At the top of the hour, Chicago smooth-jazz stalwart WNUA will flip from its 22-years-entrenched format to the Spanish-language programming design known as “Mega,” in the latest example of the decimation of the format beloved by so many cabbies that’s taken place over the past two years. But for the first time in my extensive reading on this topic, I’ve found out just why radio companies seem to be fleeing from the sultry sounds of “Piano In The Dark” in droves:
The problem that ultimately doomed WNUA was not the devotion of its audience, which didn’t flag. The problem was Clear Channel’s ability to cash in on it.
According to independent industry revenue figures, WNUA’s take was off by almost $2 million in 2008 compared with ‘07, while Spanish-language leaders — WLEY-FM 107.9 and Univision’s WOJO-FM 105.1 — showed gains.
“The revenue support for WNUA declined significantly in recent years due to the changes in how advertisers evaluate radio stations, and we were faced with a very difficult decision,” said Earl Jones, president and market manager of Clear Channel Radio Chicago.
“This is something we really struggled with,” said Tony Coles, vice president of programming and operations of its six-station cluster. “We’re fans of WNUA. So it was really tough to even have conversations about the end of that radio station. But we looked at all the indicators. We really put a lot of time and energy and research and marketing and everything for that radio station, and the needle wasn’t moving — and then the economy started going south as well.”
You’d think the smooth “sophistication” of WNUA and its ilk would at least be enough to attract the businessman-anxiety-stoking advertisers who run spots on most metropolitan areas’ news stations. Perhaps when the new pop stations for attention-span-challenged types that CBS Radio is flooding the world with go tits-up, we’ll see a resurgence? OK, that’s wishful thinking, I know. Let’s break out the Brenda in memoriam:
WNUA swings to Spanish format [Chicago Tribune]
Piano In The Dark - Brenda Russell [YouTube]
Anyone who listens to the radio deserves to listen to any of the bullshit played on it.
@Vulture.Protein: What does that even mean? That the public airwaves as a public utility serve no purpose but as a pipeline for all the “bullshit” (meaning the bland corporate swill that defines clearchannel’s playlists)?
Or is this an objection to the medium of radio as a whole? That music should only be hear on the internet? It should be housed in personal record/mp3 collections, and that the airwaves should be used for cell phone signals and communications from spies and the bbc?
I just don’t follow. I’m a lifelong radio listener (maybe I’m spoiled being from Chicago and grew up with a wealth of decent radio), and know that I can tune in and find something worth hearing 24 hours a day. Not all of its music, but there are great radio programs out there.
That said, I won’t miss WNUA- smooth jazz sucks (even if I have a scintilla of respect for Ramsey Lewis). I’m still sad that Dick Buckley is off the air, and that Chicago Public Radio fucked up its format by dropping all (or most) of its original music content (specifically Buckley on Sunday afternoons).
@thesemodernsocks: Please don’t feed the troll.
As for the news here: I wonder whether adoption of the Arbitron portable people meter will help or hurt smooth-jazz stations? On the one hand, abandoning the diary-based ratings system is supposed to hurt “ethnic” formats, and smooth-jazz obviously has a big black listenership. OTOH, smooth jazz is a wallpaper format, and the whole raison d’etre of the PPM is to measure the music people are exposed to on their daily byways — even the stuff they hear in a store or a cab that they didn’t select themselves. It could augur a comeback for formats that are popular in retail and other public locales.
@thesemodernsocks: I’m from Chicago and can remember Z-95. .
I was stating the obvious, and I’m not trolling. Anyone who listens to the radio deserves whatever it is they’re listening to. I think the only Radio I can stomach in the car these days is 103.5 or college radio. Listening to the Radio is like eating the bad airline meal. Sure, you can wait until the plane lands and get something better, but it’s already there sitting in front of you so you might as well eat it.
Remember when record labels went obsolete? Radio is entirely dependent on that dinosaur format. And I ask, what radio? Each station has an eleven song playlist. Radio exists to sell advertising, the music is there to hold your attention until the next bump. SELL SELL SELL
Yes, I think the majority of the youth these days are their own DJ’s. This is why car stereos often include 1/8″ aux inputs because no one really listens to the radio anymore.
@Chris Molanphy: Yes, let’s re-arrange the deck chairs on the titanic.
Everyone I know who might listen to Smooth Jazz listens to their iPhone or iPod. (This is admittedly unscientific.)
And I hope Maura won’t mind me shilling for my new (and non-commercial) blog covering jazz and improvised music:
/improvisedblog.blogspot.com
Thanks!
@Vulture.Protein: Let’s not give up on naval travel because one boat sank. The airwaves are there whether they are used or not. Radio does not have to be bad; it just usually is because we’re too lazy to fix it. Or because we think it’s more bad-ass to point out how much life always sucks.
@k-rex: Life doesn’t suck, unless you suck at living it. For example, I have increased my level of happiness by not listening to the radio. For me, listening to the radio is like sitting in a high chair - all you have to do is open your mouth, cup the spoon with your lips, and swallow. Whoops, I just threw up “Cage Around The Elephant” . . .
Speaking of Jazz . . . I think I’ll check out that new Iggy Pop album.