JAZZ:
ON THE AIR

Is jazz radio in the KC metro in good health in 2002? What does the future have in store? JAM asks the experts.

Jeff Charney
KPRS-FM 103.3
"Sunday Jazz Brunch"

JAM: What is your assessment of the current health of jazz radio in the KC area?

JC: It depends on what you mean by healthy. I can't speak for KCIY, which, as you know, plays similar music (to the "Sunday Jazz Brunch"), but I would say that I'm alive, and not very healthy.
My show was cut in half last October to three hours -- 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This upset quite a few listeners, but few made their feelings known to the people in charge, even though listeners made some comments to me.

Believe me, I begged for the show not to be cut! But my Program Director wants to go in a different direction. He is interested in the young, 18 to 34 audience. My core audience, which was once 25 to 54, has gotten older. So, I would say that my target audience now is 35 to 64. My PD's thoughts are that if you don't keep targeting that younger age group you will lose numbers. And since we are an Urban Pop radio station, he believes that my show is a "specialty show" that works for a short amount of time.

He also thinks that our audience wants to hear gospel music before they go to church; and when they get out they want to hear the regular format. I would not be surprised if my show is off the air in two to three years.

As far as straightahead jazz goes, I used to listen to KCUR a lot at night for that, but they cut back, too. So did Warrensburg. So I'm afraid that no, jazz radio is not healthy in Kansas City.

Radio stations are about making money. And to be honest, it's hard to make money playing jazz on the radio. There aren't enough people who like it to make it profitable, especially straightahead jazz.

Once again, I can't speak for KCIY, but I wonder: if they were a stand-alone station, would they still be playing jazz? They are part of a company that has eight radio stations in this market. So being able to place bonus spots on KCIY to get a bigger buy for one of their other stations is a reality.

JAM: What are the strengths and weaknesses of local jazz radio?

JC: One of the strengths I have is that I expose the Kansas City audience to new music. I don't have to wait for a consulting firm to decide for me what to play and what not to play.

I also can choose the best songs from a CD rather than the cuts that work well as background music. I take an aggressive approach in presenting Contemporary Jazz. It's more upbeat and funky. I'll play Acid Jazz. I'll play an eight-minute cut from the Pat Metheny Group. I'll play a vocal track that hasn't been a hit on AC radio. That, I believe, makes my show a strength.

As far as weaknesses, the way Smooth Jazz presents itself is an insult in my opinion. But (jazz) is not what they are really about, and the hard core jazz fan should realize that.

JAM: How will satellite technology impact jazz radio, both locally and nationally?

JC: I don't fear satellite at all. Over the course of time there have always been threats to radio. When TV came along they said radio was in trouble. Well, that didn't happen. Radio just changed.

It was the same with the other ways people listen to music: cassettes, CDs, MP3. People still listen to radio -- especially local radio, to find out what is going on. If local radio isn't giving the audience what they want, then the consumer will go elsewhere, whether it be satellite or just their CD players.

Also, I'm not sure the masses are willing to plunk down a huge sum (right now) for the (satellite) equipment and then ten bucks a month to get the service when there are other means to get music. However, if they are traveling salesmen, truck drivers, or someone who constantly travels the road, then I can see them digging satellite radio.

At the moment, though, there really isn't that much of a buzz in the industry about satellite radio. I think once they do a better job of marketing, they will probably do much better in terms of sales and subscriptions.

Mark Edwards
Program Director
KCIY-FM
106.5 "The City"

JAM: Has the furor over the name "Smooth Jazz" pretty much died down?

ME: It depends who you're speaking about. In some circles, there never was a furor over the term! Smooth Jazz was coined in the industry by the listeners of this format. In one-on-one research sessions, when asked about the music our radio stations were playing, two words kept coming back over and over again: "smooth" and "jazzy"! So, the main listeners of this format really gave smooth jazz its name. That being said, I think that those most closely associated with pure, traditional jazz may always cringe a little when they hear the term, "Smooth Jazz."

JAM: What are your thoughts about the health of jazz radio in the Midwest?

ME: That's a loaded question. I can't really speak for the health of the non-commercial stations in the Midwest playing straightahead jazz. I'm glad we do have some jazz programming on those stations. Their mission is totally different from ours, and that's a good thing! At 106.5 The City and at every other commercial Smooth Jazz station, the mission is to gain enough ratings to make money. That means that we have to infuse the format with a certain degree of non-jazz music to "lure in" people who may not be aware that they like jazz music. We take great care to ensure that our smooth jazz lovers like this non-jazz product, however. For instance, our research tells us most of our smooth jazz fans like Marvin Gaye. So, we'll play some of his vocals selectively to bring in non-jazz lovers. Then, we get them hooked to our product, and they stay! The result, here and in other Midwest markets such as St. Louis and Chicago, is that we have some pretty healthy Smooth Jazz stations on the air, making money and exposing the public to some wonderful contemporary instrumental music that otherwise would not be gaining exposure in the commercial marketplace. Now, these artists can sell their records, and when they come to town, their concerts are successful. Diana Krall's recent concert was a sellout at the Midland Theater, and the only commercial radio station playing her product in KC is The City!

JAM: What is the best thing jazz fans can do to keep the music playing?

ME: Jazz fans can keep buying the music, keep going to the concerts, and if Smooth Jazz fans really want to keep the commercial Smooth Jazz stations on the air, support the advertisers you hear on your hometown Smooth Jazz station!

Bob McWilliams
KANU-FM 91.5
"Jazz In the Night"

JAM: How has jazz radio changed -- for better or worse -- in recent years?

BM: The "for worse" part is easy -- it has become more scarce. The push for ratings and the influence of consultants in noncommercial radio has meant that most public radio stations have gone to "one format" -- usually all news and talk, and at times classical, and much more rarely, jazz. This means that many public radio stations have eliminated, or all but eliminated jazz. As has been the case in the Kansas City area.

I do believe that, for the most part, remaining jazz radio is better in several ways. Most jazz radio is more inviting to the "jazz liker" rather than being a snobbish enclave for the "jazz experts." There is more diversity in jazz radio playlists than there was a few years ago, with a broader range of music within the purview of "jazz." And many stations are doing a better job of presenting the music in a professional, accessible manner.

JAM: Do you think jazz radio is in good health today?

BM: Jazz radio is in no better health than jazz itself. Which means the music is great, but the audience is small and the situation is difficult. At a time when a few record companies and broadcasting companies dominate the media, at a time when there is little arts and music education in our schools, at a time when public radio is increasingly dependent on going "where the money is," times are tough for jazz radio as well as jazz.

JAM: What will it take to keep local jazz radio stations alive?

BM: That's an easy question -- more listeners who pledge more money more often during jazz programming on area stations, and who back up those pledges with letters of support for jazz programming.

Robert Moore
KCUR-FM 89.3
"Take Five"

JAM: Tell us about the new sound of your weekly show, "Take Five."

RM: The new show features many genres of music from all over the globe. From Ukrainian Gypsy music to American blues to Indie rock to modern jazz to French electronica. I think it reflects our diverse listeners, and the response has been incredible. Our latest Arbitron book shows an increase from an average of 3,000 listeners before the format change to an average of 6,000 now.

JAM: With the advantage of a year's worth of hindsight, did KCUR do the right thing by eliminating its evening jazz programming?

RM: I would have to defer that question to either Bill Anderson, our Program Director, or Patty Cahill, our G.M.

JAM: In your opinion, what is the current state of jazz radio in the Kansas City area?

RM: Other than "Just Jazz" on KCUR, I enjoy the jazz offerings on KANU.

Patty Cahill
General Manager
KCUR-FM

JAM: With the advantage of a year's worth of hindsight, did KCUR do the right thing by eliminating its evening jazz programming?

PC: The objective measurements of our evening programming show an increase in listener ratings, on-air fundraising and underwriting. I believe these increases were not due to the elimination of evening jazz programming, but due to the change to classical music. Also, this change is during a time when another public radio station is broadcasting jazz and during a time when no other FM station around is broadcasting classical music.

Bill Anderson
Program Director
KCUR-FM

JAM: With the advantage of a year's worth of hindsight, did KCUR do the right thing by eliminating its evening jazz programming?

BA: I feel good about our evening program lineup. Listenership has increased and it enables us to showcase a local institution, the Kansas City Symphony, once a week. While we obviously have less jazz programming on the air, I feel we recognize and celebrate this important art form in other significant ways, and that is important to KCUR. We will do occasional jazz jams and profiles of jazz musicians before a live studio audience on "Under the Clock" with Emanuel Cleaver. And when NPR came to town to do a live national broadcast of "Talk of the Nation," we were instrumental in the booking of jazz great Ahmad Alaadeen.

Additionally, NPR programs "Morning Edition," "All Things Considered" and "Fresh Air" do creative pieces and features on jazz and jazz artists. The weekend news magazines often do the same. We have also added "American Routes" which will incorporate jazz music into almost every week's thematic program. Locally, "Take Five" and "The Fish Fry" have jazz elements, and two of the greatest jazz ambassadors of Kansas City, Ginney Coleman and Ruth Rhoden, focus much of their "Just Jazz" format on local music and local jazz venues.



RETURN TO APRIL/MAY 2002 MAIN INDEX


© Kansas City Jazz Ambassadors 1996-2002. All rights reserved.