New smooth jazz network

[ThePickleReport]

From R&R:

"Broadcast Architecture To Launch 24-hour Smooth Jazz Network
Sep. 11, 2006
By Carol Archer


The leading smooth jazz research and consulting firm will debut its full-time smooth jazz network in January 2007. Broadcast Architecture president Allen Kepler says, "Smooth jazz is a wonderful, creative, mass-appeal adult format that performs extremely well in many markets. BA believes that the time is right to introduce a strong, viable, premium-quality version of smooth jazz to new markets and existing stations that want a programming upgrade."

Kepler says the network, available via barter, will combine an entertaining, compelling music mix with air talent from smooth jazz's airwaves and personalities from the music world. Programming incorporates elements including world premieres of new songs, artist interviews, localized custom IDs, weekend specials and other features.

BA will announce further details about the network next week at the R&R Convention. Look for the CD demo of BA's evening show in your convention bag."

 

[cklw800]

Sounds like a good service, and also a good way to blow out current air talent left on some non-performing stations and plug in to this network. BA could save face with this move after major defections from the format over the years, in particular Philadelphia. I figured that would put something into motion. I can see the headlines;

"Smooth Jazz 00.0 drops air staff, goes with jazz network."

"Smooth Jazz 00.1 staff no more, but format stays with station."

Probably major-market talent only for this will get a shot. The network's cheapness might get more stations to sign on and fewer current station defections. Current non-performing stations are perfect fodder for this...with same consultants involved. Perhaps we'll hear only inspired air performances now that there will be a huge reduction in current talent in the format who may be "borrowed" from within clusters. Not saying that's good...but knowing our business as it stands, this is probably what's going to happen. Most SJs are voicetracked anyway. Might hurt localization but who cares? Just run recorded promos for concerts coming to town..the stations can still sponsor them and make money.

 

[Nock]

Sounds like they are going after the HD side channels. Plenty of Motown mixed heavily into over researched contemporary jazz>

Nock

 

[ouuc]

I wonder if any of the JRN smooth jazz stations will switch. The Jones format plays a lot of "stiffs", in my opinion.

 

[Nock]

I wonder if any of the JRN smooth jazz stations will switch. The Jones format plays a lot of "stiffs", in my opinion.

I'll take a Jones station over a current BA consulted station any day. If BA network does the same as they consult Ughhhhhh!. Over researched music is a bunch of "stiffs"

Nock

 

[ouuc]

Maybe you will, but you're not who BA cares about. Regardless of what we think, people want to hear hits. Playing stiffs doesn't get it done. I would not be surprised to see somes of the JRN stations switch.

 

[cklw800]

Amen, ouuc. Too many radio geeks in the mix can kill any format. HD, satellite and other media are the only outlet for the geeks. I'm a music fanatic and it took too long for me to realize that radio won't change with how it plays music, no matter the competition. Radio's response is to become part of the competition. With podcasts, Internet broadcasting and especially HD. It'll create everything around its terrestrial signals to keep them playing heavily researched music. So if you want your dream radio station, you're going to have to pay or create it yourself with other media (like your iPod). But your FM radio won't budge. I'm slowly beginning to realize that I like to listen to free AM/FM radio SOMETIMES...when the mood hits me, but when I'm home long periods of time or on road trips, I program my own music and pretend I'm listening to the radio. When I tire of listening to my own music, I turn to FM just to hear what's going on. I run into so many people in the business to want to "change radio" or think they can. FORGET IT! This Smooth Jazz Network will contain the same stuff, but maybe the weekend programming will offer something like at least hearing multiple cuts from current and new releases...early on. If not, again you're going to have to pay for it. I have most of the current releases and am enjoying the hell out of the cuts SJ is not playing. Absolute joy!! But that's ME and a few other geeks...not for everybody. Free radio has to play hits. If you want to hear Alex Bugnon's or Steely Dan's excellent current CDs, buy them or legally download them. You have to take a chance on them and just assume they're good because I saw them on a sales (vs. airplay) chart and gambled. I got gold!!! The SJ Network will be big and stations looking to have a Smooth Jazz format now won't have to pay overpriced market veteran talent to entice listeners. BA will have its own staff. Look for morning, afternoon and any live talent getting full-time pay on non-performing stations to slowly get axed across the nation. Maybe some VTs will stay, but FT pay in SJ is over. So any wannabes that post looking to put their brand of jazz on radio better look to public stations or Internet radio. HD will be a jukebox (but they will sell it eventually and without talent) with little or nothing spent on localization (HD will give us other mixes of hits...don't look for revolutionary programming). Smooth Jazz is FIXED. And BA did it.

 

[Mike Sheridan]

Sounds like a good service, and also a good way to blow out current air talent left on some non-performing stations and plug in to this network. BA could save face with this move after major defections from the format over the years, in particular Philadelphia. I figured that would put something into motion. I can see the headlines;

"Smooth Jazz 00.0 drops air staff, goes with jazz network."

"Smooth Jazz 00.1 staff no more, but format stays with station."

Let's face it in radio today you don't even need air talent without a network. Just plug in the audio vault and let it roll. If you want to make it sound like someone is there have a couple of part timers come in to voice track a shift or two. Welcome to radio in the 21st century.

 

[Chuck]

Let's face it in radio today you don't even need air talent without a network. Just plug in the audio vault and let it roll. If you want to make it sound like someone is there have a couple of part timers come in to voice track a shift or two. Welcome to radio in the 21st century.

I'm not sure why more stations don't do their own automated programming, rather than rely 24/7 on a network. Local automated programming doesn't cost that much to do, and could conceivably be fairly good. Even satellite delivered stations use some kind of automation equipment to handle local inserts. It may be all they need, except for a music library. Music is not hard to find.

If their existing equipment is not suitable for 24/7 operation, there are quite a few reasonably priced automation packages out there that work fine, won't break the bank and do not take a rocket scientist to operate. At worst case, you might end up with some amateurish sounding programming, but at least, it would be locally produced amateurish programming. The concept of local may be bigger than most people give it credit for.

Many radio networks are bartered. You run their spots and you get free or low cost programming via satellite. I guess many station owners take this as the cheapest way to offer respectable programming. While that is OK, and some network stuff is admittedly high quality, it makes your station sound like everyone else with a similar format. You risk losing local flavor and devoiding the station of any individual personality.

Instead of those bartered spots, you could give the time slots to the local Lions, Rotary, Kiwanis Clubs, churches, schools, the local boy scouts, Red Cross, etc. to publicize their local events. My God, you could even sell some local spots. That would give your station a very distinct local flavor that could endear it to the people who actually listen.

 

[SiriusJazz]

You can get an idea as to what it sounds like by listening to WNUA from 7 to Midnight. Annie Ashe is going to be the night talent for this network. She's tracking out of Boston. It's okay, but it still sounds canned. One would think that since the Jones Network did this first, BA would learn something from it, but really, and I mean no disrespect, I don't think it's all that.

BA can sign all the major market talent they want to, but at the end of the day, it's still just a BA format. In the beginning, they had a great thing going, but now I'm bored to death with what they're passing out as Smooth Jazz. Yes, we're going to hear covers from time to time, that's a given, now when you listen that's quite a bit of what's coming from artists releasing new cds. Why? Because BA says music tests show that's what the listener wants. Um, okay.

 

[AnotherCat]

Listening to WNUA's evening show or monitoring any BA client lets ya know what you'll get. A lot of lite pop and R&B crossovers from the 60s-80s. A few instrumental covers of those same songs and a new song every 4 hours or so. What it will do is create a way to get rid of that costly live air talent..what few are left. As mainstream A/C adjusts to currently viable demos and plays more rock oriented music (or rhythmic like Movin') and oldies stations drop off the face of the earth the BA format will fill the gap as an older skewing Lite A/C that plays a lot of 60s and 70s oldies.

I do like Anne A. though because she is one of the few BA endorsed female jocks who doesn't sound like she was hired straight off a phone sex service. She's got a really natural delivery. When original BA/SWNetworks smooth jazz network launched I was doing a local SJ brunch show.. their female talents, were so breathy and oversexed that female listeners were calling us and thanking us for not talking like that! That's what I liked about Cherie on Jones, when Loni Taylor replaced her I had to hit the mute everytime she talked

 

[AnotherCat]

The casualties are mounting as far as local personalities being displaced by network programming. Long time Love 94 Miami AM personality
Al Winters got bumped for the network AM show. Winters was a high profile personality with years in the market who was extremely active in the community. But to CC he was a paycheck that could be cut. It looks like the sj station in Naples FL after picking up the networks AM show has also cut their midday personality. AM and PM drive are still live. For how long?

 

[SiriusJazz]

I do like Anne A. though because she is one of the few BA endorsed female jocks who doesn't sound like she was hired straight off a phone sex service. She's got a really natural delivery. When original BA/SWNetworks smooth jazz network launched I was doing a local SJ brunch show.. their female talents, were so breathy and oversexed that female listeners were calling us and thanking us for not talking like that! That's what I liked about Cherie on Jones, when Loni Taylor replaced her I had to hit the mute everytime she talked

Anne is very good. And I do agree that the format doesn't need that "sexed up sound." It's a parody to hear it. And there are a few out there still doing it. :

The network has a lot of work ahead of it. I just can't hear Brian Culbertson doing a show, let along Norman Brown. But A. Kepler signed them up for weekend shifts. Dave Koz in afternoon drive, I think he's fairly natural sounding, but what a stretch. I suppose time will tell.

 

[cklw800]

Looks like things happening like I said on this board a few months ago except I didn't see the CC thing happening...the sales of small markets and probably cuts at existing Top 100 markets. Hadn't noticed much happening with SJ stations. The ones in Columbus look safe but they're not CC. But a shocker! I can hear WDSJ 106.5 Dayton when I'm in Muncie and heard promos for the ENTIRE SJ Network lineup to start December 4. The whole airstaff at that station is out. Ramsey in the morning, a woman middays (forget the name) Dave Koz afternoons, Annie Ashe nights and Raven overnites. That's the whole staff out the door. I assume this includes weekends too since Koz and Lewis have shows then too and the network probably has special programming for stations to use. It's all on the dish so that will be a trend around the country except for the successful stations. Bet if anybody departs a station they'll be replaced by the SJ Network. Neat cost cutting device for CC at least for this format. I'm sure non-CC stations will jump on this to make budget.

 

[AnotherCat]

The network has a lot of work ahead of it. I just can't hear Brian Culbertson doing a show, let along Norman Brown. But A. Kepler signed them up for weekend shifts. Dave Koz in afternoon drive, I think he's fairly natural sounding, but what a stretch. I suppose time will tell.

Undoubtedly these musicians will have the station automation in their home studios and just read what they are told to say. BA will provide them a framework for their breaks, most likely a whole script and they will do the voicetracks and lay them into the automation. If you listen to any BA stations the breaks are all structured the same way..positioning statement, a catch phrase, a mention of relaxaing, and a back announce or fromt announce of songs described with adjcectives that start with "s" (sultry, seductive, sensual, etc..) Smooth Jazz (insert station name) your trip-a-day station with a (insert adjective here) song from Kenny G., and smooth jazz from (name pop artist, Phil Collins or Toni Braxton perhaps). Coming up a (insert adjective here) classic Motown song from (artist name).

that's all there is to it.... ???

 

[Kent]

The prototype for the network is also running at KABQ-FM 104.1 in Santa Fe/Albuquerque (http://www.nmsmoothjazz1041.com). It's streaming live. It doesn't sound like a terrible product, at least not to me, even if it's not the greatest smooth jazz station in the world. If it comes down to either having the network programmed smooth jazz or no smooth jazz, I'll take the network. I do, however, agree that it's a shame that Clear Channel doesn't seem to want to use local talent and that some really good people are losing their jobs. Looking at Dayton, Bob Sweeney from WDSJ is a mainstay in the market, and it's a shame Clear Channel apparently either can't or won't find a place for him. He used to be one of the most promotable talents in the market.

 

[AnotherCat]

It's an OK product. Product being the key word. It's basically an oldies station where some of the oldies are instrumental.

Monitor right now:
You are My Lady-Freddie Jackson (20 yr old R&B song)
Get Down on It- W. Tisdale (cover of 20 year old R&B song)
Do It Again - P Saisse (Cover of 30+ year old song
What's Love Got To Do With It- T. Turner (20 year old pop song)
Chicago Song- Sanborn (another 20 year old song but at least its Sanborn and not a cover)
Saturday Cool - Brian Simpson (a current!)
Heard it Through The Grapevine - Marvin Gaye (40 year old song)
Grazin in the Grass - Boney and Rick (Cover of a 40 year old song)
Nite and Day - Al B Sure (18 year old RnB hit)
What Does It Take - Peter White (cover of a 40 year old song)

 

[Kent]

It's an OK product. Product being the key word. It's basically an oldies station where some of the oldies are instrumental.

This is, unfortunately, a problem smooth jazz is experiencing nationwide. It doesn't really have a lot of new product. One of the two best selling albums in the format is the George Benson/Al Jarreau remake of "Mornin'." That song is at least 20 years old as I recall. The smooth jazz stations of today sound very much like the ones of 10 years ago.

 

[AnotherCat]

The smooth jazz stations 10 years ago played a lot more smooth jazz.
I write for several SJ websites and publications so I get promos on the majority of the new releases and there is some amazing music out there. Most artists are doing one or two covers for radio and then some really strong songs after that. So the weakest tracks, either the covers or the slowest songs, are the ones that get airplay. It's a meager tip of the iceberg. There is no "music shortage." It just looks like it is if someone's only exposure to the music is via corporate radio.

 

[Kent]

The smooth jazz stations 10 years ago played a lot more smooth jazz.
I write for several SJ websites and publications so I get promos on the majority of the new releases and there is some amazing music out there. Most artists are doing one or two covers for radio and then some really strong songs after that. So the weakest tracks, either the covers or the slowest songs, are the ones that get airplay. It's a meager tip of the iceberg. There is no "music shortage." It just looks like it is if someone's only exposure to the music is via corporate radio.

Well, I have satellite and internet, but that may be corporate in your eyes. I certainly don't have the exposure to smooth jazz that you do, or that I did when I lived in a bigger city. However, my point was, more than anything, that smooth jazz stations today sound almost exactly as they did 10 years ago, and that's not a benefit when your audience is getting older. Remember, one of the biggest problems with radio is that you play only the songs that test well with everyone. So, if there is new product that doesn't test well with 100% of the target audience, it may as well not exist. While you, and probably I, would like many of the new songs, I suspect they don't test well with the target audience. I don't see station owners as being eager to destroy the format, especially when they've had much success with it in the past and have very little new format options. My idea of executing smooth jazz is only testing the vocals, not the instrumentals. I would also have a much higher instrumental to vocal ratio. However, those ideas seem to be lost on programmers today, and I can see how maybe it would be seen as too sleepy to some. I would think it would reduce the reliance on covers, which I would agree is a problem.