Every day when my wife drives home from work (here in San Diego) she tunes in to radio station Star 100.7 to listen to a show called 'The Daily Dirt' (which is basically entertainment gossip). Today she was surprised to discover that the station had abruptly switched to a 'classic rock' format that randomly plays songs from the 80's, 90's, and the present. Plus, it was no longer Star 100.7. It was now
Jack 100.7. Even the DJs were different. She thought it might be some kind of belated April Fool's Day prank. But when she got home we did some research and learned it was no prank.
Apparently this is
happening to radio stations across the country (and in Canada). Suddenly the management will fire all the staff, rename the station something like Jack or Bob or Doug FM (it's always a guy's name), and switch to a random-play format. Audiences aren't given any warning, so they often think it's a prank.
I think this is a scheme cooked up by marketers to maximize profits. The management tries to spin the random-play thing as them being daring enough to 'play whatever they want', but in reality they're just saving money by having a computer in shuffle-mode pick the songs. Then they fire all the staff (except for the morning show usually), and replace them with lower-paid substitutes who mumble phrases from a corporate script in between the songs.
I never listened to Star 100.7 that much, so the change won't affect me in any way. But it does seem strange that all these stations are being renamed Jack or Bob or Doug and transformed into glorified iPods on shuffle mode. I figure that it must be one company behind it all, but I don't know who it is.
Comments
"My question is why don't they notify the listeners about the switch? I would like to have some closure for these stations who abandoned me on these cold and lonely nights."
There are a couple of reasons for that, Matthew. One is that, often, management wants to keep the format change a surprise, to get talk started about the station and to keep the competition off-guard.
Another is that, from management's perspective, there is no "upside" to alerting the current audience to the impending format change.
Think about it: Management has made the decision that the current format is not as profitable as the one they are going to switch to. Telling the audience they are about to blow off about the change can only hurt the station (again, this is from management's point of view). The listeners to the current format will not be happy and may actually make a stink about it, which isn't a good way to kick off a new format.
It's kind of like breaking up with someone. You just want them to go away quietly, not make a scene.
"Have the big wigs of Jack FM lost their minds!??! More money to big execs equals less and less common sense!! Who put those morons in control?!"
Congress, in 1996, passed an act deregulating broadcasting, allowing corporations to own FAR more stations than was ever allowed previously. Clear Channel, for example, owns hundreds more radio stations than any company in the history of broadcasting ever has before.
This made radio and TV an attractive business to companies that were not really show biz entities. They tended to view the radio business as being just like any other business and brought a very non-audience-oriented perspective to radio. In other words, they're just Big Business Weasels and don't really give a damn about the listeners.
"Those on the losing end, besides the public who LOVED listening to STAR, are the djs who lost their jobs--Jeff, Jer, Laura, Anita, Jen, etc, etc. I hope they were given advance notice at least!! Jack obviously has no idea of what they lost when they changed STAR's format and let the dj's go!"
While you (and other listeners) may feel passionately about the STAR format and the people you listened to on it, I can promise you that the people who own and run the station view it more dispassionately. To them, it's a business, pure and simple; if they have come to the decision that a different format will make more money, that is all it takes for them to trash what has been on the station for years and which you cared about.
Trust me, if, in fact, Jeff and Jer are gone, concern about them did NOT figure into the decision of whether or not to change the station. DJ's, like baseball managers, are "hired to get fired."
Well, it's bad when the selection is sucks.
What I don't get is that it was one of the most popular stations that I ever listened to. And I hope the new "Brew" bites the dust. (The Brew is basically an "80's, 90's, Whatever We Feel Like Cramming Down Your Throat Today" station) Lazer's already going pansy. They used to play Metallica once every hour or so, now they only play them once a day. They gave underground bands play. They were hardcore. I personally like Bob & Brian (syndicated but awesome) and Fish (not sure if syndicated, but caters to immature people like me, makes "crank calls" (good ones, too), etc.) I've listened to these guys since I got into rock... the real deal. They are radio to me.
"I personally like Bob & Brian (syndicated but awesome) and Fish (not sure if syndicated, but caters to immature people like me, makes "crank calls" (good ones, too), etc.)"
I'm about to break your heart again, but some of the "crank calls" you hear on morning radio shows are faked.
When I was a morning drive DJ in Allentown, PA back in the 80's I would make prank calls live to other countries so that I wouldn't have to inform the person who answered the phone that we were on the air, if that would screw up the joke.
They've tightened up the rules since then so that the very first thing--even before you put the person on the air--that you have to do is tell them that you are on the air and get their permission to put THEIR voice on the air.
Because that kind of ruins the gag, some of the calls you hear are faked. Yes, just like the audio of the "listeners" who rave about the station, you can actually buy fake prank calls.
They're pre-recorded on a CD and all you have to do is digitally edit in your voice(s). Any "prank calls" that you hear where the air personality does not inform the person on the other end of the line that they are going to be on the air may well be faked. The fines are just too high to risk these days. Besides, they figure you'll never know so what's the downside?
Oh, here's another little thing you probably don't know. Some, not all, of the "wacky" callers you hear are actors who are paid for their work. How do I know this? Uh, I've BEEN one of those people.
I really shouldn't drop the names of the shows I've been heard on, but at least one of them is a VERY big radio personality. VERY big, as in "everybody here has heard of him" big. I've done his show twice and another, more regional show about six times.
This is just another step in the same direction & just another scenario (& industry) where real jobs are cut for the cost reductions.
Well, at least the Aerosmith "cleaning" was done in such a way that it still scans. Removing the entire verse from Live destroyed the "story line".
I am real glad you have this radio station on.
I moved from newyork to LA then moved to sandiego.when in LA I stoped in s.d.c.a. to look for an appartment and I did find one .this was ment for me.I been in sdca for 4 years when I
arrived I finely had a chance to open this window in my house.on my window thear was a bumber sticker that said jack 1007. I found that to be real cool. because when I moved in I had a shirt made up with jacks logo on it.and my daughter washed it and got it cought and now it is all shreeded.so I was so upset.but like I said that sticker made me happy.Is there any way that I can get an iron on to replace my shirt or a bumper sticker so I can add to the rest of the windows in my house .but isnt that neat that I have one on my window now : ) well thank you for takeing the time to read this and for having an awsome radio station.my address is: jo owen 4044 kansas st sandiego ca 92104.thanks again.ps ps love you music monkey you are the balls !
"I am real glad you have this radio station on.
"well thank you for takeing the time to read this and for having an awsome radio station.my address is: jo owen 4044 kansas st sandiego ca 92104.thanks again.ps ps love you music monkey you are the balls !"
You're welcome, Jo Owen. We're so happy that you like our station that we're going to send the Jack Van over to your house and shower you with gifts. If I were you, I wouldn't leave the house for the next few days, so you don't miss it. If you're out when we arrive, we won't be able to give you the fabulous prizes.
I was real happy to see your respons on march 14 2006.it stated that jacks van will be at my house in a few days and shower me with gifts. and not to leave the house so dont miss it.I was so surprize about that.just to think I am having my only and best radio station at my house.and to show off with friends and neighbors.so I took off from work. I took my week vacation off.I also made a welcome sign for jack.and every day I opened the frount gate and I kept it open untill 7:30 pm.my question is.now that I looked back at the email again your web site says the word hoaxes. so was this A joke to me? because I fell for it hard.and it was not funney but then again all I asked for is a sticker and to see I would get more.so if this was a joke I got it and I did not think it was funny but you got me .so at my ending statement if you are still stopping by please let me know because i have to go to my docter on tues.but will be home wed.is there any way if this is not a joke please tell me when you will arrive day and time thank you so much ps not matter if it was a joke but I hope it was not jacks radio station is the one and only station for me nothing will ever change that because you guys are the best. also I want to say HI to the music monkey again . sincerly best listner.jo owen
Sorry about the mixup. Sometimes, as I'm sure you know, schedules change at the last minute. Since you have to see your doctor on Tuesday, Wednesday it is! Stand by.
thank you for your return letter but for wed I will be home and also knowing that you will stop by I will take another week off and wait for you .I only had a docter appt on tues. but knowing that you will stop by I am realy looking forward for it.so I will be waiting. to let you know and to make it easyer I live next to a big brown apt building that address is 4070.next to that is a drive way and in side is like 5 apt.it is hard to see because the only address is on the mail box.but you will see a black iron gate and it will be opened.just go threw the gate stright ahead my apt is up the stairs.4044 kansas st sandiego ca.thank you again and like I said I am so looking forward for this.
SINCERLY: jo owen
94.9 is terrible.
94.9 is a joke and has been for at least a year now.
I actually have been listening to 91X a lot lately. They are indepdently owned and really sound awesome these days.
91X rules the school in my book!