102.2 Jazz FM

This article is about the defunct London jazz radio station. For the current UK DAB+ and DAB jazz station, see Jazz FM (UK).

102.2 Jazz FM (defunct)
Broadcast areaGreater London (FM),
Nationwide (Freeview)
Nationwide (Sky Digital)
Greater London, Yorkshire, South Wales and the Severn Estuary, West Midlands, North East England, Central Scotland (DAB)
Frequency102.2 MHz
Programming
FormatJazz
Ownership
OwnerGMG Radio
History
First air date
4 March 1990
Last air date
23 March 2005
Links
WebcastListen Live
Websitejazzfm.com

102.2 Jazz FM (also known as London Jazz Radio and JFM) was an Independent Local Radio for London run by GMG Radio. The station was based in and broadcast from Castlereagh Street[1] in London. The station experimented with its core playlist over its fifteen-year history, incorporating smooth jazz, mainstream jazz, soul, jazz fusion, acid jazz, blues and rhythm and blues. In 1994, the station changed its name to JFM to encourage more listeners who were put off by the 'Jazz' in the station's name. Richard Wheatly was appointed in 1995 to turn the station around when there was only three months' money left to run the station.[2] He made a number of sweeping changes to the playlist, selling a sister station and changing the name back to Jazz FM,[3] as well as starting up a record label and spin-off business deals and opportunities which helped Jazz FM swing into the black and make a profit in 2001.[4]

In July 2002, after a relaxation in ownership rules from the publication of the Communications Bill, the Guardian Media Group's (GMG) radio division was able to purchase the station for £44.5 million. GMG made more changes to the playlist, shifting to more R&B, soul, easy listening and adult contemporary music during the daytime. In 2004 with the agreement of Ofcom, jazz was dropped from the daytime schedules, but a requirement of 45 hours per week of jazz was retained, this to be played during the night.

In June 2005, GMG Radio replaced the station with adult contemporary station 102.2 Smooth FM. GMG cited a number of reasons for replacing Jazz FM, including poor listening figures, not making money, the 'Jazz' name putting off potential listeners as well as not enough jazz for jazz purists. The Jazz FM name was retained by GMG for the relaunched ejazz.fm website service which was renamed jazzfm.com on the same day as the launch of Smooth FM. The station broadcast on digital satellite, online and on spare DAB capacity in Yorkshire, South Wales and the Severn Estuary where 102.2 Smooth FM and the defunct Smooth Digital service would have been duplicated.

On 28 February 2008, GMG Radio announced the potential return of Jazz FM in London on DAB radio, digital satellite and the Internet as a relaunch of the current jazzfm.com service.[5][6] The station relaunched on 6 October 2008.[7]

  1. ^ "26–27 Castlereagh Street, London, W1" (PDF). Colliders Godfrey Vaughan. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2008. Retrieved 22 February 2009.
  2. ^ Garrett, Alexander (1 January 2001). "Money, Meetings and All That Jazz". Management Today. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  3. ^ "JFM switches back to Jazz FM - Marketing Week". www.marketingweek.com. 4 August 1995. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  4. ^ "Jazz FM swings into the black". The Telegraph. 13 April 2001. Archived from the original on 19 December 2007. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
  5. ^ Plunkett, John (23 April 2008). "Ofcom tells Smooth Radio to keep jazz output". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  6. ^ West, Dave (23 April 2008). "GMG to press ahead with Jazz FM on DAB". Digital Spy. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  7. ^ "Jazz FM relaunches 6 October". Radio Today. 13 August 2008. Archived from the original on 13 February 2012. Retrieved 13 August 2008.