There’s a new guy in town, and his name is Jack.
Truth is, he’s been around the block a few times. In other words, “This ain’t his first rodeo…”
I’m talking about the new radio station, 96.3 JACK-FM, here in Nashville.
That, in and of itself, isn’t news — to me.
What IS news to me, is the fact that their format is rather unique…
It seems that the whole “Jack” marketing concept and unique radio format has been tested in a number of different markets before it eventually landed here in Nashville a couple of weeks ago:
WMAK-FM replaced its oldies station with a new classic hits format and called it “96.3 JACK-FM”
JACK is a classic hits format aimed at younger listeners.
Get this: the music is “70’s, 80’s and 90’s classic hits”. What?! Isn’t it interesting what is considered “Classic” these days?…
Still even more interesting to me is the fact that there are no disc jockeys!
So, is this a radio station… or a playlist?
“If you don’t know Nashville’s got a new radio station, then you don’t know Jack …96.3 …Playing what we want.”
Why Do People Listen To The Radio?
I know there isn’t one radio station for all people — which is why all these different radio formats are great.
But I think I’m definitely in the minority, because I tune into the radio purely for the combination of music AND talk.
I tend to have a short attention span, so any repetition of music (no matter HOW much I like it) gets boring to me. I need change, diversity, tidbits, random stuff — to keep my attention.
Such is why, among my many oddities, is the fact that my favorite radio station is: SCAN.
Personally, I like hearing from someone on the other end of the radio on occasion. If nothing else, than to make me feel like I’m tuned INTO something that matters. That, and the fact that I might happen to “learn” something from pieces of information shared by the show hosts or disc jockeys.
I also tend to get a significant amount of my local and national news from the radio — especially since I don’t sit around watching TV these days. However, I AM at my computer and in my car a lot — where I like to tune in to a variety of different radio stations. That’s the key for me: Variety.
The radio stations I tune into most include some “talk radio”, some disc jockeys spinning favorites, some show hosts interviewing singers & songwriters, some local news, some national news, some traffic, and some weather.
What I Learned Today…
I must be “old”.
UPDATE 8/26/05: Here it is 3 months later, and I actually find myself listening to Jack Radio (96.3 FM) more than I thought I would — usually during my lunch break when I’m driving to wherever I’m driving to.
I mean, where else are you gonna hear that song “I Don’t Wanna Work… I Just Wanna Bang On My Drum All Day”?!
OR… “Pop Muzik”. And, a good WHAM song now & then is good for EVERYONE’s soul, right?
JACK plays a variety of the most “catchy” tunes you’ve ever heard. Chances are, you’ll recognize 95% of the songs after hearing just the first few notes alone — they’re THAT nostalgic.
From what I can tell, it’s a lot of obscure #1 hits (or maybe Top 10). It’s more than just one-hit-wonders though. Almost always, it’s a song that “takes you back”.
As they say… they’re “playing what we want”. One thing’s for sure, you won’t hear a lick of Country!
It’s definitely tons of fun to go back and reminisce with each new (old) song comes on the JACK radio station!
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We moved from Florida to Tennessee in 2001. All signs point to the fact that we will probably retire here — by choice. We L O V E Nashville! Our favorite places to live are just south of the City — we’ve had houses in Brentwood, Franklin, and Spring Hill. And we have properties in Leipers Fork, Cookeville, and Lewisburg. This site is where I share my best tips for moving your family to Nashville and/or visiting Nashville for the first time — with the ultimate goal of helping you find fun things to do in Williamson County and Davidson County. When I’m not out & about enjoying the Nashville area, you’ll find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites). To date, I’ve written over 500 articles on this site! Many of them have upwards of 100K shares.
