As I wrote on this blog on September 1, 2004:
“Because JACK is really a mindset, there’s nothing to stop us from applying that new mindset to other formats and inventing new combinations on old format themes. Where, for example, is the Urban version of JACK? The Rock version?”
Here’s the Alternative version.
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Late update: Maybe this ISN’T the Alternative version. Here’s the comment I got from Pollack’s Jim Kerr after a lengthy listen:
1) The station takes itself very seriously. That “attitude,” if you will, isn’t irreverent but rather more along the “we are here to serve you” lines. 2) There are sweepers where they define themselves by what they don’t play or don’t do. This is antithetical to the “we play anything” of Bob or the “We play what we want” of Jack. 3) Similar to No. 2, they ran a sweeper where they made fun of Good Charlotte not being a “real” punk band. Again, this type of “we’re cooler than the Good Charlotte fans” type of attitude doesn’t dovetail with the party type of “we’re all in it for a good time” attitude you hear on Jack.
In their zeal to be remind listeners “it’s about the music” it’s also possible that these over-reverent Alternative music machines forget that it’s also about being compelling and entertaining, not bland and one-dimensional. Certainly doesn’t sound like “JACK” to me. Thanks for the comment, Jim!