FC NOW: The Fast Company Weblog
June 6, 2005
You Don't Know "Jack"
On Friday afternoon, WCBS-FM in New York, home of legendary DJ Cousin Brucie, fired all of its on-air talent and dumped the "oldies" format in favor of the latest flavor in radio programming, known as "Jack" radio (I've also seen and heard it around the country called Ben radio and Dave radio--whatever radio consultant cooked up the naming idea deserves a special place in hell).
The idea is to replicate your iPod on shuffle. The station expands the playlist from about 400-500 songs to 1,200, goes from one format to having elements of about 10 formats, cuts down the chatter--the new Jack-FM has no DJs--and hopes to fend off you turning off your car radio in favor of whatever podcast you just downloaded.
It's an interesting strategy, obviously meant to compete not only with iPod but also with satellite radio.
Infinity Broadcasting, owners of WCBS-FM, has lately been very progressive (for radio) in trying to keep itself relevant, but this move appears doomed to failure already. By alienating basically 100% of the old CBS Oldies audience, the new Jack-FM is starting from a platform of zero fans. Wouldn't it have made more sense to swap in the format on a station where the fan base would stay and it could be expanded? Of course, the argument about CBS-FM and change is that the station wasn't able to woo attractive advertisers seeking the young demographic. The siren song of youth crashes yet another ship against the rocks.
I listened to Jack for a couple of hours yesterday, and it was okay, but if I was supposed to be getting the feeling of listening to someone's iPod, it was probably the iPod of a friend with incredibly obvious, middle-of-the-road taste. It did inspire an idea, though (in addition to this post).
If commercial FM radio really wants to become relevant again, maybe it needs to take a page out of its past as well as a page from what AM did 20 years ago when it faced extinction because of FM. Personality. Rush Limbaugh and all the other talkers out there revived AM radio. Finding and cultivating a new generation of personality jocks, the next Cousin Brucie (and Don Imus, Wolfman Jack, Frankie Crocker, etc), and firing the program directors with their rigid playlists and letting the DJs play what they want, when they want, may be the only way to create a market that doesn't suffer when compared to listening just to what you like or that's rigidly formatted by genre.
Not celebrity DJs like XM and Sirius are hiring, but real people who love music, have eclectic taste and have the ability to find and break new bands and songs, the way DJs used to. DJing as a hobby and as a profession is more popular than ever. You see DJs at hip restaurants and lounges, not just dance clubs and bar mitzvahs. Why aren't those people on the radio becoming big stars? Radio is an intimate medium. That person talking to you can become a friend, a part of the family. Why replace that with a borg spinning Steve Miller CDs?
Maybe it's crazy, but I've met Jack (and Ben and Dave) and he's no wolfman. Time for radio execs to hit shuffle again.
Posted by David Lidsky at June 6, 2005 4:04 PM | Category: strategy |
76 Comments
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Jack is the first name of the programmer who came up with the "format"
I ranted about the death of radio a few weeks ago when another oldies station (this one in Nashville, TN) flipped to Jack.
Read about it here: http://shotgunconcepts.blogspot.com/2005/05/radio-is-dead-long-live-radio.html
Looks like Jack just doesn't like oldies. They took over Gold 104.5 here in Indianapolis as well. I agree about choosing a better target. I like Jack, I actually like the attitude of they don't care what you want to hear, they're going to take requests. But, I'm also a big fan of the oldies, in fact used to host my own 50's and 60's radio show when I was in high school on a little AM station. Nobody really listened, but I had fun.
The last time I checked there was plenty of room on the radio dial for another station instead of killing one.
I am a creative director at a group of radio stations in Portland, Oregon. One of our stations is a "Jack" format...but we also have an alternative station that people from around the country are looking at closely.
I won't address the "Jack" thing in this entry, as it has many layers...and I do have an opinion on the good and bad of it all. But I do think that it would be good to share a radio success story based on some experience.
Last year, our station was known as 94-7 NRK...it was an active rock format with previous roots in pure alternative. We were competing against a similar station. Our morning show decided to broadcast (and make fun of) the beheading of Nick Berg in Iraq. The backlash was epic...coverage all over the world of a radio station in Portland, Oregon poking fun at ones demise.
The station fired the morning show, issued an apology and immediately began fielding complaints. Our general manager and program director worked endlessly to reply to every inquiry and email. The tipping point had arrived...we weren't going to run, we weren't going to hide.
We asked for listener feedback immediately. We wanted to know what kind of station they wanted. As the data came in, the answer was clear...it was time to go back to our roots but give it a Portland feel that reflects the area.
We renamed the station (94/7 Alternative Portland), hired (and re-hired) DJs who are very knowledgable and have a say in the music and how the station is programmed. But the biggest, and most important contribution, came from our listeners. The customer told us what they wanted and we delivered...and continue to do so today.
The good news is it's a station we're all proud of and it has garnered the best ratings in its history. It's nice to have that balance between need (advertising), performance (ratings) and soul (good programming, music, jocks, etc.).
Being in the industry, I have strong opinions about where we are headed...and I have strong opinions (good and bad) about the "Jack" format...that I will share soon (after yet another meeting).
I had no idea this whole thing was coming. I was a big fan of the Monkees, having grown up watching the show and I have greatly enjoyed the past 4 months listening to Mickey Dolenz in the morning on the way to work. CBS-FM oldies station is an institution and I can't believe that overnight they made this drastic change to their station without any thought of how it would affect its listeners. What about all those baby boomers out there who love their oldies? This new "Jack" format has no personality, it's boring. I miss the familiar voices of CBS's DJ's. Please bring them back!
Meeting was cancelled (thankfully)...so I thought I'd share my thoughts/observations on the Jack format. I'm sure that some of my views will be unpopular, considering the importance of WCBS and the heritage of the station.
Our station is "Charlie FM" and it replaced an oldies format as well. For the past few years, the relevance of oldies has struggled and, despite the fact that our station, like WCBS, was a "heritage" station, it was losing momentum and morphing into an Adult Contemporary station. The format has been in a bit of an identity crisis...and yes, it has become increasingly difficult to sell the format to key advertisers. That's the part of this business that is difficult to come to terms with sometimes...especially considering I'm a creative director.
I'd like to address the "personality" component a little. In my opinion, there is a dearth of on-air talent in this industry. The days of mentoring and teaching the craft are long gone. We are in an age where a DJ in Phoenix "voice tracks" shows for a station in San Francisco. In fact, I once heard a voice-tracked show in Portland, Oregon where the DJ mispronouced the state (it's not Or-e-gone) and the river that flows through Portland. This is a fundamental culture flaw in the industry. It's not a purely economic play as people think.
To be honest, I'd rather hear a quick hit that is well-written and witty than a DJ who rambles on about nothing for 3 minutes before I get to hear a song. Only good DJs and shows deserve to be on the air. I still have to endure the 'ol, "8:45...15 to the top of the hour..." and it makes me want to scream.
Here in Portland, we are making a serious effort to localize and personalize the station with relevant content so that is not boring but rather fun to listen to. The key word here is "content." We are not taking a formulaic approach. We are trying to be relevant and enjoyable entertainment for people. It will be reflected in how we approach the look, sound and feel of the station. Though we're early in the game, we are looking forward to making this a great station...and just like our alternative station I referenced above, we are taking in all of the feedback to reflect what our listeners want.
Radio can be a passionate thing, and I understand both sides of it. That said, just like in any business, we have to follow the path of change that gets us a bigger share. It's not always the most popular decision at times and, trust me, format changes can be tough on everyone.
We're looking forward to the continued development of HD Radio (available now) where the AM signal will sound like the FM signal and the FM signal will have the same sound quality as a CD. Throw in side-channel programming (up to six stations on one frequency) and you have an exciting time in radio...especially for our listeners.
All of your postings are great...it shows a real passion for radio. I know in my little world, whatever I control, I try to improve and make better every day. One of my mentors told me, "always care about what you put on the air." Despite the perceived negatives of a big format change, we hope that this will give us a chance to continually grow and evolve over time.
Here is an article from yesterday's San Francisco Chronicle about an attempt to go in the correct direction. http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/06/05/MNGQAD3UJ41.DTL (I am not sure if this will turn into a link-you may have to paste it on your URL line) KPIG is exapnding into San Francisco with its eclectic, DJ driven mix. Anyone who ever heard KFAT know that it was the antithesis of "Jack." Maybe they can do Podcasts and bring the thing full circle.
I welcome the death of the radio and music industry. They told the consumer well over a dozen years ago that they no longer cared about our soul - only our pocketbooks. Good Riddance. I do everything I can to insure this business goes the way of the 8 track. I download as much free music as I can and no longer listen to radio. These people forgot that the reason people listen to the radio in the first place was to hear what is new and interesting - not what's popular. DJ's were not just spinners, they were renaissance men who knew their genres inside and out and we followed them like there were sherpas on Everest. When radio and MTV abandoned me I went to the internet and never looked back. I've found more great music on my own by trading and searching than I could have found listening to a thousand hours of commercial radio. I won't shed a tear when this industry finally collapses. Good music will always survive, and Brittany Spears can always find a job selling cheeseburgers to fat inbred middle Americans.
Your essay sounds like the big time radio jerks finally discovered KFAT. ... Or maybe I should say that KFAT was 30 years ahead of its time.
KFAT, Gilroy California, once billed itself as 'progressive country'. It was wayyyy more that that. With a playlist of over 7500 titles, it was just wonderful. Everything from extreme low budget garage music, with 'E flat briefcase' for a bass (Delaney & Bonnie, "Never ending song of Love"), to the Hallelujah Chorus. KFAT died 12-31-1983; its owner had died and his heirs sold off the property to some ZitRock outfit. What a waste. One can still find webcast of KFAT, google for it. A commercial success, but not as good as old KFAT, nor with as long a playlist, is KPIG in Watsonville Californa. Some of the old KFAT DJs are there.
So, the big media jerks are gonna try the KFAT approach again? I wish 'em luck. Better late than never.
[disclaimer: I don't have an iPod. I don't listen to AM or FM radio, even in the car. I don't buy CDs. I don't download music, legal or otherwise. I don't buy DVDs. I get my music the old fashioned way, I've ripped all my old vinyl. I timeshift via DVR. The recorded music/video business model is dead.]
RE. David Lidsky's comments on personality radio: You're spot on, David. Smart people with real personalities playing music that they love, interacting with listeners, an occasional guest. This has been a gap that's been waiting to be filled for a long time.
Give a listen sometime to BBC-2 on the Internet. They're not just playing whatever music the host likes, but it's a music format very strongly based on the personality (and wit) of the host. Surely something like it would be successful here.
J.M. Dempsey
Texas
They've Jacked us up in Baltimore, too. They blindsided and fired all of the oldies station DJ's, some of whom were high profile players in a lot of charities. When some friends and I put together a team for this year's Polar Bear Plunge for MD Special Olympics, there was the WQSR oldies DJ, mc'ing the event and then jumping into the bay with the governor and all of the rest of us.
The old station also had a great disco Saturday night that was a lot of fun.
Jack FM stinks. Who needs another canned fake format? Here's hoping it dies a quick and painless death and fades away. Real people want to interact with real people in real time - what's so hard to figure out?
Missing my disco/funk Saturday nights in Annapolis/Baltimore MD -
Earl
I blasted off an e-mail yesterday to Boston's WROR who has adopted a modified version of this format. They have minimal personalities during the day but during drive time yesterday the DJ spoke over the first 30 seconds of Layla. That is the best first 30 seconds of any song...ever.
The program director actually sent me an e-mail back saying they encourage the DJ's to talk over the songs, but he realizes that Layla is a special case and would mention something. I appreciate his response but will no longer listen to the station, or any station that does not respect the music.
I HOPE THE NEW CBS FAILS AND DOES IT FAST. WE ARE ALL DESTROYED. THE LOOK ON EVERY SINGLE PERSONS FACE ON FRIDAY NIGHT COULD MAKE A STORY IN ITSELF. WHAT AN OUTRAGEOUS WAY TO DO IT. EVERYONE WAS SLAPPED IN THE FACE. I SERIOUSLY WENT INTO A DEPRESSION LIKE A FRIEND HAD DIED. PLEASE HELP BRING IT BACK AND ALL THE DJS. rOCK AND ROLL WILL
BE MISSED AND ALL THE INCREDIBLE MUSIC. IT CAN'T BE NOT PLAYED ON RADIO IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK.
JOAN COTRONE
I'm am also from Indianapolis where we not only got Jack, we got Hank (Hank likes country music). The biggest problem with this format for me is not that they have a large number of songs but that they don't have a large number of good songs. Luckily we have another station in town WTTS that has both the variety and the quality.
While I agree that there are very few good DJs any more, there are some things I do need a DJ for. Weather being the best example. In fact it turns out that if you are going to make me listen to radio commericals the least you can do is tell me the weather at the end of it.
I have listened to Jack and Hank but quality counts and I won't be going back.
JACK SUCKS!
CBS-FM was a legend and icon in NY City.
These bastards not only pulled it from under us, but they have the nerve to run sweepers actually making fun of the many loyal CBS-FM listeners.
I encourage everyone to PLEASE sign petitions and write complaints to the FCC. Not so much because they changed formats, but they (I'm sure) are being irresponsible broadcasters at the way they did this.
I am real pissed! F*ck Jack!!!
Brian
Regarding the new format Jack at WCBS FM I have a four letter word and it isn't Jack. They fired all the DJS. Infinity broadcasting and Chad Brown the program director don't know NY. Hopefully Cousin Brucie will be back on the airwaves playing the music we enjoyed for all these years.
I'm in Atlanta, where we have the station "Dave." It took the place of a bad rock station, where they tried to fill the morning disc jockey rotation with the disgusting/perverse/shock jock of the week.
Atlanta's Dave has music programming that is electic - which is what I'm looking for. It also still has good on-air personalities, especially during the morning show. Other local radio seems to think that I want to listen to more and more inane hosts talk about their insipid lives, as they add more hours of talk and less of music.
I took a look at my "Loyal Listeners" web site for wcbsfm and that is where I got the confirmation that Micky Dolenz and his crew and the rest of the wonderful folks at 101.1 were gone.
I dearly wanted to contact the General Manager,Chad Brown. But there is no contact information...an address, but I wanted immediate contact via email to let them know what a lousy deal this is.
I was truly devastated not to be able to tune into Micky Dolenz on my morning commute. I have a very long commute from PA to New Jersey 5 days a week. That morning crew was the light of my morning. I thought Micky was putting on a show that offered so much variety! I miss Mike Fitzgerald, "Brucer the Producer", Mr. G with the weather. It was life affirming to hear these guys joking back and forth and really being in touch with their listening audience. There is a black void now where they were.
In the afternoons at 4:00 p.m. on the ride home I would catch the 4 Beatles tunes and then chuckle as the disc jockey joked around with the traffic lady.
I will not even tune into JACK radio 101.1. It is awful....dead compared to the wonderful radio programming that we were able to hear previously. The airspace might as well be blank.
I forgot to mention how great the telephone interviews were that Micky did. This was rich material and I am so sorry we will not be able to listen and enjoy any longer.
Forget JACK radio....I think they made a huge mistake. But I guess in this dollar crazy world the only thing that counts is that bottom line.
A once and forgotten "Loyal Listener" of 101.1 (used to play the best Oldies)
Sharon M. Sottile
Regarding the firing of the DJ's on the best oldies station....Like the old song says "Hit the road Jack and don't you come back no more, no more, no more, no more ! I surely will not tune into the station anymore. It's a shame that listeners do not appreciate the music that was great awhile back, music that is still appreciated today by those listeners that grew up in a wonderful era. It's a shame that people had to lose their jobs because a segment of the market doesn't appreciate oldies...I say "if it isn't broke, don't fix it." I'm sure Cousin Brucie and the other staff members will rise above this situation since cream always rises to the top !
I was shocked last Friday Night when I heard on the 11 O'Clock News on Channel 7 about what they did to WCBS FM. Earlier in the day I had only been listening to WCBS FM while at work and I had to see for my self on Saturday Morning if it was true and Harry Harrison was not on the air, so if someone has a petition out there please E-Mail me at JOMURT@AOL.COM and I will be glad to sign it.
John M
When I get word that WCBS FM goes back to the oldies for now I am no longer a WCBS listener.
For years I have been tuned to 101.1 FM and I am now searching the FM band for something that maybe close to what WCBS FM was.
I have been jacked off alright
I hope the guy that came up with this still has a job after the smoke clears!!
How dare Jack just comandeer WCBS-FM, without the common decency to tell the deejays, let alone the listening audience? And how low can Jack stoop, to do that on the same day Mickey Dolenz celebrated his 100th show? There is no way in hell they (the deejays) saw this coming. They would have at least had a chance to say goodbye and thank their listeners, even though they did that every day. And Harry Harrison...he was (and still is) in a class by himself. Class...there's a word that Jack never heard of, and he will never know what it is.
I try to comfort in saying to myself over and over, "What goes around, comes around." Let's hope so.
This may come as a surprise to Jack, but some listeners actually do enjoy it when the deejays talk. I love it. That doesn't matter to Jack either, does it?
I miss Micky in the Morning. Now B103 is advertising that they are NY's only oldies station. I am sure their audience has grown overnight. Now I tune in to B103. But I miss the personalities on WCBS. I have been listening to them since they started. I was thrilled when Micky Dolenz joined the station. He was a pleasure to listen to. I hope Cousin Brucie comes back with another station and hires the old gang along with Micky again. What a shame that these young fools in advertising don't get it. People are living longer! There are plenty of people over fourty that are consumers too. I hope the cold format of Jack does not make it. It is too close to a Big Brother world out there. We need the radio personality to live on.
I will never listen to jack. These people destroyed a great part of history, the icons Cousin Brucie, Harry Harison,and the rest of the gang, the great times we can all relate to during our teenage years. Even the younger generation relates to this music, it amazes me when you hear the younger generation singing along to the oldie songs. Bring back the oldies.
They have got to be kidding. Who wants to listen to a computerized radio station without personalities. I can listen to mt CD player and it would be the same thing. The WCBS FM DJ's are like family. I thought Micky Dolenz was the best thing they did. He's so good. I will not listen to Jack 101. Especially after the way the DJays were treated, fired with no warning. I hope they set up somewhere where we can still listen to them. It wasn't about the oldies, but more the DJ's. I will miss them
There are two things that have caused the WCBS demise. First thing is the listener base has aged. I am 47 and no longer influenced by radio commercials. That's the key, the listener has to patronize the station's sponsers. The "Baby Boomers" that listened to CBS-FM are approaching 60 and they are not purchasing cheeseburgers at McD's and so McD's is not buying ad time on CBS. You can't keep a MAJOR MARKET station going when deli's and pizzaria's are potential sponsors. You might be able to still do that in say Myrtle Beach but not in NYC.
Secondly, lifestyles have changed. In 2005 at age 47 I don't have time to listen for hours to even my favorite radio station. When I started listening to CBS-FM ("Where all the good songs have gone!") in 1973, my girlfriend and I would do our homework with the radio playing. If we had no homework we "made out" with the radio playing. Can you say "made out" on the internet?
Longer work hours, an active family, the internet, cable television are all vying for my free time. There wasn't as much entertainment competition in the late 70's when WCBS hit it's stride. People listened to more hours of radio per day.
What is happening now has happened before. Roughly 15 years ago stations playing music of the 40's and early 50's disappeared. That's when Frank Sinatra, the Big Bands, Patty Page, Frankie Lane, Perry Como, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Nat King Cole left most radio airwaves. WNEW AM was one station playing that format. You might call it the "American Songbook" and it represented pop music leading up to Rock 'N Roll. Now you find Rod Stewart of all people exploring that genre as his own Rock era hits are being forgotten.
Saddly the world changes without asking us. The personalities that kept you company as you grew up, vacationed at the Jersey Shore (remember Dan Ingram telling you "It's time to roll your bod!" to keep you from sunburning?), dated your spouse and drove to work are being retired. It was like having company as you drove to and from work, on vacation, working in the yard, etc. That's a huge loss. The songs they played brought back mental pictures of joyfull times from our youths. Radio has a distinctly different feel from playing your favorite CD's or listening on an iPod. You feel a connection to another human being even if it is a somewhat staged and distant connection. Radio was at one time much more in your mind and imagination.
We're probably seeing the beginning of the end of radio. In another 10 years we'll likely be experiencing something that will replace CD's, iPod thingees and Satelite radio too. That's how they get you. Sell you the new techno thing. The thing they sold you last year is no longer supported and goes into the landfill. That my friends is a fact and it's also a shame. If I can correct the Buggles: "Jack, not video killed the radio stars".
Although, I was never a fan of CBSFM my mom and all her friends were and I feel so bad for them. Why the programmer would change such a loyal fan base does not make sense...if I wanted to listen to IPOD style I would listen to my IPOD. Once CBS is on Satelite radio I will have it installed in my mom's car and hopefully all the fans will be able to afford to this as well. Jack who do you think your fan base will be? This is NY radio if you are around in 6 months I'll be shocked! I've listen a couple of times you really are awful,the worst I've heard in a long time.
i am so mad! i cant believe that a radio station would do this to so many loyal listeners and so many wonderful DJ;s this station has been around for over 30 yrs....what does that tell u! why fix something thats NOT broken!
this V.P. chad brown who is the general manager at wcbs doesnt have a clue!....was this a favor job for him?...who did he know?....they say this station works in DALLAS! well my friend this is NOT DALLAS....this is jersey...and new york and u dont mess with us!...i think this is a no show job for this guy CHAD....i say go to DALLAS leave your day job at wcbs...and go hang out with miss ellie and jr on the south fork ranch and dont forget to take your music with u and leave us the hell alone boy!
I am still in shock. CBS represented home. It was always there. I have been listening since high school when my then boyfriend tuned it in for the first time. I had found my music. "My" station. I lived in Texas for a while, but every time I would visit home, CBS was there. Oldies stations in Houston were not plentiful, I missed it so much while I was away. The one that was sort of like CBS did the same thing as this many years ago. One morning on the way to work(A very long commute) my station became the "Box". It was awful! But I returned to Jersey and "My" station was there. To all the DJ's and the music, you will be missed each and every day! Now the only thing to listen to in the car is my CD's which I reserved for drives outside the New York area. We hate Jack!
Good news, folks! Cousin Brucie's headed to satellite. Check any of the New York-area papers for the story today. Yes, you'll now have to pay for your oldies, and there's still the nasty matter that commercial terrestial radio is broken, but it's still a victory of sorts.
To all upset about the loss of WCBS, well that's radio. Nevertheless, as the consumer, you've got power and choices now with XM and Sirius radio. Writing to the FCC is a waste of your time and let's be honest, this move by Infinity is all ABOUT MONEY! BUCKS IS ALL THEY WANT, They don't care you, so turn off their radio, and turn off their power. Then maybe they'll care about you their listeners and real customers.
Jack jock-less, is an owners and shareholders dream come true man! Why pay for talent when playing just music delivers ratings. Cut your drain on cash flow and watch your profits skyrocket! In addition, if running jock-less sticks, these greedy evil media sluts will love it and you'll see more Jack clones. Radio is all about MONEY!
Sorry to let you down with the truth..
The verdict is in!! After taste testing the New 101.1 Jack FM for the past week I have extended my free 3 months of "XM" on our two new Tahoe's to a 3 year contract. Last night I completed the exorcism by removing the 101.1 presets from my auto and home radio's. Kind of like the Seinfeld episode but instead of just being dropped down from number one on the speed dial list you've been dropped completely. The station is sterile, cold, boring with no personality. At least Q104 has long time NY radio personality Jim Kerr in the morning. If displacing 101.1 WCBS was because it was in the red (which I doubt) then I understand. If not, and you believe you are being progressive then I hope people in upper management lose their jobs. It appears my reaction is echoed by others. I play on an over 40 & over 50 softball team and EVERYONE on both teams feels the same. Multiple teammates said their satellite radio would now get more of a work out. Not like I'm bitter or anything but I hope you go down the tubes.
They should change the name of the station to something that has meaning for ALL of us. I suggest NEW COKE.
Once again big business takes over design and disregards brand loyalty. They whisked away the names that we are so familiar with in the blink of an eye. No warning, not a hint of anything coming. Can you imagine the discussions with the Jocks..."Hey Mick, great 100th show...Oh yeah, don't bother coming in on Monday. " Or "Hey Cousin Brucie, we don't think the listeners are on the same page as you. we're going in another direction."
Ah, clueless corporate America. Such a shame
After reading all of your posting I feel that I am not alone. I would never of thought that a simple radio station would have such a great affect on so many people. I guess we never would have expected to be treated with such disrespect. If WCBS would have faded away and die a natural death we could accept it but to be murdered is another story. I am deeply saddened over how we the listeners / fans have been treated and just out of principle I would not listen to JACK radio if was the last station on earth. Those people where our friends they where with us every day some for close to 30 years. I pray that maybe somehow somewhere our people will be back. I feel like someone very close to me has died and there is this big void that needs to be filled.
Boycott CBS FM AND boycott CBS New York channel 2 as well!
There is a petition site to sign
go to ThePetitionSite.com
type in Bring back the oldies on the search bar
and go!
Y
NYC Protest Rally to bring back WCBS-FM Please join us! TUESDAY, JUNE 21, from 11:30 a.m. 'til 1:00 pm at Infinity Broadcasting Headquarters, 1515 Broadway, NYC.
For the latest information on the activites to fight back and protest the Hostile Jack-FM takover of New York's famed Wcbs-FM 101.1 Oldies station, please visit: www.wcbsfm.org/
Please sign the petition to get the old station format back at: www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/474032182
Another Tribute Site at: www.pressedsteeltoysmonthly.com/day_the_music_died.htm
Go here to get your "Hit The Road Jack - Bring Back Oldies in New York NOW!" shirts:
http://www.cafepress.com/jackiscrap?OVRAW=WCBS%20FM&OVKEY=wcbs%20fm&OVMTC=standard
I don't mind the Jack format...just do the right thing and put it on WNEW FM where they've been falling on their faces for a number of years, and put them out of their misery. That's who needs the format, not a beloved oldies station with such great legendary personalities like CBS-FM was. I was and still am a huge fan of the Monkees and was thrilled to hear Micky Dolenz was on the air there...and even happier to hear that he sounded so good on the air. Well, CBS-FM might just be helping to send more listeners to satellite radio by such a stupid, stupid move. Cousin Brucie is already headed to Sirius, and will have listeners there as he deserves to. I've been in radio most of my life, and I've never seen a move this boneheaded that's pissed off this many listeners.
I personally have never been a big fan of the oldies, I am only 16. The one oldie station we had hear in NYC was CBS 101.1. My dad who is in his 40s would listen to it sometimes but usually K-rock and Q104.3. When he put it on and heard Jack Fm he was upset but in reality he will probably listen to it more now, and I listen to it also. CBS was this once in a while thing for him, and it was an icon of N.Y. Overall though Jack Fm will get better ratings because it wont be a "Once in a while" it will be mainstream. Its tearing the heart and soul for ratings.
Well crap is the only word I can think of & get away with it....Its a crime what they did to NY oldies lovers, sure there is a NJ station that plays some but they talk forever ,,,,I was recently in San Diego CA Jack is there too!!! But at least they had another oldies station down the dial,, Jack has awful stupid music if you can call it that...I miss the doobies the beach boys the Bee Gees KC and especially the motown soul of the 60's the greatest need I go on??? Someone please go find a space on the dial and get back our NY DJ's especially Bob Shannon,,,,and bring back real MUSIC...
Since CBSFM change in format I have changed my preset stations. This type of swill may go over in the midwest, but in the New York area we have plenty of other stations to choose from. By the way I have also changed my clock radio, and to the management types at CBSFM I say welcome to the real world.
I live in Philadelphia Pa. and have a station here that has been playing the same list of oldies for the last 30 years. I'm the biggest oldies rock and roll fanatic in the world and make my living as a musician performing 40's and 50's music, but I won't listen to the oldies station on the radio because I'm sick of hearing the same old songs. They are still great songs, but anybody that hears the same songs over and over again for thirty years is going to become sensitized to them. The problem with the oldies format is that there aren't any new oldies songs played, new bands promoted etc... I mean oldies songs that are brand new compositions. If there were, I have no doubt that the oldies format would Rock And Roll big time and we wouldn't have to deal with this so called Jack Radio. There definitely is a big market and fan base for this new oldies sound and I'm trying my best to contribute to this needed Renaissance by writing my own New Original 50's Songs You Never heard!
Rock And Roll Will Never Die!
Jeff O's Retro Music
50's Songs You Never Heard!
New Original Doo Wop, 50's Rock & Rockabilly songs.
http://www.jeffosretromusic.com
It's quite obvious that Infinity Radio dosen't know JACK about what NYC listeners want to hear on the radio. For the most part, I listen to the radio in my car on my way to work and on my way home. I need something interesting to keep me awake behind the wheel in the morning and Micky Dolenz, Mike Fitzgerald, Mr. G, Karen Stewart and Brucer the Producer were the PERFECT Group. I miss them and Cousin Brucie and my honey, Harry Harrison so much more than words can ever express. All my friends are just as disgusted as I am. Infinity ripped a big part of our lives away from us and dismissed us as a non-essential part of the listening community. I hope whoever made this decision rots in Hell. The new format SUCKS. SIRIUS here I come! Thank God for my MONKEES, BEATLES, HERMAN's HERMITS, STONES, WHO, MAMAS & PAPAS, BEACH BOYS, FOUR SEASONS, TEMPATIONS, SUPREMES and so many more CDs.
GIVE ME BACK MY BELOVED COUSIN BRUCIE, HARRY HARRISON, BOBBY JAY, DON K REED, NORM N NITE, BOB SHANNON, MIKE FITZGERALD, MICKEY DOLENZ AND ALL THE REST OF THESE GREAT DJ'S. JACK, YOU CAN YOU KNOW WHAT! WHY DON'T YOU TAKE ANOTHER PLACE ON THE DIAL, THERE'S PLENTY OF ROOM OUT THERE. I URGE EVERYONE TO PETITION, GO TO 'WCBS FM PETITION' AND SIGN YOUR NAME, ALSO BOYCOTT ALL SPONSORS, A COUPLE OF THEM ARE, HOME DEPOT AND BASKIN ROBBINS CHECK AROUND YOU'LL FIND OTHER'S. BRING BACK THE OLDIES!!
JACK FM is the future. I'm 18, my dad is 41. We both love it. Get used to change.
who ever changed the format of wcbs fm should
rot in hell. what a shame some of us can't listen
to real and good music. that jack crab is for
people on drugs!!!!!!!!!1
We don't have to get use to anything. Wait, it will happen to your music one day Rich. Jack SUCKS!
We don't have to get use to anything. This crap music you can get on any station. We want our station back! Wait Rich it'll happen to your music one day! Jack SUCKS!!
Where is Bob Shannon? I can't believe you changed the format of your station!!! Where are the oldies? I can't stand the new Jack station! It's awful. Don't you care about the older listeners? I guess I'll be listening to other stations. So Long. :(
Who Killed Rock 'n Roll?
One day with zero warning
A radio station change
The 'oldies' snuffed away from us
Was really very strange
Left folks like 'Cousin Brucie'
An icon of our time
Without his job and helpless
It really was a crime
No Dylan, Fats, Chuck Berry
No Supremes, no Three Dog Night
Four Seasons, Elvis, Beatles
Shut down, no chance to fight
Before these 'oldies' Rock n Roll
Did not even exist
Because 'big money' won again
These legends will be missed
I have listened to wcbsfm for a long time and Jack Fm is a bunch of crap. I like having DJ's on the air. The people in the age group 49 and up is the ones that support the station. We are the ones with the money. The younger kids don't have any money. I want wcbsfm to come back with the same dj's. I like listening to traffic and
weather and the joking. It makes the station more interesting.
We don't need to beg the program director or the station owners to bring back our favorite oldie station, Let the new Jack fall on their ass and lose there rateing and sponsor's money.
Any one interested in investing to create a new FM oldie station and bring back cousin Bruce,Bob Shannon and the rest of the crew ourselves, IT CAN BE DONE!!!!!
I was really crushed with the sudden pull of WCBS-FM's oldies format by the new "jack" format - although I honestly think that the music selection itself by the station really isn't half bad.
Out of curiosity, I googled WCBS-FM to find out more information on this sudden switch when it had happened, and was quite surprised that their oldies format wasn't dead after all, but had just become a staple on the internet (wcbs.com).
Great! I thought to myself. I clicked on the station and sat back and listened to the music for awhile, but came away not totally satisfied from the experience. The reason? There were no more live DJs!!! Gone were Dan Ingram, Cousin Brucie, Bill Brown, Dan Daniel, Bobby Jay, etc. as well as Harry Harrison (who retired 3 years ago but came back on saturday mornings) and his legendary fun battles with Mr. G the weatherman during the former's stint as the work week's "Morning Mayor".
wcbs.com itself is just like another jack format, but with oldies songs instead. The whole format itself is not going to last. People turning into radio want to identify with some sort of on-air personality when they tune in to a particular radio station, otherwise they would just listen to their ipods, tape decks, or cd players.
I remember roughly 20 something years ago when one of the major TV networks (I think it was WNBC) tried a similar type of experiment with television by not having announcers in the broadcast booth during a sporting event (NFL football). The experiment bombed tremendously and was never repeated again. The same thing is going to happen to Jack.
I wholeheartedly agree with the comments that people have made about New York's 101.1 station being converted to Jack F.M. I can understand that Jack F.M. is a new format that plays a random variety of rock/pop music from different years and might be appealing to the young generation, but there are many other locations on New York's F.M. dial for Jack F.M. to be installed. Although it is nice that the oldies are only a click away on www.wcbsfm.com, and the WCBS FM advertisers acknowledged over the Internet, "We're not gone; we just moved!," my point is that we cannot always carry the computer in the car with us. I always enjoyed listening to 101.1 WCBS FM while driving, and I think that Bob Shannon, Cousin Brucie, Harry Harrison, Mickey Dolenz, Dan Ingram, Don K. Reed, additional oldies staff members, and all the wonderful, feel-good golden oldies songs should be brought back to their original home on 101.1 F.M. It is awful that the owners of Jack FM invaded the place of New York's oldies of all the spots on the F.M. dial. If the people who are in charge of Jack FM really want to have a place on New York's F.M. dial, then they should relocate themselves to a station where there was originally talking and no music, or maybe Jack FM can take the place of a former rap station, since there are already more than enough rap stations on the F.M. dial during this generation. It would be a perfect compromise for all types of listeners if WCBS FM could be brought back to 101.1 while Jack FM could be transferred to a different spot on the F.M. dial. The reception on New Jersey's oldies station, 1250 A.M. WMTR is not always clear enough, and it is preposterous for a major city as big as New York to lack an official oldies station on the F.M. dial! I am urging the media to please bring WCBS FM back to 101.1 so that my car rides will be more enjoyable and pleasurable with my favorite oldies playing in the background and getting me through the day! I am also dying to hear the cheerful and friendly voices of Bob Shannon and Cousin Brucie again some time soon! To be honest, when I first heard Jack FM on 101.1 while driving in northern New Jersey, I thought that this might just be a bad dream or some kind of joke or April Fool's Day gag! It was completely unnecessary for Chad Brown to abruptly remove the oldies from 101.1 F.M. like that. In this respect, I will have to quote other people in supporting the slogan "If it ain't broken, don't fix it!"
Rich is a communist radical who loves JACK FM.
I can't tell you how disappointed I was to turn on my radio and not hear the oldies station that I grew up with and continue to listen to until this day. I can't believe that the management would do something like that to the men and woman who have made that radion station the success it was. They will learn that this was the biggest mistake they could have made. I understand that they wanted to attract a new clientelle but what about us!! What about the people who love this type of music - what are we supposed to do now??
Thanks a lot CBS FM for NOTHING!
Blame that TOTAL AHOLE & putz puller for his c-to-c partners Cadillac Jackoff Garrett & Howard Cogan for this socialist swill, And JACK FM is for dope fiends, child molestors, child porn freaks, brain-dead failures, terrorist sympathizers (especially with their "Jack Attack" stunt to irreverently commemorate September 11th), godless atheists, Michael Swift-Style homosexuals (as opposed to the more mainstream voluntary type) & Other rejects to society.......
JACK FM has LITERALLY made fun of famous ALS cripple Stephen Hawking, Buy saying "It's Time To Change My Batteries To JACK FM" & Made light of September 11th by calling it "Jack Attack"..............What a bunch of freaking cowards. And idiots like Rich love this sh*t station.
And Chad Brown is also a socialist too, As well as his pet boytoys of JACK*** FM.
These stupid csckrs NEVER learn, They say JACK FM is a "success", The sh*ttiest format around & These cesspools say it's a success, Where Bellevue????????????????, Joel Hollander's future home??????????????.
You'll all be happy to know that when WCBS-FM flipped to "Jack," it was the 9th rated station in the New York market. Well, boys and girls, the latest numbers are out, and WCBS is now #22. To put it into further perspective, it is the LOWEST-RATED FM in New York. Not as darstic, but still plummeting, is WJMK-FM in Chicago, which flipped the same week as 'CBS-FM.
Bravo, Jack. It only took you four months.
As David Lidsky suggested back in June, the only "Jack" in the Infinity chain doing significantly BETTER than before is KCBS-FM in Los Angeles. But pre-Jack, the station was known as "Arrow 93," a classic rock-type format. At least there was a base audience there for "Jack."
Reference: Here are the last five books for WCBS and WJMK. The figure in the center represents audience share when both stations were Jacked:
WCBS-FM 3.6 3.5 3.4 3.0 1.5
WJMK-FM 3.0 2.6 2.9 2.6 2.3
The best of luck to those dheads in the alleys of Broadway.
Attention all oldies listeners! For those of you who are as disappointed and upset as I am about the change in format to Jack F.M., have I got news for you! Stamford, Connecticut is very close to the New York area, and some of you might be as fortunate as I am to tune your radios to Stamford's oldies station, WKHL Kool 96.7 F.M. You can also learn more about this station by surfing the Internet. The reason why this golden oldies station still exists is probably because it is privately owned instead of being part of Infinity Broadcasting. Kool 96.7 still has the friendly on-air personality that we all remember hearing on 101.1 WCBS FM. Instead of badmouthing somebody like Rich who appreciates Jack FM, I strongly recommend that you all find your own pleasures by simply giving this station a try!
JACK FM eats turkey shytt!!!!!!.
JACK SUCKS!JACK SUCKS!JACK SUCKS!JACK SUCKS!
JACK SUCKS!JACK SUCKS!JACK SUCKS!JACK SUCKS!
JACK SUCKS!JACK SUCKS!JACK SUCKS!JACK SUCKS!
JACK SUCKS!JACK SUCKS!JACK SUCKS!JACK SUCKS!
JACK SUCKS!JACK SUCKS!JACK SUCKS!JACK SUCKS!
JACK SUCKS!JACK SUCKS!JACK SUCKS!JACK SUCKS!
Radio has entered a new era. Once satellite radio and stations accessible on the internet
become more accessible on portable wireless units
radio stations will have to reinvent them selves
to be relevent and viable.
The menu of programming in many major markets
doesn't reflect the interests of the community.
Stations will have to focus on local issues to be
relevant. The new media offers a better selection
of music and programming. If this sound too radical you have to remember there are a lot of people that remember listening on Crystal sets.
The whole entertainment has had abrupt change
and shake-up as people search for better choices
in CyberSpace.
This diatribe is long overdue and the CBS FM Oldies Purge is ancient news, however the anger remains fresh, I Effin deplore JACK and this whole craPod format festering the airwaves, I pray every night that the enduring lousy ratings hasten the total and complete demise of JACK and all his friends in the cities around the Nation, Why Infinity Broadcasting so biased and prejudiced against the American Disc Jockey and a format that has enjoys awesome ratings from 1972 to June 3, 2005, Cousin Brucie, Harry Harrison, Don K.Reed, Norm N, Nite and all the rest are among the many that made CBS FM a pleasure to listen to, True, Times must change and all things must pass, But Damn, Did the heavies in their fancy suits at the Infinity corparate offices need to exercise such a cruel, abrupt and uncaring demeanor toward the jocks, program director and worst of all, We, the listeners of 101.1 who provided the unabashed great ratings for 33 years?? I wish you all a lot of luck, you'll need it when Infinity lands in the potty and Chapter 11 becomes the only viable option to stay in business, REMEMBER: No deed, Whether it's Good or Bad shall not go unrewarded, The hurtful Arbitron ratings being experienced on the part of 101.1 JACK FM is the Reward to Infinity. Thank you:)
Well, what now!!! Where do we go to recapture
those memories of our youth? Memories of all
my favorite oldies,and my favorite disc-Jockeys
are now all ruined because of "Jack" radio!!!
The Heart Of Rock N' Roll, and his Moonlight
Memories are something that will be etched in
my heart and mind forever. Sunday nights i used
to live for,just to listen to norman knight.
Cousin Brucey,and the love hour 1/2 hr. Bill
Brown and the "Brown Bag" . What memories!!!
I TRAVEL TO NEW YORK CITY 4 TIMES A YEAR, THE FIRST THING I DID WHEN I RENT A CAR WAS TO PRESET THE RADIO TO CBS FM. ABOUT A YEAR AGO WHEN I TRAVELED TO NEW YORK, I WAS SHOCKED WHEN I CHOSE MY CHANNEL OF CHOICE, TO MY SURPRISE CBS FM WAS GONE.IT WAS A SAD DAY. JACK FM WHAT CRAP!!!. I GREW UP IN NEW YORK CITY, CBSFM, WPLJ,WNEWFM,ALL WERE THE CHANNELS WE ALL LISTEN TO .GREAT-GREAT MUSIC, GREAT OLDIES, I PURCHASED XM IN ONE CAR AND SERIUS IN MY OTHER CAR.I MISS DON K REED, HARRY HARRISON,BOB SHANEN,BUT I CAN STILL LISTEN TO COUSIN BRUCE AND SOME OTHER GREAT DJ THAT SOME OF US GREW UP WITH, BUT IT'S NOT THE SAME CORPORATE AMERICA MAY CALL IT PROGRESS I CALL IT JUNK. THE MUSIC THATS PLAYED TODAY ISN'T MUSIC IT DOESNT HAVE ANY MEANING.
I'm not approaching my 60s, but I grew up listening to WCBS.FM 101.1. I know other people my age (30) who listened to WCBS.FM
I loved the DJs and the music. Had it not been for the oldies format, I would have never been exposed to it, and I would have no knowledge of the artists and music that subsequent musicians grew up listenting to and in whom many found the inspiration to play music. I miss Don K. Reed's Doo Wopp Shop. Sunday nights have not been the same. I hope he considers joining satellite radio. There are people who enjoy listening to oldies stations, no matter what age group.
jack music sucks
no consideration for anyone, totaly eliminating oldies was not a good Idea,if they had compromised instead of just destroying it,
one way could be to dedicate one night and one day during the week could have been much better,
no doubt there are many ways you can help the oldies audiance, I guess that would be asking to much from people who put the $ sign as more important.
what goes around will come around I guess
bob
This is a shame. Even at my station (KFSX FM - Fresno, CA) we know what an important example of great radio WCBS-FM is (was). I can't imagine that this is going to work for very long. People have brains, you know, and they don't like to be "jacked" around. Say a prayer for radio folks...
hello everyone ; it's nice too say jack has the fact!!! i travel 2 1/2 hours to chicago ill to work . sorry to say no radio can come close too!!! 104.3 fm called jack, they seem to play tunes that i grew up with ,where all the rest still have thier head's in the sand box!! so jack in the box keep crank'ng the tune's intill the radio pop. gotta lov it
I think jack radio is bad and yes i mean bad not good. the music sucks it is not the same i want my oldies BACK like so many other people. wcbs fm was the oldies station. Nobody TOPS COUSIN BRUCIE NOW THAT WAS THE MAN. I READ THAT THE OLDIES WILL BE BACK ON CBS FM I DO HOPE SO.UNTIL THEN I'LL NEVER LISTEN TO THIS STATION. O BY THE WAY IT IS TRUE WHEN THEY SAY YOU DON'T KNOW JACK,BECAUSE JACK DON'T KNO S--T.
Its hard to imagine a day in New York without hearing I Only Have Eyes For You, Up On The Roof, On Broadway and There's A Moon Out tonight to name a few.
Well, I was upset with CBS-FM for dumping the oldies at first...then I listened to Jack...and I actually liked the music mix, and the fact that it wasnt the same 200 songs over & over...and a lot of the older stuff in that mix was also played during the station's time as Oldies 101...now I hear that the oldies are returning, and all I can say is that they'd better be able to measure up to what they were when they had all the legendary personalities back then or this won't work any better...CBS owns 102.7, the former WNEW-FM...how about putting Jack THERE instead (I mentioned that in my previous post way back when the format change happened)? That station's been swimming in quicksand ever since they lost their way a number of years ago...if they can't bring back the absolutely great rock format they once had, Jack would at least put Fresh (formerly Blink) FM out of its misery and the people who like the variety Jack's offered would still have a place to enjoy it (or there's always the option of continuing it online)...for now I guess I'll tune into 92.5 Jack FM, where they're doing just fine in Toronto! We can have both formats if the powers that be are willing to make it so...