"Jacking Up" Hot AC

The arrival of Gen Jones and Gen X-driven anti-hype formats like "Jack FM" and "his" many cousins has the rest of us scrambling not to seem out-dated and over-hype/bogus in our stationality.

PD Barb Richards at WAJI, Ft. Wayne has just renamed their workday kickoff all music hour with something with more attitude: The New 95.1 WAJI now starts the workday at 8 am and ends it at 5 pm with two "shut up and play the music" hours.

How do your images, positioning, benchmarks and stationality stack up? Authentic is 'in.' Simpson's and 70's TV show drops don't send the same message they did a decade ago, unless your target is now ten years older than it was then.

In the country format, you don't want to be so weird in chasing younger fashions that 45-54's scratch their heads in wonder, but it's also important to remember their 'attitude age' isn't at all like your parents were at the same age. When in doubt, let real listeners speak for you in their own words.