I already loved KMJQ (Majic 102.1) Houston.
I listened yesterday afternoon, for the first time in a while, and I heard gold that isn’t on every major Adult R&B station—Dazz Band, “Joystick”; P. Diddy, “I Need A Girl (Pt. 2)”; Jade, “I Wanna Love You”; Johnny Gill, “Wrap My Body Tight.”
I heard new Adult R&B, at a time when other stations in the format have cut currents back to almost nothing. And I heard music enterprise—like the Blues/Southern R&B title “Messed Up” by Melvia “Chick” Rogers that no other reporting station is playing in significant rotation.
I heard Houston’s longtime tradition of songs crossing traditional format lines. For the last two years, one of KMJQ’s biggest records has been Chris Stapleton’s “Tennessee Whiskey,” because of its strength in the blues clubs. Yesterday, it was “The Git Up.”
I heard a steady stream of promotional activity, particularly concerts. There was a promo for an upcoming funk package—Morris Day & the Time, Cameo, Zapp, and many more—going into the stopset. There was a promo for a Frankie Beverly & Maze show coming out.
I heard night jock Sky Houston, filling in for middayer Kandie Eastman (no small task) and being equally personable.
I heard the full spectrum of the audience reflected. Houston was teasing the upcoming daily job listings. But when the studio sponsorship came around at :00, it was for Houston BMW Dealers.
And then I heard Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, on the phone with Houston to encourage listeners to join her at a gun violence prevention summit. “The best thing we do is bring you community information,” said Houston.
Majic was, in short, the brief for “what broadcast radio can still be.” I’m sometimes a little quick to seize on that these days, but hearing them is reenergizing. There’s also something gratifying about a station that takes chances musically and wins. Majic was the market-leader in yesterday’s August PPM results, up 5.8-6.2. At this moment, they have no direct competitor, but that’s because the last station that tried it (on a translator) was gone in less than two years. And in other markets, Adult R&B gets plenty of upper-demo competition from the Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop outlets these days.
This is Majic 102.1 from 12:30-1:30 p.m., Sept. 3:
- Brothers Johnson, “I’ll Be Good To You”
- Nellie “Tiger” Travis, “Mr. Sexy Man”
- Janet Jackson, “Alright”
- Zapp, “Doo Wa Ditty”
- Shanice, “I Love Your Smile”
- Raheem DeVaughn, “Woman”
- Daniel Caesar & H.E.R., “Best Part”
- Keith Sweat, “How Deep Is Your Love”
- Toni Braxton, “Another Sad Love Song”
- Usher, “My Way”
- Cupid, “The Cupid Shuffle”
- After 7, “Runnin’ Out”
