102.2 Jazz FM
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| Broadcast area | Greater London (FM), Nationwide (Freeview) Nationwide (Sky Digital) Greater London, Yorkshire, South Wales and the Severn Estuary, West Midlands, North East England, Central Scotland (DAB) |
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| Slogan | Get it on |
| First air date | 4 February 1990 |
| Frequency | 102.2 MHz |
| Format | Jazz |
| Owner | GMG Radio |
| Website | www.jazzfm.com |
102.2 Jazz FM was a local station for London launched on the 4 February 1990 with an Ella Fitzgerald concert at the Royal Festival Hall in London. The station was launched as a result of a ten year campaign by musician Dave Lee, who was inspired after listening to a Los Angeles jazz radio station, which has since turned into a classical station. The licence to broadcast was given in 1990 to London Jazz Radio who subsequently changed their name to Jazz FM on launch. [1] The station was based at Castlereagh Street in London. In 1994, the name of the station was changed to JFM by the station's management in order to appeal to more listeners who may have been put off by the name "jazz" in Jazz FM. After 15 months however, the name reverted back to Jazz FM. [2]
Jazz FM was also made available on the Sky Digital platform on April 30, 2002 [3] and on the Freeview platform on October 30, 2002. Both launches were preceded by test transmissions. Jazz FM was also available on DAB digital radio on a number of MXR multiplexes across England, South Wales and Central Scotland (excluding MXR North West, which hosted the defunct 100.4 Jazz FM service for the North West) and the Switch Digital multiplex covering Greater London.
Jazz FM was purchased by the Guardian Media Group in July 2002 for £41 millon from Jazz FM plc.
Plans for a Jazz FM TV channel to launch in the middle of 2004 were reported by various websites, but the idea has been subsequently canned. [4]
After disappointing RAJAR figures, GMG Radio rebranded the station as 102.2 Smooth FM in June 2005.
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[edit] jazzfm.com
The station still broadcasts under the Jazz FM name on the Internet and on DAB in South Wales and the Severn Estuary. The DAB service carries the Blue Room feed from jazzfm.com at a higher bitrate.
[edit] Playlist
When Jazz FM launched, the station played a mixture of jazz, with the daytime schedules originally dedicated to smooth jazz, and some soul programming, until 1992 when the policy changed and all non-jazz programming was taken off the schedules.
Although Jazz FM has originally from the start played jazz music, more soul and softer R&B music was added later on in Jazz FM's lifetime to appeal to the 25-45 year old market that Jazz FM needed to entice to the station, especially after GMG Radio took over the running of the station.
[edit] Jingles and Slogans
Kay Garner, a British jazz singer, was asked by the founder of Jazz FM, Dave Lee, to sing the original jingles for the station when it launched in 1990. [5] Jazz FM has also had many other jingles and slogans during its 15 year life, including "Listen in Colour" (featuring the Jazz FM chameleon), "The Rhythm Of The City" and afterwards, during the GMG era, "Get It On", which was swiftly replaced on-air by "Smooth Jazz and Classic Soul". The Bespoke Music Company [1] created the Jazz FM jingles which were in use since the 1st of January 2003, until 102.2 Jazz FM was relaunched as 102.2 Smooth FM. A sample of the jingles used can be heard from their website. [2]
[edit] Criticism and Rebranding
Many fans of traditional and modern jazz had criticised Jazz FM for pandering to more 'accessible' music, with Jazz FM playing more soul and R&B music, especially during the daytime schedules. In March 2003 the Radio Authority (since embodied into the UK governments communications regulator, Ofcom) investigated Jazz FM after it received two complaints from listeners who complained that the station was playing more "pop" music, after changes made to the Jazz FM playlist in January 2003.[6]
Ofcom as part of its licence agreement with Jazz FM, stated that Jazz FM had to dedicate at least 50% of the daytime output to 'Jazz' music. However, from the 15 November 2003, as part of an agreement with the Guardian Media Group, Ofcom agreed to allow GMG to change the format of the station. John Myers, the chief executive of GMG said "The policy we are going on is ratings by day, reputation by night. Jazz is much more of a night-time listen so the changes fit well." As a result, jazz music was increased from 40 hours to 45 hours and the Dinner Jazz programme hours were increased from two to three.
Sadly, Jazz FM didn't make a profit during the 15 years it broadcasted. This, alongside disappointing RAJAR figures prompted the decision in 2005 by GMG to drop the jazz name completely and rebrand Jazz FM to Smooth FM. Chief Executive of GMG John Myers said: "As sorry as we are to say goodbye to Jazz FM, it’s a sad fact of life that it has never made a profit in its 15 years of existence." Another reason given for the rebranding was that the Jazz FM name was putting people off listening to the station, as well as the station not playing enough jazz for the purists. The latter situation was solved by GMG Radio by adding additional investment into the ejazz.fm website and changing the name to jazzfm.com at the same time 102.2 Jazz FM became 102.2 Smooth FM. Included in the investment would be two dedicated jazz stations that still run to this day. [7]
The North West version of Jazz FM was the first to rebrand on the 1 March 2004 and then the London version (including the Freeview and many of the DAB feeds) on the 7 June 2005. [8] During the last few weeks before the launch of Smooth FM, Jazz FM changed its jingles slightly from "Smooth Jazz and Classic Soul" to "London's Smooth Favourites" as an indication to listeners of the change to come.
Jazz FM in its previous form closed on Friday the 27 May 2005 with the last track played being, rather fittingly, Ella Fitzgerald's 'Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye'. GMG then played a promotion for Smooth FM alongside music tracks to be played on the new station and live news at the top of the hour until the launch of Smooth FM at 10am on the 7 June with the help of R&B singer Lemar and then breakfast show presenter Jon Scragg.
[edit] Bring A Pound To Work Day
Jazz FM, like its counterpart GMG radio stations, held 'Bring A Pound To Work Day' in late October/early November 2003/2004. Listeners were asked to donate and collect pound coins for a local children's charity - Nordoff Robbins in 2003 and the Lennox Children's Cancer Fund the following year. Listeners could also text message a number for donations at a cost of £1.50, of which £1 went to the charity. Jazz FM has also held auctions in past years to help boost the money raised for charity. Lots included a signed edition of Harry Potter, exclusive concert tickets and even a chance to join the former breakfast presenter Jon Scragg on his show for one day. 'Bring A Pound To Work Day' was enormously successful for the chosen charities; in 2004, enough was raised to purchase a new Lennox holiday home on the south coast of England.
The automated Jazz FM service that exists today no longer runs 'Bring A Pound To Work Day', although the campaign remains on other GMG stations. Jazz FM's successor Smooth FM have rebranded their fundraising effort the Smooth Appeal.
[edit] Former Specialist Programmes on Jazz FM
Many of the programmes that formerly played on Jazz FM are still available on Smooth FM or on the jazzfm.com website.
- Andy Peebles' Soul and Soccer: A three hour show on Saturday afternoons featuring soul music alongside soccer updates and scores. The show continues on 100.4 Smooth FM but is now entirely playlisted, and musically mirrors the station's normal music output.
- Behind The Mask: A six-part series which was commissioned in early 2003 following GMG's purchase of the station which saw vocalist Alison Moyet profiling well-known figures within the jazz industry.
- Behind The Mic: An occasional series which tended to air on Saturday lunchtimes between 1pm and 2pm - famous figures within the jazz/soul industry were invited to play their favourite songs.
- Dinner Jazz: One of Jazz FM's flagship shows on weekdays between 7pm and 9pm/10pm featuring easy listening and jazz.
- Drivetime with Russell Pockett: A four hour show playing jazz and soul music, included the Million Sellers at 3pm, which only played songs that sold a million records or over and the Top 3 Most Requested at 5pm, where a listener requests three pieces of music to be played in sequence on the show.
- Hed Kandi: Hed Kandi was comprised of two parts, between 2am and 5am, presenters Mark Doyle and Andy Norman played dance music for the "post-clubbing generation". Then, for one hour between 5am and 6am, the Hed Kandi Chillout Hour played more chilled out music.
- Legends of Jazz with Ramsey Lewis: A show which features classic jazz recordings from major and influential jazz artists.
- Mainstem with Campbell Burnap: A two hour programme which included many forms of jazz from classic to Latin as well as a mix of jazz from the younger players of the day.
- Mike Chadwick's Cutting Edge: A two hour show on Saturday nights featuring contemporary jazz music. The Cutting Edge is still being produced and the show can be listened to on the jazzfm.com website.
- Paul Gambaccini's Jazz 20: A jazz chart show which was originally broadcast on Saturdays but which moved to Sundays in 2004, and became the 'Jazz 40', between 5pm and 8pm.
- Peter Young's The Soul Cellar: A show on Sunday afternoons which featured soul music, including northern soul.
- Smooth Jazz Through The Night: A three hour show through the night which played well known smooth jazz records from the archives of Jazz FM.
- The Late Lounge with Rosie Kendrick: A two hour show featuring chillout grooves and jazz.
- Tony Blackburn's Real Party Night: A show presented by Tony Blackburn featuring lively soul and disco music from the ages. Tony Blackburn also presented a show on Jazz FM called Real Soul between 10pm and 12am on weeknights from March 2003 for twelve months. Real Soul was replaced by a three hour show featuring jazz, soul and R&B music presented by Clive Warren. [9]
[edit] Former Presenters on Jazz FM
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[edit] Jazz FM Records
Jazz FM also had an established record label called Jazz FM Records, publishing smooth jazz and soul music in line with its former music output before the rebrand.
[edit] Jazz FM Records Discography
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Jazz FM Records also brought out compilation tracks from the Hed Kandi team before Hed Kandi Records was set up as a label in its own right. Jazz FM Records has since been renamed Enterprise Records, which in turn was bought by the Ministry of Sound record label from the Guardian Media Group for an undisclosed sum in January 2006.
[edit] Jazz FM Events
Jazz FM Events specialised in setting up and providing events based on a wide range of jazz and soul music based on the radio stations output. This included anything from concerts to performances in bars across the UK. Major events would be publicised via the radio station and the Jazz FM website, including the famous Soul Weekender weekends.
[edit] Jazz FM Connections
Jazz FM Connections was a dating site run by people2people.com. The service required an individual to pay a subscription to chat and meet up with other people registered on the service. The service still runs today and is known as Smooth FM Connections. [3]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Hobbs, Steve. "DJ Profile's - Steve Hobbs." Solar Radio. Accessed August 17, 2006.
- ^ Poole, Denis. "The Secret Garden." Published February 12, 2000. Accessed August 17, 2006.
- ^ Jazz FM added to EPG. Published by Sky Digi Online on April 30, 2002. Accessed September 5, 2006.
- ^ What Satellite and Digital TV - June 8 2003 (under Sky Digital news in brief). Published June 8, 2003. Accessed September 5, 2003.
- ^ Kay Garner Biography. Accessed August 17, 2006.
- ^ Watchdog probes Jazz FM. Published by BBC News on March 3, 2003. Accessed August 17, 2006.
- ^ JAZZFM London becomes 102.2 smooth fm. Published by Radio Today on February 14, 2005. Accessed August 17, 2006.
- ^ Perry, Ian. "Aircheck UK - Essex." Updated May 20, 2003. Accessed August 17, 2006.
- ^ JAZZFM hits high note with Warren and Peebles. Published by GMG Radio on February 23, 2004. Accessed August 17, 2006.
[edit] External links
- Jazz FM Online
- Press Release about the rebrand
- BBC News article on the rebrand
- Guardian Media Group news release on the takeover of Jazz FM
- Media UK article on Jazz FM
- Part 1 of the Secret Garden article about smooth jazz radio in the UK, including information on Jazz FM
- Part 2 of the Secret Garden article about smooth jazz radio in the UK, including information on Jazz FM
- The Bespoke Music Jazz FM jingles in use since 2003 until 2005
