The Inside Story with Mike
Kinosian: Jack and Ben — part two of the Jack-FM story.
Name Game
“The old station
played requests and you saw what happened to them. JACK-FM – we play what we
want.”
You’d expect imaging liners on Michael O’Shea’s All Comedy Radio
to be witty - but positioning statements in most other formats don’t generally
elicit broad smiles.
That particular trend – and other much more
essential ones – are gradually starting to change, as evidenced by the above
self-inflicted jab heard on “Arrow”-to-“JACK-FM” convert KCBS-FM/Los Angeles.
In the second of a continuing “Inside Story” series, we examine two
recent major market format changes.
New Attitude Mirroring
KCBS-FM/Los Angeles’ beefy (1200-1500) play-list is an equally steady assortment
of liners effectively conveying that the station adopting the JACK persona five
weeks ago today (3-17-2005), is fresh, and possesses the hard-to-define, edgy
attitude. “The idea is to [poke] a little fun at ourselves and not take things
so seriously like radio has been doing for years,” remarks KCBS-FM GM Jeff
Federman. “JACK is really a culture and a philosophy. If you listen to all the
liners and how it’s put together, [you’ll discover that] it’s not just throwing
on a bunch of songs in a row. JACK is a very strong name and it just works. It’s
traditional, yet modern and lends itself to a lot of fun.”
In
commemoration of St. Patrick’s Day, Arrow 93 staged an “All-U2” day and Federman
recalls the station’s cume was huge that day. “Phones were on fire because we
were giving away tickets every 30 minutes,” he explains. “U2 is the band that
pretty much transcends every decade and culture. By 3pm, the buzz was absolutely
enormous.”
Veteran Departures That’s when JACK arrived and
the Arrow brand that existed in Los Angeles for well over 11 years was
extinguished.
Also gone were on-air names closely coupled with the Arrow
moniker, including incomparable morning drive personality Jonathan Brandmeier
(“Johnny B”), longtime – and very popular - mid-day talent Mary Price, afternoon
driver “Uncle Joe” Benson, and evening talent Maggie McKay. “They were the most
professional, fun and focused group of on-air people I’ve worked with,” Federman
comments. “These people gave a lot of time, energy and service to working for
Infinity and Arrow. We wanted to make sure that, before anyone else knew about
the change, we talked to each one of them individually. They were all such
professionals. In radio years, they were here a long time and can, at least,
walk away with that feeling. Hopefully, it made it a little easier for them to
swallow that they weren’t being replaced.”
Alter Ego Other
than those on commercials and listener feedback, virtually the only voice heard
on KCBS-FM since it became JACK has been that of Howard Cogan.
It’s a
role Toronto-based “Howie The Hitman” is used to, since he’s the imaging voice
for Rogers/Canada JACK stations; Corus' JOE-FM/Edmonton (Alberta); and USA
JACK-FM stations.
Former KROQ midday talent Tami Heide and Kent Voss,
who did morning drive news under the Arrow banner and is an alum of Comedy
Central’s “Crank Yankers,” are responsible for creating KCBS-FM’s clever liner
copy.
Terrestrial JACK stations aren’t to be confused with streaming
forerunner www.JACK.fm, which features capable voicing imagery supplied by Anita
Bonita, “Cadillac Jack” (Bob Perry) and Famous Amos.
Running On Empty
A trio of Arrow research projects spanning the last two and a half years
all produced the same numbing conclusions. “The Arrow format – not all Classic
Rock - was dead,” Federman reveals. “We were running on fumes. We brought in
[Johnny B] to try to pump a little more life into the station and give it
something more than `Stairway To Heaven.’ That was going to take a little longer
to mature than we anticipated. We really like JACK and think we get a lot with
it.”
The former Classic Rock outlet accumulated over 600 e-mails in the
first three days following the format transition. Familiar themes that JACK was
making radio “fun, exciting and interesting” were woven in many listener notes.
“About [one of every six] say when we flipped from Arrow, they were ready to
complain, but they now love what we’re doing,” Federman reports. “It’s been
absolutely overwhelming.”
War Games Some correspondence
affected another medium. “We received [e-mails] from people who canceled
[satellite radio subscriptions] and have switched back to FM,” Federman remarks.
“One person said he got so bored with Los Angeles radio that he planned to
purchase a satellite radio, but it now looks like that purchase will be
postponed. We’re still slaves to Arbitron and, hopefully, [this type of
reaction] will convert to [a ratings increase]. But we feel it in the hallways
and 99% of the game is that people are excited internally.”
Shortly
after KCBS-FM became JACK, cross-town ABC Rocker KLOS supposedly ran a liner
stating KLOS “plays what you want,” but Federman maintains, “That totally misses
the point. They also mentioned it was the end of Arrow and they beat us. They
made it sound like it was a war and they won, but we never really considered it
that way. Someone e-mailed KLOS that they didn’t know Arrow flipped to JACK
until they heard it on KLOS. The person basically said what KLOS did was
childish, but thanked them for turning them on to JACK.”
Whole Lot Of
Shakin’ Among those instrumental in helping KCBS-FM formulate the
changeover were Infinity Broadcasting Chairman/CEO Joel Hollander and Executive
VP/Western Region Brian Ongaro. “The company wasn’t satisfied with where Arrow
was in the market,” Federman acknowledges. “If you look back to the actual
process of sitting and kicking around [the idea of a format change], it was
probably five or six months ago.”
But it wasn’t until about mid-February
(2005) when Federman actually received the go-ahead and felt comfortable with
it. “We’re in the No. 1 revenue market in the world and Joel Hollander signed
off on us flipping a format,” Federman comments. “[JACK] made sense to the
company because it’s still a 35-44 [targeted format].”
One critical
difficulty with “Arrow 93” was that the station that billed itself as playing
“Los Angeles’ Best Classic Rock” grew a little old. “Someone in [their late-30s]
who liked [Led Zeppelin’s] `Stairway To Heaven’ in 1993 is now over 50,”
Federman notes. “We lost focus from the 35-44s where the station used to live
when it was very successful. [Infinity] realized the station needed help and
they were willing to shake things up and wanted to reinvent radio. That’s
clearly what JACK is.”
Weatherly’s Forecasts Co-owned KJKK
“JACK-FM”/Dallas was a great model for KCBS-FM to examine before taking the
plunge. “The format has been successful there and very successful in Vancouver
[where the concept debuted in December 2002 on CKGL],” remarks Federman, who
flew to Dallas to listen to KJKK first hand. “I grew up in Los Angeles and have
listened to [Infinity powerhouse Alternative] KROQ forever. The Cure and Depeche
Mode mean a lot more to someone living in Los Angeles than to someone in
Dallas.”
As a result, KCBS-FM’s version of JACK is considerably more
influenced by early KROQ music. “It’s hard to know Dallas’ 1200-song play-list,
but they may have a more Country [feel],” Federman opines. “If there’s a
difference, it’s that we go a little more toward classic Alternative. We play a
little Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots, but Berlin, General Public
and Tears For Fears [along with aforementioned Cure and Depeche Mode] are much
more important to people who live [in Los Angeles]. We have probably one of the
world’s best music PDs in Kevin Weatherly and he schedules every single song by
hand. He’s brilliant, but of all his [numerous] strengths, the one that stands
out most is that he knows music.”
Prediction Comes True One
highly significant surprise was that KCBS-FM successfully accomplished its
format segue while simultaneously managing to keep all but one advertiser on
board.
Clients were treated last Thursday night (4-14-2005) to a blowout
launch party at Hollywood’s Hyatt On Sunset, and Federman promises the new
outlet will be supported by an extensive promotional campaign.
“We’ll
let JACK-FM reach its target demographic, then we’ll play more music” is one
tongue-in-cheek liner KCBS-FM uses to bridge to commercial breaks. “I’m blown
away and very pleased with the way [GSM] Mike Iverson and his staff stepped up
and explained the story so people get what we are,” states Federman. “That’s
really where the buzz started. Remember – these are people you eventually have
to negotiate with. It isn’t an advantage to them to tell you how much they love
your station. We work with someone from [each of the top five] agencies on a
daily basis. I’ve received an e-mail, fax or voicemail message from [at least
one person from each Top Five ad agency] saying they haven’t stopped listening
since we went on.”
That’s exactly what Federman was told would happen
because Ongaro witnessed it in Dallas. “It’s very similar to Triple A from an
advertiser’s standpoint,” Federman contends. “It was always the darling format
to the media agencies. The problem was they never had ratings, but JACK is
actually going to have ratings. I think it’s certainly going to hurt [Clear
Channel/Los Angeles Hot ACs] KBIG and `Star’ [KYSR] and [Clear Channel CHR/Pop]
`Kiss-FM’ [KIIS].”
On the other hand, one station Federman doesn’t think
will be adversely affected is Weatherly-programmed KROQ. “That’s pretty tough to
do, but some listeners might come from there,” he concedes. “We’re also going to
pull a little from [Emmis Country] KZLA. If Arbitron matches up with what we’re
hearing, the cume is going to be huge. After 10 months in Dallas, they’re first
in cume and third AQH share [among 25-54s].”
Careful But Confident
Some stations doing JACK-like programming eventually re-introduce on-air
personalities back into the mix, but Federman plans to wait and see how his
station evolves. “[KJKK/Dallas] is 10 months into the format and still doesn’t
have [personalities],” he notes. “It’s one of those things I leave up to the
programming department. People I’ve met say they like hearing a ton of music
without personalities talking over it. They get what the station is all about.”
Eventually, however, Federman realizes he and Weatherly are going to
have to make some challenging decisions. “We can already feel them coming,” he
remarks. “But right now, we’re just fine-tuning the station and making sure
we’re on point. I can’t say enough good things about the staff who’ve helped
build it. It’s very exciting and they’re doing an incredible job. You never know
how it’s going to shake out, but I’m cautiously optimistic. It’s hard for me to
believe that, with the kind of reaction we’re getting, this isn’t going to do
well.”
Frankly Stated Ben Less than four days after KCBS-FM’s
noteworthy format flip, Greater Media made its own headlines on the opposite
coast by jettisoning Hot AC WMWX “Mix”/Philadelphia and establishing “BEN.”
Sell lines declaring that it plays “anything we feel like” are delivered
by the familiar voice of the state of Maine’s John O’Hurley. “He’s such a pro,”
Greater Media/Philadelphia Market Manager John Fullam proclaims enthusiastically
of the character actor perhaps best known for his J. Peterman role in Seinfeld.
“That friendly, campy voice personifies the station’s attitude.”
Conventional wisdom would suggest a Philadelphia “BEN” would represent
Benjamin Franklin, but that’s not necessarily the case. “It’s a name that seems
to resonate in Philadelphia,” Fullam says. “It’s kind of like Ben Franklin meets
Ben Stiller. It’s one part innovation and rebellion, and one part that doesn’t
take itself seriously.”
Much like Los Angeles’ JACK-FM, the planning for
BEN dates back to late-2004. No consultants were utilized, but as Fullam
explains, “That doesn’t mean we didn’t have advisors. We’ve been talking with a
`dream team’ of various programming strategists. Those people are part of our
network and we’re very much blazing our own trail.”
Squeeze Play
The fundamental reason for the Mix-to-BEN modification was that Mix had
been under-performing in a very competitive market, especially in the AC arena.
Jerry Lee-owned Adult Contemporary WBEB is a perennial No. 1 performer
and as Fullam points out, “Hot ACs get squeezed. We didn’t own a `most,’
`biggest,’ or `best at-work’ [position. Mix] operated at 15th or 16th 25-54.
Even though the quality of music we played was good, we weren’t famous for
anything in particular. We had an opportunity to really change the game and,
most importantly, win. [Greater Media President/CEO] Peter Smyth has been
terrific throughout this process. He asked all the right questions and was fully
supportive. You can’t really research this, but we saw [what we think is]
evidence that BEN will reach heights that Mix just wasn’t capable of.”
Friendlier Approach It’s inevitable that comparisons will be
made between BEN and JACK and Fullam concedes there are similarities. “But from
what I know of JACK, it’s more Classic Hits and more male leaning. JACK has a
little more `what’s your problem?’ attitude. BEN is wryer and might be a little
friendlier. More than a format, [however], these are becoming fresher approaches
to how to re-think and re-invigorate brands.”
Most would agree the end
result of that would bode very well for radio. “`Innovation’ is a word radio
needs to hold high for the next couple of years,” Fullam opines. “Unfortunately,
we’re a product of our own success. If we don’t change, other things are going
to challenge us before we know it. This fresh approach makes radio more
entertaining and less predictable. [Noted business philosopher] Peter Drucker
[emphasizes] that many good things will happen when we innovate and create
customers.”
New technology has proven to be a wakeup call for many
broadcasters. “They can’t keep iPods on the shelves,” Fullam states. “We look
around and see people we commute with, our kids, wives and co-workers with them.
We have to respond as quickly as possible. Playing music is one of the greatest
attributes that radio has had as an industry. To make it fresh, entertaining and
less predictable is a chance for us to respond to what the market is doing.”
No Guarantees Listener reaction to Philadelphia’s new arrival
has been extremely favorable and a “Comment Board” was recently added to BEN’s
website. “Anytime you have a station like [the former Mix], you’re going to
[hear from] loyal listeners,” Fullam states. “They’ll miss their favorite songs
and [air personalities].”
In some ways, though, what Fullam is
experiencing actually reminds him of the spontaneous energy he witnessed around
WKTU/New York’s memorable launch when he was that station’s GM. “It’s similar,
but without the drag queens,” he jokes. “Putting KTU on the air was awesome in
New York City, but it didn’t work for [many other stations] the same way. BEN’s
success depends [on] how well we design a plan and execute our strategy for
Philadelphia, and not being a cookie cutter clone.”
Guessing Game
Just over 1,000 titles comprised BEN’s original library, but that number
will further evolve over the next few weeks. “You get to go from many different
styles and artists like Bananarama, Green Day, Men At Work, KC & The
Sunshine Band and Guns & Roses,” Fullam points out. “The energy is amazing
and, when you combine that with great imaging, it’s a fun place to play.”
Some listeners have gone as far as making a game out of guessing what
kind of songs BEN will play next. “People just don’t have a clue,” Fullam says
with a wide grin. “It’s great when you hear a train wreck that’s done right.
Places that had Mix on before have kept [BEN] on for longer periods of time
because these songs haven’t been played [on radio] for quite some time. It’s fun
to watch the smiles that come on people’s faces.”
Familiar Tunes
Music mixes go through Selector, but much of what is heard on BEN is the
result of manual segues. “We want to make sure there’s a full variety
opportunity and there’s no clumping,” Fullam explains. “We don’t want two or
three songs that resemble each other from style or era to play consecutively.”
Different genres are represented on BEN, but all the music is highly
recognizable. “It’s not just songs that [other stations] hadn’t played in a long
time,” Fullam stresses. “These are very familiar songs across different eras and
styles.”
It’s hoped BEN will convert some of its predecessor’s cume, but
Fullam believes the new format will pull listeners from a variety of other
Philadelphia stations. “They won’t come from any one station in particular,” he
maintains. “Our [target] is adults in their 30s and 40s. It’s a pretty fertile
area because you have all these different styles of music from the late-1970s up
until today. That speaks highly of cume opportunities and differentiation.”
An Understanding Client Base National ad buyers are
witnessing several variations of this concept in other markets and Fullam
comments, “They get it right away. Our local advertisers can also see the
opportunities.”
The 12-commercial-an-hour policy (9am-6pm) has been
condensed to six per hour. “We do have demand on the station, so it presented an
issue with some advertisers,” Fullam points out. “But we worked with them to
place their commercials the best we could. For the most part, our customers
understand and realize we’re going to take care of them in the long-term. We
have good relationships with them and they understand Greater Media/Philadelphia
has been a great partner for them.”
Approximately 90% of the Mix
advertiser base remained through the format change and Fullam proudly remarks,
“That surprised us in a very positive way. In the short-term, we were expecting
to lose a few more clients.”
Opportunity To Stand Out While
the thrust of Jack’s Trout’s latest book, “Differentiate Or Die: Survival In Our
Era Of Killer Competition,” is self-explanatory, it’s noteworthy that its
content has endless applications and validity in the radio business. “According
to Trout, the strategy is all about being different,” Fullam agrees. “This isn’t
a shade of gray. What BEN allows us to do is really be famous for something.
It’s better to be exceptional at one thing than to be good at many things.”
The challenge is for BEN to demonstrate that, and Fullam fully intends
to capitalize. “When we say we’ll play `anything we feel like,’ we have to
deliver,” he acknowledges. “By taking the variety position, we’ve become the
`purple cow’ and are so different [from] every other station. It’s really giving
us a chance to be noticed.”
BEN-In-Progress Ongoing creative
meetings have taken place regarding BEN’s future direction. Wanting to have the
new format take a non-traditional radio approach, Fullam launched it without
personalities and candidly admits he isn’t sure where it’s going to end up. “We
haven’t figured it all out yet, but we plan on evolving the station. We’re
having many discussions around that and clearly don’t want it to be typical.”
Also under consideration is taking a different twist to the usual
tradition of sending station personalities out in vans to make appearances.
“We’re not sure what kind of personalities will evolve from that,” Fullam
states. “But that’s the fun part and makes BEN different [from] anything else.
It’s our wide-open canvas.”
By Mike Kinosian
Inside Radio subscribers can read an exclusive profile of
John Fullam by accessing “The Mike Kinosian Interview: Personalities Inside
Radio” in our Archives (10-11-2004). Part One of this
“Inside Story” series (4-14-2005) features an interview with Paragon Media
Strategies CEO Mike Henry, who traces the JACK-FM concept and history. Click on
the link from the front Page left lower navigation "INSIDE STORY by MIKE
KINOSIAN".
