[TABrown]

Not a fan of these RW jingles. They will get old really fast. Sounds like the same thing over and over. If it was up to me, I would have kept the JAM jingles, and to freshen things up, would have added cuts from other Z100 JAM packages.

[IanF]

I’m not keen on these RW jingles either to be honest. I think RW do some great CHR jingles and I’m quite a fan of their country stuff too but not a fan of these.

[mjb1124Member]

Demo is now up:

http://reelworld.com/jingles/packages/k-hits

Having heard all of the cuts in the clear, I give a full thumbs-up to this package. Yes, given the choice I still prefer retro JAM jingles on a Classic Hits station (and certainly don’t agree about them sounding “stale”), but these are the best attempt I’ve heard at creating a “modern” style package that still fits the format. They fit in with the classic music instrumentally, and have energy without overdoing it like some other RW material. I do agree that on the audio kcmike posted, some of the segues are rather awkward, but I don’t think the cuts themselves are necessarily to blame there.

[MarcMannetje]

I like the ramps. I hear Eagles, Madonna, Michael Jackson. But I agree with a lot of you: the station name seems to be sung in just one style. The vocals are agressive, in your face, but lack variety and in a way ‘femininity’, tenderness.

[LenGroat]

mjb: “some of the segues are rather awkward, but I don’t think the cuts themselves are necessarily to blame there”

Surely as nearly every cut ends the same they will only work with carefully picked songs, which is what RW have done on the demo.

But in ‘real life’ – on the station – there are not different tempo ends (or cuts that end any anything except the station name) to actually MATCH the songs played, and THAT is why they sound ‘awkward’? So it’s the jingle writer’s or PD’s fault, not the DJ’s?

The ‘guitar’ style was done years ago for WFAN Sports Radio jingles by JAM – and I’m still trying to find a cut with a “big stacked vocal sound “…..

[tophour_brianMember]

While I loved the JAM stuff that K-Hits had been running, these are great. To my ear, it sounds like they took their foot off the gas with regards to the vocals…they don’t hit as hard as RW’s usual style, and it works very well.

Unless something’s changed, WLS-FM is also running a bunch of ’80s JAM cuts, so maybe this is how K-Hits is distinguishing itself. Nothing wrong with that (unless you’re of the tiresome “everything RW sucks” crowd). Yeah, everybody and their mother ran these cuts when they were new, not unlike RW now, but having a different sound isn’t necessarily wrong.

[WAVAMember]

and certainly don’t agree about them sounding “stale”

“Stale” because K-Hits hasn’t changed since the day they flipped from Jack 5 years ago. The JAM jingles are timeless but its been the same style jingles and the same voice guy on K-Hits since 2011. There have been no major tweaks to the music either so now is the right time to refresh. I would guess most people making comments here don’t know the market and haven’t listened at length to K-Hits or its competition. WLS-FM is currently streets ahead of K-Hits and that is saying something.

[MarcMannetje]

Ratings 10+ WJMK (Nielsen PPM):

JUNE’16 > 2.9
JULY’16 > 2.8
AUGUST’16 > 2.6

They are #14 in the Chicago market. WLS-FM was #11 with 3.0. Classic Rock WDRV did #8 with a 3.6 share in August.

KRTH in Los Angeles always hangs around 5.0 and WCBS New York is able to hit 6.0

Could we say the station is succesfull? I don’t know where the break even is in Chicago market, maybe they aim at a younger target in Classic Hits radio?

[Jeffrey T. MasonMember]

and certainly don’t agree about them sounding “stale”

“Stale” because K-Hits hasn’t changed since the day they flipped from Jack 5 years ago. The JAM jingles are timeless but its been the same style jingles and the same voice guy on K-Hits since 2011. There have been no major tweaks to the music either so now is the right time to refresh.

WAVA-

I’ve been here for 3.5 years of the station’s 5.5 year life. In that time, I can assure you there have been several “major tweaks” to the music. We also updated our jingles in 2014. There’s NOTHING “stale” about this radio station.

As for Marc’s comment on numbers, it’s pretty simple…and logical! NY and LA do not have two direct competitors in the classic hits format as there are here in Chicago. Obviously, their pieces of the pie will be twice as big as ours.

Defensive? YES! I’m damn proud of this radio station and all the people involved.

[MarcMannetje]

Thanks for the info Jeffrey. Of course you should be proud, like all radio makers should be. It’s us who do the real job, not the corporates.

I understand that the piece of cake is smaller, that wasn’t my point. I’m just curious with what reach and market share a station can make a profit in a US market.

[WAVAMember]

In that time, I can assure you there have been several “major tweaks” to the music. We also updated our jingles in 2014.

But the music is still very male (I like it personally) and I know this is a CBS thing. It needs to be softened up a little without treading on iHeart’s MY FM too much. Do that and I’m 100% you will overtake the dreadful WLS.
The jingles introduced in 2014 are still JAM and listeners will identify with that sound as new ones are introduced. They don’t know if it’s Turbo Z or The Flamethrower but to them its all very samey.
The new RW package will make K-Hits standout that little bit more. They fit where you are musically. Guaranteed over the new few months you will be posting increases.

[LenGroat]

Many thanks for the aircheck aircheckdownloads!

………. THAT is how to do it…..

“The Sono voice CUTS THROUGH ….”

ninetyeightpointsev-venKLUV

That’s how to make call letters clear and memorable….

[glen]

Now that’s what we call jingles!!

[Jeffrey T. MasonMember]

For the record, we ARE still playing JAM at K-Hits as well. It’s mixed in with the RW stuff.

[mjb1124Member]

Hmm… I had only heard RW cuts during the times I’ve listened after August 15th, and the aircheck posted earlier was also all RW (aside from the America’s Greatest Hits closing). But good to know!

[michiMember]

I don’t like the RW cuts either… they sound like the cheap crap RW that iHeart puts out here in boring Delmarva.

[michiMember]

So the secret then is to run Z-100 JAM cuts for a two years and then switch to KIIS JAM cuts for two years and then PLJ JAM cuts for two years and then go back to Z-100 six years later (if your format lasts that long)… that way, the jingles are “fresh”…

[WAVAMember]

Not hearing a lot of JAM these days on K-Hits

[PKMemberAuthor]

The JAM jingles are definitely still on K-Hits as Jeffro will confirm! I’ve just heard one!

Whilst I like the Reelworld Top Of Hour jingle, I’m not sure most of the others fit with much of the music particularly the rockier songs and sound too modern and would fit a 90s & Noughties retro station much better.

The Michael Jackson style Weather bed is dull compared to the Turbo Z cut and the Weather Outro always sounds awkward and not a good transition.

Unfortunately the Reelworld cuts don’t have the variety and adaptability of the JAM cuts which still work and flow really well between the music, commercials etc much better.

I do like some of the Reelworld cuts but not all and some don’t work well.

There were comments about K-Hits and audience figures, Jeffro is quite right. Compared to some other cities like New York, K-Hits has a lot of tough competition for their format from WLS FM and also WDRV The Drive! If you combined the K-Hits and WLS figures as one station they’d be higher than WCBS!

K-Hits is a great station, even with that dodgy Beatles anorak & Jingles geek DJ 10 am to 2 pm lol (only joking Jeffrey lol!)

[Jeffrey T. MasonMember]

the Weather Outro always sounds awkward and not a good transition

Thanks for listening, PK! I invite you to pay close attention during my show. I do the outro a little differently than the rest of the pack

[Author]

Posts