Those of you who, like me, have been aggressively rooting for the failure of the bad-wedding-DJ format known as “Jack” (or “Fred” or “insert ’70s sitcom protagonist’s name here”) will be cheered by this news:
WCBS-FM will return to the oldies format sometime next week, according to an industry insider with knowledge of the decision. A spokeswoman for the station’s operator, CBS Radio, declined to comment.
In a bid for younger listeners, WCBS abandoned oldies music two years ago, flipping to the iPod-like Jack format and firing heritage on-air staffers like Bruce Morrow, a.k.a. Cousin Brucie, and Harry Harrison. The station, 101.1, had been playing oldies for 33 years.
The move to Jack also hurt ad billings. Revenue for 101.1 plunged 31% in 2006, to $16.1 million, according to BIA Financial Network….
The revived oldies format may be modified to appeal to a slightly younger crowd says the industry insider, who expects the station to hire some veteran deejays. A rumor that WCBS would be switching back to oldies was first reported on Thursday by Radio Business Report’s online newsletter.
Sure, it’s not flipping to “KEXP-E” or anything, but it’s hard to not be excited; CBS-FM was one of the stations I grew up with–upon reading this news, the doo-woppy
jingle got stuck in my head, and then I texted my parents to let them know–and its on-air personalities at least had personality, instead of the robo-doofosity supplied by Jack-FM’s pre-recorded bumpers. Let’s hope that CBS will allow the station to retain some of its local personality–and allow the stations that inevitably replace the Jacks/Freds/etcs. in other markets to do the same.
WCBS to return to oldies format [Crain's New York Business]
WCBS-FM Airchecks And Jingles [wbcsfm.org]
YAAAAAY
Please, lord, let this happen in Los Angeles! I want my Arrow back!
Seems more entrenched out here.
If I actually listened to the radio, I’d probably be more excited, but for the times that I’m borrowing someone’s car back home, this is great news. Death to robot DJ’s!
I enjoyed the first summer of Jack back in ’05: within a context of mainstream music, they really were living up to the trainwreck concept (one afternoon I heard Depeche Mode segue into Frank Sinatra) and ranging across 40 years of hits – something you don’t hear on New York radio very often.
But it became apparent within a year that they were starting to narrowcast the station – classic-rock at midday, all-’80s on weekends, etc. – and I was disappointed. It’s sort of like how I felt about MTV2, which started off bracing and interesting and gradually became toothless and pointless.
I grew bored with Cousin Brucie’s WCBS a long time ago, so I can’t say I’ll be listening to the restored oldies format. But I suppose there’s little harm in killing off the Jack format before it becomes insufferable.
acoustic sunrise was lovely, but i can do without Jack for sure.
Holy crap, I blogged about wanting Jack FM gone less than two weeks ago [adambernard.blogspot.com] (if you care to click my ripping of Jack FM is under “The Return of K-Rock” in that post) and now it’s happened? Let’s test my powers, people! Quick, who’s career should be over next?
are these the same fucktards responsible for the Bob-FM (“We play anything!”) lite-rock catastrophy?
Oh, you play anything? Give me some Cradle of Filth. Nashville Pussy. G.G. Alin.
Hell, give me something other than “The Long Run” or “Invisible Touch”.
Then, maybe I’ll believe you play anything.
Hypnotyza, you forgot “If I Could Turn Back Time”!
I would happily hold Jack (Bob in my market) under the water until the bubbles stopped.