NEWS: JAZZ RADIO LISTINGS: OCTOBER 1992

by GRANT GODDARD

www.grantgoddard.co.uk October 1992

JAZZ FM [London: 102.2 FM] insists it is now trading profitably and plans to launch a 0.5m TV advertising campaign in January, with a further 0.5m spent during the rest of the year. Head of Sales Katy Turner says "Jazz FM is the best kept secret in London", a fact confirmed by new audience figures that give it a tiny 1.3% share of listening during 1992's second quarter. The new campaign is intended to raise the weekly audience from 597,000 to one million. The station confirms that further programme changes are to be made in October, but refuses to reveal any details. Its licence is re-advertised next March and tough competition is expected from other groups who argue that larger audiences could be attracted with a different music format. RADIO 2 [88-91 FM] has IN CONCERT recordings of Nancy Wilson & The Count Basie Orchestra (Sat 3rd 6-7pm) at Manchester's Free Trade Hall; and Dudley Moore with the BBC Concert Orchestra (Sat 3rd 7.30-9.30pm) at the Royal Albert Hall. There' s a star-studded TRIBUTE TO SAMMY DAVIS JNR. (Sat 17th 7.309.30pm) recorded in June at London's Theatre Royal in aid of cancer research. JAZZ SCORE (Mon 10-10.30pm, from 19th Oct) returns for an eight-week run with quiz master Benny Green. This month's editions were recorded at the Blackheath Concert Hall with panellists Acker Bilk, Campbell Burnap, Alan Elsdon and Eddie Harvey. ECHOES OF THE DUKE (Sat 24th 8.30-9.30pm) is a selection of songs associated with Duke Ellington, performed by Helen Shapiro and Humphrey Lyttleton's Band at Chichester's Festival Theatre. JAZZ PARADE (Mon-Fri 12.05-12.35am) includes sessions by the Stan Greig Boogie Band (5th Oct) and Claire Martin (7th), as well as interviews with Joey Calderazzo (6th) and Guy Barker (27th). RADIO 3 [90-93 FM] has increased its jazz coverage with a new fortnightly record-based programme IMPRESSIONS (Sat 11.30pm-12.30 approx.) presented by Brian Morton. In-between weeks comprise JAZZ CONCERTS by the Bheki Mseleku Quintet at the South Bank (Sat 10th 10.50pm-12.30) and the Sylvan Richardson Quintet and Emjiem at the Camden Jazz Festival (Sat 24th 10.35pm-12.30). The newly timed jazz/blues documentary slot in October heralds the four-part POP GOES THE JAZZ STAR (Tue 4.30-5pm, Thu 11-11.30pm), examining the careers of Louis Armstrong, Louis Jordan, Nat King Cole and Ray Charles. Mel Hill asks whether these artists' forays into pop music meant they lost their jazz integrity.

News: Jazz Radio Listings: October 1992 1992 Grant Goddard

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MIXING IT (Mon 10.45-11.30pm), Robert Sandall and Mark Russell's contemporary music programme, now goes weekly and continuers to include occasional jazz-ish artists. Geoffrey Smith's JAZZ RECORD REQUESTS (Sat 5-5.45pm) remains unaffected by these changes. BBC WORLD SERVICE [648 AM & short wave] can now be heard overnight in high quality FM on GLR [London: 94.9 FM], Radio Scotland [Scotland: 92-95 FM] and BBC local radio in the Midlands [Leicester, Nottingham, Stoke, Lincolnshire, Shropshire, WM, Hereford & Worcester: various frequencies]. Long-running jazz shows are Malcolm Laycock's JAZZ FOR THE ASKING (Sat 11.15-11.45pm, Sun 7.30-8am, Wed 11.30-12noon) and George Reid's JAZZ NOW AND THEN (Sat morning 2.45-3am, 5.30-5.45am, 11-11.15am). A new six-part series HALF THE SKY (Sun 5.15-5.30am, Mon 8.30-8.45pm, Tue 10.15-10.30am, from 4th Oct) presented by Akwe Amusu looks at the success of female singers from the African continent, including Miriam Makeba, Aster Aweke, Oumou Sangare and Angelique Kidjo. The final part of Lucy Duran's LATIN ROOTS (Mon 11.15-11.45pm, Tue 7.308am, Wed 5.15-5.45pm, Fri 11.30-12noon, ends 9th Oct) investigates the connections between music from Zaire, Haiti and the Ivory Coast. A new monthly magazine BBC WORLDWIDE gives full details of all BBC World Service programmes from 1st November, and an introductory subscription costs 18/year. Info: 071-257-2211. RADIO HARMONY [Coventry: 102.6 FM] DJ Jon Johnson includes recently recorded interviews in October's CLOSE ENOUGH FOR JAZZ (Fri 11pm-12) with Jack de Jonette, Mike Stern and Steve Gadd.

[Submitted to 'Jazz Express' magazine, unpublished]

Grant Goddard is a media analyst / radio specialist / radio consultant with thirty years of experience in the broadcasting industry, having held senior management and consultancy roles within the commercial media sector in the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. Details at http://www.grantgoddard.co.uk

News: Jazz Radio Listings: October 1992 1992 Grant Goddard

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