At the R&R Convention in June, there was a great panel all about Jack, hosted by Saga's Steve Goldstein.  Recovering from the Jacobs Media Summit, I enjoyed my role as a quiet member of the audience, but after thinking about this panel, I devoted four blog entries to discussing and addressing some of the points that were made. This advisory summarizes those blogs, and hopefully, continues to dialogue about how this "variety" format will impact radio over time.

During the session, panelists talked about one of the key benefits of these formats (financially as well asin the ratings) - being able to go jockless for an undetermined amount of time. This "no DJs" policy is interesting...and probably shortsighted.  While there's no question that creative liner-writing is important, there's going to be a point reached where the lack of a morning magnet, as well as personalities throughout the day, is going to take its toll. 

Otherwise, I can dump 1,000 songs into my iPod, set it to "shuffle," and make something just like Jack.  And it'll be commercial-free.  Note that AOL Radio is starting its "Shuffle" format. 

If Jack doesn't develop interesting, connected personalities, it will go the way of Arrow - another format that focused on variety/hits.  If the "innovation" behind Jack is simply another code word for satisfying ownerships' proclivity to default to cheap, quick ratings hits with low overheads, this craze will become just that.

It was great to hear from Bob Sinclair who has launched successful "Bob" stations in both Norfolk and Austin with the programming help of Joel Folger.  Bob was self-effacing, honest, and very compelling in his assessment of what's working and what isn't.

But one of his comments took me back to the Little Steven session we presented the day before at Summit X.  Bob noted that the DJs on his stations talk just twice an hour, and their main function is to be brief and fulfill sales commitments and promotions.  Fortunately, Little Steven was back on the set of "The Sopranos" during this panel, because he would have gone ballistic had he been there.

Radio has dumbed down DJs to this type of role at many stations, but imagine how much more fun and compelling Jack stations could be with jocks who are engaged, enthusiastic, and local.  While Jack is truly a phenomenon, is an automated, virtually jock-less presentation the "secret sauce" that will jumpstart radio?  Given all that new competition - from iPods to satellite to Internet - isn't a great music station hosted by fun, hometown, and entertaining DJs part of what's missing?

One of the ongoing themes from the Summit was a consistent cry that we not put so much weight on numbers and surveys.  I own a part of that, as a guy who enjoys and conducts research.  But there's no question that science has greatly overtaken art (or "gut").  And waiting for listeners to tell you they want DJs is like waiting for Americans to ask for higher taxes.  Sometimes you have to trust your gut and make it happen.