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Aircheck: SW Networks Smooth Jazz Format 30 August 1995

S

spiritof67

Leading Participant
In 1995 I received a marketing packet from the SW Networks, which promoted their satellite based smooth jazz service. Included was an aircheck of their smooth jazz network. SW was a venture that was created by Sony (I think the 'SW' stood for 'Sony World'). I knew of them through some of the talk programs that were carried by the station where I worked at the time.

Are any of you familiar with this particular SJ network, or did any of you listen to an affiliate of this network? It is my understanding that SW ended their operations in the fall of 1996, so this network did not last long.

Here is a recording of the SW Network's Smooth Jazz service, which was recorded on 30 August 1995. For the record, I removed three minutes of silence from each side of this cassette. In their broadcast clock, SW gave that time for affiliates to air their commercials, without covering that time with commercials or a three-minute music bed. The mp3's run about 26 minutes, are encoded at 192/44, and can be found here:

http://www.4shared.com/folder/nGbEgvsX/SW_Networks_Smooth_Jazz_Networ.html

I have included a jpeg of the cover of the cassette I received as well
 

Attachments

  • SW Networks Cassette Cover.jpg
    SW Networks Cassette Cover.jpg
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I remember reading about this service in Billboard but don't know if I ever heard what the music sounded like. I'll listen when I get time.
 
They were on KCJZ-FM/San Antonio (now KTKX), KTJM/Port Arthur and KJOJ/Freeport (both simulcasting, 98.5/103.3) and WHRL/Albany, NY (now WGY-FM), based off a Billboard report from April 1995. There may have been others. Wonder how SW Net compared to JRN.
 
With 4Shared not working on my computer (I wonder if the graphics do not support Vista anymore) - I had to go to the public library and download it onto a flash drive.
Interesting mix of smooth jazz and a few vocals (I heard Randy Crawford's "Wrap-U-Up" in one set).
Wonder where Jim Fitzgerald, the announcer, went to after SW Networks went under.
Hoping to hear more JRN, and even SW, soon!
 
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SJN went on the air in Jacksonville in Feb 1995. I had a brunch show on a Hot A/C station at the time. I think SW stood for Sony Warner actually. They marketed themselves as a "turnkey solution" for programming a signal that an owner didn't want to throw a lot of money into - a big factor since the post Telcom acquisition frenzy was gearing up. The format had been successful in major markets and there were brunch shows everywhere but owners were gun shy about putting it on full time but this was a cheap easy way to do it. I think Paul Goldstein (who later went to the WAVE) was in charge and possibly some other people from WNUA - IDK if Allen Kepler and Frank Cody were involved at that time. The format did well and stations started adding more local personalities in key dayparts. SW kind of morphed into Broadcast Architecture - SW eased out of the format or folded. I probably have a tearsheet from RnR about this somewhere in my attic but right now cant remember the circumstances. The SW people moved to/started BA and began consulting the SW affiliates that were now going live as well as other high profile stations. Our brunch actually survived and remained competitive - the funny thing is I would get calls from female listeners thanking me for not talking sexy like the women on the smooth jazz station. (they were told to do that though - the memo said "caress every word"..yucch.
 
I don't know where it appeared in Billboard, but SW decided to offer a "package", whatever that means, instead of a 24/7 music format, so at that point, any affiliates that wanted to do music all the time had to go somewhere else.
 
Interesting story! So SW became the very-researched BA/Allen Kepler. And now BA has a couple of affiliates left. KWDR seems to have bitten the dust, last few times I heard them they were Spanish. WAEG is still around and so is the HD2 on WMGF 107.7. KZIZ is also gone.
 
crainbebo said:
Interesting story! So SW became the very-researched BA/Allen Kepler. And now BA has a couple of affiliates left. KWDR seems to have bitten the dust, last few times I heard them they were Spanish. WAEG is still around and so is the HD2 on WMGF 107.7. KZIZ is also gone.
Click to expand...

No, SW did not become Broadcast Architure.

This is how urban legends start... a total absence of facts.

BA was formed by Owen Leach and Frank Cody, the originators of the format at KTWV in Los Angeles. They created both a smooth jazz consultancy and a research company, based out of Princeton, NJ.

Owen Leach discovered the term "smooth jazz" while doing one-on-one listener interviews for WNUA in Chicago, which was looking for a name for their format as they did not want to license "The Wave". That term gradually became the industry standard after the format transitioned from New Age material to more jazz-based and light urban content.

Alan Kepler came to BA after the founders had departed and the company was sold to one of the broadcast groups that was in turn merged into Clear Channel.

But the format was "very researched" from the moment that Owen and Frank created it in 1987 in LA. In fact, Owen Leach pioneered the use of the electronic dial to measure listener response to songs; this is the same kind of dial we see today on several of the broadcast networks that do real time response measurement during political debates and speeches.
 
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ShannonCat said:
SJN went on the air in Jacksonville in Feb 1995. I had a brunch show on a Hot A/C station at the time. I think SW stood for Sony Warner actually. They marketed themselves as a "turnkey solution" for programming a signal that an owner didn't want to throw a lot of money into - a big factor since the post Telcom acquisition frenzy was gearing up. The format had been successful in major markets and there were brunch shows everywhere but owners were gun shy about putting it on full time but this was a cheap easy way to do it. I think Paul Goldstein (who later went to the WAVE) was in charge and possibly some other people from WNUA - IDK if Allen Kepler and Frank Cody were involved at that time. The format did well and stations started adding more local personalities in key dayparts. SW kind of morphed into Broadcast Architecture - SW eased out of the format or folded. I probably have a tearsheet from RnR about this somewhere in my attic but right now cant remember the circumstances. The SW people moved to/started BA and began consulting the SW affiliates that were now going live as well as other high profile stations. Our brunch actually survived and remained competitive - the funny thing is I would get calls from female listeners thanking me for not talking sexy like the women on the smooth jazz station. (they were told to do that though - the memo said "caress every word"..yucch.
Click to expand...

SW did not "morph into" Broadcast Architecture. In fact, BA was founded around 1988 as "Cody/Leach Broadcast Architecture" by Frank Cody and Owen Leach, the originators of The Wave's "new age" format which morphed into Smooth Jazz under BA's guidance.

Here is a 1988 BA ad from R&R: http://www.americanradiohistory.com...Page-0031.pdf#search="broadcast architecture"

Here is another ad, showing BA's deal with SMN to distribute the format via satellite for smaller markets. Also from 1998, years before SW existed. http://www.americanradiohistory.com...Page-0012.pdf#search="broadcast architecture"

SW Networks was sold in 1998 and became Launch Media Networks.

So SW did not become BA as BA had existed for a decade when SW ceased to exist.
 
crainbebo said:
With 4Shared not working on my computer (I wonder if the graphics do not support Vista anymore) - I had to go to the public library and download it onto a flash drive.
Interesting mix of smooth jazz and a few vocals (I heard Randy Crawford's "Wrap-U-Up" in one set).
Wonder where Jim Fitzgerald, the announcer, went to after SW Networks went under.
Hoping to hear more JRN, and even SW, soon!
Click to expand...
The announcer, Jim Fitzgerald, known as "Fitz" went on to a long career (20 years now) in the Palm Springs market from the old KJJZ, to his current home at soft AC KHCV "CV 104.3", which he plays some NAC stuff during his morning show. He is also a touting musician and made some videos. CV 104.3 is one of my regular listens online. A decent sounding AC IMO.
 
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