Revival of the Beautiful Music Radio Format by Rodney Allen Rippy

In an interesting turn of events, the "Beautiful Music" radio format has made a return, though not on traditional local radio stations. Instead, it has found a home online with the launch of KJBM, which stands for Just Beautiful Music. You can tune in at kjbmradio.com.

You might be asking, "What is Beautiful Music, and is it relevant today?" Yes, this format has been largely absent since the 1970s, which is exactly why the creators chose to bring it back online. Rodney Allen Rippy and his partner Dan Pettegrew aimed to fill a gap in the radio market with this nostalgic sound.

Rodney Allen Rippy is a familiar face from the Jack in the Box commercials of the 1970s, known for the catchy tagline, "Take Life a Little Easier." After his stint in advertising, Rippy ventured into acting, marketing, and various roles in broadcasting, working with organizations like Westwood One Radio Networks and KFWB (980 AM).

While Rippy is busy promoting his upcoming Rippy Foundation to support at-risk youth, senior citizens, and veterans, his partner Dan Pettegrew has a rich background as a former executive at Clear Channel (now iHeart Media). Pettegrew managed various tasks, including ensuring that commercials aired at the right times across the stations he managed.

Joining them in their endeavor is James Simon, another broadcasting veteran responsible for creating the extensive music library for KJBM. The station boasts a selection of over 3,400 titles, featuring string versions of popular songs such as "It Had to Be You," "Stardust," and "Over the Rainbow," showcasing the best of three decades of pop standards.

Rippy explained that while there are stations like KUSC (91.5 FM) in Los Angeles that focus on classical music, there is a niche for listeners who enjoy instrumental music but do not necessarily prefer classical. KJBM serves this audience by programming pop music performed by orchestras.

If you were around during the heyday of Beautiful Music, you might remember KPOL, one of the leading stations of that genre. It enjoyed great popularity on both AM and FM before disappearing from the airwaves. Rippy expressed that there is a substantial market for this music, saying, "Absolutely! I enjoy it myself... and it helps listeners to take life easier!" The relaxing strings can be a delightful experience.

Interestingly, Rippy himself voices the commercials on the station, adding a personal touch. Pettegrew mentioned that they are attracting listeners from around the globe, and their ultimate goal is to have KJBM broadcast on radio stations like KPOL did in LA.

"KJBM should sound like KPOL," he noted, emphasizing that their music library draws from traditional Beautiful Music, primarily using LPs that were popular back in the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. Anyone who has fond memories of KPOL is likely to appreciate the offerings of KJBM.

Nielsen Ratings Changes

In related news, Nielsen Ratings has announced changes to how it measures radio listenership in markets using the Portable People Meter (PPM). This system detects an audio signal to track listening habits, but there have been criticisms about its effectiveness.

As of January 1, the time required for listenership credit has been reduced from five minutes to just three minutes. While this seems minimal, the PPM has its limitations; it often fails to register listening through headphones or in noisy environments. This change may help address some of those issues.

It will be interesting to observe how these adjustments influence radio ratings in upcoming reports.

Richard Wagoner is a freelance columnist covering radio in Southern California.

music, radio, nostalgia