The Infinite Dial

I wanted to give Hip-Hop and R&B outlet KXJM (Jammin' 95) Portland, Ore., one more listen before its announced change to all-Sports next week. Jammin' had created a lot of trouble for heritage Top 40 KKRZ (Z100), particularly during that period when many considered Hip-Hop to be the only music that mattered to an 18-year-old. And even as a lame duck, it ended the winter book with a 2.9 share to Z100's 2.8.

Today the station I heard in middays was jockless (teasing that a change was coming Monday, but with no mention of to what) and playing a lot of relatively new music -- a definite difference from the old days when the jocks of a station with an announced format change tended to dig in the crates for their favorite oldies that would never otherwise be heard.

KXJM's change shouldn't be spun into any larger pronouncement on the state of Hip-Hop radio. It wouldn't be entirely surprising to see somebody else show up with its morning show and name/library next week, as happened in Phoenix and (with Top 40) in Indianapolis. Besides, such pronouncements usually only mean that a rebound is imminent. And three hours away, KUBE Seattle -- the station that proved Hip-Hop had a place on Pacific Northwest radio -- remains atop its market.

Here's Jammin' 99.5 today just before 11 a.m. local time:

Baby Bash, "What Is It"
Day26, "Got Me Going"
Ray J., "Sexy Can I"
J. Holiday, "Suffocate"
Topic, "I Gotta Get It"
Alicia Keys, "Like You'll Never See Me Again"
David Banner, "Get Like Me"
V.I.C., "Get Silly"
Rick Ross, "The Boss"
Sean Kingston, "There's Nothin'"