As I’ve blogged before, the smooth jazz stations WNUA-Chicago and KKSF-SF were blocking non-US IP addresses. I’ve gotten around that by using a VPN, Reliablehosting/Strong VPN, whose IP address is in the USA. This fooled the stations into thinking I was in the US. Thus I enjoyed listening to these two stations. However, I hadn’t, for one reason or another, been listening to them for a few months.
A couple of days ago I tried to tune in WNUA and found, to my horror, that it had changed to a Spanish-language station. I tried KKSF, and it too had dropped Smooth Jazz to go to something else (can’t remember what). Oh jeez, what to do?
Well, I discovered that the format has gone to the Internet. It’s still US-only, but I still have my VPN.
What I am wondering is, first, how are they making money off this? There aren’t any commercials, just clearly-pre-recorded promos from the various personalities who used to inhabit the two stations. Second, how long will this last?
This reminds me of the change of format suffered by WNCN-FM in New York City back in the 1970’s. They briefly became WQIV (broadcasting in Quadraphonic—remember that?) and played “Roll Over, Beethoven” as their first selection. Listener outrage forced Starr Communications (owned by William Buckley—yes, THAT William Buckley) to sell to GAF, which ran it until the early 1990’s then pulled the switch and sent it to the classical-radio graveyard. I wonder if there is any appetite in Chicago or San Francisco for agitating for a return to Smooth Jazz over the air. Probably not, as everyone can get it over the internet (at least, if you have a US IP address…)
I’m friends-locking this in case someone from the station is surfing and idly types something in that would bring them to this site. I don’t want them to know that I’m listening to them here in London.
I am listening now…shall see whether it fits the bill. I’m a VIP member of live365. Thanks for the steer.