuring stiffs, the problem is two-fold. One is that they are demo specific. That typical 45 year old is going to like the songs that are already featured on multiple stations. It takes a lot of work and creativity to interpret the results from that music test and to expand on that to build a product that isn’t cookie-cutter but more unique.
Remember too, Jacksonville has not had the benefit of a heritage classic hits station so there is a lot of unfamiliarity to songs that are well known and well received elsewhere.

The other night I spent a number of hours looking at WCBS FM’s programming over the last few weeks. I was very fascinated and delighted too in what I saw. A great deal of the music is along pop lines from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. There were SiriusXM 70’s and 80’s type tunes in the mix that add to the variety. I walked away realizing they are still doing a great job being as close to mass appeal for the nostalgia crowd across a wide spectrum of age as possible.

There was an occasional early 90’s tune thrown in. I wasn’t familiar with most so I listened on YouTube. Again, when all the right ingredients come together, it’s amazing what can work. The songs did not sound out of place even among 60’s and early 70’s tunes.
The bottom line is simply this. Whether we are talking about an updated WKTZ to the owner or we’re speaking about the return of Greatest Hits to Jacksonville, bias and stereotype get in the way of the possibilities. The WCBS FM’s of the world are positioning themselves for the future. The music averages 25 to even 50 years old. Beatles features still happen each Wednesday. At night, they do a full hour of 80’s at 8. Something I wanted Magic 107.3 to do but they didn’t. Even with Magic's 70's feature, here was a perfect opportunity to "reacquaint" the Jax audience with songs they may have forgotten. If they are stiffs, they no longer get played. It happens all the time but it keeps things fresh. I'm only talking of 1 or 2 songs in that hour anyway. That's where the right talent comes into play as well.

Long answer I know. My frustration is real. It takes the right owner and management team and everything else in between to make this all possible. It does exist elsewhere and listeners should count their blessings they live in a radio market that actually has some format variety. We can do better than elevator music to the jump to Aerosmith, Phil Collins, Bon Jovi, Boston,Led Zepplin, Eagles, Pat Benatar, Heart and even Lynyrd Skynyrd day in and day out. These artists are great but there is so much more to a true classic hits station than just that, so much more to music than just that. I keep hoping someone who is empowered in radio can begin to see all the music overlap and sameness is actually creating demand for something different. I will always be optimistic we will see changes in Jacksonville in the adult offerings.

bclark71. · Jun 18, 2014

JohnJax said:
BClark71, I am a stickler for accuracy and I’d like to clarify one of your points regarding the years oldies station should have played music. A lot of it has to do with overall sound. In 1985, oldies station did play 1965. They also played the 50’s and they even went as recent as the early 70’s back then to around 1974 as you point out.

The kind of songs offered from the early 70’s actually sounded like they could have come from the 60’s. The 50’s satisfied the older set at that time and they stuck with the station. Plus, in the 80’s, 50’s music was only 30 years old anyway.

Exactly right! My example of Fox 97 Atlanta played everything from "Peggy Sue" to "Rock the Boat." From 1985 to 89, they were actually AC and included oldies, but in 89 dropped all currents. Then the playlist tightened (instead of shifted) as the 90s wore on and the 2000s dawned. By the end, it was called "Good times and EIGHT oldies."

John FL · Jun 21, 2014

John FL · Jun 21, 2014

John FL · Jun 22, 2014

I slept on this and thought some final comments were in order to tie it all together. The subject is supposed to be WKTZ and I don’t believe we are too far off course. While it’s noble to not compromise one’s values or beliefs, it’s quite possible updates can be made that represent commitment to certain genres of music such as softer hits.

Realistically, I don’t believe WKTZ under the current ownership would make a leap from their beautiful music format to greatest hits. However, soft, popular music such as what Jacksonville experienced in the very short life of The Dove I believe is a perfect fit. Beyond any doubt, that approach would help them attract a more viable audience. That would translate into increased business participation because it’s an audience that could be a sold a bit better than currently. Importantly as well, Jacksonville does not offer a Soft AC so WKTZ could in effect fill that programming hole.

As far as the Top 500 countdown from WCBS-FM, it’s important to remember they offer many more songs than what was featured. This was a listener voted list or that is the supposition. A great deal has changed over the years as one would expect. There are no doubt regional preferences that surface and it’s reasonable to say the songs presented test well in the NYC market. I've been an advocate for the format that truly is the soundtrack for Jacksonville.

I mentioned Hot 106.5 briefly in an earlier post. For a good number of years, a research panel I used representing typical classic hits listeners consistently favored CBS Radio’s WOGL over a number of leading stations. The reason was fairly simple. Typical 45+ listeners thought there was a good representation of music and they liked the R&B lean because it was a departure from the rock lean of so many Adult offerings in Jax. It would be a station they would listen to among the 5-6 they do.

When Clear Channel gave us Greatest Hits Magic 107.3, there was some Motown, Soul/R&B but not as much or as deep as WOGL. Interestingly, JoJo from sister Urban AC V101.5 eventually did weeknights. Via FB, I noticed he attracted some listeners from V101.5. Unfortunately, he was never utilized correctly. I always thought there was a disconnect with the music. Still, it showed me the minority audience can be a part of a greatest hits format. It's the case of a number of CBS Radio Greatest Hits formats. I think even CC's WTMI makes minority inroads. We’ll never know but perhaps a Magic 107.3 may have even offered a little protection for a new challenger such as Hot 106.5 from entering the market.

Clear Channel unfortunately was premature and hasty in abandoning the format. They seem to give up quickly. I believe Greatest Hits was a stronger link and could have programmed effectively against a competitor. I never considered Magic competition to Eagle. There are two different and distinct audiences. Sadly, they gave up the fight just as they did with Planet 107.3. They apparently didn’t believe their own press releases citing their new, young greatest hits format that had potential for growth.

Clear Channel takes a cookie-approach to things in many formats. It’s not what Jacksonville deserves. Today, a WOGL type station in their cluster would be very unlikely and really no longer necessary. That time has passed since the market now has Hot 106.5. As I see it, a WCBS-FM approach probably makes the most sense. Lots of variety and not 90’s intensive as Jack FM. Instead of a rock or an R&B lean, I see a pop music lean similar to what is found on SiriusXM in the 70’s and 80’s. That’s another programming hole in the market.

I’ve thought about more times you can shake a stick at. The only move that can fill this programming hole is replacing Jack FM with a WCBS FM type station. I don’t see the format anywhere else, if it is to return to Jacksonville. Clear Channel's senior management no doubt don't agree with my view.