The Straight Skinny

 

KIFM, Top of the Pack in Smooth Jazz under PPM

"Not a Smooth Jazz station; but a radio station that happens to

play Smooth Jazz"

 

By Carol Archer

 

6. No question, top five ratings are crucial to generating revenue, but they aren't the only factor in a radio

station's success -- far from it. Winning requires plenty of other, more subtle, though pivotal, attributes on the part of PDs: passion; leadership; creativity; dead-on focus; the competitive instinct of a thoroughbred; sound judgment; titanium nerves; independent thinking; clear boundaries; iron-clad work ethic; equanimity; the

courage of your convictions; fortitude (today, as never before); the ability to communicate openly and honestly, and to give, accept and incorporate constructive feedback; confidence in one's ear; and so much more --

 including a balanced life. These attributes characterize the best programmers in every format – quite the

synthesis of Bill Gates, Bear Bryant, Mohammed Ali and Nelson Mandela…and Vasquez.

 

 7. We all know what happens to powerful programmers who work without full endorsement from above: their skill and talent is wasted for lack of passionate belief in Smooth Jazz by their superiors, who deny them the requisite resources needed to earn stellar ratings. Perhaps every PD’s most rigorous challenge is commanding unanimous support from GM/market managers; format captains; corporate brass; and group heads – all! -- such as Vasquez enjoys. This scenario is all too rare today, yet top-down-level commitment is vital to success -- the key component in forging deeper, more meaningful emotional bonds with the listener; unleashing entertainment value, excitement and an ineffable sense of discovery that people love, research findings to the contrary; and embracing the imperative to learn, grow and evolve with experience.

 

 To succeed, you market and research, just as like any winning radio format. You play the hits, for sure, while unearthing vibrant new songs -- and, like Vasquez, shun the notion that new music is risky. You reassess

library gold; and restore emotional authenticity and intimacy to the air. It's a tall order, but as Vasquez

presciently opined, when he threw down the gauntlet before his format programming peers several years ago in R&R: "Stop playing it so safe."                           

“I can only hope that there are some broadcasters out there that will take note of our initial

successes and recognize that Smooth Jazz can

compete and win in the PPM era."

– Mike Vasquez 

Modeled top-down by Goodin and Mike V., KIFM's staff go the extra mile, always, to demonstrate the

ingenuity and tireless effort that reinforces the radio station's now-institutionalized bond with listeners.

Beyond Vasquez's morning show and programming duties, for example, he routinely logs countless miles driving to Palm Springs, Oceanside, the wine country of suburban Temecula or wherever, to do remotes and appear anywhere and everywhere, on the scene everywhere within KIFM's signal range. Houdini had nothing on this man.

 

5. Building a better mousetrap means adapting to current reality. Vasquez notes that the sample can certainly play a pivotal role in a station's performance. "But I’ve remained most concerned about creating a great sounding radio station that the audience can be excited about. Now that we have some initial PPM data, we’ve identified our 'hot spots' in the market and will take the necessary steps to maximize our opportunities." Bingo.

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