Classic hits KDHT 107.1 FM "Jack FM" Flips To KXDE "Denver's Rock Alternative, 107X"

[Colorado Media Newsroom]

Effective at 3pm, Variety Hits KDHT 107.1 FM has dropped the "Jack FM" format in favor of an Alternative music format. The station has rebilled itself, "107X" Denver's Rock Alternative and is playing 5,000 songs in a row without commercials or jocks. Their new website is at http://www.project107x.com (http://www.project107x.com/).

390

[radiodude]

Well it looks like Jeff NORMAN, killed JACK! Why? Who knows, I sure hope there is a good reason why Jeff did this and changed the format once again to
ROCK. damn him

[Colorado Media Newsroom]

From All Access:

MAX BROADCAST GROUP Adult Hits KDHT (107.1FM)/DENVER has flipped to "107X - DENVER's Rock Alternative," this afternoon (MONDAY, 3/24). They are running 5,000 songs in a row commercial-free.
Check out their new website at www.project107x.com (http://www.project107x.com)

more (http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/128097/kdht-flips-to-denver-s-rock-alternative?ref=rss)

[Rob]

Well it looks like Jeff NORMAN, killed JACK! Why? Who knows, I sure hope there is a good reason why Jeff did this and changed the format once again to
ROCK. damn him


Look at the ratings.... the last 4 books, 12+ : 0.2, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4. Terrible!

That's why Jack is gone. The "Jack FM" format hasn't done well for many years now here in Denver. Not on 107.1 FM or on 105.5 FM during the last few years. It's done. Damn him??? Sheesh. I'm really surprised he kept it so long. I had said in November when the ratings came out that they would most likely change KDHT's format because of the lack of ratings. I'm sure the Jack format was losing them A LOT of cash.

I pointed out a few days ago (http://www.coloradomedia.net/forums/showthread.php?33427-KCKK-1510-AM-93-7-FM-quot-The-Rock-quot-New-Format-Is&p=33816#post33816) that there's a great opening for another Alternative music station here in Denver. If they do it right, they could pull a bunch of listeners from KBCO, KTCL, KALC and KBPI.

Uncle Nasty (Greg Stone) is still with the station, but will not be heard again on air until April 7th after their 5,000 songs in a row. Maybe they will get Whip (aka Whipping Boy) to be involved since he was running the last Alternative station Max Media had here in town, Indie 101.5. Indie did great and I think got some of the highest ratings 101.5 FM had before this last book. Look for them to change the calls to KXDE - For "X" and DE for Denver.

It sounds like 107X is playing mostly 90s Alternative... with an occasional 80s classic and newer song thrown in.

[Colorado Media Newsroom]

From Westword:

107.1 FM reinvents itself as 107X, promises listener-based format


392
From the Beastie Boys "Sabotage" music video.


Let's call this a best-case scenario.
Looks like the pop radio hits of yesteryear just aren't cutting it anymore for the folks at 107.1 FM, known until very recently as Jack FM. The station launched a complete overhaul of its format and its content yesterday, unveiling a new brand name, a new musical niche and a fresh emphasis on alt-rock from the 1990s and 2000s. The newly minted 107X touts itself as Denver's "rock alternative" and is already encouraging listeners to offer their two cents...sort of.
"Jack FM just wasn't doing it for us. We did a little market research and the programming people who work here in the building decided to form a station that plays classic alternative," says Brian DeGrasse, the station's director of programming, adding that the core of the new programming will be rock and alternative from the '90s and 2000s. "It's a wedge directly between KTCL and KBPI."

The station has yet to reveal a formal line-up of DJs and programming. In the meantime, they're playing 5,000 songs in a row and pointing to a format that takes many cues from listeners. According to the release announcing the kick-off, the new station will be "completely listener-driven."

DeGrasse backed up that claim, insisting that the audience will largely steer the content of the new station.

"Listeners who want to submit song requests of titles they haven't heard in a while -- if they fit the programming, we will put them on the air and we email them or text them," he notes.

That means that a listener jonesing to hear Dolly Parton's "Jolene" may be out of luck, but a Primus fan looking for a deep cut from Pork Soda may find a welcome haven. The station, owned by Virginia-based conglomerate Max Media, will make requests a priority, DeGrasse says.

The labels alternative and rock cover a wide span, as do the two decades between 1990 and 2010. We asked DeGrasse to sum up the approach of the new station via five song titles by five different artists, and the results give a portrait of what you can expect. They were:

"311, 'Come Original'; Beck, 'Loser'; Bush, 'Chemicals'; Beastie Boys, 'Shake Your Rump'; and System of a Down, 'Chop Suey,'" DeGrasse says. "Is that five?"

It is indeed, and it's a good indication of what we can expect from the new station. Tune in now for the song marathon and stay tuned for a more detailed schedule of shows and DJs.

more (http://blogs.westword.com/backbeat/2014/03/1071_denver_radio_station.php)

[Colorado Media Newsroom]

From Radio Insight:

391

For the second time the Jack-FM brand has exited Denver as Max Media flips 107.1 KDHT Bennett, CO to Classic Alternative “107X“.

Telling Westword that the station is “a wedge directly between KTCL and KBPI,” Program Director Brian DeGrasse states, “Jack FM just wasn’t doing it for us. We did a little market research and the programming people who work here in the building decided to form a station that plays classic alternative.” The station is focusing its playlist on songs from 1990 through 2010.

Launching jockless with 5000 songs commercial-free through April 7, KDHT intends to utilize a service to allow all of the music to be selected by the listener. Former 106.7 KBPI afternoon host Greg ‘Uncle Nasty’ Stone, who joined Jack-FM last April will remain in that timeslot with the new format.

KDHT had become the second station in Denver to utilize the Jack-FM format and branding in December 2012 following an earlier flip at 105.5 KJAC.

more (http://radioinsight.com/blog/headlines/88136/jack-fm-denver-is-xd-out/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=jack-fm-denver-is-xd-out)

[spikey]

Renaming the thread: "It's been 12 months, time to spin the wheel of formats!"
Because, well, yeah.

[Dr Jam]

I think the problem is the strength of their signal. I live on the South end of the metro area and never seem to get a decent signal on 107.1. I liked the Jack format but could never listen to it due to the poor reception.

[radiodude]

I think the problem is the strength of their signal. I live on the South end of the metro area and never seem to get a decent signal on 107.1. I liked the Jack format but could never listen to it due to the poor reception.

Your 100% right, it is. And the Jeff the DM knows that and is quite aware of the expensive problem on fixing it. But they are in the process of fixing the problem. So hopefully soon they well have both 101.5 and 107.1 problem fixed. Jeff is also sick and tired of 107.1 being in the Zero rang in the ratings. I sure do wish them all the best in luck on this new format (again).
They are right, Jack wasn't playing much localized commericals.

[spikey]

oh, certainly the signal is crap, and if you look at the fcc filings, they've done some incredibly stupid things in order to make it worse.

1071 had nearly a 3 share during it's hot ac phase. 101.5 is.. crappy, but appropiate to it's service area, so it's doing ok.
so, even with the crap signal, it should be nicely profitable were it managed in some sort of manner other than "throw a dart at the wall and see if it sticks"

instead, chronologicaly ordered:

classic rock
70's gold.
nostalgia /ac mix
alternative
conservative weed talk
hot ac
techno
jack/variety.
rythmic rb.

am i forgetting any?
a cheaply run operation will always sound like a cheaply run operation, and kids and stoners do not a "programming people who work here in the building" make.

[DavieGravy]

Is the 107x alternative format here to stay or is it an interim stunt? Either way, I hope the new format doesn't incorporate too many voice overs and I hope they don't bring in DJs. Denver needs a solid music station without a bunch of talk and gimmicks.

[radiodude]

Is the 107x alternative format here to stay or is it an interim stunt? Either way, I hope the new format doesn't incorporate too many voice overs and I hope they don't bring in DJs. Denver needs a solid music station without a bunch of talk and gimmicks.

It's no stunt. It's the real deal here, it's their new format for ever long that works out for them.

[Rob]

As for their sound quality, they need to tweak their Optimod or whatever they are using as an audio processor... too much overdrive in one of the stages and mid range, and not enough lows and highs. It sounds like a mess. Do that first and make the station sound good and then address any transmitter issues. Their signal has been about the same here for the last couple of years, so I'm not sure what they have been trying to do to make it better. Sound quality should be a big priority with a music format.

As for the music format, and from someone who has done alternative music formats since the mid-80s, they are playing too much "grunge". That stuff was really burned out in Denver on KBPI over the last 20 years.

They should bring in some other alternative stuff that fits the "alternative rock" format... even going back to the 80s with Nine Inch Nails, KMFDM, Sonic Youth, Pixies and other bands like that. And also bring in a few more tunes from the last 5-10 years. I would love to help with that if they are interested. I own pretty much every release worth playing in the alternative genre and use a lot of it on my station, Sanctuary Radio. But my station has over 6,000 songs in rotation... that's 6-10 times more than most stations. And I've gone more Industrial/Goth leaning.

It seems when I have tuned in to 107X, I'm just listening to KBPI from 1997.

Hopefully they will bring in some good jocks that know the music and the audience. There's a few jocks that have worked at 'TCL, 'BPI and a few others that are known and still around Denver that would be a good fit into that format.

[radiodude]

Along with the change of the format..
the caller letters KDHT is no longer, it is now known as KXDE. Makes sense really, glad to see Jeff was able to change the caller letters.

[DavieGravy]

I'm not liking their playlist. They play too many tired songs that have been burned through by the "KBPI / KTCL-type" stations that pollute the airwaves. There's plenty of good "grunge" and other alternative songs they could play that would make this station more successful; but I know they won't. This format will have the same fate as hot 1071 and jack fm.

[Colorado Media Newsroom]

From All Access:


402


Following 5,000 songs in a row, MAX MEDIA Alternative KDHT (107X)/DENVER introduced the new 107X on-air lineup:

Mornings - NASTY (previously was afternoon drive at cross-town CCM+E Active Rocker KBPI for 15 years)
Middays - WINGNUT (current Brand Manager at MAX MEDIA for past four years)
Afternoons - GERONIMO (PD of sister Rhythmic AC KJHM)

107X PD BRIAN DEGRASSE told ALL ACCESS, "Initial feedback from the street has been great, this was 'the hole' in the market and were happy to fill the gap! With a combined 50 years of DENVER radio experience between all of the jocks, we can really hang our hats on being local and COLORADO proud."

KDHT has also offically switched call letters to KXDE.


more (http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/128754/the-new-107x-in-denver-unveils-on-air-lineup-and-s?ref=rss)http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/allaccess/radio-news/~4/KqzJ6NQYr00

[radiodude]

I already announced it became KXDE already! I hope their afternoons doesn't take a nose dive since Nasty isn't doing that shift anymore. He was fun and entertaining to listen to when it was jack.
So far for Nasty in the morning, it's not the same, more music, and you know? I noticed some thing else?
They are following the same exact format as Jack did! It's almost identical in every way, with how they do the Station Id, to when they take a comemrical break. It made why wonder why they chose to do it that
way?
His show has taken a hit in the morning, it's not fun to listen to at all, its mostly music and music, it's not like what he had in the afternoon's at all!
SO I hope this format works for them.

[Rob]

I already announced it became KXDE already!

And so did I back on the 24th. LOL
It actually was officially changed on the 27th and I had updated the radio listings then.


I hope their afternoons doesn't take a nose dive since Nasty isn't doing that shift anymore.

Ratings and being able to sell the station to advertisers is what really matters to them.
Mornings are very important to your core ratings since more people are usually listening then, than any other time. So they want their heavy-hitter there.


I'm not liking their playlist. They play too many tired songs that have been burned through by the "KBPI / KTCL-type" stations that pollute the airwaves. There's plenty of good "grunge" and other alternative songs they could play that would make this station more successful; but I know they won't. This format will have the same fate as hot 1071 and jack fm.

I totally agree but I haven't been able to listen much in the last few days to see if they are working on broadening it out. Hopefully they will. They really need to stay away from the stuff KBPI has run into the ground.

[Rob]

Been listening to them a little more lately and think they are doing well tweaking the music better for this format.