[BC] JACK: SURREALISM LIVES

[Scott Fybush]

>Jack promos itself as "as good as your IPod, and you don't have to load 
>all the CDs in it!"
>
>It was "hi-jacked" first from its originator in Toronto though, by the 
>owner of a small group of Denver and nearby mountain stations... nothing 
>new under our sun, eh?

The correct sequence goes like this: The very first "Jack" was the webcast 
at www.jack.fm, circa early 2002, created by a Long Island DJ named Bob 
Perry, aka "Cadillac Jack."  The first broadcast "Jack" was in Vancouver, 
where CKKS 96.9 became "Jack FM" on 12/30/02. (It's now CKLG, having taken 
the calls of the legendary top 40 station there that used to be 730.) 
Several other Canadian cities followed - Toronto on 6/5/03 (CISS, later 
CJAQ, 92.5) and Calgary (CKIS 96.9, on 4/7/03).

The first US "Jack" was KJAC Timnath/Fort Collins/Denver CO, on 4/14/04. 
The licensed "Jack" format is now on about 20 US stations.

"Bob," meanwhile started in Winnipeg at CFWM 99.9 on 3/4/02, and was rolled 
out by owner CHUM Group on a couple other Canadian FMs (Ottawa, London, 
Brockville) in 2003-04. That format was also licensed for use in the US, 
though it's not on as many stations as Jack.

And of course, radio being radio, there have been all sorts of copycats all 
over the country, from "Ed" in Albuquerque to "Mike" in Boston to "Charlie" 
in Madison to "Fickle" here in Rochester.

s