The Inside Story with Mike
Kinosian: Paragon Media Strategies' Mike Henry on JACK-FM.
Jumbo JACK
At least
on paper, the concept looks ridiculously simple.
Play a lot more titles
than the competition – even if some don’t seamlessly mesh in the manner our
radio ears think is proper – and strip away a lot of clutter.
Then
surround the concept with a one-word proper name, and as Simon Cowell usually
utters when he braces to hear Idol hopefuls in the auditioning phase, “Off you
go.”
But a principal sculptor of the JACK-FM craze explains there’s
considerably more to the impossible-to-neatly-categorize format, which is
quickly becoming the buzz of the industry.
After toiling feverishly on
JACK-FM for nearly three years, perplexed Paragon Research CEO Mike Henry
wondered if anyone was ever going to sit up and take notice.
All of a
sudden, it seems everyone has much more than a passing interest, with major and
large market facilities leading the way in finding out how they can obtain
licensing rights.
Jack’s First Kiss After a long and
successful run, Rogers Media/Vancouver (British Columbia) AC “Kiss-FM” (CKKS)
began to struggle in 2002 and needed a new position. “I’ve worked with Rogers
Media exclusively for 15 years and will never forget what they told me,” Henry
recalls. “They said, `Mike – we want a new format, so don’t give us the same old
research because it’s just going to produce the same old [results].’”
The challenge delivered to Henry was to ascertain the existence of
specific opportunities that hadn’t previously been done on radio. “With help
from my partners within Paragon, we created a methodology specifically for that
project,” he remarks.
The result was the original JACK-FM (CKGL), which
bowed in December 2002 and rocketed to No. 1 in its first month. “The CKGL call
letters would be like [once mighty Rocker] KMET in Los Angeles [now Infinity
Smooth Jazz KTWV],” Henry notes. “When we came up with the format, Rogers –
rightfully so – snapped up the dormant [CKGL] call letters that everyone in
Vancouver knew to be the station that played whatever it wanted back then.”
Still On Top After debuting in the 13/14-range (12+), CKGL
has subsequently settled in the 10-share range and still occupies the No. 1 slot
(Men 25-54 and Women 25-54) among Vancouver’s approximately 18 viable signals.
“It’s a market the size of Denver, but doesn’t have as many stations,” Henry
points out. “Canada hasn’t allowed all the move-ins as we have [in the United
States].”
Different clients have different strategies, but elements like
on-air personalities and contests/promotions don’t usually seem to be good early
fits with the music-intensive presentation.
One year after Vancouver’s
“Kiss” became “JACK,” however, CKGL was able to attract market-leading morning
show Larry & Willie. “That’s pushed the station to even higher levels and
gives us confidence for many years to come,” Henry asserts.
Not
Backed Into A Corner If Henry were looking at JACK-FM as a detached
observer, he might be inclined to say the format would be the next Arrow or
Jammin’ Oldies. “Give it a year and it will be gone,” he concedes. “That level
of skepticism should be there for any new format. Fortunately, we have [about
two and a half years] under our belt. The oldest case [Vancouver] doesn’t prove
that to be true, but that’s the challenge.”
Since many on the outside
don’t have a complete grasp of the new format’s intricacies, Henry explains it’s
a completely different creature. “It takes a long time to understand how to
cultivate that,” he states. “As a new format goes down the road, radio guys
think they should do this or that. But you have to stop yourself in your tracks
and say `no’, because JACK is all about re-positioning the entire market.”
JACK’s uniqueness decreases as you add elements that make it sound like
any other station on the dial - while the omnipresent “Playing what we want”
music position provides stations with incredible latitude. “We’re not
pigeonholing ourselves by saying `Classic Rock’ or `Soft Hits,’” Henry explains.
“The brew that makes up the music is different in every market.”
In
fact, the average unduplicated music for each of Canada’s six JACK stations is
approximately 43%; comparable data for the nine U.S. JACK representatives isn’t
currently available. “Some markets have a very equal Rock/Pop gender play, while
in others, it leans to the Pop side,” Henry reveals. “A lot of that has to do
with the cluster mates. The [freedom] to play what we want allows for an
evolutionary nature of the radio station. Unlike an Arrow station that would
play the same 350 Classic Rock/Classic Hits songs over and over, we start at
1200-1500 titles. That’s a huge difference and we evolve from there.”
Competitive Edge The different research methodology employed
for JACK-FM is something Henry has had in his mind for quite some time. “It
takes bold operators to do bold research and I never found many takers for the
idea,” he candidly states. “It worked the few times we used it, but radio people
are used to seeing research done a certain way. It was hard to convince anyone
to try something different, but when I was told not to produce the same
research, I knew where to go.”
While obviously unable to divulge how his
unique methodology works, Henry notes it’s fashioned a competitive advantage for
Paragon. “It’s allowed us to create [JACK] and help us work on other formats,”
he comments. “It’s not like it’s from outer space or anything. It’s just a
different way of looking at things.”
That same research process has been
replicated ever since the Vancouver project. “Anytime we do a format hole search
for any client in any situation, we recommend and have always been given
approval to use this different methodology,” Henry explains. “Once you do it,
you ask yourself what you were waiting for. I was very excited about the
opportunity to create something different. I’m a radio guy much more than a
research guy and for me, the excitement was that we were able to produce
something that [didn’t exist elsewhere].”
Send In The Clones
Some JACK-FM clients have taken no-contest and very aggressive spot load
stands, and Henry stresses that’s part of the criteria used in terms of operator
commitment. “They have to understand that this isn’t a format we can whore out
after it works,” he maintains. “We then become like every other radio station.
You have to respect this format as being special; commit to a lower spot count;
get higher rates; and keep it special. We want those 1200-1500 songs to shine.
Imaging stays simple, clean and done in a very entertaining way.”
Proven
to be more than just April Fools Day stunts, clones with similar one-word proper
names such as “ABE”, “ARCH”, “BEN”, “DAVE”, “DOUG”, “SIMON” and a country
variation named “HANK” have sprung up in recent weeks.
It’s been
flattering and fascinating for Henry to see some of his work copied. “I don’t
discount the fact that people, after the fact, may have some points of
improvement,” he rationalizes. “When I find them, I’ll be glad to use them, but
so far, what I’m seeing is an imitation process without an understanding of all
the pieces that have to be in place to make it work. That’s the biggest thing
that radio [doesn’t understand] about this format.”
As evidenced by the
spate of Hot AC “ALICE” outlets a while back, the use of a catchy name (like
those noted above and fellow newcomers “FICKLE” and “WHATEVER”) doesn’t ensure
success. A hefty music library isn’t a surefire guarantee either. “Ten years
ago, Triple A stations played 1000 titles and got their teeth kicked in,” Henry
observes. “There is a formula to this thing with a very well thought out and
integrated strategy that goes all the way through the radio station. Radio
hasn’t been very good at that in the last couple of decades. If you don’t
understand how this format works from a sales, marketing and promotional
standpoint, it doesn’t matter if you copy something JACK does on the air.”
Question Of Balance It’s Henry’s assessment that, at least
thus far, the clones don’t have a grand plan. “They’re going to use a name, play
a lot of music and hope it works,” he opines. “It’s almost disturbing for me to
see some of the transparent strategies and tactics being employed. Radio
listeners are smart and will see right through it. As soon as you start to
cookie-cut this thing and do it poorly, it will go the other way. I predict many
clones will be looking for other formats a long time before JACK stations will.”
In contrast to clones are what Henry cites as “wannabes” – stations
keeping their current formats, but simply stretching out their play-lists and/or
doing specialized weekend programming. “Those stations are taking the greatest
risk – even greater than [the clones],” he contends. “Stations risking their
position by thinking everyone wants `shuffle’ are making a serious mistake. If I
[hadn’t had as much experience], I might be fooled into thinking that JACK is
working so well, every station’s [play-list] should be wider; but that’s just
not going to work.”
That’s where the matter of balance comes into play.
There are many listeners, Henry maintains, who want to repeatedly hear the same
300 Classic Rock tunes or the same 300 Adult Contemporary titles. “Narrow format
position [stations] are risking the whole shot when they challenge people by
becoming less familiar,” he states. “It’s great, though if they’ve done their
homework and have a strategy for becoming wider. People will point to JACK and
say it’s the format that [expanded] station play-lists.”
Mile High
Examples Perhaps the earliest version of JACK-FM without actually being
anointed with that moniker is Triple A WDOD-FM “The Mountain”/Chattanooga, TN –
which Henry launched approximately eight years ago. “We play a very broad and
wide variety of music,” he says. “It doesn’t all have to be called JACK, unless
it needs to be and that’s the position. People in this business tend to always
focus on music, [but] the JACK proposition is not just the music. Otherwise,
everybody could do it. Imaging, positioning, the way it’s done and what we do
and don’t do on-air outside of the music have as much to do with the success as
the music.”
First JACK sightings in the U.S. were in Denver on NRC
Broadcasting’s KJAC and in Dallas on Infinity’s KJKK, but all metros are now
fair game. “The ones who came to us early and were willing to hand us the keys
to the radio station were [primarily] in very small markets,” Henry explains.
“We didn’t want to see JACK debut [that way]. [In addition to Denver and Dallas]
we’re on in large markets like Los Angeles, Kansas City, Salt Lake City and
Indianapolis.”
The format can also be heard in Jackson, MS and Vail, CO.
Super Star At first blush, one of the most surprising JACKs
in the deck is the latest to join the parade – highly successful Midwest TV Hot
AC KFMB-FM/San Diego, which divested its longstanding “Star” identity last
Wednesday (4-6-2005).
In addition to Midwest TV (KFMB-FM/San Diego),
ownerships include Infinity (KCBS-FM/Los Angeles and KJKK/Dallas); Susquehanna
(KCJK/Kansas City and WJJK/Indianapolis); NRC (KJAC/Denver and KKCH/Vail);
Simmons (KJQN/Salt Lake City) and Backyard Broadcasting (WWJK/Jackson).
No Over-Reaction The radio dial, in Henry’s estimation, will
be dotted with narrow, niche music formats similar to what we have now. “They’ll
include Classic Rock, Soft AC and Hot AC, but there will be at least one
JACK-type station that will play everything and anything,” he remarks. “Other
stations will widen out more than they have in the past. The future isn’t going
to be that every station will become JACK. It was a mistake 10 years ago for all
stations to become so narrow. That was an overreaction and we have to make sure
we don’t over-react the other way.”
The way things played out, it might
actually have been a good thing that everyone didn’t jump on the JACK bandwagon
following Vancouver’s instantaneous triumph. “Radio is so different [from] what
it was five years ago,” Henry maintains. “There’d be 50-75 JACKs right now. When
someone had a good idea in the past, too many people [followed]. Formats like
Arrow and Jammin’ Oldies would mushroom and go away.”
Some radio groups
aren’t investing in their product and others are challenging Market Managers and
GMs to show them how this new format can make more money in the first month than
its existing format. “You’re no longer given a year or two,” Henry explains.
Selective Selection Committee Three integral players/partners
in this project - Garry Wall, Pat Bohn and Henry - have decided to take a
judicious and conservative approach regarding whom they choose to work with.
“We’ve turned down eight suitors who wanted to do JACK before we did the first
one,” Henry says. “There was great care taken by Pat, who obtained the license
from Rogers Media for JACK. If someone wants to [become an official JACK
station] in the United States, they have to obtain the license from Bohn &
Associates. From a business standpoint, I have to give him a lot of credit. He
locked up the name and position and isn’t giving it away. We’ve protected the
brand and that’s a huge difference between [JACK] and all the other names that
aren’t protected.”
Estimating there will be 25 JACK-FM affiliates in the
U.S. by year’s end, Henry credits KCBS-FM’s March 18th (2005) transition as
providing a huge impetus for that potential figure. “You can get ratings in
radio without doing things we always thought you had to do,” he remarks. “More
stations are going to be willing to look at that. I’m not working with all nine
[U.S. JACK stations]. The consulting goes through Garry [Wall] and, hopefully,
the research goes through Paragon, but it’s up to [each individual station] if
they want to use Paragon. Being the creators of it, we’ve obviously received a
lot of interest and some new clients out of this.”
Ratings: JACK
Flashes Arranged by market size, here’s a quick overview of how stations
now using the JACK-FM brand performed (12+) in the winter 2004 book (by share
and market rank) and the first two phases of the winter 2005 sweep (share and
market rank).
Winter 2005 Winter 2005 Winter 2004 Phase One Phase
Two
>It was
exactly one year ago today (4-14-2004) that KJAC/Denver became the first station
in the U.S. to adopt the “JACK” handle. It was steady (1.7) in both phases of
the winter book.
>KRBV/Dallas dumped CHR for JACK in the first week
of July (2004). Unable to crack Dallas’ Top 20 stations (12+) last winter, KJKK
has nearly doubled its 12+ share and is now hovering outside the Top 10.
>The first Arrow-JACK convert was in Jackson, MS (9-2-2004) when WTYX
made the switch. It’s the second smallest U.S. market (No. 122) airing JACK, but
is a clear-cut success story. An oddity is that the market’s Adult Contemporary
station has call letters that would’ve been a perfect JACK fit: WJKK.
>Winter 2005 ratings information is unavailable from Kansas City,
where Hot AC KFME shifted to JACK on October 7, 2004. As a result, my comparison
figures are fall-fall. The then-KFME ranked 19th 12+ (2.1) in fall 2003, but a
year later - as KCJK – it gained one full share (3.1) and leapfrogged to 13th.
>Less than three weeks into the winter book (1-24-2005), JACK
ventured into Utah. The second phase of the winter survey proved to be kinder
for KJQN than the initial period.
>The station switching to JACK with
the best immediate ratings track record might be former Oldies
WGLD/Indianapolis, which became WJJK on March 13, 2005. By the second phase of
the winter 2005 book, “Gold 104.5” had lost one share (6.5 – 5.5), but
maintained its No. 5 ranking.
>Southern California received a
double-dose of JACK in a three-week period, as KCBS-FM “Arrow 93”/Los Angeles
flipped from Classic Rock (3-17-2005) and KFMB-FM “Star 100.7”/San Diego
transitioned from Hot AC (4-6-2005). As is the case with WJJK/Indianapolis,
ratings data shown above for KCBS-FM and KFMB-FM is exclusively of their prior
formats. Not many people are shocked by the Arrow move; Star’s shift is much
more surprising. It doesn’t, however, come as a bombshell that KFMB-FM will keep
signature morning team Jeff & Jer in-place.
Sample Bite
The following reflects how one JACK-FM station sounded one hour this
week.
No Doubt/Simple Kind Of Life Steely Dan/FM Bryan Adams/Run
To You Billy Idol/Eyes Without A Face Prince/1999 Scorpions/No One
Like You The Police/King Of Pain Matchbox Twenty/Real World Toni
Basil/Mickey Pink Floyd/Money Genesis/Invisible Touch Gerry
Rafferty/Baker Street Pretenders/I’ll Stand By You ZZ Top/Gimme All Your
Lovin’ A Flock Of Seagulls/I Ran (So Far Away)
You’ll definitely
want to read next Thursday’s “Inside Story With Mike Kinosian” (4-21-2005) as we
track launches of a JACK-FM affiliate and a clone.
