It's a Two Wing Conspiracy
I really don't know as much about radio programming as I should, so when Jack FM popped up in Los Angeles, I didn't think of it as part of an international movement.
I was wrong.
Here are some sample announces from a webpage entitled varietyhits.com. In other words, it's a danged FORMAT. There's a Jack FM and a Bob FM and a Dave FM and a Joe FM and a Doug FM (why only male names?).
April 29, 2005
According to this article in Radio & Records, Westwood One is planning to offer a Variety Hits format delivered by satellite. The format, which will be called "Sam", will be aimed at a 25-54 audience (slighly different than the 35-44 range targeted by the Canadian Bob FM format) with songs that are hits but have a low burnout factor. The article reveals that the playlist will sample from "almost 40 years of recorded music", which implies a 70s-and-beyond era from which music can be chosen.
The format is slated to launch on June 6. Due to the complexity of programming the format, this might be a more appealing choice for mid-to-small market stations that other satellite-fed formats, which in theory are easier to program. Local liners will be provided by the same voiceover talent that will do the national liners, which will be mixed 50/50, according to the R&R article.
May 4, 2005
Baltimore now has a Variety Hits station, as Infinity Oldies outlet WQSR flipped today to 102.7 Jack FM. The flip happened at 11:30 AM; I'm told that the entire WQSR airstaff was let go in the switch. Best wishes to them in finding work elsewhere in a speedy manner. The one thing I don't like about this format is when it ends up costing people their jobs.
Also, another flip happened this week (on Monday), as KKXX-FM in Bakersfield, CA changed from Active Rock to Variety Hits as 93.1 Pirate Radio.
May 11, 2005
Late breaking news: San Francisco/Oakland now has a Variety Hits station, as at noon PDT today KZBR flipped from country to Variety Hits as 95.7 Max FM.
Another station has joined the ranks of the Variety Hits list. This time it's WKIO in Champaign/Urbana, IL, which yesterday switched from Oldies 92.5 to Variety Hits as 92.5 The Chief.
May 12, 2005
Another day, another city gets Variety Hits. South Central joined the Variety Hits game for the first time, flipping Nashville's successful Oldies 96.3 WMAK-FM to Variety Hits as 96.3 Jack FM. The station was Oldies for in excess of ten years, and it had done very well 25-54, but Oldies is a dying format. I know many of you don't want to hear that (and I love a well-programmed Oldies station myself), but that's reality.
I've reproduced today's version of the markets list, but the list seems to be changing regularly.
UNITED STATES
Albuquerque, NM - KDRF "103.3 Ed FM" (formerly "Fred FM")
Aspen/Vail, CO - KKCH "92.7 Jack FM"
Austin, TX - KBPA "103.5 Bob FM"
Bakersfield, CA - KKXX-FM "93.1 Pirate Radio"
Baltimore, MD - WQSR "102.7 Jack FM"
Boston, MA - WMKK "93.7 Mike FM"
Champaign/Urbana, IL - WKIO "92.5 The Chief"
Columbus, OH - WTDA "103.9 Ted FM"
Dallas, TX - KJKK "100.3 Jack FM"
Denver, CO - KJAC "105.5 Jack FM"
Des Moines, IA - KDRB "106.3 The Bus"
Detroit, MI - WDRQ "93.1 Doug FM"
Eugene, OR - KEUG "105.5 Bob FM"
Greensboro, NC - WSMW "98.7 Simon"
Honolulu, HI - KHUI (Format Dropped 8/2004)
Indianapolis, IN - WJJK "104.5 Jack FM"
Jackson, MS - WWJK "94.5 Jack FM"
Kansas City, MO - KCJK "105.1 Jack FM"
Los Angeles, CA - KCBS-FM "93.1 Jack FM"
Madison, WI - WBZU "105.1 Charlie FM"
Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN - KZJK "104.1 Jack FM"
Nashville, TN - WMAK-FM "96.3 Jack FM"
Norfolk/Virginia Beach, VA - WPYA "93.7 Bob FM"
Oklahoma City, OK - KQOB "96.9 Bob FM"
Philadelphia, PA - WBEN-FM "95.7 Ben FM"
Phoenix, AZ - KPKX "98.7 The Peak"
Portland, OR - KYCH-FM "97.1 Charlie FM"
Rochester, NY - WFKL "Fickle 93.3"
Sacramento, CA - KBDB-FM "92.1 Bob FM"
San Diego, CA - KFMB-FM "100.7 Jack FM"
San Francisco/Oakland, CA - KZBR "95.7 Max FM"
Salt Lake City, UT - KJQN/KNJQ "103.1 Jack FM"
Santa Rosa, CA - KNOB "96.7 Bob FM"
Seattle, WA - KJAQ "96.5 Jack FM"
Spokane, WA - KBBD "103.9 Bob FM"
Springfield, IL - WABZ "93.9 Abe FM"
Springfield, MO - KTOZ-FM "Alice @ 95.5"
St. Louis, MO - WARH "106.5 The Arch"
Texarkana, TX - KBYB "101.7 Bob FM"
Tucson, AZ - KSZR "97.5 Bob FM"
CANADA
Brockville, ON - CJPT "103.7 Bob FM"
Calgary, AB - CKIS "96.9 Jack FM"
Edmonton, AB - CKNG "92.5 Joe FM"
Kitchener, ON - CJDV "107.5 Dave FM"
London, ON - CHST "102.3 Bob FM"
Niagara/St. Catharines, ON - CIXL "91.7 Giant FM"
Ottawa, ON - CKKL "93.9 Bob FM"
Toronto, ON - CJAQ "92.5 Jack FM"
Smiths Falls, ON - CJET "92.3 Jack FM"
Vancouver, BC - CKLG "96.9 Jack FM"
Victoria, BC - CHTT "103.1 Jack FM"
Winnipeg, MB - CFWM "99.9 Bob FM"
The "variety hits" format, under whatever name, has a long (well, sort of long) and storied (well, sort of storied) history. But varietyhits.com takes forever to load, so I'll look at that another time.
Comments
However, even if it wasn't a "format" per se, had KCBS-FM been successful, it would've been copied and tried elsewhere anyway. Such is life in the radio biz.