WLOQ new PD

[AnotherCat]

Surprised nobody has commented on this. WLOQ brought in a new PD late last week - Ken Jones, who was the PD at San Francisco's heritage KKSF during its last days as a smooth jazz station. Over the past year LOQ, like a lot of stations, had moved away from contemporary instrumentals and the genre stars to playing a mix of cover songs, lite R&B, and A/C-oldie vocals...they took a real ratings hit in the process. Most SJ stations in this situation jump to Lite/Smooth A/C like WSJT has done but LOQ has a heritage loyalty to contemporary instrumental music, SJT already gets into the market with Smooth A/C (basically upper demo urban A/C), and it doesn't seem like Jones would move across the country to play Phil Collins, Toni Braxton, and old Motown? Jones is older and programmed the traditional approach so could they move toward more smooth jazz, although probably still skewing older and staying "smooth and relaxing" as KKSF did at the end. Or might they put some life (entertainment and energy) in it? Thoughts?


BTW I wish Paul Cross, the previous PD, the best..while the direction the station took was questionable given the heritage and the market it is what was going on nationally and PDs have to do what management tells them to do..and so it goes..

 

[billalm]

WSJT in Tampa Bay doesn't have a direct 24/7, full market FM signal urban adult contemporary competitor like WLOQ does. This allows WSJT to skew more in that direction. I think if WLOQ goes too much urban, they'll lose their core listeners without gaining much. Star 94.5 is really strong with that audience. If I were running WLOQ, I'd skew more vocals but target those listeners displaced by Magic 107.7... which is much harder these days than it used to be. I'd especially target Magic during middays since they run John Tesh.

 

[Parttimer]

The problem with the format now is that it's one of the lowest-billing formats out there. It used to be a cash cow.

 

[AnotherCat]

Here's the thing though. The format lost its traction and its audience when, starting about 10 years ago, it began to move away from original instrumental music and jazz flavored adult alternative vocals and began playing a lot of 20-40 year old A/C and Urban A/C oldies and instrumental versions of same (B/EZ with sax instead of violins). With the oldies format crashing and burning at the same time It seemed rather self destructive that any format would adopt a similar approach but the SJ format did and it took them to the same place the oldies format had gone before - oblivion. It's easy to blame the music for the failure of the format but the format quit playing the appealing and exciting segment of the music years ago..and that's when the audience began to grey, go away or both

 

[Parttimer]

Agreed 100%... and probably a lot of that came from music tests that came back "unfamiliar" and someone thought this was the fix. I was an avid LOQ listener in the 90s when I lived in Orlando, and they played Sanborn, Ritenour, The Rippingtons, Bob James, Al Jarreau, Fourplay, Earl Klugh, Stanley Jordan, lots of great stuff.

I read a trade mag interview once with the original KKSF PD and he said "We have a group prayer every day for a new Steely Dan album." That was always the battle, pleasing the core audience and keeping it broad enough to attract A/C listeners.

It also didn't help that the record industry bailed on a lot of these artists. Not sure, though, if that's a chicken-and-egg thing where their sales dried up as radio quit playing them.

 

[Bill Harmonic]

Question...if Ken Jones is the new PD at WLOQ, why are they running an ad for a new PD that was dated Tuesday June 8th at 10:52am?

"Legendary NAC radio station, Smooth 103.1 WLOQ-FM, Orlando, FL has a rare job opening for Program Director. We are looking for a proven and experienced (ten years minimum) music programmer/music strategist who can program well beyond “in-the-box” NAC.

We are looking for an innovative and strategic music specialist who understands how to use both perceptual and music research, has expert Selector skills, and can market WLOQ’s unique sound over the air, on-line, on-site, and through the use of other mediums. Leadership of WLOQ’s annualized event platforms, music programming and imaging skills are also essential to this position, as are the people skills necessary to coach and manage WLOQ-FM’s talented team of on-air professionals.

Please forward all resumes (with cover letters) to Co-Owner/General Manager, John Gross. . . NO phone calls please.

Gross Communications Corporation (WLOQ-FM) is an equal opportunity employer and encourages qualified candidates of all races, gender, color and religion to apply."

 

[I4Radio]

Ken Jones is listed as PD on the WLOQ website:

http://www.wloq.com/Contactus.aspx

Stating the obvious...WLOQ's glory days have long passed by.

In my honest opinion the inner turmoil at WLOQ is what immediately ties any Program Director's hands. The bickering and backstabbing/fighting between the family members and in my opinion lunatic owners like Herb and Margaret Gross (the craziest broadcast owners I ever had the displeasure of encountering) making decisions is only one of the reasons any PD that enters the place is doomed from the start. Cross/Lavoie was chosen IMHO because of his automation experience and he was cheap. He trimmed staff for the owners and made the automation fly. But...he was caught up in that web of bickering between The Family IMHO. Ken Marks saw the writing on the wall and hit the ejection seat handle. The place is barely a reflection of what it once was...the days speaks about. with that stated...WLOQ's numbers have always been around 3.5 to a max of 4.0 12+ (some spikes in Winter books over the course of time) and this was during the glory days of SJ. It never needed numbers to sell...for as stated previously it was a cash cow...but, times changed and ownership tinkered and numbers became more crucial and now the place is in the position it is in. A year ago, when they had better 12+ numbers...I believe there was an active external marketing campaign being done...but, now I see nothing. Best of luck to the new guy...he will probably find it extremely frustrating in the not so distant future. You have to wonder will either AM and or PM drive be changed by the new PD.

 

[AnotherCat]

Maybe Jones is just there to hold down the fort, or maybe he encountered the above situation and ran for it. Was that job posting there to recruit someone or scare everyone off since if one person is gonna do all that they better have a killer support staff. I know someone who is immensely qualified for that job....and he has posted here.

 

[smartestguyintheroom]

Their EEO posting is too obvious happening after the position was filled. No matter though, if they don't get WLOQ on the right path for PPM (ala KTWV/LA) the Gross family willbe in for an even more rude awakening as the station dies before their very eyes. Always thought families who own radio stations should not run them, the Mays, the Dickeys, The Grosses, the Frischlings, the Rendas, the Beasleys, etc. Hire professionals to do it, sit back, avoid the stress and make even more money.

 

[Bill Harmonic]

EEO posting after the fact is an understatement...this just in from All Access...

WLOQ Hands Programming Duties To Ken Jones

GROSS COMMUNICATIONS Smooth Jazz WLOQ/ORLANDO names KEN JONES as PD. JONES previously programmed the now defunct Smooth Jazz KKSF/SAN FRANCISCO.

 

[sound explorer]

Well, they have to play music that people like

 

[wondorlandohits]

Gross family is very lucky. Luck has ended now that they have killed the golden goose. My programming advice would be to get back on the original track that brought success. You are very small fish in an ever growing pond.

 

[jazzbo]

'LOQ has sucked out loud since Huntington left the station a zillion years ago. The latest "Smooth" incarnation is lame, lame lame. WLOQ should return to its heritage smooth jazz roots ASAP, especially since everyone else has been moving away toawrds this smooth crapola. They'll be seen as being ahead of the curve and feted as pure geniuses.

You read it here first.

 

[Dick Skinner]

'LOQ has sucked out loud since Huntington left the station a zillion years ago. The latest "Smooth" incarnation is lame, lame lame. WLOQ should return to its heritage smooth jazz roots ASAP, especially since everyone else has been moving away toawrds this smooth crapola. They'll be seen as being ahead of the curve and feted as pure geniuses.

You read it here first.

Great post, Jazzbo.

 

[davideduardo]

'LOQ has sucked out loud since Huntington left the station a zillion years ago. The latest "Smooth" incarnation is lame, lame lame. WLOQ should return to its heritage smooth jazz roots ASAP, especially since everyone else has been moving away toawrds this smooth crapola. They'll be seen as being ahead of the curve and feted as pure geniuses.

You read it here first.

Great post, Jazzbo.

Yes, it is always excellent when a station is "advised" to return to a style which was getting unsalable demos and costing the station revenue.

 

[Parttimer]

Yes, it is always excellent when a station is "advised" to return to a style which was getting unsalable demos and costing the station revenue.

Isn't that what this board is all about? (see the various "someone-needs-to-go-Urban" discussions on the Pittsburgh section...).

 

[AN-OPINION]

It is always excellent when a person who is NOT part of a market and has no understanding of what the day to day dynamics are and expresses a viewpoint from afar like you do David. You spout off opinions all over this R-I site in markets you are not part of. You sure as Hell have a lot of free time to be doing so. Just because you have family in the Orlando does not mean you have an understanding.

In my opinion WLOQ's revenue took a hit AFTER family members ceased control from one another via the court system. Another major hit happens when they lose their GM (Ken Marks) who had been SM for years to a cluster in the market,

Post above by Jazzbo is correct. Huntington was probably the best. Dave Kosh found his hands tied by the owner Herb and was in daily battles with him which ended up in court. IMHO the place is a loony bin and time has caught up with all of the players involved.

An example of the craziness:

http://orlando.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2005/04/11/story4.html

 

[davideduardo]

It is always excellent when a person who is NOT part of a market and has no understanding of what the day to day dynamics are and expresses a viewpoint from afar like you do David. You spout off opinions all over this R-I site in markets you are not part of. You sure as Hell have a lot of free time to be doing so. Just because you have family in the Orlando does not mean you have an understanding.

Bravo. Shoot the messenger. Sophocles would be proud.

A person does not have to live at a place to understand it. This has been demonstrated time and time again. How about that Georga native Yarborough who took LA by storm with KHJ with the aid of that Hawaiian guy, Jacobs? I could go on and on, but I have heard the "this market (station) is different" so many times that the phrase goes way beyond cliché status.

The real issue behind the control and change at the station was the ageing demos in an increasingly transactional market.

 

[jazzbo]

It is always excellent when a person who is NOT part of a market and has no understanding of what the day to day dynamics are and expresses a viewpoint from afar like you do David. You spout off opinions all over this R-I site in markets you are not part of. You sure as Hell have a lot of free time to be doing so. Just because you have family in the Orlando does not mean you have an understanding.

Bravo. Shoot the messenger. Sophocles would be proud.

A person does not have to live at a place to understand it. This has been demonstrated time and time again. How about that Georga native Yarborough who took LA by storm with KHJ with the aid of that Hawaiian guy, Jacobs? I could go on and on, but I have heard the "this market (station) is different" so many times that the phrase goes way beyond cliché status.

The real issue behind the control and change at the station was the ageing demos in an increasingly transactional market.

I dunno about that; I worked there for a few years back in the late 80's/early 90s time frame; the people showing up for our events back then (when Steve had been programming the station for about a year) was skewing younger on a regular basis. The number of Yuppie listeners had grown dramaticlaly by '93.

Naturally, SJ will never be a consistent top 5 numbers grabber 12+, but done right and with a careful mix of AAA-type music (ala Church/Huntington), the numbers for the money listeners would be fairly regular.

My opinion only, your mileage can and likely will vary.

 

[davideduardo]

I dunno about that; I worked there for a few years back in the late 80's/early 90s time frame; the people showing up for our events back then (when Steve had been programming the station for about a year) was skewing younger on a regular basis. The number of Yuppie listeners had grown dramaticlaly by '93.

The problem is that the forty-something listener in the early 90's is today's sixty-something, and there has really not been a replacement audience evident. In a ratings driven market (how many market rank positions has Orlando stepped up by since 1990?) that represents a virtually unsalable audience for those who buy by the numbers.

Naturally, SJ will never be a consistent top 5 numbers grabber 12+, but done right and with a careful mix of AAA-type music (ala Church/Huntington), the numbers for the money listeners would be fairly regular.

While there are some local accounts that really look at qualitative data, cost per rating point is the generally used metric for radio buys. And, in the sales demos, we don't seem to have any top 10 SJ stations at all, while most have flipped format or, like the first of them all, KTWV in LA, have moved to an AC variant in hopes of appealing to more of an under 55 audience.

By the way, I love your "it's an opinion" line! That indicates an open attitude to different points of view, and that is what makes for good discussion.