Posted on 06/08/2005 6:49:08 AM PDT by Mike Bates
When big corporations have bad news to announce, they often hold off until as late as possible on a Friday afternoon. By burying the story over the weekend, they hope to minimize criticism from the press and outcry from the public.
That no doubt figured into the timing of Infinity Broadcasting, which waited until 4 p.m. Friday to blow up two of its heritage oldies stations -- WJMK-FM (104.3) in Chicago and WCBS-FM in New York. With absolutely no warning, their popular and successful formats were replaced with a trendy pop/rock hybrid known as "Jack FM."
Make no mistake about it: As an oldies station, WJMK was popular and successful. In the latest Arbitron survey, it ranked 11th overall with a respectable 2.9 percent share and a cumulative weekly audience of 722,200. Last year, it was among the market's 15 highest billing stations, with revenues of more than $16.5 million. It was on a similar track this year.
The numbers tell only part of the story. Among those 722,200 listeners were some of the most passionate, devoted fans anywhere. Whatever its shortcomings, WJMK connected with its audience on a genuine, personal level. And no one was more devoted to them than the beloved Dick Biondi, a living legend and Radio Hall of Famer who launched the station's oldies format 21 years ago.
(Excerpt) Read more at suntimes.com ...
I don't know Jack either, but when I have had enough of talkers I tuned into the new format and loved the music.
Dick Biondi is the man, he was an icon in the 1960's on WCFL-AM, I still listen to him on the weekends on Magic, he's a throwback to the DJs of the 50s ala wolfman jack.
They did the same thing in Baltimore, ditching the popular Rouse and Company morning show.
Still Biondi after all these years
Last weekend the Museum of Broadcast Communications hosted a Rock and Roll Reunion featuring Chicago disc jockeys from the past and present. Del Clark, Ron Riley and Art Roberts were there, as well as current on-air personalities Clark Weber, Bob Sirott and John Landecker.
Located in the Chicago Cultural Center, the Museum has loads of radio and television memorabilia. Garfield Goose is there, as are Jack Benny’s vault and Fibber McGee’s closet. The Channel Two camera used for the first Kennedy-Nixon debate is on display and the Museum boasts 70,000 radio and TV programs and commercials in its archives.
For me, the most fascinating thing Saturday night wasn’t seeing the Museum’s offerings. It was watching Dick Biondi in action as he broadcast his show from there.
On May 2, 1960, Biondi and six other disc jockeys took Chicago by storm when they kicked off the “new” WLS. The station, of course, had been on the air for decades, but in 1960 it switched to a rock format. It had a tremendous impact on me and all the other Chicagoland baby-boomers.
Can you remember the original seven on WLS? They were Mort Crowley, Jim Dunbar, Art Roberts, Sam Holman, Gene Taylor, Dick Biondi and Bob Hale.
Those were rock’s days of innocence and the British invasion hadn’t taken place yet. Bobby Vee, Dion, and the Everly brothers were teen idols. And their hits could be heard, seemingly incessantly, on our station, WLS.
I first met Dick Biondi in September of 1960. It was his birthday and my sister, Candy, made him a cake and then made me take her to the station to give it to him. He mentioned our names on his show and that earned us a couple of days of infamy at St. Margaret of Scotland. The good Sisters weren’t quite as plugged in to rock as we kiddies were.
I remember being impressed at how down to earth the man was. Here he was, a superstar in our young eyes, yet he took the time to talk, sign his autograph, and tell us to be careful going home.
Dick Biondi started in radio in 1950. Forty-five years in the business and he’s still going strong. Watching him in action the other night, it’s easy to understand why he’s maintained his incredible popularity.
For five hours people stood patiently in line, waiting to greet him or shake his hand or get his autograph. Most of them were baby boomers. Some had their kids with them. Others had their grandkids with them.
Despite the crowd, Dick took his time and spoke with everyone personally. He asked where they lived and where they worked and showed a real interest in them. He reminisced with those who’d seen him at sock hops three decades ago.
If they wanted a picture taken with him, he’d run around the table and pose for as many as they wanted. He gave brotherly kisses on the cheek to some of the women. His energy is exhilarating just to watch. He’s an incredibly humble and thoughtful man.
Some might say in the long term a disc jockey doesn’t have much impact on the people whose lives he touches. I don’t agree. Dick Biondi has been there while we grew up and went through the good and bad times, the triumphs and the tragedies every human experiences. He’s a constant.
He’s never been a shock jock -- unless you count his groaning to “On Top of a Pizza.” He’s doesn’t subject his audiences to his political views or ask them to embrace any pet crusade he may have. He is satisfied to be an entertainer, an excellent communicator. That is no small contribution to society.
The other evening when I said good-bye, he clasped my hand and softly said, “Be careful going home, Mike. Stay happy and healthy.” Thanks, Dick. I’ll try.
Thirty-five years ago Dick Biondi was extraordinarily popular throughout the Chicago area. He still is. I think I know why.
Just another effect of the MTV music holocaust that has been going on unapposed since 1981 and has recently been given a boost by American Idle. Maybe Simon, or whatever that jerkies name is, can criticize that for once. There`s something seriously wrong here when I can go into a club or even the street here in NYC and see another Beatles, Dylan, Hendrix just pure musical genuises playing in front of just 5 people, and then turn on the radio and hear buck tooth lip synching idiot Ashlee Simpson promoted to death on every station. The music holocaust is stronger than it ever was.
Chacun à son goût, as J. Kerry might say.
Up in Toronto, we've had a Jack format station for about two years now. When it first came on, I quite enjoyed it but quickly learned that the "We play what we want" seems to mean "We play what we want from the limited selection we are allowed to play". Its little more than an old style mix station with a lot more emphasis on current chart toppers rather than the hundreds/thousands? of potential #1 hits from all genres of music I thought they would have played.
The same thing happened here in the Twin Cities. We had Mix 104, an 80's station.
The station was doing OK in the ratings but out of the blue, they switched to the Jack FM concept.
At first, I didn't like it. But now I'm getting used to it and I'm OK with it.
http://wktz.jones.edu/
Good station for oldies.....
At night you should also be able to pick up WKBW 1520 AM out of Buffalo, NY too. It's a 50,000 watt blowtorch that beams along the east coast. Still plays 50's & 60's stuff with actual diskjockies.
WKBW actually plays "Dead Skunk" once in a while too. Any station that plays stuff like that is OK by me.
I used to listen to it at nights in Massachusetts in the mid '60s. I believe the evening DJ was Joey Reynolds.
'Oldies' is essentially the only musical genre I listen to on the radio. And I wasn't born until 1975.
If you are not between the ages of 18-49, you're not worth Jack. Make that 15-29, and it would probably be a more accurate portrayal of medias target audience.
Joey Reynolds is still on KB out of NY City. It's a syndicated talk show. However, Danny Nevereth one of the originals is still doing a morning show 6-10 which plays the oldies.
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