Over the past few months, I’ve become increasingly irritated with the attitude, tactics and mindset of jack FM.
It began with a funeral procession for Fox FM. On paper, the idea sounds a bit silly but plausible. To the anoracks on Digitalspy it was better than kissing a real girl. To those in the industry, who knew a bit more about it, it was ridiculous. What could have been a full procession was actually a lanky kid with some paper flowers and a chalkboard sign.
Then there are the constant references to being Oxfordshire’s only TRUE local radio station etc etc. That’s correct, all your output originates from Oxfordshire. Go have some tea and medals. Look at it closer, and you’ve got one proper show; half of which is presented by an antipodean. How I love irony.
What next? Oh yes – the travel plane. We’ve all had to suffer jack FM constantly ‘wanking off’ about their eye in the sky. They’re so proud of it, they even released a video and set about profiteering from someone’s untimely death on the M40. THAT, is poor taste.
Today, once again, the joke’s on them
As a jock, I sat and counted the opportunities that Trevor Marshall evaluated, and ultimately boycotted, to kill this appalling piece of radio. It appeals to nobody…CERTAINLY not in their target audience.
It wasn’t as if it was even delivered in a funny way. It was perverse, not amusing. I’ve got the most childish sense of humour going, but this made me feel physically unwell.
This audio will be of particular interest to OFCOM. Whilst, yes, it’s only radio… there are several breaches of Taste and Decency here. The other thing which OFCOM consider is whether or not the audience would expect such content A) at that time and B) from that station. The answer to both is categorically NO.
Breakfast time listing? I don’t think so. Watercooler moment? Yes – but for ALL the wrong reasons.
So, jack FM. I ask you, get your OWN house in order… try and regain some of that tiny, but original, audience…and leave the incest alone.
Admit you love me. Without this to write about, you would have had no reason to promote your blog.
It’s ok, you can admit you are grateful. Now come here, and let me give you a big kiss!
xx
Get off your high horse. It is a radio station that is daring to be different. They have every right to boast about their localness, flying eye and more besides. Its a radio station not government- maybe you should channel your energy elsewhere. Jack FM is not harming you merely trying to make a buck and at the same time serve its locality which is more than can be said of Heart- the once the great Fox FM which boasted about its localness and flying eye regularly. Fox was a truly great local station and people respected it for its drive and commitment to Oxfordshire- until sadly it became part of the groups -from that day onwards the Fox was hunted and eventually caught and killed. At least we have Jack which I know many people enjoy and respect for its music, localness and information.
Appreciate your thoughts Mark, although not as many people enjoy it as A)you may think and B)once did.
Answer me this, what’s local about 57 minutes of music? I think you’ll reach the same conclusion as most.
Neil: I didn’t realise it was you. Suddenly, your actions make MUCH more sense.
I don’t need to promote my blog, I write for money – this is just a passion. Mine is wholesome, yours? Eugh…
Jack is regularly local with around 4 minutes of News and Sport on top of the hour- often with a 50/50 mix of World/National to local content. Whats ons throughout the hour, trails for events, travel half hourly through the day, cause related marketing features & trails, local news updates off peak evenings and weekends. A single hour of Jack contains far more local content than Heart and many so called local stations. You don’t need a live presenter to be local. The Jack philosophy of having no presenters -is very much targetted at the people in the audience (primarily men) who are not as receptive to “local radio” jocks. Drive up and down the country and hear how many 19 year old Chris Moyles wannabees there are earning £20. a show and failing o understand their core 30 something listener!
Their audience figures I understand are in line with where they expected to be at this time considering they have launched against a heritage station in a market where Radio 2 is very strong indeed. I have been involved with numerous launches and believe me it takes time to build audience in markets with strong heritage stations. Jack are doing well (they don’t always get it right and there are improvements to be made) but I think they are having a damn good crack at it.
Good Luck Jack
We listen to Jack every day in our house and know many other listeners who are a very similar to us. In our 30′s, kids and still alive enough to have a sense of humour without it being totally puerile (a la Moyles). Radio 2 is just too staid for us and we hark back to the glory days of Steve Wright and Chris Evans. So Jack is a perfect fit and whilst I really enjoy the breakfast show, I like that I can listen to the music I like all day without wearing some knobbish white earbuds. Yes, sometimes it is a little near the knuckle but if it wasn’t it’d be boring as hell and just like every other local station. And as you brought up the issue of local, I’ll answer it. Fox FM was constantly advertising local companies, in between the songs which made me switch off. and now it’s Heart, it has no local ties whatsoever. Jack has a few ads which are mildly irritating but nowhere near as many, most are entertaining so I don’t actually mind hearing them. Jack also freely advertises local events which has meant me and my family enjoying a lot more things that we were previously unaware of. What difference does it make if this is all read out by an Aussie? Would you make the same comment if it was read out by an African or an Indian?? I think not! As long as the presenter has a keen interest in the local area, as Sue does, then surely that is the most important requirement.
Now on to the famed watercooler moment. I was mildly shocked when I first heard it but ultimately it was hilarious. Trevor and Sue were clearly too stunned to respond immediately which I’d imagine was the reaction of the listeners. Taken into context, no incest took place, it was an abortive snog in a case of mistaken identity. Yes, it has since been played up for it’s shock value and the full story wasn’t quite so well publicised at first but a Google search will lead you to the blog where all the details are. This is in no way comparable to the Brand/Ross debacle which I found to be in extremely bad taste but I know what to expect from that show and so wasn’t listening in the first place. I also wasn’t one of the many Daily Mail readers who protest at the opening of a carrier bag.
Jack is doing a fantastic job for local listeners, not an easy job in these climes and to suddenly jump on them and attempt to beat them into submission for a twenty second clip that hardly offended anyone is blowing it all out of proportion. Surely the only person with a right to be mildly miffed is Neal’s mum?
If you get your way then we’ll all end up listening to bloody Heart and frankly I’d switch off my radio altogether and buy an iPod.
Jack FM is based wholesale on an American format. If listeners REALLY want just music, they’d listen to an iPod/CD. Radio listening is at an all time high according to the last RAJAR survey, the same survey that saw Jack FM lose 8,000 listeners.
The What’s On guide’s ard a peacemeal nod towards the provision of local information and if they could get away with not doing it, it would.
If “Blondie” finds Moyles purile but not a presenter’s attention demanding admission of snogging his own mum, she’s a hypocrite at best.
As for the material itself, it’s pricked my ears up but not made me rage or laugh. Just seemed a bit silly and a pretty juvinile attempt at “edgy” radio.
Oh yeah, one more thing about the world-conquering Jack FM.
The format has failed in the US with most of those that flipped flipping back again! Sorry to introduce pin to bubble!
Just a note on moderated comments; if your message has not made it to the posted comments section, it’s because A) you’ve used expletives, B) you’ve not constructed your post to the standard expected of most adults or C) you’ve made a personal attack at me.
Posts are not moderated simply because I do not agree with the thoughts of the contributor. That’s fairly obvious from ‘Blondies’ post.
Thanks.
It’s ok. I won’t waste my breath.
Thanks anyway
Its worth noting Jack uk has been executed totally differently to the us versions. This is in response to the uk regulatory framework and flaws in the us model.
Look at other so called full service stations launched in recent years within existing heritage areas to see how difficult it is to attract listeners from heritage stations…Radio Norwich, Town Ipswich, Atlantic Cornwall- plus dozens of small scale stations. Jack is comparibly doing well…it takes time and i only hope they have the balls and finance in place to stick with it.