|
|
Post by daniel on Dec 23, 2009 23:08:46 GMT -5
WNWV "The Wave" to flip format from smooth jazz to adult album alternative
By Julie Washington, The Plain Dealer
December 23, 2009, 8:50PM
By Julie E. Washington Plain Dealer Reporter
WNWV "The Wave" is going "Boom!"
The locally owned FM station, based in Elyria, is waving goodbye to its smooth-jazz format and its nickname, "The Wave." Instead, it will play Adult Album Alternative music, called Triple A in the radio business, and bill itself as "107.3 Boom!," according to Lonnie Gronek, vice president and general manager of Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting, which owns WNWV.
An announcement about the exact date of the changeover could appear on WNWV's Web site later this month or in January, he said. Fans of Kenny G and Dave Koz will be able to hear their style of smooth jazz on the station's HD frequency, streamed on wnwv.com.
Some on-air hosts, such as morning man Mike Kessler, are expected to stay, while others will be replaced with new talent, Gronek said.
"The Wave" is abandoning the format after 22 years because of a newcomer to town -- Portable People Meters, or PPMs.
For decades, Arbitron Inc., the main radio ratings company, gathered information in weekly logs filled out by a selected pool of listeners. In 2007, Arbitron rolled out the PPM, a pager-sized device that electronically records what the person is listening to. A hub, or collector, uploads the information each night via a modem.
People meters give broadcasters a more precise look at what listeners hear, said Jessica Benbow, corporate communication manager for Arbitron. The company plans to gradually introduce PPMs in the top 49 markets by next year, Benbow said.
Findings from markets that already have it -- including New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix and San Diego -- are shaking up the radio industry. Oldies, news and country stations are showing audience growth under the new system, according to a recent New York Times article.
Some Spanish-language stations' ratings fell so sharply that concerned broadcasters testified before a congressional committee this month, protesting that the PPM system discriminates against minority audiences, according to the article.
PPM measurements also hit smooth-jazz broadcasters hard. Stations in New York, Houston, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Chicago have abandoned the format, according to Tom Taylor, executive news editor at Radio-Info, a Chicago-based Web site that covers the radio industry.
Arbitron tested PPMs in Cleveland in the fall. Starting this month, the PPM numbers will determine ratings and how much broadcasters can charge for advertising.
Preliminary PPM statistics showed that smooth-jazz listeners average in their mid-50s, 10 years older than the average radio listener in Cleveland, Gronek said. Advertisers generally want to reach a younger demographic group.
"We know what's coming our way," he said. "Smooth jazz is not sustainable under this new methodology."
He declined to say whether he thinks PPMs are accurately counting WNWV's audience.
Smooth jazz also has declined because the genre's artists are touring more and recording less, meaning fewer new songs for airplay, Gronek said.
WNWV listeners will hear a wide variety of music after the format flip to Triple A. Its staff -- led by new program director Rick Bennett -- will compile a diverse play list of new and classic rock, folk, blues and great music listeners haven't heard in a while, Gronek said.
"This station will sound very independent," he said.
Cleveland's only other Triple A station is the noncommercial WAPS FM/91.3 "The Summit," run by the Akron public schools. Elyria Lorain Broadcasting has another Triple A station in Norwalk, Ohio. I'm not sure if this is totally because of Arbitron's new methodology... I think where the format failed was adding tons of A/C product in an attempt to make the format more "mass appeal", and obviously most programmers don't "get" how this should be done. I'm not name-dropping, but I used to work with the program director of the Jazz station in San Diego. Mike took KIFM to #1 in adults 25-54 for many, many books and in their first book with the PPM's (Alluded to as the cause for WNWV's demise in the above article) KIFM was 5th in the 12+ demographic, and 6th in adults 25-54. (I suspect they did better with women 25-54, but the article I found did not have that much of a breakdown) My point is... if you "get" the format, you can program it very well so it will please the jazz audience AND the more casual Lite Rock-A/C listener. Obviously there aren't many programmers that DO "get it" given the almost total death of the format. |
|
|
|
Post by Dawn on Dec 24, 2009 0:12:39 GMT -5
WNWV "The Wave" to flip format from smooth jazz to adult album alternative
By Julie Washington, The Plain Dealer
December 23, 2009, 8:50PM
By Julie E. Washington Plain Dealer Reporter
WNWV "The Wave" is going "Boom!"
The locally owned FM station, based in Elyria, is waving goodbye to its smooth-jazz format and its nickname, "The Wave." Instead, it will play Adult Album Alternative music, called Triple A in the radio business, and bill itself as "107.3 Boom!," according to Lonnie Gronek, vice president and general manager of Elyria-Lorain Broadcasting, which owns WNWV.
An announcement about the exact date of the changeover could appear on WNWV's Web site later this month or in January, he said. Fans of Kenny G and Dave Koz will be able to hear their style of smooth jazz on the station's HD frequency, streamed on wnwv.com.
Some on-air hosts, such as morning man Mike Kessler, are expected to stay, while others will be replaced with new talent, Gronek said.
"The Wave" is abandoning the format after 22 years because of a newcomer to town -- Portable People Meters, or PPMs.
For decades, Arbitron Inc., the main radio ratings company, gathered information in weekly logs filled out by a selected pool of listeners. In 2007, Arbitron rolled out the PPM, a pager-sized device that electronically records what the person is listening to. A hub, or collector, uploads the information each night via a modem.
People meters give broadcasters a more precise look at what listeners hear, said Jessica Benbow, corporate communication manager for Arbitron. The company plans to gradually introduce PPMs in the top 49 markets by next year, Benbow said.
Findings from markets that already have it -- including New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix and San Diego -- are shaking up the radio industry. Oldies, news and country stations are showing audience growth under the new system, according to a recent New York Times article.
Some Spanish-language stations' ratings fell so sharply that concerned broadcasters testified before a congressional committee this month, protesting that the PPM system discriminates against minority audiences, according to the article.
PPM measurements also hit smooth-jazz broadcasters hard. Stations in New York, Houston, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Chicago have abandoned the format, according to Tom Taylor, executive news editor at Radio-Info, a Chicago-based Web site that covers the radio industry.
Arbitron tested PPMs in Cleveland in the fall. Starting this month, the PPM numbers will determine ratings and how much broadcasters can charge for advertising.
Preliminary PPM statistics showed that smooth-jazz listeners average in their mid-50s, 10 years older than the average radio listener in Cleveland, Gronek said. Advertisers generally want to reach a younger demographic group.
"We know what's coming our way," he said. "Smooth jazz is not sustainable under this new methodology."
He declined to say whether he thinks PPMs are accurately counting WNWV's audience.
Smooth jazz also has declined because the genre's artists are touring more and recording less, meaning fewer new songs for airplay, Gronek said.
WNWV listeners will hear a wide variety of music after the format flip to Triple A. Its staff -- led by new program director Rick Bennett -- will compile a diverse play list of new and classic rock, folk, blues and great music listeners haven't heard in a while, Gronek said.
"This station will sound very independent," he said.
Cleveland's only other Triple A station is the noncommercial WAPS FM/91.3 "The Summit," run by the Akron public schools. Elyria Lorain Broadcasting has another Triple A station in Norwalk, Ohio. I'm not sure if this is totally because of Arbitron's new methodology... I think where the format failed was adding tons of A/C product in an attempt to make the format more "mass appeal", and obviously most programmers don't "get" how this should be done. I'm not name-dropping, but I used to work with the program director of the Jazz station in San Diego. Mike took KIFM to #1 in adults 25-54 for many, many books and in their first book with the PPM's (Alluded to as the cause for WNWV's demise in the above article) KIFM was 5th in the 12+ demographic, and 6th in adults 25-54. (I suspect they did better with women 25-54, but the article I found did not have that much of a breakdown) My point is... if you "get" the format, you can program it very well so it will please the jazz audience AND the more casual Lite Rock-A/C listener. Obviously there aren't many programmers that DO "get it" given the almost total death of the format. Wow, Daniel, you used to work for KIFM? They are very well-regarded around here. I've listened to many smooth jazz stations over the past several years, both on terrestrial and internet radio, and KIFM is one of the best. I wish I could pick up the signal at home, but we are slightly (about 20 miles or so) out of the station's range. It is on the car presets for listening when we go to southern Riverside and San Diego counties, though. The smooth jazz format has certainly taken a hit recently. In addition to the cities named, Baltimore lost its jazz station, as did Boston and Ft. Myers, FL, among others. A shame especially about the Ft. Myers loss, as it was one of the better stations in the format, and I used to listen to it over the 'net quite a bit. KTWV in Los Angeles is one of those stations that is putting more and more A/C songs into their playlist. I've heard songs on there that aren't even remotely jazz-like in nature, such as the Rascals' Groovin and some Whitney Houston songs. |
|
|
|
Post by daniel on Dec 24, 2009 1:24:37 GMT -5
I didn't work at KIFM.. but Mike Vasquez, the PD of that station was the PD of the Smooth Jazz station in Fresno prior to going to San Diego. (I worked for the Oldies station owned by the same company, but it was a small building and he shared an office with my boss) I'm really glad he is having such success there. He was (and still is) one of the nicest people I've come across. After Mike left Fresno, the PD of the Soft Rock station had to program both stations and she added a TON of A/C material -- just about any pop record that had a sax in it was added. I remember going by the studio one morning and "Careless Whisper" was playing. I asked the morning guy if that was a mistake, and since this is a family board I cannot repeat what came after "THIS IS NOT JAZZ!!!!!".  (They aren't around anymore, either) |
|
|
|
Post by dave910 on Dec 24, 2009 1:26:51 GMT -5
My Mom and I used to love to listen to the smooth jazz station (Smooth Jazz 100) as it was known in the Fort Myers area. This past year, I noticed the station's number switched with another station on the FM band. But I had a hell of a time trying to get it in! I had no idea the station disappeared all together.
Smooth jazz is a challenging format on which to make a profit. I haven't seen the big name artists release as much product. Even Kenny G has been relatively quiet this decade. I remember a time when his CD sales were pretty big.
|
|
|
|
Post by daniel on Dec 24, 2009 1:36:35 GMT -5
The company I worked for made a good chunk of money off the Jazz station. They had cultivated some loyal clients, and started doing some non traditional things that made big profits. Once a year they would have a big concert, 2 years they had George Benson as the headliner -- I forget who they had after I left radio. They also made a decent amount from selling station merchandise. However, when new owners came in those revenue sources were eliminated and coupled with the falling ratings because of bad music choices and that was the end of Smooth Jazz 96.7!
|
|
|
|
Post by Dawn on Dec 24, 2009 11:58:20 GMT -5
Mike Vasquez and his staff are certainly doing a great job with KIFM's programming, and my hat is off to them. Now that Fort Myers is gone, the only smooth jazz station I'm familiar with that comes close to the quality of KIFM's programming would be WLOQ out of Orlando. KMYT out of Temecula isn't bad - they are part of the same family as Baltimore's jazz station used to belong to, I believe - but the depth of their playlist is a notch down from KIFM and WLOQ's. Unfortunately, KTWV's programming seems to be getting worse and worse as time goes on. They too play Careless Whisper, and a bunch of songs by newer artists like Alicia Keys, John Mayer, Brian McKnight (not surprising since he co-hosts the morning show, but still, he is more R&B than jazz) that don't fit the format very well. Apparently the Ft. Myers station changed formats this past March. I had it bookmarked, but some time had gone by between listens, and when I went back to listen to it, it had changed to a "Hot Contemporary/Movin'" format.  The smooth jazz audience may be smaller, but they seem to be affluent on the whole. My husband and I went to the JVC Jazz Festival in L.A. in 2006, and I tell you, I have never seen so many BMWs, Lexuses and Mercedes in one place in my life. We felt a bit out of place in our Hyundai!  One thing I've always admired about the smooth jazz world is that it's very collaborative, and the artists always seem very down-to-earth. |
|
|
|
Post by daniel on Dec 29, 2009 13:46:30 GMT -5
Dawn, I'm glad you enjoy KIFM so much! The reader's digest version of the jazz format history in Fresno is such: Some of the staff of Soft A/C KKNU (102.7) started getting into the new jazz tracks in and started mixing them into the programming at night, getting great listener response. KKNU was sold, and the format was changed despite them being the #1 station in adults 25-54.
Some of the KKNU staff had the idea to make a full-time jazz station, so they pitched the idea to the owner of KTED (96.7) which was brokered religious programming and Easy Listening the rest of the time. The ratings were so bad they did not even show up in the book. The owner agreed, and KEZL was born. It was about that time that Mike came on board, (1989-ish) because as he once told me, he really, really wanted to work in radio and he figured he had the best shot at being hired at KEZL since they were the worst station in town. Obviously, the strategy worked!
I am pretty sure KTWV is a client of Broadcast Architecture, a consultancy firm that many blame for the death of the Smooth Jazz format. Once the Smooth Jazz format became very popular in the 90's, they devised all manner of ways to "improve" it, such as adding pop "crossover" records. Of course, while the consultant can dream up all manner of things, it's up to the local PD (in most cases) if these ideas should be implemented. I know when Mike was in Fresno he fought them on adding a lot of the pop songs they suggested such as "Careless Whisper". When you have a passion for the music you're playing I think people can tell the difference.
|
|
(They aren't around anymore, either)
