'Jack' radio too white for New York?

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i believe there was another thread about the "jack" format, but the search is timing out.

'Jack' radio too white for New York?
# Though the format is a hit in L.A., ratings are down with New Yorkers.

By Rafer Guzman, Newsday

NEW YORK -- Last week brought good news for New York area radio listeners who hate the new Jack format: Its ratings are in the john.

According to the latest Arbitron figures, WCBS/101.1 FM, which switched in June from its much-loved oldies format to the random-sounding, no-host Jack format, has sunk to 22nd place. That's a pretty poor showing, especially considering the old WCBS had been hovering in the top 10 before making the switch.

But Jack isn't failing everywhere. In Los Angeles, one of the most dynamic and competitive markets in the country, the recently Jacked station KCBS/93.1 FM has not only seen its ratings rise, it's become No. 1 among the 25- to 54-year-old demographic, highly coveted by advertisers.

So why hasn't Jack taken off with New Yorkers? Here's one theory: In a city filled with racial diversity and music that crosses racial divides, Jack sounds pretty darn white.

The Jack format generally plays rock and pop mostly from the 1980s, hoping to tap into youngish-but-aging listeners -- about 35 to 44 -- who have fond memories of hair-metal, new-wave and their older siblings' classic-rock collections. On WCBS, you might hear Quiet Riot, Duran Duran and Elton John in a given hour. In many cities, that may be exactly what people want to hear.

But an '80s teenager in New York would have had very different tastes than his counterpart in, say, Dallas. New York City at that time was ground zero for hip-hop, not to mention plenty of disco and Latin dance music. The average white kid in Manhattan or Brooklyn was probably into early rap and the occasional salsa-flavored dance track along with guitar-based rock and new-wave. Even now, New York is largely defined by rhythm-based music.

Infinity Broadcasting, the people behind Jack, are quick to point out that it's not a generic, one-sound-fits-all format. Each station's programmer, they say, has the ability to tailor his playlist for the locals. Maybe WCBS, after only about four months under the Jack banner, simply hasn't yet figured out what mix of music will appeal to a New York audience.

Listening to Jack for an hour, it's clear that the station is positively afraid of rap. But maybe a little less Rick Springfield and a little more Slick Rick is all it needs.

― katrina vanden roffle (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 17:40 (twenty years ago)

What is this "radio?"

― rasheed wallace (rasheed wallace), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 17:45 (twenty years ago)

they're forgetting about the dreaded COLLEGE ROCK that '80s teens might have been listening to!

― katrina vanden roffle (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 17:46 (twenty years ago)

Rap is not afraid of Jack.

― Huk-L (Huk-L), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 17:47 (twenty years ago)

jack white too "radio" for new york?

― katrina vanden roffle (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 17:47 (twenty years ago)

NYCers don't like snark. (who does?) and you can get yer 80s jones elsewhere w/t the jack-snark.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 18:03 (twenty years ago)

we used to have a "jammin' oldies" station that was like a "jack" format for fans of '70s and '80s R&B, disco, soul, "urban AC," and a small smattering of hip-hop. it was really great. but it seems like older people here don't listen to radio much unless it's talk radio, sports, or npr. seriously, talk radio is where it's at.

― katrina vanden roffle (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 18:03 (twenty years ago)

i don't like the "we play what WE want to play" angle of jack -- thanks, but i can listen to the wedding singer soundtrack without turning on the radio.

― katrina vanden roffle (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 18:05 (twenty years ago)

I like Jack! It's a pretty fun radio station to listen to in cars. It's a hell of a lot more listenable than any other music station in NYC, I'll tell you that much. I mean, I love lots of love for WFMU, but their signal sucks and you have to catch just the right shows. Hot 97 is nice in small doses, but they most just play "Gold Digger" every eight minutes.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 18:08 (twenty years ago)

hot 97 was where most new york kids heard the dance music the writer talks about here:

and for hip-hop, it was kiss-fm. god, the '80s was really one of the best eras for radio.

― katrina vanden roffle (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 18:12 (twenty years ago)

Jack is ok but here it took over the only Oldies station--- which is what I listen to most when I do switch on the radio--- and put motherfuckin' Dick Biondi out of a job, so fuck them.

― oops (Oops), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 18:15 (twenty years ago)

The 'Jack' station here in Toronto has been suffering in ratings. And up until recently, they used to have actual hosts/DJs, but they fired them all a couple weeks ago and now they are 'human free'! And you should see their outdoor ads. Example: (just plain text, meant to look like a headline) "Scorpions Sting Barenaked Ladies!" or "Mike and the Mechanics Fixx Cars!" etc. Wow.

I could go on about how much I hate Jack and terrestrial radio in general (and I work at a Big Radio Company so I have lots to bitch about!) but I guess should remember who pays my rent. Yeah sure, I work on the 'cool' Internet radio side but guess where 95% of the revenue (which is a lot) comes from... Yup, those crappy stations that for some unknown reason (to me) still seem to appeal to people...

― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 18:21 (twenty years ago)

I hate it how their billboard ads use a graphic of five jacks in a row. Only four in a deck, dude.

― sexyDancer (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 18:23 (twenty years ago)

how is jack doing in other cities with large nonwhite/immigrant populations? i understand it's doing well in l.a. because it fills a "white" niche in a city with a lot of spanish-language stations. is it a similar situation in miami? san francisco?

― katrina vanden roffle (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 18:29 (twenty years ago)

rob otm... those toronto billboards are so fucking stupid!!

― s1ocki (slutsky), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 18:33 (twenty years ago)

well toronto is very multi-ethnic (most ethnically diverse city in north america, i was told recently), and as i mentioned, JACK is not doing well. the JACK here used to be a Kiss-FM, which was pop/R&B type stuff (I believe they call it 'Rhythmic A/C' or somesuch), which seemed to do OK.

― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 18:35 (twenty years ago)

There's something distasteful about switching racially-mixed formats to an "average white guy" format and using "we" too much in ad copy.

― sexyDancer (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 18:43 (twenty years ago)

oh, another thing, even in the '80s nyc already had two classic rock stations that played the j. geils band and tom petty around the clock. this is not a novelty for us. we were sick of that shit back then too.

― katrina vanden roffle (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 18:45 (twenty years ago)

WPLJ and WNEW-FM?

― k/l (Ken L), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 18:48 (twenty years ago)

and K-ROCK. (WPLJ played those bands, but they were mostly a top 40 station at the time.)

― katrina vanden roffle (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 18:59 (twenty years ago)

What the hell is Jack radio? I've never heard of it.

― giboyeux (skowly), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:01 (twenty years ago)

Does Jack's format really seem that different to people who aren't familiar with the strictures of radio formats? I imagine the average listener knows they have oldies on, but doesn't understand exactly which format (subformat?) and all that garbage.

― Confounded (Confounded), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:07 (twenty years ago)

it's the lack of doo wop that offends I

― sexyDancer (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:08 (twenty years ago)

this ilm thread talks about jack some: Minnesota Public Radio launches indie station 89.3 "The Current"

― teeny (teeny), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:14 (twenty years ago)

There's something distasteful about switching racially-mixed formats to an "average white guy" format and using "we" too much in ad copy.

what gets me is that america isn't anywhere near as white as it thinks it is (or would like to believe it is), and that's becoming more true with every passing year. i cannot fucking stand it when people talk about "the average american," when you can throw a dart at a census map and the probability of hitting a middle-class white guy is fairly small.

― katrina vanden roffle (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:15 (twenty years ago)

this ilm thread talks about jack some: Minnesota Public Radio launches indie station 89.3 "The Current"

there was a thread about cbs-fm going jack as well, but i couldn't find it before.

― katrina vanden roffle (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:16 (twenty years ago)

NYCers don't like snark. (who does?) and you can get yer 80s jones elsewhere w/t the jack-snark.

-- Eisbär (llamasfu...), October 25th, 2005.

This statement is more or less correct. Compounding the snark is the fact that their playlist isn't all that random or pod-casty.
< / big surprise >

-- katrina vanden roffle (theundergroundhom...), October 25th, 2005.

Jammin 105 was awesome. Then it became Just Another Hip Hop Station.

― Jimmy Mod wants you to tighten the strings on your corset (The Famous Jimmy Mod), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:18 (twenty years ago)

Jack White too 'radio' for New York?

― Hurting (Hurting), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:20 (twenty years ago)

Jack would be the perfect format if they actually did play everything. Any station that would follow Boston with Front 242 with Vivaldi with 2 Live Crew with This Mortal Coil with Jane's Addiction with Take 6 would be the greatest station ever.

― The Ghost of Black Elegance (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:22 (twenty years ago)

jack white too "radio" for new york?

-- katrina vanden roffle (theundergroundhom...), October 25th, 2005.

Goddamnit, stop being so quick. I need to read these threads before posting.

― Hurting (Hurting), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:23 (twenty years ago)

>what gets me is that america isn't anywhere near as white as it thinks it is (or would like to believe it is), and that's becoming more true with every passing year. i cannot fucking stand it when people talk about "the average american," when you can throw a dart at a census map and the probability of hitting a middle-class white guy is fairly small.<

Spanish language radio is tops in several markets. San Antonio, for instance, has their airwaves dominated in the ratings by hispanic stations. Its something like half the top 10, including #1.

― Alan Conceicao (Alan Conceicao), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:29 (twenty years ago)

Then it became Just Another Hip Hop Station.

hey, there's a lot more variety on hip-hop radio today than there was ten years ago (when every other track was some expressionless stoner doing a syncopated "uh... uh..." over a low-rider squelch). now all the little homegrown scenes are stepping up to the plate. but it's not as if you can't hear those songs in a thousand other places.

― katrina vanden roffle (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:35 (twenty years ago)

Jack can go jack off.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:41 (twenty years ago)

clever.

― katrina vanden roffle (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:45 (twenty years ago)

yeah, look at all those mega 105.9 ads all over the subway! "mega se pega!"

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 19:53 (twenty years ago)

i love those!

― katrina vanden roffle (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 20:04 (twenty years ago)

Spanish language radio is tops in several markets. San Antonio, for instance, has their airwaves dominated in the ratings by hispanic stations. Its something like half the top 10, including #1.

-- Alan Conceicao (deadandrestles...), October 25th, 2005 3:29 PM. (Alan Conceicao) (later) (link)

107.5 KXTN has been number one for a long time. Tejano jamsss.

― Its morph 'em to pun cute (Matt Chesnut), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 20:09 (twenty years ago)

R.I.P. Radio Free Hawaii. 1991-1997.

"Radio Free Hawaii's claim to fame was that its programming was determined by weekly votes submitted to the station by listeners from all over the state using a ballot system. The voted songs and artists were tabulated each week and a weekly survey of the Top 36 Hits based on those votes were counted down with Sheriff Norm Winter every Saturday morning at 10:AM. The songs featured on that week's survey went into high music rotation at the station while other voted for songs were featured on a somewhat lesser rotation. The music represented by listener votes spanned all genres... rap, pop, rock, alternative, country, Hawaiian, jazz, classical, ska and more..."

― Confounded (Confounded), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 20:10 (twenty years ago)

the "jack" station here is called BEN, and while I probably listen to it as much as any station here (I flip around for tracks that sound good. Hate ads too much to just leave it on one for too long), the whole "we" thing is just ridiculous. Right now I associate philly radio with Puff Daddy and the Steve Miller Band, which is what I seem to get surprisingly often.

― miccio (miccio), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 20:11 (twenty years ago)

BEN? Is their theme song the Michael Jackson song about the rat?

― k/l (Ken L), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 20:32 (twenty years ago)

How is LA significantly more white than NYC?

― knife (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 21:00 (twenty years ago)

no one says it is. the article neglects to point out WHY jack is popular there.

― katrina vanden roffle (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 21:22 (twenty years ago)

Oh. Damn, I was looking for something to get indignant about. I'll try another thread.

― knife (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 21:23 (twenty years ago)

what Kingfish said. this: "In a city filled with racial diversity and music that crosses racial divides" = LA. Saying race is the mitigating factor is bullshit.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 21:24 (twenty years ago)

er what knife said, I mean.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 21:25 (twenty years ago)

Saying race is the mitigating factor is bullshit.

it is though. l.a. has a lot more white republican types than nyc, and they've felt underrepresented/pissed off because so much of the local media is geared towards the mexican population. so the jack format is a big deal.

― katrina vanden roffle (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 21:32 (twenty years ago)

l.a.

"southern california" i should say -- this would include orange county too.

― katrina vanden roffle (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 21:34 (twenty years ago)

I dunno about that. are you from LA?

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 21:35 (twenty years ago)

by osmosis, yes.

― katrina vanden roffle (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 21:36 (twenty years ago)

i may be moving there if i get into one of the grad schools i'm applying to.

― katrina vanden roffle (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 21:37 (twenty years ago)

Skipping 23 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

yah like this guy and his hair piece arn't creepy

http://www.droxy.com/images/2005/08/cousin-brucie.jpg

― howell huser (chaki), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 22:22 (twenty years ago)

the hairpiece and the cosby sweater yes. brucie himself, not so much.

― katrina vanden roffle (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 22:23 (twenty years ago)

anyway a lot of radio personalities have creep-potential. that's why they're on the radio. today, they have mp3 blogs.

― katrina vanden roffle (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 22:27 (twenty years ago)

http://images.villagevoice.com/issues/0510/dibbell.jpg

― howell huser (chaki), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 22:29 (twenty years ago)

that's mean, howell.

― katrina vanden roffle (Jody Beth Rosen), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 22:30 (twenty years ago)

im a mean mofo

― howell huser (chaki), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 22:31 (twenty years ago)

I prefer to see Rodney as a tragic figure.

― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Tuesday, 25 October 2005 22:38 (twenty years ago)

jack is very creepy, but in a way that makes me surprised no one has thought of it sooner (we have one here in mpls but i haven't looked into its numbers). not just wide white net it throws but in the fact that it's a "brand" modular to other cities -- other cities may have a rap station or a classic rock station but not every city as a hot 97 or a KQ . but now tons of cities have jack. i don't know if they bother with a morning show or even name dj's at all (the "it's like yr ipod" ad line suggests no), and if the playlists are managed by whatever central jack comintern then maybe it's a low cost station to run. meaning it won't have to have great numbers to keep spreading.

i've read a little abt this and apparently it started in canada. what that means...

― geoff (gcannon), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 00:43 (twenty years ago)

Each station's programmer, they say, has the ability to tailor his playlist for the locals.

ah ok. forget that last point then.

― geoff (gcannon), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 00:44 (twenty years ago)

(the "it's like yr ipod" ad line suggests no)

see, here's the whole problem i have with JACK, BEN, or whatever ... if "it's like yr ipod," then why not just keep on listening to yr ipod and not to these shitty stations?!?

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 00:50 (twenty years ago)

"it's like someone else's ipod... if you're too cheap to buy an ipod."

― katrina vanden roffle (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 00:54 (twenty years ago)

I really just hate the Jack billboards- the guy on the card in the graphic looks like a total douche, and the slogan makes him sound like one: "We play what we want." Jack is the guy that waits til the last second to cut in at a lane closure. Jack is the guy who tries to say impressive-sounding things extra loud when he's in public to make sure everyone else hears. Jack likes to "get over" on people and brags about it to his buddies when he does.

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 01:33 (twenty years ago)

And I don't want to listen to his iPod.

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 01:35 (twenty years ago)

those billboards are shite, it's true. perhaps jack is the bastard child of opie and anthony (and speaking of him, is everyone excited for the NEW EXTREME TALK FORMAT coming to an infinity station near you?)

seriously though, what is the point of listening to jack in new york city, when you can turn the dial to wplj or 102.7 and hear the same damn songs, maybe arranged a *little* bit differently? it's not like it has a particularly local flavor in any way. at least wplj has a morning show led by someone who has a lot of local radio history (scott shannon). and who knows whether people actually listen to 102.7 in its post-opie-and-anthony incarnation. (i guess arbitron would.)

i mean, perhaps that is guzman meant with his comparison to LA -- there are way too many dentists-office-friendly stations on the nyc dial to begin with, and it's not that far of a jump from wltw (the no. 1 station in the city) to jack. one might play the 'harder' bon jovi songs, but that's about it.

also i totally miss the 'jammin oldies' format.

― maura (maura), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 01:38 (twenty years ago)

i've tried to listen to opie and anthony on their new xm channel. that is honestly the cheapest, bottom of the barrel shit humor ive ever heard on the airwaves.

― howell huser (chaki), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 01:43 (twenty years ago)

other cities may have a rap station or a classic rock station but not every city as a hot 97 or a KQ

Are you kidding? Radio has been like that for years. Every city's "oldies" station or "modern rock" station is identical and programmed from a central Clear Channel office somewhere.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 01:49 (twenty years ago)

Right. A lot of cities have a "Power" hip-hop station for example (Power 105.1). But I think the difference here is that the format itself, rather than the station, is what's being marketed. I mean you don't usually have radio advertising that so blatantly says "Hey, we've got an awesome new mass-produced radio format that is taking over your local station, among others"

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 02:09 (twenty years ago)

I really just hate the Jack billboards- the guy on the card in the graphic looks like a total douche, and the slogan makes him sound like one: "We play what we want."

100% OTM. it's one of the more blatant "appeals to assholes" ad campaigns that i've seen in a while.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 02:10 (twenty years ago)

Jack's favorite song is probably "Taking Care of Business"

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 02:12 (twenty years ago)

welcome back Shakey Mo, haven't seen you on the board in a while - maybe we're on different threads or you're on the noize board or something. Anyway, as an LAite, who did a year stint living and working in NY, I think that the distinction 'tween the two major metros is that LA is in the car so much more than NY and the demo that JACK is gaining headway in is in DRIVETIME. LA of that demo is just flat out tired of too many commercials and too much jock chat. JACK is diverse in its playlist and is gaining in the anglo demo who don't have satellite radio. Not many black/hispanic listeners want or have satellite, so it's become the poor white persons satellite radio station. Broad playlist, no jock talk and fewer ads due to sponsorship sales. Also helpful to the station itself is that it's automated, so no DJ fees. There are so many other stations for the black hispanic listeners (in fact LA has more hispanic listeners than anglos) and hence the high ratings for JACK.

― Wiggy (Wiggy), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 02:15 (twenty years ago)

Hurting: way wrong - that would be yr standard "classic rock." Jack is "oldies 1974-1994"

Wiggy: OTM

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 02:44 (twenty years ago)

"jack" looks like the lead singer for either the mighty mighty bosstones or smashmouth.

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 02:59 (twenty years ago)

dickie barrett of the bosstones is the "mighty mighty morning" dj here in la on clear channel's own indie 103.1

― howell huser (chaki), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 03:01 (twenty years ago)

dickie barrett of the bosstones is the "mighty mighty morning" dj here in la on clear channel's own indie 103.1

that's reason #15,571 to hate clear channel then!

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 03:03 (twenty years ago)

steve jones is on right after him!

― howell huser (chaki), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 03:13 (twenty years ago)

walter i don't think we even disagree, though i shouldn't have said "may" cos of course every city has a classic rock station (whether each one has a rap/rnb station i don't know, mpls didn't have one [besides local kmoj] until a couple years ago). is your city's rap station actually called Hot 97? no? ok. but your jack is definitely jack and it's the same jack here too. it's these stations that are reaching toward being "identical" as in having the same identity.

...and it's not all that bad, frankly. it has a better hit rate than the Current (discussion linked above). but the "playing what we want." slogan is VERY alarming and nasty: the wider the genre/decade net is thrown, the more pointed the exclusions seem, the more compulsory belonging to the "we" becomes.

― geoff (gcannon), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 03:15 (twenty years ago)

er not to get all k-punk on you guys but wow does this stuff creep me out.

― geoff (gcannon), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 03:15 (twenty years ago)

Seriously geoff, why? It beats the hell out of formatted-within-an-inch of its life programming. And in LA, you drive in the morning, you listen to the radio.

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 03:19 (twenty years ago)

Also, a little context: the Jack format is a huge step up from the even-more-lily-white classic rock format it replaced on LA's 93.1.

― rogermexico (rogermexico), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 03:22 (twenty years ago)

"playing what we want." slogan is VERY alarming and nasty: the wider the genre/decade net is thrown, the more pointed the exclusions seem, the more compulsory belonging to the "we" becomes.

To be fair, I don't mind the "I play what I want" attitude if it comes from some selective dj with real personality and taste.

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 03:23 (twenty years ago)

BTW, I kinda like the Jammin' Oldies format. I mean I don't love it, but I don't mind it at the office as much as the lite stations.

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 03:24 (twenty years ago)

jammin oldies + dad rock + bubble gum pop = jack

― howell huser (chaki), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 03:26 (twenty years ago)

...and it's not all that bad, frankly. it has a better hit rate than the Current (discussion linked above).

the ref maybe sort of local (the current being a more seemingly-ilm friendly station run by mpr in the twin cities area) but all radio is local innit, still.

xpost chaki i'd add + sports metal. i'm pretty sure i heard enter sandman the other day! but maybe that gets a pass cos the vikings use it.

― geoff (gcannon), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 03:34 (twenty years ago)

i think its pretty much anything that was ever in the top 40 starting from 1970 or something

― howell huser (chaki), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 03:39 (twenty years ago)

ever? that includes a lot of shit that hasn't been anywhere near a radio in decades.

such as:
http://musiclab.co.jp/billboard/at/no1hc/top40hits_1980.html

― katrina vanden roffle (Jody Beth Rosen), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 03:42 (twenty years ago)

jack plays some pretty crazy shit sometimes! especially late at night.

― howell huser (chaki), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 03:47 (twenty years ago)

I'm going to take the NYC market by storm with my own Jock FM format - nothing but Jock Jams.

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 03:54 (twenty years ago)

(Y'all ready for this?!)

― Hurting (Hurting), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 03:54 (twenty years ago)

Jack new york last played:

1. JACK LEGAL - Thank You New York
2. Janis Joplin - Mercedes Benz [Album: Pearl]
3. Berlin - Sex (I'm A Slut)
4. JACK-FM - Staring At Your Breasts
5. Dixie Chicks - Goodbye Earl
6. JACK-FM - Sonny & Cher Medley (AB)
7. Steely Dan - Time Out Of Mind
8. Donald Fagen - Ruby Baby
9. JACK-FM - Double Punch

loos like they did a fagan two for tuesday!

last played on jack la:

Blondie - Call Me
Van Halen - Jump
Talking Heads - Take me to the River
Thin Lizzy - The Boys are Back in Town
Sheryl Crow - If it Makes You Happy
Motley Crue - Dr. Feelgood
Eagles - Life in the Fast Lane
New Order - True Faith

complete with a "BUY CD" link under each name

― howell huser (chaki), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 04:09 (twenty years ago)

jack has a blog http://www.931jackfm.com/life/blog.html

― howell huser (chaki), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 04:11 (twenty years ago)

the jacks in different cities actually have more difference between them than, say, the lite rock or the classic rock stations in different cities--there's more room for regional hits and the program director decides how wide to cast the net. Some really do play anything that ever made the charts. Here in St. Louis, though, our jack ('the arch') is basically a classic hits station with a few disco hits and Madonna. Even on the jack scale, it's pretty lame, but it's what the market wants.

― teeny (teeny), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 09:56 (twenty years ago)

jack is a funny dood!

10/12/2005
News Flash of the Day
apparently inflammable means that the stuff is flammable. must have missed the memo on that one. yet another tough lesson learned.

― howell huser (chaki), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 21:53 (twenty years ago)

Yes. way to steal a joek from the simpsons, mr. jack. if that is your real name.

― Jimmy Mod wants you to tighten the strings on your corset (The Famous Jimmy Mod), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 21:54 (twenty years ago)

Why does Jack sound like some snot from the 70s trying to be "Cool" in the ads?

"We'll be right back with more tunes...........if we feel like it."

Like the Fonze but with no irony. Indie 103.1 can be like that too. I just hate the voiceover style.

― Cunga (Cunga), Thursday, 27 October 2005 05:32 (twenty years ago)

yeah, look at all those mega 105.9 ads all over the subway! "mega se pega!"

CON LA MEGA NO SE JUEGA

― C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Thursday, 27 October 2005 05:43 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

i was really moved to hear joan baez's version of "the night they drove old dixie down" on jack in the car this afternoon.

― Tim Ellison, Tuesday, 12 June 2007 00:20 (nineteen years ago)

-- katrina vanden roffle (Jody Beth Rosen),

i just want to say well done. i'm aware there's a whole thread for it.

― tremendoid, Tuesday, 12 June 2007 00:43 (nineteen years ago)

four months pass...

the UK get's a jack format radio station

jack fm in oxfordshire
http://www.jackfm.co.uk/

― djmartian, Saturday, 20 October 2007 18:54 (eighteen years ago)

Even now, New York is largely defined by rhythm-based music.
Even now, New York is largely defined by rhythm-based music.
Even now, New York is largely defined by rhythm-based music.
Even now, New York is largely defined by rhythm-based music.
Even now, New York is largely defined by rhythm-based music.
Even now, New York is largely defined by rhythm-based music.

― ian, Saturday, 20 October 2007 20:23 (eighteen years ago)

Oh yeah, Jack FM doesn't exist in the New York City area anymore ... they turned it back to CBS FM. They play the greatest hits from the 60s, 70s, and 80s, kinda like the old Encore channel format back in the 90s.

― burt_stanton, Saturday, 20 October 2007 20:34 (eighteen years ago)

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