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CBS Radio's KTWV(the Wave)/Los Angeles PD Paul Goldstein exited his second tour of duty at the venerable format flagship on January 11. His responsibilities were added to those of oldies sister KRTH PD Jhani Kaye. Though the radio station has dropped "smooth jazz" from all on-air positioning statements – now "ninety-four-seven, The Wave, the smoothest place on radio" -- no format change is anticipated, at least in the near future. Smart money on the Wave's evolution is that it will sound increasingly tight, bright and white, an approach apparently deemed 24-carat under PPM.
Goldstein was among the Wave's founding team that included Frank Cody and Chris Brodie, among others, where Smooth Jazz first launched as a fulltime format on February 14, 1987. A format leader since then, he went on to a series of stunning successes programming former Smooth Jazz titans KOAI(the Oasis)/Dallas, WNUA/Chicago – both to staggering ratings' breakthroughs, the latter when he innovated trip-a-day, the biggest and most enduring radio promotion; and identified, then incorporated, what proved format-compatible crossover vocals, both of which were game-changers that propelled Smooth Jazz nationally to hitherto unprecedented top five or higher competitive mainstream ratings for the former "boutique" format. He also served as PD for KKSF/San Francisco and did a stint as programming honcho for Sony's SW Networks, with oversight that included the Smooth FM format.
Multitudes within (and outside) the SJ community have reached out to me concerning Goldstein's well-being in light of Wave/KRTH GM Ed Krampf's tactless and disrespectful comments regarding Goldstein's sudden departure, and solicited prognostications about the near-future of The Wave. Paul is very well, indeed, and I will share the latter here just as soon as I've had sufficient time to assess The Wave's on-air evolution and peer into my crystal ball.
Goldstein comments: "As a co-founder of The Wave, looking back over the past almost-23 years it’s so gratifying to see that we built one of the most iconic brands in Southern California [editor's note: or anywhere, ever], with a lifespan longer than its predecessor, rock KMET. The station is in great hands with Jhani Kaye, a friend and remarkable programmer. I’ll miss many of the wonderful and talented people at The Wave with whom I’ve built friendships over the years. Looking forward, this is such an exciting time to be in media. Now I’ll be able to focus all of my time on some exceptional opportunities." |
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The Straight Skinny
The Single Most Important Thing
By Carol Archer |