This just in: RIP Smooth Jazz CD101.9

Today must be a sad day for NY-area lovers of that other Kenny G. (from the CD101.9 website):

Dear CD101.9 Smooth Jazz Listeners,

The staff of CD101.9 would like to thank you for your support over these past 20 years of Smooth Jazz CD101.9. Due to a declining audience for Smooth Jazz over the past few years, we are sad to announce that Smooth Jazz will no longer be available on the 101.9 signal. On February 5th we launched an innovative new adult rock format on the 101.9 frequency called 101.9 RXP The New York Rock Experience. 101.9 RXP is a respectful and intelligent mix of new music, classic rock and alternative - we invite you to try it. If you are solely a Smooth Jazz lover, "Smooth Jazz CD101.9" will continue to exist on our HD2 channel. Just purchase an HD capable radio and you will be able to listen to your favorite Smooth Jazz artists for free as always! CD1019.com will continue to provide you with upcoming smooth jazz events in association with the HD2 channel, and if you are a member of the CD101.9 Loyal Listener Club you will continue to receive e-mail updates. If you do not have an HD radio and are not a fan of Rock, we invite you to try 98.7 Kiss FM The Best Variety of Old School and Today's R&B as an alternative.  Listen to 98.7 Kiss FM for your chance to pick up tickets to the "Concert In Red" Valentine's concert at the Beacon Theatre February 14th. It's one of the many amazing shows coming in 2008 that you can find out about on 98.7 Kiss FM.

We hope that this note finds you sharing the same excitement that we feel!  We look forward to many more years of providing New York with Smooth Jazz in HD, and The New York Rock Experience on 101.9 RXP!

The switch takes place at 4 PM Eastern time...

Comments

[Debbie D]

First song played on RXP?
Lou Reed-Rock 'n' Roll.

But do we really need another station playing U2 and the Boss???

[PocketRadio]

Don't waste your money on HD Radio - it is a farce:

http://hdradiofarce.blogspot.com/

[Dale Hazelton]

"....sharing the same excitement that we feel"...is this the same excitement people like Cousin Brucie and other CBS deejays felt. I'm still pissed at Disney for taking my popular standards away. I don't need an HD radio (but one of the internet radios looks interesting (but I could probably just here all it gets on my computer):

http://www.ccrane.com/radios/wifi-radios/index.aspx

[Vince Noir]

...but now where on the radio will I go for an embarrassing suck fest?

[Brandon]

I feel the tide of history turning against Smooth Jazz like it did against Disco. Only no one would want to even be in Shea stadium with John Tesh records.

What will the white people do?

[Rufus]

What in the fuck? We have a 98.7 KISS FM in Birmingham and it's the exact same pile of shit format:

http://987kiss.com/

Maybe they're owned by the same people?

[bartleby]

Anybody recall WFCN? it went from classical one day to an AC/DC marathon the next morning.

[releash]

Ho, hum another station flip. Sifting through all the PR BS ( variety, mix, different etc. ), did RXP say they are not using computers to program the playlists?

I would only be excited if I had a vested interest in the station as I expect the audience will increase, as will ad revenue.

[Ginny Newley (Callan)]

I'll actually miss it.

[boil]

"I feel the tide of history turning against Smooth Jazz like it did against Disco."
- I have heard "Rock the Boat" enough times in the past year to last the rest of my life, and every year is like that. Same with Ring My Bell, I Will Survive, and any BeeGees song. Anyone who ventures out in public in New York must go through the same gauntlet.

"Anybody recall WFCN? it went from classical one day to an AC/DC marathon the next morning."
- No, dude, it started at midnight. I was there!

[LARRY]

I AM VERY SORRY TO HEAR THAT YOUR FORMAT HAS CHANGED

TO TRASH, WE HAVE MANY OF THESE KIND OF STATIONS AND DON'T

NEED ANY MORE!!

I WILL MISS THE CHRIS BOTI'S AMD MICHAEL BUBLE'S, WHO

ARE REALLY TALENTED ARTISTS MUSICALLY!! I AM A JAZZ PIANIST OF YEARS AGO AND SO WELCOMED YOUR ORIGINAL

FORMAT. AS WELL AS MY THREE BOYS AND WIFE.

YOU HAVE A BIG AUDIENCE WHICH YOU ARE UNAWARE OF BECAUSE

THEY DON'T COMMUNICATE TO YOU.

WE COULD USE ANOTHER CLASSICAL FORMAT IN ADDITION THE

ONLY ONE WQXR FOR THIS VERY POPULATED NEW YORK AREA.

SORRY TO SAY GOODBYE!!!!

LARRY,
SPRING VALLEY,NY

[Greta Gardner]

This really stinks. I believe in change, but another station playing the same old crap over and over again. At the end of the day after listing to someone else’s choice of sorry music, I like to put on Smooth Jazz to unwind on the way home. I'll really miss you guys at the old CD101.09 Smooth Jazz.

Greta
Queens, NY

[Diane]

I enjoy all types of music, but how many rock stations does one listening area need? And soft rock - YIKES! I listened to CD101.9 at work, unwiding on the way home from work, at home while reading, doing homework or as background music when entertaining. This stinks

[jazzfan]

i'd like to see how long this lasts. as if we don't have enough rock stations on the radio as is. jack tried to do this with cbs, and learned a hard lesson. hopefully this new gig will meet the same fate and we can get our station back!! bring back cd1019!!!

[JOE]

SORRY TOO SEE YOU GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I WILL MISS MY JAZZ,
THE ONLY STATION THAT HELPED ME RELAXED AFTER A LONG STRESSFUL DAY
WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?????????????????????

[bartleby]

I wasn't listening to WFCN at midnight when it switched but did listen to it at work all day the previous day and came in and turned it on again the next morning. I wonder how many listeners they retained.
CD 101.9 though had been the same format for a comparatively long while, close to 19 or 20 years.

[Brian C.]

I'm sorry to hear this only because I know one of CD101's DJs, now likely out of a job. Bummer!
If only there was some lite, soothing music to put on, to make it better--

[Lisa C.]

My only sanity in an insane work environment is gone!!!! I thought I was part of a horrible nightmare yesterday afternoon when the format switched. I listen, well listen"ed" to CD101.9 every day at work, in the car and at home and I thought I had missed the week long announcements leading up to this disaster. Then when I called the station, I was informed that the decision had just been made that afternoon, there were no prior warnings to not only fans, but the STAFF AS WELL! While I understand that we all lost our beloved smooth jazz, people lost their jobs yesterday folks. Without warning and in this current state of economic affairs, the ones that lost their jobs must now try and find new ones. Think about it. Not only did the station owner not care about his listening audience, he didn't care about the staff. By the way, if you don't have the listening audience to sustain an FM station, how do you have the listeining audience to sustain an HD station???

[Lisa C.]

My only sanity in an insane work environment is gone!!!! I thought I was part of a horrible nightmare yesterday afternoon when the format switched. I listen, well listen"ed" to CD101.9 every day at work, in the car and at home and I thought I had missed the week long announcements leading up to this disaster. Then when I called the station, I was informed that the decision had just been made that afternoon, there were no prior warnings to not only fans, but the STAFF AS WELL! While I understand that we all lost our beloved smooth jazz, people lost their jobs yesterday folks. Without warning and in this current state of economic affairs, the ones that lost their jobs must now try and find new ones. Think about it. Not only did the station owner not care about his listening audience, he didn't care about the staff. By the way, if you don't have the listening audience to sustain an FM station, how do you have the listeining audience to sustain an HD station???

[Lisa C.]

What's going to happen to the Liberty Jazz Festival this summer????? Smooth move EMMIS, what a way to kick the hornet's nest!

[Cecil B.]

I am also sad to see on air talent get replaced. My real sadness however was the lack of testicular fortitude within Emmis to move to a chill/downtempo sound like Kblu in New Mexico. I never thought that popular 70's soul music was smooth jazz, and I was always disappointed that a lot of 60's blue note label artists, which would have fit the vibe was not incorporated into the format. I live midway between NY and Philadelphia & Philly has a smooth Jazz station owned by a different corporation. Let's see if they draw the same conclusion about the smooth jazz format. I guess XM and Sirius will try to back fill the programming gap.

[Brian]

For almost 15 years I usually awake each weekday morning at 6am by smooth jazz tunes on CD101.9; it allows for an easier wake-up and start to my work day. Before today I wasn't aware of this format change. I also like classic rock, but waking this morning to a heavy guitar riff and drums was harsh. waaaaa!!!

[illlich]

Say what you will about "smooth jazz", but it really hits the spot when you've got diarrhea, (sometimes it feels like I'm having a duet with Najee!)

Their new motto could be "Same Station, Different Flavor Crap!"

I suspect smooth jazz stations would do a lot better if they tempered their format with good traditional jazz (a la "Kind of Blue") rather than R&B and lite pop.

[Phillip W.]

WHY? WHY? WHY? I HATE TO SAY I TOLD YOU SO, BUT....... I WILL SAY IT AGAIN. AUDIANCES NEED TO BE CULTIVATED AND THEN RESPECTED ONCE AQUIRED. YOUNG FOLKS HAVE AND WILL LISTEN TO GOOD MUSIC IF THEY ARE EXPOSED EARLY AND ENOUGH TO IT. THE ROOTS OF "SMOOTH JAZZ" WERE OF COURSE JAZZ, AND THE FORGOTTEN FUSION. IN MY OPINION, HAD CD101.9 PLAYED MORE OF BOTH AND MADE EFFORTS TO BRING THE MUSIC 'TO THE MOUNTAIN'I.E. SCHOOLS , THEIR AUDIANCE WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE DIVERSE AND LOYAL. REMEMBER IT'S THE PARENTS THAT HAVE THE MONEY TO SUPPORT WHAT THE 18-24'S WANT. SHOULDN'T WE HAVE A SAY IN WHAT IS ON THE AIR. YOUR RESEARCERS AND PROMOTERS ARE NOT DOING A GOOD. IT SEEMS AS IF SOMEONE HAS DECIDED TO GO WITH THE SAME TRENDS THAT HAVE BROUGHT FINANCIAL DISASTER TO MANY SEGMENTS OF OUR SOCIETY. I HOPE YOU ARE AROUND TO SEE YOUR RESULTS. A CULTURELESS SOCIETY LOADED WITH DULL, DISINTERESTED, UNDEREXPOSED, AND APATHETIC HEAD-BANGERS THAT WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME "GREAT PARENTS." THANK YOU

[t]

THIS IS EXACTLY WHY I SWITCHED TO SATELLITE RADIO!