ANNOUNCING THE “SMOOTH JAZZ TOP 20’ COUNTDOWN’

Sherman Oaks, California: Broadcast Architecture®, the premiere research, consulting and network operator for the Smooth Jazz radio format, has announced the debut of the “Smooth Jazz Top 20 Countdown™”, a weekly two-hour program counting down the week’s hottest Smooth Jazz tracks. Not coincidentally, the “Smooth Jazz Top 20” launches on the 20th anniversary of this format. Smooth Jazz airs on over 60 radio stations in the U.S. and overseas, and the demand for a countdown show has mounted steadily for years.

Each week the Smooth Jazz Top 20 Countdown™ will feature the smoothest hits of the week, based on monitored airplay on stations across the U.S. Hosted by format veteran and Broadcast Architecture® President Allen Kepler, each week’s program will feature the hottest 20 tracks on radio, plus artist interviews and commentary, updates on all the latest news from the Smooth Jazz world, and a special “Chartbound” track destined to be a hit.

Kepler stated: “All of us at BA are thrilled to launch this brand new program concept to smooth jazz radio. Our weekly Smooth Jazz Top 20 Countdown™ will offer our listeners a chance to follow the development of new artists and familiar artists’ brand-new projects. The program will be loaded with the latest information on musicians featured as well as insights from the smooth jazz performers themselves. Furthering our new Smooth Jazz Network™ concept, we see this program as another enhancement to our already vibrant musical genre.”

BA Affiliate Relations Vice President Christine Brodie states: “The Smooth Jazz Top 20 Countdown™ is designed to have broad appeal to an entire range of radio formats – whether 24/7 Smooth Jazz, AC, Soft AC or Urban AC. Already cleared in several markets weeks before its debut, now is obviously the perfect time for the Countdown concept, giving Smooth Jazz listeners nationwide an avenue to get “up close and personal” with both established and breakout artists”.

The “Smooth Jazz Top 20 Countdown™” debuts worldwide the weekend of June 9th. Broadcast Architecture®, the world’s leading Smooth Jazz research and consulting firm, launched the Smooth Jazz Network™ in January of this year. The new 24 hour format has already cleared 19 markets across the US including Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Phoenix, Miami, Baltimore and Sacramento. Kepler joins other Smooth Jazz Network™ hosts Miranda Wilson, Annie Ashe, Billy Raven and smooth jazz artists turned radio hosts; Ramsey Lewis, Dave Koz, Kenny G, Brian Culbertson, Paul Hardcastle and Norman Brown.