Greater Media's move to flip the format of WSJZ makes no financial sense. Talk radio ratings have, on the average, been declining nationwide. Locally WRKO and WEEI have had substantial drops in their market share over the past several years. Adding another talk outlet will only reshuffle the existing talk audience and cause all of the station's numbers to drop. The Smooth Jazz format has been popular for the past several years.
Stations exists in all major and most secondary markets and generally do well.
In markets where the ownership has aggressively promoted the station, they have rated in the top 5. As an illustration, WNUA-FM in Chicago is 5th in the country's 3rd largest market and WJJZ in Philadelphia is currently 3rd in the country's 5th largest radio market. Boston will be the only major market station without a Smooth Jazz outlet. It has become apparent that Greater Boston Radio Group's management is intent on making this format change regardless of public outcry or financial peril. The only hope for a change of position on this is to appeal to the parent corporation, Greater Media and also to the station's advertisers, many of whom also advertise on other Greater Boston properties.