CKCL-FM Goes Classical

[Tape Splicer]

Eldon; From the POV of someone with less than 10% vision, bold works equally well as all caps. I also enlarge my font size in my browser. Take care. TS

[skyvalleyradio]

T.S. - the situation with dual-format classical/jazz stations in the U.S. on NPR stations has less to do with cross-listenership than it does economics. Statistics and my own experiences in jazz radio in both the U.S. & Canada, (both commercial & listener-supported) reveal there is a bit - but not much overlap in listening audiences. U.S. government subsidies of NPR that once existed are gone, and stations have used the hybrid formats to lure two distinctly different audiences to provide necessary financial support. For a number of NPR stations, it's a technique that's worked to remain on air & financially viable. NPR stations continue to do this with success. Just recently,one of Detroit's major NPR stations WRCJ 90.9, competing with numerous other listener-supported broadcasts, adopted a dual classical/jazz format, having previously offered all-classical. 2 years into the hybrid format, WRCJ membership has increased, and their "begathon" revenue increased considerably. It's also worth noting that such NPR hybrid stations stick to mainstream jazz, as opposed to "smooth jazz" - particularly at the 'easy-listening' end of the spectrum.

In this region, KPLU 88.5 could not survive as a stand-alone jazz station. Not enough listener membership dollars can be raised amongst jazz lovers in this area to support it. Discovering healthy financial support for NPR's news & talk programming, KPLU adopted a dual news & jazz format, tapping listener financial supporting both. Not that there hasn't been interest at KPLU in going with an all-jazz format: some of the people I've known over the years connected with KPLU will state there has always been plenty of support to go all-jazz 24/7 but that it's not financially feasible. KPLU did try all-jazz back in the mid-80's. At the time, KPLU increased it's output power to the whopping 100 kW signal emanating from them on 88.5. KUOW 94.9 was the other high-power NPR station in Seattle-Tacoma at the time. Both KPLU and KUOW offered a hybrid of classical, jazz & NPR news. With plenty of listener-member input to both stations, it was decided that KUOW would offer predominantly all-classical music with NPR news and KPLU would offer all-jazz plus minimal NPR news/talk offerings. It worked for a while for KPLU, until U.S. government backing to the NPR organizations and their member stations disappeared. This necessitated adaptation. A number of NPR stations have adopted the same news and jazz dual-format approach, also with success tapping two different sets of listener tastes. Today's NPR offerings, Seattle-Tacoma is served by hybrid news & jazz KPLU, all-classical KING - now listener-supported, and KUOW has dropped it's classical music to provide all-news/talk from NPR & APR to the region. NWPR station KVTI 90.9 offers NPR news, hybrid classical & jazz. I note one of your examples of classical/jazz hybrid. stations: Fine Music 101.3 FM in South Africa is also supported by listener membership as opposed to advertising. However, I'm not convinced that a hybrid classical & jazz format can be commercially viable.

Considering a recent attempt to do 'smooth jazz' in Winnipeg failed, I'll say again that CKCL might be best to stick to all-classical and build up strong support in the fine-arts community in Winnipeg. This includes advertisers willing to support the demos/characteristic profiles of listeners to a classical station. Dan Sys suggested to me that because CKCL is owned by Golden West, there could be some subtle Christian infusion into the programming. With classical this would work & would even enhance the station's library.

Interesting to see how CKCL evolves once past the test/introductory stage...

[Shawndx]

Announcements on air state that the official launch will be on Thursday Dec 5 in the morning at 10:00. They are saying classical days jazz at nights in the loop on air